Newmont Mining, one of the world’s largest gold producers, says its first-quarter profit tumbled 48 percent, primarily driven by lower realized gold and copper prices.

The Obama administration wants to reverse a last-minute Bush-era rule that allows mountaintop mining waste to be dumped near streams.

Contradicting a Barack Obama campaign position, a former transition team official said mining companies could pay federal royalties of up to 8 percent for gold, silver and other hard-rock mining on public lands.

Contradicting a Barack Obama campaign position, a former transition team official said mining companies could pay federal royalties of up to 8 percent for gold, silver and other hard-rock mining on public lands.

Mining authorities promised Monday to compensate the families of 74 workers who were killed in a series of explosions in China’s deadliest mine disaster in a year, the official news agency said.

Mining company Anglo American PLC said Friday it will cut 19,000 jobs this year and suspend dividend payments after reporting a 29 percent drop in 2008 profits.

Newmont Mining Corp., one of the world’s largest miners, says it returned to profitability in the fourth quarter after taking a loss a year ago.

Newmont Mining Corp., one of the world’s largest gold producers, said Tuesday it will buy the remainder an Australian mine for about $1 billion and that this year’s equity gold sales will match or exceed 2008.

Indian anti-mining protesters have released four mining workers held captive for a week, a representative of the indigenous groups said Thursday.

Mining giant BHP Billiton announced plans Wednesday to slash its global work force by 6 percent _ about 6,000 jobs _ as it rushes to cope with plummeting demand because of the global financial crisis.