The Namibian reports 500 workers at Rio Tinto's Rossing uranium mine in Namibia downed tools on Tuesday in a dispute over production incentives. The news comes in the wake of a senior Rio Tinto executive telling Dow Jones on Monday that the mine – which accounts for over 5% of world production of uranium oxide – is losing money at the current price of under $55 per pound of U3O8. Rossing which lies partly inside the Namib-Naukluft Park (pictured) has produced uranium since 1976. Rio Tinto owns 70% while the Iranian government with 15% is the second largest shareholder.

Northgate Minerals announced on Wednesday that it will acquire Primero Mining for $370 million. The new company, which will have a combined market capitalization of approximately $1.2 billion, will be a mid-tier gold producer and will tie together the San Dimas mine in Mexico; the Fosterville and Stawell gold mines in Australia; and the Young-Davidson gold development project in Ontario.

Gold prices hit a record $1,578.50 an ounce on Wednesday as concerns over the euro zone debt crisis deepened, and after minutes to the Federal Reserve's June meeting suggested some members were pondering the possible need for additional easing. Spot gold was bid at $1,572.99 an ounce at 1:03 p.m.

Fluor Corp said on Wednesday it won a contract from Quadra FNX Mining Ltd for work on its new Sierra Gorda copper and molybdenum project in Chile. Fluor said it booked $1 billion for the project in the Atacama Desert in the second quarter, and its work will include providing engineering, production and construction management services for the mine's processing plant.

Market sentiment buoyed as Chinese macroeconomic data surprised to the upside, temporarily overshadowing ongoing debt problems in the Eurozone. Oil prices climbed with the front-month contract for WTI crude oil rising to 97.96 and the equivalent Brent

Federal authorities have shut down 12 mines in northern Mexico after inspections spurred by an accident last month that claimed the lives of 14 workers, the labor department said. Inspectors have already visited 41 of the 100 sites on their list, the department said in a statement.

Australia's no. 2 nickel miner Minara Resources , which is resuming full production runs following repair work at its Murrin Murrin ore processing plant, trimmed its full-year production guidance on Wednesday. Minara, 71 percent-owned by commodities trader Glencore International , cut its guidance to 29,000-32,000 tonnes of nickel in 2011 from between 33,000 and 37,000 tonnes.

Precious metals miner Fresnillo plans to double output at its newly opened Saucito mine in central Mexico by 2015 or 2016 in a second phase of expansion, a company executive said on Tuesday. With the project and other expansion plans, Fresnillo is looking to overtake BHP Billiton, which produces more silver as a by-product from other metals, as the world's biggest overall silver producer. The company's eponymous mine is the world's largest primary silver mine which has been in near continuous operation since 1550.

Zambia's Daily Mail reports Zambia is set to enter the world’s top five copper producers in the next three years as Vale South Africa, First Quantum Minerals Limited and Vedanta Resources Plc lead more than US$6 billion of investment in the country’s mines, an analyst at Wood Mackenzie unit Brook Hunt has said.