Lake Shore Gold Corp. (TSX:LSG) announced results from six drill holes (3,035 metres) from the 730 Level at the Thunder Creek Project with four holes (1,060 metres) being collared underground and two holes (1,975 metres) on surface. The holes are part of a continuing drill program to define the overall geometry and grade of the Porphyry and Rusk Zones near the 730 elevation in order to complete an initial National Instrument 43-101 compliant resource estimate. The Thunder Creek project is within the company's Timmins West Gold Complex near Timmins, Ontario.

Teck Resources Limited ("Teck", TCK.A and TCK.B, NYSE: TCK) announced today that it has reached agreement with Westshore Terminals Limited Partnership ("Westshore") on terms for the shipment of steelmaking coal from Teck's mines in British Columbia and Alberta for a four year term from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2016. The new agreement envisions Teck shipping 16 million tonnes of coal in the initial contract year, and larger amounts in subsequent years when Teck's production is scheduled to increase, all at fixed rates through Westshore.

Peregrine Diamonds completed a non-brokered private placement of 3,000,000 common shares at a price of $2.80 per share for proceeds of $8.4 million. Proceeds will be used for mineral exploration projects in Canada.

Start-up of the mill is now planned following completion of service repairs that were initiated in last fall. Underground development material has been stockpiled at the surface for mill feed. By the end of February, a total of 11,866 tonnes (13,080 tons) of material was stockpiled at an estimated average grade of 12.5 grams per tonne (0.365 oz/ton) gold. The total to date of the stockpile plus the underground broken inventory currently stands at 20,500 tonnes (22,678 tons) at an estimated average grade of 12.4 grams per tonne (0.363 oz/ton) gold.

Astur Gold, based in Vancouver, is exploring for gold in northern Spain. The company’s Salave property is located a few kilometres from the village of Tapia on the Spanish coast. The company has released its preliminary economic assessment. Astur Gold CEO Cary Pinkowski talks about the study:

Students, teachers and training providers who excel in vocational education and training are being given a chance to be recognised as part of the Queensland Training Awards. Employment, Skills and Mining Minister Stirling Hinchliffe today said nominations were open in 11 categories recognising outstanding achievements of teachers, trainers and students. “The awards set the bar high and Queenslanders are rising to the challenge,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

Cardero Resource Corp. announced on Friday that it will acquire all of Coalhunter Mining Corporation's outstanding securities. Cardero will pay about Can$2.1 million in the transaction. Cardero Resources was up over 5% on the TSX to Can$2 a share.

Newcrest today reported a staggering intersection of copper gold - 883 metres grading 2.15% copper and 2.23 grams/tonne gold at its Wafi-Golpu project. The project is part of the Morobe Joint Venture with Harmony Gold of South Africa and Wafi-Golpu is seen as the next project to develop after the now established Hidden Valley gold project in the Morobe region.

The massive Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold project in southern Mongolia is now expected to produce an average of more than 3 million ounces of silver annually during its first 10 years of commercial production. In a news release Thursday Ivanhoe Mines CEO Robert Friedland said "Oyu Tolgoi will rank as a very substantial silver producer when commercial production begins in 2013."