Australia and NZ

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.

Canada’s Valeant Pharmaceuticals International has agreed to acquire Australia-based iNova, a private pharmaceutical group.

iNova owns, develops and markets a portfolio of prescription and OTC pharmaceutical products in the Asia-Pacific region and South Africa, including therapeutic weight management brands such as Duromine and OTC brands in the cold and cough market such as Difflam and Duro Tuss.

As the first government owned corporation in the Northern Territory and the only combined utilities company in Australia, Power and Water Corporation is a trendsetter in a challenging environment, as Jane Bordenave reports.

Dubai-based Dragon Oil has announced the signing of a deal through which it will earn a 55 per cent interest in the Bargou Exploration Permit offshore Tunisia.

The farm-in agreement, which has been signed with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Perth, Australia-based Cooper Energy, will also give Dragon Oil operatorship of the permit in any development phase.

The Bargou Exploration Permit is located in the Gulf of Hammamet in the Mediterranean Sea, covering an area of 4,616 square kilometres with predominantly offshore exploration prospects.

BHP Billiton has completed its acquisition of the HWE Mining subsidiaries which provide contract mining services to its Western Australia Iron Ore operations.

The acquisition from Leighton Holdings follows a previously announced Heads of Agreement signed on 9 August 2011, relating to the mining equipment and related assets that service the Area C, Yandi and Orebody 23/25 operations which collectively account for almost 70 per cent of Western Australia Iron Ore’s total material movement.

SABMiller has agreed to acquire Australia’s Foster's Group for approximately A$9.9 billion (£6.5 billion).

London, UK-based SABMiller said the acquisition is consistent with its strategic priorities and will provide it with exposure to Australia's strong economic growth prospects, as well as cementing its position in the Australian beer industry.

Melbourne-based Foster’s is Australia’s biggest brewer; and acquiring it will give SABMiller access to roughly half of the Australian beer market.

The Hamilton Harbour development is creating a new iconic landmark in Brisbane, Queensland; and represents a major milestone for project managers Devine Constructions. Commercial contracts manager George Defteros talks to Jayne Alverca about the development.