TransCanada Corp. (TSE:TRP), the company behind the $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline project, has reached a deal with the state of Nebraska to reroute the proposed pipeline around an environmentally sensitive aquifer. The decision was announced late Monday at a news conference from the Nebraska state legislature. A bill was earlier introduced that would divert the pipeline away from the ecologically sensitive Sandhills area. Under the deal reached today, and to be voted on Tuesday, the state will pay for studies to find a new route to avoid the Ogallala aquifer which provides water for millions of people in the area.

The Australian uranium mining industry has a sympathetic ear in Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Gillard announced she will push for the ALP to dump its ban on uranium sales to India, at its national conference next month, Adelaide Now reports: Ms Gillard will ask the ALP's national conference to overturn long-standing party policy that allows uranium to be sold only to nations who have signed up to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

The critical component in any conveyor transfer point is an effective sealing system. The seal should be located where the material is being loaded and continue to where it becomes stable. This is the last position to effectively control spillage and dust.

A Chinese mine manager who smeared coal on his face to appear to be trapped in a mine where 34 workers died has been detained by police, MailOnline reported: "After the accident, Qi (Guming) 'rushed down the shaft and smeared coal on his face to pretend he had escaped from underground,' the newspaper said. 'On Sunday the public security authority confirmed that Qi did not go down the shaft on that day, and made false claims to the rescue command office.'"

The price of iron ore spiked to a one-month high today, with benchmark Australian iron ore rising to $140 a tonne. FT (sub required) reports that Chinese steelmakers, which halted purchases last month amid concerns about an economic slowdown and tight credit conditions, are able to obtain import financing. That, combined with higher steel prices, is boosting iron ore prices.

Japan's top nickel producer, Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., is predicting a glut in the supply of the metal. Bloomberg reports a global nickel surplus may soar in 2012 to the highest in four years as Europe’s debt crisis and a sluggish U.S. economy cuts demand: Supply will likely exceed demand by 54,000 metric tons in 2012, the biggest surplus since 2008, said Toru Higo, Sumitomo Metal Mining Co.’s general manager of nickel sales and raw materials. Demand outstripped supply by 63,000 tons last year, the first deficit since 2006, before moving to a surplus of 11,000 tons this year, Higo said.

Goldcorp said on Monday that the Quebec government has given the green light to its Eleonore project, allowing Canada's second largest gold producer to start full construction at the mine in Northern Quebec. The project, which is located in the James Bay region of Quebec, is expected to boost Goldcorp's output by 600,000 ounces of gold a year, with cash costs under $400 per ounce.

A new Col Joy training facility has opened in Brisbane, Australia, designed to keep mining industry workers current in health and safety, communication, first aid, and more, reports NewsMaker.

With two large air conditioned training rooms built to resemble real workplace conditions such as simulating confined space working conditions, providing electrical switchboards in a realistic setting, and offering a state of the art fire training simulator, a wide range of training courses like mining training are available to make sure that workers and employers are informed, updated, and adhering to the stricter government occupational safety legislation.

Mining companies in Zambia may have to scale down their operations to cope with higher mining taxes recently imposed by President Michael Sata's new government. Reuters quotes the general manager of the country’s chamber of mines, Frederick Bantubonse: