Wealth-X reports that Perth, one of the world's most isolated capitals, ranks as Australia's fourth most popular destination for the country's super rich, and Perth is climbing the rankings.

Anglo-American in its increasingly acrimonious fight with Codelco on Thursday had to defend itself against what it termed "the criminal accusation" made by the president of the Federation of Copper Workers in Chile who sits on the Chile’s state-owned copper giant board.

Fortuna Silver Mines boosted production by close to a third last year at its Mexico and Peru silver mines.

The federal government disassociated itself on Thursday from an embarrassing official policy paper that said the country’s independent energy regulator, now studying a controversial oil pipeline, is in fact a government ally.

Gem Diamonds on Thursday reported record annual production at its flagship Letšeng mine in Lesotho and continued to polish its reputation as the world’s richest source of exceptionally large diamonds, but prices per carat fell 23% compared to a year ago.

With revenues of $60 billion last year and operations at the ends of the earth, few companies are in a better position to take the pulse of the global economy and the resource sector than Caterpillar. But what is it saying about the outlook for 2012?

Zinc may be the black sheep of base metals this year amid expectations that increases in mining capacity will pressure prices. However, the outlook could brighten should some of those expansion plans be put on hold because of weak demand and problems getting project financing. Longer term, analysts expect prices may rise as mines close, shrinking supply.

(Caterpillar News Release) PEORIA, Ill.— Driven by outstanding execution and stronger global demand, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) delivered record-breaking 2011 sales and revenues of $60.138 billion, an increase of 41 percent from $42.588 billion in 2010. Profit in 2011 was $4.928 billion, an increase of 83 percent from $2.700 billion in 2010.

Mining notices of work applications, one of the pieces of paper a miner must have before a project can proceed, have been reduced from 229 to 85, said BC Premier Christy Clark at Round Up 2012 on Wednesday.