Lead

Hecla Mining reported the largest resource calculation in company history today with 148 million ounces of silver reserves and 281 million ounces of resources. The silver numbers represented a 4% increase in reserves and a 13% bump in resources. Hecla also noted a 33% increase in gold resources to 597,600 ounces, while lead and zinc increased a respective 21% and 26%.

Arizona congressman Paul Gosar (R-Flagstaff), during a hearing today on the Department of the Interior's 2013 budget, took the opportunity to question Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on his department's opposition to a bill clearing the way for the proposed Resolution Copper mine near Superior, Arizona.

Canadian junior explorer Abcourt Mines (TSX-V:ABI) has intercepted a high-grade silver zone at its Abcourt-Barvue orebody in Quebec.

A week after announcing substantial profits and the expansion of their vast Western Australia iron ore operations, BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) and Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO) said yesterday that they would spend $US 4.5 billion on the Escondida copper mine in Chile.

Brazillian miner Vale SA said Tuesday it is gradually resuming mining at its underground nickel operations in Sudbury, Canada.

After over two months of futile negotiations behind closed doors between Chile's state-owned copper giant Codelco and global miner Anglo American, a resolution of the dispute that have seen both parties sunk in a legal battle seems far off, said Codelco's CEO Diego Hernandez to a local daily.

Fortescue Metals was up 5% Monday on rumours that Canadian coal and copper/zinc miner Teck Resources is making a play for the third-largest iron ore producer in Australia.

The Philippines is taking a cue from South Africa, Australia and Zambia, all recent examples of government attempts to extract more revenues from their mining sectors and add more controls.

Canadian Zinc Corp., the company developing a new zinc mine in the Northwest Territories, announced a major share purchase by a Chinese investor today.