Reuters reports Zimbabwe could take over mines that fall short of laws requiring them to sell majority stakes to locals by September, a government minister said on Wednesday. Mineral-rich Zimbabwe has the world's second largest known platinum reserves after neighbouring South Africa and foreign miners working there include Zimplats Holdings, a unit of Impala Platinum, global mining giant Rio Tinto, and Anglo Platinum.

SouthGobi Resources announced today that the Mineral Resource Authority of Mongolia (MRAM) has issued mining license MV-016869 to its wholly-owned Mongolian operating subsidiary SouthGobi Sands LLC. The new license pertains to the resource previously disclosed by the Company under NI 43-101 standards as the Soumber Deposit.

As part of its Silver Series, VISTA Training has launched two online training modules for trainees in the fields of mining and construction: Heavy Equipment – Intro & Safety and Heavy Equipment – Pre-Use Inspection.

The Silver Series gives equipment owners convenient access to task-focused training on many types of heavy machinery, on demand. These affordable modules are designed to help trainees to become proficient and safe equipment operators, and make it easy for equipment owners to schedule training when and where it's most convenient for them. They're also ideal for smaller companies that may only need to train a handful of new operators per year.

A Reuters feature article on Wednesday tells how forced to sell his animals and flee his dried-up lands, former herder Sainbuyangiin Tsagaan-Ovgon is now hoping mining profits will let him return to his native Gobi. The 72-year old, who admits he knows nothing about stocks, will soon receive 536 shares in the Mongolian company that owns the world's largest coking coal deposit.

The Top 10 Metals & Minerals Industry projects in Canada are dominated by large-scale oil sands and metal mining projects. What was once considered a large project is being dwarfed by today's mega-projects. Projects exceeding $1 billion are no longer rare, but commonplace. Currently, there are 67 projects in Canada with a total investment value (TIV) of $1 billion or more.

Oilsands Quest assessed the results of the formal strategic alternatives process launched on August 17, 2010, which explored options to enhance shareholder value. After opening a data room and holding discussions with several entities in recent months, Oilsands Quest has achieved a clear understanding of asset development that potential partners or purchasers are seeking.

Perth-based coal miner Coal of Africa (LON:CZA) has secured a key environmental permit from the South African government, clearing a major hurdle on the way to restarting its Vele coking coal project. The approval will allow the company to proceed with construction work at the site following a year long delay due to environmental issues.

Brokers Collins Stewart and Evolution Securities were upbeat about iron ore producer Ferrexpo (LON:FXPO), which released production figures today. The firm reported numbers for the second quarter of 2011 revealing that pellet production from its own ore had increased 6.9 percent compared to Q1.

The newest Fair Trade standard, gold and associated precious metals, made its debut a little more than a year ago. It promises to improve social and environmental conditions for millions of small and artisanal gold miners around the world.