Thousands of protesters in Peru’s Tacna province blocked the Pan-American highway on Thursday after Congress approved a bill that would cut mining royalties for the province and give them to neighboring Moquegua.

It was the third day of protests in the two provinces, which have been locked in a dispute over how to share millions of dollars in mining taxes paid by Southern Copper , one of the world’s largest mining companies. Read More…

Falling steel prices and a softening market weaved their way through an Iron Range Resources Board discussion about a project on Monday, Oct. 27.

Citizen Board Member Jack Ryan briefly questioned the potential impact of falling steel prices upon Iron Range iron ore concentrates production, planned by Magnetation, Inc. Read More…

The Centre has returned Jharkhand government’s recommendations for allotting prospecting licence of Karampada iron ore mines to ArcelorMittal due to technical reasons, a move that may further delay the steel major’s project, which is already facing stiff resistance from locals.

Seeking clarification on the proposal, the Mines Ministry has asked the state government to bifurcate the recommendations as a large portion of the mines falls under notified area category.
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Advanced Explorations Inc. is pleased to announce new assay results from the 2008 drilling campaign at its Roche Bay magnetite project in Nunavut, Canada. Drill-hole RBC-08-72, drilled on section 12600 N, intersected a 163 metre interval of Banded Iron Formation (”BIF”) averaging 29.0% iron including an 86 metre interval averaging 32.7% iron. Results continue to confirm the project potential with the latest assays ranging from 23.36% to 34.95% iron consistent with previous releases. Read More…

Coal mining company Patriot Coal Corp. said Tuesday that it swung to a profit in the third quarter because of accounting adjustments stemming from its acquisition of a coal company during the quarter.

The company again expressed disappointment in production from its Appalachian mines during the quarter and its stock continued its two-month slide.
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Waratah Coal has been named Queensland Explorer of the Year at the Mining 2008 conference in Brisbane.

Waratah CEO and President Peter Lynch and Company Chairman Nick Mather accepted the award last night in Brisbane, from the Deputy Director General of the Queensland Department of Mines and Energy, Stuart Booker.
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Oil firm Royal Dutch Shell has reported a 71% jump in its third-quarter profits, helped by record high oil prices earlier this year.

Shell earned $10.9bn (£6.6bn) between July and September - up from $6.4bn a year earlier.

Crude oil prices reached a record of $147 a barrel in July, but have since fallen back sharply.

Earlier this week, rival BP reported that its profits during the same period had more than doubled to $10bn. Read More…

Los Angeles County supervisors approved new regulations that will govern expanded oil drilling near southwest Los Angeles.

Residents who live near the oil field in Baldwin Hills expressed their concerns at the Board of Supervisors meeting. The board then voted unanimously to approve the new rules Tuesday.

Last week, the board created a Community Standards District that gives the county regulatory authority. Read More…

A gas explosion in a mine shaft at a coal mine in northern China has trapped 29 miners.

The mine blast occurred in a shaft at Yaotou mine in central Shaanxi province. Emergency workers launched a rescue effort immediately after the blast. China’s coal mines are the world’s deadliest, with numerous fires, floods and other disasters killing an average of 13 miners a day.
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