Sunrise Energy Group will supply and construct a solar farm at Image Resources’ Boonanarring mineral sands project north of Perth in Western Australia.

Weir has entered into an agreement to purchase US ground engaging tools (GET) specialist ESCO for $US1.28 billion ($1.67 billion). The transaction has been approved by Weir’s board of directors and is not subject to shareholder approval.

South32 now owns one-eighth of Trilogy Metals after investing further in the Canadian exploration company as part of a bought deal financing.

BHP, with joint venture partners Vale and Samarco, has been granted an additional 66 days to negotiate a settlement over the dam collapse at the Brazilian iron ore operations in 2015.

New Century Resources has secured another long-term offtake agreement for production from the Century zinc mine in Queensland, this time with commodity trader MRI Trading.

Newcrest Mining’s plan to use the old Cadia Hill open pit as an alternate tailings location following the dam breach that suspended the New South Wales gold mine last month has been given the green light.

GR Engineering has been named as the preferred tenderer to design and construct a processing plant for Capricorn Metals at the Karlawinda gold project in Western Australia.

Northern Territory Treasurer Nicole Manison has revealed state budget plans to introduce increased royalties on the mining industry, a situation the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) has called “an absolute disaster for the Northern Territory economy”.

Australian Vanadium is to join Benchmark Mineral Intelligence’s Benchmark World Tour 2018, the first vanadium company to do so.

Atlas Iron chairman Eugene Davis has released a statement to shareholders regarding the proposed $280 million scheme of arrangement announced last week with Mineral Resources.

Mount Gibson Iron has bolstered its high-grade iron ore reserves at the Koolan Island restart project in Western Australia as demand for premium product strengthens.

NRW Holdings subsidiary, Golding Contractors, and Wonbindi Coal have extended a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) in regards to the mine plan and contract at the Baralaba North metallurgical coal mine in Queensland.

South32 has released its March quarterly report, detailing extensive plans and figures from its operations, including increased manganese and aluminium production estimates and significantly lowered annual metallurgical coal production.

Gold miner Evolution Mining has set a new standard for its gold production costs in the March quarter.

Information and communications technology (ICT) company Aqura Technologies, a subsidiary of noted planning company Veris, has entered into an agreement with BHP for a three-year services contract that will see Aqura provide technology infrastructure upgrades for the mining major.

Gold miner St Barbara has released its third quarter (Q3) results, posting an overall steady performance, with no debts and improved production guidance, but a slight dip in gold production when compared with previous quarters.

Australian lithium explorer Sayona Mining, known for its lithium projects in Quebec, Canada and Western Australia, has received firm commitments for an oversubscribed capital raising placement to push its Authier lithium project towards production, securing $11 million from institutional investors.

BHP’s ramp-up of operations at Olympic Dam following a maintenance program has been slower than expected, forcing the miner to lower its copper production guidance at the South Australian mine.