A million tonnes of copper is on the way: it may not be enough

Responding to rising metals prices and more stable markets, most mining companies increased exploration budgets in 2010. The result was a 45% increase in estimated worldwide nonferrous metals exploration spending over 2009. Regionally, Latin America (led by Mexico, Peru, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina) was the top exploration destination in 2010-a position it has held for the better part of two decades-while Canada was the top country overall. Gold was the leading target, attracting more than half the global exploration budget total, with copper a distant second.

Jiangxi Copper, China’s top copper producer, sees copper prices rising this year as supply remains tight and demand continues to increase.

China's top copper producer Jiangxi Copper (0358.HK) (600362.SS) expects domestic copper prices to rise this year, mainly due to a supply squeeze, its chairman said on Saturday.

Inmet Mining (TSE:IMN) was down 7.41% to Can$64 on Friday after the Government of Panama announced that it will repeal recently enacted legislation, known as Law 8, that modifies the Panamanian mineral resources code. The price drop complicates the company's proposed merger with Lundin Mining. In Jan. 2011, Inmet and Lundin Mining announced a merger that would create Canada's largest base metal producer. However, Equinox Minerals launched a hostile bid for Lundin in late February.

Inmet Mining Corporation (TSX:IMN) announced today that the government of Panama intends to repeal recently enacted legislation, known as Law 8, that modified the Panamanian mineral resources code. The intent to repeal Law 8 recognizes concerns from indigenous communities residing within areas known as Comarcas that are recognized under Panamanian law. Inmet's Cobre Panama project is neither situated on nor adjacent to any Comarcas, and has had government and local community support.

New Gold had their best year in 2010, with increased production and declining costs resulting in record earnings and cash flow, the B.C.-based company said on Friday. Consolidated revenue for the year was $530 million compared to $324 million in 2009, which the company attributed to higher production rates and elevated gold prices. Earnings from mine operations jumped 129% to USD$203 million, compared to $89 million in the previous year.

Equinox Minerals Ltd.’s counter offer for Lundin Mining Corp. is so low that it’s leaving an opening for Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold […]

Tasman Resources says the latest drilling on its Vulcan prospect near Olympic Dam shows evidence of “significant” iron oxide copper gold uranium […]

Romios Gold Resources announced that a 2010 mapping project from the British Columbia Geological Survey confirmed Romios' previous claims that the Dirk property mineralization is analogous to and may be as large as the Galore Creek project. Samples collected by Romios from the Dirk property produced numerous anomalous values including a 3.0 metre chip sample of 6.21% Cu, 0.57 g/t Au, and 44.1 g/t Ag. The BCGS also reports values up to 21 ppb platinum and 64 ppb palladium from samples that they collected from the Dirk property.