Frik Els , Editor

Potential joint-venture partners have been intrigued by a hefty oil discovery Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. made by way of happy accident. Athabasca has been approached by "several" parties keen to get in on its position in the Leduc carbonate, president and chief executive officer Sveinung Svarte told Canadian Business in an interview. Worth $6bn on the Toronto bourse Athabasca is trading down close to 20% from record highs hit in March this year when the Calgary-based company announced that it acquired more than 1.0 million acres of petroleum and natural gas rights in the Deep Basin areas of northwestern Alberta from crown sales and third-parties.

Shares of Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, the world’s largest fertilizer producer, are down just shy of 8% for the week after losing almost 2% in late trade on Friday despite being upgraded to a buy by analysts at TD Newcrest. Others in the sector fared even worse with newcomer Karnalyte Resources shedding 4.3% while heavyweights Mosaic and Agrium lost over 4.4% and 2.3% respectively after the US Senate on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to eliminate some $6bn in annual subsidies for the country's ethanol industry.

Shares in junior precious metals miner Silver Sun Resources Corp. spiked 10% on Friday after becoming the sole owner of the Cherry Hill Mining Company, a fellow Californian gold miner. The Vancouver company's stock is up just short of 50% on the TSX-Venture exchange in 2011. Silver Sun is in the final stages of development of its gold project in Yreka, California and engaged in an on-going work programme in Mexico's prolific Zacatecas silver district and at a newly-acquired silver project Yoreme in Sonora state.

The Zimbabwe mining industry is expected to conclude a US$1 billion revolving facility at a number of African development banks to recapitalize mining firms as it emerges from a decade of hyperinflation, international sanctions and political turmoil that all but ground the sector to a halt. The mining industry, rich in precious metals and diamonds, made up roughly 20% of Zimbabwe's GDP and at $1.7bn 65% of all exports last year according to government statistics. This figure is set to increase dramatically particularly if the country receives approval to restart diamond exports currently under an international ban.

Russian news agencies report Uralkali, Russia's largest potash miner, is not planning to buy Belaruskali, a major Uralkali shareholder said on Friday. Last week it was speculated that the cash-strapped ex-Soviet republic Belarus is negotiating the sale of its most prized asset under the terms of a bail-out loan agreed with Russia. Responsible for one-third of the worlds potash fertiliser production, Belaruskali could have been worth as much as $20bn and a merger with Uralkali owned by billionaire Suleiman Kerimov would have created a group with annual production of 21m tonnes, dwarfing current number one Canada’s Potash Corp's 12m tonnes/year.

Australian junior miner Alcyone Resources has poured its first silver bullion from its 100%-owned Texas silver and polymetallic project in Queensland it acquired 18 months ago, after starting in early April this year to re-irrigate the existing silver-rich heaps at the Twin Hills mine. Alcyone says its forecast cash operating cost is around A$15/ounce which provides strong margins with the silver price hovering above A$30/ounce. It expects to start full-scale operations by the September 2011 quarter at an initial annualised rate of 1.5-2.0m ounces. The ASX-listed penny stock is up some 120% so far this year.

A report released this week suggests that US federal regulation of coal combustion residuals, or coal ash, currently being considered by the Environmental Protection Agency would result in as many as 316,000 lost jobs and as much as $110bn in lost economic activity over a 20-year period. Power-generating coal is coming under fire from many quarters including Australia where a proposed carbon tax in 2012 could see coal mining profits fall and lead to thousands of job losses. This despite a new report showing that worldwide coal consumption is at its highest relative to other sources in 40 years.

With a new government-backed CEO, a capex budget and acquisition war chest that dwarfs others, record net profits, a very generous dividend policy, strong fundamentals in its core business, aggressive expansion into high-growth areas and regions – notably potash and Africa – and a stock that looks downright cheap next to its peers, what is not to like about Vale? After slumping to an 8-month low less than a month ago it now seems investors are finally beginning to warm to the the diversified Brazilian miner. In the month since Murilo Ferreira has been head, the planet's third most valuable mining company has risen against the other supermajors and outperformed the broader market by 7%.

SW Radio Africa news reports India has raised concerns as Russia is set to join China in moves to control diamond mining in Zimbabwe, with the Federation’s state diamond group Gokhran seeking a license to mine at the controversial Chiadzwa fields. China already has two companies operating there in partnership with Zimbabwe’s state diamond firm. Zimbabwe is set to become the world's leading producer, with an expected volume of 40m carats per year worth some $2bn annually from the rich deposits in Chiadzwa and Marange. The troubled country, emerging from years of hyperinflation and political turmoil, is however barred from selling diamonds because of alleged human rights violations and has built up a stockpile worth $4bn–$5bn.

Lithium One Inc. announced on Wednesday the commencement of a pumping test program at its flagship Sal de Vida lithium-potash brine project in Argentina (pictured), one of the largest and the highest-grade lithium and potash brine projects in the world. The TSX Venture-listed company traded little changed on the news and like shares in other juniors in the sector is very volatile. Lithium One is down over 10% so far this year and has not been able to reach the record high it hit back in August 2009 when the Argentina project was first acquired.