There was a clutch, or should that be barrow, of news out from diggers whose shares have been ascending lately.
One of them was South African miner Pan African Resources plc (LON:PAF), which saw earnings rocket as higher production, favourable currencies and lower costs all combined in its latest trading year.
Underlying earnings jumped by between 275-295% in rand terms in the year to June compared to 11.48c a year ago, while in sterling terms earnings will be 114% to 134% higher.
Gold production at the Evander and Barberton mines both increased over the year. Evander’s output rose by 31% to 91.650oz, while Barberton's production was 7% higher at 113,300oz.
Shares on August 5 were up over 2.2% to 23p having been 18p at the beginning of July.
Landore Resources Ltd (LON:LND) has also been on a good run in recent weeks and revealed this week that drilling at its newly discovered gold zone - the Bam East gold prospect at the Junior Lake project - has extended this exciting area.
In April, the group confirmed the zone as a "significant discovery" and said mineralisation of around 30 metres close to the surface could be developed as a low cost, bulk tonnage mine.
On June 30, Landore started a 3,500m drill programme to test the east, west and down dip extensions. Fifteen holes have been sunk and results received for the first four.
Results include one hole with 38.50 metres (m) at 3.42 grams/tonne (g/t) gold including 1.94m at 34.69g/t gold, 3m at 8.84g/t gold and 3m at 6.61g/t gold.
Ten of the 15 drill holes have multiple instances of visible gold up to 2 millimeters long occurring as singular pieces or in clusters contained in or adjacent to quartz veinlets, the firm said.
Meanwhile, resource investor Metal Tiger PLC (LON:MTR) said it was well funded and growing its interests apace, it told a quarterly activities report.
While the resource sector has declines in the last two months, the group still has around £4million in working capital.
Chief executive Paul Johnson said: "The two years since we formed Metal Tiger have seen substantial growth, but if we manage our business effectively the board believe the next two years offer considerably more opportunity as our interests mature and fuller valuations are encountered."
Notably in asset trading, significant overall paper gains were recorded on its mining investments made in the three months to end June, it said
Savannah Resources said the latest drill programme at Block 4 and 5 in Oman had returned encouraging copper grades so far.
A total of six diamond drill holes have been completed three at Maqail South (in Block 5) and on Block 4 one at the Dog's Bone and two at Bayda.
Results have come back for two.
A first hole at Maqail South intercepted 2m at 6.84% copper and 0.3g/t gold from a depth 47.5m.
At Dogs Bone, on the Arja target, the intercept was 5.75m at 1.84% copper and 0.8g/t gold from 109.3m.
Sunrise Resources Plc (LON:SRES), the diversified mineral exploration and development company, is to conduct more drilling at its Bay State silver project in Nevada, it emerged last week.
It plans to drill three more holes after finding high-grade silver mineralisation in the first phase of drilling.
Two of the holes will test the Chihuahua vein, south of Mining Canyon and beneath 19th and 20th century mine workings, while the third will be the first test of the Lincoln vein system.
"High-grade silver mineralisation was encountered in all three holes in our first phase of drilling on the Chihuahua vein, so I am pleased to be announcing a contract for follow up drilling as well as a proposal for our first drill test of the parallel Lincoln Vein,” said Patrick Cheetham, executive chairman of Sunrise.
South American copper and gold explorer Metminco Limited (LON:MNC ASX:MNC) has firmed up terms of the farm-out for the Los Calatos project in Peru with investment fund CD Capital.
As flagged earlier, one of the CD funds, CD Capital Fund III, will invest up to US$45mln for a 70% stake and fund a definitive feasibility study at the prospect.
Metminco will retain a 30% indirect interest in the project.
Final sign off is expected in late August or early September with work to commence soon after on a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS).
Metminco will also move its stake in the project into a new a Canadian private company, Los Calatos Holding Ltd (LCH).
CD Capital Fund III’s investment will be in three tranches: an US$16mln for a 51% interest in LCH and two subsequent investments of US$14.5mln to take that up to 65% and 70% respectively.
Over at African Potash PLC (LON:AFPO), the fertiliser trading firm, it signed a deal with a distributor in Zambia.
The 12 month tie-up with Rockwell Fertilisers follows less than a month after it inked an agreement with Nutri-Aid Trust, a Zambian non-profit organisation.
Under the latest collaboration, AFPO will receive 50% of its cash upfront for any order and the remainder 45 days later.
Rockwell will receive 30% of the profit from business generated. The size of orders is expected to vary “in accordance with buyer demand”, the firm said.
Finally, SolGold plc (LON:SOLG) shares surged this week as it revealed it's set to receive up to US$36.5 million in a premium placing from Maxit Capital to advance its exciting Cascabel gold and copper property in Ecuador.
This is a revised investment agreement with Maxit, which was reported last month and was for up to US$20mln.
SolGold executive director Nick Mather said: "We are enthused by the speed with which Maxit has grasped the scale and class of this Tier 1 project.
"The funds will enable aggressive drill testing of the other seven priority targets in the Cascabel cluster, and the definition of a maiden resource at Alpala."
Maxit will subscribe for up to 268.8mln shares at US$0.08 each for gross proceeds of US$21.5 million. The price represents a whopping 97% premium to the company's closing mid-market share price prior to the announcement and a 28.9% premium to the closing price on Friday (July 29).