Mining

BC Iron and Cleveland Mining Company have taken the first steps to securing the first three projects under the iron ore miners' Brazilian strategic alliance.

Shedding light on the social impact of Western Australia's remarkable growth will be a priority focus for the new economics research centre at Curtin University.

For Perth-based contractor ECM, reports of a slowdown in mining and LNG project construction were little cause for concern.

Alcoa has announced it will review its alumina refining system, including its facilities in Western Australia, as the global aluminium giant seeks to cut costs in a weak industrial metals market.

Perth-based information and communications engineer Titan ICT Consultants has signed an agreement with a US-based group to enhance its underwater fibre optics services for the oil and gas sector.

Mining contractor MACA remains optimistic about its prospects of revenue growth in financial year 2013, despite losing a significant contract after Focus Minerals halted its Laverton operations earlier this week.

Arrium is considering selling or dumping businesses in its loss-making steel division, raising the prospect of more heavy job cuts.

Premier Colin Barnett has outlined three reasons the government wants to push ahead with acquiring land at James Price Point, despite Woodside shelving its original plan for the Browse gas project.

Oil and gas exploration play Pura Vida Energy will tap investors and financiers for up to $12 million, to fund the ramp-up of drilling activities at its newly-acquired Nkembe block, off the coast o

Focus Minerals has put its Laverton gold mine on stand-by, after a review of operations found the project is no longer commercially viable due to increasing costs and the falling gold price.

Gindalbie Metals has secured an agreement for a second $30 million loan from its joint venture partner in the Karara magnetite iron ore development, after delays in the project's production ramp up

Waste management technology company Tox Free Solutions has expanded its footprint on Australia's east coast, acquiring three related firms for $85 million.

Endeavour Mining has sold its 38.5 per cent stake in Toronto-listed Namibia Rare Earths for $5.3 million.

NRW Holdings' joint venture with indigenous group Eastern Guruma has won a $180 million deal at Rio Tinto's Nammuldi iron ore operation in the Pilbara.

Diversified miner Rio Tinto has opened its $US2.2 billion Argyle underground diamond mine in the eastern Kimberley.

Woodside Petroleum has announced a new agreement with Royal Dutch Shell to lay out an action plan to develop the Browse gas field off the Western Australian coast with floating processing technolog

Marengo Mining has entered a convertible notes agreement with its major shareholder to raise $US15 million.

Poseidon Nickel says its historic Windarra nickel mine will cost $197 million to re-start, with a feasibility study flagging a 10-year mine life and first production in 2014.

Indian conglomerate Lanco Infratech will pay Perdaman Chemicals and Fertilisers $7.5 million plus legal costs as settlement for a long-running $3.5 billion legal battle that erupted after Lanco pur

Oil and gas producer Santos has committed to a $100 million drilling and appraisal program over the next 12 months in the Northern Territory.

Ironbark Zinc shares jumped on the ASX today, after it released a report indicating the viability of its Citronen base metals project in Greenland.

Oil and gas explorer Sprint Energy has attracted the interest of Hong Kong-based private equity group Hanhong Limited, which has signed an agreement to invest $11 million in the Perth-based company

Ventnor Resources has signed a native title agreement with traditional owners the Yugunga-Nya people covering its Thaduna/Green Dragon copper project in the Murchison region.

The share price of minerals explorer Aquila Resources took a hit after its Japanese joint venture partner pulled out of some of its Queensland coal exploration permits.

Aviva Corporation has sold its Mmamanstwe coal project in Botswana to fellow explorer African Energy Resources for $3.5 million.

China's second largest gold producer will invest $20 million in Perth-based explorer NKWE Platinum under a strategic partnership agreement announced today.

BHP Billiton has sold a copper mine in the US for $US650 million ($A634 million) as the resources giant continues to off-load assets.

Midas Resources has launched a $2.16 million capital raising plan to fund the expansion and exploration at its Lake Carey and Patersons province gold projects.

Gold miner Noble Mineral Resources has appointed former Sandfire Resources general manager Craig Dawson as its new chief executive.

Gold prices have closed at their highest level in nearly two weeks, as investors drew confidence from data showing central banks' purchases of the precious metal in March while brisk demand for gold coins, jewellery and bullion bars in Asia continued.

Resolute Mining has broken the ranks of its fellow gold producers, reaffirming its yearly production guidance after a strong performance in the March quarter and claiming the falling gold price is

Range Resources has launched a plan to merge with Russia and Kazakhstan-focused oil and gas explorer International Petroleum, in an all-scrip off-market deal worth around $105 million.