Mark Beyer

University of Western Australia physics professor and expert in gravitational science, Professor David Blair, has been named as the 2007 Western Australian Scientist of the Year.

A state government review of iron ore developments in the Mid West has been welcomed by companies with major projects in the region but left a cloud over several potential mines.

Family-owned smallgoods manufacturer D’Orsogna Ltd is targeting national growth after reporting a solid increase in annual sales and profit.

The University of Western Australia’s long-running battle to develop a 33-hectare parcel of land in Shenton Park looks set to proceed after the Environmental Protection Authority concluded that its proposal was acceptable.

Mine developer Precious Metals Australia Ltd has negotiated a new gas supply agreement for its Windimurra vanadium project with Santos Ltd, two months after Santos cancelled their original $35 million agreement.

West Perth-based oil explorer Otto Energy Ltd has struck a deal to acquire an 18 per cent interest in a Philippines oil field that is set to enter production in April next year.

Gindalbie Metals Ltd and Midwest Corporation Ltd could be the losers from a state government review of the Mid West, which has endorsed the big iron ore projects planned for the region but put a question mark over several others.

Iron ore developers Gindalbie Resources Ltd and Sundance Resources Ltd confirmed today they would not be proceeding with their planned $2.4 billion merger after shareholders and institutions rejected the concept.

Gold miner St Barbara Ltd is seeking to raise $100 million of new equity to fund further exploration and development of its Western Australian gold projects, including its recent Tower Hill discovery near Leonora and its nearby Gwalia mine.

ARC Energy Ltd has negotiated deals to buy oil producer Anzon Australia Ltd and its UK parent company Anzon Energy Ltd, creating a merged group with a market value of about $1.1 billion.

Takeover target Midwest Corporation Ltd has claimed that its suitor, fellow iron ore miner Murchison Metals Ltd, has failed to provide sufficient infomation in the bidders statement, as it urged shareholdfers to take no action on Murchison's offer.

The word ‘sustainability’, which has entered the business lexicon in recent years, is normally applied in the context of environmental management.

Three years after commissioning its $85 million manufactured lumber plant, the Dennis Cullity-chaired Wesbeam Holdings Ltd has scraped into the black with a small profit for the year to June 2007.

The state government is likely to approve two gas processing hubs on the west Kimberley coast despite conservation groups expressing concern about the impact of giant gas projects and the associated shipping movements.

Waste treatment is starting to emerge as a significant industry in Western Australia, led by regional councils that are backing major projects designed to divert municipal waste away from landfills.

The State Government has approved a $225 million upgrade of Port Hedland's port facilities after securing up-front capital contributions from miners, including BHP Billiton, Consolidated Minerals and Atlas Iron, to cover nearly half the cost.

Investors in listed investment company LinQ Resources Fund have endorsed the strategy of the existing fund manager, with a majority rejecting proposals for change put forward by UK investor Carrousel Capital.

Oil explorer Gippsland Offshore Petroleum Ltd Ltd has scrapped the planned $25 million acquisition of West Perth-based Finder Exploration Pty Ltd after it was unable to reach agreement with the vendors of Finder.

Oil and gas producers ARC Energy Ltd and Anzon Australia Ltd have announced they are negotiating the final terms of a merger that would create a $1.1 billion energy group.

Midwest Corporation Ltd's long-running battle to transfer its iron ore transport from road to rail has taken a step closer to resolution after the Environmental Protection Authority recommended that the project be approved.

Murchison Metals Ltd says its $1 billion offer for Midwest Corporation Ltd represents good value and there is potential for a re-rating the combined group if it proceeds.

The business sector's satisfaction with the Carpenter government's key industry policy agency has plummeted, according to data compiled by the Department of Industry and Resources.

Aspiring iron ore miner Grange Resources Ltd has selected its preferred power transmission option, which will have indirect benefits for communities on the south coast that have been plagued by poor power supplies in recent years.

Australian Securities Exchange-listed technology investor, ST Synergy Ltd, is looking to recover value from its investment in Panorama Labs Pty Ltd by buying the latter company’s assets from its administrator.

UK-based industrial services company Cape plc’s local spending spree looks set to hit more than $430 million in the past few months after securing acceptance from the board of its latest target PCH Group Ltd.

The booming share market has delivered strong profit growth for Perth’s major stockbroking firms, but a close analysis of their latest financial results reveals a wide variation in performance.

With the federal election campaign officially under way, the business community should start planning for the prospect of a Labor government in Canberra.

UK-based industrial services company Cape plc looks set to complete its third WA-focused takeover in as many months after scaffolding and form-work supplier PCH Group Ltd accepted a sweetened $247 million offer.

Consolidated Minerals Ltd bidder Palmary Enterprises Ltd has taken rival bidder Pallinghurst Resources Australia Ltd to the Takeovers Panel in the latest twist in the long-running takeover battle.

Spending on minerals exploration in Western Australia has grown strongly in the past financial year.

Five of Perth’s mid-tier accounting firms have changed their name and/or their affiliation in the past six months, representing an unprecedented period of restructuring for the sector.

A Perth company that has developed a revolutionary new method of extracting copper, nickel and other base metals from ore is pursuing a stock market listing through a reverse takeover of newly listed explorer Trajan Minerals Ltd.