Mining

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.

Resolute Mining has become the second Western Australia-based mining company to appoint a female executive to one of its top jobs within the past week, with Lee-Anne de Bruin to take over as chief financial officer next month.

Perth-based gold exploration company Huntsman Resources is seeking to list on the ASX with the launch of its prospectus for a $4.5 million initial public offering.

Doray Minerals has found a permanent replacement for its recently departed managing director Allan Kelly, appointing Leigh Junk to the role with a larger base salary than his predecessor.

BHP Billiton has reached a near $1 billion deal with Brazil's federal prosecutor to settle a civil claim over the fatal disaster at its Samarco joint venture.

Gold miner Red 5 will be forced to put its Siana operations on temporary standby by the end of the month after running into regulatory delays for construction of new infrastructure.

Galaxy Resources has secured a $US40 million ($A53 million) facility with BNP Paribas to square off its existing owings to investment group OCP Asia.

Diversified miner South32 has posted lower first-half production in several of its commodities but says it remains on track to achieve full-year guidance for the majority of its operations.

Perth-based mining technology firm MiPlan has been bought by US company Hexagon Mining, six years after it was established by Robert and Louise Daw with backing from three local venture capital investors.

Mineral Resources managing director Chris Ellison has sold down a small portion of his stake in the diversified Perth business, netting $21.6 million from the transaction.

Wesfarmers' coal mining business is doing better than originally expected, thanks to higher coal prices and improved output.

Pilbara Minerals has awarded a $148 million contract to RCR Tomlinson for the engineering, procurement and construction of processing facilities at its Pilgangoora lithium project south of Port Hedland.

Rio Tinto's uranium-focused subsidiary Energy Resources of Australia expects to report $231 million in impairments for the year to December 2016, in response to further weakness in the depressed market for yellowcake.

Perth-based Gold Road Resources has doubled its exploration budget for the year with plans to spend about $22 million exploring its tenements, following the receipt of funds through its recently formed joint venture with South African mining giant Gold Fields.

Local lithium players have hit the ground running in January, with Galaxy Resources shipping its first lithium since operations restarted at its Mt Cattlin mine, and others announcing more than $110 million of new deals.

Iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group has named non-executive director and former Helloworld and Heytesbury executive, Elizabeth Gaines, as its new chief financial officer.

Rio Tinto has kept intact its target for iron ore shipments in 2017 after hitting the mid-point of its revised guidance range for 2016.

The state government has approved Canadian miner Cameco's proposed Yeelirrie uranium mine in the Goldfields, despite its failure to meet one of nine Environmental Protection Authority recommendations.

Gold-focused Kalamazoo Resources has wrapped up its first day of trading on the ASX, after completing a downsized $5 million initial public offering.

Subiaco-based Regis Resources has delivered its highest quarterly production result since September 2014, yielding 80,090 ounces in the second quarter of 2017.

Business News sat down to lunch at Julio's with the CEO and managing director of Decmil Group, Scott Criddle, who says building relationships is an important part of his role.

Cliff Lawrenson has wrapped up his tenure as managing director of phosphate and fertiliser-focused Avenira, after accepting the top job at iron ore miner Atlas Iron last month.

Doray Minerals chairman Peter Lester has told the company he will retire on Monday to focus on his other business interests, less than two months after founding managing director Allan Kelly resigned.

Shares in BC Iron closed 20 per cent higher today after the Perth-based iron ore junior announced record quarterly earnings from its Iron Valley mine.

Aspiring miner Dacian Gold has started construction of its Mt Morgans project near Laverton, after finalising regulatory approvals and locking in a $150 million funding deal over the Christmas break.

Padbury Mining has again attracted regulatory attention, with the company acknowledging it should have notified the ASX when it negotiated potential capital raisings worth $106 million with a Hong Kong-based investor last year.

Junior gold miners Ramelius Resources and Saracen Mineral Holdings have posted solid quarters, with Ramelius achieving its production targets for a 12th consecutive quarter.

Mineral sands producer Iluka Resources has scaled back a proposed accommodation camp at the planned Cataby project near Cervantes in a move to reduce capital costs as it works to complete a feasibility study.

Ahead of a looming April deadline for a $US212 million convertible bond repayment, uranium miner Paladin Energy has announced a proposal to restructure its balance sheet by converting some debt into equity, extending the maturity date of the remaining amount, and undertaking a $US75 million capital raising.

Toro Energy has joined Vimy Resources in gaining state government approval for its uranium project expansion plans, however Environment Minister Albert Jacob is yet to make a decision on the more contentious Yeelirrie uranium mine proposal put forward by Cameco.

An improved performance by some of the state's miners boosted the Business News index of listed Western Australian companies, the BN30, to finish almost 19 per cent higher over the year (2016).

December throughput was higher at the state's major north-west ports, with the Pilbara Ports Authority reporting nearly 60.5 million tonnes of cargo passing over its docks in the month, up 12 per cent on the same time in 2015.