Mining

Subiaco-based Vital Metals has agreed to sell its tungsten project in Queensland to Tungsten Mining for a cash consideration of $15 million.

Ausdrill has announced plans to sell its telecommunications subsidiary to private group Powerlines Plus (now part of GenusPlus Group), while also agreeing to take a majority stake, along with other investors, in mining technology company HiSeis.

Peter Bilbe-led Adriatic Metals began trading on the ASX today, after the company raised $10 million via an initial public offering to fund exploration work at its Veovaca and Rupice projects in Europe.

Applecross-based Mineral Resources is looking to sell a 49 per cent stake in its Wodgina lithium project, as work to investigate the feasibility of a lithium hydroxide or carbonate processing plant at the site continues.

The banking royal commission's exposure of shady practices will no doubt lead to calls for change, but perfect solutions are hard to find.

Former Rio Tinto chief executive Tom Albanese is facing fresh allegations related to the mining giant's disclosures about its disastrous $US4 billion African coal investment.

Two Perth-based contractors have secured new work, with Decmil Group locking in a $NZ24.3 million ($22.7 million) contract for two schools in New Zealand, while NRW Holdings will undertake work for Rio Tinto in the Pilbara.

Iron ore miner Rio Tinto is following its big investment in driverless trucks and trains by announcing plans to nearly double its fleet of autonomous drilling rigs.

More than $12 billion of mining projects are in the pipeline for WA and likely to proceed, with major iron ore developments the biggest contributor.

Few projects are more meaningful for WA's economic direction than the Greenbushes lithium mine expansion and the new lithium refinery in Kwinana.

Eight mineral sands projects are either under construction or consideration as the sector finally enjoys some pricing relief.

Gold miner Northern Star Resources has posted a steady quarterly result, with the company confident it will hit its 2018 output target of 600,000 ounces per annum.

New Century Resources has raised $40 million to complete the restart of its zinc mine in Queensland, while Vimy Resources and Geopacific Resources have tapped investors for $6 million and $10 million respectively.

Emeco Holdings has made its fifth big acquisition in the past three years, acquiring Queensland-based Matilda Equipment for $80 million while also announcing a $90 million capital raising to fund the purchase.

West Perth-based Sandfire Resources has upgraded its mineral resource at the Degrussa copper mine, located 900 kilometres north-east of Perth, following a recent drilling program.

Aspiring gold miner KIN Mining has appointed former Syndicated Metals managing director Andrew Munckton as its new chief executive, after former leader Don Harper quit in February.

A man has died after he was crushed at a coal mine in Collie last night.

Perth-based Pacific Energy, through its newly acquired Contract Power Group, has secured a contract with Mineral Resources to build a 52-megawatt power station at the Wodgina lithium project.

The Takeovers Panel has blocked a major shareholder of Finders Resources from accepting the recent takeover offer after the corporate watchdog submitted an application to the panel.

Fortescue Metals Group has recorded higher production costs during the March quarter, while iron ore shipments were down slightly for the period.

Iluka Resources has been served with a class action, with a group of shareholders alleging the mineral sands miner misled the market six years ago.

Business News has been tracking WA's largest private companies for more than 20 years and found most have experienced big changes over that time.

The WA School of Mines should include new disciplines and postgraduate degrees to insulate it from the cyclical resources economy, and help it become a global leader in its field, according to three former students who are now industry leaders.

Gold Road Resources has announced cost increases and schedule delays due to recent heavy rainfall at its half-owned Gruyere gold project near Laverton.

A solar power company founded by former Western Power manager Neil Danby and olympic basketballer Andrew Vlahov has picked up its first contract, winning $7 million of work for Image Resources' Boonanarring mineral sands project.

West Perth-based Toro Energy has announced a shift in strategy as the uranium-focused company begins a gold exploration program at its Lake Maitland project near Wiluna.

Perth-based Apollo Minerals has announced plans to spin-out its Fraser Range assets via an initial public offering, as the company focuses on its European tungsten and gold projects.

Perth-based GR Engineering Services has been selected as preferred tenderer for a $93.1 million contract to design and build a processing plant for Capricorn Metals' Karlawinda gold project near Newman.

Pilbara Minerals founder John Young has stepped down from the company's board, with Sally-Anne Layman set to become a non-executive director as the company closes in on first lithium production.

Auris Minerals chairman Bronwyn Barnes and independent director Susan Vearncombe have been voted off the company's board, after a group of dissident shareholders gained enough support to pass a number of resolutions at a special meeting today.

King & Wood Mallesons Partner Nathan Collins, who was involved in the debt restructuring of troubled uranium miner Paladin Energy, says the deal, which left existing shareholders with a 2 per cent stake, was the only real option for the company.

Osborne Park-based Veris has secured a three-year services contract for technology infrastructure upgrades at BHP Billiton's accommodation villages.