First Majestic has experienced a new record for quarterly earnings for the first quarter of 2011 due to a 30% increase in average realized silver prices over the prior quarter and a 95% increase from the same quarter of 2010. Silver production in the first quarter remained steady at the same levels as the fourth quarter of 2010, which is up 25% over the first quarter of 2010.

Joy Global Inc. (NASDAQ:JOYG), a worldwide leader in high-productivity mining solutions, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a 100 percent ownership interest in LeTourneau Technologies Inc. (“LeTourneau”) from Rowan Companies, Inc. (“Rowan”) (NYSE: RDC) for $1.1 billion in cash. LeTourneau designs, builds and supports equipment for the mining and oil and gas drilling industries, and has been a leader in the earthmoving equipment industry since the 1920s. The transaction has been approved by both companies’ boards of directors. Completion of the transaction is subject to the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions and is expected to occur within 60 days.

African Barrick Gold (ABGL.L) said a malfunction in a mill motor at its Buzwagi mine in Tanzania would hit production in the quarter, sending its shares down as much as 9 percent in early trade on Monday. It estimated the replacement of the motor, which failed after a power outage and attempted restart, would take two weeks, during which time the plant would run at reduced capacity.

Sales of gold coins are on track for the best month in a year amid the worst commodities rout since 2008, a sign that bullion's longest bull market in nine decades has further to run, if history is a guide. The U.S. Mint sold 85,000 ounces of American Eagle coins since May 1 as the Standard & Poor's GSCI Index of 24 raw materials fell 9.9 percent.

Osisko Mining reported on Friday a loss of Can$5.3 million in the first quarter. The company said that the higher loss incurred is due to high administrative costs reflecting the growth in the company's activities, high non-cash charges from the issuance of stock options in the third quarter of 2010 and lower foreign exchange gain. In the same period in 2010 the company reported a loss of $600,000. Sean Roosen, president and CEO of Osisko, said the company achived some significant achievements.

Overall construction of the Oyu Tolgoi Project was 15.1% complete by the end of Q1'11, slightly ahead of the planned 14.8%. Total capital invested in the project by the end of Q1'11 was $1.8 billion. The Oyu Tolgoi Project initially is being developed as an open-pit operation, with the first phase of mining planned to start at the near-surface Southern Oyu deposits, which include Southwest Oyu and Central Oyu. A copper concentrator plant, related facilities and necessary infrastructure that will support an initial throughput of 100,000 tonnes of ore per day are being constructed to process ore scheduled to be mined from the Southern Oyu open pit. Commercial production of copper-gold-silver concentrate is projected to begin in the first half of 2013.

Speculators in gold, silver and copper futures and options sharply cut their net long positions in the week ended May 10. Metal prices sold off during a commodities rout during the period, according to the latest report by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Aurizon Mines Ltd. notched an $18 million gross profit in the first quarter of 2011, bettering Q1 of 2010 by 43%. The Toronto-listed miner chalked up $14.5 million in cash flow from operations, a 58% increase from the same period last year. The company says its results were positively impacted by rising operating profit margins, and offset by increased exploration at its exploration properties. Revenue from its Casa Berardi operation increased, from $39.8 million in the first quarter of 2010, to $47.2 million in Q1 of 2011, on higher gold prices. Image by Aurizon Mines

The gold-silver ratio (GSR) measures how many ounces of silver one can purchase for an ounce of gold, on a certain date. Reference to the ratio has a long history. One of the first mentions was that upon the death of Alexander the Great, the ratio was 12.5 to 1. During the Roman Empire, the ratio was set at 12. By the late 19th century, the ratio had risen to 15. Interestingly, these historical ratios roughly reflect geologists’ estimates that silver is 17 times more abundant than gold in the earth’s crust. This gives many investors a reason to believe that 17 is the natural balance between these elements, and that eventually the GSR will return to it.