Energy

Woodside Petroleum has entered a deal with Apache Corporation for the supply of gas from two Western Australian fields for a second processing train at its Pluto liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility.

THE state government has established a working group to review energy infrastructure options in the Mid West after its surprise decision to defer the upgrade of the transmission line to Geraldton.

State and federal budgets provide some welcome, but unexpected, outcomes.

LAST week, the Baltic Dry index, which is a benchmark measure for freight costs of bulk commodities including iron ore, coal and grains, rose 22.

EIGHT former company directors and families have managed to bypass the global economic downturn, cashing in their shareholdings before the world went belly-up.

WESTERN Australia's energy users have developed a gas security plan they believe should be implemented to the benefit of the domestic power sector.

If we are to have a carbon tax, it’s important we get it right – first time.

JODY Elliot launched recruitment website Mineblogger at the height of the resources boom to assist organisations dealing with the shortage of skilled labour.

THE stock market provides a very public barometer of the diminished wealth of many Australians over the past year.

As the state rushes to commit to a port at Oakajee, it would do well to heed the warnings of previous infrastructure arrangements.

Neptune Marine Services has secured $20 million worth of contracts with a range of blue-chip companies including BHP Billiton and Woodside Petroleum.

Moly Mines has today appointed David Craig as its new chairman while director Kurt Talbot has ended his one-month stint on the board.

Singapore-listed AusGroup expects to nearly double its order book after it agreed to buy scaffolding business Modern Access Services (MAS) for $15 million.

Woodside Petroleum has executed a $US1.1 billion ($A1.4 billion) syndicated loan facility with 26 domestic and international banks.

Gindlabie Metals says the timing of its Karara iron ore project will not be affected following the state budget's omission of an upgrade for the Perth to Geraldton transmission line.

Mount Pleasant-based Comet Ridge plans to raise $21 million to fund exploration efforts at its coal seam gas projects in Queensland and New Zealand for the next 18 months.

Babcock & Brown Power, owner of Alinta's retail assets, will realise $125 million from the release of an "onerous" contract but has revised down its operational earnings from $310 million to $270 million.

WA's peak energy user group, DomGas Alliance, says the federal government's white paper into energy security is "flawed" as it focuses on maximising exports rather than domestic energy use.

BHP Billiton is ramping up its Pilbara iron ore expansion efforts with Ausco Modular today securing a $36 million contract to install a 1,200-bed village and central facilities in Yandi.

Finnish global consulting and engineering group Pöyry Energy has acquired local oil and gas engineering services company Aquarius International Consultants.

Melbourne-based SKILLED Group, as part of a joint venture, has won a $350 million, three-year marine vessel and labour supply contract for Chevron's Gorgon gas project.

Engineering company Monadelphous has secured contracts valued at $100 million with the world's largest miners, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.

West Perth-based Liquefied Natural Gas has raised more than $10 million which will be used in the ongoing development of its Fisherman's Landing gas project in Queensland.

Nickel miner Western Areas is expecting $100 million to come its way shortly after the company raised over $35 million through a slightly discounted share placement.

Companies seek capital as confidence buoys market; BG wins first big Chinese gas deal; WA adjusts its numbers; Chinalco deal under cloud; Changes sap super - analysts

Much of the business community supports the retention of daylight saving.

PREMIER Colin Barnett has described the loss of the giant Ichthys gas project to Darwin as an embarrassment for Western Australia, yet under recent contracts at least some work is flowing to engineers and other businesses in the west.

THERE is no doubt that nuclear power generation is resurgent around the world.

RESPONSIBLE for more than half of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions, the energy sector will be one of the biggest industries affected by the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).

CARBON sequestration companies have mixed views on the changes to the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, which is now set to be rolled out in 2011.

The business sector remains concerned about some aspects of the proposed emissions trading scheme, despite having been given a year’s grace.

A lot of talk but little action seems to be the order of the day.