The AOCE and WB have moderate overall forecasts for the metals in 2025 inline with IMF forecasts for a decline in economic growth and inflation, although we see the probability of a stagflationary scenario as still reasonably high.Read More

The past year was a difficult one overall for the metals, with the main standouts to the upside being a geopolitical risk-driven gain in gold, a China-driven rise in iron ore and a surge in uranium on broadening global support for nuclear power (Figure 1). A jump in global interest rates to near two-decade highs saw recession fears persist all year, and while one still did not actually eru...Read More

This year the post-global health crisis boom was brought to an end by a surge in inflation to forty-year highs, a major rise in global interest rates in an attempt to curb the rising prices and surging geopolitical risk after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While precious metals held up reasonably well as markets turned to them as a risk hedge, by Q2/22 the higher interest rates put an end t...Read More

Chile is the world leader in copper production, at 28.5% of the total in 2020, and this looks set to continue, with the country having the largest global reserves, at 23.0% of total. It is also the global leader for molybdenum, which is often found along with copper, and is a major lithium player, holding 51.1% of global reserves. Read More

Newfoundland has become a gold exploration hotspot over the past few years, with the sector seeing some of its strongest activity ever. While the province remains a small contributor to Canadian gold production, it has a substantial mineral industry well supported by the government, focused on iron ore, copper and nickel, and the surge in exploration suggests that gold output from the...Read More

Nevada is the core of the U.S. gold output, accounting for by far the majority, at 75.4% on average for the past year. The state looks set to remain a dominant player in U.S. gold, as it accounts for 49% of total U.S. reserves, with Alaska slightly ahead with 51% of reserves, but just 8.6% of current production. The U.S. accounts for 6.1% of global gold output, making Nevada one of the largest gol...Read More

The Golden Triangle in northwestern British Columbia has historically been a major site of Canadian gold production, beginning as early as the mid 1800s. There was a wave of production in the 1990s which cooled as the gold price declined, but larger scale production resumed in 2017, and the area has seen surging exploration interest over the past year, given that the region has some of the largest...Read More

In this report we outline the Quebec gold mining industry, including its major producers, and a survey of many of the junior miners focused on the province. Quebec accounts for 34% of Canadian gold production (second to Ontario, with 44%) and remains a major focus for both producers and junior miners.Read More

Red Lake has been one of the most prolific gold mining districts in Canada and the world, with exploration having started in the 1920s, and production, which began in the 1930s, continuing to the present day. The district is known for the high grade of its gold, its infrastructure, and strong institutional support, given the long history of mining in the area.Read More

Dec 23 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 0.12 percent lower on Friday, according to financial bookmakers.European markets are expected to have a quiet session as it is only a half-day on the London Stock Exchange, with the British market shutting at 1230 GMT.* The UK blue chip index ended up 0.3 percent on Thursday in thin pre-Christmas volumes, led by gains in the energy...Read More

Aurico Metals (TSX:AMI) has added to its royalty portfolio and flagship B.C. asset through the acquisition of Kiska Metals Corporation (TSXV:KSK).Under terms of the agreement announced today, Kiska shareholders will receive about 0.0667 of an AuRico common share plus CAD$0.016 in cash for each Kiska share held.Through the tie-up, Toronto-based AuRico will obtain two copper-gold porphyry deposi...Read More

A small Canadian miner is confident Donald Trump's U.S. presidential win will let it proceed with an application for a copper and gold mine in Alaska that has been stalled almost three years by environmental regulators aiming to protect the world's biggest sockeye salmon fishery.Ronald Thiessen, chief executive officer and president of Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd, said he expected the U.S. Envir...Read More

In March Chinese leaders detailed the country's 13th five-year plan running from 2016 - 2020 which doubles-down on a long-stated commitment to "double 2010 GDP by 2020".The 2020 GDP goal would require annual growth rates of 6.5% to go from a nominal $10 trillion last year to over $12 trillion in 2020. That's the equivalent of adding an economy the size of Switzerland's every year.China's officia...Read More

* Italian shares, euro rise as Italy limps towards bank rescue* Profit-taking pulls dollar off this week's highs* Wall Street set to open down slightly* Crude oil slips, metals extend decline* Graphic: World FX rates in 2016 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVhBy Marc JonesLONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - European markets were poised for one last burst of action before the end of the year on Thursday, with Italy ex...Read More

Investing.com - Gold prices were little changed near last week's 11-month lows on Thursday, with liquidity fading in the run-up to the Christmas weekend.Gold for February delivery on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dipped 45 cents, or 0.04%, to $1,132.75 a troy ounce by 3:55AM ET (08:55GMT), after falling 40 cents, or 0.04%, in the prior session.Prices of the yellow metal sa...Read More

LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - European shares edged lower on Thursday, dropping further from their highest levels of the year, though drugmaker Actelion ATLN.S provided support after it entered exclusive discussions with prospective bidder Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ).The STOXX 600 .STOXX was down 0.2 percent, falling for a second straight session after hitting its highest level since Jan. 4 on Tuesd...Read More

(Updates futures, adds company news item)Dec 22 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 futures FFIc1 were down 0.17 percent on Thursday ahead of the cash market open.* The UK blue chip index .FTSE ended little changed on Wednesday after hitting a two-month high, though a rise in Ashtead Group AHT.L and bottler Coca-Cola Hellenic CCH.L provided support. The FTSE 100 was flat at 7,041.42 at its close. L&G...Read More

Dec 22 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index could edge down 0.1-0.2 percent on Thursday, based on last prices for futures on the index.As the holidays approach, financial spreadbetters were not immediately available to provide indications of what might happen at the open.* The UK blue chip index ended little changed on Wednesday after hitting a two-month high, though a rise in Ashtead Group...Read More

Dec 22 (Reuters) - Gold edged higher in Asian trade on Thursday, after ending the prior session nearly flat, as the U.S. dollar retreated from 14-year highs touched earlier this week.FUNDAMENTALS* Spot gold XAU= was up 0.1 percent at $1,132.04 an ounce by 0049 GMT. Bullion closed nearly flat in the previous session.* U.S. gold futures GCcv1 were little changed at $1,133.60 per ounce.* The dollar i...Read More

[Editor's Note: MINING.com is a media sponsor of PDAC.]The world's leading minerals and mining event is once again returning to downtown Toronto.The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada's (PDAC) International Convention, Trade Show & Investors Exchange-celebrating 85 years-will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) from March 5 to 8, 2017.The 2016 Convention attracted...Read More

Eight civilians have been killed and another 35 severely injured by Congolese security forces in the country's mining hub of Lubumbashi during the past 36 hours, as part of widespread protests against President Joseph Kabila's hold on power, local groups said.King Kasongo, a lawyer and activist for Humanism and Human Rights (HDH), told Reuters Wednesday the incidents took place in Lubumbashi's Kat...Read More

1. Tailings rules tightenedB.C.'s Ministry of Energy and Mines marked the two-year anniversary of the Mount Polley tailings dam breach by announcing updates to the province's mining code, including new criteria for the operation of tailings ponds. In all, the government's mining code revisions addressed 20 of the 26 recommendations outlined in the reports of the independent expert panel and the ch...Read More

Dec 21 (Reuters) - Canadian stock futures were lower on Wednesday, indicating the market was set to snap a four-day winning streak.March futures on the S&P TSX index SXFc1 were down 0.06 percent at 7:15 a.m. ET.No major data is scheduled for release.Canada's main stock index rose on Tuesday, led by financial stocks and materials producers, including precious and base metal miners and fertilizer co...Read More

(Repeats item issued earlier. The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.)By Clyde RussellLAUNCESTON, Australia, Dec 21 (Reuters) - It's that time of year when crystal balls get taken out and polished up, but forecasting commodity markets for 2017 is less certain than usual given the unpredictability of the three main likely drivers.After a largely stellar year in...Read More

Investing.com - Gold prices struggled near last week's 11-month lows on Wednesday, as a firm U.S. dollar and the possibility of further U.S. interest rate hikes next year continued to weigh.Gold for February delivery on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange inched up $1.75, or 0.15%, to $1,135.35 a troy ounce by 4:10AM ET (09:10GMT), after falling $9.10, or 0.8%, in the prior sess...Read More

(The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.)By Clyde RussellLAUNCESTON, Australia, Dec 21 (Reuters) - It's that time of year when crystal balls get taken out and polished up, but forecasting commodity markets for 2017 is less certain than usual given the unpredictability of the three main likely drivers.After a largely stellar year in 2016, the outlook for major...Read More

In November, Gold Reserve (OTCMKTS:GDRZF, CVE:GRZ) and Venezuela agreed to rework the terms of a $770 million settlement relating to the seizure of the company's Las Brisas gold-copper mine in 2008.Under the new deal, the initial payment by the South America nation battling a severe economic crisis, was reduced to $300m from the $600m in the agreement signed in February. At the time Gold Rese...Read More

A recently found deep-sea creature, an octopod dubbed "Casper" after the friendly cartoon ghost, could be seriously affected by seafloor mining as it lays its eggs atop areas that contain valuable metals, scientists say.According to a study published this week in Current Biology, the mollusc -so freshly discovered that experts haven't even figured out what creature it might be most closely related...Read More

Investing.com - Gold prices edged lower on Tuesday, as the U.S. dollar bounced back toward its 14-year high against a basket of major currencies with markets focused on the possibility of further U.S. interest rate hikes next year.Gold for February delivery on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange shed $7.95, or 0.7%, to $1,134.75 a troy ounce by 3:25AM ET (08:25GMT), after rising...Read More