The new Sudbury laboratory will join the ALS Minerals Falconbridge Road lab in expanding its service to the Sudbury and Eastern Canada exploration and mining community.

Gekko Systems is pleased to announce the signing of a collaborative agreement with Newcrest Mining Limited to undertake a three-year research and development program. The Gekko and Newcrest teams will target improvements in energy efficiency, reduced operating costs, increased recovery and faster project implementation time.

CDE have announced the appointment of a new country manager for Austria as the company seeks to expand its coverage throughout Europe. Stefan Hunger joins CDE bringing with him significant experience in the construction materials markets in Europe, North Africa and Latin America.

A Kamloops BC TV station reports workers at Teck Resources Highland Valley Copper mine have voted 99.5% in favour of striking if necessary to back wage and benefit demands. The 1,100 unionized workers voted Sunday, less than a week before their contract is due to expire. The Highland Valley Copper mine is the largest copper mine in Canada and one of the largest copper mining and concentrating operations in the world. Teck announced last week a $475 million upgrade of its 40-year-old Highland Valley mill to bring it in line with the mine's 2025 end of life, and a separate $210 million investment at a BC lead and zinc operation.

Reuters reports Russian potash miner Uralkali (URKAq.L) may launch a new 2.5 million tonne a year greenfield mine in 2018, which initial estimates show could cost $2.5 billion, the company's head of operations said on Thursday.

AngolaPress reports at least USD 9.0 million was invested in diamond prospecting the central Bié province by three private mining companies.

Optical Cable Corporation’s MSHA-certified tight-buffered breakout cable is designed to extend high speed communications deep underground, while withstanding thermal extremes, physical hazards, and even falling debris in mining operations.

Maptek has released version 3.5 of its laser scan modelling software I-Site Studio. The release coincides with the launch of a dedicated geotechnical module, guaranteed to have site geologists keen to try it out for mapping and analysis.

The sustainability index includes some 300 global companies identified as leaders in the areas of sustainability and economic, environmental, safety and social performance. Newmont as been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index every year since 2006. In 2007, it became the first gold company included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.

Steel Guru reports that Liberia is poised to reap the rewards of its mineral riches once again, with the first shipment of iron ore produced since the end of its decades long civil war expected later this year, and gold production due to resume in as soon as six months.