B08 Metal Ore Mining

Iron ore fall continues but Deutsche says China steel demand will hold

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Original article by Jessica Sier
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 15-Jun-17

The spot price of iron ore for delivery to the port of Qingdao in China has fallen below $US54 per tonne, its lowest level in 12 months. A number of factors have contributed to the recent downturn in the iron ore price, including a sharp fall in Chinese steel exports, a growing move toward protectionism by other steel-producing nations and China’s move to reduce steel capacity. However, Deutsche Bank expects demand for steel in China to remain relatively strong.

CORPORATES
DEUTSCHE BANK AG, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Payment call puts Paladin in fight to survive

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Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 14-Jun-17

Paladin Energy’s proposed debt restructuring is in doubt after an independent expert ruled that the embattled uranium miner must repay Electricite de France around $US277m within 30 days. The France-based energy utility is a major buyer of uranium from Paladin, and its support is crucial to the Australian-listed group’s deal to restructure its debt. Matthew Keane of Argonaut Securities says Paladin could face insolvency unless it can secure a standstill agreement. Paladin’s debt totalled $US665m at the end of the March 2017 quarter.

CORPORATES
PALADIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX PDN, ELECTRICITE DE FRANCE, ARGONAUT SECURITIES PTY LTD

MacKenzie backed to head BHP

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 30 : 14-Jun-17

Brenton Saunders of BT Investment management says former Amcor CEO Ken MacKenzie is the wealth manager’s preferred candidate to succeed Jac Nasser as BHP Billiton’s chairman. Saunders argues that unlike the other two leading candidates, MacKenzie was not on the BHP board when the resources giant made its ill-fated investment in US shale assets in 2011. Saunders has also praised MacKenzie’s expertise in terms of capital allocation and management. Lindsay Maxsted and Malcolm Broomhead are widely regarded as the other likely contenders to replaced Nasser.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, AMCOR LIMITED – ASX AMC, BT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX BTT, ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, COLONIAL FIRST STATE GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT

Rio’s Silvergrass development on track for first iron ore this year

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Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 13-Jun-17

Production at Rio Tinto’s Silvergrass iron ore mine in Western Australia is slated to resume in July 2017, after being put on hold earlier in the year. Meanwhile, the final stage of the Silvergrass project is expected to be completed in the December quarter, which will double the mine’s annual output to 20 million tonnes. The final stage of the project includes construction of a crusher and a nine-kilometre conveyor.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD

The battle for BHP: Broomhead, Maxsted & MacKenzie

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Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 13-Jun-17

BHP Billiton is said to have had a list of 1,200 potential candidates to succeed chairman Jac Nasser. However, three current directors – Ken MacKenzie, Malcolm Broomhead and Lindsay Maxsted – are believed to be the final contenders for the role. Former BHP chairman Don Argus stresses the need for the succession process to have integrity. It will be decided via a secret ballot at a board meeting in Chile in coming days.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, HEIDRICK AND STRUGGLES, AMCOR LIMITED – ASX AMC, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI, TRANSURBAN GROUP LIMITED – ASX TCL, ADAMANTEM CAPITAL, AMERICAN SECURITIES, ELLIOTT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY

Exploration dives as miners bank profits

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 21 : 7-Jun-17

A report from PwC shows that the world’s 40 largest mining companies posted a combined profit of $US20bn in 2015, compared with a $US48bn loss in 2015. They also repaid some $US93bn ($A124.4bn) worth of debt in 2016, while combined capital expenditure fell by 41 per cent to a record low of $US50bn. The report also notes that expenditure on exploration fell to $US7.2bn, having peaked at $US21.5bn in 2012.

CORPORATES
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS, ASSOCIATION OF MINING AND EXPLORATION COMPANIES, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Survey skewers BHP as activists eye ‘major’ board changes

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Original article by Peter Ker, Matthew Stevens
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 7-Jun-17

A survey carried out by Global Proxy Solicitation has found that nearly 48 per cent of BHP Billiton’s retail shareholders agree that a restructuring of the resources group is needed. In contrast, only 15.33 per cent oppose Elliott Associates’ push for a restructuring. Meanwhile, more than 36 per cent of respondents said BHP CEO Andrew Mackenzie has dealt with the activist hedge fund effectively. Global Proxy Solicitation had identified BHP as a potential target for activist investors in a report that was released in November 2016.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, ELLIOTT ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, ELLIOTT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, GLOBAL PROXY SOLICITATION PTY LTD, MORROW SODALI GLOBAL LLC, TRIBECA INVESTMENT PARTNERS PTY LTD, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, UNITED STATES. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Whyalla steel mill rescue a step closer

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 21 : 2-Jun-17

Administrator KordaMentha hopes to finalise the sale of steel producer and iron ore miner Arrium by the end of June. The two final bidders, GFG Alliance and a consortium headed by private equity firm Newlake Alliance, will seek approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board. GFG comprises Liberty House and SIMEC, which are controlled by British businessman Sanjeev Gupta. Arrium collapsed in April 2016 with debts of $A4bn.

CORPORATES
ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, KORDA MENTHA AND COLLEAGUES PTY LTD, GFG ALLIANCE, LIBERTY HOUSE GROUP, SIMEC GROUP LIMITED, NEWLAKE ALLIANCE, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, POSCO, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, THE BLACKSTONE GROUP LP, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD

BHP, Rio face fresh tax threat

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Original article by Tess Ingram, Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 10 : 29-May-17

The Western Australian Government may seek to have BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto pay their iron ore production levies upfront for a number of years, as part of its strategy to address the state’s rising debt and Budget deficit. Premier Mark McGowan says buying out the lease rental fee of $A0.25 per tonne is one of the options under consideration. Peter Strachan of StockAnalysis questions whether BHP and Rio Tinto would agree to such a deal, given the difficulty of forecasting their annual production rates over the long-term.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, STOCK ANALYSIS AUSTRALASIA PTY LTD, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD, THE CHAMBER OF MINERALS AND ENERGY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

China’s call for higher grade iron ore a worry

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Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 23-May-17

Research by UBS shows that the break-even cost for producers of lower-grade iron ore has increased due to the widening spread between such iron ore and the benchmark index price. As a result, the break-even cost for Fortescue Metals Group has risen by $US13 per tonne to $US43 in the last 12 months. Fortescue is likely to be affected by Chinese steel mills’ growing demand for higher-quality iron ore as less efficient mills are closed down.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO