Mining

Nomad Building Solutions Ltd has appointed Macmahon Holding Ltd's general manager strategic development Phillip Hatt as its new chief executive.

Perth Airport continued its strong passenger growth in the first half of 2007-08 with an increase of 13.3 per cent over the same period in 2006-07.

With gold production in Western Australia near five-year lows, the outlook for future production is reliant on new mines coming on stream successfully and mine expansions coming to fruition.

The sale of Western Australian mining assayer Kalassay Group to UK-based inspection and testing group, Inspicio plc, signals the fall of the last remaining major independent geochemical assaying laboratory into corporate hands.

As commercial vacancies remain at record lows across Perth’s CBD, property owners are undertaking major refurbishments to utilise what little space remains.

For many years the mainstay of Western Australia’s mining industry, gold has increasingly been overshadowed by iron ore, nickel and petroleum, which have been the focus of exploration dollars and overseas investment projects.

At first glance, the parallels between producing a musical and developing a mine seem tenuous.

Shares in uranium miner Extract Resources Ltd soared almost 40 per cent today to close at 81 cents following the announcement of significant drilling results at Garnet Valley on its Husab Uranium project in Namibia.

West Perth-based miner Mirabela Nickel Ltd has boosted capital expenditure on its Santa Rita nickel project in Brazil by 22 per cent to US$322 million ($372.4 million).

Ironbark Ltd has announced plans to divest its gold assets into wholly owned subsidiary, Waratah Gold Ltd, a gold explorer with an ambition to list on the Australian stock exchange.

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The race is on to develop Western Australia's clean energy potential, following the historic first release of acreage for geothermal exploration by the state government.

East-Perth based Fox Resources Ltd has repaid the $4 million project loan for zinc concentrates from the West Whundo copper/zinc project from China's largest importer of iron ore, Sinosteel Australia.

Deep Yellow Ltd has struck a deal with Xstrata Group subsidiary, Mount Isa Mines Ltd, whereby Deep Yellow can ultimately acquire 100 per cent of the uranium rights to six Xstrata-held tenements.

Perth-based Straits Resources Ltd has acquired a significant stake in a Madagascar coal project for a total of US$45 million ($51.35 million).

Perth-based Westgold Resources Ltd has appointed geologist Andrew Beckwith to the position of managing director, following the resignation of chief executive and executive director Tony Martin.

Grange Resources Ltd has announced today that the company and its joint venture partner have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the global engineering and technology corporation Metso Minerals Ltd for the Southdown Magnetite Project.

Clough Ltd, in a three way joint venture, has secured work on the $345 million Gladstone to Fitzroy pipeline project in central Queensland.

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Subiaco-based uranium miner Deep Yellow Ltd plans to dual list 100 per cent of its issued ordinary capital on the Namibian Stock Exchange on January 23.

Engineering and construction contractor Clough Ltd has confirmed that Woodside Ltd has approved the initial expenditure of up to $30 million for preliminary works for the LNG jetty berth of the Pluto LNG Project.

West Perth-based Emerald Oil & Gas NL has reached an in principle agreement with Capital Investment Partners Pty Ltd to raise up to $2.025 million for exploration and production activities in the United States and Western Australia's Canning Basin.

Almost 99% of Western Australian employers intend to maintain or increase their current staff number during the first three months of 2008 according to the latest Hudson Report Employment Expectations survey released today.

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Perth-based Patersons Securities Ltd is set to launch a resources-focused fund, the second product for the fledgling asset management business launched late last year.

After a couple of failed attempts earlier this decade, Western Australia is edging closer towards connection to its first new international subsea cable in almost 10 years.

Finding the right people to manage Western Australia’s technology companies is like finding a needle in a haystack, according to Titan Bioventures managing director and Phylogica non-executive director Harry Karelis.

With very little fanfare last month, Northern Iron Ltd managed to successfully conduct the year’s biggest mining float, raising $140 million to fund the development of an iron ore mine in Norway.

Already home to mining giants Rio Tinto, Xstrata and Anglo Gold Ashanti, Argentina is considered to be Latin America’s next worldclass mining region, after Chile and Brazil, with its relatively underexplored but highly prospective gold and silver resourc

West Perth-based Transit Holdings Ltd has completed a placement to raise $2 million to sophisticated investors for exploration for haematite mineralisation and working capital.

Rio Tinto Ltd has reported record annual output for key commodities in its fourth quarter 2007 operations review, including a 9 per cent increase in its attributable iron ore output to 145 million tonnes in the calendar year.

Perth-based Montezuma Mining Company Ltd is seeking to raise up to $3 million to fund an accelerated exploration program at its Peak Hill gold mine near Meekatharra.