Mongolia blames Rio Tinto for delays at Oyu Tolgoi

TSX V-quoted Noront Resources on Tuesday published the results of a prefeasibility study into its Eagles Nest nickel-copper-platinum project in Ontario’s Ring of Fire, outlining a $734-million capital investment for a one-million ton a year mine.

EKM visits Majestic Gold's (MJS.V) new mill and gold mine near Yantai, China. Featuring interviews from the President of Majestic, Rod Husband, as well as director Rudy Brauer, this video takes you on the ground to see the operations first hand.

President Hugo Chavez has signed a decree formalizing the nationalization of Venezuela's gold mining industry. The move Tuesday is aimed at giving the government total control over gold produced in the South American country.

Canada's largest iron ore producer is looking to expand its operations in Newfoundland/Labrador. IOC announced last week that it has launched a study to evaluate options that would increase production to 50 million tonnes per year by 2016. The expansion effectively doubles IOC's capacity from 26 million tonnes per annum, the target set for 2013 after the completion of three concentrate expansion projects (COPs).

Romanian Environment Minister Laszlo Borbely said Tuesday that a Canadian gold mine project would be given the green light only if it drops the proposed cyanide level in its tailings pond.

New York brokerage GFI's announcement on Tuesday that it now offers on-screen iron ore swap trading is the latest indication that the economics of the world's foremost dry bulk commodity are being changed fundamentally. Started in 2008, derivatives trading in iron ore is up fourfold this year after setting a record in July as investment banks enter the massive market in numbers. The world's top three miners – BHP Billiton, Vale and Rio Tinto – control nearly 70% of the 1 billion tonne annual seaborne trade and dominate price talks. The benchmark China import price for iron ore has tripled since late 2008 to $177 a tonne.

Swedish private equity firm IK Investment Partners has agreed to exit material size reduction company Magotteaux for €550m. Magotteaux, which provides crushing and grinding products to industries involved in mining, cement, quarries and recycling and coal power stations, will be bought by Sigdo Koppers, a Chilean mining supply and construction group.

Shares in South Africa's Gold Fields, the world's fourth-largest gold producer, fell over four percent on Tuesday in its biggest one-day drop in 18 months as bullion's latest rally looked overdone.

Twenty-six miners remained trapped Tuesday in a flooded coal mine in northeast China, Xinhua reported. The illegal coal mine in Boli county of Heilongjiang province belonged to the Hengtai Coal Mining Co. Ltd.