royal gold inc which is involved in the acquisition and management of precious metal streams and royalty interests gave its forecast for precious metals prices this year and an update about production at some of its facilities the company owned a stake in 182 properties on five continents as of march 31 the company sees gold at 1825 per ounce silver at 2250 per ounce copper at 380 per ounce nickel at 1150 a pound lead 090 a pound and zinc at 130 a pound gold production at the cortez mine from the legacy royalty area which has a gross royalty rate of about 94 is seen at 450000 to 480000 ounces estimated production from the cortez complex zone which has a gross royalty rate of about 16 is estimated at 535000 ounces lower gold production from the penasquito mine due to lower grade and harder ore mined from the chile colorado pit and continued stripping of the next phases of the penasco and chile colorado pits with higher silver lead and zinc production expected from the chile colorado pit on the first full year of production at khoemacau seen at the target throughput rate of 10000 tons per day production down in the first half compared with the second half which is expected to effect sales due to the normalcourse lag in timing between concentrate shipments and stream deliveries continued variable deliveries with no material deliveries of deferred ounces expected while the expanded plant ramps up to full production levels throughout the year after substantial completion of commissioning which barrick expected in the first quarter