Red Crescent Resources (RCB.TO: Quote) said on Monday that South African miner Petmin (PEMJ.J: Quote) has agreed to acquire a 10.1 percent stake in the Canadian exploration company for C$4.64 million ($4.78 million). Separately, Red Crescent said it had signed a new definitive agreement with privately held Gensay to acquire a 75 percent interest in the Sivas copper project in central Turkey.

Encanto Potash Corp said it is on track to meet its target of doubling resources at its flagship Saskatchewan project after a First Nation council transfers mineral rights to Canada, sending the company's shares up 18 percent in afternoon trade. Encanto, which explores and develops potash properties, expects further drilling at its Muskowekwan property to commence after a referendum by First Nation on transferring the mineral rights on the reserved land to Canada.

HudBay Minerals Inc. has released its first quarter 2011 financial results. Net profit attributable to shareholders increased to $16.8 million or $0.11 per share in the first quarter of 2011, compared to $10.6 million, or $0.07 per share, during the first quarter of 2010. Earnings in the first quarter of 2011 included a charge of $5.8 million, or $0.04 per share, for transaction costs associated with the successful acquisition of Norsemont Mining Inc. in March 2011. Earnings grew during the quarter mainly due to higher metal prices and reduced exploration expense, partly offset by lower sales volumes, a stronger Canadian dollar and Norsemont transaction costs.

A gold explorer finding a million-ounce deposit is quick to say "world class", but when an established gold miner promises single-mine production of 750,000 ounces a year, eyebrows may rise. That's the production target for the Gold Fields South Deep mine in South Africa, an ongoing saga which was given further details by Gold Fields CEO Nick Holland at the recent Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Metals & Mining Conference, in Barcelona.

Quadra FNX Mining (TSX:QUX) and First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FM) led a weak rally on the Toronto Stock Exchange Monday, while Canadian oilsands stocks ticked lower on news of wildfires in northern Alberta. Canadian Press reports: The Toronto stock market closed little changed Monday as investors attempting a rally following a string of losses in recent days gave in to further worries that recent strength in commodity prices is on the wane. The resource-heavy S&P/TSX composite index came down from a 142-point surge to close up 14.19 points to 13,391.35, while the TSX Venture Exchange slipped 41.95 points to 1,996.27. The Canadian dollar was lower against the greenback, down 0.59 of a cent to 102.65 cents US.

Entree Gold said a $5.3 million net loss in the first quarter of 2011 was due to increased exploration activities at its Yerington copper porphyry projects in Nevada. "We are advancing our Yerington projects to development through systematic drilling and upgrading of known deposits and by exploration of additional targets. We have been building our team and operations in Yerington and are strongly encouraged by the initial drilling results we have received. In addition, substantial exploration and development work is underway on our properties in Mongolia," Entree Gold president and CEO Greg Crowe said on Friday.

Quadra FNX Mining announced on Sunday a US$724 million joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation to develop the Sierra Gorda copper-molybdenum project in Chile. The total cost of the mine is estimated at 2.8 billion and production is scheduled to start in 2014. Sumitomo has a 45% stake in the joint venture; Quadra FNX has 55%. Sierra Gorda is a copper exploration project located in the Atacama Desert, Region II of Chile. According to Quadra FNX's recently completed feasibility study, the production from current sulphide reserves will average 483 M lbs of copper, 25 million lbs of molybdenum, and 64 kozs of gold per annum over a 20-year mine life.

Coal International reports: the 21st annual Pumpology® School was held by Thompson Pump & Manufacturing Co., Inc. this April in Port Orange, Florida.

The three-day workshop included training sessions for sales and service-oriented professionals on pumping fundamentals, dewatering and bypass applications, selecting the correct pumping equipment, designing, installing and maintaining pumping systems, troubleshooting, pump maintenance, and more.

The Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador (RDC) and the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) has provided a grant to the Memorial University of Newfoundland that will be used to purchase a Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope with automated Mineral Liberation Analyses (MLA) software.

"The mineral industry is one of Newfoundland and Labrador's largest industries," noted Glenn Janes, Chief Executive Officer, RDC. "Today's investment marks an important milestone in mineral research and will ensure researchers have the technical and industrial equipment they need to bolster this province's mineral research strengths and contribute to mineral industry exploration and development," he said.