Mining

NRW Holdings has reported a profitable 2017 financial year, but has withheld a dividend payout following its acquisition of Golding Group.

Andrew Forrest has successfully fended off a company that wanted to mine sand at his family’s pastoral property in the Pilbara, but has lost an appeal against a uranium explorer that plans to mine in the area.

Decmil Group has been awarded a $13 million contract for work at BHP Billiton's South Flank iron ore project near Newman.

Diversified business Mineral Resources has delivered a turnaround result for the 2017 financial year, along with a higher dividend payout.

Iron ore miner Mount Gibson Iron will pay its first dividend to shareholders since 2014, after reporting a $26.3 million net profit for the 2017 financial year.

Iluka Resources has widened its first-half loss to $81.5 million, from a $20.9 million loss in the prior corresponding period, dragged down by a $165 million hit in impairment and redundancy costs.

Metals X has temporarily suspended underground mining at its Nifty copper operation to undertake repairs.

The Supreme Court of Western Australia has ordered the winding-up of Michael Fotios’ Eastern Goldfields and the appointment of liquidators, after an application by a local assay laboratory.

A Singaporean group that holds about a 5 per cent stake in Troy Resources has called for a meeting to seek the replacement of the gold miner’s board members with its own nominees.

A long-running dispute between Karara Mining and DM Civil over a contract originally worth $26 million has highlighted the extraordinary gulf that often arises between project developers and contractors when their relationship sours.

Aspiring lithium miner Tawana Resources has confirmed the award of a $30 million engineering procurement and construction contract to Primero Group for its Bald Hill project in the Goldfields.

The new Chinese owners of manganese miner Consolidated Minerals will employ 300 personnel for the restart of operations at the mothballed Woodie Woodie mine in the Pilbara.

Steel fabrication workshops on the Kwinana industrial strip have secured some big contracts.

Gold junior Spitfire Materials has entered into an agreement to merge with Victoria-based Aphrodite Gold in an all-scrip deal that values the target at about $32 million.

Perth-based NRW Holdings has announced plans to acquire east coast contractor Golding Group for an enterprise value of $85 million.

Newcrest Mining has posted a lower-than-expected full-year profit after an earthquake at its biggest mine cut production earlier in the year.

This week’s announcement that First Quantum Minerals plans to close its Ravensthorpe nickel mine, at a cost of 450 jobs, has overshadowed several positive developments in the nickel sector.

Michael Fotios has quashed speculation that he intends to step down as chairman of Eastern Goldfields, following an exchange of words with journalists at Diggers & Dealers earlier this week.

Africa-focused lithium explorer AVZ Minerals has attracted a Chinese miner for the bulk of a $15 million capital raising, which has been priced to take advantage of a recent doubling in its share price.

CBH Group has announced a surprise selection as its new chief executive, recruiting former BHP iron ore boss Jimmy Wilson to succeed Andrew Crane.

Fortescue Metals Group is likely to join mining giant Rio Tinto in raising dividends as the price of iron ore remains elevated.

Northern Star Resources boss Bill Beament has called on the state government to commit $100 million towards the development of a mining education hub in Kalgoorlie through Curtin University’s WA School of Mines (WASM).

ANALYSIS: Two local lithium players will be hoping their early move into the sector justifies the hefty interest rates on their loans.

Northbridge-based Matsa Resources has locked in a $4 million loan facility agreement to fund ongoing exploration work at its Lake Carey gold project near Laverton.

Northern Minerals has received backing from the federal government for an $8.1 million Aboriginal training-to-work program at its Browns Range project in the Kimberley.

The push for increased local content on big projects appears to be paying dividends, with Rio Tinto announcing a $70 million order for port equipment and local businesses Civmec and Doina Construction and Engineering undertaking work for coal and gold projects.

A new gold exploration company led by former Doray Minerals boss Allan Kelly and backed by Evolution Mining has announced plans to list on the ASX, whilst two other junior miners have joined the bourse after completing backdoor listings.

Peter Stokes has tendered his resignation as chief executive of Barminco, with the mining contractor to begin searching for his successor.

Local explorer De Grey Mining has progressed plans to develop its Pilbara gold project with the release of a scoping study today, which revealed a development cost of $96 million.

Red 5 has struck agreements to buy Gold Fields' Darlot mine and Saracen Mineral Holdings' King of the Hills mine for a combined $34 million in cash and shares.

The Supreme Court has ordered privately owned mining company Global Advanced Metals to open its books to a minority shareholder, despite the shareholder being a competitor, a litigation adversary in the US, and having a chief executive who was found to have carelessly handled confidential information supplied earlier this year.

UPDATED: Eastern Goldfields is expected to be confronted at next week’s Diggers and Dealers conference by local contractors who claim they have not been paid by the Perth gold miner.