MINING.COM Staff Writer

The Yorkshire Post reports Sirius Minerals has started a concept study at its York Potash project, paving the way for mining to begin at the UK’s only seam of potash. Sirius has secured mineral rights for 631 sq km of land between Whitby and Scarborough with plans to open a new potash mine and create up to 5,000 jobs. Sirius is about to start drilling two temporary boreholes in the North York Moors National Park. Once it gets an idea of what the potash seam looks like under the ground it can plan where to site the mine.

Potash miner Mosaic will have to continue supplying rival PotashCorp with potash while a court reviews whether a supply deal between the two companies has ended, the Manitoba Co-operator reported: Minneapolis-based Mosaic Co. said Thursday it has been ordered by Saskatchewan's Court of Queen's Bench to keep supplying PotashCorp with potash from the Mosaic mine at Esterhazy, Sask., as per the terms of a tolling agreement which Mosaic claims was concluded in May.

Business Day reports that Rockwell Diamonds has appointed Michael Hunt as the company's new COO: Mr Hunt, formerly operations manager of Pangea Diamondfields, spent 20 years in various roles with De Beers, the world’s largest diamond mining company, Rockwell said in a trading update yesterday.

Quebec's first diamond mine took another step forward today, with the launch of the federal environment assessment process, The Montreal Gazette reports: The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is accepting public comment on the project, along with suggestions of environmental issues that should be considered in the comprehensive study of the project. Image of the Renard project, by Stornoway Diamond Corp.

Austmine, which promotes Australian mining equipment, technology and services (METS) to global markets, found that many companies would like to do business with BRIC markets, but can’t because of high barriers. In a recent Austmine member survey, over 50% of those who participated said high barriers restricted business dealings with Brazil, Russia, India and China. Brazil topped the list with 23% of companies seeing it as the market with most difficulties.