Downer EDI Limited (Downer) today announced it has been awarded a six year magnetite mining contract with Karara Mining Limited (KML) for the provision of services at the Karara Iron Ore Project in Western Australia.

The Haig Inlet Iron Ore Project contains 230 million tonnes of iron ore at 35.17% iron, a new resource estimate shows.

EMED Mining (LON:EMED) climbed 14.88% today on news that the company has reached a $30 million funding arrangement with a new Chinese offtake partner respecting its Rio Tinto copper mine in Spain.

The South African government has quashed persistent rumours about nationalizing the country's mining industry.

Russian scientists, working 24-hours a day in extreme Antarctic conditions, broke through four-kilometres of ice on Monday to reach Lake Vostok, a body of water that has been covered by ice for over 20 million years.

Rubicon Minerals stocks were diving this morning (TSE:RMX) (AMEX:RBY) close to 5 per cent as the Canadian company said Monday that it has agreed to a $200.9 million bought deal financing, with funds to be used for the development of its Phoenix gold project in Red Lake, Ontario.

Anglo Pacific Group (TSX: APY) (LSE:APF) has agreed today to a proposal with Red Rock Resources Plc to acquire 50% of the Mount Ida 1.5% Gross Revenue Iron Ore Royalty (GRR) currently held by Red Rock Resources.

Chilean state giant Codelco, the world's biggest copper producer, will have to strive this year to match record 2011 copper production of 1.735 million tonnes, said CEO Diego Hernandez to the El Mercurio newspaper's Sunday edition.

London- and Nasdaq-listed gold producer Randgold Resources Ltd. (LON:RRS) (NASDAQ:GOLD) stocks went up 3.5 percent after the West Africa-focused miner reported a more than fourfold rise in net profit for the year ended December 2011 due to higher gold prices and a significant increase in production.