ATAC planning phase one program for Rau

As commodities prices including precious metals were plummetting Thursday on more bad economic news, the Premier of British Columbia provided a glimmer of hope for the BC mining industry. In unveiling the province's job-creation strategy, Clark said the government plans to capitalize on high demand for minerals, especially in Asia, by opening up eight new mines in the next four years and expanding nine more by 2015.

Weak manufacturing data from China and a US economy deemed to have "significant downside risk," saw benchmark North American crude futures drop more than $5 to just above $80 a barrel, bringing the discount to international oil prices to more than $25. The biggest oil sands player, Suncor Energy (TSE.SU), tumbled 6.8% to C$26.21 on the Toronto Stock Exchange, bringing its year to date losses to more than 30%. Canadian heavy oil – all of which goes to the US – sells for $15 less than US crude, meaning oil sands developers have to deal with an effective oil price of $60-$70 a barrel that puts at risk many of the $100 billion of projects on the go in Alberta.

Stornoway Diamond Corporation, involved in the discovery of over 200 kimberlites in seven Canadian diamond districts, has provided an update on its 100%-owned Renard Diamond Project saying it now expects a longer life and increased annual output of some 2 million carats. The company said the release of the feasibility study for the $450 million project is imminent and it could start producing in 2015. Stornoway last week joined the S&P/TSX SmallCap Index, a move which should increase the appeal of the counter among institutional investors.

Teck Resources Limited (NYSE: TCK) will invest $210 million at its Trail Operations to increase its capacity to recycle end-of-life electronic waste and $475 million in a mill modernization project at Highland Valley Copper. Both operations are located in British Columbia. The No. 4 Furnace Project at Trail Operations includes the construction of a new slag fuming furnace and settling furnace that will integrate into the existing lead smelting process. Construction on the project will begin in 2012 with completion scheduled for 2014.

EVERETT, WA--(Marketwire - Sep 22, 2011) - Two products from Fluke Corporation, the global leader in portable electronic test and measurement technology, have been recognized as best new products in the Consulting-Specifying Engineer Product of the Year Awards. The Fluke® TiS Thermal Imager was named Most Valuable Product of 2011 and won the test instruments, meters, data-loggers category gold award. The 810 Vibration Tester took the bronze award in the same category.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 22, 2011) - Silvercorp Metals Inc. ("Silvercorp" or the "Company") (TSX:SVM)(NYSE:SVM) announced it has acquired a total of 4,468,012 of its common shares at a total cost of $34,949,140 (average price of CDN$7.82 pursuant to its normal course issuer bid ("NCIB") announced on June 17, 2011. Under the existing NCIB the Company intends to acquire up to 10 million common shares. All common shares purchased under the NCIB will be cancelled.

BMO Financial Group is making it simple for Canadians to purchase and hold physical gold bullion. With the launch of BMO's Gold Deposit Program, clients will be able to purchase physical gold using a delivery and custody process that is simple, efficient and cost effective. Physical allocated gold deposits are not new to Canada but easy access for clients has always been a challenge. BMO is offering this unique program exclusively through BMO Nesbitt Burns Investment Advisors, or through in-branch Resident Investment Advisors.

Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he can't imagine the Obama administration rejecting the proposed Keystone XL oilsands pipeline, arguing the final decision should be a "complete no-brainer." Harper made the comments in an interview with Bloomberg News during his trip to New York for meetings with US business leaders and at the UN. The proposed $7 billion, 3,190km Keystone XL pipeline connecting Alberta’s oil sands to refineries on the US Gulf Coast should help Canada move closer to the international benchmark for crude instead of US pricing which trades at a discount of more than $25. Canada currently pumps 2 million barrels per day to the US, with more than half coming from the oil sands.

EthicalOil.org ran commercials about the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia on the Oprah Winfrey Network late August and has now been dragged in front of Canada's advertising authorities by the Kingdom, handing the controversial website a PR victory just as it was beginning to look as if its message was being drowned out by Hollywood celebs protesting oil sands pipelines.