IRON MINES AND MINING – AUSTRALIA

Iron ore miners reaping the benefits from soaring prices

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Original article by Peter Ker, Jessica Sier, Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 14-Jul-16

The share prices of BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group rallied on 13 July 2016, as the benchmark iron ore price continued to rise. UBS recently estimated that Fortescue’s break-even price is around $US32 per tonne, which is believed to be still slightly above the break-even price of both BHP and Rio Tinto. Meanwhile, Fortescue has advised that its iron ore shipments totalled 169.4 million tonnes in 2015-16, compared with its guidance of 165 million tonnes.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MOUNT GIBSON IRON LIMITED – ASX MGX, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MARUBENI CORPORATION, BC IRON LIMITED – ASX BCI, ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, VALE SA, STEELHOME, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MINERAL RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX MIN, MESA MINERALS LIMITED – ASX MAS, PITCHER PARTNERS CORPORATE ADVISORY PTY LTD

PM urged to tread carefully on steel

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 13-May-16

The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) wants Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to proceed cautiously when dealing with the problem of the overproduction of steel in China. Turnbull said he spoke about the issue with US President Barack Obama on 12 May 2016. The Chinese Government is under pressure globally to prevent steel makers from flooding the market with their products. MCA CEO Brendan Pearson said Turnbull should also pay attention to the interests of Australian mining companies engaged in the production of iron ore and metallurgical coal used in steel production in China.

CORPORATES
MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION, US STEEL CORPORATION, ALLEGHENY TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED, EUROPEAN UNION CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN CHINA, CHINA. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Atlas Iron in plea for debt support

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Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 19-Apr-16

Shares in Atlas Iron closed 17.4 per cent lower at $A0.019 on 18 April 2016. The iron ore miner’s chair, Cheryl Edwardes, has written to shareholders urging them to support a debt restructuring proposal, stressing that the group could go into voluntary administration if the deal does not proceed. Lenders would gain about 70 per cent of the company’s equity if the deal is approved by Atlas’s shareholders and lenders.

CORPORATES
ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, CGI GLASS LEWIS PTY LTD, PPB HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MOUNT GIBSON IRON LIMITED – ASX MGX

Vultures circle fallen Arrium

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 8-Apr-16

An unnamed investment banker says Arrium’s voluntary administrators are likely to seek new discussions with GSO Capital Partners, whose $A1.2bn bailout proposal was rejected by Arrium’s lenders. Private equity firms are likely to have strong bargaining power in any negotiations to buy Arrium’s assets, as the failed iron ore miner and steelmaker’s lenders are unsecured creditors. Arrium boasts a global workforce of 22,000, with 7,000 employees in Australia.

CORPORATES
ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, GSO CAPITAL PARTNERS LP, GRANT THORNTON AUSTRALIA, THE BLACKSTONE GROUP LP, MOLY-COP, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL

Fortescue Metals chief says iron ore price is stabilising

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 8-Apr-16

The price of iron ore for delivery to the port of Qingdao in China was trading at around $US55 per tonne in early April 2016. Fortescue Metals Group CEO Nev Power believes that the price of the steel input may be at or near its bottom and is likely to stabilise. Meanwhile, Power expects annual demand for steel in China of around 800 million tonnes and he is upbeat about the outlook for the Chinese economy. He also says the group’s blended iron ore joint venture with Vale should be finalised within 3-4 months.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, VALE SA, CREDIT SUISSE AG, McKINSEY AND COMPANY, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Buyers wait as Arrium extends trading halt

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Original article by Simon Evans, Sarah Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 7-Apr-16

Debt-laden steel-maker and iron ore producer Arrium owes Australia’s four major banks some $A1bn in total. South Australian Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis has urged the banks to support Arrium, warning that they will lose all goodwill with the general public if the company collapses. Lack of progress with its lenders forced Arrium to extend its shares’ trading halt on 6 April 2016. Meanwhile, US private equity groups Argand Partners and Cerberus Capital Management are said to be considering a takeover offer for Arrium.

CORPORATES
ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, ARGAND PARTNERS LLC, CERBERUS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP, MOLY-COP, PAMPLONA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLP, GSO CAPITAL PARTNERS LP, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, BRICKWORKS LIMITED – ASX BKW

Arrium’s future hangs in balance

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Original article by Paul Garvey, Michael Owen
The Australian – Page: 19 & 20 : 5-Apr-16

South Australian Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis has urged the nation’s banks to provide assistance to debt-laden steel maker and iron producer Arrium. Concern about the future of the Whyalla steelworks has deepened after Arrium’s lenders rejected a bailout plan from Blackstone-owned GSO Capital Partners. The lenders, who rank as unsecured creditors, would have received just $A0.55 in the dollar if the $US927m ($A1.2bn) recapitalisation proposal had been approved.

CORPORATES
ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, GSO CAPITAL PARTNERS LP, THE BLACKSTONE GROUP LP, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ARGAND PARTNERS, CERBERUS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP, KKR AND COMPANY LP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE

Ore glut ‘vandalism’ over

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal, Barry FitzGerald
The Australian – Page: 19 & 20 : 23-Mar-16

Rio Tinto’s iron ore production in 2015 was 20 million tonnes lower than the group had forecast, while BHP Billiton’s output was in line with the previous year. They had had ramped up production in recent years, attracting criticism from Fortescue Metals Group chairman Andrew Forrest. He believes that the period of oversupply has now ended, but says it resulted in job losses in Australia and over-production by Chinese steelmakers. Forrest has also suggested that the recent resignation of Rio Tinto CEO Sam Walsh may have been due to a change to its iron ore strategy.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, VALE SA, ROY HILL IRON ORE PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BOAO FORUM FOR ASIA

Miners won’t take pedal off the metal

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 14-Mar-16

The iron ore price has risen by about 65 per cent so far in 2016, although it has retreated from the year-to-date high of more than $US63 per tonne. Meanwhile, Paul Young of Deutsche Bank expects Rio Tinto’s iron ore output in the Pilbara to top 360 million tonnes in 2017, despite the miner’s own guidance of 350 million tonnes. There are also expectations that production at the Samarco joint venture between BHP Billiton and Vale will resume before the end of the 2016, while production at the Roy Hill iron ore project may increase.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, VALE SA, SAMARCO MINERACAO SA, ROY HILL IRON ORE PTY LTD, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, CHINA. NATIONAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS, KATANA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED

Fortescue Metals looks to M&A for growth

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 25-Feb-16

Fortescue Metals Group has posted a 2015-16 interim net profit of $US319m, compared with $US331m previously. Revenue fell from $US4.8bn to $US3.3bn. CEO Nev Power says the iron ore group is open to acquisitions if appropriate opportunities become available, and it has not ruled out diversifying into other commodities. Fortescue has also signalled that it will seek to reduce its break-even price for exports to China to $US28.80 per tonne by mid-2016, but stresses that it will not try to compete with BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto to become the lowest-cost exporter.

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