Mining

Short sellers have driven Fortescue Metals Group shares more than 8 per cent lower after a recent run up in the company's stock.

MZI Resources is set to begin operating its $70 million Keysbrook mineral sands project near Serpentine, with development work due to wrap up next week.

Excelsior Gold says a revised ore treatment agreement with Norton Gold Fields will remove an upfront $12.5 million payment for a milling allocation, with the savings to provide flexibility to further develop its Kalgoorlie North gold project.

Mining giant Glencore will attempt to sell copper mines in Australia and Chile as it tries to tackle its massive debt.

Former Sirius Resources boss Mark Bennett and director Neil Warburton have joined the board of Independence Group, which acquired Sirius in a $1.8 billion takeover last month.

General Mining Corporation has confirmed the viability of earning a 50 per cent stake in Galaxy Resources’ Mt Cattlin tantalum project, after an independent review found it would cost $14.7 million to bring the project back into operation.

Shares in Antipa Minerals have soared on news it has attracted backing from mining giant Rio Tinto, which plans to invest up to $60 million in the local explorer’s Citadel gold-copper project.

Jose Martins has resigned from his position as chief financial officer at Ausdrill to take on the same role at Macmahon Holdings.

Local engineering services company Clough is boosting its North American presence with the acquisition of Canada-based Enercore Projects for $C10 million ($A10.5 million).

Junior explorer MRL Corporation has received firm commitments for a $4 million capital raising to fund development of mine shafts at its graphite tenements in Sri Lanka.

The recently appointed boss of BHP Billiton’s Nickel West division has presented a rare positive message for the unloved business, saying there was “nervous excitement” after a series of internal changes.

Shares in NRW Holdings have nearly doubled in value after the company lifted a trading suspension following two wins in the Supreme Court of Western Australia in its dispute with Samsung C&T.

Health insurer HBF and miner BHP Billiton are turning away from a singular focus on annual performance reviews in favour of more regular and personal engagement with staff.

Shares in local rare earths explorer Plymouth Minerals closed 75 per cent higher on news it had entered into an agreement to acquire two African potash projects for an all-scrip deal worth up to $2.75 million.

Mining giant Glencore says its Australian coal mines will be shut down if the long downturn in commodity prices makes them unprofitable.

Nickel miner Western Areas has pushed about $32.6 million worth of capital expenditure planned for FY16 back by a year, as it prepares to weather the weak nickel market.

Perth-based Metalicity has commenced exploration activity and a scoping study at its recently acquired base metals projects, after a 12-month restructuring process that concluded yesterday when it began trading on the ASX.

South Africa’s Sibanye Gold is poised to acquire Aquarius Platinum, which has been struggling for several years to deal with weak commodity prices.

NRW Holdings has had a legal win over Samsung C&T, with the Supreme Court upholding a $17 million adjudication in favour of the Perth-based contractor.

A subsidiary of Mineral Resources has been fined $90,000 in a Western Australian court after a worker was injured three years ago while unloading pipes from a truck at Consolidated Minerals' manganese mine in the Pilbara.

Shares in Perth-based junior explorer Walkabout Resources have surged on the release of promising drilling results at its Lindi Jumbo graphite project in Tanzania.

Struggling steel and mining group Arrium says it is shortlisting parties to undertake due diligence for its mining consumables business, and has embarked on a fresh round of cost cuts.

Oil and gas producer Buru Energy has fallen on news its Praslin 1 well in the Canning Basin had come up dry.

Dacian Gold's share price hit a three-year high today after the explorer said the scoping study for its Mt Morgans mine project showed it would be "an outstanding WA gold project at every level".

A local exploration company led by Perth Glory owner Tony Sage is looking to join the wave of backdoor listings and become a gambling platforms provider, while technology company Velpic’s reverse takeover of International Coal has reached another milestone.

Rio Tinto has struck a $865 million deal to sell its 40 per cent stake in the Bengalla open cut coal mine in NSW to New Hope Corporation.

Construction giant CIMIC Group has won a $300 million contract for gas field development works in the Surat Basin in Queensland for Australia Pacific LNG.

Deep Exploration Technologies Cooperative Research Centre has entered into a development agreement with drilling services company Imdex for its Lab-at-Rig product, which aims to improve efficiency and reduce costs when drilling exploration holes.

Perth companies Neometals and Mineral Resources have marked the start of construction at the Mt Marion lithium project, with first production targeted for mid-2016.

Alkane Resources has hired Finnish technology services supplier Outotec to provide early contractor involvement work at its Dubbo zirconia project in New South Wales.

Nickel miner Western Areas is moving forward with plans to increase its holding in South Australian tenements held by Monax Mining and Strandline Resources, and will begin a new drilling campaign in the coming weeks.

Phoenix Gold shareholders will be hoping for an improved takeover offer from Evolution Mining, after a proposal to acquire the business was knocked back by Phoenix directors today.