Vale announced this week it is investing $15 billion to expand fertilizer production joining a Canadian merchant bank promoting a $4 billion potash project in the Amazon basin. There's just one problem: the land is owned by Brazil's state oil company Petrobras and they've also found oil there.

Cliffs Natural Resources was down about 7% in mid-day trading after the Cleveland-based company announced plans yesterday to sell and idle its biomass production facility in Michigan. Cliffs said it will take a $30 million charge in the third quarter as a result of the decision, while adding it will make efforts to reassign the 30-odd employees of renewaFUEL to other positions in the company.

TransCanada’s bid to build the Keystone XL pipeline is facing growing high-profile opposition, drawing fire from the Dalai Lama (pictured), Archbishop Desmond Tutu and seven other Nobel Peace Prize laureates on Wednesday who are following in the footsteps of a raft of Hollywood celebrities and green activists. The laureates, only one of whom is North American, insist the project will "endanger the entire planet" and urged US President Barack Obama not to approve construction of the $7 billion, 3,190km Keystone XL pipeline that could carry up to 700,000 barrels per day of Alberta’s oil sands to refineries on the US Gulf Coast and ensure a better price for Canadian crude, which trades at a discount of more than $20/barrel to international prices.

CDE have announced the appointment of a new country manager for Austria as the company seeks to expand its coverage throughout Europe. Stefan Hunger joins CDE bringing with him significant experience in the construction materials markets in Europe, North Africa and Latin America.

Major Drilling Group International Inc. ("Major Drilling" or the "Corporation") (TSX: MDI) is pleased to announce that it has closed its prospectus offering of subscription receipts ("Subscription Receipts"). The Corporation issued a total of 5,900,000 Subscription Receipts at a price of $11.90 per Subscription Receipt for aggregate gross proceeds of $70,210,000 (the "Offering"). The Offering was underwritten by a syndicate of underwriters led by TD Securities Inc. that included Scotia Capital Inc., CIBC World Markets Inc., RBC Dominion Securities Inc., Beacon Securities Ltd., Jennings Capital Inc. and Salman Partners Inc. (collectively, the "Underwriters").

Central Rand Gold (JNB:CRD) is seeking help from the Pretoria High Court to keep operating after its mining license was set aside by the South African Department of Mineral Resources. On Monday Central Rand Gold, a company focused on gold prospecting and mining in the Central Rand Goldfield of South Africa, learned its mining license would be cancelled because it failed to carry through with various environmental and labour guidelines.

Paladin Energy Ltd (TSX:PDN)(ASX:PDN) ("Paladin" or the "Company") has completed the bookbuild for a private placement to institutional and accredited investors of 56.9M ordinary shares (representing 7.3% of Paladin's existing issued capital) to raise approximately A$68.2M/C$69.2M. The placement was priced at A$1.20 (C$1.22) per share which represents a 8.4% discount to Paladin's last closing price on ASX. The new shares will rank equally with existing shares. RBC Capital Markets and UBS AG, Australia Branch acted as Global Joint Lead Placing Agents to the placement.

Pacific Gold Corp. ("PCFG") today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program, effective immediately. Under the program, PCFG is authorized to repurchase up to 5 million of its issued and outstanding common shares in the open market or in negotiated transactions, from time to time, depending on market conditions and other factors as well as subject to relevant rules under Untied States securities regulations.

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Sep 28, 2011) - Mammoth Energy Group Inc. (PINKSHEETS: MMTE), a lithium and alternative energy mining company, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary Compania Lithium Investments Limitada of Chile has acquired five additional concessions for a total of 2471 acres (1000 hectares) of lithium concessions located at Laguna Lagunilla situated in the Pica commune.