Mining

Construction is officially underway at Gindalbie Metal's $1.8 billion Karara iron ore project in the Mid West following an official ground-breaking ceremony held on site this morning attended by Premier Colin Barnett.

Brockman Resources has today appointed Ausenco as its lead study manager for the definitive feasibility study for its Marillan iron ore project in the Pilbara.

A consortium led by aggressive Perth-based mining services group Mineral Resources will revive the stalled Windimurra Vanadium project near Mt Magnet, after striking a deal with administrators and receivers.

Frank Timis-controlled explorer African Minerals is poised to become the leading shareholder in Cape Lambert Resources via a $31 million scrip deal over the Marampa iron ore project in Sierra Leone.

CBH Resources has decided to develop its Panorama copper-zinc project in the Pilbara as an underground mine with capital costs estimated at $150 million.

Woodside Petroleum chief Don Voelte today slammed key terms of a third party gas supply deal struck by rival liquefied natural gas developer Chevron as "stupid".

West Perth-based Bass Metals plans to raise $15.3 million, which in combination with its $15 million banking facility, will be used to develop the Fossey polymetallic project in Tasmania.

Oil junior AED Oil has drawn the attention of the share market regulator over the timing and content of its disclosure relating to problems at the Puffin oil field in the Timor Sea.

Shares in Subiaco-based IMX Resources are higher after an unnamed party expressed interest in providing $US45 million ($A49 million) in finance for its Southern Oregon mineral sands project in the US through a mix of debt and equity.

Shares in Aviva Corporation have slumped after it decided not to extend its option over the only coal deposit for the Coolimba power project in the Mid West, part of the ramifications of the lost power supply tender contract to Verve Energy.

Shares in West Perth-based Red 5 have surged after it received the final approval from the Philippines government for its $US73 million ($A79 million) Siana gold project.

Perth-based Advanced Well Technologies and Brisbane-based MBA Petroleum Consultants have merged to create a company that services the energy and gas sectors.

Australasian Resources has gained federal environmental approval for its $2.7 billion Balmoral South iron ore project as discussions continue with a number of potential financiers.

State parliament today passed legislation to broaden the gas specifications of the state's main gas pipelines, removing a key obstacle to BHP Billiton's plans to develop the $1 billion Macedon gas project off Exmouth.

The Foreign Investment Review Board has given the green light for a Chinese entity to take a controlling interest in Perth-based Moly Mines, in a $US200 million deal that was first unveiled a month ago.

Murchison Metals-backed iron ore miner Crosslands Resources has significantly boosted the proposed scale of its Jack Hills iron ore development north-west of Meekatharra in the Mid West.

Heavy equipment sales and rental company Emeco expects its 2010/11 earnings to be at the lower end of its earnings guidance of between $46 million and $53 million on the back of a stronger Australian dollar.

Gold and base metals explorer, Rubianna Resources has launched an initial public offer of 30 million shares at 20 cents each to raise $6 million to embark on drilling and exploration programmes across nine Mid West projects.

Gold exploration company Cortona Resources has announced plans to raise $10.3 million to accelerate the development of its Dargues Reef gold project in New South Wales.

Former Environmental Protection Authority chairman Barry Carbon has today been appointed to the board of Bauxite Resources, which is currently awaiting approval for its bauxite operation from the Department of Environment.

A revitalised Macmin Silver will list on the local stock market tomorrow as Alcyone Resources, a year after it fell into administration on the back of the global financial crisis.

Subiaco-based Allied Gold has revealed plans to raise up to $C155 million ($A158 million), its second major capital raising for the calendar year.

Norwegian aluminium company Norsk Hydro has abandoned its bauxite mining plans in the Mitchell Plateau region to the north Kimberley, giving back its mining leases to the state government.

A growing volume of WA contracts has prompted engineering and infrastructure company AJ Lucas to open a Perth office as it today secured a $95 million contract for works at the Gorgon gas project.

Galaxy Resources has received environmental approval for its Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant in China, which is expected to have a small environmental footprint.

West Perth-based Bathurst Resources will reverse its acquisition of a United States coal miner after a dispute arose over the original agreements.

Toro Energy could potentially expand the uranium footprint at its Wiluna project in Western Australia after it acquired two nearby uranium tenements from Liberty Resources for $1 million.

West Perth-based Sipa Resources has agreed to sell a small exploration licence in the Mid West to Sinosteel Midwest Corporation for $450,000.

Leighton Holdings, in joint venture with Italian company Eni, has secured a $900 million contract to develop the liquefied natural gas jetty and marine structures for the Gorgon project.

Woodside Petroleum has split the front-end engineering work for its Pluto expansion project by awarding dual contracts for trains 2 and 3 to KBR and its existing joint venture contractors FosterWheeler and WorleyParsons.

The Woodside Petroleum-operated North West Shelf Venture today said it was continuing to negotiate with gas retailer Alinta, owned by Babcock and Brown Power, over future gas supplies from the project following an interim ruling by an arbitrator yesterday

Mermaid Marine Australia has scored more work at the Gorgon gas project, today securing a contract worth at least $32 million to provide stevedoring and related services for the operation's supply base.