MANUFACTURING

A resumption of the publicity campaign against the Labor government’s Mineral Resources Rent Tax is part of political schemes aimed at the elections, Treasurer Wayne Swan claims.

Australia's largest project development and contracting group Leighton Holdings (ASX:LEI) said today that its wholly owned subsidiary Leighton Asia has secured a A$172 million contract for the provision of mining services at the Martabe Gold Mine in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia.

Australian and Japanese and stock futures jumped as European banks hurdled the stress test reducing uncertainties that a global economic recovery is slowly happening.

LS-Nikko Copper Inc, a major Korean-owned copper smelting firm, has announced it will buy 12.5 per cent shares in Sandfire Resources NL, Australian minerals exploration firm, through a share placement worth $93.9 million.

Clive Palmer, the mining tycoon, has announced that is resuming his campaign against the Gillard administration’s proposed rent tax on minerals resource.

Australian mining firm Anglo American Plc has resumed operations in its Drayton coal mines after an accident this morning that affected five workers, hospitalizing four.

Australian mining firm Anglo American Plc has resumed operations in its Drayton coal mines after an accident this morning that affected five workers, hospitalizing four.

AGL Energy has announced that it has successfully diverted some of its debts to the American market as a part of its scheme to make the firm’s debt maturity longer and to diversify its sources of financing.

Woodside Petroleum’s search for suppliers and gas for its Pluto project seems to be getting delayed second stage approval into 2011 at the least.

Australia's economy will deteriorate and inflation rise if the admission of skilled migrants is not maintained at least at its current level, according to some of the nation's most prominent business figures.

Analysts have downgraded production forecasts, following global miner BHP Billiton's (ASX: BHP) fear that the Gulf of Mexico disaster will destroy the petrol growth prospects this year.

Australian gold producers Bendigo Mining (ASX:BDG) and BCD Resources (ASX:BCD) have entered into a scheme implementation arrangement to merge the companies into a larger mining business.

Australia's largest gold mining company Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX:NCM) has reported a 26 per cent lift in gold production in the June quarter, boosted by record output at its Telfer and Gosowong sites.

The Australian stock market is forecast to open lower, after major indices on Wall Street shed more than 1 per cent and the benchmark crude oil contract plunged below $US77 a barrel on the US Federal Reserve's dull outlook for the American economy.

Australia's mining giant BHP Billiton Ltd (ASX:BHP) says it remains cautious on the short-term outlook for the global economy, even after achieving record annual production results for its petroleum and iron ore divisions.

Australia's 35,800 trades job vacancy predicted in the mining sector by 2015 will likely be occupied by migrants as resource companies deal with the effects of not hiring the expected number of apprentices in an industry as big.

Paladin Energy Ltd, the Uranium mining firm, has said that it is thinking of making a takeover bid to NGM Resources Ltd.

Chevron says it has cut a deal with Korea Gas Corporation for the sale of gas and an equity stake in the massive Wheatstone project located about 90 miles off Carnarvon Basin in Western Australia.

Authorities are investigating the insertion of a car bomb under the vehicle of an Xstrata senior executive at the firm’s Tahmoor Colliery site in New South Wales.

Santos has announced that is has secured a loan facility worth $2 billion from nine banks as it pushes ahead with its projects for liquefied natural gas in spite of the previous week’s environmental holdup.

Stephen Robertson, Minister for Mines and Energy, has announced that he will attend discussions regarding water contamination concerns in the South Burnett region of Queensland.

Singapore-based commodity trader Olam International Ltd. has expressed plans to buy into NZ Farming Systems Uruguay Ltd. offering NZ$109.6 million ($77 million).

Singapore-based commodity trader Olam International Ltd. has expressed plans to buy into NZ Farming Systems Uruguay Ltd. offering NZ$109.6 million ($77 million).

The Farnborough International Airshow is set to start on Monday and on that backdrop, giant aircraft producers Boeing and Airbus are waiting in the wings while equally hoping that huge contracts would come their way amidst the emergence of much stiffer competition between the two rival companies.

Singapore-based commodity trader Olam International Ltd. has expressed plans to take control of NZ Farmin Systems NZ Farming Systems Uruguay Ltd. offering NZ$109.6 million ($77 million).

Australian mining exploration and development firm Aquila Resources has high hopes to produce hard coking coal from its Washpool project but needs would require $320 million of capital investment.

A government official in Queensland has been given the boot for not acting earlier on issues regarding contaminated water brought about by coal gasification tests done underground in South Burnett.

West Australian gold miner Focus Minerals (ASX:FML) has reported outstanding results from initial surface reconnaissance sampling at its Treasure Island tenement in Western Australia's eastern goldfields region.

OZ Minerals has announced that it intends to expand its South Australia underground mining operations at Prominent Hill due to favourable changes made to the mining taxes.