Motherboard, a blog run through Vice Media LLC, was recently given a tour of a bitcoin mining facility in Dalian, a port city in Liaoning Province, northeast China.

Problems with South Africa's main electricity provider, Eskom, are crimping the plans of major mining companies that depend on regular power provision to run their operations, an energy users group has warned.

These reports today should be a loud warning for any investors and financier.

Prices "need to decline to a level that's so painful higher-cost Chinese mines will be forced to give up".

Investors bail out of mining stocks after Friday's big move down in the gold price shakes confidence in the metal's ability to sustain year to date gains.

“Its use of offshore, low-tax jurisdictions in relation to its Australian operations, and the apparent uncertainty about ownership of the Abbot Point Port lease, raise questions about the ability of the public to scrutinize a project of such huge economic and environmental significance.”

"We've seen a lot of people who were involved with the initial diamond rush in the early 90s come back to us."

The PDAC hosts the world's biggest trade show next month.

"It’s newness and the grade in a brand new area is what is exciting."