Mining

Petrol prices appear to have topped out after rising sharply over the past few months to a 13-week high, and could ease a little further over the next couple of weeks, Commonwealth Securities says.

Forge Group has won a $280 million contract to build a gas turbine power station for Rio Tinto at the Cape Lambert port in the Pilbara.

Gold miner Newcrest has renewed loans worth a total of $US2.5 billion ($A2.4 billion), extending its repayment dates for up to five years.

Hancock Prospecting chair Gina Rinehart caused a stir last week when she suggested the minimum wage be cut and called for people who are jealous of the wealthy to socialise less and work harder.

The Thai state-owned company responsible for the Montara oil spill off the coast of Western Australia three years ago has been fined $510,000 for its actions in relation to the disas

Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold has been fined $127,000 by the corporate regulator for failing to lodge required documents.

Neptune Marine has lodged a net loss of $39.9 million for the year ended June 30, after taking a goodwill impairment to the tune of $35 million following a review of the performance of its individu

Iron ore miner Grange Resources has become the latest miner to report it will be unaffected by the federal government’s mineral resource rent tax, after reporting a solid net profit for the half ye

West African Resources has completed a $4.4 million share placement to fund exploratory drilling at its Sartenga gold deposit in Burkina Faso.

Takeover target and energy infrastructure investor Hastings Diversified Utilities Fund (HDF) says domestic demand for gas has softened, but long-term demand prospects are good.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd believes federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott "doesn't get" Africa but says his deputy, Julie Bishop, does.

Uranium miner Paladin Energy says it is looking forward to a year free of construction and commissioning activities after lodging a net loss of $US172.8 million for the 12 months to June 30.

Construction and contracting group VDM says it expects to build on positive momentum built in the second half of the 2012 financial year, after lodging an annual loss of $54.8 million.

 Engineering firm Monadelphous Group has won a $75 million construction contract at BHP Billiton's Jimblebar iron ore mine in the Pilbara.

Fabrication and construction company AusGroup says added to a string of contractors reporting strong profit growth on the back of resource sector construction projects.

Fortescue Metals Group chairman Andrew Forrest has spent nearly $39 million in two days increasing his shareholding in the mining company he founded, as its shares and iron ore prices plunge.

Thailand's state-owned PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) has pleaded guilty to four charges connected to the 2009 Montara oil spill.

The federal government is calling for an investigation into whether Opposition Leader Tony Abbott misled parliament when he claimed to have read BHP Billiton statements about the scrapping of the O

MacPhersons Resources has raised an additional $4 million for exploration at its Nimbus silver project near Kalgoorlie, following on from securing an $8.6 million investment from USA-based RK Mine

Australia's mining boom is not over yet, with newly released capital expenditure figures showing there is a lot more investment to come.

Shares in Boart Longyear have dived by more than 30 per cent after the drilling major downgraded its full year earnings guidance.

Environmental groups have welcomed new rules for hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking', introduced today by the state government, but have stopped short of throwing their full support behind the new

PMI Gold Corporation says it is set to make a final investment decision at its Obotan gold project in West Africa in the fourth quarter of 2012, after releasing a feasibility study today which put

Shares in Terranova Minerals shot up on the ASX today, after the Perth-based exploration company announced the acquisition of the 3 million ounce Manica gold project in Mozambique in a cash and scr

Perth-based gold play Strickland Resources is repositioning itself as a Brazil-focused exploration company, after announcing the acquisition of Orinoco Resources and launching a $2.7 million capita

Sumatra Copper & Gold has raised $3.78 million through a share placement, with Australian investment house Provident Capital Partners emerging as a cornerstone investor.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says he's comfortable sharing a conference stage with a Congolese minister who has been probed by French authorities for alleged human rights abuses.

Panoramic Resources has lodged an $18.2 million loss for the 12 months to June 30, as the falling nickel price and tough market conditions combined with a fall in the value of the company’s investm

Mining services group Ausdrill has reported a record net profit of $112.2 million for the 12 months to June 30, a 53 per cent jump the company said was the result of its expanded service offering.

Australian oil and gas producer ROC Oil has continued its positive run, booking a $US28.6 million ($A27.69 million) net profit for the first half of the year.

Engineering firm WorleyParsons has posted an improved underlying full year profit despite the impact of uncertain economic conditions and the high Australian dollar.

Operations have resumed at Newcrest's flagship gold mine in Papua New Guinea after a dispute with local land owners was resolved.