Still to file

http://in.reuters.com/

SYDNEY – (Reuters) – Australia’s decade-long boom in mining investment is not slowing nearly as quickly as many feared, while other sectors are beefing up spending at a rate that should greatly ease concerns about the economic outlook.

A closely-watched report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics out on Thursday showed businesses had upgraded their spending plans for 2013/14 well above expectations, with even once-laggard industries grasping the spending nettle.

That will be a huge relief to the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) which has been betting the farm on investment spreading outside of just mining.

“It’s consistent with other sectors starting to take over as drivers of the economy as the mining sector slows,” said Shane Oliver, chief economist at AMP Capital Investors.

“In a year’s time, we’re probably looking at growth heading back to around 3 percent, which is more optimistic that what the RBA was expressing,” he added.

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LONDON – (Reuters) – Mining in space is moving from science fiction to commercial reality but metals magnates on this planet need not fear a mountain of extraterrestrial supply – the aim is to fuel human voyages deeper into the galaxy.

Within three years, two firms plan prospecting missions to passing asteroids. When even a modest space rock might meet demand for metals like platinum or gold for centuries, it is little wonder storytellers have long fantasized that to harness cosmic riches could make, and break, fortunes on Earth.

But with no way to bring much ore or metal down from the heavens, new ventures that have backing from some serious – and seriously rich – business figures, as well as interest from NASA, will focus on using space minerals in interplanetary “gas stations” or to build, support and fuel colonies on Mars.

There may be gold up there, but the draw for now is water for investors willing to get the new industry off the ground.

Governments believe it has a future; NASA has a project that may put astronauts on an asteroid in under a decade and on Mars in the 2030s.

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Mint wins second international award for innovation in less than a month!

Ottawa, Ontario, November 19, 2013 – The Royal Canadian Mint is proud that its 2012 25-cent face value “glow-in-the-dark” Prehistoric Animals collector coin won the Krause Publications 2014 Coin of the Year award in the Most Innovative Coin award category. This recognition of the Mint’s leadership in innovation will be formalized in Berlin, Germany on February 8, 2014, when the award will be presented at the internationally-renowned World Money Fair. The Mint was also honoured to receive nominations in the following categories: Most Historically Significant Coin; Best Gold Coin; Best Silver Coin; Best Crown Coin; Best Circulation Coin; Best Bi-Metallic Coin; and Most Inspirational Coinage.

“The Mint is committed to finding new ways to innovate in all aspects of our business to benefit its Canadian and world-wide customers and to maintain our commercial success in a highly competitive environment,” said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. “By recognizing our unique glow-in-the-dark colouring technology as the best coin innovation of 2012, this Coin of the Year Award elevates our reputation a world leader in advancing the art and science of coin manufacturing.”

A global phenomenon when it launched in March 2012, the 2012 25-cent Prehistoric Animals – Pachyrhinosaurus Lakustai collector coin was the world’s first-ever photo-luminescent coin.

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http://www.northernlife.ca/

A Sudbury company is mining business opportunities in Nevada’s metals industry, thanks to a burgeoning partnership with Canada and a business group from the U.S. State.

While most people associate Nevada with Las Vegas, the area has much more to offer than gambling, says Bob Groesbeck, vice-president of the Canada-Nevada Business Council. Nevada his home to a billion-dollar mining industry that’s enjoying a resurgence, even as the rest of the state tries to recover from the recession.

“We’re just blown away by what’s going on in this community,” Groesbeck said at an Oct. 10 news conference at NORACT on Maley Drive. “It didn’t take us long to figure out that this is a good fit.”

The event included Mayor Marianne Matichuk, who connected with the CNBC last year while in Las Vegas for MINEExpo. Canada is Nevada’s largest trading partner, exporting $1.3 billion in goods to us and importing $813 million in goods from Canada. The largest percentages of goods from Canada are equipment and machinery, making up 20 per cent.

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http://www.cbc.ca/saskatoon/

Say province, potash companies rendered mineral rights ‘useless’

Today, oil rigs dot the landscape near Rocanville. They stop abruptly along 17,839 hectares of privately-owned farmland, sitting on top of PotashCorp Rocanville’s mine. 190 farmers own parcels of that land, as well as mineral rights. They tell CBC they’ve been cheated.

In 1995, the province passed a law, allowing potash companies to restrict drilling on farmland around mines. The Potash Restricted Drilling Areas (PRDAs) cover 72 sections of land around each potash mine. The only place the law was ever publicly noted before it passed was in the Saskatchewan Gazette, a weekly publication of the Saskatchewan legislature, which is available by subscription.

Landowners in the restricted zones say no one notified them of the change, nor was there any public consultation. They say they’ve never received any compensation for the lost rights.

Scott Norton said he only learned about PRDAs 11 years later, when an oil company stopped paying to lease land he owned. “An oil company leased our mineral rights in 2006 and they drilled on a quarter right beside it,” said Norton. “And they did hit oil and they were going to develop a well there and all of a sudden they disappeared.”

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http://in.reuters.com/

JAKARTA, Sept 17 (Reuters) – Indonesian policymakers are scrambling to ease nationalistic resource rules that threaten to slash mining exports from January and potentially widen a current account deficit already at a near-record high.

The deficit, which reached $9.8 billion in the second quarter, or more than 4 percent of GDP, has become enemy No. 1 for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s administration, and any policies that worsen the situation have come under fire.

Regulations initially passed more than a year ago to allow Indonesia to seize more control over its natural resources are being reviewed as the government looks to bolster exports to offset a bulging import bill.

“For exports, this is an emergency,” Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik told reporters recently. “What is important is that the balance of imports and exports improves for our country.”

The trade deficit in July widened to a record $2.31 billion from $880 million the previous month due to a spike in oil imports. The trade balance along with investment income make up Indonesia’s current account deficit.

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http://www.ecojustice.ca/

New regulation permits industry to ignore Act’s main purposes

TORONTO Sep 10, 2013

Environmental groups are suing the Ontario government for its decision to exempt major threats to species at risk from the province’s Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Ecojustice lawyers, acting on behalf of Ontario Nature and Wildlands League, have filed a lawsuit in Divisional Court alleging that the Ontario government acted unlawfully by making a regulation that undermines the ESA.

Ontario Regulation 176/13, which came into force under the ESA on July 1, 2013, is a tremendous blow to species protection. The new regulatory changes harm species by allowing major industries — including forestry, energy transmission, housing, oil and gas pipelines, mineral exploration and mine development, transit, wastewater management companies — to avoid strict standards intended to protect at-risk species and their habitats.

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Lily Ambrosi is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about industry-specific niches. She currently focuses on minerals processing and alternative energy.

Because the mining industry has proved to be fairly profitable, and because there is a high demand for workers, many individuals have considered pursuing a career in the field. While it might seem like an exciting, lucrative opportunity, it’s important to think over a few key points before you quit your day job. As with all life choices, it’s important to dig deep and do your research before you take anything too seriously, and if you’re looking to make the transition to the mine fields, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Mining Areas Aren’t Glamorous

More often than not, securing a mining position will place you in a remote location with harsh weather conditions. They can be cold, damp, humid, and dark, so it’s important to make sure those are elements you’re willing to accept and live with. Being far away from family and friends is harder for some than others, so it’s important to ensure you have a strong mental state of mind as well. As far as working hours go, be prepared to put in a lot of time. Many workers put in around twelve hours per day, but remember that’s not sitting at a comfortable office desk; intense physical labor can be exerting on anyone, so keep that in mind as you explore your career options.

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http://uk.reuters.com/

LAUNCESTON, Australia, April 8 (Reuters) – The lengthening list of assets being put up for sale by Rio Tinto shows the world’s second-largest miner is serious about cutting costs and exiting non-core businesses, but what does it say about the state of commodity markets?

Coal and copper assets in Australia and iron ore in Canada have reportedly been added to the for-sale list, joining diamonds in Canada and aluminium smelters around the Pacific.

So far the company is winning praise from analysts for the focus of new Chief Executive Sam Walsh on increasing returns to shareholders through a relentless focus on containing costs, paring back capital expenditure and asset sales.

While the first two present challenges, they are likely to produce far more tangible results than the planned sale of a grab-bag of high-cost mines and aluminium smelters.

The logic here is simple: if Rio, with all its deep experience of developing and running such assets, can’t make them work, why would anybody else take them on?

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