Deals

Rare earths explorer Arafura Resources has announced a $5.1 million capital raising to fund ongoing work at its Nolans project in the Northern Territory.

Shares in local explorer Ausquest have surged on news the company has struck an agreement with BHP Billiton spin-off South32, with the two companies to form a joint venture over prospective projects.

Indigenous Construction Resource Group has diversified its business by purchasing consulting group NANA Australia, the local offshoot of a giant Alaskan native corporation.

Perth-based explorer Gascoyne Resources has confirmed a $55 million capital raising to fund development of its Dalgaranga gold project in the Murchison region.

Mount Pleasant-based GBM Resources has struck a friendly merger agreement with listed Canadian company WCB Resources, bringing together gold projects in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Chinese conglomerate Shandong Tyan Home has acquired its second gold mine in Western Australia, reaching an agreement to buy the Southern Cross Gold operation in the Yilgarn for $330 million.

Wyllie Group-backed Viburnum is set to receive a big payout when fintech Rubik Financial, in which it is a substantial shareholder, is acquired by Geneva-based banking and finance software firm Temenos for $68 million.

Saracen Mineral Holdings has entered into an agreement to purchase the Bundarra gold project from Bligh Resources in an all-scrip deal worth $8.5 million.

Life sciences company eSense-Lab has enjoyed steady gains on its first day of trading on the ASX, after raising $3.5 million from investors in an initial public offering.

Metals X spin-off Westgold Resources has entered into a toll processing agreement with Canadian company RNC Minerals that comes with an option to sell its South Kalgoorlie operations for $80 million in cash and shares.

Rocky Bay has merged with fellow disability services provider Valued Independent People, following an extended period of collaboration.

Canadian hydroponics technology company Roto-Gro International has closed its first day of trading on the ASX, after completing a $3.6 million initial public offering managed by Perth-based Barclay Wells.

Gold miner Blackham Resources has confirmed a $35 million capital raising to fund ongoing work at its Matilda-Wiluna operation in the Mid West.

Metals explorer De Grey Mining has entered into an option agreement to acquire private company Northwest Nonferrous Mining Australia’s Indee gold project near Port Hedland for $15 million.

App company SportsHero is set for its ASX debut after raising $3.2 million from investors and completing a reverse takeover of Perth-based Nevada Iron.

Galaxy Resources has set the bar for the largest capital raising undertaken by a WA-based company for 2017, announcing a $61 million capital raising to fund development work at its Sal de Vida lithium project in Argentina.

Emeco Holdings today sent out a mammoth 811 pages of documentation for its revised restructuring scheme, and buried inside is a breakdown of fees showing that, while its lawyers will get paid more, the company’s financial advisers will take a haircut after the first restructuring scheme fell over.

North Perth-based tech company Scancam has raised $1.2 million from investors as it seeks to expand sales of its anti-fuel theft technology into new markets.

AngloGold Ashanti has made a $6 million investment in Perth-based Orinoco Gold and plans to spend $US9.5 million ($A12.4 million) to farm-in on the company’s gold tenements in Brazil.

Aspiring gold miner Capricorn Metals has secured a $10 million investment from an overseas asset manager to fund ongoing work at its Karlawinda project near Newman.

Perth-based explorer Lithium Australia has lodged a takeover bid for rival lithium-focused Lepidico - in the middle of a Supreme Court battle between the two companies - in an all-scrip deal that values the target at $23.8 million.

Laconia Resources to acquire Kraaipan gold-nickel-copper-PGM project in Botswana for $100,000 in cash and $900,000 in scrip.

Perth-based Primary Gold has tapped investors for $8.5 million to fund ongoing work at its Coolgardie and Mount Bundy projects in the Goldfields.

Perth-based ECO Environmental has expanded its operations to Singapore through the acquisition of field services assets from US company Pentair.

Shares in junior explorer AVZ Minerals have skyrocketed on news the Perth company has struck an agreement to acquire a majority stake in a lithium mine in Africa, and has raised $5 million to fund the deal.

Minerals explorer TNG has finally lodged a prospectus for the demerger of its base metals portfolio into a spin-out company, while Heron Resources and Force Commodities have both progressed their respective demergers.

Perth company SEQTA Software has combined with Melbourne-based Synergetic Management Systems to create Australia’s largest education software business.

Macmahon Holdings has criticised CIMIC Group’s proposed $174 million takeover offer, saying its preliminary view was that it does not represent fair value of the business, and has told its shareholders to take no action.

First Graphite has announced plans to raise $3.52 million from investors through the placement of 32 million shares at 11 cents each.

Construction giant CIMIC Group has proposed to acquire all the shares it doesn’t own in Perth-based Macmahon Holdings, with the deal valuing the target at about $174 million.

Subiaco-based lithium explorer Birimian has terminated a $107.5 million cash offer for its Bougouni project in Mali after the Chinese bidder failed to make a deposit in time.

Shares in Aurora Labs were higher on the announcement of a commercial venture with engineering business WorleyParsons to incorporate its metal 3D printing technology into operations across a number of industries.