UK Coal PLC reported rising coal production in the first half and said its strategic recovery is on track. In a trading statement ahead of reporting results for the first half to June 25, the company said total production in the period was 4.1 million tonnes.

Rio Tinto has already outperformed the UK 350 mining sector over the year to date but Citi reckons it can continue to motor ahead thanks to a continuing tight iron ore market. The company remains the broker’s most favoured UK metals and mining firm.

Gold fell for the first time in seven days in London as growing concern that Europe’s debt crisis is worsening strengthened the dollar, curbing demand for the metal as an alternative investment. Bullion advanced to all- time highs in euros and pounds.

Following Friday's disappointing jobs data and a big jump in Chinese inflation over the weekend, Jim Rogers, the CEO and Chairman of Rogers Holdings, told CNBC that no matter what happens to the global economy, he will make money with his commodity positions.

Much has been made of China’s insatiable appetite for the world’s natural resources but demand growth from another Asian giant is changing the dynamics of the global steel market. Indian demand for steel grew 10 percent last year, helping push global demand to a record 1.4 billion tons in 2010. Over the past two years, India’s renewed economic growth has brought a dramatic increase in the country’s steel production as well as domestic consumption.

It is reported that at the 5th Coaltrans Russia and CIS conference held in Moscow, Russia annual coal production was discussed by analysts.

U.S. coal consumption was up 4 percent in the past week, Genscape said, as power demand in the North surged over the Fourth of July weekend.� Use of coal for the week ended Thursday fell 4 percent from the same week in 2010, the power industry data

Gold may gain as debt concerns in Europe and the U.S. spur demand for the metal as a protection of wealth, a survey found. Fourteen of 18 traders, investors and analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, or 78 percent, said bullion will rise next week. Two

China's copper staged a strong comeback in June, but the outlook was marred by falls in a list of other key commodities, showing that Beijing's cooling measures were weighing on the economy.

Iron ore exports may fall by over 20% to around 75 million tonne in the current fiscal as a result of hike in duty on overseas shipments, miners body Federation of Indian Mineral Industries said.

The United States is poised to export the most coal since 1992 this year, filling a gap created when flooding interrupted Australian supplies and buoying shipments for railroads such as Union Pacific and Jacksonville-based CSX.

South Africa's coal exports from the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) rose to 4.78 million tonnes in June from 3.57 million the previous month, RBCT data showed. South Africa -- a major exporter of coal to power stations in Europe and Asia -- had 2.99