Mining and Exploration

Agnico-Eagle Mines has reported net income of $88.0 million ($0.53 per share) for the fourth quarter of 2010, compared with $47.9 million ($0.31 per share) in the same quarter last year.

2011 will see Taggart South Africa emerging as a one-stop-shop for bulk materials handling projects for all southern Africa’s mining projects, plus the ability to offer full EPC and EPCM services to its clients.

After the acquisition of Mexico’s San Dimas mining properties from Goldcorp, the company is well on the way to achieving its ambition to become a leading intermediate gold producer.

Primero Mining Corp. is a Canadian-based precious metals producer with every intention of becoming a leading intermediate gold producer, as attested by its acquisition from Goldcorp of the San Dimas gold/silver mine in Mexico last year, for a total consideration of $500 million.

Innovation is part of company DNA at Marcotte Mining Machinery. General manager Denis Rienguette tells Gay Sutton how customization and R&D help the company stay ahead in this volatile industry.

As Canadian mining companies continue to prosper from high mineral prices, more technically-challenging mining projects have become attractive. Andy Keough at Manroc Developments tells Andrew Pelis how the Ontario-based contractor is enjoying its own boom as a result of its specialty mining services.

Aker Solutions has received a letter of intent from Statoil for the engineering, procurement and construction of a subsea workover system for the Vigdis North East development on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Vigdis North East is an oil and gas development situated in water depths of around 280 metres in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Aker’s work will include provision of a complete range of components for open water workover operations.

Tullow Oil has announced a new discovery of oil and gas offshore Ghana, close to the Jubilee Field.

The company said it discovered 73 metres of net hydrocarbons in the field, in which it has a 22.896 per cent stake. The well is located in the West Cape Three Points licence, outside the Jubilee unit boundary.

First Liberty Power Corp, a Nevada based mineral exploration company, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to sell its Uravan vanadium and uranium claim to a non related party, New America Energy Corp.

UK oil company Ensco is buying its US rival Pride International for around £4.5 billion in a deal that will create the world's second largest offshore oil and gas driller.

UK oil explorer Regal Petroleum has backed an improved takeover bid from Energees Investments, which came on the back of a rival bid from a Ukrainian billionaire.

The offer from Energees values its proposed 70 per cent stake in Ukraine-focused Regal at around £85 million.

Energees is the main holding company of Ukraine's Smart Holding Group.

The revised offer comes following a rival proposal from Cyprus-based Heamoor and oil explorer Geo-Alliance. Both Heamoor and Geo-Alliance are controlled by the Ukrainian billionaire Victor Pinchuk.