According to a report by Chinese news agency Xinhua, China has been sharply increasing its output of gold and silver coins to meet seemingly ever-increasing popular demand for precious metals as people buy to protect against perceived rising inflation. Indeed it has more than doubled the maximum issuance for 2011 for some popular gold coin sizes from its previously announced levels.

While the Obama Administration extended its emergency ban on new mining claims around the Grand Canyon only until December 20, 2011, statements made by federal officials at a press conference at Mather Point in the Grand Canyon National Park Monday indicate the ban will probably be permanent. Although U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar repeatedly stressed that mining projects currently in the regulatory pipeline remain alive and viable, fears of possible contamination of the Grand Canyon watershed were repeatedly stressed by federal officials speaking during the news conference. Image of Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar at the Statue of Liberty is from Wikipedia.

India, the world's top gold importer, may have just turned net exporter over the last couple of months given the high level of exports of gold jewellery, medallions and coins from the country. Export of items of the yellow metal rose to a staggering $1.24 billion during March and April 2011.

Canada’s Dumas Contracting and JCHX Mining Management Co (JCHX), a leading Chinese mining contractor, have entered into a strategic alliance. The scope of the strategic alliance covers supporting Chinese clients with projects in Dumas’ core markets of Canada and Latin America. In addition, Dumas will provide its technical expertise in supporting JCHX on shaft-sinking projects in China.

Market Oracle reported on recent gains in shares of Molycorp (NYSE:MCP). The market news is quoted as saying: The price drivers today are plentiful: Financial Times reports that rare earth materials are being stockpiled in China, Piper Jaffray upgraded Molycorp to a buy, and a host of analysts piled on with positive assessments of the rare earth industry in general.

Passport Potash, Inc. (TSX VENTURE:PPI)(OTCQX:PPRTF) is pleased to report preliminary results from two core holes that have intersected significant potash deposits at relatively shallow depths in the Holbrook evaporite basin. According to chemical assay results obtained from Skyline Laboratories in Tucson, Arizona, PPI2011-04 ("Core 1") intersected 9.5 feet (1463.0-1472.5 feet) of 12.29% KCL which includes a 4.0 foot (1465.5-1469.5 feet) interval containing 18.28% KCL. PPI2011-6 ("Core 2") intersected 7.5 feet (1437.5-1445.0 feet) of 11.93% KCL within which includes a 2.5 foot (1439.0-1441.5 feet) interval containing 24.34% KCL.

Ausdrill Limited has been awarded several contracts which further broaden the services offered by the group. These include a coal seam gas (CSG) contract, new drill and blast contracts and an explosives supply contract. With the continued interest and commitment in CSG in Australia by a number of notable companies operating in this market, EDA envisages an opportunity for long-term sustainable growth in the CSG drilling sector.

The Montreal Gazette reports: About two dozen non-unionized workers have walked off the job in a remote mining camp in northern Ontario — in an area known as the Ring of Fire — in protest of what they call unsafe conditions and unsatisfactory compensation. The workers put out a statement late Sunday saying they had stopped working over the weekend.

Claude Mongeau, president and chief executive officer of Canadian National Railway Company, said today the company will have invested almost $400-million to buy and rehabilitate four short-line railways serving resource-rich regions of Northern Alberta by year-end 2011.