Silver

The increased investor interest and rebound in prices for Silver have made it the new favorites in Asian commodity exchanges. In China's Hunan Province, a new precious metals exchange focussed on silver began trading from late June while the Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange has started offering a new silver futures contract from July 22.

Papua New Guinea’s new prime minister Peter O'Neill and the country's Investment Promotion Authority have moved to quell concern about proposed changes governing ownership of resources in the country saying it needs further discussion and acknowledging genealogical problems. Among sweeping changes promised for the impoverished country, PNG's new mining minister introduced a plan to hand state ownership of mineral and energy resources to customary landowners forcing mining companies to renegotiate permits and contracts. Last week O'Neill guaranteed the support of 80% of MPs he needs to preserve his majority ahead of 2012 elections by expanding his cabinet by a third.

Shares of Canada's Gabriel Resources have climbed 16% in the week since plans by its 80%-owned Rosia Montana Gold Corp to build a massive gold mine in Transylvania received public backing from the Romanian president. Gabriel first obtained the concession in 1999 and has already spent $500 million advancing the project and has another $175 million left, but needs several more environmental approvals to establish an open-cast mine (pictured) which once in production will be Europe's largest producing 500,000oz/year.

Nautilus Minerals (TSX:NUS)(AIM:NUS) is to raise approximately US$100 million (C$98.1 million*) through a private placement of common shares to fund the development of its first project, Solwara 1, in the Bismarck Sea of Papua New Guinea. The placing will involve the issue of approximately 39 million shares to a number of investors at a price of CAD$2.52 (US$2.58) per share. Nautilus President and CEO Steve Rogers said the private placement would provide funds for the construction of the seafloor resource production system, which initially will be deployed at Solwara 1 – the company's first deepwater copper and gold project.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Aug. 30, 2011) - Empire Mining Corporation (TSX VENTURE:EPC) ("Empire") is pleased to provide an update on the Demirtepe Project in western Turkey where drilling by Empire has consistently encountered significant grades and intervals of copper-gold-silver and molybdenum skarn mineralization in the Main Zone, including Discovery Hole DTH-001 which intersected2.02% copper, 0.96 g/t gold and 21.64 g/t silver over 47.35 m from 112.2 m to 159.55 m, including 8.0 m of 9.1% copper, 4.68 g/t gold and 95.3 g/t silver.

MOUNT PEARL, NEWFOUNDLAND--(Marketwire - Aug. 30, 2011) - Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. ("Cornerstone") (TSX VENTURE:CGP) (FRANKFURT:GWN) (BERLIN:GWN) (PINK SHEETS:CTNXF) announced today preliminary results for the ongoing exploration program at the La Fortuna copper-silver project located in the Valparaíso Region of central Chile, approximately 100 km north of Santiago.

Shares in Ivanhoe mines closed up just over 5% in Toronto on Monday outperforming the broader market and bringing the counter's gains to 23.2% over the last week. At a time when many miners across the developing world struggle to preserve their social licence, the impact of Ivanhoe's Oyu Tolgoi on the people of Mongolia stands in stark contrast: the mine will contribute a third of the country's GDP when it goes into full operation, will be mined until at least 2060 and increase the average earnings of Mongolians by 60% according to a new CNN report.

Silvercorp Metals has achieved record silver production and record sales from its Chinese operations for the first quarter of the 2012 financial year. The company recorded 1.6 million ounces of silver production, up 15% from the same period a year ago. Revenue was US$69.7 million which was 90% more than the same quarter last year. The silver figures were achieved from the four mines at the Ying Mining Camp in Henan Province. The company is well on track for the fiscal year 2012 production guidance of 5.6 million ounces.

Ollanta Humala, President-elect of Peru, fulfilled a campaign promise Thursday in announcing his government's intention to hit mining companies with higher royalty taxes. Humala, who was elected in July, campaigned on a promise to tax mining company profits and distribute them to the poor — a development that had investors and mining company CEOs running for cover in a country that is the world's second largest producer of copper and the sixth biggest gold miner. Companies now pay between 1% and 3% in royalties.