Randgold considers acquisitions amid gold mining industry crunch

Ian Telfer, one of Canada’s most well-known mining executives and chairman of Goldcorp Inc. (TSE:G), denied yesterday’s Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) allegations that connect him with an alleged illegal insider-trading scheme that yielded profits of $962,000 for eight people involved in buying shares.

Rio Tinto has committed a further US$3.4 billion (Rio Tinto share $2.9 billion) to the major expansion of its Pilbara iron ore operations in Western Australia.

BHP Billiton raked in US$18.7 billion in the half-year ended December 31, 2011 — an 8.3% increase in Underlying EBITDA from the second half of 2010.

Reuters reports that sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp (CIC) and state oil company Sinopec are among three cornerstone investors that will pledge $350 million towards Sunshine Oilsands Ltd's Hong Kong IPO.

Shares in Nevun Resources Ltd. fell off the cliff this morning after the company issued a press release saying its 2012 production estimate from its Bisha copper-gold mine in Eritrea is half of what the mine produced in 2011.

ASX and TSX-listed Magma Metals (MMW) announced today the appointment of advisers in respect of the unsolicited proposed $40 million takeover offer for Magma by nickel miner Panoramic Resources Limited.

After months of speculations and secret negotiations, Xstrata PLC (LON:XTA) and Glencore International PLC (LON:GLEN) have formally announced an all-share merger that would create a $90bn giant named "Glencore Xstrata International PLC."

The Hindu Business Line reports the Tummalapelle uranium mine in the YSR district of Andhra Pradesh, India, will be commissioned by early April.

Up to 1.5 million carats worth of diamonds are being auctioned this week by companies allowed to mine the controversial Marange diamond fields in Zimbabwe.