Iron ore port strike worries lift prices from two-year low

The recent Chilean mine disaster has sparked new fresh debate in China regarding work safety and rescue work in the domestic mining industry. China has made huge steps to improve mine safety in recent years, reducing the number of deaths to approximately 2,600 in 2009 from 7,000 in 2003 even though coal output has more than doubled.

India's coal ministry has warned a group of six companies, including the local unit of the world's largest steel producer ArcelorMittal (MT.AE), to expedite work on developing a coal block jointly given to them, or face having the allocation cancelled.

Western Japan's electricity supply will fall 1.2 percent short of forecast peak demand for August, as five regional utilities' efforts to boost supply could not offset unplanned shutdowns this month of a nuclear reactor and a coal-fired plant, Japan's trade ministry said on Wednesday. Image of Fukushima Daiichi NPP in 2002 is from KEI. 

South African coal miners started wage talks with unions and a mediator on Wednesday in a bid to prevent stoppages that could threaten supply to power plants and limit exports, while a fuel sector strike threatening the economy entered its tenth day. Africa's largest economy relies on coal for almost all its power, but state-owned utility Eskom has said it has enough coal in stock to last 41 days, so a strike would have to be lengthy to affect its operations.

Rising appetite for Gold jewelry among households and investors in China and India is driving the global demand for the yellow metal, says a study conducted by the Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre (DMCC). China and India—two largest gold consuming nations in the world—have been driving gold demand in the world in the last few years.

BHP Billiton has received notice from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment that ministerial approval has been granted for the development of the Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan. BHP Billiton submitted the Environmental Impact Statement in December 2010 in accordance with the Environmental Assessment Act.

BHP Billiton Ltd says it achieved production records in four commodities in 2010/11, with production of iron ore posting its 11th consecutive record. BHP said annual production of iron ore was 134.406 million tonnes (MT), up eight per cent on 2009/10.

NineMSN reports that shares in Meridian Minerals (ASX:MII)jumped after a Chinese state-owned entity, revealed plans to takeover: Shares in Meridian Minerals jumped after the junior explorer's largest shareholder, a Chinese state-owned entity, revealed plans for a $67.5 million takeover offer. Meridian shares were up one cent, or 8.7 per cent, at 12.5 cents at 1343 AEST after an earlier high of 13 cents.

The West Australian Government has announced it will levy a 5 per cent royalty on uranium and magnetite iron ore. By 2014-15 the State Government expects to reap more than $160 million a year from magnetite royalties and $28 million from uranium.