Cecilia Jamasmie , Senior Editor

The South African National Union of Mineworkers and two other unions signed Thursday a deal with industry body the Chamber of Mines (CoM), agreeing to a new pay structure for the strike-hit gold mining sector.

In times when most miners are reporting profit below estimates, Goldcorp (TSX:G)(NYSE:GG), posted better-than-expected third quarter results on Thursday as it benefited from operating improvements at Red Lake and Peñasquito, its two flagship operations.

Australia’s Federal Government has seen sunnier days as reports revealed Thursday it has not collected any revenue in the first three months of its much-debated Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT).

Alberta's oil sands will positively affect all Canadian provinces and will lead to billions of dollars of jobs and investment across the country, says a Conference Board of Canada report released Wednesday.

AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (NYSE:AU), South Africa's largest gold miner by output, said Wednesday it has began to dismiss about 12,000 of its striking workers, joining this way an increasing list of mining companies that have sacked workers in an effort to end crippling strikes.

Natural gas titan Encana Corporation (TSX: ECA) (NYSE: ECA) posted Wednesday a $1.24-billion net loss in its third quarter, driven mainly by lower natural gas prices over the past year, but it said it was still on track to meet its financial guidance for the full year.

Teck Resources Ltd. (TSX:TCK.B and TCK.A),(NYSE:TCK) said Wednesday it is deferring about $1.5-billion in capital it had expected to spend this year and in 2013, adding its third quarter profit dropped by more than half.

Canada-based Nautilus Minerals Inc. (TSX&LON:NUS) sank to fresh lows Wednesday in London, falling almost 5%, hit by the news of a Papua New Guinea’s landowners petition to the Government to cancel the firm’s seabed mining permit.

Africa-focused miner Ivanplats (TSX:IVP), founded by billionaire Robert Friedland, successfully closed Tuesday its $307-million initial public offering (IPO) on the Toronto stock exchange, issuing total equity of $504 million (Cdn$493).

Canada’s provincial government of British Columbia is investigating allegations that Chinese workers applying for jobs may have been requested to pay fees to apply for mining positions in B.C.