PanAust Limited (PNA) said it had achieved record monthly copper in concentrate production at its Phu Kham CopperGold Operation in Laos. The junior miner reported 25,256 tonnes of concentrate, including 5,687 tonnes of copper and almost the same amount of gold.

Woodside Petroleum Limited (WPL) said it has entered into an agreement for the issuance of US$700 million in corporate bonds into the United States 144A bond market. The company said the five-year bonds would be issued by subsidiary Woodside Finance Limited with a coupon of 4.5%. Woodside said funds raised would be used o repay short-term debt and for general corporate purposes including capital expenditure.

Bow Energy Limited (BOW) said it had entered an agreement to sell its interest in ATP 574P in Queensland’s Surat Basin to Victoria Petroleum NL (VPE). Bow said the consideration for the sale, including 3.75% interest in the Walloon Coal Seam Gas (“CSG”) and 18.75% to 63.75% interest in the deeper non Walloon CSG stratigraphic section, is $8 million in cash, 13 million fully paid shares in Vicpet, plus Vicpet’s share in Surat Basin tenements ATP 608P (24% in Stratton Block and 30% in Rookwood Block) and ATP 805P (15%). The company added that the sale gives Bow additional cash resources which will be used primarily to fund ongoing CSG exploration and appraisal drilling programs in its Bowen Basin tenements.

Saracen Mineral Holdings Limited (SAR) said gold reserves at its Carosue Dam Operations in WA have risen by 34% to 880,000 ounces, while overall gold resources are up by 18% to 3.04 million ounces. The company said the increases were a result of the inclusion of the Karari gold deposit into the project’s mine plan. Saracen said the inclusion of ore reserves at Karari would add at least two years production life.