Mining

Rio Tinto has halted exports of iron ore to some of its customers, after a fire last Thursday engulfed parts of its Cape Lambert export facility, located 40 kilometres north of Karratha.

The Pilbara Ports Authority has short-listed two specialist logistics companies for the development of new general cargo facilities at Port Hedland.

Processing plant problems at Altura Mining’s Pilgangoora lithium mine have slowed output ramp-up, with about 24,000 tonnes of lithium shipped so far from the 220,000tpa facility, nearly six months after production began.

Sheffield Resources has appointed global investment bank UBS as its corporate adviser to help assess potential investments by a strategic partner in the Thunderbird mineral sands project in the Kimberley.

Flinders Mines' second largest shareholder has submitted an application to the Takeovers Panel to prevent the company from continuing with its proposed delisting, just a day after it received a similar notice from its 12th largest shareholder.

Vector Resources has acquired a 60 per cent stake of the Adidi-Kanga gold project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in a cash and scrip deal worth about $14 million.

Shares in uranium stocks Berkeley Energia and Eclipse Metals have risen sharply amidst positive news relating to the companies’ respective flagship projects.

Former Heron Resources boss Mathew Longworth will take the helm of mining hopeful Metalicity, as managing director Matt Gauci announced he will move on after more than six years in the role.

West Perth-based Australian Vanadium has raised nearly $6.2 million from the recent exercising of approximately 204.6 million options.

Perseus Mining has awarded the engineering and supply contract at its Yaouré gold project, located in the West African country of Côte d’Ivoire, to fellow Perth-based company Lycopodium.

Plans for a kaolin mine and low level nuclear waste storage facility in the Shire of Coolgardie have taken a step forward, after Sydney-based Tellus Holdings received approval from the federal environmental regulator for the project.

Indigenous contractor Gumala Enterprises has secured a $16 million contract at Rio Tinto’s West Angelas mine, in what is the company’s single biggest contract win in the past five years.

The S&P 500 has jumped to a three-week high, led by Apple, Amazon, Facebook and industrial shares on bets that the United States and China would strike a deal to end their trade war.

Employers are expected to add more staff in the first three months of 2019 than at any time in the past four years in Western Australia, according to new research by recruitment firm Manpower Group.

Steven Lewis has been appointed chief executive at Southern Ports, effective January 14.

Technology minerals explorer Cauldron Energy is facing a new challenge after one of its major shareholders moved to oust director Nicholas Sage.

Black Rock Mining has secured a third Chinese buyer for graphite from its Mahenge mine in Tanzania.

Shares in Cervantes Corporation jumped on the ASX today after the company announced it had concluded drill testing at its Albury Heath project located 20 kilometres north-west of Meekatharra.

Henderson-based Volt Power Group has filed a writ in the Supreme Court of Western Australia against the vendor of Wescone Distribution, a mining equipment manufacturer it acquired in January 2018.

Gold and copper producer Doray Minerals has announced the sale of its Andy Well and Gnaweeda gold projects to Westgold Resources, in a cash and scrip deal worth $15 million.

Fortescue Metals Group has selected Belmont-based NRW Holdings as the preferred contractor to deliver the first stage of earthworks, roadworks and drainage works at the company's Eliwana rail project, located 90 kilometres west of the town of Tom Price in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

Western Australia continues to evolve into a globally significant energy metals province, with Pilbara Minerals securing funding to support a second stage of its Pilgangoora lithium mine in the north of the state, while US chemicals giant Albemarle Corporation has begun work on its $1 billion lithium hydroxide facility near Bunbury.

The state government’s Koolyanobbing mine bail out will cost $182 million, according to budget details released today.

A pre-feasibility study released today by Peter Bradford-led Independence Group has confirmed the viability of an underground mine at the Tropicana gold project.

Woodside Petroleum’s Browse and Scarborough LNG developments are the biggest of $95 billion of major projects under way or likely in Western Australia, with 96 ongoing and a further 68 probable.

The board of Explaurum has backed a revised takeover offer from Mark Zeptner-led Ramelius Resources for the gold explorer.

Private equity investor Potentia Capital has acquired a majority stake in Nedlands-based Micromine, eight months after the mining software developer hired PwC to find a new owner.

WestStar Industrial has won a $4.5 million contract with Rio Tinto for works at the Cape Lambert port facility, taking the local contractor’s order book to $30 million.

The state government has selected former Rio Tinto boss and current Mitsui & Co director Sam Walsh as the new chair of Perth Mint operator Gold Corporation.

BHP is handing back the last of the $US5.2 billion from the sale of its onshore US assets through a special dividend.

SPECIAL REPORT: Three businessmen will have more impact than most on the state’s economic future, with Peter Coleman leading an oil and gas revival, Chris Ellison building a lithium empire, and Rob Scott reshaping Wesfarmers.

SPECIAL REPORT: In business and philanthropy, executive diversity and on the sports field, it has been quite a year for Andrew Forrest.