MINING.COM Staff Writer

DTE Energy has received approval from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District in California to convert a coal-fired power plant […]

Eritrean National Mining Corp. has agreed to pay US$32 million for a 30 percent stake in Chalice Gold Mines' Zara gold project, Bloomberg reported Wednesday:

Argus Media reports the US coal industry is concerned the federal government may change how it determines the value of coal reserves leased on federal lands in a way that could raise producers' costs. Coal producers and other industry members are evaluating an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking the Department of the Interior released on 27 May, questioning how a possible restructuring of the department's coal valuation process could affect leasing costs.

Catalpa Resources and Conquest Mining have agreed to merge and buy a new asset from Newcrest Mining, Perth Now reported. The newspaper says the new entity will acquire a 70 percent stake in Newcrest's Cracow gold mine and will also buy the Mt Rawdon gold mine from Newcrest: In a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange Catalpa and Conquest said the merged company will be in a position to produce 400-450,000 ounces of gold by 2013, putting it into to the top five of the local gold producers. The combined market cap would be about $1.2 billion.