Miners’ spending on hunt for copper, EV metals hits $10 billion

Australian iron ore stalwart Fortescue Metals (ASX:FMG) has signed an AUD$1.4 billion deal with Leighton Contractors which is set to raise output to 115 million tonnes by early 2013.

Preliminary studies by the Yilgarn Iron Producers Association (YIPA) assert that modest improvements to infrastructure could unleash the iron ore potential of the mineral-rich region of Western Australia.

The financial and legal difficulties of Nathan Tinkler could damage Whitehaven shares (ASX:WHC) due to expectations that the Australian mining magnate will dump his holdings in the fledgling coal miner.

Gold mining giant Newmont (NYSE:NEM) has announced lay-offs at operations in Australasia in what the company says is a precursor to world-wide retrenchments.

Miners with moderate debt levels are set to best weather the commodities slump which currently besets the Australian resources sector.

Rio Tinto is cutting even more coal mining jobs in Australia as the miner is struggling with a dramatic plunge in coal prices and a high Australian dollar.

GE Transportation, a unit of diversified conglomerate General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) launched Monday its newest business unit, GE Mining, which will be based out of Brisbane, Australia.

A "culture of cover-ups" has led to a fatality rate for mines in mineral-rich Western Australia which is three times greater than that of any other Australian state.

Slated reforms to China's pricing system for the carbon fossil fuel indicate that the country's leading decision-makers anticipate a sustained decline in global spot prices.