Guyana Goldfields CEO to go as miner settles proxy fight with founder

A Chilean court on Thursday suspended an order to halt world No. 1 copper producer Codelco's Ventanas smelter following an environmental incident, and the state miner said it would normalize operations as soon as possible.

Greystar Resources Ltd. (TSX:GSL)(AIM:GSL) reports that diamond drilling continues to encounter significant gold-silver-copper mineralization below and to the south of the oxide/transitional mineral resource on the multi-million ounce Angostura deposit in northeastern Colombia.

Orocobre Limited (TSX:ORL)(ASX:ORE) reports a substantially increased and upgraded resource estimate at its flagship Salar de Olaroz lithium-potash project in Jujuy province in north-west Argentina. This follows completion of a comprehensive resource definition drilling program undertaken throughout 2010.

Lago Dourado Minerals Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:LDM) (the "Company") announced today that it has signed an agreement with Geomin to acquire a 100% interest in the remaining 16 exploration licenses, previously under option, at its flagship gold project Juruena, in the Mato Grosso state of Brazil. The Company will now hold a 100% interest in the entire project which consists of 25 exploration licenses, covering approximately 70,000 hectares. There is currently one drill rig turning at Juruena with two rigs expected to be added in the coming weeks.

World No. 1 copper producer Codelco said on Wednesday it was preparing to halt its Ventanas smelter after a court ordered it to do so following an environmental complaint.

BHP Billiton today announced approval for the Escondida Ore Access project (EOA), the first of a number of development options that will underline Escondida’s status as the world’s premier copper operation. The EOA project will relocate the crushing and conveying facilities currently located inside Escondida’s main pit to improve access to higher grade ore and thereby support higher production from 2013. The project is expected to cost US$554 million (US$319 million BHP Billiton share) and will be completed by mid calendar year 2012.

Southern Copper, one of the world's largest producers of the metal, has postponed its $1 billion Tia Maria mining project in Peru because of social conflicts, Chief Executive Oscar Gonzalez said on Tuesday. The company (SCCO.N: Quote) will revise the project's viability later this month and consider alternative sites in Argentina and Ecuador in the meantime, Gonzalez told local television.

Strait Gold Corporation (TSX-V:SRD), is pleased to report final assay results from a 2000-metre drill program at its Alicia copper-gold project in southern Peru. Highlights include: - 134.0 metres of 0.29% copper, 0.03 grams per tonne (g/t) gold in hole ALC11-16, including 9.75 metres of 1.27% copper, 0.07 g/t gold and 0.032% molybdenite; and, - 18.5 metres of 1.25% copper, 0.15g/t gold, 13.3 g/t silver and 0.012% molybdenite in ALC11-17. Image from Strait Gold Corporation

A Mexican tribunal ruled in favor of Grupo Mexico in its fight to merge its two railroad units, throwing out a complaint by competition authorities, the company and the antitrust regulator said on Monday. Grupo Mexico (GMEXICOB.MX: Quote), which owns copper mines in Mexico, Peru and the United States, also operates Ferromex, Mexico's largest railroad company. In 2005, Grupo Mexico bought another rail line, Ferrosur, through a subsidiary.