Driven by concern over the impact of the Japanese earthquake on global growth, the yellow metal rose in morning trade in Europe.

ONE hundred and fifty kilometres from the nearest mine site, potential operators are learning the nuts and bolts of driving giant CAT haul trucks.

Familiarising themselves with the machine, feeling what it’s like to carry a 200-tonne load of dirt or coal, hearing the rumble of the engine and sound of the horns, interacting with other vehicles and experiencing potentially deadly situations – all this is happening not on a mine site in a $4 million truck, but here in Mackay.

Mackay company Global Mining Simulator Academy (GMSA) is leading the way with advanced training for inexperienced drivers, looking to get into the mining industry with the Immersive Technologies Advanced Equipment Simulator PRO 3.

Lundin Mining has rejected the hostile takeover bid mounted last month by Australia-based Equinox Minerals. Canadian Press reported Sunday that Lundin told its shareholders to reject a debt-financed takeover bid from Equinox, saying the unsolicited offer was "financially inadequate" and fraught with risks: Vancouver-based Lundin (TSX:LUN) said the Equinox (TSX: EQN) bid undervalued the company and would place considerable influence over business decisions in the hands of lenders.

Coal explorer Carabella Resources says it has raised $29 million via a significantly oversubscribed placement to institutional and sophisticated investors, AAP reported: The company placed 16.08 million shares at a price of $1.80 per share to investors from Australia, Asia, Europe and United States.

A new educational video on how silver is formed and mined has been commissioned by Canadian miner Endeavour Silver and the first […]

Riversdale Mining Ltd., after a slow take-up of acceptances since the offer was first made in December, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal: The bid was recently sweetened to almost four billion Australian dollars (US$3.99 billion) and the deadline extended a third time after few additional Riversdale shareholders committed themselves to selling to Rio Tinto.

The East African reports that the Russian state-owned nuclear energy firm JSC Atomredmetzoloto (ARMZ) is shelving a plan to acquire the $1.16 billion Mkuju Uranium assets in Southern Tanzania over the recent Japanese nuclear plant crisis. The move comes a month after the Russian firm obtained a take-over approval from the government of Tanzania under the Fair Competition Act 2003. The Tanzanian government had said that it would start higher grade uranium mining in early 2012 at Mkuju River following the completion of the feasibility study and the approval of environmental impact assessment of the area.

Reuters reported that Russian potash miners Uralkali (URKA.MM) and Silvinit (SILV.MM) expect to produce a combined 10.6 million tonnes of potash this year, up from 10.3 million tonnes in 2010.

NW Tech Capital Inc. (PINK SHEETS:NWTT) has executed an option agreement that grants the company 100% interest in a prolific platinum, copper and nickel-bearing property located in McConkey Township, Ontario. After successfully completing the negotiation process, management decided to enter into an agreement that gives the company unrestricted rights to explore resources and reserves on what is known as the Caribou Property.