Australian contractor Barminco has signed the company's largest contract in its 21-year history with the renewal of its contract with AngloGold Ashanti Australia to deliver underground mining services at the 600,000 t/y Sunrise Dam gold mining operation, located 56 km south of Laverton in Western Australia. The company has been contract mining at Sunrise Dam since October 2003.

The quest to commercialize one of Latin America’s last undeveloped major gold deposits is one major step closer to a prospectively big pay day for its unlikely owner - a small gold explorer named Exeter Resources. A Canadian-headquartered company, Exeter recently completed a major milestone development. It announced a positive metallurgical study for the sprawling Caspiche gold-copper deposit in northern Chile’s gold-rich Maricunga mineral belt.

The Canadian province of Quebec plans to develop its huge frozen northern reaches into a powerhouse of mining and renewable energy, targeting C$80 billion ($83 billion) of private and public investment. Quebec's 25-year "Plan Nord," launched on Monday, envisages funding for infrastructure, mines and the development of renewable energy, taking advantage of an improving investment climate as the earth warms and polar ice melts.

Blue Nile’s first quarter net sales increased 8.3% to $80.2 million, a record first quarter sales level. Net income totaled $2.4 million, inching up from last year.

BHP Billiton is moving forward with the Misery open pit project at its Ekati diamond mine in Canada, expecting to start producing […]

Lundin Mining Corporation (TSX:LUN)(OMX:LUMI) today reported net income of $71.2 million ($0.12 per share) for the first quarter of 2011, an increase of $19.3 million from the $51.9 million ($0.09 per share) for the first quarter of 2010. "Production for the quarter was in-line with guidance and our production outlook for the year is unchanged. It should be noted however, that the production has come at a higher cost owing to lower than expected average head-grade at Neves-Corvo and milling difficulties caused by wet weather in January," said Phil Wright, President and CEO. "Caution also needs to be exercised on cost outlook given the on-going weakness of the US dollar."

Dow Jones Newswires reports: Rare-earth mining company Molycorp Inc.'s (MCP) first-quarter loss narrowed due to higher sales volume and a jump in rare-earth prices, although the company's adjusted profit and sales growth missed analysts' expectations. Shares fell 5% to $63.13 in after-hours trading, after closing the regular session down 7.2%. The stock is up 33% this year through Tuesday's close.

Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. (TSX: MPV, NY-AMEX: MDM) today announced the results of an updated independent valuation of the diamonds recovered from the Gahcho Kué Project. The valuation was conducted by WWW International Diamond Consultants Ltd. and took place at the London offices of the Diamond Trading Company in early April, 2011. All diamond values presented below are based on the WWW Price Book as at April 11, 2011. Importantly, for the first time, the Gahcho Kué diamonds were grouped into larger parcels, each parcel representing diamonds from the Hearne, Tuzo and the separate lobes of the 5034 kimberlite. In the opinion of WWW, grouping of the diamonds into larger parcels increased the accuracy of the diamond valuation. Image by Mountain Province Diamonds

Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper reports that BHP Billiton, 80%-owner of the Ekati mine in the Northwest Territories, will make a $400 million investment to expand the mine. The Australian mega-miner says its decision was based on higher diamond prices buoyed by healthy demand. Mining at the Misery deposit would start in late 2015 and last for two years.