BHP Billiton has received approval from the US competition regulator for its $US15.1 billion ($A14 billion) takeover of shale gas company Petrohawk Energy.

Macarthur Coal, the mining group that is the target of a $4.7 billion takeover bid by US energy company Peabody Energy and steel giant ArcelorMittal, has suffered a steep slide in sales a result of wet weather. Macarthur's sales in the June quarter tumbled 22.5%, with its annual sales down 26.5% to 3.9 million tonnes. Peabody and Arcelor have sweetened the deal following a couple of failed attempts in the past three years and is set to complete due diligence at the end of the week.

With continuing improvement in demand around the world, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) report second-quarter 2011 profit per share of $1.72 excluding $204 million of expense related to the acquisition of Bucyrus, a 58-percent improvement from $1.09 in the second quarter of 2010.

CDE have announced the addition of Pilot Crushtec to their global distributor network with responsibility for South Africaand sub-SaharanAfrica. Pilot Crushtec will promote the full range of CDE washing equipment including the Evowash sand washing plant, Prograde screens, M2500 mobile washing plant, Rotomax logwashers and Aquacycle thickeners.

Ditem Explorations (TSX VENTURE:DIT) is pleased to announce that the summer exploration program on the Lalande property is now underway.

PGM prices have been given a lift by the latest EU debt agreement but, while Europe remains a focus over the medium term, for now problems in major supplier, South Africa, are likely to come into focus.

Comex gold and silver futures prices closed the day session higher Monday, with August gold powering to another new all-time record high of $1,624.30 an ounce. The precious metal was lifted by the breakdown in debt talks in the US over the weekend and news that ratings agency Moody's has downgraded Greece's debt again saying default is now almost a certainty. December Comex silver also traded up $40.44 after hitting a new 11-week high early on Monday. The gold:silver ratio – the number of ounces of silver needed to buy an ounce of gold: eased back below 40.

Zimbabwe's state media has reported that the state mining corporation says it is paying government employee raises this month with revenues from controversy-mired diamond fields in eastern Zimbabwe.

The chief of a Saskatchewan First Nation located near BHP Billiton Ltd.'s Jansen potash project is calling on the province to consult aboriginal communities in the region about the potential mine.