Mining

Seven Group's heavy machinery company has bought the local arm of US parts and services business Bucyrus for $US400 million ($A389.39 million).

Mining billionaire Clive Palmer, who has savaged the federal government's mining tax, reportedly did not have to pay tax in his main private company last year.

Alcoa says two of its alumina refineries in Western Australia have achieved record production and remain among its lowest-cost plants globally.

Shares in Flinders Mines were sold off when its trading halt was lifted, after court action continued to hold up the iron ore explorer's $554 million takeover by a Russian steel maker.

New rules making it easier for Australian firms to tender for contracts offered by resource and construction companies will help share the benefits of the mining boom, the federal government says.

Uranium explorer Deep Yellow has announced that Leon Pretorius will leave the company after seven years as a senior executive.

Mining giant BHP Billiton is sinking its teeth into the Gulf of Mexico's Mad Dog oil field, committing $US708 million ($A692.73 million) on work for the second phase of the project.

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.

Woodside Petroleum and its joint venture partners have been given an extra year to finalise their plans for the $30 billion Browse liquefied natural gas project near Broome.

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.

Western Australia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry says the existing building and construction award wage system is too restrictive to be applied to remote resources projects.

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.

Ampella Mining shares have bounced off their two-year lows this week, after the Africa-focused gold miner announced it had commenced a targeted sales process.

Aquila Resources says it has secured nearly all of the funding required for the development of its West Pilbara iron ore project, after selling its main coal asset to Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation.

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.

Western Australia-based lithium miner Galaxy Resources has announced it will acquire Canada’s Lithium One to create the largest pure-play lithium company in the world, with a market capitalisation