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Zinc price gains in July were more than wiped out in early August as worries intensified about global economic prospects, and further price declines could trigger mine production cuts in China, and help reduce surplus supply. "If prices fall below $2,000 then we would expect a lot of Chinese mine production to stop," said Giles Lloyd of industry consultants CRU Group. In 2010, China mined 3.7 million tonnes of zinc, accounting for 30 percent of world mine output.

Copper was steady on Monday, supported by glimmers of economic resilience in Japan, a drawdown in inventories of the metal, and a softer dollar, but investors were wary after wild market swings last week.

Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN)(NYSE: IVN)(NASDAQ: IVN) today announced its results for the quarter ended June 30, 2011. All figures are in US dollars, unless otherwise stated. Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN)(NYSE: IVN)(NASDAQ: IVN) today announced its results for the

The mine operated and controlled by BHP Billiton Limited said that the 15 day illegal strike at the Escondida copper mine in Chile didn't have a relevant impact. As Escondida produces roughly 1.09 million tonnes of copper a year, press reports estimated

Nautilus Minerals announced on Thursday that they were granted offshore exploration licences in Fiji. The Fijian Government has granted the company 14 special prospecting licences, covering a total of approximately 60,000 km2. The territory is considered highly prospective, having been the subject of marine research by Japanese, French and other scientific cruises in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The licences each have an initial term of two years.

The Web documentary "Welcome to Pine Point" by combining video, photographs, text, music and narration and then blurring the boundaries among them, pushes storytelling and documentary filmmaking into new territory. "Welcome to Pine Point" is the story of a small lead and zinc mining town in Canada's Northwest Territories that physically disappeared from the map after the mines closed in 1988. The first buildings were erected in 1952 and at its peak it had 1,200 inhabitants.

Xstrata has approved the commencement of an AUD47 million (USD50 million) pre-feasibility study into the development of a large multi-commodity open pit mine on the existing Xstrata Mount Isa Mines footprint. In a joint statement, Xstrata Zinc Australia Chief Operating Officer Brian Hearne and Xstrata Copper North Queensland Chief Operating Officer Steve de Kruijff said the development of a large scale zinc-lead-copper pit has the potential to extend the life of the combined operations to beyond 2060.

Radio Free Europe reports an increase in world prices for base metals has made a 60-year old German-owned mining company the largest corporate taxpayer in Armenia. Data from the positively Soviet-sound State Revenue Committee released on Tuesday show the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine paying more than 15 billion drams ($41 million) in various taxes and duties in the first half of this year, compared to just 5.5 billion drams the same period last year.

Despite a report on Wednesday showing a surge in July, China's copper imports were still down 22% in the first seven months, suggesting slowing demand in the world's top copper consumer is adding to concerns that shaky western economies will knock prices further. However, according to a new study by Canaccord the copper mining industry is operating under 'a high degree of stress' and called robust copper prices the 'new normal' thanks to supply shortages. More than 500,000 tonnes of production have been lost this year due to weather delays, poor deposit grades, worker strikes and mill problems, mostly in Chile, the world's number one producer.