Kaizen completes permitting process at Peruvian gold-copper project

Chilean state giant Codelco, the world's biggest copper producer, will have to strive this year to match record 2011 copper production of 1.735 million tonnes, said CEO Diego Hernandez to the El Mercurio newspaper's Sunday edition.

Peru's domestic molybdenum and iron ore production experienced strong growth last year even as the country's precious and base metals production declined.

A day after violent demonstrations forced the cancellation of the grand opening of its newly minted Independencia Mine in Paraguay, Latin American Minerals (CVE:LAT)(OTCQX:LATNF) announced that it began operations at its Pilot Plant facility, located at the Paso Yobai gold project.

Glencore International is in talks with Xstrata to merge in a deal that would create a $80 billion rival to BHP Billiton, Vale, Rio Tinto and China's Shenhua. Here's a wrap-up of what people are saying about the birth of the globe's first vertically integrated resource giant.

New Gold Inc. (TSX and NYSE AMEX:NGD) today announces fourth quarter 2011 gold production of 100,671 ounces which resulted in record annual production of 387,155 ounces during 2011. The company, once again, met its gold production guidance range of 380,000 to 400,000 ounces during the year. Quarterly and annual total cash cost per ounce sold, net of by-product sales, were $561 and $448 per ounce, respectively.

Junior miner London Mining’s stocks (LON:LOND) went up almost five per cent today as the company announced two major milestones: the first shipment of iron ore from its Marampa project in Sierra Leone and the commencement of production of coking coal in Colombia.

Verde Potash shares fell $1.66 or 19.4% to $6.90 on Tuesday, recovering from even steeper losses earlier in the day, after the company released a preliminary economic assessment report for its Brazil project that disappointed investors.

Osisko Mining on Monday said the company's Famatina project in La Rioja, Argentina, remains stalled almost a month after protesters began blockading the site and marched on the governor's office and in the capital Buenos Aires, sending its stock down 3%

Teck Resources Limited ("Teck") and BASF SE announced at the World Economic Forum today that they have signed a three year agreement to jointly develop innovative and affordable zinc fortification and supplementation solutions, with the goal of reducing zinc deficiency among 100 million people in developing countries by 2015.