Dwyka Resources, the former diamond miner that has turned to gold and nickel exploration in Africa, has moved into a third area – coal – with the acquisition of an option to buy 30 per cent of a coalfield in the Philippines. The shares rose 1¼p to 29¼p as Melissa Sturgess, the chief executive, said that the company would spend £10 million on drilling the field and exercising the option and that production could start within two years.

Caledon Resources gained another 3¼p to 72¼p after Stephen Dattels’s Polo Resources, up ¼p at 11¾p, raised its stake in the Australian coalminer to 12.2 per cent.

Alkane Energy rose 2¼p to 18¼p after the supplier of power from coalmine methane confirmed talk of strong sales growth and increased capacity.

Lamprell, the oil rig designer, gained another 28½p to 506½p, after Wednesday’s news that it was renting a dock in Thailand to meet SouthEast Asian demand. Management has been talking up prospects with investors in the past two days. Cazenove, the house broker, believes that it has entered the world’s largest offshore market. Arden Partners reiterated its “buy” advice.

Western Canadian Coal jumped 33½p to 302p after it completed the acquisition of Willow Creek coalmine from Cambrian Mining, up 15p at 185½p, and said that coal production there should start in September to take advantage of the high coal price.

Nighthawk Energy rose 6¾p to 94¾p after it found hydrocarbons at a second well on its Jolly Ranch prospect in Colorado.

Impellam, the recruitment group formed from the merger of Lord Ashcroft’s Corporate Services Group, owner of Blue Arrow, and his other recruiter Carlisle, rose 7½p from 80p on its first day of dealing on AIM.

Restaurant Group surged 22p to 169p after unveiling 5 per cent like-for-like sales growth.

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