Nearly 700 coal miners in Western Kentucky are feeling hopeful this week, despite Patriot Coal deciding to permanently shut down the Highland and Dodge Hill mines on Dec. 31.
Oceanagold (TSX, ASX:OGC), an Australia-based gold producer, will start winding down its New Zealand mines to focus on lower-cost production in the Philippines, where it runs the Didipio copper-gold mine north of Manila.
Active production at the Canadian Bloom Lake iron ore mine has completely ceased, and the sale of the firm's its struggling coal division has been completed.