Weir Group (LON:WEIR) has acquired a majority shareholding in wind power maintenance specialist, Ynfiniti Engineering Services SL (YES).
Based in Madrid, Spain, and with subsidiaries in Portugal, Italy and the USA, YES provides operating and maintenance services to the growing installed base of wind turbines.
HSBC (LON:HSBA) has agreed to sell 80.1 per cent of its UK-based global real estate and infrastructure private equity fund management business to the unit's senior management team. The business had consolidated gross assets of approximately £35.1 million at 30 June 2010.
Caza Oil & Gas (LON:CAZA, TSX:CAZ) told investors that the spudding of the Marian Baker #1 well, the Arran prospect in Louisiana, has been delayed because its contractor has been held up.
Xcite Energy Ltd (LON:XEL, TSX-V-XEL) said that the flow test of the 9/3b-6z horizontal well on the Bentley field in the Nort Sea has been successfully completed. The announcement ended weeks of speculation and hype among investors who were trying to gauge whether the well would make or break the group.
The development of a potentially revolutionary stem cell drug for stroke passed another significant milestone as it was declared safe by a panel of experts. It means that ReN001, being developed by ReNeuron (LON:RENE), can be used to treat other patients taking part in the Pilot Investigation of Stem Cells in Stroke, or PISCES study, which is being carried out at Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital under Doctor Keith Muir.
Horizonte Minerals (LON:HZM) has completed drilling on one of the two key targets at the Araguaia nickel project in Brazil. A Phase 1 drilling programme is underway at Araguaia, testing the Baião and Pequizeiro targets.
African Eagle Resources (LON:AFE) this morning revealed that Anglo-Pacific Group has taken its stake in the Tanzanian nickel prospector to 6 percent.
Northern Petroleum (LON:NOP) has brought its fourth gas field online in the Netherlands. This morning it announced that production has now started at the Wijk en Aalburg gas field, which is expected to produce 5.6 million standard cubic feet per day, or 963 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd).
Leni Gas & Oil (LON:LGO) told investors that Jeremy Edelmen, an executive director, is stepping down from the board. Edelmen, who has been a director since 2007, intends to focus on his other business interests.
Womenswear clothing retailer Alexon Group (LON:AXN) said that the recent “extreme weather conditions” have had a negative impact on sales with like for likes sliding 19.9 percent in the three weeks to 18 December.
Forte Energy (LON:FTE, ASX:FTE) reported that the results of five RC samples reveal the presence of rare earth elements (REE) at its Firawa uranium project in Guinea, exceeding the initial sample as announced in November.
South America-focused gold producer and explorer Orosur Mining (LON:OMI, TSX-V:OMI) said its board has approved the Arenal Deeps gold-silver project project in Uruguay and has chosen the Chilean unit of the Redpath Group for the mining development contract.
Ascent Resources (LON:AST) today revealed it has acquired EnQuest’s 48.75 percent stake in the Petişovci Project in Slovenia in an all-share deal.
Red Rock Resources (LON:RRR) has reported the start of gold production at the El Limon mine in Colombia. Test production is now underway, starting at 30 tonnes per day. This will subsequently be ramped up after Christmas.
TyraTech (LON:TYR) is raising £1.39 million before expenses in a cash placing of 4,644,446 new shares priced at 30 pence each, a very slight discount to the current share price. Brewin Dolphin placed the shares with institutional investors.
Silence Therapeutics (LON:SLN) could earn more than expected from a collaboration with Swiss giant Novartis (VTX:NOVN). The British biotechnology minnow revealed today that it could receive as much as US$80 million in development milestone payments from QPI-1002, an experimental kidney drug discovered by Silence, but licensed to American firm Quark.