Mining

Legal action has been launched against engineering services firm WorleyParsons following a profit downgrade by the company.

Engineering contractor Monadelphous Group has secured oil and gas contract extensions worth a combined $100 million.

Woodside has for the first time confirmed the high cost of its shelved James Price Point gas project, though the figure it has released is not directly comparable to the construction cost estimates for other LNG developments like Chevron's larger Gorgon development on Barrow Island.

Eden Energy will continue to wait to sell its entire UK coal seam methane and shale gas portfolio for up to £11.5 million ($21 million), due to UK-based buyer Shale Energy failing to complete a £7 million capital raising for the purchase.

McAleese Resources, a subsidiary of McAleese Group, has been awarded a four year, $250 million iron ore haulage contract for Atlas Iron's Mt Webber mine in the Pilbara.

Engineering and construction business Decmil Group has won a $147 million contract for work on the expansion of the Manus Island detention centre, taking its total awarded work at the centre to $284 million.

Australian engineering group UGL has been awarded a five-year multi-million dollar contract to maintain energy giant Chevron's Western Australia gas assets.

Perth-based miner Pacifico Minerals has entered an agreement with Miguel Angel Perez Villa to acquire up to a 90 per cent interest over three years of its share of the Berrio gold deposit in Antioquia, Colombia.

Perth-based gold explorer Primary Gold will raise up to $2.4 million for its Toms Gully mine at the Mt Bundy gold project in the Northern Territory with its appointed lead manager Patersons Securities to underwrite up to $1 million to the rights issue.

Bulletin Resources has enlisted its major shareholder Matsa Resources to acquire up to a 75 per cent interest for its Halls Creek gold projects in a $4.4 million binding term sheet.

Downer EDI has been awarded an $80 million contract for electrical work at Rio Tinto's Yandicoogina iron ore mine in the Pilbara.

Forge Group shares have risen on news it has secured a $40 million contract, helping to repair an 80 per cent single-day nose dive in late November when it announced a $127 million profit writedown on two power stations.

Leighton Holdings subsidiary Thiess has won a $570 million four-year contract extension on a coal mine owned by Wesfarmers.

BHP Billiton will slash up to 200 jobs after closing its underground nickel mine in Western Australia due to safety fears.

Oil prices have jumped after armed protesters in Libya refused to lift a months-long blockade of key oil terminals in the eastern part of the country.

Resources companies will turn to foreign workers to service $200 billion worth of oil and gas projects in the coming years unless there is greater investment in skills training, a new report has warned.

A group of large industrial gas users has urged Premier Colin Barnett to stand firm in insisting the Woodside-led Browse gas project is developed onshore.

Senex Energy has withdrawn its $752 million takeover offer for fellow Australian oil and gas producer AWE.

Freight rail operator Aurizon says no extra jobs will be lost as it shrinks the size of its rail fleet and finalises the termination of a Queensland project.

Woodside Petroleum boss Peter Coleman would love to pull off a big overseas deal and set his company up for years of strong growth.

Decmil Group has been awarded a contract extension worth up to $80 million for works on the Queensland Curtis Liquefied Natural Gas project.

Woodside Energy has opted to partially extend a leasing agreement at the Aspen Karratha Village after Aspen agreed to upgrade the facility.

Liquefied Natural Gas Limited has raised nearly $11 million to progress development at its Magnolia LNG project in Louisiana, while at the same time announcing it had appointed BNP Paribas as its p

Swick Mining Services has been awarded contracts for underground diamond coring at MMG's Golden Grove and Rosebery mines.

Perth-based GR Engineering Services has diversified from mining into the oil & gas sector, with the purchase of Melbourne company Product Solutions for $5.75 million.

Oil prices have sunk in London on the expected return of Libyan crude to the market while US prices edged higher.

Nedlands-based potash explorer Reward Minerals has copped a speeding ticket from the ASX after its shares soared more than 56 per cent higher in the space of a week.

The Fraser Range near Norseman has yet again cemented itself as an exploration hospot, with junior base metals explorer Classic Minerals shares soaring on the ASX today on news of a substantial new

Shares in Perth-based oil and gas explorer Kinetiko Energy have tanked after the company emerged from a trading halt with news of a heavily discounted share placement.

Perth-based Xstate Resources have dropped their target of gaining 100 per cent control of Bombora Energy in an amended heads of agreement that will see them acquire 75.9 per cent of the shares on issue.

FEATURE: A diverse array of privately held and public-listed companies is angling to become the next success story in the onshore oil and gas sector.

Chevron has announced a second cost increase and further delays to its giant Gorgon gas project, with the budget now set at $US54 billion.