Mining

One of the world's healthiest marine environments will be threatened by a major oil and gas drilling program just 10km off Western Australia's pristine Rowley Shoals, conservationists say.

Shares in Alumina Ltd eased after the miner's joint venture partner Alcoa said it would slash alumina production capacity to avoid adding to oversupply in the Atlantic region.

Billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer says Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board is acting as a disincentive for investment in Australia.

Company collapses spiked 114 per cent in February in Western Australia, sparking fears the mining sector is sucking life out of non-resource related business.

The annual Diggers and Dealers mining conference may be forced to move to Perth if Kalgoorlie's conference centre is forced to close, organisers say.

Central Petroleum is in talks to attract new joint venture partners for its ambitious helium project in the Northern Territory near the South Australian border.

BC Iron and equal joint venture partner Fortescue Metals Group have extended the life of their Nullagine iron ore mine in the Pilbara by 18 months.

WHL Energy has completed a capital raising worth nearly $8 million to fund exploration at its Seychelles gas acreage off the coast of Africa.

Programmed Maintenance Services has bought golf course and race track maintenance company Turnpoint in a deal worth up to $12 million. 

World oil prices have tumbled as soaring American stockpiles indicate weak demand in the world's biggest oil consuming nation, dealers say.

Gold futures have fallen in after-market trading after the latest US Federal Open Market Committee minutes showed few hints of imminent monetary stimulus.

Nexus Energy has selected a new chief executive, appointing former Woodside Energy executive Lucio Della Martina to head up its operations.

Transfield Services shareholders are bracing themselves for a possible profit downgrade from the construction and maintenance company.

GR Engineering has won a $12 million contract at Sandfire Resources’ DeGrussa copper-gold project near Meekatharra.

Andrew Forrest will underwite a $20 million capital raising to help fund development of Poseidon Nickel's Windarra project near Laverton.

Reed Resources plans a fully underwritten $40 million capital raising to fund development of its Meekatharra gold project.

Engineering company Monadelphous Group has secured construction and maintenance contracts in Western Australia and Queensland worth a combined $220 million.

Tens of thousands of Aboriginal rock art treasures in the Pilbara region will be researched, catalogued and promoted under an agreement between the University of Western Australia an

Aquila Resources says court action surrounding the sale of its stake in a Queensland coal project was a waste of time and money.

Debt-laden Bass Metals is in talks to sell assets as it strives to reduce liabilities.

Chevron's $43 billion Gorgon LNG project is proceeding on budget and on track for completion by the end of 2014, the project director said today.

Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest will have a nervous wait until the High Court hands down a judgment next month on claims he misled investors.

It's time to put an end to "billionaire welfare" in Australia by slashing multi-billion dollar subsidies handed to the mining industry, GetUp says.

Western Australia-focused iron ore explorer Flinders Mines will soon be in the hands of a Russian steel company after shareholders approved the friendly takeover.

BHP Billiton's head of iron ore Ian Ashby will stand down in July after 25 years with the resources giant.

Chinese demand is driving the resources boom, but Australian companies should consider operating in China itself, says the head of Swedish engineering giant Sandvik.

Mines minister Norman Moore said today he is “extraordinarily frustrated” after the state government withdrew its prosecution against US petroleum company Apache and its joint venture partners over

Perth-based energy junior FAR has announced a $15 million capital raising to fund oil and gas exploration off the Kenya coast.

Phoenix Gold has announced it will acquire Carrick Gold’s West Kalgoorlie gold tenements in a cash and scrip deal worth just over $700,000.

Resources giant Rio Tinto's decision to scrap plans for a $US2 billion ($A1.92 billion) aluminium smelter in Malaysia has been blamed in part on China over-supplying the market.

Strike Energy has completed a $20 million share placement to fund further drilling programs at its Cooper Basin fields and demonstrate the commercial potential of its Eagle Ford shale gas assets.

Australia's gas fields should be harnessed for domestic consumption to keep the nation's manufacturing sector competitive, an adviser to the US President says.