Mining

Shares in Ramelius Resources rose after it reported high-grade gold results from deeper drilling its Wattle Dam mine in Western Australia and was admitted to the S&P ASX 300 index.

Hong Kong-based Wah Nam International Holdings has extended its parallel takeover bids for West Australian iron ore explorers Brockman Resources and FerrAus by one month.

Sandfire Resources has announced it will go ahead with a $400 million development of its DeGrussa copper-gold project, on the strength of a "robust" pre-feasibility study.

Rio Tinto says Sir Rod Eddington and Yves Fortier will retire as non-executive directors of the mining giant at the end of the annual general meeting on May 5.

Wayne Bergmann, the Kimberley Land Council head who has spearheaded Aboriginal negotiations over a controversial gas hub near Broome, is stepping down from the role.

Australia's biggest gold miner Newcrest Mining has nearly doubled its estimate of deposits at a mine in Papua New Guinea to more than 30 million ounces of gold.

Focus Minerals says it will purchase the remaining stake it does not already own of the Treasure Island gold project in the eastern Goldfields in a scrip and cash offer worth around $2.4 million, on today's share price.

A takeover bid of Perth-based oil and gas explorer Amadeus Energy hasn't been resolved and its shares remain in a trading halt, the company says.

Perth-based Aquila Resources says its interim loss of $15.8 million was primarily due to an increase in spending on exploring and evaluating its tenements.

Strategic Marine has expanded its exposure to the booming north-west, after winning a contract to build a 27-metre work barge for Karratha-based Offshore Plant Hire.

Perth-based goldminer Northern Star Resources says it is debt free and ready for growth after paying off the final $2.5 million production royalty relating to its $40 million acquisition of the Paulsens gold mine in the Pilbara.

West Perth-based base metals explorer Overland Resources says it has successfully raised $11.9 million through a share placement to institutional investors.

Southern Cross Electrical Engineering has announced it has won a contract for the first concentrator area electrical installation at CITIC Pacific's Sino Iron project at Cape Preston near Karratha.

Filipino workers paid "slave labour" rates on the North West Shelf could be entitled to tens of thousands of dollars in back pay, the Australian Workers Union says.

Premier Colin Barnett has thrown the door open for a change in the ownership structure of the Oakajee Port & Rail development, after granting its proponents an extension until the end of the year to finalise their plans.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon has called on the federal government to consider making natural gas exempt from a carbon tax.

Northern Minerals has announced it has gained a 60 per cent stake in its Gardner Range uranium joint venture with Manhattan Corporation.

Western Australia's Chamber of Minerals and Energy says it is crucial for the Federal Government to expand its skilled migration program to ensure labour demand from the resources industry is met.

Blackgold Resources, the Chinese-owned coalminer that listed on the ASX in Perth last week, has purchased a Chinese coal mine for around $12 million.

Iron ore pellet producer Grange Resources has booked a first half net profit of $85.2 million due to higher prices for the product.

Nomad Building Solutions says losses associated with the completion of its Gorgon contract were the main contributing factors to its $18.7 million first half loss.

Fresh from its $1.2 billion takeover of Citadel Resource Group, West Perth-based Equinox Minerals has launched a $C4.8 billion ($A4.83 billion) bid for Canadian base metals producer Lundin Mining Corporation.

Filipinos are working at "near slave labour" rates for a Danish shipping company on the North West Shelf, the Australian Workers Union says.

The West Australian opposition has urged Premier Colin Barnett to grant the Oakajee port and rail consortium an extension and stop acting like a dictator.

Shares in Fortescue Metals Group have risen after it announced a 1 billion tonne discovery of iron ore in the Pilbara.

Ausdrill has announced a record $36.3 million interim profit on the back of its Brandrill acquisition from December 2009 and increased exploration levels in the resources sector.

Engineering services firm RCR Tomlinson has boosted its first half net profit slightly on the back of the mining boom and says a large backlog of projects will boost growth this year.

Offshore petroleum operators will be hit with three new levies as the government moves to make them pay for their own safety inspections.

Japan's JFE Steel has rejected BHP Billiton's proposal for monthly pricing for coking coal, rather than the quarterly pricing arrangement that was introduced last year, according to reports.

Atlas Iron has announced a maiden profit result of $30.1 million for the half year ended December 31, and has flagged that profit will increase in the second half of financial year 2011.

Perth-based engineering and construction group Clough has announced that its Clough Curtain joint venture has been awarded $209 million in work orders associated with the PNG liquefied natural gas upstream infrastructure project.

Rio Tinto says it has received a binding offer from French mineral conglomerate Imersys to buy the mining giant's global talc business for $US340 million ($A341.28 million).