Mining

Rio Tinto has awarded Perth-based engineering company Mondium with a $400 million contract for works at the Western Turner Syncline phase two mine, located in the Pilbara.

Rio Tinto has formed a joint venture with Antipa Minerals after investing $11 million in exploration expenditure for the Citadel copper-gold project, located in the prospective Paterson Province.

Engineering group Monadelphous has secured several new construction and maintenance contracts, including three with BHP, worth a combined value of around $110 million.

Gulf Manganese Corporation has secured further funding for the construction of two smelting hubs in Indonesia, with €52 million ($A84 million) expected to be received later this month.

Independence Group’s Nova and Tropicana mines in Western Australia have achieved strong preliminary results, with first-half metal production exceeding guidance by around 9 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.

Mineral Commodities will move to 90 per cent ownership of the Munglinup graphite project in Western Australia after striking a deal worth $9.8 million with joint venture partner Gold Terrace. It comes after completion of a definitive feasibility study that put a $US61 million cost on the project.

Minderoo Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA and Fenix Resources made senior appointments over the holiday break.

Flinders Mines says it has identified a viable mine plan for its Pilbara iron ore project (PIOP), ahead of a crucial shareholder meeting to approve a joint venture with infrastructure company BBI Group.

NRW Holdings has been awarded works at Fortescue Metals Group’s Eliwana iron ore mine and rail project in the Pilbara under an infrastructure contract valued around $138 million, announced last month.

The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA has celebrated the addition of 12,000 jobs to the state's resource sector in the 2018-19 financial year, bringing the overall number of workers employed in the sector to 124,010.

WestStar subsidiary SIMPEC has been awarded $6 million in contract extensions, bringing the total value of contracts awarded to the company since July to $30 million.

Ghana Manganese Company has terminated its equipment hire contract with Perenti Global subsidiary African Mining Services, following a temporary suspension of the contract earlier this month.

Talga Resources has raised $3.25 million from an institutional placement, following the announcement of a $6 million raising from an oversubscribed share purchase plan earlier this week.

Resolute Mining will undertake a strategic review of its Bibiani gold mine, engaging Cutfield Freeman and Treadstone Resource Partners as advisers in the process.

Azumah Resources has told its shareholders it will need to conduct a capital raising early next year to fund its share of the Wa gold project, if suitor Ibaera Capital is not able to achieve full ownership.

Uranium miner Paladin Energy has appointed experienced mining directors Peter Watson and Peter Main to the board, while three non-executive directors have stepped down from their roles.

Engineering and construction company SRG Global has secured a five-year, $90 million asset services contract with Alcoa of Australia for work at its alumina refinery in Kwinana.

Graphite explorer Talga Resources has raised $6 million from an oversubscribed share purchase plan, in excess of the $3 million target announced last month.

Malaga-based UON has announced Macquarie Bank as a strategic investor of the company, as it looks to bring new technology and solutions to Western Australia’s mining sector.

Rare earth producer Lynas Corporation intends to sublease an industrial zoned property from the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, three months after signing an agreement with the mining town to review potential sites for its cracking and leaching plant.

Salt Lake Potash has secured further funding for the development of its Lake Way project in Western Australia after receiving commitments to raise $23.5 million from a share placement, along with a $22 million debt extension from Taurus Funds Management.

Global mining-tech company Imdex has exercised its option to acquire New Zealand-based Flexidrill, after gaining the option early last year, for a further payment of $NZ3 million cash.

Primero Group has secured three new construction contracts, including a $115 million arrangement with Rio Tinto, while also announcing a capital raising of $7.6 million.

Panoramic Resources has formally rejected the takeover bid from Independence Group and confirmed it is seeking to raise $31 million to fund its operations, including the underperforming Savannah nickel mine.

Australia needs to consider its trading relationship with China in light of alleged human rights violations against tens of thousands of the Uyghur ethnic minority, community representative Rushan Abbas said at a media briefing organised by the US consulate.

Rio Tinto has approved a $US1.5 billion investment to continue production at its Kennecott copper mine in the US, while also announcing it will limit operations at one of its minerals projects in South Africa, following an attack on two of its employees.

At least $1.6 billion of equity has been raised by WA-linked critical minerals hopefuls in the past five years, but achieving consistent returns is another battle.

Gold Road Resources and Gold Fields' $621 million Gruyere mine officially opened today, with Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston saying the project would create around 250 jobs over the next 12 years.

Metals X has announced a sweeping board restructure after last week’s closure of the Nifty copper mine, with three directors resigning and APAC Resources nominee Brett Smith joining, just two months after he was rejected by the incumbent board.

Woodside Petroleum and power contractor EDL will team up for a 27-megawatt gas and renewable microgrid to be built at Strandline Resource’s Coburn mineral sands project, which will include trucked LNG.

Experienced trucking operator Craig Mitchell has formed a logistics joint venture with aspiring sulphate of potash producer Agrimin, seven months after he reached a similar agreement with budding iron ore miner Fenix Resources.

Perenti Global subsidiary Barminco has piloted its new remote operations centre with a Goldfields mine, following several successful trials earlier this year.