German technology and German know-how are to help the Colombian coalmining sector, underground mining in particular, to become safer and increase its production. A strategic co-operation is planned that is to comprise not only a safety partnership but also technology transfer. Juan Gabriel Ceballos Campuzano is the owner of Colombia’s old-established family mining firm Soc Central de Activos Mineros, based in the Colombian capital of Bogotá.

Toronto- and Johannesburg-listed Uranium One, which boasts the lowest production costs in its industry, has reported record quarterly revenue, of USD 101.9m, for first-quarter 2011, based on sales of 1.7m pounds of uranium at average sales prices of USD 61/lb, and total cash costs of just USD 14/lb.

Intergeo, the Russian copper and nickel company owned by billionaires Mikhail Prokhorov and Maxim Finskiy, hopes to raise from C$100 million ($104.2 million) to C$500 million in a initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange by the end of the year. Finskiy, the company's chairman and 20 percent stakeholder, told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday the company would float about 10 percent of its shares in the offering.

The Montreal Gazette reports on an Ernst & Young report released this week that points to opportunities for rare earth companies in Canada and elsewhere, as a result of REE export restrictions imposed by China: China’s clampdown on exports of rare earth metals used widely in smartphones and other electronic products, is opening up huge opportunities for the Canadian and international mining industry, consultants Ernst & Young said Wednesday.

Mongolia’s SouthGobi Resources said that its fuel supplier claimed a force majeur after Russia cut supplies to the country to a mere 10,000 tonnes. The company said its flagship coal mine, Ovoot Tolgoi, has enough fuel to last 45 days under normal operations or around three months if it scaled back production. SouthGobi also stated that it has coal in inventory and customer trucks can be fuelled in China, a short distance away from the mine.

A selection of underground and surface miners and mineral processing operators from Teck Resources Limited has received national certification through the Canadian Mining Credentials Program, developed by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) and members of the mining industry, the Kootenay News Advisor reports.

This is an historic event in Canadian mining because until now, unlike the trades, skilled workers in these occupations have never before been awarded an industry-recognized credential that supports mobility and retention within the mining workforce.

Natalia Ionova, head of human resources at Russian steelmaker Evraz, used the recession of 2008 to focus and unify the training of mine managers in their facilities worldwide. With Moscow School of Management Skolkovo, she developed an executive education programme, vital for giving managers an understanding of the company as a whole.

"The people on the courses know the company from the inside, so they can share experiences, and the programmes give them the tools to develop ideas and implement innovative solutions," says Ionova. "It’s better than hiring MBA graduates from outside."

Africa's biggest gold miner AngloGold Ashanti (ANGJ.J: Quote) reported a return to profit in the first quarter on Wednesday following its hedge-book buy back and said it expects higher output in the current three months. AngloGold said adjusted headline earnings per share for the January-March quarter were 53 U.S. cents compared to a loss of 199 cents in the previous one after it had eliminated its hedge book last year to reap the full benefit of record gold prices.

Uranium miner Paladin Energy believes it will not be affected by planned changes in Namibia's policy on ownership of strategic minerals after the government said existing licenses would not be affected. "Paladin has welcomed this clarification, which removes any uncertainty over its operations in Namibia," the company said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange.