Australia and NZ

Perth-based Image Resources is poised to move from an exploration company to minerals producer. George Sakalidis talks to Gay Sutton about the prospects that could transform the company into a major global force in zircon and titanium production.

South Africa's Exxaro Resources has confirmed its bid of up to A$338 million for Australia’s African Iron.

Buying African Iron would give Exxaro ownership of the Mayoko and Ngoubou-Ngoubou projects, located in the Republic of Congo in central West Africa.

Peabody Energy today announced the completion of its acquisition of Macarthur Coal Limited, and has notified the Australian Securities Exchange to delist Macarthur.

Peabody is the world's largest private-sector coal company, with 28 surface and underground mines across the United States and Australia.

After completing the acquisition of Bucyrus earlier this year, Caterpillar is selling part of the former Bucyrus distribution business to the Industrial Division of Malaysian-based multinational Sime Darby Berhad.

The transaction, valued at approximately $360 million, involves the Sime Darby Industrial Cat dealerships operated by Hastings Deering in Queensland and the Northern Territory of Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia.

Extract Resources has announced that Namibia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy has issued it with a mining licence for the Husab Uranium Project.

Extract Resources is a uranium exploration and development company with a primary focus on Namibia. The company’s 100 per cent-owned Husab Uranium Projecthosts the largest and highest grade granite-hosted uranium deposit in the country.

Technip, a world leader in project management, engineering and construction for the energy industry, is particularly busy in Australia, where its local entity Technip Oceania is keeping its finger on the pulse.

Barrick Gold’s Granny Smith mine in Western Australia has already been in operation for 21 years. General manager Julie Shuttleworth talks to Gay Sutton about the enormous potential for expansion.

Otto Energy has been producing oil from its assets in the Philippines for the last three years, and has fantastic prospects going forward: it is all about balance, say its senior executives.

Australia’s national or ‘flag’ carrier has just celebrated its 90th birthday: it started as a local outfit in Queensland and is again concentrating on extending its profitable regional business while showing the rest of the world how long-haul services ought to be run.