Cliffs sells Ontario’s Ring of Fire claims to Noront for $20 million

More than 9,100 heavy equipment items and trucks to sell over six days in Orlando, FL between February 13 - 18, 2012

Glencore International is in talks with Xstrata to merge in a deal that would create a $80 billion rival to BHP Billiton, Vale, Rio Tinto and China's Shenhua. Here's a wrap-up of what people are saying about the birth of the globe's first vertically integrated resource giant.

Imperial Metals Corporation (TSX:III) reports a tonnage increase of 103% in the Measured and Indicated Resource at its Red Chris copper/gold deposit. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Feb. 2, 2012) - Imperial Metals Corporation (TSX:III) reports a tonnage increase of 103% in the Measured and Indicated Resource at its Red Chris copper/gold deposit. The 2012 Technical Report(1) (...

Fuming investors facing a flood of new shares clobbered Novagold on Thursday after it added almost 10 million shares to its bought deal offering and gave the option for another 5 million to institutions at a steep discount to the ruling price.

New Gold Inc. (TSX and NYSE AMEX:NGD) today announces fourth quarter 2011 gold production of 100,671 ounces which resulted in record annual production of 387,155 ounces during 2011. The company, once again, met its gold production guidance range of 380,000 to 400,000 ounces during the year. Quarterly and annual total cash cost per ounce sold, net of by-product sales, were $561 and $448 per ounce, respectively.

The long-term fling between mining group Xstrata PLC (LON:XTA) and commodities trader Glencore International PLC (LON:GLEN) is getting serious. In a statement in response to increasing speculation about an upcoming merger, Xstrata confirmed today that it is in negotiations with Glencore.

llana Potash Corp (TSX:AAA) is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced public offering of common shares of the Company. Pursuant to the terms of the Offering, the Company has issued 25,000,000 Common Shares at a price of $0.80 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $20,000,000.

Comment from Jeff Nichols suggests that Chinese gold production and consumption may be considerably higher than the statistics released by the country would indicate.

The Big Picture: News Stories in Photographs, a photojournalism blog, has a segment on coal photos.