Mining

Gold prices extended their rally on Friday to lock in a 5 per cent gain for the week as worries about global growth and turbulence in currency markets spurred investment demand for haven assets.

Laboratory services group ALS has beaten its own profit forecast by 15 per cent thanks largely to cost cutting.

Perth has maintained its trend of weekly price fluctuations at the petrol bowser, according to Australian Competition & Consumer Commission data, despite most other capitals moving towards longer fuel price cycles.

Atlantic is using a big insurance payout to rebuild the Windimurra vanadium plant nearly a year after a fire forced the project to shut down, but the company still faces major operational and financial challenges.

Two more mining companies have been targeted in drug raids in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

Nedlands-based TFS Corporation says a $24 million investment from a new Hong Kong institutional investor in its Beyond Carbon sandalwood plantation product has settled.

Miners don't need to be told times are tough but they must adapt quickly or perish, says a new report by consultants Deloitte.

The oil market has tumbled after OPEC said it produced more oil in December than its limit, despite sharply falling prices, and lowered its global demand outlook for its crude.

The price of the precious metal has hit a four-month high and is on track for its biggest percentage weekly gain in nearly a year.

Junior oil explorers angered by a sudden increase in government tenement fees are close to forming an alliance to fight the fee changes, including a 700 per cent increase for some onshore tenement fees.

Mineral sands miner Base Resources has admitted defeat in its attempt to take over World Titanium Resources.

West Perth-based explorer South Boulder Mines has tapped a private investor for nearly $2.1 million, through a placement of 10 million shares.

Lithex Resources has scrapped its planned purchase of internet marketing business Mpire Media, which was the second business Perth entrepreneur Zhenya Tsvetnenko was seeking to list on the stock market.

Gold miner Doray Minerals has declared its off-market takeover of Mutiny Gold unconditional, after increasing its stake to 75.3 per cent.

It might seem unimportant to know exactly why copper has been added to the list of sick commodities, but if it is more than a fright over excess supply and slack demand then we could be on the verge of a rerun of the GFC.

Gina Rinehart's Roy Hill iron ore project has been issued two prohibition notices over safety concerns.

Oil and gas giant Woodside Petroleum is seeking to cut costs after lower oil prices pushed revenue down 10.1 per cent during the December quarter.

Weak prices continue to hurt mineral sands miner Iluka Resources, which has revealed another fall in annual revenue.

Gold prices have stuck to the highest level in two-and-a-half months, even as investors sell the metal to take profits on recent gains and cover bets in other markets.

US oil prices have shot up more than five per cent in a move attributed to bargain-hunting after the contract sank to a new multi-year low the prior day.

Liberty Resources is set to proceed with its move into the IT sector, through the acquisition of Cirrus Networks, after taking the extraordinary step of having a board spill to hasten the removal of two directors.

Northern Star Resources says it is generating over $200 million in free cash flow per year on the back of an expansion of its asset base, lower costs and increased gold sales.

The consumer watchdog is probing Woodside Petroleum's $US2.75 billion purchase of oil and gas assets from US energy company Apache, over concerns the deal could affect the supply of wholesale gas in the Western Australian market and lead to higher gas prices.

Troubled gold miner St Barbara has risked collapse but says its fortunes are improving after lifting production in the December quarter.

A gas valve at a fracking site in the Kimberley region was deliberately damaged, a preliminary investigation has found.

Kerman Contracting will begin building accommodation facilities at Sirius Resources' Nova nickel project near Norseman, two months after being named the preferred contractor for the $23 million job.

West Perth-based junior miner African Energy Resources has farmed out a 51 per cent stake in its Sese coal and power project in Botswana to a Vancouver-based firm for $8 million.

Gold prices have hit their highest level in two-and-a-half months, as investors grow concerned that a shaky global economy will stymie the Federal Reserve's plans to raise US interest rates later in 2015.

Oil prices have slipped towards nearly six-year lows after OPEC officials underscored the cartel's resolve to not cut output despite a supply glut and plunging prices.

Shareholders in Australia's largest oil and gas producer Woodside Petroleum are set to pocket smaller dividends this year if oil prices remain weak.

Perth-based gold producer Norton Gold Fields says it has received a $32.7 million takeover proposal from its majority shareholder Zijin Mining Group.

Perth-based mining services group Ausdrill has become a substantial shareholder in Titan Energy Services after subscribing for nearly $1 million worth of shares in the Brisbane firm's capital raising last week.