Mining

Antares Energy has raised just under $6 million to fund drilling activities at its Northern Star and Southern Star oil and gas prospects in West Texas.

Perth-based oil and gas play Zeta Petroleum has acquired a block of highly-prospective oil acreage in Romania for up to $US2.8 million.

BC Iron has reported a record production run at its joint venture Nullagine project it operates with Fortescue.

Two more miners are feeling the squeeze in the state's gold sector, with Reed Resources and PMI Gold announcing plans to cut costs, reduce staff and defer project development spending.

Iron ore miner Mount Gibson Iron has reported its second best quarterly sales figures in the June 2013 quarter, and record full year sales, despite a decline in production.

Subiaco based explorer Corazon Mining's share price soared today following an announcement regarding its exploration activities in the Gibson Desert.

Customs officers and West Australian police are attempting to intercept an asylum seeker boat heading towards the Pilbara coast after it sailed near an oil and gas facility.

Fortescue Metals Group has been recognised as one of six Australian companies for its contributions to the growth of commercial ties between Australia and China.

Perth-based engineering services provider Calibre Group has been awarded $60 million worth of rail and mine project contracts with iron ore giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.

Santos has cut its production forecasts, but higher gas prices have helped boost the energy company's revenue.

Shares in oil and gas exploration company WHL Energy plunged in value today after a prospective partner pulled out of a $50 million-plus farm-in deal.

Silver Lake Resources has deferred the development of its underground Caustons mine at its Murchison gold operations for approximately 12 months due to a tumbling gold price.

Three months after shutting down its Laverton gold mine, Focus Minerals has announced the closure of its remaining mining operations near Coolgardie due to the weak gold price.

Perth-based contractor OTOC announced today it has acquired full ownership of a 700 person commercial kitchen/diner facility at a Fortescue Metals Group site.

The Environmental Protection Authority has signed off on a port expansion proposal for Bunbury that could lift coal exports to 15 million tonnes per year, almost double the current overall export c

Engineering company Downer has had its blasting services contracts in the mining sector extended for $230 million.

Iluka Resources' revenue from its mineral sands operations has dropped 42 per cent in the first half of 2013 after lower prices forced it to cut production.

Strike Energy has taken advantage of concern about an east coast gas supply shortage by negotiating a $52.5 million offtake deal with Orica to fast-track development of its Cooper Basin assets. Orica has agreed to buy up to 150 petajoules of natural gas over 20 years.

Apache Northwest, Santos and Tap Oil announced today that drilling at the Bianchi-1 natural gas well co-owned by the three companies had confirmed a gas discovery, the second for the companies' offshore Carnarvon Basin joint exploration projects. Bianchi is located in the WA-49-R retention lease, around 60km north-west of Onslow and west of Barrow Island, and approximately 21km south of the Gorgon gas field. It is the second confirmed gas discovery in the retention lease, after the Zola-1 well, owned by the same companies and located about 6.4km south-west of the Bianchi site, tested positive in April 2011.

Rio Tinto has boosted its global iron ore production to a record level during the June 2013 quarter, as it reviews new options to achieve its growth target at its Pilbara operations. Rio has also disclosed the high cost of a legal dispute with Gina Rinehart's company Hancock Prospecting.

Belmont-based NRW Holdings announced today that it had been awarded a major contract at BHP Billiton's Mooka Iron Ore car repair shop site.

Perth companies Aura Energy and South Boulder Mines have announced the appointment of new chairmen, as they strive to make progress on their mining projects.

Perth-based Gold Road Resources has delayed a pre-feasibility study in the belief that project development and operating costs in Western Australia will become cheaper.

The completion of an initial resource estimate for Sirius Resources' second major nickel deposit near Norseman has failed to replicate the market excitement when the ore body was initially discover

Sundance Resources is now fighting legal action on three continents over a 2010 plane crash in west Africa which killed the company's entire board of directors.

Subiaco based oil and gas explorer Jacka Resources has raised $3.25 million through the issuing of 38.5 million shares.

Red Fork Energy has raised $47.7 million to continue development work at its Big River Mississippian project in the United States.

Cash-strapped miner Atlantic has obtained two new sources of funding, with the company using an expected R&D tax refund to secure a $15.3 million bank loan.

A cut in mining investment will leave Australia with a steeper capital expenditure downturn than during the global financial crisis, Standard & Poor's says.

Western Australia's Department of Mines and Petroleum has issued a warning to Pilbara miners following a rise in recovery time for serious injuries.

Clive Palmer says moves to transfer security rights at a West Australian port away from his private company will not stop Mineralogy from being able to export iron ore from the facility.