Claire Prideaux

Construction workers who participated in unlawful industrial action at Woodside's Pluto project have been ordered to pay over $1 million in total fines, with some individual fines reaching $10,000.

Apache Northwest, Santos and Tap Oil announced today that drilling at the Bianchi-1 natural gas well co-owned by the three companies had confirmed a gas discovery, the second for the companies' offshore Carnarvon Basin joint exploration projects. Bianchi is located in the WA-49-R retention lease, around 60km north-west of Onslow and west of Barrow Island, and approximately 21km south of the Gorgon gas field. It is the second confirmed gas discovery in the retention lease, after the Zola-1 well, owned by the same companies and located about 6.4km south-west of the Bianchi site, tested positive in April 2011.

Erongo Energy announced today that it would acquire the unlisted company Ninghan Exploration and appoint ex-Perseus Mining Managing Director, Mark Calderwood, to its board.

Balamara Resources announced today that it would undertake a renounceable rights issue next month in an effort to raise $5.26 million working capital.

Australia’s corporate regulator has dropped an asset stripping charge levelled against property entrepreneur Norm Carey, after the discovery of new evidence two weeks into a District Court trial.