Slowing Chinese demand of coal to hurt Mongolia — BMI

Canada topped the global mining and metals sector as the number one target destination by total deal value in the first three months of this year, says international firm Ernst & Young.

The massive developments in mining and oil and gas in Canada have also pulled along a thriving manufacturing sector, according to a study by Conference Board of Canada and the Business Development Bank of Canada.

A $40 discount to the global oil price, competition from Bakken shale oil, rising labour costs, pipeline problems and overproduction put in jeopardy billions of dollars of oil sands projects.

Environmental and activist groups in Canada fold up their websites for a day on Monday to protest the government policies that will make it easier to build pipelines to transport oil from Alberta’s enormous oil sands.

The first Canadian mid-market chief financial officer (CFO) survey published today by GE Capital, shows that local metals and mining companies are extremely positive about the current state of the industry, but less optimistic about the state of the world economy.

In my email this past week was a missive from the news-editor of Mining.com. He passed on a letter sent to him for possible publication. I repeat the entire letter below. It has the edge I like. It has the honesty of an old man about to retire: I respect that. It has the frustration of change; and we all know the feeling.

Australia’s Queensland government has snubbed a United Nations report demanding Australia act to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

Coal and nuclear power plants rely heavily on water for cooling, but a warmer climate could reduce the availability of water and limit power output.

When looking for a dominant investment theme the approach I take involves looking at global or big picture conditions.