Argentina luring Australian investors into its mining sector

Diversified mining behemoth BHP Billiton is expected to pour billions of dollars into Australia in an effort to expand its iron ore and coal facilities, says a report from AFP: Mining giant BHP Billiton said Friday it would pour billions of dollars into expanding its coal and iron ore operations in Australia, key commodities that are driving the boom in Asian economies.

According to Business Spectator, Australia's biggest mining companies have won a major concession over the planned new 30 per cent Mineral Resource Rent Tax (MRRT), with the government agreeing to refund any future increases in state-based royalty charges. Treasurer Wayne Swan said the government agreed with the key recommendation of a mining tax transitional policy group, headed by Resources Minister Martin Ferguson and former BHP Billiton chairman Don Argus.

Leighton Contractors has been awarded two new gold mining contracts, one in Western Australia andone in the Northern Territory, totalling $317 million. The first, a $200 million contract awarded by Newcrest Mining Ltd, is for works at Telfer – one of thelargest gold mines in Australia, located 450km ESE of Port Hedland on the edge of Great SandyDesert. Under the 27-month contract, Leighton Contractors will provide mining equipment, operators,maintenance and supervisory personnel, and infrastructure including workshops and offices to theproject.

Crocodile Gold announced today that it closed a Can$85 million bought-deal closing of 81 million units at Can$1.05 per unit. Each unit consists of one common share of the company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. The syndicate of underwriters was co-led by GMP Securities L.P. and Cormark Securities Inc.

Shares in South African gold miner, Harmony Gold, rose just over 5% on the back of a positive investment rating by RBC Shares in Harmony Gold Mining (HARJ.J: Quote) rose by over 5 percent in early trade on Thursday with dealers attributing the rise to an

A world breakthrough in extracting uranium from hyper saline water - previously not possible with conventional technology - has been announced in South Australia by uranium developer, UraniumSA.  Addressing the first day in Adelaide of the Paydirt 2011 Uranium Conference, earlier this qweek, UraniumSA’s Managing Director, Russel Bluck, said the breakthrough had been achieved after collaborative metallurgical research with international and Australian suppliers of the special chemicals used to help extract uranium.

Mt. Burgess has identified a large zinc soil geochemical anomaly on its Kihabe-Nzuu base metals prospect in Botswana. Mt Burgess Mining NL (ASX: MTB), which has been actively exploring Botswana and Namibia for more than a decade -- initially for diamonds

Professor Barry Brook, chairman of the Sir Hubert Wilkins Chair of Climate Change at the University of Adelaide, told the final day of the Paydirt 2011 Uranium Conference in Adelaide that change in supply dynamics would require a large-scale but prudent expansion of nuclear energy infrastructure.

The W. Australian junior has applied to Australia’s Takeovers Panel to challenge the validity of Regent Pacific’s decision to terminate a takeover […]