Vancouver AI firm Andritz takes top spot at Goldcorp’s #DisruptMining

Zimbabwe’s diamond production reached 2.329 million carats in the first half of 2011 with the bulk coming from the controversial Marange fields, Finance Minister Tendai Biti reported to Parliament on Tuesday. The Treasury expects production to ramp up in the second half to reach 8.2 million carats for the full year, which would be slightly lower than the 8.435 million carats mined in 2010.

Reuters reports US lawmakers approved legislation late on Tuesday setting a November 1 deadline for the Obama administration to decide the fate of a proposed $7 billion pipeline to transport Canadian oil sands crude to refineries on the Gulf coast and ease the glut in the Midwest hub. The price oil sands producers can charge for exports to the US is falling further behind the international benchmark because of the lack of pipelines and hedge funds have started to bet that the spread could go as high as $50/barrel leaving Alberta producers $75 million out of pocket per day.

Cenovus generated cash flow of $939 million or $1.24 per share diluted in the second quarter of 2011. Refining operating cash flow was $322 million during the quarter mainly due to improved refined product prices and higher throughput.

Ditem Explorations (TSX VENTURE:DIT) is pleased to announce that the summer exploration program on the Lalande property is now underway.

Zimbabwe's state media has reported that the state mining corporation says it is paying government employee raises this month with revenues from controversy-mired diamond fields in eastern Zimbabwe.

The chief of a Saskatchewan First Nation located near BHP Billiton Ltd.'s Jansen potash project is calling on the province to consult aboriginal communities in the region about the potential mine.

As the State Department weighs approving an oil pipeline stretching from Canada to Texas, experts are divided on whether the Keystone XL project would worsen global warming.

The value of mergers and acquisitions in the mining sector more than doubled to $96.3 billion in the first six months of the year and could top $200 billion for the whole of 2011 says a new research report. Canadian companies – both as acquirers and as the targets of buyers – dominated corporate finance activity in the first half shaking on more than a deal a day and at 325 deals accounting for almost two-thirds of all the metals and minerals transactions carried out around the world.

Grizzly Discoveries Inc. announced on Monday it has applied for a new metallic and industrial mineral permit in Alberta along the Saskatchewan border covering approximately 4,672 hectares to add to its existing land holdings of more than 2.4 million acres for its Alberta Potash Project. Stocks in the micro-cap company was steady at 70c on Monday following the news and is worth more than double what it was at the start of 2011. Apart from potash Grizzly is exploring for gold and base metals in British Columbia and diamonds in Alberta.