Hudson Resources commenced its 2011 drill program at the company's Sarfartoq Rare Earth Element (REE) Project in Greenland. The objective of the program is threefold: (i) upgrade the resource at the ST1 Zone from the "inferred" category to the "indicated" category; (ii) expand the size of the ST1 deposit; and (iii) test several additional REE targets within the Sarfartoq Carbonatite Project.

OZ Minerals has reached an agreement to settle the two class actions brought against it by Maurice Blackburn and Slater & Gordon on behalf of certain shareholders who acquired shares in 2008. The total settlement payment in respect of the class actions is $55.1 million plus costs of $4.9 million with those totals to be allocated between the Maurice Blackburn and the Slater & Gordon classes.

Goldcorp (G.TO: Quote), Canada's second-largest gold producer, said on Tuesday the gold market bull run was not over XAU. "I certainly think we're in much more the middle than near the end of this long bull run," Chief Executive Chuck Jeannes said in an interview.

Adamus Resources Limited (ASX: ADU) is pleased to announce the Nzema Gold Project in Ghana, West Africa has achieved commercial production effective 1 April 2011.

Canadian precious metals company North American Palladium Ltd's first-quarter loss narrowed, but the company cut its 2011 palladium production forecast as it shifts focus to development from production. The company cut its full-year production forecast to 145,000-155,000 ounces of palladium from its earlier view of 165,000-175,000 ounces.

Shares of Silver Wheaton (SLW.TO: Quote) rose on Monday, after the miner's quarterly profit more than doubled, helped by record production and soaring silver prices. Net profit rose to $122.2 million, or 34 cents a share, from $50.6 million, or 13 cents a share, a year ago.

Despite missing Wall Street expectations, Coeur d'Alene Mines CEO Dennis Wheeler predicted 2011 "to be the company's best year ever by a wide margin with record cash flows driven by 20 million ounces of silver production and 250,000 ounces of gold production." Silver production for the first quarter of the year jumped to 4.1 million ounces, compared to 3.4 million ounces in the first-quarter 2010.

Ausenco has been awarded a contract to manage the C$237 million expansion of the Gilbraltar copper-molybdenum project in Canada for Taseko Mine. Ausenco’s Minerals & Metals business will manage on an EPCM basis the Gibraltar Development Plan 3 (GDP3) expansion, which will include the construction of a 30,000 t/d concentrator to complement the existing, currently operating, 55,000 t/d facility.

Baja Mining Corp. (TSX:BAJ) is pleased to announce the commencement of surface mining activities at its 70% owned Boleo copper-cobalt-zinc project ("Boleo"), located near Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Beginning in the week commencing May 2, 2011, the Company's surface mining team completed an initial machine operator training program and commenced mining activities to develop the surface facilities and underground mining portals that are scheduled for operation later this year.