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A surge in the gold price has prompted a rethink of one explorer's vision to mine on Horn Island. (Aaron Bunch/AAP PHOTOS)

MiningGolden eye on northern island after spot price surge

An explorer revisits prospects of mining gold on a northern island with the surging spot price making the settler-era site a "compelling opportunity".

Ben McKay

Chris Ellison

MiningMinRes shareholding changes a blow for Ellison

Chris Ellison’s chances of sticking around as Mineral Resources’ boss beyond mid-2026 have suffered a blow after one of his key allies sold down and Australia’s largest super fund upped its stake.

Adrian Rauso

The open pit mining deposit at Liontown Resources' Kathleen Valley

MiningCommentsPremiumLithium by-product tantamount to a hidden gem for WA miners

Specks of tantalum, a dark metal contained in white, lithium-rich mineral veins that streak through dense walls of grey rock, has become a tailwind for local miners battling to stay afloat.

Adrian Rauso

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
MiningCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
South32 adds to Worsley cull with Perth HQ sackings

The miner is rolling out redundancies at its Perth headquarters amid a wave of job cuts sweeping through the State’s most important industry.

Adrian Rauso

Mark Creasy was a key Azure shareholder.

MiningCommentsPremiumLithium hangover for Creasy’s Yandal with profit slump

The main investment vehicle of legendary prospector Mark Creasy reported a sharp drop in profit after a huge lithium windfall in 2023.

Adrian Rauso

Richard Hyde, executive chairman of West African Resources.

MiningCommentsPremiumNo resolution for Subi miner in Burkina fiasco

Shares in West African Resources will remain frozen for the foreseeable future as a standoff with Burkina Faso’s military dictatorship continues.

Adrian Rauso

Donald Trump and Anthony Albanese agreed on a critical minerals deal.

opinion
opinion
PAUL MURRAYComments
opinion
Why WA should be wary of critical minerals deal with Trump

Investors in WA’s plethora of prospective rare earth mining companies must have trembled when they heard US President Donald Trump describing his minerals deal with Albanese.

PAUL MURRAY

Resources Minister Madeleine King said global efforts to diversify supply chains for the vital minerals had concentrated in response to China’s recent restrictions on exports. 

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
Federal PoliticsComments
The West Australian exclusive
Australia, Canada in landmark mineral deal to bypass China

Australia and Canada have agreed to jointly invest in critical minerals, including processing each other’s resources, as major economies grapple with setting up an alternative supply chain to China.

Katina Curtis

Envoys representing Prince Albert II’s Monaco Foundation quietly slipped into town for talks.

Herd on the TerracePremiumWhich European prince is hunting for deals in Perth?

Things are moving fast at Wiluna Mining and the crew at FTI Consulting have hit the ejector button. Plus: Cottesloe gets a royal visit of sorts. And Dino Otranto to the rescue.

Andrew Forrestis seen with students from Gabon at the Fortescue AGM.

MiningForrest’s ‘crazy plan’ plea, doesn’t get rare earths ‘fuss’

An evangelical Andrew Forrest implored Fortescue shareholders to stay on board with green energy trials that ‘probably will fail’, following a litany of costly setbacks in recent months.

Adrian Rauso

Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest speaks at the Fortescue AGM on Oct 31, 2025.

MarketsPremiumTwiggy skewers Trump over moves against renewables

Renewable energy is taking over from oil, coal and gas, an Australian mining magnate has told shareholders, and efforts to hold back the trend are misguided.

Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson

The ASX 200 booked a small gain on Friday. Supplied

financeAussie shares end October in the red

It’s been a wild October for the Aussie sharemarket and the final day of the month’s trading delivered a small slide into the red.

Duncan Evans

Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump signed an agreement on critical minerals and rare earths. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

BusinessPremiumTrump deal a blueprint for Aussie minerals sales boost

The work put into a critical minerals deal with the US makes it easier for Australia to sell more resources to other countries in need, the prime minster says.

Tom Wark

Australia will step up production of much-needed rare earth minerals following the pact with the US.

opinion
opinion
OpinionComments
opinion
WA rare earths boom can be a win for the environment too

With WA set to be a major beneficiary from the US and Australia’s rare minerals deal it can also spell a win for the environment, taking a strangehold off China that use pollution heavy tactics.

Raymond da Silva Rosa

The Katanning gold project site is being developed at Badgebup.

Accommodation facilityPremium‘Agreement in principle’ for Katanning mine workers facility

The company behind the $355m Katanning gold project says it has reached “agreement in principle” with the local shire on a long-term lease for a 250-bed workers accommodation facility on the edge of town.

Neil Watkinson

Gina Rinehart

MiningPremiumHancock’s value grows but cash for Rinehart slows

The value of Gina Rinehart’s flagship company has increased by $3 billion but less cash flowed to Australia’s richest person.

Adrian Rauso

TerumAs President Trump holds court with world leaders in Malaysia, deputy assistant secretary for critical minerals and metals Joshua Kroon is flying further south to WA.

MiningAustrade ‘reminds’ miners to keep Trump talks quiet

The Federal Government’s trade agency has told multiple companies not to jeopardise Australia’s landmark critical minerals pact with the United States by spruiking a forum held in Perth.

Adrian Rauso

Repairs and upgrades to the Onslow Iron private road were completed last month, according to MinRes.

updated
updated
MiningCommentsPremium
updated
Onslow Iron optimism drives MinRes share price surge

Mineral Resources plans to boost the maximum capacity of its key mining operation and believes it has learnt from ‘painful experience’ how to handle the next unforgiving Pilbara wet season. 

Adrian Rauso

Australia and the United States should expand their critical minerals deal to include other Western democracies, an expert has said.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
MiningComments
The West Australian exclusive
‘Team West’ should take critical minerals deal global

A top China expert says the Australia-United States critical minerals deal is a good start, but nowhere near enough to keep Chinese President Xi Jinping awake at night.

Latika M Bourke

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump sign a US-Australia framework agreement for the supply of critical minerals and rare earths at the White House.

Skin in the gamePremiumMt Ridley Mines announces big maiden gallium resource

A review of historical nickel-copper data has led Mt Ridley Mines to establish a maiden gallium resource at its namesake project north-east of Esperance.

Neil Watkinson

Alliance Nickel managing director and chief executive Paul Kopejtka.

Other optionsPremiumAlliance Nickel explores US Nasdaq listing potential

The company hoping to develop a $1.65 billion nickel-cobalt project in the Goldfields is exploring the funding benefits of listing on the US Nasdaq stock exchange.

Neil Watkinson

Mining trucks at the Roy Hill operations.

MiningRinehart’s Roy Hill follows Atlas Iron with profit slump

Annual profit produced by the crown jewel of Gina Rinehart’s Pilbara iron ore empire has nearly halved but still remains well above $1 billion.

Adrian Rauso

Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt pictured at a press conference in Perth on Wednesday to discuss national environmental law reform.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
Federal PoliticsCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
WA miners’ fury over 37 complex environment law definitions

Western Australia’s miners fear that the 37 different definitions of ‘unacceptable impacts’ included in new environmental laws will stall crucial projects in the State.

Katina Curtis

Boss Energy's Honeymoon uranium project

MiningBoss bounces back from market pummelling

Shares in the most shorted stock on the ASX have rallied from four-year lows on the back of record uranium production.

Adrian Rauso