Rio Tinto $4 billion financing deal for Oyu Tolgoi imminent — report

United Silver Corp. (formerly United Mining Group) on Thursday updated progress on the joint venture with New Jersey Mining Company which was established to secure near-term milling capacity for the Crescent Silver Mine project, through funding a $2.5m expansion program. The expansion program remains on budget and on schedule for completion in the fourth quarter of 2011, the company said. United Silver Corp. is earning, through development and operations, an 80% interest in the Crescent Silver Mine in Idaho's prolific Silver Belt - directly between two of the world's historically largest silver producing properties, the Sunshine and Bunker Hill mines.

The top 40 global mining companies are poised to break through the US$1 trillion asset mark this year, due to record levels of cash, property and equipment on balance sheets, says a new PwC report. In their report Mine 2011: The game has changed, PwC called the financial results of the top 40 "spectacular" as total revenues increased 32% to US$435 billion, breaking the $400 billion mark for the first time.

Edward Lee, President of Molycor Gold, reported that drilling has commenced on its 100% owned Beaverdell Silver property, located 4km southeast of Beaverdell, British Columbia. The exploration program will be focused on the North Kokomo – Tiger and Duncan Bounty vein areas where high grade rock chip samples were taken during an assessment program carried out during fall 2010 up to 61.98 oz/ton silver.

Chieftain Metals has initiated an important step in its 2011 operations plan by transporting heavy machinery and equipment via barge to the Tulsequah Chief mine site in north-western British Columbia.

Mercator Minerals is pleased to announce that that for the first two months of Q2 2011, the Company produced 7,538,130 pounds of copper and 1,128,674 pounds of molybdenum at its wholly owned Mineral Park mine in Arizona, as compared to total Q2 2011 production guidance for the months of April to June, given on March 8, 2011 of 10,163,548 pounds of copper and 1,033,558 pounds of molybdenum, representing 74% of the guided quarterly copper production and 109% of the guided quarterly molybdenum production during a period of two months of a three month quarter, with a full month of production to come. 

Profit margins for the world’s top 40 mining companies are below the historical peaks of 2006 and 2007 as higher costs outweigh […]

Minera Andes announced net income of $17.0 million ($0.06 per share basic and diluted) for the quarter ended March 31, 2011, an increase of $19.9 million compared to a net loss of $2.9 million ($0.01 per share loss basic and diluted), as restated, for the same period in 2010. The increase is primarily attributable to the strong performance of the San José Mine where our 49% ownership interest is reflected in our Income from Investment in Minera Santa Cruz S.A. ("MSC") which increased from $0.1 million in Q1 2010 to $11.7 million in Q1 2011. Comparing Q1 2011 to Q1 2010, silver ounces sold at MSC increased from 739,000 ounces ("oz") to 1,342,000 oz and gold ounces sold increased from 14,000 oz to 18,000 oz, reflecting increases of 82% and 29%, respectively.

The rebranding of former fiery leftist Ollanta Humala apparently struck a chord with Peruvian voters as exit polls Sunday showed the former army commander is leading the race to become Peru's next president. The 48-year-old Humala declared victory late Sunday night in an apparently razor-thin win. He would succeed President Alan Garcia on July 28. Image from Agência Brasil under Creative Commons license.

Orvana Minerals announced the commissioning of its El Valle-Boinás/Carlés ("EVBC") gold-copper mine in northern Spain by Kinbauri España S.L.U. ("Kinbauri"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Orvana. EVBC initiated the start-up and commissioning of the mill May 31, 2011, with the first shipment expected in June. EVBC will initially produce at 70% capacity, increasing to its full annual target production levels of over 100,000 ounces gold, 3,900 tonnes copper and over 150,000 ounces of silver once the shaft is completed in early 2012.