Canadian Arrow Mines could soon be mining nickel again at its Kelex and Alexo mines near Timmins, Ontario. The Toronto-listed company (TSX-V:CRO) has received regulatory approvals to resume production with a small-tonnage, open-pit operation at the Kelex Central West pit, which was exposed, but only superficially mined, before suspension of production in 2005 due to nickel prices falling below US$5/lb.

Shares of Paramount Gold and Silver Corp. (NYSE/TSX: PZG) hit a one-month high of $3.22 on Tuesday after the company released a new resource estimate for its Sleeper Gold Project in Nevada. The NI 43-101 resource estimate, prepared by consulting firm SRK, includes oxide and sulfide materials as well as a small amount of alluvial mineralization.

For the second time this year workers have downed tools at one of the world's largest copper and gold mines. The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting thousands of workers at Freeport-McMoran's gold and copper mine in eastern Indonesia have begun a month-long strike over a wage dispute: Union spokesman Juli Parorongan said roughly 90 per cent of the Papua mine's 12,000 workers were taking part in the action, which began on Thursday.

As the United States and its allies look back on a weekend of memorials and tributes to the nearly 3,000 victims of 9/11, the country that was struck in retaliation for the 2001 attack on America could become a hotbed of mining. The National reports that Indian firms are bidding billions of dollars for a contract to mine iron ore in a central district of Afghanistan: "A consortium led by the state-run Steel Authority of India (SAIL) could invest up to US$6 billion (Dh22bn) in the mine, railroads and a steel plant in a race with China to lock in raw materials for two of the world's fastest-growing economies."

The Inuit government of Labrador says it will review a 2008 moratorium on uranium mining that it brought in to protect the environment, The Winnipeg Free Press reported, with the Nunatsiavut Assembly voting last night to review the legislation imposing the moratorium on mining, production and development of uranium on Inuit lands. The moratorium was imposed on concerns over the environmental effects of uranium mining including low-level emissions produced from tailings. If a government committee recommends that the moratorium be lifted, legislation would be put forward to remove the restriction, says The Free Press. A report is expected by December.

Polish stocks are on a tear this week after a top court made a mining-friendly tax ruling. Bloomberg reports that Polish stocks climbed for a second day, with the benchmark index heading for the biggest advance in a week, as coal and copper producers jumped after the Constitutional Tribunal ruling on mining taxes: "The court ruled that mining excavations should not be considered as construction works and should be free of real-estate taxes."

Initial drilling on its Gold Rock project has produced some promising intercepts, Midway Gold (TSX-V:MDW) reported today. The company said drills have intercepted 33.5 meters of 2.06 grams per tonne (gpt) gold, including 7.6 meters of 4.18 gpt gold, in drill hole GR11-05. Additional intercepts include 48.8 meters of 0.96 gpt gold in drill hole GR11-07, and 18.3 meters of 0.82 gpt gold in drill hole GR11-03.

Barrick Gold (TSX:ABX) will spend half a billion dollars to expand two of its mines in Peru, Bloomberg reports. Toronto-based Barrick, the world's largest gold miner, says it will invest $$550 million to expand operations at its Alto Chicama and Pierina mines by 2013. Quoting the company's country manager Darrell Wagner, Bloomberg states that the investment will serve to extend the minelives of both mines by four years, with production dropping as reserves are depleted:

The former premier of Alberta says he doesn't support the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project because it will take away jobs from Albertans. I would prefer...we process the bitumen from the oilsands in Alberta and that would create a lot of jobs and job activity," Peter Lougheed told CBC morning radio talkshow host Anna Maria Tremonti. "That would be a better thing to do than merely send the raw bitumen down the pipeline and they refine it in Texas that means thousands of new jobs in Texas."

The cost of borrowing for Brazil's Vale has risen to record highs relative to competitors BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, as the Brazilian government looks to reap more in mining taxes amid surging metals prices, Bloomberg is reporting: The world’s largest iron-ore mining company’s dollar bonds due in 2019 yielded 4.22 percent, a record 152 basis points more than similar-maturity bonds from higher-rated BHP. The yield gap has swelled 61 basis points, or 0.61 percentage point, this year. The spread over Rio Tinto Group bonds reached 84 basis points yesterday after averaging 51 points in the first seven months of 2011.

The Endako molybdenum mine in British Columbia has been extended another two years, Thompson Creek Metals (TSX:TCM) said yesterday. The Denver and Vancouver-based company announced a 9% increase in mineral reserves from 286.2 million to 312.2 million pounds of molybdenum at the mine, located near Prince George, BC., meaning the mine will operate until 2028. "The updated reserves estimate illustrates the significant value of the Endako mine. The current report has revised our reserves estimates as a result of improved engineering, refined geological modeling and new drilling data. We believe the resource base at the Endako mine will continue to expand with our 2011 drilling program and future exploration," CEO Kevin Loughrey said in a statement.

Shares in NioGold Mining (TSX-V:NOX) are up 3.28% today on brisk mid-day trading, after the company announced promising drill results from its Marban Block property, located in the Abitibi region of Quebec, Canada. Highlights from 10 new drill holes at the Marban deposit include an intersection at depth of 7.0 grams of gold per tonne (g/t Au) over 10.9 metres (MB-08-053ext) and shallow intersections obtained at the west end of the deposit of 5.9 g/t Au over 15.7 metres (MB-11-195) and 906.2 g/t Au over 2.6 metres (MB-11-198). Map by NioGold Mining Corp.