A two-year time-out on thousands of mining claims near the Grand Canyon will expire this summer. The U.S Department of the Interior […]

Diluted bitumen from the oilsands can pose a substantial risk when carried through pipelines, says the Natural Resources Defense Council in a report released this week. "Increasingly, pipelines transporting tar sands crude oil into the United States are carrying diluted bitumen or "DilBit"—a highly corrosive, acidic, and potentially unstable blend of thick raw bitumen and volatile natural gas liquid condensate—raising risks of spills and damage to communities along their paths," says the report. The Natural Resources Defense Council claims that the company's that produce oilsands are using conventional pipeline technology, however the operating temperature and pressure to push the bitumen down the pipes must be higher which can lead to ruptures, corrosion and leaks.

PotashCorp said on Tuesday that inventory in January was down 84,770 tonnes, about 24% below the previous five-year average. PotashCorp produces approximately 23% of the world's supply of potash. It is also a major producer of phosphate and nitrogen. Current spot prices puts potash at just under $400 a ton. Jay Taylor, editor of J. Taylor's Gold, Energy & Tech Stocks newsletter, says that major potash firms are trying to improve their positions, so they can benefit from a sector that is expected to grow.

Zambia's Central Bank reckons the major copper producing country's output will rise around 10% to 9000,000 tonnes in 2011 LUSAKA (Reuters) - Copper output in Zambia, Africa's leading producer of the metal, is expected rise to 900,000 tonnes in 2011 from

Canadian gold company Claude Resources Inc. has published a resource estimate for its Amisk property, located in northeast Saskatchewan about 20 kilometres from Flin Flon, Manitoba. The independent mineral resources statement shows indicated resources of 30,150 tonnes graded at 0.85 g/t gold and 6.17 g/t silver, and 28,653 tonnes inferred at 0.64 g/t Au and 4.01 g/t silver.

Strong platinum and palladium prices have led to a sharp rise in Impala Platinum’s half-year profits. The world’s second largest platinum miner […]

While South Africa still dominates the platinum sector in terms of ounces in the ground, platinum miners are increasingly focused on the […]

Bloomberg News reports: United Co. Rusal, the biggest aluminum producer, is trailing Alcoa Inc. and all other peers as billionaire founder Oleg Deripaska snubs […]

Pro and anti-uranium mining unions are marshalling forces in Queensland, Australian Mining is reporting. On the pro-side, the article says that the Australian Worker Union (AWU) will lobby governments to expand mining and overturn bans. On the other side, the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), which mostly represents electrical, communications and power industry workers, says it will oppose the expansion of uranium mining in Australia, citing safety concerns around exposure to radiation.