Mining investment in Australia falls again as boom fades

OPTI Canada, a bankrupt oil sands producer, has agreed to sell itself to a wholly-owned subsidiary of the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, in a deal worth $2.1 billion, the company said on Wednesday. Cnooc, as the Chinese oil giant is known, has been an active deal maker as it seeks to feed China’s ravenous demand for energy.

Curis Resources Ltd. (TSX: CUV) ("Curis" or the "Company") reports a formal update on activities at the Company's flagship advanced stage Florence Copper project in central Arizona, USA.

Latin American precious metal producer Hochschild Mining said output fell 13 percent in the first half, as expected, and that it was on track to meet its full-year target. It produced 11.1 million silver equivalent ounces in the first half due to lower grades at the company's two main Peruvian operations, declining output from its two ageing Ares and Moris mines, and industrial action at its San Jose mine.

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.