AngloGold Ashanti posted record quarterly adjusted headline earnings* of $457m and boosted its dividend to improve cash returns to shareholders. Payouts to shareholders will now be made quarterly, instead of twice yearly. "Our power to generate earnings and strong cash flow is clear in these numbers," Chief Executive Officer Mark Cutifani said. "The upward jump in the dividend demonstrates the fundamental strength of the business and the market, while maintaining the ability to fund our growth pipeline."

Consumers made the most of the dip in the price of bullion and mainland China's gold purchases via Hong Kong hit a record 56.9 tonnes in September, a sixfold increase year-on-year and up 30% from August, according to figures released by the Hong Kong government and reported by the FT. Quarterly data from the Hong Kong census and statistics office showed the Middle Kingdom imported about 140 tonnes of gold via Hong Kong in the three months from July to September ahead of the festival season, more than the roughly 120 tonnes for the whole of 2010. Over the last decade China's share of total global demand for bullion has climbed from 6% to 18%.

Bloomberg reports Rio de Janeiro-based Vale SA, the world’s largest iron-ore producer, said prices for the raw material have stabilized and are recovering from “rock bottom” levels as a result of lower-than-expected production and strong demand from China, India and South America. Iron ore for immediate delivery has gained 8% to $126.30 a tonne since reaching its lowest level in almost two years at the end of October. During the month iron ore prices crashed almost 30% forcing the big three – BHP, Vale and Rio Tinto control nearly 70% of the 1 billion tonne annual iron ore seaborne trade – to renegotiate quarterly contracts with Chinese buyers to bring values more in line with the spot price.

Silvercorp Metals on Tuesday reported revenue of $62.1 million for its second quarter, up 71% from the same period last year. Cash flow from operations hit a record $35.2 million, or $0.20 per share, up 140% from 2011 while net income of $18.5 million, or $0.11 per share, showed a 49% increase. Silver production of 1.4 million ounces rose a disappointing 4% but gold production shot up to 2,516 ounces. Silvercorp said it continues to maintain its low cost producer status with a cash production cost per ounce of silver of negative $4.55.

Platts reports that the global operations headquarters of US giant Peabody Energy will be relocated to Brisbane following the acquisition of Australia's Macarthur. Peabody raised $3.1 billion with the sale of senior notes on Monday and now owns 77.6% of Macarthur after ArcelorMittal pulled out of its joint $5 billion bid for the coking coal producer, just days after the target's top shareholder accepted the offer. Peabody is the world's largest private-sector coal company with 2010 sales of 246 million tons and nearly $7 billion in revenues.

The Guardian reports Scottish ministers are expected to order a public inquiry into plans to build the UK's only new coal-fired power station with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology after it suffered another serious setback. The latest delay follows unprecedented public opposition to the $4.8 billion project and will also damage proponents of CCS – where CO2 emissions are sequestered underground – and the so-called 'clean coal' lobby. Only two small coal CSS pilot projects exist worldwide: Schwarze Pumpe in Germany and Mountaineer Power Plant in West Virginia.

University College London (OCL) in Adelaide, in partnership with BHP, has launched a $2 million program to create scholarships for energy and […]

Stock in White Tiger Gold received another 6.6% bump on Tuesday, bringing its gains over the past week to 38.5% after the company announced it has secured a $15 million loan to ramp up production at its Lamaque project in Val d'Or, Quebec. White Tiger has experienced a flurry of corporate activity recently, installing new senior management and expanding the Lamaque project after sealing the takeover of Century Mining after months of delays due to action from unhappy minority shareholders.

SNC-Lavalin, a major engineering and construction firm, was awarded a $650 million oil sands contract to design and build a froth treatment plant near Fort McMurray. SNC-Lavalin says that the froth treatment plant will process 155,000 barrels of feedstock per day from the bitumen extraction plant in the form of bitumen froth. Engineering is already underway and construction is expected to start this February. The whole project should be completed by September 2014.