BHP Billiton Canada Inc

Two majors, Alcoa (AA-N) and Newmont Mining (NEM-N), are engaged in grassroots exploration for gold in Suriname.

Drilling by Wolfden Resources (WLF-T) at the Ulu gold deposit in western Nunavut has indicated the mineralization could extend updip and downdip from known mineralized zones.

Downbeat economic news, high crude oil prices, and the expectation that the U.S. Federal Reserve would increase interest rates brought U.S. stock markets lower in the reporting period Aug. 4-9. The S&P 500 Index fell 34.47 points, or 3.1%, to 1,06…

U.S. stock markets edged lower in the reporting period July 21-27, and for the most part mining equities — in both precious and base metals — edged along with them. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was off 0.6%, falling 63.93 points to 10,085.14…

The period ended July 20 was punctuated by a hefty second-quarter loss by Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, which stemmed primarily from a major rockslide last October at its giant Grasberg mine in Indonesia.

Highland Gold sews up Russian ground…

Both gold and base metal majors posted strong gains on U.S. equity markets in the report period May 19-25, even as the broader market moved sideways.

Vancouver — Mano River Resources (MNO-V) has signed an agreement with BHP Billiton (BHP-N) to explore for diamonds on the former’s 9,700-sq.-km prospecting licence in southeastern Sierra Leone.