A REPORT commissioned by the Geraldton Iron Ore Alliance estimates it will cost about $5.5 billion to set up the infrastructure needed to expand the midwest mining industry.
The study was carried out by Economics Consulting Services, and assessed the economic impact for the region and state of seven midwest developments in the process of expanding [...]

Liberia`s Senate has approved a US$1 billion iron ore mining deal signed with the world`s largest steel producer, Arcelor Mittal, opening the way for the start of the project, the government said.
Liberia`s upper house of parliament approved the project in a special session late on Friday and the formal ratification was announced on Monday by [...]

Anglo American plc`s Kumba Iron Ore Ltd is in dispute with Mittal Steel South African Ltd over a plan to expand the mining company`s biggest iron-ore operation.
The dispute centres on the Sishen mine in South Africa`s Northern Cape region, the company said in a statement in its annual report on Wednesday, without [...]

Brazil’s CVRD, the world’s biggest iron ore miner, said on Wednesday it will acquire full control of its iron ore subsidiary, Mineracoes Brasileiras Reunidas (MBR), from Japanese partners.
Companhia Vale do Rio Doce previously held an 89.8 percent stake in MBR, the world’s fourth-largest iron ore producer, with output of 64.6 million tonnes in 2006. MBR [...]

The Interior Department yesterday unveiled its proposal for expanding offshore oil and gas drilling, including a 2.9 million acre triangular area 50 miles or more off the coast of Virginia that could be leased by late 2011.
Members of Congress and environmental groups criticized the proposal, calling for increased energy efficiency and other measures to meet [...]

Providence Resources says it has completed site surveying in preparation for its Summer 2007 Celtic Sea drilling program. Using the R.V. Ocean Researcher, Gardline Geosurveys Ltd carried out the site survey over two well locations on the Hook Head structure.
Providence has been advised that Island Oil and Gas plc has taken delivery of the semi-submersible [...]

KAL Energy, Inc is pleased to announce that over 3000m of drilling has been completed of its previously announced $2 million Phase 1 Exploration program on its Thermal Coal Project in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. This program includes extensive drilling, trenching, sampling and mapping of known geological structures, and exploration for unknown structures.
Over the past [...]

Phoenix Matachewan Mines Inc. announced that a drilling program, conducted on its Swanson Project, northwestern Quebec, has returned numerous promising results in a number of shallow drill holes collared to intercept gold mineralization in the Swanson deposit. The project is being conducted by Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. (”Agnico”) under the terms of an option agreement [...]

Environmental groups are blaming loss of wildlife habitat and fewer hunting spots in the West on Bush administration energy policies that spurred a boom in oil and gas drilling.
Drilling on federal lands in five Western states doubled over the past decade to more than 2,000 wells per year, according to a report released Wednesday by [...]

RIO Tinto subsidiary Coal & Allied Industries plans to slash production amid ongoing shipping backlogs at Australian ports, a move analysts warn could spread across the sector.
Coal & Allied will cut its production this year by about 20 per cent, and reduce its workforce by about 250 contractor jobs across three sites at its Hunter [...]