Hydro had underlying earnings before financial items and tax (EBIT) of NOK 1,448 million in the first quarter, up from NOK 588 million in the fourth quarter. Higher realized aluminium prices and premiums, higher volumes and lower operating costs lifted underlying results for the quarter.

True North Gems Inc. (the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:TGX) announces that it has completed the second tranche of its previously announced and oversubscribed non-brokered private placement. The second closing is for proceeds of $615,000. The Company issued 6,150,000 units at a price of $0.10 per unit. Each unit is comprised of one common share and one half non-transferable common share purchase warrant, each warrant exercisable for one additional common share for a period of two years at a price of $0.15 per share for year one, and $0.20 per share for year two. Two finders received finders' fees of in the aggregate $21,500 in cash and 215,000 finders' warrants in connection with the closing of this second tranche, each finders' warrant exercisable for one common share for a period of two years at a price of $0.12 per share.

Petaquilla Minerals Ltd. (TSX:PTQ)(OTCBB:PTQMF)(FRANKFURT:P7Z) (the "Company") today announced the planned expansion of its production system at its Molejon gold mine facility, located in Panama, by increasing grinding and processing capacity in addition to its on-going construction of a heap leach operation. The new production improvements, when fully implemented, are expected to generate an additional monthly recovery of 7,200 gold ounces. Now at the final stages of implementation, the installation of a third drum scrubber will significantly improve the processing of clays. The additional installation of a new horizontal Carbon-in-Column circuit ("CIC") will increase by 80% the gold adsorption capacity and improve the efficiency of the gold recovery from the milling system as well as from the future heap leach operations. The combined efficiency of the new hydraulic capacity and CIC circuit will translate, as from the third calendar quarter of current 2011, into an increase in production of 1,000tpd and approximately 1,200 ounces of gold, monthly.

Brazilian Gold Corporation (TSX VENTURE:BGC) ("Brazilian Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of its previously announced bought deal private placement, including the full exercise of the $3,003,000 Underwriters' option (the "Offering"). Under the Offering, the Company issued an aggregate of 16,445,000 common shares (the "Common Shares") of the Company at a price of $1.40 per Common Share for gross proceeds of $23,023,000. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to advance the Company's gold projects in Northern Brazil, and for general corporate purposes.

Copper output in Zambia, Africa's top producer of the metal, will rise to 2 million tonnes by 2015 from around 900,000 tonnes this year as new mines open and others are expanded, the country's finance minister said on Saturday.

Auryx reports the Namibian Minister of Mines and Energy clarified the limits of a declaration to label certain minerals strategic and to be awarded to state mining company. Auryx Gold (TSX: AYX) regained lost territory as its shareprice climbed over six

Business in Vancouver reports: In a labour negotiation that has avoided the kind of strikes seen at the company’s Elkview and Coal Mountain mines in recent months, Teck Resources Ltd. (TSX:TCK.A, TCK.B; NYSE:TCK) announced this morning that it has arrived at a tentative collective agreement with the workers at Fording River – B.C.’s largest mine.

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc (CLF.N:Quote) reported more than a five-fold increase in first-quarter profit as demand and prices for its iron ore and steel-making coal soared.Net earnings were $423 million, or $3.11 per share, compared with $77 million, or 57 cents per share in the quarter a year earlier. Revenue rose 63 percent to $1.2 billion, the Cleveland-based company said on Thursday.

Agnico-Eagle reported gold production increased from 188,232 ounces to 252,363 ounces for the first quarter this year, despite the March fire that burned down the kitchen at the Meadowbank mine last month.