Australian Associated Press reports: the skills shortage in the Australian mining industry could suffocate new resource projects across the country, says Australian Mines and Metals Association director Minna Knight.

"Government policymakers can no longer take the economic gains arising from Australia's resources projects for granted," [Knight] told the Queensland government's mining and gas jobs expo on the Gold Coast. "Without immediate intervention, some of these projects will simply run out of workers."

The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) in South Africa will be giving sixteen study bursaries to first year minerals and mining students at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg on October 19th, 2011, reported on the South African Government Information website.

In an effort to address technical skills shortages within the department’s branches, the DMR have partnered with the Mining Qualification Authority (MQA) who have pledged 60 fully funded 4-year study bursaries to build capacity. The ceremony at Wits will mark the first of several which will take place at universities across the country.

Rio Tinto (LON:RIO ) is expanding its presence in Canada with an all-cash offer to acquire Hathor Exploration (TSE:HAT), which owns the Roughrider uranium deposit in Saskatchewan. The global mining giant announced today a $4.15 per share, all-cash bid for Hathor valued at $578 million. The bid is 11% higher than Cameco's $3.75 per share hostile bid for Hathor announced last month. It is the first bid for a Canadian company that Rio has made since acquiring Alcan in 2007. "The superior Rio Tinto offer provided fair value to Hathor shareholders over Cameco's current hostile, unsolicited takeover over," said Hathor chief executive officer Dr. Michael H. Gunning.

Agnico-Eagle Mines (TSE:AEM) had suspended mining and gold production at its Goldex mine in Val d'Or, Quebec, due to unstable ground and water inflow. "A weak volcanic rock unit in the hanging wall of the Goldex deposit has failed. This rock failure is thought to extend between the top of the deposit and surface. As a result, this structure has allowed ground water to flow into the mine. This water flow has likely contributed to further weakening and movement of the rock mass," Agnico-Eagle said in a statement. As a result of the problem, Agnico said it will write off its investment in Goldex, resulting in a $260 million charge in the third quarter results. The news caused the Toronto-based company's shares to plummet around 19% near the close of trading on Wednesday.

BHP Billiton (NYSE:BHP) had a record quarter for iron ore production, the company announced today, with shipments from Western Australia reaching 173 million tonnes, a 28% increase over the same period last year. Quarterly production records were also achieved at New South Wales Energy Coal and Illawarra Coal in both Australia, Cerrejon Coal in Colombia, and the Alumar refinery in Brazil.

Buffeted by falling copper prices and labour unrest at Grasberg, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (NYSE:FCX) reported net income of $1.1 billion, $1.10 per share, compared with $1.2 billion, $1.24 per share duing the same quarter a year ago. Consolidated copper, gold and molybdenum production in the third quarter were all down compared to a year ago. Freeport sold 947 million pounds of copper, 409 thousand ounces of gold and 19 million pounds of molybdenum, compared with 1.1 billion pounds of copper, 497 thousand ounces of gold and 17 million pounds of molybdenum in the third-quarter of 2010. Regarding Grasberg Mine operations, Freeport said the impact of the eight-day strike in July 2011 and the ongoing strike, which started in September 2011, totaled about 70 million pounds of copper and 100 thousand ounces of gold. The strike has recently turned ugly with reports of sabotage and injuries.

U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO), who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, is pushing the US Department of Defense for the establishment of a national inventory of rare earth materials. “I support the procurement of such high-demand, at-risk rare earth materials to help fulfill Department of Defense (DOD) requirements and therefore reduce supply-chain vulnerability. By using the Annual Materials Plans as a vehicle, the Department can identify critical rare earth oxides, alloys, metals, or magnets, depending on what best suits DOD’s needs, and then fulfill a portion or the entirety of the associated requirements,” Coffman wrote in a letter to Ronnie Favors, the administrator of the DLA Strategic Materials.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Platinum Underwriters Holdings, Ltd. PTP +2.18% today reported a net loss of $53.5 million and a loss per common share of $1.43 for the quarter ended September 30, 2011. The results for the quarter include net premiums earned of $166.8 million, net favorable development of $27.8 million, net investment income of $29.8 million and net realized gains on investments of $7.5 million. The results also reflect the net negative impact of $112.4 million from major catastrophe losses, net of retrocessional coverage, reinstatement premiums and taxes.

Argus Media reports the biomass conversion of Germany utility RWE's Tilbury, UK, power plant is on schedule to be completed before the end of this year, possibly as soon as November. The conversion is relatively straightforward, with the main issues material handling and logistics, according to RWE. The coal-fired power station on the banks of the Thames in England, previously scheduled for shut down in 2015 under new EU environmental regulations, hopes to produce up to 750 megawatts of green power. The news comes a day after a leaked European roadmap for energy use showed the use of coal for power generation dropping dramatically and that within 20 years all homes on the continent could be powered by wind-generated electricity.