Alternative financing remains underpenetrated avenue for miners – report

After a 85% rise in 2016, iron ore prices are now down 3.2% so far this year, which has placed the commodity in a bear market.

Transaction will see the Tokyo-based trader acquiring up to 100% of the output coming from Bacanora's Sonora lithium project in Mexico.

Shipments will start almost nearly three years after the two countries signed an export deal for peaceful power generation.

Company says the associated risks of spinning off about $22 billion of its US oil assets and listing them in New York would significantly outweigh any potential benefits.

2016 highlights: a year of breakthroughs and setbacks

The Frontier project is located 110 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, in Alberta, around 40 kilometres from the Fort McKay First Nation's reserve.

Coking coal prices gained 86% to $283.10 a tonne this week, the biggest gain in four years.

Russia's Federal Security Service is investigating the world's top diamond producer in relation to assets sales dating back years.

Deal will also see the two firms looking at jointly developing the nearby Pascua-Lama gold, silver and copper project and evaluating additional investment opportunities in the area.