The FTSE 100 stood 0.2% above the opening level in mid afternoon.
Silver miner Fresnillo (LON:FRES) led the blue chips with a 4.2% gain.
Specialty chemicals firm Johnson Matthey (LON:JMAT) and copper miner Kazakhmys (LON:KAZ) followed, rising 4% and 2.5% respectively.
Hedge fund manager Man Group (LON:EMG) was at the bottom of the pile with a 2.4% loss.
Software developer Sage Group (LON:SGE) and fashion house Burberry (LON:BRBY) were down 1.7%.
Oil & Gas
Supermajors BP (LON:BP) and Shell (LON:RDSB) declined marginally, as did Cairn Energy (LON:CNE).
BG Group (LON:BG) and Tullow Oil (LON:TLW) stood just above the opening level.
Amec (LON:AMEC) lost 1%, while fellow oil and gas engineering firm Petrofac (LON:PFC) posted a small gain.
Salamander Energy (LON:SMDR) led the midcaps, advancing 1.5%.
Premier Oil (LON:PMO) rose marginally.
Soco International (LON:SIA), Heritage Oil (LON:HOIL) and JKX Oil & Gas (LON:JKX) held steady.
Melrose Resources (LON:MRS) moved in the opposite direction, shedding 1.8%.
Service company Wood Group (LON:WG) was down 1%.
East and Central Africa operating oil and gas explorer Dominion Petroleum (LON:DPL) led the juniors, soaring 20%.
Energy sector focused investor Xtract Energy (LON:XTR) and North Sea oilfield developers Xcite Energy (LON:XEL) also did well, advancing 9% and 6.5% respectively.
Mining
Precious metals
Most major mining stocks were on the rise today.
Silver miner Fresnillo (LON:FRES) and platinum producer Lonmin (LON:LON) climbed 4.2% and 1% respectively.
African Barrick Gold (LON:ABG) also added 1%, while fellow gold producer Randgold Resources (LON:RRS) declined marginally.
Gold and base metal focused exploration group Horizonte Minerals (LON:HZM) was among the top performing small caps, advancing 5.5%.
Base metals
Kazakhmys (LON:KAZ) advanced 2.5%, while Antofagasta (LON:ANTO), Vedanta Resources (LON:VED), Anglo American (LON:AAL) and Eurasian Natural Resources (LON:ENRC) climbed 1%.
Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) and Xstrata (LON:XTA) declined marginally.
London’s only pure iron ore producer and FTSE 250 constituent Ferrexpo (LON:FXPO) posted a small gain.
Zinc, lead, barite and fluorite deposit explorer Maghreb Minerals (LON:MMS) and mineral exploration company focused on gold and uranium Red Rock Resources (LON:RRR) were among the top risers in the sector with gains of 8% and 6.5% respectively.
Banks, insurance, private equity
Banking stocks were mixed. Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) and HSBC (LON:HSBA) advanced 1.2% and 1% respectively.
Standard Chartered (LON:STAN) and Barclays (LON:BARC) declined 1.9% and 1.5% respectively.
Lloyds (LON:LLOY) held steady.
Insurance companies were in decline today.
Aviva (LON:AV) led the retreat, shedding 1.4%.
Legal & General (LON:LGEN) and Old Mutual (LON:OML) were down 1.2%.
Admiral Group (LON:ADM), Prudential (LON:PRU), RSA Insurance Group (LON:RSA) and Standard Life (LON:SL) declined marginally.
Private equity group 3i (LON:III) posted a small gain.