Vale has teamed up with the University of São Paulo to identify bacteria and fungi capable of eating copper in a move which could generate an additional $1.4 billion in gross revenue for the Brazilian mining giant.
Scientific American provides a detailed, hypothetical response to the question which has no doubt crossed the mind of anyone involved with the mining sector - how long before the Earth's bounty of resources runs out?
An alleged unit from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, blew up Tuesday heavy equipment at the Colombian coal mine Cerrejon, in the northern province of La Guajira, part owned by BHP Billiton.
Over $1 million has lost Bolivia so far due to the conflict over rights at the silver, tin and zinc mine that used to belong to commodity trader Glencore (LON:GLEN), but that President Evo Morales nationalized last June.