Mining

Sandfire Resources confirmed today it has approached MOD Resources about a potential takeover, with the target proceeding instead with a $15 million capital raising to support work on its T3 copper project.

Ausdrill has won contracts in Western Australia worth a combined $171 million, including for underground mining services at Regis Resources’ Rosemont project.

GR Engineering Services has been awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction contract for Tellus Holdings’ Sandy Ridge facility, located 140 kilometres north-west of Kalgoorlie.

Telecommunications provider Swift Networks has won multiple contract extensions and expansions, as well as a new contract, in the resources industry.

West Perth-based gold and uranium explorer Predictive Discovery said employees at its joint venture with Progress Minerals in the West African country of Burkina Faso were safe, after a geologist working for its Canadian partner was kidnapped from the project site and killed.

Mining giant Rio Tinto expects to produce more iron ore this year, after it shipped 338.2 million tonnes of iron ore from its Pilbara operations in 2018, in line with full-year guidance.

Diversified miner South32 has announced corporate affairs and investor relations executive Katie Tovich will replace Brendan Harris as chief financial officer, who will take over the chief marketing officer role from Peter Finnimore.

Mining mogul Gina Rinehart retains her spot at the top of Forbes' Aussie rich list despite falling iron ore prices knocking her wealth down $US1.8 billion, to $US14.8 billion (down approximately $2.5 billion, to approximately $20.6 billion).

BHP Group will be double-checking its advertising copy in future after publishing full-page advertisements that mistakenly claimed major international business CPB Contractors was based in Western Australia.

Ausdrill has announced its chief financial officer Theresa Mlikota will leave company within the next three months to undertake the same role at ASX-listed construction materials and lime producer Adelaide Brighton.

Metals X has announced encouraging production results at its Nifty copper mine in the Pilbara.

Rio Tinto has halted exports of iron ore to some of its customers, after a fire last Thursday engulfed parts of its Cape Lambert export facility, located 40 kilometres north of Karratha.

The Pilbara Ports Authority has short-listed two specialist logistics companies for the development of new general cargo facilities at Port Hedland.

Processing plant problems at Altura Mining’s Pilgangoora lithium mine have slowed output ramp-up, with about 24,000 tonnes of lithium shipped so far from the 220,000tpa facility, nearly six months after production began.

Sheffield Resources has appointed global investment bank UBS as its corporate adviser to help assess potential investments by a strategic partner in the Thunderbird mineral sands project in the Kimberley.

Flinders Mines' second largest shareholder has submitted an application to the Takeovers Panel to prevent the company from continuing with its proposed delisting, just a day after it received a similar notice from its 12th largest shareholder.

Vector Resources has acquired a 60 per cent stake of the Adidi-Kanga gold project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in a cash and scrip deal worth about $14 million.

Shares in uranium stocks Berkeley Energia and Eclipse Metals have risen sharply amidst positive news relating to the companies’ respective flagship projects.

Former Heron Resources boss Mathew Longworth will take the helm of mining hopeful Metalicity, as managing director Matt Gauci announced he will move on after more than six years in the role.

West Perth-based Australian Vanadium has raised nearly $6.2 million from the recent exercising of approximately 204.6 million options.

Perseus Mining has awarded the engineering and supply contract at its Yaouré gold project, located in the West African country of Côte d’Ivoire, to fellow Perth-based company Lycopodium.

Plans for a kaolin mine and low level nuclear waste storage facility in the Shire of Coolgardie have taken a step forward, after Sydney-based Tellus Holdings received approval from the federal environmental regulator for the project.

Indigenous contractor Gumala Enterprises has secured a $16 million contract at Rio Tinto’s West Angelas mine, in what is the company’s single biggest contract win in the past five years.

The S&P 500 has jumped to a three-week high, led by Apple, Amazon, Facebook and industrial shares on bets that the United States and China would strike a deal to end their trade war.

Employers are expected to add more staff in the first three months of 2019 than at any time in the past four years in Western Australia, according to new research by recruitment firm Manpower Group.

Steven Lewis has been appointed chief executive at Southern Ports, effective January 14.

Technology minerals explorer Cauldron Energy is facing a new challenge after one of its major shareholders moved to oust director Nicholas Sage.

Black Rock Mining has secured a third Chinese buyer for graphite from its Mahenge mine in Tanzania.

Shares in Cervantes Corporation jumped on the ASX today after the company announced it had concluded drill testing at its Albury Heath project located 20 kilometres north-west of Meekatharra.

Henderson-based Volt Power Group has filed a writ in the Supreme Court of Western Australia against the vendor of Wescone Distribution, a mining equipment manufacturer it acquired in January 2018.

Gold and copper producer Doray Minerals has announced the sale of its Andy Well and Gnaweeda gold projects to Westgold Resources, in a cash and scrip deal worth $15 million.

Fortescue Metals Group has selected Belmont-based NRW Holdings as the preferred contractor to deliver the first stage of earthworks, roadworks and drainage works at the company's Eliwana rail project, located 90 kilometres west of the town of Tom Price in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.