Australia’s geoscientist employment slump enters its third year

Russia's two main rail lines into Asia and, in particular China, are increasingly overburdened which is causing a headache for metals firms looking to increase exports.

India's Tata Steel , the world's No 7 steelmaker, will hold on to its stake in Africa-focused Riversdale Mining , its vice chairman said on Monday. "We will continue to hold on to our stake," B Muthuraman told reporters.

Miner Anglo American stuck to its production targets on Thursday despite a first quarter that saw floods and heavy rains hampering output, with coal output from its Australian operations down by over a third. Anglo, the world's fifth-biggest diversified miner, is the latest operator to detail the impact of freak weather across its operations. Image by Jam343.

Walter Energy (NYSE: WLT) (TSX: WLT), the world's leading, publicly traded "pure play" producer of metallurgical coal for the global steel industry, today announced earnings per diluted share of $1.53 and net income of $81.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2011, compared to earnings per diluted share of $0.77 and net income of $41.6 million in the first quarter 2010. Results for the period exclude results from Western Coal, which the Company acquired on April 1, 2011.

Teck Resources Limited (TSX: TCK.A and TCK.B, NYSE: TCK) announced today that it will pay an eligible dividend of $0.30 per share on its outstanding Class A common shares and Class B subordinate voting shares on July 5, 2011, to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 15, 2011.

Brazilian steelmaker CSN (CSNA3.SA: Quote)(SID.N: Quote) struck a deal to sell its 19.9 percent stake in Australian coal miner Riversdale to mining giant Rio Tinto for A$780 million ($830 million), according to a securities filing. Sao Paulo-based CSN, Brazil's largest diversified steelmaking group, sold 47.29 million Riversdale shares at a price of A$16.50 each, the filing said. The shares (RIV.AX: Quote) closed little changed at A$16.50 in Sydney on Wednesday.

Platts reports the Chinese government is planning to categorize coking coal as a strategic resource that will be “protected” via incentives to […]

Vancouver-based Teck Resources Limited (TSX: TCK.A and TCK.B, NYSE: TCK) reported earnings attributable to its shareholders of $461 million, or $0.78 per share. Adjusted quarterly profit was $450 million, or $0.76 per share, more than double the $198 million reported in the first quarter of 2010. Image by Teck Resources Limited

Metallurgical coal mining company Grande Cache Coal Corp cut its 2012 coal sales forecast as it expects production to be affected by the challenging mining conditions. The company now sees coal sales volumes of 2.2-2.4 million tonnes, down from the previous forecast of 2.4-2.6 million tonnes.