Chile says no to $8bn hydroelectric project in Patagonia

Chile's copper output tumbled 8.5 percent to 426,477 tonnes in June after a contract workers' strike, heavy rains and power outages hit operations at the world's top copper producer, the government said on Thursday.

Great Western Minerals Group (“GWMG”) is pleased to announce that it has contracted DRA Mineral Projects (Pty) Ltd. (“DRA”) of South Africa, a company with a strong track record of utilizing world class standards, for the detailed design of the Steenkampskraal processing plant. DRA is a multi-disciplinary, multi-national organization that specializes in the mining, infrastructure and mineral processing industries. As one of the largest project management enterprises in Africa, the South African-founded group of companies has constructed plants on five continents.

The Province of Alberta and Swan Hills Synfuels are advancing a clean gas for clean power project that will dramatically reduce emissions by capturing and sequestering over 1.3 million tonnes per year of CO2. The province has executed a letter of intent with Swan Hills Synfuels to provide a $285 million grant in support of this carbon capture and storage project.

Comex gold futures prices are trading slightly higher Thursday morning, while silver futures are modestly lower. Some mild profit-taking pressure has surfaced in the precious metals, following their recent gains that took gold to a record high and silver to a nearly three-month high.

Vanderhoof, a small community in northern British Columbia, has been told to expect a gold mine on its doorstep within 6 years. New Gold President and CEO Bob Gallagher paid a visit to Vandherhoof town council on July 20, telling local politicians the Blackwater gold mine should be up and running by 2017.

G-Resources Group Ltd , backed by Mount Kellett Capital and BlackRock Inc , chose to tap the equity markets with a HK$1.7 billion ($218.5 million) share placement after cancelling plans to secure a bank loan to fund its gold mining project in Indonesia. Photo of the Martabe gold project, by G-Resources Group Ltd.

Universal Coal (ASX: UNV) has moved to a direct 40% ownership of the Berenice Coking Coal Project and the Somerville project in South Africa, post the completion of the first phase of drilling and the updated resource estimate - which was completed by GEMECS. The significance of the ownership for Universal Coal is that Berenice hosts a coking coal JORC Resource of over one billion tonnes, with 218 million tonnes Indicated and 840 million tonnes Inferred.

The world's steel mills are churning out crude steel at a rapid pace, say the latest numbers from the World Steel Association.

The Australian construction and mining equipment market grew by 17% in the first half of 2011 relative to the same period in 2010.