Rio Tinto iron ore output up again, but exports fall

Canadian miner NovaGold Resources Inc. (TSX:NG) said today that it has begun the process of trying to sell its 50% stake in the Galore Creek copper-gold project in British Columbia, in order to fully focus on its flagship Donlin gold project in Alaska, in a stament announcing its poor Q4 results.

Stocks struggle Wednesday morning as risk trades were daunted by dreary economic activity figures on both sides of the globe and the Greek post-deal aftermath.

An emerald cut diamond valued between $900,000 and $1 million is set to be auctioned in Vancouver on Sunday at the Sutton Place Hotel.

The $2.5 billion deal saw European Goldfields add 6.4% in afternoon trade on Tuesday while Eldorado gained 6% to bring their combined market value to $10 billion.

Chinese coal miners discovered a botanical Pompeii, a 298 million year old forest well-preserved in ash from a sudden volcanic eruption.

On much heavier volumes than usual Grizzly Discoveries shed 3c or 6.52% by midday Tuesday. Before the market open the Edmonton-based company announced a potash discovery near Medicine Hat in Alberta Canada that wasn't as exciting as investors had clearly hoped – drilling yielded potash grades up to 31.1% K2O, but only over 0.3 metres.

In unveiling Canada’s British Columbia’s job-creation strategy last September, the Premier Christy Clark said the government planed 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.

In what is being regarded as the first major African mining play by a Chinese company, China Minmetals succeeded Friday in closing its $1.3 billion bid for copper miner Anvil Mining.

A Canadian mining watchdog created by the Conservative government has yet to mediate a single case despite costing taxpayers $1.1 million over the last two years.