How top gold producers margins are being squeezed

Eurasianet reports two new studies say the massive Kumtor gold mine, controlled by Canada's Centerra's and the Kyrgyzs government, as a matter of routine ignores environmental legislation endangering species such as the snow leopard and is damaging Central Asia’s water supply.

WINNEMUCCA, NEVADA--(Marketwire - Jan. 31, 2012) - Paramount Gold and Silver Corp. (NYSE Amex:PZG)(TSX:PZG)(FRANKFURT:P6G)(WKN:A0HGKQ) ("Paramount") today reported new assay results from ongoing core drilling at its 100%-owned San Miguel Project in Mexico. The reported drill holes come from the high-grade gold and silver deposits of Don Ese North and La Union.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 31, 2012) - Argus Metals Corp. (the "Company" or "Argus") (TSX VENTURE:AML) reports that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission has granted and signed Argus' PL29/2011 licence. This licence allows for the exploration of uranium, gold and precious elements. PL29/2011 is west of, and contiguous with Argus' PL53/2009 licence, which also allows for the exploration of uranium, gold and precious elements. With PL29/2011 in place, Argus now holds the full 10 x 1 kilometre extent of the Kaituma uranium target and plans to execute a drill program on the project as soon as technically and financially feasible.

After staging an impressive comeback from October's lows, the rally in iron ore prices seems to have run out of steam.

After a recent mining fataility at Vale's Coleman Mine in Sudbury, the Brazillian miner is temporarily shutting down all eight mines in the region while it assesses safety procedures.

While Alberta is showing progress in slowing sexually transmitted infections, oilsands workers and First Nation communities are considered high risk groups.

The value of mineral production in the United States increased by 12 percent in 2011 from that of 2010, suggesting that the nonfuel minerals industries, particularly metals, continued to recover from the economic recession that began in December 2007 and lasted well into 2009.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 30, 2012) - Robert Friedland, Chairman, and Peter Reeve, Chief Executive Officer of Ivanhoe Australia Limited (TSX:IVA)(ASX:IVA), are pleased to announce the appointment of UBS Investment Bank to as...

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 30, 2012) - First Quantum Minerals Ltd. ("First Quantum" or the "Company" or "FQM") (TSX:FM)(LSE:FQM) is pleased to announce the signing of a US$1 billion senior term and revolving facilities...