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.

Zinc may be good for your everyday galvanizing and diecasting, but it may also be good at fighting colds. According to the Cochrane Collaboration, zinc taken as a lozenge or syrup reduced the duration and severity of the common cold in healthy people. "People taking zinc are also less likely to have persistence of their cold symptoms beyond seven days of treatment. Zinc supplementation for at least five months reduces incidence, school absenteeism and prescription of antibiotics for children with the common cold."

Silvercorp announced on Thursday that it received a positive preliminary assessment for its Silvertip silver-lead-zinc project in northern British Columbia. Silvercorp's stock was up 4% on the TSX on Friday. The report prepared by Golder Associates favoured a small mine and mill operating seasonally at 500 tonne per day or 72,000 tonne per year. "The initial capital cost of the project is estimated to be $US49 million with sustaining capital costs over the remaining mine life (21 years) estimated at $US54.2 million. The payback period is estimated at 4 years for the base case and 2 years for the upside case after reaching commercial production."