Universal Coal (ASX: UNV) has secured the Donkin licence area, adjacent to the Somerville coking coal project in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, on a farm-in basis. Based on historical drilling data, the farm Donkin 72MS property has a Inferred JORC Resource of 42.4 million tonnes, covering the northern extent of a farm area of 1,178 hectares, with the potential for coking coal and open pit access.

Goldplat ( LON:GDP ) put out a very encouraging update saying its two gold recovery operations have been performing strongly and that it expects to post a “significant increase’ in full year operating profits. Trading across its two gold recovery businesses in South Africa and Ghana and its Kilimapesa gold project in Kenya was stronger in the second half than in the first.

Legend Mining ( ASX: LEG ) has returned more wide iron intersections after completing a seven hole drilling program at the Melombo West target within the Ngovayang Project in Cameroon, indicating the large scale potential of the project. The best

Latin Resources' (LRS: ASX) strategically well positioned Ilo Norte project in Peru is developing into a copper gold play, after all eight exploratory holes drilled along a 1.25 kilometre strike intersected copper and iron (magnetite) - along with

European Nickel (LON:ENK) remains well funded with cash of US$7.54 million, its latest quarterly update reveals. This compares with US$10.91 million at the start of period, though the company’s direct shipments from its Acoje project in the Philippines.

EnviroGold (ASX: EVG) has entered an agreement enabling the company to explore the highly prospective La Yagua and La Paciencia concessions in the Dominican Republic, where a previous grab sample included grades of 18% copper, 13 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 29g/t silver.

Augur Resources ( ASX: AUK ) for the second time in a week has announced a very wide gold intersection at the Wonogiri project in central Java, which continues to support a bulk tonnage scenario.

Kalgoorlie Mining Company ( ASX: KMC ) has been granted de-watering approval for the Bullant Gold Mine from the Department of Environment and Conservation.

Investors have been anticipating a positive outcome, the shares are now up over 30 percent in the past few weeks European Goldfields (LON:EGU, TSE:EGU) shares shot up over 10 percent after the group’s 95%-owned subsidiary Hellas Gold SA got environment

Kentor Gold (ASX: KGL) has been granted a trading halt by the ASX pending an announcement on the Andash gold copper project located in the Kyrgyz Republic, with the company's shares placed in pre-open.

CGA Mining ( ASX: CGX , TSX: CGA ) is ramping up exploration at the Masbate Gold Project in the Philippines by allocating a US$20 million exploration budget for financial year 2012, almost triple the current years spend.