B08 Metal Ore Mining

Rio joins Telstra in supplier backflip

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Original article by Jared Lynch, Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 6-Feb-20

Rio Tinto CFO Simon Trott has advised that about 90 per cent of its Australian suppliers will now be paid within 20 days. Businesses with annual turnover of up to $10m will also now be designated as a small supplier, rather than just those which supply up to $1m worth of goods and services to the resources giant each year. Rio Tinto recently shelved its ‘dynamic discounting’ scheme, while Telstra has also reduced its payment terms to just 20 days. Small Business & Family Enterprises Ombudsman Kate Carnell says other large companies should do so.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS AND FAMILY ENTERPRISE OMBUDSMAN

Ports beef up virus protections

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 6-Feb-20

Australia’s iron ore and coal shipments may face delays due to the coronavirus outbreak. Ports have been advised to prevent Chinese vessels from docking unless they have been at sea for at least 14 days. However, the sailing time between China and Australia’s largest ports can be as little as 10 days. The impact of the virus on exporters has been limited to date, as the outbreak has coincided with the Lunar New Year holiday period. Meanwhile, the Health Department has ordered marine pilots to wear surgical masks and gloves when they board vessels that have come from China.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Chinese conglomerate isolates 20 workers at Pilbara iron ore mine

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 5-Feb-20

Twenty workers at Citic Pacific’s Sino Iron magnetite project in Western Australia have been placed in quarantine for 14 days, due to concern about the coronavirus. The Chinese company says the move to isolate the workers is a precautionary measure, as they had visited China since 17 January. The company adds that the health and wellbeing of its employees and contractors is its main priority.

CORPORATES
CITIC LIMITED, SINO IRON PTY LTD, MINERALOGY PTY LTD

Act on climate change or face investor backlash, McKinsey warns CEOs

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Original article by Elouise Fowler
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 5-Feb-20

McKinsey & Company has released a report which argues that although the mining sector has started taking action to reduce carbon emissions, more needs to be done. The report notes amongst other things that the mining industry’s greenhouse gas reduction targets are still generally well below those required under the Paris climate agreement. The global consultant also says mining companies need to take more action with regard to Scope 3 emissions.

CORPORATES
McKINSEY AND COMPANY

Rio faces new Scope 3 carbon emissions push

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 3-Feb-20

Market Forces will put a resolution to Rio Tinto shareholders which calls for the resources group to set targets for its so-called Scope 3 carbon emissions. More than 100 shareholders have expressed support for the resolution, and a similar resolution in 2019 was backed by over six per cent of Rio Tinto’s shareholders. Rival iron ore miners BHP and Vale have committed to setting targets for reducing their Scope 3 emissions.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, MARKET FORCES, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, VALE SA

Flu or no, Fortescue eyes export record

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 31-Jan-20

Fortescue Metals Group’s iron ore shipments from the Pilbara topped 88.6 million tonnes in the first half of 2019-20. A similar performance in the second half would see the group beat its previous full-year record of 170.4 million tonnes. CEO Elizabeth Gaines says the pure-play miner has not yet received any requests from steelmakers in Hubei to delay shipments, despite the temporary closure of the province’s ports due to the coronavirus outbreak.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG

Drought to hit Newcrest mine

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 20 : 31-Jan-20

Newcrest Mining has advised that it produced 551,000 ounces of gold in the December quarter, which is eight per cent higher than previously. Its all-in-sustaining cost of production fell by $US40 an ounce to $US859. Newcrest’s flagship Cadia mine in New South Wales produced 239,722 ounces of gold and 26,478 tonnes of copper during the quarter. However, Newcrest has warned that the declining water supply at Cadia means that production cuts may be necessary before the end of the year if the drought persists.

CORPORATES
NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM

Miners to bear the brunt of China woes

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 25 : 29-Jan-20

The coronavirus crisis has weighed on the shares of Australian resources groups that have exposure to China. Shares in Rio Tinto have closed below $100 for the first time since mid-December, while BHP, Fortescue Metals Group, OZ Minerals and Sandfire Resources also retreated on 28 January. The prices of iron ore and base metals have also fallen in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Macquarie notes that based on the SARS pandemic, base metal prices may take 3-5 months to recover from their recent losses.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, OZ MINERALS LIMITED – ASX OZL, SANDFIRE RESOURCES NL – ASX SFR, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

BHP facing fresh coal safety probe over 2018 fatality

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 29-Jan-20

Queensland’s Department of Natural Resources, Mines & Energy has filed criminal charges against BHP and Mitsubishi over the death of a worker at the Saraji coal mine in December 2018. The case, which will be heard by the industrial magistrates’ court, will allege that safety breaches may have contributed to the man’s death when his bulldozer fell into a pool of water. The Department has confirmed that it is investigating a similar incident at the Peak Downs mine in mid-2018, in which a dozer driver escaped serious injury.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, MINES AND ENERGY

Rio mining big data, AI to bleed desperate suppliers

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Original article by Jared Lynch, Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 15 & 18 : 28-Jan-20

Rio Tinto has stressed that it is committed to 30-day payment terms for its suppliers, following reports that it is offering to pay invoices before the due date in exchange for a discount of up to two per cent. The so-called ‘dynamic discounting’ scheme is generating significant cost savings for Rio Tinto, but it has attracted criticism from Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell and Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan. Rio Tinto is also said to be using big data and artificial intelligence technology to determine how much of a discount a supplier is prepared to accept.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS AND FAMILY ENTERPRISE OMBUDSMAN, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET