Goldspot partners with Pacton on AI exploration at Red Lake

The source of the surge in mining investment has been quite diverse, reflecting the widespread advance in prices. For 2012, gold leads the way with $3.6 billion of capital spending. But not far behind are copper-nickel-zinc mines at $3 billion, potash at $2.9 billion and iron ore at $2.7 billion as the Labrador Trough is developed.

Vale — the second largest nickel producer in the world — plans to begin looking for nickel this year on the Melville Peninsula near Repulse Bay, Nunavut.

Diavik is supposed to transform into an underground operation this year and Harry Winston's partner on the project, Rio Tinto, wants to exit diamond mining, but the luxury retailer could not provide any guidance on the way forward. Investors responded by giving Harry Winston a 5% kicking.

Zimbabwe's Black Empowerment Minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, announced today it has taken majority ownership of foreign-owned mining firms, which had not already given a controlling stake to black Zimbabweans.

Standard Graphite Corp. (TSX VENTURE:SGH) (the "Company") is pleased to report that it has signed an option to acquire a 100% interest in 31 mining claims in Quebec.

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 3, 2012) - Lake Shore Gold Corp. (TSX:LSG)(NYSE Amex:LSG) Lake Shore Gold Corp. ("Lake Shore Gold" or the "Company") today held a brief press conference to respond to enquiries from the media, and Dan Gagnon, Senior Vice-President of Operations, issued the following statement:

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed a lawsuit against Canada's Royal Bank (TSX:RY) yesterday, saying it engaged in hundreds of millions of dollars in sham futures trades to reap tax benefits on its holdings of company stocks.

Canadian base-metals miner Hudbay Minerals (TSX:HBM)(NYSE:HBM), rose the capital cost estimated of its giant Constancia copper project in Peru by about 50% to $1.5 billion, mentioning both scope changes and inflation as reasons.

Christy Clark, the Premier of Canada’s British Columbia unveiled details of a C$25 billion public and private sector plan to expand trade with Asia, by improving the province's transportation system.