More high grades from Indin Lake for Nighthawk

The BC government has allowed an expansion to the Quinsam Coal Mine on Vancouver Island.

The native group opposing the Prosperity Mine in northern British Columbia has little faith in the just-launched federal environmental review of the project, CTV News reports.

PotashCorp (NYSE:POT), the world's largest producer of potash, announced higher Q4 earnings on Wednesday but also a sharp decline in demand.

The federal government disassociated itself on Thursday from an embarrassing official policy paper that said the country’s independent energy regulator, now studying a controversial oil pipeline, is in fact a government ally.

Mining notices of work applications, one of the pieces of paper a miner must have before a project can proceed, have been reduced from 229 to 85, said BC Premier Christy Clark at Round Up 2012 on Wednesday.

Vancouver-based mining company Fortuna Silver says it has nothing to do with the shooting death of a protester in a town near the company’s mine site in Mexico.

The federal government is working to speed into place changes this year to expedite the regulatory review of new industrial projects. Ottawa plans to unveil new plans in “months, not years,” Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said in Calgary on Wednesday.

Detour Gold added $1.80 to $28.40 or 6.7% on Wednesday after announcing bought deal financing led by BMO Capital Markets and CIBC worth $241 million. The latest round is enough to complete its $1.45 billion Ontario project for which it also announced improved reserves estimates.

Aurizon Mines (TSE:ARZ) jumped more than 10% on Wednesday despite the absence of fresh news. The cash-rich Quebec miner earlier this month announced a record year for gold production and strong growth prospects and 2012 is expected to be a busy year for gold M&A activity.