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BHP’s takeover of OZ Minerals has cleared the way for emerging producer Bellevue Gold to join the ASX200 index (reports The West Australian).

But a new generation of juniors like Caravel offer them a way back into the copper game – with much more leverage.

By Barry FitzGerald

Gold edged towards an all-time high this week but the bigger news for Australian investors was the surge of interest in rare earth stocks following speculation that China would impose an export ban on the material.

By Tim Treadgold

Reverse circulation drilling at the Hestia prospect within Astral Resources’ (ASX: AAR) wholly-owned Mandilla gold project has confirmed a high-grade gold zone extending over 300 metres outside of the current mineral resource

(reports Small Caps)

RareX has updated its development strategy for the Cummins Range rare earths and phosphate project in northern Western Australia, under the leadership of new CEO James Durrant (reports MiningNews).

Caravel Minerals has delivered a raft of improvements to the PFS (prefeasibility study) on its copper development of the same name just 150km from Perth in WA’s Wheatbelt, taking the net present value of Australia’s next major copper mine to more than $2 billion (reports Stockhead).

Caravel Minerals will examine a slightly larger scope for its namesake copper project in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt after a review showed enhanced returns from minor changes are likely (reports MiningNews).

Explorer Stavely Minerals (ASX: SVY) has designed an alternate drill hole to test a pivotal target within its Thursday’s Gossan copper-gold project in western Victoria after encountering problems in its initial attempts (reports Small Caps).

Emerging gold producer Calidus Resources says it is on track to achieve its production guidance at its Warrawoona operation in Western Australia’s Pilbara after record sales for the March quarter (reports MiningNews).

A second takeover attempt for Australia’s biggest gold mining company, Newcrest, means only one thing: gold insiders believe the yellow metal is on the way up (reports The Australian).