IRON MINES AND MINING – WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Forrest slams Grylls over tax threat

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Original article by Julie-anne Sprague, Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 10-Aug-16

Fortescue Metals Group founder Andrew Forrest has criticised a proposal by new Western Australian National Party leader Brendan Grylls to impose an iron ore tax on BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. Grylls has proposed changes to state agreements with the two resources giants to increase the levy on iron ore out from $A0.25 per tonne to $A5. Fortescue would not be affected as its state agreement is more recent. Grylls says the levy will not proceed if BHP and Rio successfully lobby the Federal Government to overhaul the system for distributing GST revenue.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Even Twiggy should fight this tax on BHP and Rio

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Original article by James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 9-Aug-16

Western Australia National Party MP Brendon Grylls has proposed imposing a levy on iron ore producers BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. The tax is believed to be $A5 per tonne, which would generate about $A3bn in revenue for the State Government each year. Fortescue Metals Group would benefit from the increase in the break-even price of both BHP and Rio, potentially above that of Fortescue itself. The tax could also prompt BHP and Rio to reduce production in the Pilbara. Although it appears that Fortescue and smaller iron ore miners would be exempt from the proposed tax, this could change.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Rio Tinto willing to sacrifice low-cost crown for cash

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 5-Aug-16

Rio Tinto boasted the lowest iron ore production costs in Western Australia in the first half of 2016, with a "C1" cost of $US14.30 per tonne. However, CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques argues that increasing free cash flow is more important than bragging rights as the lowest-cost producer. Rio Tinto’s total iron ore output is tipped to be about 330 million tonnes in 2016, and Jacques has declined to comment on when the resources giant is likely to achieve its target of lifting annual output to 360 million tonnes.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Fortescue to challenge Rio Tinto’s cost crown

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 28-Jul-16

Fortescue Metals Group’s iron ore production cost fell to $US13.10 per tonne in June 2016, and averaged $US14.31/tonne during the June quarter. Fortescue expects its C1 production costs to be within the range of $US12 to $US13/tonne in 2016-17, and the group expects its iron ore shipments to be between 165 million and 170 million tonnes for the year. Fortescue has significantly reduced its production costs in recent years, with unit costs averaging $US34.03 per tonne in 2014. Fortescue shares rose $A0.29 to $A4.41 on 27 July.

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

End of Australia’s iron ore supply rush should help prices

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Original article by David Stringer
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 22-Jul-16

The iron ore price has gained about 28 per cent so far in 2016, and SRK Consulting’s Caue Araujo says it could be further boosted in the near-term as a result of lower growth in shipments by Australia’s major producers. BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto aim to eventually lift their production capacity in Western Australia to 290 million and 360 million tonnes respectively, but Macquarie Group recently suggested that neither may reach its target.

CORPORATES
SRK CONSULTING INCORPORATED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD, KATANA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, VALE SA, METAL BULLETIN LIMITED

Fortescue unplugs lithium from battery of resources

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Original article by Barry FitzGerald
The Australian – Page: 22 : 21-Jul-16

Australian-listed Fortescue Metals Group has revealed plans to sell the lithium exploration rights at its iron ore leases in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. CEO Nev Power says iron ore remains the company’s priority. Lithium miners such as Pilbara Minerals and Orocobre have benefited from growing global demand for lithium-ion batteries, with strong gains in their share prices and market capitalisation.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, PILBARA MINERALS LIMITED – ASX PLS, OROCOBRE LIMITED – ASX ORE

Rio misses the mark on iron ore

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 19 & 28 : 20-Jul-16

Rio Tinto now expects its iron ore shipments from the Pilbara region of Western Australia to total 330 million tonnes in 2016, compared with previous guidance of 335 million tonnes. However, Rio has not revised its forecast for global iron ore shipments, which remains at 350 million tonnes. Meanwhile, the group has reported that iron ore shipments from the Pilbara totalled 82.2 million tonnes in the June quarter, and 159 million tonnes for the first half of the calendar year. Paul McTaggart of Credit Suisse expects Rio’s Pilbara shipments for the full year to total 328 million tonnes.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Power is still on after five years at FMG, so what’s next?

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Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 16 : 18-Jul-16

Fortescue Metals Group has significantly reduced its debt and ramped up iron ore production since Nev Power succeeded Andrew Forrest as CEO on 18 July 2011. Fortescue’s "C1" cost of production was around $US50 per tonne at the start of Power’s tenure, but some analysts believe that it may have come close to achieving its goal of reducing this to $US13/tonne in 2015-16. Fortescue exceeded its full-year production target of 165 million tonnes, with shipments for the fiscal year totalling 169.4 million.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

BHP set to miss iron ore target as tough year continues

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 15-Jul-16

In April 2016, BHP Billiton scaled back its forecast for iron ore shipments from Western Australia in 2015-16 to 260 million tonnes, compared with original guidance of 270 million. However, BHP may have failed to achieve its revised target. Iron ore shipments from Port Hedland for the financial year totalled 454.2 million tonnes, with rival producers estimated to have accounted for about 196 million tonnes. This would suggest that BHP’s share of iron ore shipments was around 258 million tonnes.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD, ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, MINERAL RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX MIN, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, SAMARCO MINERACAO SA, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

It’s ore or nothing for Fortescue

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Original article by James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 13-Jul-16

Citigroup and UBS believe that Fortescue Metals Group will exceed its forecast for iron ore production of 165 million tonnes in 2015-16. Expectations of bullish full-year output have been heightened by data showing that shipments of iron ore from the Port of Hedland reached a record high in June. Clarke Wilkins of Citigroup estimates that Fortescue’s full-year production may have topped 168 million tonnes, while its port capacity could be up to 180 million tonnes. He suggests that there is the potential for Fortescue to use the cost savings from its debt-reduction program to increase its production to this level.

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