The Saskatchewan government has given approval for Golden Band Resources Inc. to open its Golden Heart gold mine in northern Saskatchewan.

The privatization process will see Mongolia's government holding a majority 51% stake after selling 19% to investors and distributing the remainder to its 2.7 million citizens, but the $3 billion IPO faces fresh delays in Hong Kong.

Mining and processing rare earths is a tricky business. Processing the materials is costly, and the supply of the 17 elements used in manufacturing everything from smart phones to electric cars and missile guidance systems is pretty much sewn up by China, which has 95% of the production.

Despite some price retracing in 2011, the copper physical market fundamentals remain strong, with liquid stocks near an all-time low.

Malaysian residents opposed to a rare earths processing facility have launched a legal challenged that threatens to delay the project put forward by Australia's Lynas Corp.

The job of putting up the proposed hybrid wind farm at Diavik Diamond Mine has begun. Trucks are beginning to take the blades for the windmills and its other components along the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road to the mine.

During the first eleven months of 2011, global usage grew by only 2.7% over 2010, but accelerated in October-November to 12% due to an jump of 38% in China.

Gold's recent move higher to within sight of $1,800 an ounce for the first time since September is tracking that of oil which is trading at a nine-month high on tensions between the West and Iran. Gold futures have gained $185/oz so far this year.

India's Power Minister says that nuclear power will add 63,000 MW of capacity, a fourteen fold increase, to his country over the next 20 years.