Cecilia Jamasmie , Senior Editor

Surface mine operators are finding it harder to deliver the same amount of minerals in the same time with existing technologies. The ore being uncovered has lower concentrations of minerals as existing sites become more mature. As a result, mining companies are increasingly under pressure to find more energy efficient and reliable solutions.

Chilean state giant Codelco, the world's biggest copper producer, will have to strive this year to match record 2011 copper production of 1.735 million tonnes, said CEO Diego Hernandez to the El Mercurio newspaper's Sunday edition.

London- and Nasdaq-listed gold producer Randgold Resources Ltd. (LON:RRS) (NASDAQ:GOLD) stocks went up 3.5 percent after the West Africa-focused miner reported a more than fourfold rise in net profit for the year ended December 2011 due to higher gold prices and a significant increase in production.

American-based heavy equipment maker Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) through its subsidiary Electro-Motive Canada (EMC), said today that it is closing EMC's locomotive production operations at its London, Ontario plant, after several months of unsuccessful contract negotiations with the Canadian Auto Workers union.

A day after violent demonstrations forced the cancellation of the grand opening of its newly minted Independencia Mine in Paraguay, Latin American Minerals (CVE:LAT)(OTCQX:LATNF) announced that it began operations at its Pilot Plant facility, located at the Paso Yobai gold project.

Cluff Gold (TSX:CFG) (AIM:CLF), a gold miner focused mainly in West Africa, announced on Friday that it will buy Orezone Gold’s Sega gold project mining licences and property in Burkina Faso for 11-million shares and $15-million in cash.

The long-term fling between mining group Xstrata PLC (LON:XTA) and commodities trader Glencore International PLC (LON:GLEN) is getting serious. In a statement in response to increasing speculation about an upcoming merger, Xstrata confirmed today that it is in negotiations with Glencore.

BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s largest mining company and the fourth-largest nickel producer, announced today that is decreasing mining operations at its West Australian locations by 30 percent.

BHP Billiton Limited (ASX:BHP) said Wednesday that it is selling its 37% non-operated interest in South African mineral sands venture Richards Bay Minerals to partner Rio Tinto PLC (LON:RIO). With this move, BHP is officially leaving the titanium minerals industry.

Junior miner London Mining’s stocks (LON:LOND) went up almost five per cent today as the company announced two major milestones: the first shipment of iron ore from its Marampa project in Sierra Leone and the commencement of production of coking coal in Colombia.