corporate heavyweights in Fort McMurray, Alta., will help to derail a new fuel standard they say discriminates against oil sands crude. Some time in the next few weeks, European nations will consider a fuel quality directive that seeks to reduce the

The metals and mining sector offers one of the more consistent seasonal plays each year. Its period of strength is from the end of November to the end of May. Average return per period during the past 20 periods is 8.0 per cent.

Short-sellers increased their pressure on Silvercorp Metals Inc. (SVM-T). In a posting on alfredlittle.com, the short-sellers accused China-focused Silvercorp of inflating earnings, and offered more details on earlier allegations against the miner.

Can you name a precious commodity that hit record prices this summer? That has long been considered highly valuable for its remarkable beauty alone? In which demand is surging at the same time as mineable supplies are shrinking?

The rapid growth of Canadas oil sands is expected to dramatically increase its consumption of natural gas over the coming decade, a prospect that stands to help Albertas gas industry but raise the countrys emissions.

The environmentalists protesting daily outside the White House over a proposed pipeline to carry “dirty” Alberta oil south – and landing in the slammer for it – cast doubt on Canada’s image as a pristine purveyor of nice. Luckily, Gary Doer has been several steps ahead of them.

In late June, Aurizon Mines announced that George Paspalas would take over as president and chief executive officer for David Hall, who has been with the company for decades. (Mr. Hall is staying on as chairman.) Mr. Paspalas' career includes fourteen years in senior management positions, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer at Silver Standard Resources Inc.

A look at gold's movement since the U.S. abandoned the gold standard in 1971.

Global miner Xstrata announced Tuesday it plans to invest a further $530 million to develop new projects at Raglan mine in northern Quebec. The U.K.-based company says the investment will allow it to further develop the nickel project.

Now living on Gabriola Island, B.C., retired teacher Rob Plowright says he’s glad to have received two important lessons about investing. “When we paid off our mortgage, my accountant said to me, ‘You’re not used to having that money. Put away what you’ve been paying on your mortgage in an RRSP, and you’ll have a lot of money when you retire.’”

BHP Billiton Ltd. has declared force majeure on exports from the world’s biggest copper mine, as a mine workers’ strike entered its eighth day. The strike at BHP’s Escondida mine in Chile, which supplied 7 per cent of the world’s copper last year, comes in a month of widespread mining strikes from Indonesia to South Africa. BHP's Escondida mine (pictured) has been the site of an 8-day strike in Chile.

Glencore has decided to stop reporting its results every quarter, in a move that is likely to soothe tensions with Xstrata, the mining company in which it owns a 34 per cent stake.