Mining

Mining giant Rio Tinto has awarded $184 million in contracts for work at its Hope Downs 4 mine site to two indigenous joint ventures.

Iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group has won a court victory in its acrimonious native title battle with the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation, which appears to pave the way for development

Mount Gibson Iron will issue its first dividend to shareholders after booking a net profit of $239.5 million for financial year 2010-11, an increase of 81 per cent on the previous year’s results.

Perth-based iron ore miner IronClad Mining has secured full access to a 50 hectare site with harbour frontage at Lucky Bay in South Australia.

Perth-based iron ore miner Grange Resources has signed an agreement with Shree Minerals which it says will pave the way towards increasing its Tasmanian iron ore pellet production by 150,000 to 300

Copper-gold and base metals explorer Mogul Resources has launched a $7.5 million initial public offering to fund the development of its extensive portfolio of Indian resources projects.

Crusader Resources says it has raised $16.2 million in funds which will allow it to fast-track development at its Borborema gold project in Brazil.

Police have brushed past a protest blockade to escort Woodside Petroleum contractors to the site of a proposed gas hub at James Price Point in the Kimberley.

Kambalda nickel miner Mincor Resources has launched an on-market share buy-back to re-acquire approximately 10 per cent of its issued capital.

Western Australian gold miners Focus Minerals and Crescent Gold have announced a merger plan that will result in the formation of one of Australia's top five gold producers with a market capitalisation of around $323 million.

Chalice Gold Mines has announced a joint ownership agreement with the Eritrean National Mining Corporation that it says will underpin funding for the development of the Zara gold project in Eritrea.

Silver Lake Resources and Regis Resources are in the vanguard of a revival in the state’s gold industry.

Crescent Gold says it has fast-tracked plans to begin mining operations at its Apollo deposit, near Laverton, after it announced a maiden gold reserve of 54,000 ounces.

Extract Resources has released an updated resource estimate for its Husab project in Namibia, which shows it is the fourth largest uranium deposit in the world.

Rio Tinto says a tie-up with Chinalco, China's largest alumina producer, will give it unprecedented access to explore resource-hungry China for copper and other minerals.

Resources giant Woodside Petroleum has agreed to a $170,000 settlement payout with a former executive over a sexual discrimination claim.

The acquisition of Australia's Equinox Minerals by Canada's Barrick Gold has cleared a hurdle with authorities in Zambia, where its major copper projects are located.

A stand-off between Pankaj Oswal and his business partner, Norwegian company Yara International, has prompted Yara to halt its plans for a $US700 million ammonium nitrate plant on the Burrup Peninsula.

Vector Resources has announced it has completed the acquisition of a portfolio of highly prospective gold tenements near Leonora.

Iron ore developer Sundance Resources has refuted a report that its majority shareholder Hanlong Mining is considering a full takeover of the company.

Western Australia-based resources firms Crescent Gold, Latin Resources, and Hot Chili have each announced strong interest and oversubscriptions to capital raisings collectively worth around $16 million.

Gindalbie Metals says its Karara iron ore development has made a significant step towards full-scale production after awarding mining contractor Brierty a $185 million contract for hematite mining services at the Mid West project.

Perth-based Beadell Resources has targeted March next year to begin producing gold from its Tucano project in Brazil, after signing a $75 million deal with Ausenco to manage the delivery of a processing plant at the mine.

Nickel miner Mincor says it is entering a new era of acquisitions and opportunities outside its home base of Kambalda after entering a $30 million joint venture covering a group of highly prospective gold and copper tenements in Papua New Guinea.

Shares in Territory Resources have soared after the Perth-based iron ore explorer announced a friendly $0.48 per share takeover offer from South African diversified commodities group Exxaro Resources.

Kalgoorlie-based explorer MacPhersons Reward Gold says it is looking at "near-term" production opportunities after acquiring a processing facility for ore from its namesake gold operations in Coolgardie.

Perth-based Hunnu Coal has beefed up its Mongolian coking coal portfolio, with the $40 million acquisition of a controlling interest in tenements owned by a subsidiary of Rio Tinto.

Energy giant Royal Dutch Shell announced today it will go ahead with the world's first floating liquefied natural gas project, off WA's northern coast, at a cost of approximately US$12 billion.

Shares in iron ore explorer Fe Limited have risen after it announced positive results from initial exploration at its recently-acquired Mt Ida iron ore project in the Yilgarn.

Mining contractor NRW Holdings has won a $158 million, 12-month contract with BHP Billiton for rail and road infrastructure works in the Pilbara.

Another building block for the development of Anketell Point in the Pilbara has fallen into place, with Iron Ore Holdings confirming the technical and financial viability of its Bungaroo South project.