John Phaceas

Woodside Petroleum has split the front-end engineering work for its Pluto expansion project by awarding dual contracts for trains 2 and 3 to KBR and its existing joint venture contractors FosterWheeler and WorleyParsons.

Mid-West magnetite hopeful Asia Iron Holdings is targeting a 2012 production start at its flagship $2 billion Extension Hill project near Geraldton, after securing a major state-owned Chinese partner for the venture.

GOLD miner Centamin Egypt's move to cancel its Australian listing does not herald an exodus of local miners from the Australian bourse, according to local industry players.

Geraldton is making an ambitious bid to become Western Australia's renewable energy capital as part of a broader push to establish itself as a world leader in renewable generation.

A leaking well has been confirmed at a second oil project in the Timor Sea, just 50 kilometres north west of the Montara oil project which has been spewing condensate into the ocean for more than nine weeks.

THE state government will come under fresh pressure from domestic gas users after last week’s landmark agreement between Chevron and Apache Corporation to develop the Julimar and Brunello gas fields.

Woodside Petroleum remains confident of pushing ahead with its fast-tracked expansion of its Pluto liquefied natural gas project, despite missing out on third party gas supply agreements to rival LNG developer Chevron.

MORE than $1 billion of planned private sector investment in new Mid West power supplies is hanging by a thread, after state energy retailer Synergy awarded generation sibling Verve Energy future power supply contracts.

Engineering and construction contractor United Group has won a $190 million contract with state electricity generator Verve Energy for the ugrade of its Kwinana power station.