Russia expands gold stockpile the most since ’98

Seven miners have been pulled from Hecla Mining's Lucky Friday mine after a collapse Wednesday evening. Media reports say that six of the workers were treated at the scene while a seventh was treated at hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Agrium Inc. (TSX and NYSE: AGU) announced today that its Board of Directors has approved a one million tonne brownfield potash capacity expansion at its Vanscoy potash facility in Saskatchewan, Canada.

B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan are preparing a "Canadian energy strategy" to present to Ottawa by this spring.

Hundreds piled into a public hearing Wednesday on a new bill affecting a huge iron ore mine in northern Wisconsin. "Many stood against the wall and dozens more stood outside the room in the hallway. Committee aides said about 130 people had registered to speak," Duluth News Tribune reported.

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Joy Global Inc. (NYSE: JOY), a worldwide leader in high-productivity mining solutions, today reported fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2011 results. Fourth quarter bookings increased 33 percent to $1.4 billion in fiscal 2011, compared to the fourth quarter of last year. Operating income increased 31 percent to $296 million on a revenue increase of 27 percent to $1.3 billion.

Global demand and prices for coal will continue to expand aggressively over the next five years despite public calls for reducing reliance on the high-carbon fuel as a primary energy source, said the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its first ever report about the commodity.

Cows shrinking to the point they turn into cats and villagers wrapped in do-it-yourself anti-radiation suits are only some of the effects of allowingAustralia's Lynas Corporation to open a rare earths plant inMalaysia, according to not-so-subtle protest short satirical films populating YouTube these days.

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) has acquired the remaining 30% interest in the San Juan Silver project in Colorado's Creede silver-producing district, for $33.8 million in stock.

The United States on Monday sanctioned two diamond mines located in Zimbabwe's Marange region, the scene of serious human rights abuses in 2008.