Fraser Beattie

The US Navy has extended its contract with shipbuilder Austal for the charter of its WestPac Express vessel, under a deal potentially worth about $US29.9 million.

The federal government has given conditional approval to develop a single-entry marina, which will accommodate up to 500 pens and moorings at Point Peron peninsula in Rockingham.

Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion says a partnership between Western Australia and Chinese geoscientists could help unlock the mysteries of the state’s geology.

Disgruntled Water Corporation employees will be dumping bottles of dirty water on the steps of Water Minister Mia Davies’ office in Havelock St today, in protest against outsourcing.

Former Aperio Resources director Andy Lim has been sentenced to 12 months jail in the Perth District Court on a fraud charge brought by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Shares in Perth-based White Cliff Minerals have slumped on news it had signed a $US4 million funding agreement with New York-based investment firm Magna Equities to accelerate exploration at its Australian and Kyrgyz projects over the next two years.

Shares in Poseidon Nickel surged by over 10 per cent after it announced an offtake agreement with BHP Billiton Nickel West.

Depute state solicitor Robert Mitchell SC has been appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court, replacing former justice Christopher Pullin.

Perth-based Altona Mining announced the completion of its $US95 million Finnish assets sale to Swedish miner Boliden Mineral AB and has received $US89.2 million in cash as the first tranche of payment.

A new competitor for car-booking app Uber has emerged out of Sydney and is setting its sights on Perth as its first stop in an Australia-wide expansion plan.

The Department of Mines and Petroleum says it will return millions of dollars in unconditional performance bonds associated with dead tenements to mining companies and individuals through its rehabilitation fund program.

Wesfarmers says it will raise about $864 million through a bond issue under its Euro Medium Term Note program.

Rare earths producer Lynas Corporation has announced an $83 million capital raising to help replenish its crippled cash balance.

West Perth-based miner Metals X has completed a $40.4 million pre-pay arrangement with Citibank for the production of over 30,000 ounces of gold.

Peak Resources has secured a $28.6 million funding deal with mining and metals equity investor Appian Natural Resources Fund, to assist in financing a bankable feasibility study at its Ngualla rare earth project in Tanzania.

Shares in Perth-based metals explorer Peel Mining have surged on news it would receive up to $7 million through a farm-in agreement with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation.

Ausdrill announced today that the proceedings in the Supreme Court against its chief executive officer Ron Sayers have been discontinued.

Western Australian industrial design firm Form Designs says its shark barrier technology is a more viable cost-effective solution to the shark nets proposed for 22 WA beaches by Premier Colin Barnett in media reports today.

Accounting firm EY says debt levels and an ongoing focus on costs is placing more pressure mining services companies in Western Australia.

Clive Palmer's Mineralogy has moved to terminate CITIC Pacific Mining's rights to mine his iron ore in Western Australia, casting doubt over an $8 billion project.

A subsidiary of Wesfarmers, liquefied natural gas supplier EVOL LNG, has won a deal with Saracen Mineral Holdings to supply 7,000 tonnes of the resource per year to its Carosue Dam operations north of Kalgoorlie for an undisclosed amount.

Western Australia has recorded its highest number of insolvencies for a month in nearly two years, with 841 companies entering external administration across the country in July.

Junior miner Jameson Resources says it has received firm commitments for a $2 million capital raising to fund work at its flagship Crown Mountain coking coal project in British Columbia.

St George Mining has completed a capital raising of $1.75 million to sophisticated investors.

A PwC director has claimed the productivity of iron ore mining equipment in Australia has fallen 40 per cent in the last four years, and has sat behind the global average since 2012.

Virgin Australia says it will redesign and improve its business and economy class cabins throughout its aircraft fleet, relabelling business class as the ‘super diamond’.

A joint venture between Ord River Resources and Dampier Gold has entered into a binding ore treatment agreement with Northern Star Resources for use of its Plutonic processing facility for an undisclosed sum.

Iron ore explorer Gindalbie Metals has detailed a $586 million loss for the financial year, which was previously flagged on the back of a write-down of its 48 per cent stake in the Karara project.

Western Australian treasurer Mike Nahan says he can’t guarantee a budget surplus in the next financial year due to the recent volatility in iron ore prices.

Just 3 per cent of Western Australia's small business respondents to a new survey say they are planing to increase staff over the next year, despite SMEs in the state reporting the strongest revenue performance in the country over the last 12 months.

Rubber recycler and manufacturer Reclaim Industries says it will raise $2 million to provide funding for its proposed $3.8 million takeover of cloud-based recruitment business Skills Connect and has placed a formal share sale agreement to the company.

Electric and motor scooter manufacturer and distributor Vmoto says it will purchase Nanjing Haiyong Electronic Technology for an undisclosed amount, overwriting an earlier proposal to enter into a joint venture arrangement with the China-based tech firm in October last year.