Mining

Osborne Park-based Fairstar Resources has secured a $5 million funding facility from Melbourne-based Fortrend Securities, to be used for exploration and working capital.

Nomad Building Solutions is the latest recipient of a Gorgon gas project contract, with work awarded as part of an overall $500 million contract to build the accommodation village.

IN a time when a number of not-for-profit organisations are slashing non-core programs and tightening their purse strings, West Perth-based St John of God Health Care has taken a contrary approach and expanded its initiatives.

REAFFIRMING the importance of Western Australia's trade relationship with China is sure to be a high priority for Premier Colin Barnett on his relationship-building visit this week.

China faces an ongoing inability to translate unrivalled financial clout into a dominant relationship with its key Australian suppliers.

MINING identity Andrew Forrest has continued his philanthropic ways, donating his all-scrip director payment from Poseidon Nickel to his charity, The Australian Children's Trust.

RESULTS of this year's branding survey highlight the difficulty associated with maintaining a positive brand for a person or company.

West Perth-based software and services provider Stratatel has acquired private IT company Resource Systems and Services for $500,000.

Subiaco-based Liberty Resources has signed an agreement with private company Clean Global Energy to develop an underground coal gasification project in Queensland.

Shares in nickel miner Mincor Resources closed nearly 20 per cent higher today, driven by a positive quarterly report where higher production and lower cash costs generated a net cash flow of $17.9 million.

Mining identity Andrew Forrest has donated around $10,000 worth of share to his charity, The Australian Children's Trust.

Atlas Iron says it will increase the size of its $11.7 million share purchase plan by 28 per cent to accommodate for a substantial amount of oversubscriptions.

South Perth-based Uranium Australia is gearing up for a local stock market listing in October as it receives expressions of interest from brokers to underwrite its $6 million initial public offer.

BC Iron is one step away from receiving full support from Fortescue Metals Group for its $43 million Pilbara iron ore project, with the miner requesting one further test.

West Perth-based Exco Resources has asked Barclays Capital to arrange a $16 million debt financing facility, which together with the recent $7 million equity raising, will be used for the development of the White Dam gold project.

Australasian Resources has stepped up negotiations with other companies after finance talks with Shougang Corporation over a $2.7 billion iron ore project in the Pilbara collapsed.

Nickel miner Panoramic Resources has confirmed it is running the ruler over Barrick Gold's Osborne copper-gold mine in Queensland as part of its acquisition plans.

Magellan Metals today announced that the Department of Environment and Conservation has given final sign off to all of the requirements of the Esperance Lead Removal Plan.

Breakaway Resources has sold its Earn-In Rights for the Mt Finnerty Joint Venture to Reed Resources Ltd for a total consideration of 500,000 fully paid ordinary shares.

Apollo Minerals has agreed to purchase from Thundelarra Exploration a tenement known as Mt Oscar East, with respect to all mineral rights.

THEY might be dirty words in environmentalists' lexicon, but coal and uranium remain hot property in the mining investment sector.

IRON ore veteran George Jones believes Australia and China must learn from the "spying" dispute involving Rio Tinto iron ore negotiator Stern Hu, given the importance of the relationship between the two nations.

Explorer Energy and Minerals Australia (EMA) has unveiled plans to raise more than $12 million to advance its Mulga Rock uranium deposit in WA.

Perth hotels have recorded the largest increase in revenue for an available room over the past 12 months, with a jump of 19 per cent to just over $135, latest figures show.

Engineering firm Lycopodium says it has been awarded part of an optimisation contract by Fortescue Metals Group for work on the Cloudbreak iron ore mine in the Pilbara.

Two Perth-based resource companies have today entered deals to acquire assets in South Africa with Continental Capital acquiring a coal mine for $24 million while Coal of Africa will buy the remaining interest in a coal company.

West Perth-based Azure Minerals has completed an initial evaluation of its Promontorio copper-gold-silver project in Mexico which has an estimated capital cost of $US27.3 million ($A35 million).

Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Sam Walsh has spent nearly $700,000 participating in the miner's $US15.2 billion ($A19.7 billion) rights issue.

VDM Group has sold the surplus assets of its subsidiary Civmec, including the name, for more than $2 million as part of the group's restructure and consolidation strategy.

Fortescue Metals Group says it is closely watching relations between China and Australia following the detention of four Rio Tinto staff as it forecasts a lift in demand in the short-term from Asian steel mills.

One month after striking a deal with Poseidon Nickel, West Perth-based Triton Gold has opened its initial public offer that is aiming to raise up to $6.5 million.

Christmas Island-Phosphate Resources would commit an estimated $50 million and set aside significantly more space as so-called green spots in order to gain approval to expand its operations.