Dave Heubel, Eriez® Director—North American Sales, announces that Robertson Equipment of Strongsville, Ohio has earned the 2011 Merwin Award. Eriez presents this award each year to its most outstanding U.S. field sales office.

Focus Ventures Ltd. (TSXV: FCV) is pleased to announce encouraging results from surface sampling at the Don Blas target located on its Santa Cruz property, Durango, Mexico. The results of Focus's initial sampling were announced on March 19, 2012 and included a 22m section that averaged 377.8 g/t Ag.

Diamonds North Resource Corp. (TSX-V: DDN) and Uranium North Resources Corp (TSX-V: UNR) (“the Companies”) announce the formation of a 50:50 strategic partnership, Minerals North LLC, a Nevada incorporated company. The partnership allows both companies to explore new opportunities in Washington State at reduced cost and risk while maintaining our northern Canadian assets.

Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. ("Northern Dynasty" or the "Company") (TSX: NDM; NYSE Amex: NAK) announces that the Board of Directors of Pebble Mines Corp., the general partner of the Pebble Limited Partnership (the "Pebble Partnership" or "PLP") has approved a budget of approximately US $107 million to advance the Pebble Project in 2012, with the objective of readying PLP to initiate permitting under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) toward the end of the year.

Liberty Mines Inc. today announced results from a deep drill program on its Hart Nickel Deposit that suggests increased mineralization at depth.

MAX Resource Corp. (TSX.V: MXR; OTCBB: MXROF; Frankfurt: M1D) has entered into a Mineral Lease with New Nevada Resources, LLC ("NNR") for 560 acres of mineral rights ("Section 33) immediately adjacent of its Majuba Hill copper/silver/gold project in Nevada where soil sampling in 2011 identified a high grade soil anomaly covering a 1.5 km by 2 km area that returned values as high as 1.53% Cu and 209 g/t Ag in soils.

Mirasol Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: MRZ) (Frankfurt: M8R) ("Mirasol" or "the Company") is pleased to announce discovery of a large new epithermal gold-silver zone at its 100%-owned Claudia project, which adjoins the world class Cerro Vanguardia gold mine, operated by Anglogold Ashanti, in southern Argentina.

Shell Canada today announced it purchased a 1,820 acre (740 ha) tract of land in northern Alberta to conserve boreal forest habitat near its oil sands operations.

Cash costs for Westwood are now forecast to average $533 per ounce over the life of the operation, higher than previously forecast.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., announced it will showcase its Thermo Scientific Mining Sample Collection and Preparation Tool kits, comprising the Thermo Scientific Direct Rock Sampler Kit and the Thermo Scientific Electric Hammer Mill Kit, at AAPG 2012 on April 22-25, 2012, at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California

New Millennium Iron Corp. of Calgary has chosen Outotec to provide feasibility engineering for a new pelletizing plant to be located in Pointe Noire. It will treat concentrates from New Millennium’s LabMag deposit in Labrador and its KeMag deposit in Quebec. The plant is part of the Taconite project being carried out with partner Tata Steel.

The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) commends Ottawa's commitment to modernize federal environmental review processes, highlighted in today's federal budget announcement, while expressing disappointment regarding the announced phased elimination of the Mineral Exploration and Development Tax Credit.