CAT sees no significant impact from depressed oil prices

Rambler Metals and Mining plc (CVE:RAB, LON:RMM) enjoyed a 2.5% bump in its stock price Thursday on news that the Toronto and London-listed company has poured the first gold from its Ming Copper-Gold Mine in Newfoundland/Labrador, Canada.

Glencore International plc today announced that a subsidiary has entered into an agreement with Exxaro Base Metals and Industrial Holdings (Proprietary) Limited to acquire Exxaro’s entire 50.04 per cent shareholding in Rosh Pinah Zinc Corporation (Proprietary) Limited, a zinc mining business in Namibia.

The French bank has announced plans to stop trading commodities and cut down on commodities trade financing as it struggles to cope with a credit crunch.

Poland's finance ministry says it does not plan to alter its proposed mining tax aimed mainly at state-controlled copper miner KGHM, whose shares are at their lowest since August 2010.

Australian Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) sees its ambitions of becoming a major uranium mining house a step closer. After three years of stand-by due to a moratorium on uranium mining on indigenous lands in Labrador, Canada, the Perth-based miner is able to start operations in the area in 2012.

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.