What to expect for 2016: Top predictions for the mining industry

A disease all-too-familiar to early coal miners from Europe and North America has found its way to China- where technology for making coalming safer is still decades behind the West.

Vivian Krause, a Vancouver blogger who has been digging into the finances of green groups, takes a hard look at the finances of Suzuki Foundation and draws linkages to foundations in the U.S. who may have an interest in tying up Canada's oil supply rather than let the country diversify exports in the east.

"Global economic markets have shifted to a period of significant uncertainty and we continue to see both a sustained upward pressure on costs and long timeframes for regulatory approvals."

11 countries bought just under 58 tonnes of gold in March. That compares to combined purchases of 439.7 tonnes by the world's central banks last year. That already was an almost fifty year high.

Associated Press reports that Western Kentucky Minerals is making a second attempt at getting a 700-acre surface mining operation near Owensboro approved.

Teck Resources fought against lower metals prices to post record revenues for the first quarter.

It seems that investors have shrugged off the latest developments around the world, in particular the Eurozone and are looking for direction from the US Federal Reserve.

World number one miner BHP Billiton on Monday bought five additional exploration plots near its giant Olympic Dam mine and expansion project, destined to become the world's largest open pit.

After a reasonably long period of sustained and occasionally dramatic escalations, commodity markets in general, and precious metals markets in particular, have declined. This is normal and healthy behavior, even if it is uncomfortable for some market participants.