Mining

Wesfarmers-backed Covalent Lithium has signed a lease for its planned Kwinana refinery project with the state government.

The Perth Mint has today launched its latest bullion program to an international audience of wholesale and retail distributors.

Western Australian company Volt Resources has secured $5.8 million to fast-track its batteries business.

Fortescue chief executive Elizabeth Gaines has responded to concerns about a potential reopening of state borders, saying the company can track, trace and test to manage a mine site outbreak.

Nickel miner IGO has reported a record financial performance, after what managing director Peter Bradford described was a transformational year for the business.

Mining giant BHP is considering mandating COVID-19 vaccination for anyone entering its worksites and offices.

Four Western Australian explorers are preparing to list on the ASX, having launched initial public offerings to raise a combined $34 million.

Australia’s gold production in the past six months has exceeded China's figures, according to a Melbourne consultancy.

Andrew Forrest will receive a $2.4 billion dividend from Fortescue Metals Group, after the company's profit more than doubled thanks to high iron ore prices.

Rio Tinto says there's no evidence it deliberately covered up the dumping of cultural artefacts salvaged from a Western Australian heritage site.

Some aspects of the push for greener energy are having unintended consequences.

Global company Intertek has consolidated its Perth operations into one of the world’s largest minerals testing laboratories, with 500 staff and a desire for more.

Subiaco-based Perseus Mining has reported a 48 per cent jump in net profit to almost $140 million, after commissioning its third mine and boosting production.

Mineral sands miner Iluka Resources has started work on three new projects while continuing to assess development of a fully integrated rare earths refinery north of Perth.

Beacon Minerals is set to extend the life of its Jaurdi asset in Western Australia following the purchase of a nearby gold project.

Goldminer Northern Star Resources has reported a 28 per cent jump in underlying net profit and declared higher dividends, after a year of record production.

Nickel miner Western Areas has incurred a full-year loss on the back of “mine production issues” at its Forrestania operations near Kalgoorlie.

Listed contractor Macmahon Holdings has secured further work at the Tropicana and Telfer mines in Western Australia, with the contracts worth more than $600 million in total.

Mining services company Perenti Global has delivered a solid annual result after dealing with the impact of COVID-19, labour shortages and currency movements.

Shares in Monadelphous Group fell sharply today as the market looked past its strong FY21 profit and focused on the patchy outlook and “unprecedented” labour shortages.

GR Engineering Services’ shares were up 10 per cent this morning when the company posted a significant jump in revenue and earnings.

Mader Group has largely avoided the labour shortage issues hitting other mining services companies, reporting strong growth in earnings and forecasting more growth this year.

Only a handful of Perth-based companies outside the resources sector have built truly national or global operations.

Australia’s first lithium hydroxide refinery at Kwinana has commenced production five years after the start of construction, but with full capacity still 18 months away.

Listed mining and civil contractor MACA is back in the black after achieving record full-year revenue of $1.2 billion.

K+S Group has slashed the footprint of its proposed $350 million salt project in the Exmouth Gulf by almost one-third to reduce its environmental impact and increase output.

Western Australia’s iron ore exports are breaking records, but are we at a turning point?

Experienced director Sharon Warburton will join the board of Northern Star Resources in September, while Tony Kiernan has announced his plan to retire from the role.

The share prices of Australia’s big iron ore miners have fallen by an average of 13 per cent over the past week, under the weight of a lower commodity price and higher costs.

Dozens of women have reported being sexually harassed on Western Australian mine sites, but the big miners concede the true number of cases is likely to be higher.

Liontown Resources’ non-lithium spinout will hit the ASX boards in October after it raises at least $15 million from an initial public offering.

Andrew Forrest’s Tattarang has bought $38 million of Western Areas shares since March, revealed a day after IGO confirmed the nickel miners were in takeover discussions.