These are the top business risks mining and metals firms face

The market is expecting BHP Billiton to post record-setting annual profits of $US22.1 billion next week on revenues forecast to be a staggering $71.9 billion. BHP investors, whose stock has hardly moved in a year despite stellar growth rates at the Melbourne-based company, would want to hear if another share buyback will follow the $10 billion round completed in June and any update on its purchase of Petrohawk. The world's biggest miner has a history dating back 150 years and its operations span the globe from potash in Canada (pictured) and coal in South Africa to nickel in Australia and copper in Chile.

Chinese companies mull investing in Romania's nuclear and coal sectors, Mediafax reported after the visit of the Romanian government delegation, headed by PM Emil Boc, to China.

Crude oil jumped to the highest level in more than a week on Monday after positive news about Japan signalled the global economy may not be in such dire straits as previously thought, the dollar slumped and fresh data showed China's reliance on foreign oil – now at over 55% – is increasing at a rapid pace. US crude in the form of West Texas Intermediate rose 3% to just shy of $88 per barrel and the discount to international prices narrowed slightly. The price for Canadian synthetic crude – a light oil manufactured from oil sands – topped $102 as the premium it attracts widened to over $15 despite a looming end to shortages.

The deadline for a crucial federal loan guarantee backing a proposed uranium plant in southern Ohio came and went Monday leading some to wonder if the project will ever get shovels in the ground, the Dayton Daily News reports. For the second time in three months, investors in a $5 billion uranium centrifuge project in Pike County have said they will give the federal government more time to offer a $2 billion loan guarantee. Ohio officials first unveiled plans for the plant in 2009, promising 4,000 jobs for an area with the worst unemployment in the US state.

University of Kentucky research into cleaner-burning coal technology received a $19.4 million boost on Monday, most of it from the federal government.

In the wake of the Fukushima meltdowns, some nations are looking to move away from nuclear power. But not China, which is proceeding with plans to build 36 reactors over the next decade. As a result of such climate change concerns, as well as the need for more power in developing nations, more than 60 reactors are under construction around the world today in countries like India, Russia and South Korea. Even the US is currently building one new reactor — the second unit at Watts Bar in Tennessee.

A blast in a coal mine in China killed 10 people, officials said Monday. The blast, due to accumulation of gas inside the mine, took place Sunday night in southwest Guizhou province, Xinhua reported.

Mega Uranium today announces its unaudited results for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2011. As at June 30, 2011, Mega had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaling $31.1 million, as compared to $49.9 million at the end of September 30, 2010, a decrease of 38%. The decrease is primarily attributable to the Lake Maitland feasibility costs and other exploration expenditures incurred during the current period. As at June 30, 2011, the Company had mineral properties and related expenditures of $265.9 million, as compared to $251.7 million as at September 30, 2010. The increase reflects expenditures on our mineral properties of $18.9 million, offset by write offs of mineral properties of $4.6 million.

Even without a television crew filming every move they make underground, the coal miners who work at Cobalt Coal's Westchester Mine in Big Sandy are running coal and getting better at it according to Mike Crowder, Cobalt's chief executive officer.