Bonus schemes play a role in tailings dams failures – research

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.

When a 4.5% jump in stock price with 15 million shares changing hands on news of the acquisition of three new concessions is considered a dull trading day then you know you're dealing with a volatile stock. Portage Resources has gone from 2c to 65c a share in the matter of three months but the Peruvian explorer has certainly not been a one-way bet – the stock's 52-week high is $1.24. The company based in Miraflores, Lima (pictured) has been snapping up silver properties in Peru, but after announcing silver reserves worth $2.3 billion at one of them the stock has been unstoppable.

Commodities giant Glencore says it is buying a majority stake in Peru's Mina Justa copper mine for $475 million. Swiss-based Glencore International PLC said Monday the purchase of a 70 per cent stake in Marcobre SAC from CST Mining Group Limited is subject to inspection of the books and price adjustment.

Reuters reported that Scorpio Mining's (TSE:SPM) second quarter silver recovery doubled. Continue reading... Image by Scorpio Mining

Shares in Canada’s Bear Creek Mining Corporation bounced by over 4% at the open on Wednesday after the company announced it was launching legal action against the Peruvian government to regain its license for a mining concession in the south of the country. Peru cancelled Bear Creek’s licence in late June after protests against the Santa Ana Silver project resulted in five people being killed by police at an international airport 160km away from the site. Bear Creek’s injunction comes weeks ahead of the swearing in of the South American nation’s new leftwing president Ollanta Humala (pictured).

Northgate Minerals announced on Wednesday that it will acquire Primero Mining for $370 million. The new company, which will have a combined market capitalization of approximately $1.2 billion, will be a mid-tier gold producer and will tie together the San Dimas mine in Mexico; the Fosterville and Stawell gold mines in Australia; and the Young-Davidson gold development project in Ontario.

Fluor Corp said on Wednesday it won a contract from Quadra FNX Mining Ltd for work on its new Sierra Gorda copper and molybdenum project in Chile. Fluor said it booked $1 billion for the project in the Atacama Desert in the second quarter, and its work will include providing engineering, production and construction management services for the mine's processing plant.

Federal authorities have shut down 12 mines in northern Mexico after inspections spurred by an accident last month that claimed the lives of 14 workers, the labor department said. Inspectors have already visited 41 of the 100 sites on their list, the department said in a statement.

Precious metals miner Fresnillo plans to double output at its newly opened Saucito mine in central Mexico by 2015 or 2016 in a second phase of expansion, a company executive said on Tuesday. With the project and other expansion plans, Fresnillo is looking to overtake BHP Billiton, which produces more silver as a by-product from other metals, as the world's biggest overall silver producer. The company's eponymous mine is the world's largest primary silver mine which has been in near continuous operation since 1550.