Mining

Woodside Petroleum is axing 300 jobs and freezing pay across the organisation as it deals with a plunge in the oil price.

Oil prices have risen as the attractiveness of a weaker dollar offset news of higher crude production by Saudi Arabia.

Gold has firmed for the fourth straight session to its highest in more than two weeks, as the US dollar extends losses and expectations rise that the Federal Reserve will hold off until at least September to raise interest rates.

Windward Resources has taken advantage of a recent spike in its share price to raise $6 million to fund exploration at its Fraser Range nickel-copper projects.

One year after buying the Thunderbox operations from Norilsk Nickel, Saracen Mineral Holdings has announced plans to develop an open pit gold mine that will double its production to about 300,000 ounces per annum by the 2017 financial year.

Peak Resources has appointed engineering firm Amec Foster Wheeler for its Ngualla rare earth project in Tanzania after locking in a $5 million interim loan.

As grim as the iron ore outlook appears for some of WA’s smaller miners, the state government, too, stands to lose out amid the sector’s upheaval.

Blue chip mineral sands miner Iluka Resources and small biotech Sun Biomedical are as different as chalk and cheese; but what they share, apart from a Perth base, is a willingness to invest in Western Australia’s emerging technology ‘accelerator’ programs.

Mining junior RNI has announced it has signed a $60 million debt finance package to develop its Grosvenor gold project.

Orica director and former BHP Billiton executive Alberto Calderon has been appointed interim CEO at the explosives maker in the wake of the sudden exit of Ian Smith.

The Environmental Protection Authority has recommended strict conditional approval of Sinosteel Midwest Corporation’s proposal for exploration drilling at its Blue Hills Mungada East hematite project.

Unions claim to have played a major role in ensuring an increase in the number of Western Australia-based workers building a 900-kilometre pipeline for Ichthys liquefied natural gas project off Darwin.

Recent events putting the spotlight of increasing female participation in the resources sector have focused on learning from personal experiences.

Multinational oil and gas service providers have set up in WA for the long haul, as the state searches for the best way to enhance its competitive advantage.

Marine services providers won’t be knocked off course by the waves of change in the oil and gas industry.

Software company Stochastic Simulation has joined a growing list of Western Australian businesses kicking goals globally in oil and gas technology development, as local providers increasingly target opportunities offshore.

As the construction peak passes and the oil price slides, service providers to the energy industry are re-evaluating how they do business. See our special report to see how technology, marine logistics and equipment providers are adapting to the new climate, and read about changes in the industry's workforce.

A dispute between Tap Oil and one of its substantial shareholders has escalated after the operator of the company’s flagship Manora oil development served joint operator Northern Gulf Petroleum with a $35 million default notice.

Mundijong-based concrete pre-caster PERMAcast has won a multi-million dollar precast package for the inside/outside battery limits concrete and civil works for the Wheatstone project, awarded by Laing O’Rourke.

Gold prices have hit two-week highs and are poised for their biggest weekly jump since mid-January, after the US Federal Reserve's cautious note on interest rates arrested a US dollar rally and sparked broad-based buying of commodities.

Shares in explorer Triton Minerals skyrocketed today on the back of a discovery its graphite resources can be converted into a wider range of more valuable products.

Gulf Minerals Corporation has appointed Perth-based Como Engineers as manager for the construction of its $52 million Kupang smelter project in West Timor.

Oil and gas producer Woodside Petroleum has successfully restarted production at its Pluto liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in north Western Australia.

The crude oil market has given back much of its Federal Reserve-sparked rally, with prices sinking back on the reality of continued high supplies and a strong dollar.

Gold has pared gains from a two-week high, clinging to short-covering gains despite the US dollar's recovery after a more-cautious-than-expected interest rate statement from the US Federal Reserve.

Woodside Petroleum terminated the contracts of eight employees last year, mostly the result of fraud-related incidents, according to its latest sustainable development report.

Doray Minerals has appointed PCF Capital Group as adviser as the company plans to secure funding for the construction and development of its Deflector gold-copper project near Geraldton.

Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion says Queensland’s looming ban on mining uranium is an opportunity for Western Australia to capitalise on mining the nuclear fuel ore.

Western Australian iron ore producer Karara Mining has cut 15 per cent of its workforce at its mine and port operations and head office in Perth following the continued fall of commodity prices.

World oil prices have jumped as a cautious Federal Reserve statement offset data showing a big increase in US crude inventories.

Gold prices have surged more than two per cent, on track for the biggest rally since January after the Federal Reserve signalled a more cautious outlook for US economic growth, and the US dollar tumbled.

Aziana was one of three Perth exploration companies to release details today of plans to leave the resources sector behind, through reverse takeovers of businesses in sectors as diverse as artificial intelligence, medical cannabis and e-commerce.