COAL MINES AND MINING – QUEENSLAND

Coronado pushes past IPO blow

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 22-Oct-18

Coronado Global Resources is slated to commence trading on the Australian sharemarket on 23 October. The IPO raised $774m and was oversubscribed, although Coronado had scaled back the size of the offering from an initial target of $1.4m. Metallurgical coal accounted for about 75 per cent of Coronado’s total production in 2017. The company owns coal mines in Queensland’s Bowen Basin and the US state of Virginia. Energy & Minerals Group (EMG) will retain a stake of up to 78.9 per cent in Coronado.

CORPORATES
CORONADO GLOBAL RESOURCES INCORPORATED – ASX CRN, ENERGY AND MINERALS GROUP, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS PTY LTD, SULLIVAN AND CROMWELL, WHITEHALL ASSOCIATES, NEW HOPE COAL AUSTRALIA, YANCOAL AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX YAL

Premier pledges coal supply to wary Japan

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Original article by Jared Owens
The Australian – Page: 6 : 31-May-18

The Queensland Government has assured Japanese steel mills that a dispute between Aurizon Holdings and coal producers will not affect the state’s coal shipments. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has held talks with Japan’s Foreign Minister, Taro Kono, after warnings from some coal buyers that the dispute could prompt them to seek alternative suppliers. Palaszczuk and Queensland Resources Council CEO Ian Macfarlane have both urged Aurizon to engage with the Queensland Competition Authority to resolve the impasse.

CORPORATES
QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, JAPAN. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, QUEENSLAND. COMPETITION AUTHORITY, QUEENSLAND RESOURCES COUNCIL LIMITED, NIPPON STEEL AND SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION

New Hope mined area outside its Acland parameters

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Original article by Jared Owens
The Australian – Page: 6 : 31-May-18

The Queensland Government will investigate claims that New Hope Group has expanded production at its New Acland coal mine beyond the mine pit footprint which had been approved by the Department of the Environment, The allegations, which were made by the Oakey Coal Action Alliance, have been disputed by New Hope. Meanwhile, anti-coal activists have appealed against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a Land Court ruling with regard to the mine’s proposed stage three expansion.

CORPORATES
NEW HOPE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX NHC, NEW HOPE GROUP, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT AND HERITAGE PROTECTION, OAKEY COAL ACTION ALLIANCE, SUPREME COURT OF QUEENSLAND, LAND COURT OF QUEENSLAND, ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS OFFICE

Japan coal threat could cost jobs and billions

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Original article by Jared Owens, Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 30-May-18

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation recently warned the Queensland Government that it may be forced to find alternative sources for coal due to a dispute between Aurizon Holdings and coal producers. It centres on the Queensland Competition Authority’s draft ruling on Aurizon’s coal rail network. Aurizon estimates that the ruling could reduce its coal haulage volumes by up to 20 million tonnes a year. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will give assurances to Japanese steel buyers that the state’s coal shipments will not be affected.

CORPORATES
AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, NIPPON STEEL AND SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GLENCORE PLC, QUEENSLAND. COMPETITION AUTHORITY, QUEENSLAND RESOURCES COUNCIL LIMITED, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND

BHP, Queensland settle royalty stoush

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Original article by Matt Chambers, Ben Butler, Charlie Peel
The Australian – Page: 24 : 30-May-18

BHP Billiton has secured a confidential out-of-court settlement with the Queensland Government over a $A329m coal royalties dispute that centred on the miner’s marketing hub in Singapore. The case had been slated to be heard by the Supreme Court in coming days, and the settlement will enable BHP to avoid disclosing details of the Singapore hub. BHP also faces legal action from the Australian Taxation Office over a disputed tax bill of $A87m. The case will be heard in the Federal Court in Melbourne on 31 May.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, SUPREME COURT OF QUEENSLAND, QUEENSLAND. TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, NEW SOUTH WALES. THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS TRIBUNAL

Coking coal’s future bright

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Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 17 & 26 : 29-Mar-18

Rio Tinto has completed its exit from the coal sector with the sale of its 80 per cent stake in the Kestrel coking coal mine in Queensland for $US2.5bn ($A3.2bn). The stake was sold to a consortium of EMR Capital and Indonesia-based Adaro Energy, and follows the recent sale of Rio Tinto’s Hail Creek and ­Valeria coal projects. EMR Capital CEO Jason Cheng is upbeat about the outlook for coking coal, arguing that demand will remain strong as there is no alternative to it for the steel industry.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, EMR CAPITAL PTY LTD, PT ADARO INDONESIA, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, GLENCORE PLC

No quick return from coal sale

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Original article by Richard Gluyas, Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 20 : 22-Mar-18

Citigroup expects Rio Tinto to return the bulk of the proceeds from the sale of the Hail Creek coal to shareholders, after paying about $A300m in taxes on the $US1.7bn ($A2.2bn) deal. However, Rio Tinto CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques says the resources group is unlikely to return capital to investors before the release of its full-year report in February 2019. He stresses that Rio Tinto is divesting its coal assets because commodities such as iron ore and aluminium offer better growth options.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, PACIFIC ALUMINIUM PTY LTD

Rio Tinto sells Hail Creek to Glencore

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 21-Mar-18

Glencore will acquire Rio Tinto’s 82 per cent stake in the Hail Creek coking coal mine and its stake in the Valeria coal project in Queensland. The $US1.7bn ($A2.2bn) deal follows Rio Tinto’s sale of its Hunter Valley coal assets in New South Wales to Yancoal Australia for $US2.69bn in 2017. The sale of the Queensland assets has prompted speculation that Rio Tinto could use the proceeds to return capital to shareholders, as it did after the Yancoal deal.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GLENCORE PLC, YANCOAL AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX YAL, AUSTRALIAN FOUNDATION INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED – ASX AFI, NEW HOPE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX NHC, COMMITTEE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIA, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, EMR CAPITAL PTY LTD, ADARO ENERGY

Aurizon slams state competition watchdog for ignoring real world

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Original article by Jenny Wiggins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 14-Mar-18

Rail freight operator Aurizon Holdings has formally responded to the Queensland Competition Authority’s draft ruling on its coal rail network in the state. Aurizon estimates that the draft ruling, which was issued in December, could potentially reduce its coal haulage volumes by up to 20 million tonnes a year, and it has argued that the draft ruling has weighed upon its share price.

CORPORATES
AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, QUEENSLAND. COMPETITION AUTHORITY, PACIFIC NATIONAL PTY LTD, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BM ALLIANCE COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS PTY LTD, QUEENSLAND RESOURCES COUNCIL LIMITED

Labor a triple threat to jobs and wages: PM

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: W3 : 8-Mar-18

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told a business summit that unemployment would rise if Opposition Leader Bill Shorten implemented his proposed minimum wage reforms. He warned that regulating increases in the minimum wage would not be sustainable unless it was accompanied by growth in the economy. Turnbull also said that Shorten’s stance on Adani’s proposed Carmichael coal mine has resulted in a "genuine" sovereign risk that could affect other projects, with a resulting impact on jobs and investment in Australia.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND