Mining

Contractor HWE Mining faces a retrial over the death of a worker at BHP Billiton's Yandi mine in 2008, after a judge overruled an acquittal on charges the firm failed to provide a safe working environment.

Northern Star Resources looks set to emerge as the fifth biggest gold mine operator in Western Australia following its $75 million acquisition of Barrick Gold's majority stake in the East Kundana joint venture and the Kanowna Belle mine.

Gold miner Newcrest Mining is poised for deeper cost cutting after slicing quarterly production costs by 16 per cent.

Energy giant Santos has lifted its December quarter sales revenue 21 per cent thanks to stronger oil production and prices.

Platinum has climbed to the highest price in more than two months ahead of a planned strike in South Africa that may interrupt production in the top producer of the precious metal.

Mount Gibson Iron has achieved record half-year iron ore sales despite posting softer sales results during the December quarter.

Aurora Oil and Gas has boosted its quarterly production and revenue, with a number of new wells coming into production.

BHP Billiton produced record volumes of coal and iron ore in the second half of 2013, despite falls in quarterly production at its petroleum and Pilbara iron ore divisions.

Global crude-oil prices have gained after the IMF raised its forecast for global growth in 2014 and the International Energy Agency upped its prediction of oil consumption growth.

Empire Oil & Gas has appointed former Woodside Petroleum executive Stuart Brown to its board as the company's new management looks to recruit experienced directors to guide its future.

Saracen Mineral Holdings has purchased the Thunderbox gold project from Norilsk Nickel for $23 million, in a deal which could double the company's production to up to 270,000 ounces per year.

Resources giant BHP Billiton has signed a final agreement to pay $US3 million ($A3.4 million) to Otto Energy to withdraw from an oil and gas exploration joint venture in the Philippines.

Analysts say Australia's major iron ore players are under pressure as the price of the steel-making ingredient continues to slide.

Sandfire Resources says it remains on track to achieve full-year production guidance, despite posting softer results from its DeGrussa copper-gold mine in the December quarter.

Gold has traded near a five-week high in London as investors weigh signs of increasing physical demand against the outlook for less US stimulus.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude has fallen from the highest closing price in two weeks amid slowing economic growth and weaker industrial output in China, the world's second-biggest oil consume

Royal Dutch Shell has announced it will sell its minority stake in Chevron's Wheatstone liquefied natural gas project and a related joint venture to the Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company for $US1.13 billion.

Wolf Minerals has announced a substantial increase in capital and operating costs for its Hemerdon tungsten and tin project in England, which is now budgeted to cost $230 million to develop.

Blackham Resources shares are up 44 per cent after the minerals explorer agreed to pay $2 million for the Wiluna gold plant in Western Australia from the receivers of Apex Minerals.

Shares in Silver Lake Resources are trading higher after the company boosted its gold production guidance on the back of a record-breaking quarter.

Wesfarmers is set to acquire a coal development licence worth $70 million from Peabody Energy, in a purchase which the company says will boost its total coal reserves by about 29 per cent.

Paladin Energy managing director John Borshoff says the company's $US190 million sale of a minority stake in its Langer Heinrich mine vindicates a decision to walk away from sale negotiations last year.

Sino-Australian investment house ASF Group will become the single largest shareholder in Perth-based Key Petroleum after agreeing to a 19.9 per cent placement of Key shares as the company expands its interests in Canning Basin oil and gas plays.

Decmil Group has won a contract with Atlas Iron for the design and construction of a major road project in the state's Pilbara region.

It is the biggest, heaviest - and with a legal tender value of $1 million dollars - the most valuable gold bullion coin in the world.

Four incidents involving worker safety at a Fortescue Metals Group mine site are being investigated by the Department of Mines and Petroleum.

Iluka Resources shares have risen seven per cent after the company reported a sharp increase in quarterly sales revenue.

Shares in West Perth explorer Riedel Resources have skyrocketed after Fortescue Metals Group agreed to farm-in to its Charteris Creek tenement in a deal worth up to $1 million.

BGC has been awarded a contract worth more than $100 million to restart operations at Arrium Mining's Iron Knob mine in South Australia.

Woodside Petroleum has flagged up to $400 million in writedowns ahead of the release of its 2013 full year earnings result next month, with the energy giant reporting lower sales revenue for the year.

Rio Tinto has achieved record iron ore production and shipments in 2013.

Paladin Energy says it is confident of securing the sale of a stake in its flagship Namibian mine as a fall in uranium prices weighed on its December quarter activities report.