Canadian copper miner Capstone Mining TSE:CS says it is looking to acquire a producer that would boost its annual output to 100 million pounds. Capstone CEO Darren Pylot told Bloomberg the company is seeking producing mines in the Americas that would add at least 40 million pounds of output.

Pierre Lassonde, co-founder of Franco-Nevada Mining Corp., is donating $25 million to develop York University's engineering department, which has up to this point been noted as lacking in student body, identity and vision.

"In 20 years, I hope the engineering school will be right up there with the business school," Lassonde told dozens of guests crammed into the existing computer and engineering building, which will now be known as the Lassonde building. "Education, for me, is absolutely number one in terms of philanthropy. Education is the foundation of democracy."

South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) called off a strike on Wednesday after reaching a deal with Xstrata over the coal giant's voluntary employee share ownership plan. Xstrata agreed to allocate shares to workers equally and not based on employment grade, NUM's one gripe. Mine ownership and nationalization are once again fiercely debated topics in the country 17 years after the end of white rule and observers believe SA’s allure as an investment destination has been tarnished by the heavy weather accompanying the Xstrata deal. The plan gives workers 3% of the company and is over and above the company’s 26% local ownership obligations which it already meets.

World #2 iron ore miner Rio Tinto has reached a deal with Komatsu to buy 150 driverless truck over the next four years. The new trucks, which will start arriving in 2012, will be used in Rio Tinto's Pilbara iron ore mines in Western Australia and can be controlled from its Operations Centre in Perth more than 1500 km away. Rio says the vehicles will increase productivity by hauling more material quicker. The Komatsu Autonomous Haulage System, a world first, has been tested in the Pilbara since December 2008. The company currently operates a fleet of 203 standard haul trucks and 10 driverless vehicles.

Royal Nickel (TSE:RNX) plans to advance its Dumont Nickel project, which is estimated to generate $1.1 billion after tax NPV, after receiving a prositive pre-feasibility study. The company, which made the announcement on Tuesday, expects production to start in 2015. On Wednesday afternoon Royal Nickel's stock was down 1.27% to 78 cents a share. The company says there will be a staged development so it can lower cost and risk. Initial capital expenditure of $1.1 billion for 50 ktpd operation is planned.

Shares of Randgold Resources, a pure-play gold mining company focused on west and central Africa, soared 7.4% Wednesday after announcing third quarter production increased 80% and sales jumped to $309.6 million from only $116.3 a year ago. Despite a once-off drop in gold sales from the previous quarter following instability at its Tongon mine in the Ivory Coast where it has been producing for one year and what it described as once in a century rainfall at its Loulo/Gounkoto operations in Mali, third-quarter income increased more than four-fold to $106.8 million.

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. has approved a US$850 million expansion to the Tenke Fungurume mining operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Lundin Mining, a partner at the mine with FCX, made the announcement in a press release on Tuesday night. The phase two expansion, targeted for completion in 2013, will increase copper production by 50% to about 195,000 tonnes of copper cathode and 15,000 tonnes of cobalt in hydroxide. Funding will be split 70:30 between the mines two partners, FCX and Lundin Mining. The companies expect that capital costs will be funded by surplus cash from Tenke Fungurume operations.

President Obama will have the final say on whether the Keystone XL gets built. In an interview with the Nebraska news station, Obama said that the State Department will be giving him a report "over the next several months", which he will use to make a decision. "The state department is in charge of analyzing this, because there is a pipeline coming in from Canada. They'll be giving me a report over the next several months. My general attitude is what is best for the American economy and what is best for the American people short term and long term," said Obama to KETV NewsWatch 7's Rob McCartney.

OneSteel (ASX:OST), an integrated steel manufacturer and iron ore miner based in Australia, dropped 18% to 98.5 cents a share after the company gave a gloomy financial forecast as it tries to cope with falling iron ore prices and a rising Australian dollar.