Mining

Leighton Holdings has returned to profit and driven down debt after least year's heavy losses, and forecast further growth in the year ahead.

A Labor MP insists there is no chance a revived mining industry campaign about the resources rent tax could claim another prime minister's scalp.

Mining company KalNorth Gold Mines has begun production from its Lindsay's project near Kalgoorlie, forecasting the production of 40,000 ounces of gold over the next 18 months.

Perth-based miner IronClad Mining claims to have successfully trialled a system loading ore onto ships without the need for deep sea ports.

Junior miners Gold Road Resources, Rox Resources and Nkwe Platinum are raising a combined total of $14.95 million to accelerate exploration programs at their respective developments.

Mining giant Rio Tinto is expected to post a full year net profit of more than $9 billion, driven by the company's iron ore business.

NRW Holdings subsidiary Action Drill & Blast has won a $140 million contract with Fortescue Metals Group at the Cloudbreak iron ore mine near Newman.

Engineering company Bradken has impressed the market by declaring that last year's economic downturn in resources had bottomed out while posting a solid half year profit.

Shares in Apex Minerals jumped on the ASX today after the Perth-based announced an agreement to sell its Youanmi gold mine near Sandstone in the Murchison for $15 million.

Former water-proofing company Hydrotech International has turned its attention to resources and overcome tough market conditions to raise more than $6 million to fund its first venture.

The federal government has no plans to change the design of its mining tax, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.

Independent MP Rob Oakeshott feels the Gillard government partly duped him about the design of its mining tax.

Shares in Bauxite Resources jumped on the ASX today after the Perth-based miner announced the appointment of former Sundance Resources executive Peter Canterbury as chief executive.

Engineering and construction firm Monadelphous Group has announced a suite of new contracts with a combined value of around $140 million.

Drake Resources has announced the appointment of former Phillips River Mining boss Jason Stirbinskis as its new chief executive.

Shares in one of Australia's largest gold companies, Alacer Gold, have shot up after it announced its sale of interests in the Frog's Leg gold mine near Kalgoorlie for US$171 million ( million).

Oil and gas producer Nexus Energy says it has found the source of a fault that has halted production at its Victorian gas fields for a month but more work is required before output can be resumed.

Shares in Alkane Resources shot up 14 per cent this morning after the minerals explorer announced it has been granted a mining lease for its Tomingley Gold Project near Dubbo in NSW.

The federal opposition says the Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Treasurer Wayne Swan are to blame for a substantial shortfall in mining tax revenue.

Energy giant Chevron has made its twentieth gas discovery off the Western Australian coast in the past two and a half years.

Shares in Africa-focused iron ore hopeful Sundance Resources plunged almost 12 per cent after it revealed yet another delay in the drawn out takeover by its Chinese suitor.

Miner Luiri Gold has announced a $4.3 million capital raising to fund the development of its Dunrobin deposit in Zambia.

Premier Colin Barnett has described the federal government's mining tax as a flop, after Treasurer Wayne Swan revealed today the impost raised just $126 million in its first six months of operation

Radar Iron is to become a major shareholder in a Northern Queensland magnetite project in a move it hopes will enable progression of its Western Australian projects.

The federal opposition says Treasurer Wayne Swan has been stalling for time by not releasing the revenue amounts raised by the government's mining tax.

Gold miner Newcrest Mining's first half profit has dropped by 51 per cent due to weaker production and sales.

The long-running takeover of iron ore stock Sundance Resources faces more delays and uncertainty after Chinese suitor Hanlong Mining was told by regulators and bankers in China to find a large and

The majority of employees across Rio Tinto's energy business in Australia will not receive salary increases this year as the miner aims to “secure the long-term strategy” of the division.

International engineering and construction firm CSE Global has announced that its telecommunications subsidiary, which has major operations in Perth, has won $60 million worth of contracts for Inpe

TNG has appointed Perth-based engineering firm Arccon Mining Services to complete a definitive feasibility study for its Mount Peake vanadium-titanium-iron project in the Northern Territory.

Celsius Coal has announced a $10 million financing arrangement with Singapore-based Blumont to fund its exploration and development programs in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is backing away from a draft coalition discussion paper proposing incentives and beneficial tax rates to encourage people to move to northern Australia.