Shares in Jaguar Mining (NYSE:JAG) surged 46% today on news that a Chinese gold producer is bidding $1 billion for the Brazil-focused company. The Globe and Mail reports that Shandong Gold is offering $9.30 per share in cash, which is a 73% premium to Jaguar's closing price Tuesday on the NYSE. The shares were changing hands at around $7.89 Wednesday afternoon in New York.

A group of mining officials from Ukraine will observe American mine safety and training techniques from Bevill State Community College employees, reports Daily Mountain Eagle.

The team from the Ukrainian mining division spent Monday on Bevill State's Sumiton campus. The group, which includes several high-ranking government officials, said they are working to improve the safety of their mines by providing intensive mine safety training, similar to the training provided at Bevill State, for their inspectors and workers.

UK trianing provider Mentor Training has launched two new courses: Mobile Crushing and Screening and Light Vehicle Training, reports Coal International.

There will an introduction into Jaw, Cone, Gyratory and Impactor Crushers [in the Mobile Crushing and Screening course], including the use of the manufacturer’s manual and will cover pre-use checks, start-up, manoeuvring and safety hazards, including machine blockages. Machine shutdown and transportation and environmental issues will also be included within the course. [The Light Vehicle training course] offers a comprehensive look at this type of vehicle and the hazards involved with its operation. The course incorporates health and safety legislation, pre-use inspection and provides a detailed look at the machine’s control and their use in a working environment.

Gregory A. Lang, former President of Barrick Gold of North America, accepted the position of president and chief executive officer of NovaGold Resources (TSE:NG). He starts in January. NovaGold also announced its intention to sell its 50% stake in the Galore Creek project it owns with Teck Resources, and to spin off its Ambler project, in order to focus on the company's flagship Donlin Gold project in Alaska. Markets liked the news, which was announced today. NovaGold Resources shares jumped 27% to $11.42 a share in mid-day trading.

Popular commentator and finance professor, Larry Lang, didn't want anyone to hear his real thoughts about China's economy, but his Oct. 22 speech in Shenyang City is making the rounds.

Integra Gold (CVE:ICG) was up 20% to 36 cents a share after the company announcing a 40% increase to its Lamaque resource. The company announced the findings in a consultant's report, the Estimate of Resources and Modeling of the Triangle Sector, for the Lamaque Gold Project, located in Val d'Or, Quebec.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Nov. 16, 2011) - Solitaire Minerals Corp. (TSX VENTURE:SLT) (Solitaire) is pleased to announce that the company has signed an option to acquire a 100% interest in a Platinum-Group Element (PGE) property north of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Previous exploration has located 14 mineral occurrences on the property with analytical results up to 2.2 grams per tonne of total precious metals ("TPM") or platinum + palladium + gold. A diamond drilling program is planned to test five conductors defined by a 2010 airborne VTEM® survey.

BHP Billiton approved today a US$822 million (BHP Billiton share US$698 million) investment for the development of its Orebody 24 mine, located approximately 10 kilometres north-east of Newman, Western Australia. Orebody 24 is a sustaining mine to maintain iron ore production output from the Newman Joint Venture operations. The new Orebody 24 mine will have a capacity of 17 million tonnes per annum (100 per cent basis) and will include the construction of an ore crushing plant, train loadout facility, rail spur and other associated support facilities. Initial mining from Orebody 24 will start in the second half of calendar year 2012.

Alberta is poised to become a major player in Canadian mining, says The Mining Association of Canada. The Edmonton Sun reports that half of the country's $140 billion in mining activity over the next five years will be centred in Alberta, with 12 projects slated for development by 2016: