Frik Els , Editor

Radio Free Europe reports an increase in world prices for base metals has made a 60-year old German-owned mining company the largest corporate taxpayer in Armenia. Data from the positively Soviet-sound State Revenue Committee released on Tuesday show the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine paying more than 15 billion drams ($41 million) in various taxes and duties in the first half of this year, compared to just 5.5 billion drams the same period last year.

Despite a report on Wednesday showing a surge in July, China's copper imports were still down 22% in the first seven months, suggesting slowing demand in the world's top copper consumer is adding to concerns that shaky western economies will knock prices further. However, according to a new study by Canaccord the copper mining industry is operating under 'a high degree of stress' and called robust copper prices the 'new normal' thanks to supply shortages. More than 500,000 tonnes of production have been lost this year due to weather delays, poor deposit grades, worker strikes and mill problems, mostly in Chile, the world's number one producer.

The North Shore news reports shipments of potash out of North Vancouver's Neptune Terminals rose 37% in the first six months of this year, compared to a mere 1% gain for overall tonnage handled by Port Metro Vancouver over last year. The increase, which brings the terminal's total to 3.8 million tonnes, was spurred by robust potash demand in Asia. Last year's total also marked a substantial jump from the previous year, when total tonnage rose 143%.

Quadra FNX Mining announced second quarter 2011 profits up 75% at $63.8 million and revenues up 76% to $298 million on Wednesday, but was not spared the stock market mayhem and was trading down over 2% by midday on Wednesday bringing its losses for the month to 18%. The results of the Vancouver-based copper miner with operations in Ontario, the US and Chile were only marred by a jump in cash costs to $2.33 per pound of copper, but after raising $500 million during the quarter now sits on a healthy $1 billion in cash.

The Calgary Herald reports the debate over a controversial BC pipeline and port project to ship Alberta crude oil to Asian markets escalated recently with Canada's politicians and business leaders advancing new support for the initiative. Both federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver and the Canadian Council of Chief Executives gave strong backing to the Northern Gateway Project with Oliver calling the pipeline in the national interest. Slowing demand in the US is also adding to pressure for a go-ahead on the pipeline that will stretch for more than 1,100km to a new port facility at Kitimat, northern BC and will cost $5.5 billion.

A new attention-grabbing website that attempts to draw a distinction between Alberta's oil sands and what it calls "conflict oil" extracted by undemocratic regimes may become a victim of its own success.

Gold futures surged as much as $45 in Tokyo trade on Monday to a record $1,697.70 an ounce on demand for an investment haven. The dollar slumped following Standard & Poor’s downgrade of the US long-term credit rating from AAA. Gold futures for December delivery was trading at $1,687, up $36 or 2,17% at 8:30 am Tokyo local time in electronic trading after reaching the all time high.

Dow Jones reports resource nationalism is the top business risk for the top 30 global miners, while supply capacity constraints ranging from skills shortage to infrastructure bottlenecks continue to dominate the top ten list, according to an annual survey by consultants Ernst & Young. Resource nationalism jumped to the top of the list this year from fourth in 2010 after 25 countries announced their intentions to increase their take of the mining industry's profits and others contemplate outright nationalization. Fraud, bribery and corruption sneaked onto the list of top concerns for the first time as a number of countries introduce or tighten rules for executives operating in countries that rank high on corruption indices.

TimesLive reports diamond giant De Beers plans to put hazardous waste - and up to 1,000 prisoners - into its disused property and diamond mines in the picturesque Namaqualand region (depicted), in the northwest of South Africa. The company, which also had to settle a two-week strike over wages on Thursday, said the projects were just two of several potential business ideas for the disused old mine areas and that the Department of Minerals have asked for further public consultation and an impact study. Last month De Beers concluded a deal with the state power utility Eskom to build a 150MW wind farm on a large stretch of coast north of Kleinzee, one of two towns that form part of the De Beers properties.

A small Quebec company says it has uncovered one of the world's most significant deposits of neodymium reports the Montreal Gazette. GeoMegA Resources believes its Montviel property about 500 kilometres northwest of Quebec City, has a huge potential for quick development thanks to the size of the deposit and closeness to infrastructure. Two other companies are active in the region with Commerce Resources announcing significant discoveries on Thursday following its winter drill program at its Eldor rare earth project (pictured) at what it says is ranked as one of the largest REE deposits outside of China. On Friday Vancouver-based Canada Rare Earths announced it acquired a 69.55 km2 rare earth property 350 kilometers south of Montviel adding to its assets adjacent to that of GeoMegA.