Spending cuts in Australian mining: Plant and heavy equipment will take strongest hit

EthicalOil.org, which stated goal is countering inaccurate and unfair criticisms of the oil sands, this week launched their first television ad as debate about the Keystone pipeline intended to carry Canadian crude to refineries on the US Gulf coast intensifies. The treatment of women in Saudi Arabia is the focus of the new ad running exclusively on the Oprah Winfrey Network in Canada and comes on the heels of demonstrations in front of the White House where celebrities had themselves arrested to persuade President Barack Obama, who has the final say, of oil sands' dangers and influential environmental voice Al Gore calling oil sands the "dirtiest fuel on the planet."

Bloomberg reports Mongolia is likely to sell a stake in its Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi coal-mining company to the public next year, raising more than $3 billion. The Tavan Tolgoi deposit – mined since the 60s – in the South Gobi desert is the world's largest with a 6 billion tonne resource of high-quality coking coal used in steelmaking. Metallurgical coal has been trading at record levels of $330/tonne this year. Tavan Tolgoi is the second largest mining investment in Mongolia behind the Oyu Tolgoi gold-copper mine being built by Canada's Ivanhoe Mines.

Zimbabwe said on Tuesday it could prosecute or cancel the mining licence of Zimplats, the local unit of Impala Platinum, for failing to agree to transfer majority ownership to local blacks, piling pressure on the firm to strike a deal. However, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, who is leading the drive to increase Zimbabweans' control of the economy, said Harare had reached an agreement with Rio Tinto's Murowa mine and a deal was "imminent" for Aquarius' Mimosa mine. The deals with Rio and Acquarius put the squeeze on Zimplats' parent, the world's number two platinum producer, which risks losing its concessions to others, especially the Chinese, who are favoured by President Robert Mugabe.

Gold futures fell slightly to settle at $1,873 as spot gold jumped to a record high Tuesday after Switzerland pegged its currency to the euro, then the precious metal retreated 2 percent from that level as investors took profits. The spot price of gold—which tracks global trades in bullion—and U.S. gold futures set all-time highs above $1,920 an ounce after the Swiss National Bank set a minimum exchange-rate target on the soaring franc to stave off a recession. Analysts said they still expect gold to chart new peaks on worsening euro zone troubles.

With the spot price for uranium falling below $50 – levels last seen immediately after the nuclear accident at Fukushima – U3O8 producers and explorers dropped across the board on Tuesday. Not even Hathor Exploration, the subject of a hostile takeover by industry bellwether Cameco, managed to get into in positive territory and the sector as a whole has lost more than 40% its value since the 11 March earthquake off the coast of Japan. And the near term outlook for the sector is not rosy either with a new study by Resource Capital Research indicating market price expectations looking out 3 to 6 months points to further downside, with a spot price expectation of $45.95/lb.

VANCOUVER, Sept. 6, 2011 /CNW/ - Rockwell Diamonds Inc. ("Rockwell" or the "Company") (TSX: RDI) (JSE: RDI) (OTCBB: RDIAF) announces that its board of directors has approved the capital investment to install high throughput (or bulk) x-ray technology at Saxendrift. This represents another positive step in implementing and entrenching its diamond value management programmes which are focused on sustainably enhancing diamond recoveries.

Wits Gold wishes to announce that Turgis Consulting (Pty) Ltd (Turgis) has been appointed to complete a pre-feasibility study over the Company's advanced DBM Project in the southern Free State goldfield. This follows the announcement of positive scoping study results at the DBM Project on 23 June 2011. The initiation of a seven diamond borehole drilling programme for pre-feasibility purposes commenced in July 2011 and is on schedule to be completed during September 2011.

Allana Potash Corp. (TSX VENTURE:AAA) ("Allana"or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has awarded a Feasibility Study contract to ERCOSPLAN Ingenieurgesellschaft Geotechnik und Bergbau ("ERCOSPLAN") for its Ethiopian Potash Project. ERCOSPLAN has been involved in Allana's Ethiopian Potash project since 2008 and completed an updated National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") compliant resource estimate for the property in June 2011. ERCOSPLAN is a widely recognized world leader in potash exploration techniques and potash mining and processing. In addition to Allana, ERCOSPLAN's clients include some of the largest potash exploration companies and potash producers in the world.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 6, 2011) - Selwyn Resources Ltd. ("Selwyn") (TSX VENTURE:SWN) is pleased to announce the first drill results from the recent drilling of the XY West deposit at the Selwyn Project, Yukon. The drill results are part of the exploration and definition drilling program of the XY West deposit conducted by Selwyn Chihong Mining Ltd. ("SCML"), the joint venture company equally owned by Selwyn and Chihong Mining Canada Ltd. Chihong Mining Canada Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yunnan Chihong Zinc and Germanium Co. Ltd