In the last four decades no fewer than 698 offshore fields have been discovered in the UK Continental Shelf, producing in that time some 41 billion barrels of oil and gas. With another 20 billion barrels estimated to remain untapped it comes as little surprise that the North Sea continues to be a huge boon to the UK and other surrounding nations.

Peru’s rich mining history is well documented, with the roots of what has become a hugely attractive region for the industry dating back centuries. Such a legacy can be seen in the development of the Colquijirca mine, the origins of which pre-date the era of the Incas, when it has been documented that ancient tribes silver mined the surrounding foothills of Puntac-Marca.

For some companies their very name has come to be synonymous with their particular area of industry. Think mobile phones or tablets and Apple springs to mind. For oil and gas it will be BP or Royal Dutch Shell, while mention of the fast food sector immediately conjures up images of McDonalds or Burger King. While these businesses are hugely different when it comes to what they do, what they share is the fact that their strong history and track records of success have made them the leaders in their field.

Mining operations rely on their equipment, and there’s no doubt that each site has a lot of moving parts in its conveyors, trucks, shovels, milling and grinding trains, not to mention its associated drilling programmes. All of this has to be nursed and protected with the right oils and greases. As any operations manager knows, lubricants can be a big budget item and one that pays back in proportion to its contribution to things like frequency of maintenance, equipment life and the avoidance of running problems that involve stopping the machine.

A chemical compound whose molecules are made up of one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds, it covers 71 percent of the earth’s surface and is a vital ingredient to all known forms of life. I am of course referring to water, a commodity that can all too often be taken for granted for people living in developed societies.

If the title is a nod to Gabriel García Márquez examination of how love can adapt in a time of ‘cholera’ KPMG International’s July 2013 guide, subtitled Managing transactions in the mining sector if less literary, seeks to focus on some of the strategies companies could adopt in managing their relations with the global trading realities, the investor community and the stock market.

Over the past four years, KPMG firms have successfully emerged as a leading force in mid cap M&A, having built up a significant network of local M&A teams and investment banking professionals, hired from major investment banks around the world. Says Rama Ayman: “I joined KPMG because it has an extensive presence in metals and mining globally across many functional areas, with a strong commitment to build out its M&A advisory capabilities in this sector.”

Rio has said it will receive a total of $1.02 billion from the sale of the mine in Queensland State, Australia, where the coal that is mined is burned to produce electricity. "The sale... will allow us to realise value for our shareholders as we continue optimising our portfolio," a Rio statement said. Rio say made a point of saying that it remained "committed to a long-term future in central Queensland" at its other mines.