Yancoal Canada vets new potash mine proposal

Stock in Allana Potash Corp jumped by more than 10% to $2.14 with almost 3m shares changing hands – more than double the daily average – by noon on Monday after the company announced it has intersected three zones of potash mineralization - one of which returned the highest grade potash on the project to date – in the southwest portion of the company's land position. Listed on the TSX-Venture exchange Allana's major focus is on a previously explored potash property in Ethiopia with among others the backing of the World Bank. The counter is up close to 200% so far this year and most of the assets at the company's 160 square km Dallol project are still being quantified.

Ethiopia is set to hit its target of more than doubling mining exports to an annual $1 billion ahead of time, the country's mining minister told Reuters, as it promotes gold extraction, but also fertilizer ingredient potash. Ethiopia, though still reliant on commodities like coffee for revenue, is expected to earn around $500 million from mining exports in the financial year to next July, the minister said. It had targeted doubling that over five years from 2010/11.

Canada's benchmark stock index inched up on Thursday, led by gains in the materials sector and better-than-expected economic news south of the border, The Montreal Gazette reported: The S&P/TSX composite index gained 71.95 points, or 0.55%, to 13,255.74 -still well below its highest point so far this year, 14,270.53, posted April 5, but a welcome sight after its longest string of losses since 2006. Saskatchwan PotashCorp led the market uptick, rising 3.39% to $53.98 on news of climbing US. corn futures. Agrium Inc. rose 2.61% to $82.49.

Despite weeks of negotiations, India has yet to reach a potash supply agreement with major potash suppliers, includingCanpotex, and is holding out for a lower price in order to bridge the gap between the international price of potash and the benchmark import parity price fixed by the government.

IC Potash Corp. on Thursday announced that the company has received final approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange to graduate from the TSX Venture Exchange and list its common shares on the TSX. The common shares of IC Potash are expected to commence trading on the TSX on Friday, June 10, 2011 under the symbol "ICP".

Canada’s Rodinia Lithium Inc. announced on Wednesday encouraging results from its continued reverse circulation drill program at its Salar de Diablillos project located in Salta Province, Argentina close to FMC Corp’s lithium mine, the world’s third largest. Rodinia focuses on lithium exploration and development in North and South America and the commercialization of a significant potash co-product that is expected to be recoverable through the lithium harvesting process. Listed on the TSX-Venture exchanged, shares in the tightly held junior had lost over 4% in afternoon trade.

The top 40 global mining companies are poised to break through the US$1 trillion asset mark this year, due to record levels of cash, property and equipment on balance sheets, says a new PwC report. In their report Mine 2011: The game has changed, PwC called the financial results of the top 40 "spectacular" as total revenues increased 32% to US$435 billion, breaking the $400 billion mark for the first time.

Ringbolt Ventures announced on Tuesday it has engaged the services of Beeman Drilling Services to undertake a potash drilling program on its Lisbon Valley Project in Utah, part of the Paradox Basin, an area which according to the United States Geological Services contains over 2bn tons of potash. The TSX-Venture listed company has another other potash project in Arizona’s Holbrook Basin as well as a prospective uranium property in the Hornby Basin of Canada’s North West Territories. Shares of the thinly traded company are up over 110% so far this year at $0.295.

Cash-strapped ex-Soviet republic Belarus is negotiating the sale of its most prized asset, the potash producer Belaruskali, under the terms of a $3bn bail-out loan agreed this month with Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Responsible for one-third of the worlds potash fertiliser production, Belaruskali could be worth as much as $20bn. A frontrunner for a takeover is Russia's top producer Uralkali owned by billionaire Suleiman Kerimov. The combined group would easily push Canada's Potash Corp. from the top producer spot.