The austerity that was forced on Greece has resulted in a backlash from Greek voters. The two ruling parties in Greece, which had traded power back and forth for 50 years, only received 33% of the vote between them. And now, no coalition can be cobbled together so the Greeks are going back to the voting booths. ... Read more »

For six days and seven nights the citizens of ancient Rome watched helplessly as their city burned. The massive fire that consumed Rome in 64 A.D. spread quickly. After it was over, 70 percent of the city had been destroyed. "Of Rome's 14 districts, only four remained intact. Three were leveled to the ground. The... Read more »

According to Metals Economics Group’s (MEG) recent Strategic Report, the 2011 dollar volume of significant ($25 million minimum) acquisitions totaled $47.4 billion—down 4% from 2010’s $49.3 billion. In the context of an ongoing European economic crisis and lower growth expectations for China, 2011’s total spending... Read more »

Most of the dollars created in the stimulus programs (QE 1 & 2) after 2008 did not make it into circulation to be spent by small businesses (the largest job creators) or consumers (the driver of the US economy). They're either parked at the Federal Reserve or the world’s central banks as foreign reserves (many... Read more »

On January 25, 2012, Strike Gold changed its name to Strike Graphite (Stock Profile - TSXV: SRK). In doing so, the company communicated quite clearly to the investment community that Strike had found its focus. Strike was an early-mover in the... Read more »

According to the Mexican Mining Chamber, in 2010 revenue mining and metallurgical production (US$13.16 billion) surpassed the revenue generation of Mexico's tourism industry and established mining as the country’s second most productive sector after oil and gas. The growth of the sector has led to increased exploration... Read more »

Mexico is a major producer of silver, gold and base metals. In addition, the country is also a leading producer of celestite, bismuth, fluorite, cadmium, molybdenum, graphite, and manganese. In the Fraser Institute's most recent Survey... Read more »

In 2010, Mexico overtook Peru in silver production, reaching the world’s top position, with 128.6 million ounces produced. Mexico currently ranks 12th in gold production, and many think the country has a strong possibility of ranking among the top five within the next few years. In terms of foreign investors, Canada... Read more »

U.S. stocks rallied, driving the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index to its best weekly gain since March affirming the old Wall Street adage that "markets climb a wall of fear". The equity markets surged ahead on strong corporate earnings despite negative international news, almost across the board. On Friday, it was... Read more »

In 2012, gold bulls have plenty of room to graze in the stockyard these days as the investing herd migrated to other assets during the market’s steep climb. For the fourth time in the past year, gold bears outnumbered the bulls in Bloomberg’s weekly Gold Bull/Bear Sentiment Survey. In fact, the bears had the bulls outnumbered... Read more »

The world has been experiencing the largest liquidity boom, as the central banks’ seven-month easing binge continues. Over this time, ISI counted 127 different stimulative policies, such as printing money, lowering interest rates and other easing measures, taken by governments around the world. The policy shifts... Read more »

Perhaps we should call this article, "PDAC Revisited". While meeting with mining company executives at the annual Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention in Toronto in March, we wanted to know what was coming up in Q2, 2012? For some companies, it was business as usual, but a number of... Read more »

With the first quarter of a new year in the books we step back this month, take stock if you will, look towards the future and ponder what's in store for the balance of 2012. This year has been marked by volatility in both the commodities sector and the equity markets in general. Crude oil is north of $100 per barrel... Read more »

3. Geologix Explorations Inc. (Stock Profile - TSX:GIX & OTC:GIXEF) Perhaps it's finally time for Geologix to change its name. After years of exploration and development the company is getting close to transitioning... Read more »

There is always a sector among the raw materials on the verge of a period of "euphoria". On the chart below, each resource is represented by a company, because the indexes do not exist for all of the individual resources. Notice that, for 10 years, there is always a sector that is in a phase of "boom",... Read more »

The past year has been a rough ordeal for nearly every sector of the market, but the metals and mining industry seemed to be battered on all fronts, despite previous run-ups in commodity prices across the board.  As if a stalled economic recovery on a global scale and a debt crisis in Europe were not enough, the industry... Read more »

Rising bond yields, a stronger U.S. dollar and an improving U.S. economy have squelched expectations for a third round of quantitative easing (QE3) and consequently, spelled trouble for gold. Since late February, gold has declined more than 7 percent. As confidence improves, UBS says the yellow metal is losing the... Read more »

Japan had plans to construct nine new nuclear power plants by 2020 and at least another 14 by 2030. After Fukushima, Japan’s then Prime Minister Kan advocated replacing nuclear energy with renewables. Kan resigned because of criticism of his handling of the crisis and questions over his energy strategy. Japan's... Read more »

Australia's senate has approved a 30% tax on iron ore and coal mining profits despite strong protests from global mining giants BHP Billiton Ltd. (Stock Profile - ASX:BHP & NYSE:BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd. (Stock... Read more »

Approximately 48% of the world's 2007 mined cobalt was a byproduct of nickel mining from sulfide and laterite deposits. An additional 37% was produced as a byproduct of copper operations, mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia. The remaining 15% of cobalt mining came from primary producers. The... Read more »

The U.S. mining industry has been in decline for decades. A number of factors have contributed to this trend making the world's most powerful nation ever dependent on the supply of foreign resources. A number of factors are attributed to the decline. First, restrictive environmental regulations make mining and processing... Read more »

The world's biggest economies are joining forces to oppose China's policies on domestic rare earth elements as the risk of a global shortage looms closer to reality. The United States joined the European Union and Japan to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday against China's export... Read more »

In June, 2011 Standard and Poor's warned plans for the private sector to roll over Greek debt could trigger a default under its ratings criteria. Standard and Poor's also said that, depending on the circumstances, it viewed "certain types of debt exchanges... Read more »

A Report by the APS Panel on Public Affairs and the Materials Research Society coined the term “energy-critical element” (ECE) to describe a class of chemical elements that currently appear critical to one or more new, energy related technologies. “Energy-related systems are typically materials intensive.... Read more »

After meeting with mining companies for the past two days at the annual PDAC convention in Toronto, we're pleased to present a list of upcoming mining milestones in March. Or shall we say, March/early April as prefaced by many of the executives in attendance at this year's convention. In alphabetical order, here's... Read more »

From Metals Economics Group’s (MEG) Exploration Activity Services, the dollar amount of junior financings declined 24% in 2011 to $21.5 billion from $28.1 billion in 2010 and increased 12% from 2009 and 43% from 2008 totals. Of the total, financing amounts for base metals fell 32%, while the decline for gold... Read more »

Today, the U.S. Commerce Department said the economy grew at a slightly faster pace in the final three months of last year. It expanded at a 3.0 percent annual rate from October to December, the fastest pace since the spring of 2010. The data was slightly ahead of estimates and a full 1.2 percent better that the numbers... Read more »

The World Gold Council (WGC) reaffirmed the power of the Love Trade in its 2011 Gold Demand Trends report released this week. Gold demand grew 0.4 percent in 2011 despite a 28 percent year-over-year increase in bullion’s average price. After flirting with the top spot for some time, China emerged as the world’s largest... Read more »

As the European debt crisis captured headlines around the world the markets, as expected, were volatile this week. And resource stocks, in particular, were under pressure. Despite the images of buildings burning in Athens, equity markets were resilient and closed the week with modest gains. The big stories this week... Read more »

Greece’s predicament just became substantially worse. Frustrated by missed deadlines and last minute twilight dealings, Euro zone finance officials are now examining ways of delaying parts or even all of a second... Read more »

In 2010 a European Commission included graphite among the 14 materials it considered high in both economic importance and supply risk. The British Geological Survey listed graphite as one of the materials to most likely be in short supply globally. The US has also declared graphite a critical material. The U.S. Department... Read more »

We are delighted to bring you the MiningFeeds bottom fishing report. And to catch these fish, you don't need to know how to noodle. Noodling is the term used for fishing with your bare hands. Noodling is practiced primarily in the southern United States and the primary choice of noodlers is the flathead catfish. Flathead... Read more »

Solid fundamentals, strong balance sheets and an appetite for growth is expected to drive M&A in the global mining and metals sector in 2012, says Ernst & Young’s Global Mining & Metals Transaction Leader, Lee Downham. Commenting... Read more »

The U.S. Department of Energy, in its Dec. 2011 report entitled Critical Materials Strategy examined the role that Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and other key materials play in clean energy technologies such as wind turbines, electric vehicles, solar cells and energy-efficient lighting. Five of the... Read more »

Coal in Asia is unlikely to recover in 2012 from its first decline in three years as electricity-price controls in 2011 prompted Chinese and Indian utilities, Asia's biggest energy users, to limit purchases of the fuel. According to the median... Read more »

Gold is not vital to human existence, in fact, it has relatively few practical uses. But its unique atomic properties and its imperishable lustre have made it one of the world’s most coveted commodities. A long-standing symbol of beauty, wealth, and immortality; Egyptian pharaohs insisted on being entombed in the... Read more »

Silver stocks and silver bullion have been on the upswing over the last month - the shiny white metal has tacked on more than 20 percent. Today, the Global X Silver Miners ETF (NYSE:SIL) advanced $0.86, or 3.5%, hitting a high of $24.71 per share before retreating back to the $24.34 mark. Investors may be taking safe... Read more »

Base metals were the laggards among commodities last year, with copper one of the worst performers, losing 21 percent. Global consumption of copper increased only 4 percent in 2011, which is lower than the 10 percent growth in 2010, but higher than the decade-average of around 3 percent, says Macquarie Research.... Read more »

From contributor David McKay, Miningmx. In my mind's eye, I have this picture of David Brown; with a glass of New Year's champagne in one hand and the last bars of 'Auld Lang Syne' ringing in his ears, wondering what 2012 would bring him. A brutal self- assessment of his leadership... Read more »

Canadian fund manager Eric Sprott said this week he was bullish on precious metals and bearish on cyclical commodities like base metals. Sprott said, "I am not bullish on cyclical commodities such as iron ore, coal, steel, lead and zinc because I am worried about this economic contraction that everybody is talking... Read more »

As we settle into a new year, one sector has demonstrated it's full of energy: uranium. After what was an unequivocal terrible year in 2011, the sentiment towards uranium appears to be changing. In late December, Japanese governor of Aomori, Shingo Mimura announced he approved... Read more »

Metals Economics Group (MEG) Pipeline Activity Index (PAI) increased in November to reach its highest level since March 2011, thanks to another record month of significant drill results and improved financings, before falling again in December as explorers paused for the holiday season. December’s drop was mitigated... Read more »

History says that government policy shifts can have a tremendous affect on the economy and the markets. While no one can predict the future, you can use probability in your favor. For example, Chinese stocks have historically moved with money supply. In the webcast, Analyst Xian Liang showed the chart below plotting the... Read more »

2012 is upon us and it was a good opening week for the both the markets and mining companies alike. On the heels of intense tax-loss selling in December despite positive economic data hitting the headlines as 2011 came to a close, nothing seemed to stem the tide of December tax-loss selling as many mining issuers set... Read more »

Negative real interest rates occur when the inflationary rate, or CPI, is greater than the current interest rate. A quick account of the G-7 and E-7 countries shows that the majority have negative real interest rates. Across the developed G-7 countries, British citizens are the worst off with real interest rates... Read more »

With tax-loss selling in full effect and the equity markets experiencing extreme volatility heading into the Christmas season, we take a look at uranium and the companies involved in the mining and exploration of yellow cake. What do you need to know about uranium? In mid-2007 the price of Uranium reached over (US)... Read more »

In what was nothing short of a terrible year for the uranium industry, the end of 2011 will undoubtedly be marked by sighs of relief from uranium mining and exploration professionals around the world. With the sector beaten and bruised from the fall-out of the nuclear reactor crisis in Japan, is it finally time for... Read more »

When the USSR collapsed Russia inherited over a thousand tons of weapons-grade uranium and a massive nuclear refining and fabricating infrastructure – 40% of world total. During the twenty year Megatons to Megawatts Program Russia will convert 500 tonnes of highly enriched uranium (HEU - uranium 235 enriched to 90... Read more »

Rick Mills - Ahead of the Herd. Major mining companies are looking to enter the potash business, or expand existing operations, as they look for increased demand from developing nations such as China, India and Brazil. "This is a solid business and the big mining... Read more »

At the CLSA AsiaUSA Forum in San Francisco earlier this month, numerous opportunities for U.S. businesses in China were discussed. Factors affecting growth in China are the Asian middle class, an increasing urbanization rate, and additional disposable income. The latter has been partially spurred by recent increases... Read more »

Metals Economics Group Pipeline Activity Index (PAI) increased for the second consecutive month to reach a four-month high in September, driven by impressive numbers of significant drill results and a jump in initial gold resource announcements. In October, however, the increased... Read more »

According to Metals Economics Group’s (MEG) Corporate Exploration Strategies, the estimated total 2011 budget for nonferrous metals exploration surged to $18.2 billion.... Read more »

According to a recent mining industry report by Metals Economics Group (MEG), Latin American gold production should increase more than 10% in 2011. The report states that about two thirds of Latin American production is from primary gold mines and the rest is from secondary sources, mostly copper and silver mines. Although... Read more »

From contributor David McKay, Miningmx. ANGLO American's (LSE:AAL) recent corporate maneouvres have really caught the eye, especially the sale of its 24.5% stake in Anglo American Sur, its Chile base metals company, to Mitsubishi. Analysts have described it... Read more »

With money markets and Treasuries yielding next to nothing these days, investors are finding income in new places. One area those investors should consider is gold mining. With gold rising in value, mining companies are reaping record profit margins, yet the stock prices are depressed due to lack of investor interest.... Read more »

Higher crop yields are needed in order to feed today’s global population of seven billion so strong fertilizer prices are sustainable. Over the next fifty years, as we add another 4.5 billion people to the world’s population, global demand for food will increase almost 70% if population growth predictions are correct. The... Read more »

Immortalized in film by screen siren Marilyn Monroe, it's a well known fact that diamonds are a girl's best friend. But are diamonds an investor's best friend? In the mid-1990s they certainly were when there was a bona fide "diamond rush" in Canada after diamonds were discovered by Dia Met Minerals in Canada's north.... Read more »

In 1969, while working in the Yukon, a geologist named Chuck Fipke needed to be rescued from a mountainside in the Mackenzie mountain range where he had been stranded for close to a week. Stewart Blusson, his boss at the time, sent in the helicopter that saved him. From then on, Fipke and Blusson became friends and... Read more »

3. Lucara Diamond Corp. (TSX:LUC) In March 2011, Lucara Diamond confirmed it was in talks with several companies in the diamond sector, including Gem Diamonds as it was evaluating merger alternatives. At the time, Gem Diamonds... Read more »

The ongoing crisis in Europe has not only affected emerging markets, it has also negatively influenced the price of many commodities. UBS states that an “escalating bank funding stress in Europe is forcing a profound deleveraging process.” As U.S.money markets have been forced to pull their funds out of Europe, the... Read more »

The evidence is mounting that the commodity markets will get back to “normal” after the sovereign debt crisis is resolved and growth from China, India, Africa and other developing nations is confirmed. Gus Gunn, of the British Geological Survey, has identified three main factors behind the steep rise in commodities... Read more »

Since hitting $1,900 an ounce through the beginning of October, gold has declined nearly 11 percent. Over the same timeframe, the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index lost almost 13 percent. That’s a closer performance correlation than the roughly 3-to-1 gold equities to bullion ratio we’ve historically seen and could mean the... Read more »

It was another big week in the markets with positive gains across most of the world's major exchanges. The TSX and TSX-V were no exception up 4.1% and 3.7% respectively. But we're not interested in single digit returns, we're taking a look at the top three mining companies that posted the biggest percentage gains this... Read more »

As I have explained in my previous post on the world gold production, the share of major gold producing countries in the world gold production decreases. But what about the relative production from major gold miners? As shown in the chart below,... Read more »

U.S. stock markets suffered through the worst quarter since 2008, with the S&P 500 Index dropping nearly 14 percent for the quarter; more than half of this drop occurred in September alone. Only 54 companies in the S&P 500 saw positive returns during the month, while more than 200 dropped at least 20 percent, ... Read more »

Thermal coal, which is the cheapest and most common type of coal, is burned to generate steam that powers turbines and produces electricity for either public grids or for large-scale industrial use. Metallurgical coal, on the other hand, is used as a fuel and as a reducing agent (coke) for smelting iron ore in a blast... Read more »

China's seemingly insatiable demand for raw materials has fuelled a bull market in commodities since 2001. And coal, has literally fuelled the fires of industrial development in China. The coal industry in China is, by far, the largest in the world. But did you know it is also the most deadly? The Chinese coal industry... Read more »

3. SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX:SGQ) SouthGobi Resources is focused on exploration and development of metallurgical and thermal coal deposits in Mongolia's South Gobi Region. The company's flagship coal mine, Ovoot Tolgoi, is producing and selling coal to customers in China. Ovoot Tolgoi is located... Read more »

Rare earths came to the public's attention when China began to restrict their export in July, 2010. At the time, China announced a 72% year over year reduction in exports and with 97% of the world's current supply... Read more »

Pipeline Activity Index (PAI) decreased for the second consecutive month in July, then slightly improved in August on the back of a record number of significant drill results. Both months remained below the PAI’s 2011 year-to-date average and well short of the March 2011 high, as the increased exploration activity was... Read more »

Demand for gold isn’t only coming from the residents of China and India. There’s been a huge sentiment shift among central banks as well. Toussaint noted how, after many years of selling, central banks have become net buyers of gold. He says, “Western Central banks have essentially shut the tap off, and the vast majority... Read more »

Here are your "Movers and Shakers" for the week ending September 16th, 2011 on the TSX and TSX-V Exchanges. In no particular... Read more »

The British Columbia Securities Commission said on Friday it's conducting a regulatory investigation into anonymous allegations against Silvercorp Metals... Read more »

Gold is making regular headlines these days as global economic uncertainty remains high and the yellow metal recently reached record prices of just over $1,900 per ounce. Since a sharp correct where gold gave back over $200, the price has recovered and gold is currently trading around $1,885 per ounce. Goldman... Read more »

On Monday, the price of gold traded above $1,920 an ounce which marked another record setting day for gold bullion. The record was set after the Swiss National Bank announced it would imposed an exchange rate cap on the soaring Swiss franc to stave off a recession. The Swiss National Bank intends to keep the franc at... Read more »

Is this the modern day version of the California gold rush or is gold in the process of forming a bubble? Erik Sprott from Sprott Asset Management is thinking steam ships and gold pans. In an article entitled, "Debunking... Read more »

3. Eldorado Gold Corp. (TSX: ELD) If you were to sum up the story of the bull market in metals in two words, then "Chinese demand" might rank as high as any other pairing. Though, as... Read more »

On May 16th, 2011 it was reported that U.S. investment billionaire and former gold advocate George Soros, through Soros Fund Management, sold nearly $800 million of gold during the first quarter after the precious hit a record high of $1,577 an ounce... Read more »

8. Goldcorp Inc. (TSX:G) Lean and mean. The bull market in gold, which has, in ten years, moved the yellow metal from $270 to over $1,900 an ounce has obviously been a boon GoldCorp, as it has for many gold producers. But by ridding itself of non-core assets, cutting costs and making practical acquisitions,... Read more »

In China, gold production has increased for the eleventh consecutive year. China is the world largest gold producer for the third time in history with 345 tonnes of gold produced this year. Among the top gold-producing countries, China, with its increasing gold production, seems to go against the general trend of decreasing... Read more »

Cameco Corp. (TSX:CCO) officially commenced its $520 million hostile bid for Hathor Exploration Ltd. (TSX:HAT) today. On Friday, Cameco announced that it was planning the hostile bid after discussions concerning a... Read more »

Last night Steve Jobs announced his retirement from Apple stating that he felt he could no longer fulfill his duties as the head of what has possibly become the world's most famous company. An announcement that was perhaps expected given his ongoing health issues and frenetic work schedule. In response to the announcement,... Read more »

The Province of British Columbia, Canada is experiencing a mining renaissance. What’s happening in the province, in regards to mining, should be on every investors radar screen. Vancouver is undoubtedly one of the greatest mining centers in the world and British Columbia should be a mining powerhouse when one considers... Read more »

Today marks the fifteenth day in which the TSX has experienced a large point gain or loss, most of which have been triple digit. In the U.S., the Dow Jones has investors on the edge of their seats as volatility reigns supreme. A worsening economy, a US debt downgrade from Standard & Poor's and a move from the Federal... Read more »

World production of the gray precious metal rose again in 2010. Silver, unlike gold, has seen production levels increase since 2003. This difference in production between gold and silver is not a coincidence due to geology and the history of their production. World production of silver in 2010 was 713... Read more »

Political risk, a term Gold Reserve (TSX:GRX) shareholders know well. Investors in Gold Reserve knew what they were getting into in Venezuela, or they should have. Gold Reserve's Brisas deposit is directly adjacent to Crystallex's Las Cristinas deposit, which, after both companies suffered through... Read more »

Strategic Minerals (also know as Critical Minerals) is a broad-based category that constitutes various minerals and elements; the majority of which are minor metals. Geography and availability of domestic supply often defines which minerals are deemed "critical"  for any particular region or country. On July 20,... Read more »

2011 has been a coming out party for rare earth elements and, more recently, a broader category of strategic raw materials. Strategic minerals constitute a variety of minerals and elements, most of which are minor metals, that are deemed critical to certain supply chains. Many minor metals are consumed in relatively... Read more »

3. American Vanadium Corp. (TSX-V: AVC) President Obama likes vanadium; or rather, he likes to say the word vanadium. Last February Obama joked that "Vanadium redox fuel cells is one of the coolest things I've ever said out loud". Obama also... Read more »

In a move that may ease investors concerns, Peru's President-elect Ollanta Humala formally named Luis Miguel Castilla as Finance Minister and also announced that Central Bank President Julio Velarde would remain in his post. He first made the announcement of Castilla's... Read more »

Last year, political strategist and monetary economist Cedric Muhammad said, "At 29-years old and a base of support among the youth and business... Read more »

After buying your morning double-double at Tim Horton's, do you ever wonder where the coins came from? Long before they were turned into the money that we all carry around with us in our pockets, they were raw metals hidden in the earth. How do mining companies know where to drill to find metal deposits? Once they find... Read more »

In a note to clients today, Goldman Sachs said it expects gold prices to continue to climb in 2011 given the current low level of U.S. real interest rates. "We recommend near-dated consumer hedges in gold,"... Read more »

Like most Canadians, the TSX took a break for Canada day celebrations on Friday after posting four consecutive positive days. And to the south, U.S. stocks posted their biggest weekly rally in two years with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 648 points after Greece took action to avoid default on its debt. “... Read more »

Rare earth elements (or rare earth metals) are a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, namely the fifteen lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium. Scandium and yttrium are considered rare earth elements since they tend to occur in the same ore deposits as the lanthanides and have similar... Read more »

If it weren't for rare earth elements, a collection of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table that are generally found together in ore deposits, the world as we know it today would look a whole... Read more »

3. Rare Element Resources Ltd. (TSX:RES) Rare Element Resources is an early pioneer in their sector. The company has a 100% interest in the Bear Lodge property in Wyoming, which, according to the US Geological Survey, is one of the largest disseminated rare earth deposits in North America. Along... Read more »

From the research report entitled "Rare Earth - Our Top Picks" by analyst Luisa Moreno at Jacob Securities Inc. The rare earth sector is fairly new to investors and it is experiencing a great deal of growth and volatility driven mainly by the dramatic cuts in export quotas... Read more »

China mines REEs from bastnasite ore in the provinces of Gansu and Sichuan. In Inner Mongolia REEs are obtained as a by-product from iron making. HREE extraction, based on ion absorption clays, occurs in the states of Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi and Jiangsu. These clays have very low cerium content and as a consequence... Read more »

Gold equities have climbed an astonishing 1,400% since their 2000 lows while the S&P 500 has declined 11%. However, 2011 has not been a good year for gold stocks. Gold has risen 7% so far in 2011, essentially in line with the S&P 500, but gold equities have not performed well and currently lag behind by about... Read more »

On Wednesday, Breakwater Resources (TSX: BWR) agreed to a $663 million takeover from Nyrstar which marks the second takeover of a TSX listed zinc miner this year. Farallon Mining (TSX: FAN), was also taken out by Nyrstar. So we ask, should investors think zinc? Zinc is used primarily... Read more »

After the worst 3 month period for uranium miners since the 'great recession' is it finally time for a sector rebound? Last week, China reported their trade surplus expanded to $13.05 billion in May and strong imports... Read more »

Tanzania has become one of the fastest emerging gold producers in Africa, and is now the continent’s third largest gold producing country after South Africa and Ghana. Tanzania has proven gold reserves in excess of 36 million ounces and each year since 1998, a... Read more »

... Read more »

A cursory look at Peruvian mining will show you that many of the world's senior mining companies have operations there. The list of majors in the South American county includes Barrick Gold (TSX: ABX), Newmont Mining (TSX: NMC), BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP), Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (NYSE: FCX), and Teck Resources... Read more »

On April 24th, the price of silver reached nearly $50 an ounce before a hasty retreat to $32.32. Ask some, and silver's impressive move from under $20 an ounce just eight months earlier was a predictable bubble ready to pop. Others, however, say the move was inevitable considering market forces and the devaluation... Read more »

In the early 1970s two brothers from Texas, William Herbert and Nelson Bunker Hunt, began accumulating silver. By 1979, the pair had effectively cornered the silver market. From September, 1979 to January, 1980 the price of an ounce of silver leapt from $11 to $54. Before the collapse a few months later, it is estimated... Read more »

3. Alexco Resource Corp. (TSX:AXR) Alexco Resource is Canada's newest silver producer.  The company is focused on the Yukon Territory of Northern Canada. Renowned silver bug Sprott Asset Management is a significant shareholder, reportedly... Read more »

What's at the root of silver's volatile ride in 2011? We can't blame it on the Hunt brothers so let's blame it on China. On April 25th, as silver approached record highs, Bloomberg reported that China... Read more »

8. Pan American Silver Corp. (TSX:PAA) Pan American Silver is the world's second-largest primary silver producer and has its sights set on Fresnillo plc, the world's largest primary silver producer and owner of the Fresnillo mine in Mexico. The company has operations in the United States, Mexico, Peru,... Read more »

The World Meteorological Organization predicts global food output may be impacted as climate change brings more extreme weather over the next decade. China, the organization says, is... Read more »

After reaching a recent high of $1,577 on April 30th, the price of an ounce of gold reversed course and dropped dramatically, hitting a low of $1,462 on May 4th, a decline of 7.3% in just four days. But since then gold has been trending upward, gold is currently up over $7 to $1,526 an ounce. In the days leading... Read more »

On March 19th, 1997 Michael de Guzman, the exploration manager for would-be miner Bre-X, jumped from an Alouette helicopter flying eight-hundred feet above the Indonesian jungle. The official version of the events state that de Guzman was suffering from hepatitis B and a tormented conscience. He left behind a few hastily... Read more »

Eric Sprott, founder of Toronto-based investment firm Sprott Asset Management, is generally considered to be of Canada's best investment managers. More recently, Sprott has carved out an international reputation as The Canadian Silver Bull. Originally entering the investment industry in 1981 as a research analyst... Read more »

Eritrea, a funnel shaped country that borders The Red Sea, was, because of its unstable political history, a bit of a mystery to the international mining community. But an unprecedented... Read more »

Blink and you may have missed it. If the recent downturn in commodities is coming to an end, as some suggest, it was a brief correction. While the recent slump actually contained the worst week for commodities since the recession of late 2008, many believe it's a mere blip. Hussein Allidina, head of commodity research... Read more »

Is rare earth metals mania another bubble that is about to pop, or a genuine shift in the supply demand curve? That question is the crux of a heated debate this week after Goldman Sachs analyst Malcolm Southwood said the back-story on rare earths, which have rocketed to more than ten times their value in just a couple... Read more »

On May 8th, 2011, just two days after the federal government gave the environmental thumbs-up on the Northwest Transmission Line (NTL), two B.C. First Nations say they will join forces to fight... Read more »

On February 11th, Erin Ventures (TSXV:EV), a Victoria based junior miner, reported a mysterious website had surfaced belonging to a company called Mineral Mining PLC. In the website the company claimed to own a number of mineral properties that were already owned by Erin Ventures; namely, the... Read more »

In mining and economics, base metals are often referred to as non-ferrous metals. Non-ferrous metals is a broad category that includes the likes of aluminum, molybdenum, tantalum and magnesium. However, 'The Big 5' in the group are copper, zinc, lead, nickel and iron. When investors think of base metals they probably... Read more »

Base metal mining companies have, for many years, operated in the shadows of precious metal miners. But with increasing demand from China and developing nations around the world, base metal miners may finally be getting the respect they deserve. Patricia Mohr, commodities specialist at Scotiabank, recently went so far... Read more »

3. Mirabela Nickel Ltd. (TSX:MNB) By the end of 2008 Nickel prices had fallen by 80% from their May 2007 high of just over (US) $52,000 per tonne. In the first half of 2009, in the midst of the economic crisis, around a quarter of all nickel production from 2008 was suspended. Major producers such as... Read more »

Iron is the most commonly used of all metals and accounts for the majority (est. 95%) of the world's total annual metal production. China continues to be the main importer of the mineral and driver of global demand. China's daily crude steel output... Read more »

8. Invernia Inc. (TSX:IVW) April showers do not always bring May flowers. On April 5th, 2011 Ivernia’s shares were halted and the company announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Magellan Metals, discovered mud on the bottom of... Read more »

Copper record highs means the base metal is making headlines most every day; merger and acquisition mania is now in full flight. MiningFeeds.com takes a look at a couple of TSX listed junior copper miners that noted CIBC analyst Ian Parkinson says are ripe for takeover. But first, let's revisit the manic events... Read more »

Thermal coal is gaining steam. When thermal, which is the cheapest and most common type of coal, is burned its steam powers turbines that generate electricity for either public electricity grids or for large-scale industrial use. In a recent analyst poll by Reuters, forecasts for average 2011 thermal coal prices... Read more »

In the mining circles of Sudbury, Ontario it takes a lot to raise an eyebrow. The resource business has been ingrained in the town for a long time. Long enough, in fact, that Sudbury's founding dovetails with the very creation of the country. During construction of the the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1883, blasting... Read more »

After the market closed yesterday, Teck Resources (TSX:TCK.B) released its Q1 2011 financial results. The rosy report included earnings of $461-million, or 78 cents per share.  Adjusted quarterly profit was $450-million, which was more than double the $198-million reported in the first quarter of... Read more »

Ollanta Humala is not a name that many outside of South America are familiar with. In 2006, however, the Peruvian Nationalist actually won the first round in Peru's 2006 presidential vote. Although Hugo Chavez openly backed him Humala was, ultimately, defeated in a runoff 53 per cent to 47... Read more »

With the TSX composite index down almost 500 points in two trading days investors are back on the fence waiting for, what some say, could be a long overdue correction in the global equity markets. Before the correction, the TSX was up 7.5% since the start of the year. Thomas Lee, a U.S. equity strategist at J.P. Morgan... Read more »

On December 21st, 2010,  Avalon announced it would list on the NYSE Amex exchange. The company's shares rose more than 20 percent after the announcement, to close the day at $4.91. The added liquidity of a U.S. listing has apparently served the company well. Shares have continued to surge, closing today at $9.13,... Read more »

The Japanese disaster, now approaching its one month anniversary, continues to be the only topic of discussion for investors in uranium stocks. The spot price of Uranium fell 10%, to $60 per pound immediately after the earthquake... Read more »

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For more than two years, the rise of Romarco Minerals (TSX:R) has been nothing less than remarkable. As late as October, 2008 shares of the Toronto based company could be had for a dime. The promise of the company's pending Haile gold project in South Carolina, however, has meant a steady rise to recent... Read more »

In what has become a near daily occurrence, civil unrest erupted in another developing African nation today. The Ivory Coast is in the news once again. On Saturday, the Red Cross said that at least 800 civilians were... Read more »

Not all alkali metals are created equally. All of the alkali metals share similar properties: they are highly reactive metals under standard conditions and are thus never found in their elemental form in nature. The two alkali metals that are of particular value to investors are lithium, due to its high electrochemical... Read more »

Read the word lithium and it’s likely not too long before you are reading the word battery. Jon Hykawy, lithium analyst for Byron Capital Markets echoed the sentiments of many recently when he described lithium as “hot and getting hotter.” Lithium... Read more »

Unlike lithium, potash is not scarce. The resource, however, is concentrated in a few privileged places on the globe, such as Canada, Russia and Belarus. This fact, in effect, turns the idea of abundance on its ear. Potash is extremely rare if you live in a “have not” country. The concentration of supply, combined... Read more »

3. Talison Lithium (TSX:TLH) With a market capitalization near half a billion dollars, Talison Lithium is the biggest lithium mining company listed in Canada, and the largest pure lithium... Read more »

3. IC Potash (TSXV:ICP) All Potash is not created equal. The most common form, called Muriate of Potash, or MOP, accounts for about 95% of all potash fertilizers used worldwide. Toronto’s IC Potash, however, is concerned with the more rare and expensive Sulphate of Potash, or SOP. SOP is slightly... Read more »

Platinum, among the rarest and costliest of metals, is also one of the most green. Platinum is so rare that all of the metal ever mined would fill a room measuring less than 25 feet on each side. The metal has many critical commercial... Read more »

These days, mining companies worldwide are getting hit by soaring costs. The price of raw materials, energy and labour have all experienced steep and recent increases. Barrick Gold (TSX: ABX), the world's largest... Read more »

A pretty picture. That's what Vancouver's Great Panther Silver (TSX:GPR), which today reported record earnings and revenue for fiscal 2010, has presented to investors. A few years ago, a pretty picture might just have been the downfall of the company. That's because one of the primary uses of silver,... Read more »

Shares of Saskatchewan's Cameco (TSX:CCO), the world's largest publicly traded uranium company were, predictably, walloped after the Sendai earthquake and tsunami of March 11th. On Monday, March 14th, the first day of trading after the Japanese catastrophe, shares of Cameco were down $4.62 to $31.70.... Read more »

The Danakil Depression is a geological depression in the Horn of Africa that includes three areas: the Afar Triple Junction; part of the Great Rift Valley where it overlaps Eritrea; and, the Afar Region of Ethiopia and Djibouti. About 1200 km² (463 sq... Read more »

Colombia may not be as well known for mining as some of its more established neighbors in South America such as Chile and Peru, but recently, two TSX listed gold miners, Greystar Resources (TSX:GSL) and Ventana Gold (TSX:VEN) have done their best to bridge the historical gap. Greystar... Read more »

What's in a name? A lot, apparently. When Ucore Uranium last summer changed its name to Ucore Rare Metals (TSXV:UCU) shares of the company were floundering. Today,... Read more »

When Century Mining, (TSXV: CMM) early last April, announced a final release agreement to eliminate royalties and future payments associated with their Lamaque gold mine with Teck Resources, it looked like the company was moving in the right direction. On April 28th, 2010, just a few... Read more »

The tortoise and the hare. There's no doubt which is which when you're talking about gold and silver, but the slow steady rise of silver has accelerated to a jackrabbit's pace. Silver is up 113% since the end of 2009, while gold's gain... Read more »

A cell phone the size of a shoe. A laptop that weighs more than a truck tire. If it weren't for rare earth metals, a collection of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table that are generally found in ore deposits, technology... Read more »

Food, these days, is headline news. The 2007 Mexican tortilla riots, which came after a sudden and sharp rise in the price of corn, seemed an isolated incident at the time, but were actually the beginning of something much larger. From Algeria... Read more »

Copper Fox (TSXV:CUU) investors are use to playing the waiting game, but the company's management just might be experts. Copper Fox listed on the TSX Venture in June 2004 to explore the potential of Schaft Creek, which the company believes is one one of the largest undeveloped copper deposits in North... Read more »

Can the price of gold keep rising? Talk to gold bugs and they will tell you key drivers such as political instability and inflation are bigger issues today than when the yellow metal began the stellar rise that tripled its price in half a decade. But gold has its critics, and their rebuttal was crystallized by... Read more »

Canadian listed gold mining and exploration companies are enjoying an unprecedented funding environment. Investors, consequently, are anticipating that a number of discoveries will hit the street in 2011 as exploration and mining companies deliver results from substantial drill programs. A booming market also... Read more »

3. Centamin Egypt Ltd. (TSX: CEE) When the world changes, the market changes. While financial concerns naturally take a backseat to those concerning human rights, the uprising in Egypt and subsequent demonstrations throughout Northern Africa illustrate that the two are inextricably linked. When the... Read more »

Today, after twenty-four hours of speculation, Equinox Minerals  launched a hostile bid for Lundin Mining. The move temporarily leaves Symterra blowing in the wind. What is Symterra you ask? That is the proposed name of a new entity resulting from the friendly merger of Lundin Mining and Inmet Mining... Read more »