Mining

Flinders Mines has announced plans to raise $14.3 million through a share placement and entitlement offer to fund a bankable feasibility study and further exploration on its Pilbara iron ore project.

Former Labor minister Martin Ferguson has heralded floating liquefied natural gas as the wave of the future, urging the Western Australian government to work with developers like Shell, Woodside Petroleum, ExxonMobil and BHP Billiton.

Woodside Petroleum has signed a sales and purchase agreement with Korea Gas Corporation for up to 2.2 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas over three years.

Southern Cross Electrical Engineering has been awarded a $40 million contract for further electrical and instrumentation works at Rio Tinto's Cape Lambert Port B project.

Aurora Oil & Gas has almost doubled its full-year profit after a solid spike in the number of new wells in production.

Welshpool-based contractor MACA has launched a $59 million capital raising and paid out a special dividend to shareholders on top of last week's interim dividend.

Gold futures have risen after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said recent data have pointed to softness in the US economy, increasing demand for the precious metal as an alternative investment.

NRW Holdings has reported a 54 per cent fall in its first half net profit as a challenging market and slow ramp-up in projects slashed its earnings.

Silver Lake Resources will place its Murchison gold operations on care and maintenance later this year, saying the project is no longer sustainable at the current gold price.

Earthmoving and mining equipment supplier Emeco Holdings is looking to shore up its balance sheet in the wake of a $180 million half-year loss, announcing a plan to raise up to $US360 million throu

Seven Group Holdings has lodged a 42 per cent reduction in revenue for the first half of the 2014 financial year, as a difficult and challenging market for its industrial services divisions took it

Independence Group has provided some rare positive half-year results in the gold and nickel sectors, reporting a 30 per cent lift in net profit and lifting its interim dividend.

A joint venture between engineering firms UGL and Kentz has been awarded a $US640 million contract for construction work at Inpex's Ichthys liquefied natural gas project.

Global oil prices have risen, with US prices gaining a boost from a bullish stockpiles report and another wintry blast hitting the country.

Aspiring iron ore miners Flinders Mines and Rutila Resources have joined forces, with backing from private New Zealand company Todd Corporation, to assess the development of an integrated rail and port project in the Pilbara.

Contractor Lycopodium has issued a dire outlook on the second half of the financial year as headwinds in the mining services sector place a strain on its margins.

Mining services contractor Ausdrill says the award of $US300 million worth of new contracts to its African mining subsidiary bodes well for a better 2015 after a horror run in recent months.

Engineering giant WorleyParsons will review its global business after profit fell by almost 30 per cent, fuelling speculation of more restructuring and job cuts.

Troy Resources will tap the market for about $38 million through a placement and share purchase plan to fund development at its West Omai gold project in Guyana.

South Korean contractor Samsung C&T has announced it will take over the work previously contracted out to failed construction company Forge Group at Roy Hill.

BC Iron has reported record half-year net profit and revenue, driven by strong production from its Nullagine joint venture.

Oil prices sank as traders expected a rise in US commercial crude stockpiles and worried about China's economic health.

Mirabela Nickel has proposed a complex restructuring that involves placing the company into administration, raising new capital and implementing a debt-for-equity swap that will leave current shareholders owning just a small fraction of the embattled mining company.

BHP Billiton has notified Macmahon Holdings that it plans to take over the Orebody 18 iron ore mine this year, while also announcing its intention to close one of its smaller Pilbara mines.

A joint venture between Viento Group and indigenous business Koodaideri has been awarded a $5 million road maintenance contract at Rio Tinto's Nammuldi below watertable project.

Southern Cross Electrical Engineering has reported a stronger half-year profit result, driven by the successful completion of key contracts.

Saracen Mineral Holdings has taken advantage of a strong share price rally to launch a capital raising to fund its Thunderbox project acquisition and strengthen its balance sheet.

Atlas Iron has confirmed it will ramp up production at its part-owned Mt Webber iron ore mine to 6 million tonnes per annum this year and expects to see a solid reduction in operating costs as a result of the expansion.

Mermaid Marine Australia has agreed to purchase the subsidiaries of Singapore-based marine services provider Jaya Holdings for $S625 million ($550 million), in an all-cash deal which represents one of the largest acquisitions by a Western Australian company in recent years.

Gold futures have rallied to a 16-week high as fears that Ukraine would plunge into a sovereign debt default fanned demand for wealth preservation.

Troy Resources has become the latest Perth-based miner to take a financial hit on the back of a softer gold price, reporting a half-year net loss of $6.8 million.

The influx of global oil and gas players to Perth for a major conference this month has provided a platform for some to announce plans to expand their operations in Western Australia.