Deals

China’s Shandong Gold has won approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board to take a 51 per cent stake in Perth-based miner Focus Minerals, in return for a $227.5 million investment.

Virgin Australia has made a $98.7 million takeover offer for regional carrier Skywest.

Woodside Petroleum has signed a preliminary agreement with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation to help finance future liquefied natural gas projects.

Miles Kennedy's Lucapa Diamond Company is seeking to raise $5.7 million to expand its exploration programme at its Lulo diamond concession in Angola.

Mozambique-focused Metals of Africa has made a successful debut on the Australian Securities Exchange, its shares closing 3 cents above their issue price after their first day of trade.

Internet service provider iiNet has secured $330 million in debt finance with a syndicate comprising Australia's big four banks.

Gold miner Resolute Mining has acquired a 20 per cent stake in Noble Mineral Resources, while at the same time making an $85 million financing proposal designed to trump a similar offer from China’

Mineral Commodities has announced plans to raise $14.5 million through a placement a, to fund the development of its Tormin mineral sands project on the west coast of South Africa.

Engineering firm WorleyParsons has bought South Africa-based company TWP Holdings for $100 million and extended a contract with BP in Iraq.

LinQ Resources Fund faces a challenge to its friendly takeover bid from Singapore-based IMC Resources Holdings, with the WA Fire and Emergency Services Superannuation Board applying to the Takeover

Phoenix Gold has raised $20 million through a share placement, to accelerate drilling programs at its gold projects in the Goldfields over the next 12 to 15 months.

Malaga-based drilling equipment manufacturer Drillstar Engineering has been acquired by Swedish company Driconeq AB after more than 20 months of talks.

Drilling services and mining contractor Ausdrill is considering issuing $US300 million in unsecured notes to USA-based institutional investors.  

Amadeus Energy has announced a merger deal with UK-based Ecofin Energy, owners of Texas-based Lonestar Resources.

Atlas South Sea Pearls shares have jumped after it announced plans to raise up to $5 million alongside a proposal to acquire fragrance and flavour manufacturer Essential Oils of Tasmania.

Southern Cross Goldfields says it has a short-list of financiers to provide the necessary funding to complete the acquisition of the Sandstone gold project from Troy Resources.

Shares in Sundance Resources have risen by almost six per cent after China's Hanlong Mining locked in deals securing loans to help it finance its $1.37 billion takeover of the iron ore company.

Signs of life are starting to emerge in the sputtering initial public offerings market, with three Western Australian explorers advancing plans to list on the Australian Securities Exchange this we

Takeover target Northern Iron has extended the deadline for final binding offers until November 20 to allow interested companies to complete their due diligence.

Drilling services company Imdex has announced the acquisition of data management solutions firms ioGlobal, ioAnalytics and ioGlobal Solutions for $8 million in cash and shares.

A mystery suitor has made a non-binding takeover bid for Perth-based IT services firm ASG Group, valuing it at more than $177 million.

Scotland-based oil and gas services firm Global Energy Group has announced the acquisition of Perth-based energy sector access, inspection and maintenance company Vertech Group.

Logistics and supply chain group K&S Corporation has acquired Bunbury-based Collare Transport Group for an undisclosed sum.

Hannans Reward has reached agreement to sell the Discovery Zone copper-iron prospect in Sweden to Avalon Minerals for $4 million.

Perth-based explorer Hot Chili has launched a $35.5 million capital raising to fund development at its Productora copper-gold-molybdenum project in Chile.

Renaissance Minerals has launched a $10 million capital raising to fund exploration at its flagship Cambodian gold project.

Two Chinese entities proposing a takeover of minerals explorer Discovery Metals say they are disappointed by Discovery's rejection.

Struggling scooter manufacturer and retailer Vmoto has launched a £1.56 million ($2.43 million) share placement, and plans to list on London’s Alternative Investment Market.

Syndicated Metals has completed a $2.85 million capital raising to fund exploration and evaluation of its copper-gold project portfolio near Mt Isa in northern Queensland.

Perth-based gold explorer International Goldfields has announced a cash and scrip merger agreement with United States-based Santa Fe Gold Corporation, to create a diversified gold and silver miner

Billabong shares have plunged almost 17 per cent to their lowest ever price, after private equity firm TPG withdrew its $694.5 million takeover offer.

PMI Gold Corporation has entered an agreement with a syndicate of underwriters to raise $C100 million ($A99 million) for the development of its Obotan gold project in Ghana.