Yanzhou Coal Mining Co. (1171) is among companies in talks to buy Vale SA (VALE5)’s stake in an Australian coal mine for more than A$500 million ($503 million), said people with knowledge of the matter.
Harmony Gold Mining Co. (HAR), the third- largest African miner of the metal, may boost output by 150,000 ounces in the fiscal year ending June 2013 as the company starts new projects, Chief Executive Officer Graham Briggs said.
At a time when hedge funds are reducing bullish silver bets by the most in two years, analysts predict a rally as manufacturing expands from China to the U.S., boosting demand for the precious metal most used in industry.
Arch Coal Inc. (ACI), the fourth-largest U.S. producer of the fuel, is seeking buyers for several of its thermal-coal mines in the U.S., which together may fetch $600 million or more, said people with knowledge of the matter.
Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, will proceed with a plan to ban exports of unprocessed metal ores including bauxite from next month, while confirming an exemption for producers that intend to treat output locally.
The third consecutive annual copper shortage and accelerating U.S. growth will drive prices to the highest in a year in the next quarter, according to the most accurate forecasters.
Domestic rare earth supplies will meet the U.S. defense industry’s needs by 2013 for the materials that go into military motors and electronics, according to a Pentagon report sent to Congress.
By 2025, with 250 million more Chinese projected to be living in cities, China’s share of global carbon pollution will jump to 30.3 percent from 26.8 percent this year, the EIA says.
A two-year legal battle over the disposal of millions of tons of coal combustion waste in northwestern New Mexico is on the verge of being settled with a $10.2 million agreement announced Wednesday by the Sierra Club, a BHP Billiton mining company and the state's largest electric utility.