Battery Minerals hits construction milestones at Montepuez project

Brazil's Vale (VALE5.SA: Quote), the world's largest producer of iron ore, has made an offer to acquire South African miner Metorex Ltd (MTXJ.J: Quote) for 7.5 billion rand ($1.13 billion), the two companies said on Friday. "Under the terms of the offer, if implemented, the Metorex shareholders will receive a cash consideration of 7.35 rand per share," the companies said in a joint statement.

Gold Fields GFIJ. said on Friday that its attributable group production for the March quarter was expected to decline from the previous quarter to about 830,000 ounces. "As expected production is lower than that achieved in the previous quarter (900,000 ounces), almost entirely due to the customary Christmas break in South Africa, when all mines close for two weeks," it said in a brief guidance for investors.

South African gold miner DRDGold (DRDJ.J: Quote) said on Wednesday that it expected gold production for March quarter to be about three percent lower than the previous quarter at around 67,400 ounces. It also said in a guidance for investors that cash operating costs were expected to be about six percent higher as a result of the lower production.

Newcrest said in a brief announcement today that it has suspended operations at the Bonikro gold mine "as a precautionary measure" and evacuated expatriates to neighbouring Ghana. This is not the first time Bonikro has had to be closed - a mine gained late last year with the takeover of Lihir Gold with its much larger prize of the Lihir Island gold project in Papua New Ginea.

Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, the General Director and Chairman of the Management Board of MMC Norilsk Nickel (the Company) met with the President of the Republic of South Africa Jakob Zuma in RSA. The meeting was held as part of the General Director's business visit to the Republic of South Africa. The parties discussed further development of the Company's projects in RSA.

Shares in SA-listed platinum miners fell as Zimbabwe gave mining firms six months to sell majority stakes to local black investors.

Nevsun Resources Ltd. (TSX:NSU)(NYSE Amex:NSU) is pleased to announce the revised reserve estimate for its Bisha mine in Eritrea. The revised estimate has increased the total proven and probable reserves to 28.3 million tonnes from the previously reported 20.1 million tonnes (2006 feasibility study). The net impact of higher throughputs and lower cut-off grade has resulted in an extended mine life of 13 years, while increasing previously reported robust cash flow.

Lucara Diamond Corp. ("Lucara" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:LUC) is very pleased to report outstanding results from its first tender of rough diamonds recovered from the Mothae mine in Lesotho. A total of 42 sales lots, totaling 9,381.35 carats were sold on tender in Antwerp for an average of US$871.70/ carat. Gross proceeds from the sale, which closed today, March 28, 2011, totaled $8,177,714 million. The three stones with the highest per carat value were a 13.87 carat diamond which sold for $43,000/ct, a 24.57 carat diamond which sold for $32,351/ct, and a 20.13 carat diamond which sold for $27,995/ct.

Congo authorities seized 435 kilos (957 pounds) of gold and $6.5 million in cash in smashing a plot to smuggle the haul abroad from the country's anarchic east, officials said on Saturday. The Democratic Republic of Congo's state prosecutor said five people including an American and two French citizens, as well as an impounded, U.S.-registered Gulfstream jet, had been released after a $3 million fine was paid.