Copper miner Antofagasta optimistic despite challenging short-term market conditions

Market sentiment buoyed as Chinese macroeconomic data surprised to the upside, temporarily overshadowing ongoing debt problems in the Eurozone. Oil prices climbed with the front-month contract for WTI crude oil rising to 97.96 and the equivalent Brent

Federal authorities have shut down 12 mines in northern Mexico after inspections spurred by an accident last month that claimed the lives of 14 workers, the labor department said. Inspectors have already visited 41 of the 100 sites on their list, the department said in a statement.

Australia's no. 2 nickel miner Minara Resources , which is resuming full production runs following repair work at its Murrin Murrin ore processing plant, trimmed its full-year production guidance on Wednesday. Minara, 71 percent-owned by commodities trader Glencore International , cut its guidance to 29,000-32,000 tonnes of nickel in 2011 from between 33,000 and 37,000 tonnes.

Precious metals miner Fresnillo plans to double output at its newly opened Saucito mine in central Mexico by 2015 or 2016 in a second phase of expansion, a company executive said on Tuesday. With the project and other expansion plans, Fresnillo is looking to overtake BHP Billiton, which produces more silver as a by-product from other metals, as the world's biggest overall silver producer. The company's eponymous mine is the world's largest primary silver mine which has been in near continuous operation since 1550.

Precious metals company North American Palladium Ltd expects underground production at its Vezza gold project in the Abitibi region of Quebec to begin early next year.

Australian uranium miner Energy Resources of Australia on Wednesday reported an 84 percent drop in second-quarter production from three months earlier, blaming voluntary interruptions in production due to safety concerns on flooding, but lifted its full-year production guidance.

Pan Asia Corporation Limited is pleased to announce that it has now executed a formal agreement with leading underground mining group KOPEX to undertake a Final Feasibility Study on the TCM Coal Project in South Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Atlas Copco has received an order from the Mexican mining group Peñoles. Valued at about $67 million, it is one of the largest underground mining equipment contracts ever for Atlas Copco, and the company's second large order in Mexico this year.

Gold futures added to record levels set earlier on Tuesday as Europe finance ministers consider allowing Greece to default on some of its debt, Italy's borrowing costs soar and US Federal Reserve minutes indicate the possibility of additional financial stimulus. Gold is considered a hedge against inflation and further quantitative easing could flood financial markets with cheap money as it did in the previous round – QE2 – when US monetary authorities injected some $600bn to drive down interest rates. Gold for August delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange was trading at $1,568.40 an ounce in late trade after settling at a record $1,562.30 an ounce earlier.