Look no further than rail traffic totals to see that the US is ditching coal and embracing natural gas.

Barrick Gold Corp. reports second quarter earnings on July 26th, and it has to be one of the most anticipated set of results in the company’s history. New chief executive Jamie Sokalsky will address the broader market for the first time since the shocking ouster of Aaron Regent in June. He is expected to provide more detail on Barrick’s strategic direction.

Silvermet Inc. (TSX-V: SYI) shares dropped 26% on Thursday after the Toronto-based company announced that operations have been halted due to a strike by unionized personnel at the Waelz kiln facility located in Iskenderun, Turkey.

Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) is looking to reduce costs at its Australia’s Clermont Coal Mine, in central Queensland's Bowen Basin, driven by falling coal prices.

An Argentine court ruled Wednesday in favour of suspending Famatina, a gold exploration project led by Canadian company Osisko (TSX:OSK), until a new ruling outlawing mining near glaciers is applied in the area.

Halifax-based Metals Economics Group (MEG) published Thursday its Pipeline Activity Index (PAI), which shows equity financing conditions continue to take their toll, as gold companies were able to raise only $445 million through equity placements in May-June—the lowest two-month total since late 2008.

Credit Suisse announced Wednesday it recruited David Hammond, the well-known mining banker from Morgan Stanley, to head up the mining and metals efforts of the Swiss bank worldwide.

China Mining United Fund plans to establish a collaborative China/Africa equity fund to pursue minority stakes in gold, iron-ore and metal companies in Africa and other parts of the world, and which could raise $2 billion in investment capital.

Odyssey Marine Exploration (NASDAQ CM:OMEX) announced on Wednesday that it had successfully retrieved a record-breaking 48 tons of sunken silver bullion from a World War II shipwreck lying approximately three miles below the ocean's surface.