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VANCOUVER – A Baltic Sea cruise ship is moored at a Vancouver dry dock as the vessel is fitted for a vital role in the modernization of the Rio Tinto Alcan aluminum smelter in Kitimat.

A partnership that includes the Haisla Nation has leased the Silja Festival and is converting it to serve as housing for up to 600 construction workers.

Rental accommodation is scarce in the city in northwestern B.C., and the influx of workers has also pushed up housing prices for long-time residents.

Source: Vancouver Sun

(Reuters) – Vale’s Canadian unit has resumed work on its Copper Cliff Deep nickel project in the Sudbury basin and expects to complete a feasibility study by the end of the year, a company executive said on Monday.

The project is expected to cost somewhere in the range of a billion dollars to build and could be one of the unit’s lower-cost operations, said Kelly Strong, Vale’s vice president of Ontario and UK operations.

Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/03/mining-pdac-vale-ontario-idUSL1N0M01CQ20140303

Glencore Xstrata Plc (GLEN), the global commodity trader and metals producer run by billionaire Ivan Glasenberg, said it will study the sale of BHP Billiton Ltd.’s Australian nickel assets.

“It’s on the market, it’s clear it’s on the market,” Glasenberg said today in a phone interview from London. “We will kick the tires. It’s something that would make sense, but it is an asset that’s had its problems.”

Read more at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-04/glencore-to-study-bhp-australian-nickel-assets-ceo-says.html

SHANGHAI, Mar. 4 (SMM) – Last week, China’s rare earth market held steady. SMM survey showed that prices for some rare earth products continued to rise driven by positive reports. However, real demand showed limited improvement. In this context, trading missed forecast.

Prices for were RMB 23,000-25,000/mt for lanthanum oxide (tax included) last week, RMB 23,000-25,000/mt for cerium oxide, and RMB 570,000-580,000/mt for praseodymium oxide. Neodymium oxide was sold at RMB 310,000-320,000/mt. Didymium oxide was mainly traded at RMB 315,000-325,000/mt, and prices for praseodymium-neodymium alloy (including tax) were RMB 415,000-425,000/mt. Prices were RMB 4,300-4,500/kg for fluorescence grade europium oxide, and RMB 3,300-3,500/kg for fluorescence grade terbium oxide. Yttrium oxide was quoted at RMB 61,000-66,000/mt. Prices for dysprosium oxide (including tax) were RMB 1.7-1.85 million/mt, and those for dysprosium-iron alloy were RMB 1.85-1.95 million/mt.

SMM anticipates that rare earth stockpiling to be initiated and increasing production of alternative energy automobile will continue to drive up prices for some rare earth products.

Source: http://www.metal.com/newscontent/58134_smm-rare-earth-weekly-survey-prices-for-rare-earth-products-expected-to-rise-further-mar.-3-7-2014

The Department of Planning is recommending a Hunter Valley coal mine be allowed to ramp up extraction by 30 per cent, concluding its benefits outweigh its costs.

Xstrata Coal wants to boost extraction at its Mangoola mine from 10.5 million to 13.5 million tonnes.

The move will enable it to employ an additional 150 workers and increase blasts from five to six per week, as well as removing the restriction on the maximum size of blast.

Read more at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-04/mine-expansion-recommended-for-approval/5296358