China’s Zijin plans selling $1.2B worth of shares to fund Nevsun takeover

Junior explorer Hathor Exploration on Tuesday said a preliminary economic assessment of its Roughrider uranium deposit showed it would potentially be one of the lowest cost uranium producers in the world at only $14.44/lb U3O8. The junior uranium company is the target of a hostile bid from world number one uranium miner Cameco and has gained about 56% since the offer and 121% since the start of the year. Hathor believes its worth more than the offer price and said it will formally respond tomorrow (September 14) and urged shareholders to sit tight.

The Endako molybdenum mine in British Columbia has been extended another two years, Thompson Creek Metals (TSX:TCM) said yesterday. The Denver and Vancouver-based company announced a 9% increase in mineral reserves from 286.2 million to 312.2 million pounds of molybdenum at the mine, located near Prince George, BC., meaning the mine will operate until 2028. "The updated reserves estimate illustrates the significant value of the Endako mine. The current report has revised our reserves estimates as a result of improved engineering, refined geological modeling and new drilling data. We believe the resource base at the Endako mine will continue to expand with our 2011 drilling program and future exploration," CEO Kevin Loughrey said in a statement.

Shares in NioGold Mining (TSX-V:NOX) are up 3.28% today on brisk mid-day trading, after the company announced promising drill results from its Marban Block property, located in the Abitibi region of Quebec, Canada. Highlights from 10 new drill holes at the Marban deposit include an intersection at depth of 7.0 grams of gold per tonne (g/t Au) over 10.9 metres (MB-08-053ext) and shallow intersections obtained at the west end of the deposit of 5.9 g/t Au over 15.7 metres (MB-11-195) and 906.2 g/t Au over 2.6 metres (MB-11-198). Map by NioGold Mining Corp.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 13, 2011) - ATAC Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:ATC) is pleased to announce the final 2011 drill results from its Ocelot silver-lead-zinc discovery. The Ocelot is located within the Rau Trend in the western portion of ATAC's 100% owned Rackla Gold Project in the Keno Hill Mining District, Canada's second largest primary silver producer. The 2011 diamond drilling program consisted of 19 holes totaling 3784.75 m. The first five holes returned encouraging results near surface (see news release dated June 13, 2011).

After the market close on Monday Oilsands Quest announced it is cancelling a $60 million rights offer that only two weeks ago it extended for a second time. The embattled firm's shares spiked higher 22% to 25c, five cents above the offer price, in after-hours dealings following the news. Oilsands Quest said it was working with a third party on a deal that would "change the company's financial position and funding requirements," but has not ruled out a new rights offer. Investors in the AMEX-listed firm have been on a bumpy ride. The stock is down some 70% from its January highs of 64c and gained 63% in a single day after Saskatchewan granted the company 15-year leases, the first in the province. But recent investors can feel smug about the fact that they did not buy into the junior during the frothy 2006 market – the counter hit a peak of $7.76 in March that year.

Shares in China-focused miner Silvercorp Metals slumped over 7% on Monday after British Columbia security regulators said they were joining the investigation into an anonymous letter accusing the company of a $1.3 billion fraud. Silvercorp was forced on Friday 2 September to make public the letter and at the same time disclosed that someone had built up a short position of 23 million shares – more than 13% of the number outstanding. The firm with projects in China and Canada plunged after the news broke and Monday's drop brings year to date losses close to 40% despite the firm's ongoing buyback programme.

Stornoway Diamond Corporation involved in the discovery of over 200 kimberlites in seven Canadian diamond districts will join S&P/TSX SmallCap Index at the end of the week, a move which should increase the appeal of the counter among institutional investors. It's a new milestone for Stornoway which flourished under the leadership of Eira Thomas, the renowned diamond explorer whose spectacular success in the 90s transformed Canadian diamond mining. Thomas left in August following the acquisition of Stornoway's lead asset – the 100%-owned Renard Diamond Project – on track to become Quebec's first diamond mine.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 12, 2011) - Confederation Minerals Ltd. ("Confederation") (TSX VENTURE:CFM) is pleased to report additional drill results from the on-going drilling program at the Newman Todd property in the Red Lake Gold District, Ontario. These results are from five holes, completed in wide spaced drilling along the Newman Todd Structure ("NTS"), another 11 holes have been completed and assays are pending. The highlight hole from the latest results returned 7.06 oz/ton (242.0 g/t) gold over 0.50 metre.

VANCOUVER, Sept. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Taseko Mines Limited (TSX: TKO) (NYSE Amex: TGB) ("Taseko" or the "Company") announces an inferred resource of 159 million tonnes grading 0.43% Nb2O5 at the Company's wholly-owned Aley Niobium Project, approximately 130 km north of Mackenzie, B.C. The resource estimate is based on drill data gathered from Taseko's 2010 drilling program, along with historical drill data. The data formed the basis for the development of a geological model incorporating mine engineering studies.