Mining

Rio Tinto has purchased a third jet for Western Australia’s aeromedical fleet, as part of a six-year partnership extension with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).

Fortescue Metals Group has reported a near four-fold jump in first-half profit as it cashed in on higher iron ore prices, while analysts said a lower than expected dividend reflected caution on the global economy.

Macmahon Holdings has received a letter of intent from Silver Lake Resources for further work at the Mount Monger gold operations, including development of the new Santa mine.

Contractors Monadelphous and Emeco Holdings enjoyed solid share price gains today after reporting their interim results, with Emeco posting higher profits and improved margins while Monadelphous forecast a 10 per cent increase in revenue for the full financial year after a soft first-half.

Panoramic Resources has sold a portion of shares in its Perth-based subsidiary, Horizon Gold, to the company’s major shareholder for $5.5 million.

Miner Rio Tinto has lowered its forecast for the volume of iron ore it expects to ship from the Pilbara region after tropical cyclone Damien hit the coast of Western Australia.

BHP shareholders will receive a heftier, fully franked 65 US cents per share interim dividend after the global miner lifted its first-half statutory profit 29 per cent to $US4.87 billion ($A7.25 billion).

A 2008 agreement between Julian Wright’s two children and family company Wright Prospecting precluded further claims, a Supreme Court trial has been told.

Saracen Mineral Holdings has reported strong growth in its interim profits, helped by increased production and the recent acquisition of its stake in the Kalgoorlie Super Pit. Fellow gold miner Regis Resources and mining technology company Imdex have also reported positive first-half results.

Rio Tinto has announced the development of a $US98 million ($A144 million) solar plant at its Koodaideri mine in the Pilbara, which is expected to supply around two thirds of the mine’s average electricity demand once completed.

Mineral sands company Sheffield Resources says it will scale back activities at its flagship Thunderbird project in Western Australia and seek ways to develop the project at a lower cost, after failing to secure a strategic partner.

Newcrest Mining has posted an 18 per cent rise in underlying half-year profit, getting a boost from higher realised gold prices and a weaker Australian dollar.

South32 has reported an 80 per cent plunge in half-year underlying profit due to a temporary tax increase and lower prices across key commodities

Iron ore miner Roy Hill Holdings is taking a further leap into the world of autonomous mining, selecting Epiroc and ASI Mining to convert its fleet of 77 trucks from manned to driverless use.

Sydney-based ABC Refinery has poached three senior Perth Mint employees to join its treasury and trading team as it ramps-up its competition with the government-owned business.

Magmatic Resources has secured commitments to raise $5 million from a share placement to explore its tenements in the East Lachlan gold-copper province in NSW.

Oz Minerals and Cassini Resources believe their West Musgrave nickel-copper project in Western Australia can be a long-term, low-cost operation, following completion of a pre-feasibility study that found the mine's development cost would be about $995 million.

Mineral Resources is focused on ramping-up its iron ore operations after a major restructuring last year of its lithium assets, with the company also declaring an increased dividend today.

Shares in Northern Star Resources have continued their steady recovery back towards record levels after the gold miner reported improved half-year profits, declared higher dividends and foreshadowed further growth.

Rio Tinto has contracted New Zealand business Scott Technology to build an automated mine site laboratory for its Koodaideri iron ore project in the Pilbara.

Julian Wright has commenced legal action in the Supreme Court, claiming he was defrauded when he sold his share of the family company to his siblings, 'rich listers' Angela Bennett and the late Michael Wright.

Australian Vanadium has received a $1.25 million grant from the federal government to find ways to improve vanadium production.

Kalgoorlie-based Hampton Mining and Civil Services has secured an early works contract for Mincor Resources’ Cassini nickel project in Western Australia’s Kambalda district.

Goldminer Ramelius Resources has lodged a $208 million takeover offer for Spectrum Metals, after Spectrum settled its disputes with Venus Metals Corporation in relation to the acquisition of the Penny West gold project in Western Australia.

Ascot-based GR Engineering Services has been contracted to build a sulphide flotation and processing plant for Galena Mining’s base metals project in Western Australia.

Perth-based explorer Tesoro Resources will begin trading on the Australian Securities Exchange tomorrow after completing a backdoor listing, an outcome that's been increasingly rare of late.

Perth-based explorers Technology Metals and Artemis Resources have each raised $2.1 million through share placements, while South Australian company Twenty Seven Co is seeking to raise $1.6 million to explore its tenements in Western Australia’s Goldfields region.

Rio Tinto has contracted Perth-based Southern Cross Electrical Engineering to complete rehabilitation works on its Gove Peninsula operations in the Northern Territory.

Indian miner Adani has been fined $20,000 for giving the Queensland government false or misleading information about land clearing.

Shares in CIMIC Group are up 8 per cent, a day after the international contractor named a new chief executive and announced a $1 billion full-year loss related to its decision to exit the Middle East.

Civil and mining contractor NRW Holdings has secured a $70 million contract for works on the Iron Bridge magnetite project near Port Hedland.

Mining services provider Perenti Global says it is considering buying Downer EDI's mining servicing business, but dismissed a report of a $700 million offer.