MINING.COM Staff Writer

Riversdale Mining head Steve Mallyon has backed Rio Tinto's increased offer for the coal company, warning investors there was no hint of a competing bid, The Wall Street Journal reported. The global giant today said it would increase its offer to $16.50 a share from $16 a share, if it gained more than a 50 per cent interest in the Mozambique-focussed company by March 23. Rio said it would not increase its offer beyond that point unless there was a competing proposal.

Equinox Minerals would consider selling some of Lundin Mining's assets in order to clear off debt, the company's CEO said in a conference call to analysts on Thursday. Equinox has bid CAD$4.8 billion in a challenge to Inmet Mining's friendly merger with Lundin, but needs a $3.2 billion bridge loan, according to the story by Bloomberg. “We would consider asset sales in the context of non-core, non-copper assets,” Craig Williams, chief executive of the Perth-based company, said today. Equinox may sell Lundin’s Zinkgruvan zinc mine in Sweden, he said.

Bayfield Ventures Corp. announced a $5 million brokered private placement Wednesday, with proceeds going towards the company's Rainy River gold project in northern Ontario. The deal is expected to close on April 7. The 100%-owned Rainy River property contains three mineralized claim blocks. The March 2010 NI 43101 report showed 2.37 million indicated ounces of gold at 1.3 g/t, with an additional 2.66 million ounces inferred at 1.2 g/t Au.