FIRB blamed as iron ore deal collapses

Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 18 : 26-Feb-25

Iron ore hopeful CZR Resources’ directors have endorsed a takeover offer from Fenix Resources which is priced at $0.85 per share. This will increase to $0.98 if Fenix gains acceptances for 75 per cent of CZR’s shares before 21 March. CZR announced the bid from Fenix after abandoning a deal to sell its 85 per cent stake in the Robe Mesa deposit in the Pilbara to Miracle Iron Resources, which is owned by a Chinese company. CZR cited delays in gaining Foreign Investment Review Board approval for the decision to walk away from the Miracle Iron deal. Veteran prospector Mark Creasy is the major shareholder in CZR; he also owns a 15 per cent stake in the Robe Mesa project.

CORPORATES
CZR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX CZR, FENIX RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX FEX, MIRACLE IRON RESOURCES, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD

Red Hawk backs $254m Fortescue takeover bid

Original article by Giuseppe Tauriello
The Australian – Page: 16 : 29-Jan-25

Red Hawk Mining’ board has unanimously endorsed a $254m takeover offer from pure-play iron ore miner Fortescue. The off-market cash bid values Red Hawk at $1.05 per share, although this will rise to $1.20 if Fortescue secures at least 75 per cent of the target’s shares by 4 February. Fortescue says its offer represents a ‘significant and attractive premium’ for Red Hawk shareholders, while Red Hawk’s ND Steven Michael describes the offer as an ‘attractive outcome’ for the company’s shareholder. Red Hawk’s Blacksmith iron ore project is located near Fortescue’s Solomon hub.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE LIMITED – ASX FMG, RED HAWK MINING LIMITED – ASX RHK

Fortescue posts record tonnes amid tariff threat

Original article by Elouise Fowler
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 24-Jan-25

Pure-play iron ore miner Fortescue has advised that its shipments from the Pilbara rose to a record 97.1 million tonnes in the first half of 2024-25. This includes 49.4 million tonnes in the three months to 31 December. Fortescue has maintained its full-year guidance of 190-200 million tonnes. Fortescue’s shares have shed four per cent in recent days, amid fears that the tariff policies of US President Donald Trump will dampen the Chinese steel industry’s demand for iron ore.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE LIMITED – ASX FMG, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Rio counts cost as Pilbara iron ore operations are flooded

Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 15 : 21-Jan-25

Rio Tinto states it is still assessing the impact of Cyclone Sean on its iron ore operations in the Pilbara, with a spokesman noting that its port and rail infrastructure had been hit by flooding. Observing that Rio’s first priority is the safety of its workers, the spokesman noted that the town of Karratha had experienced 274mm of rain in a 24-hour period. The flooding comes less than a week after Rio disclosed that heavy rain had impacted its iron ore operations in the December quarter and forced it to make use of stockpiles, while it has remained silent about any discussions it may have held with Glencore about a merger between the two big mining companies

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GLENCORE PLC

MinRes admits it failed to disclose related-party transactions

Original article by Mark Wembridge
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 13-Nov-24

Iron ore and lithium producer Mineral Resources has conceded that transactions involving a British Virgin Islands-registered company should have been disclosed to investors at least two years ago. MinRes has acknowledged that the deals with Far East Equipment Holdings were related-party transactions and therefore should have been disclosed before June 2022. The deal for Far East to sell mining equipment to MinRes at inflated prices was part of a tax evasion scheme that has embroiled MD Chris Ellison. The contracts with Far East were made prior to MinRes listing on the sharemarket in 2006.

CORPORATES
MINERAL RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX MIN, FAR EAST EQUIPMENT HOLDINGS

Ellison’s delayed exit will harm undervalued MinRes share price

Original article by Mark Wembridge, Tom Rabe, Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 17 : 6-Nov-24

Sources close to Mineral Resources have suggested that MD Chris Ellison may continue to be either directly or indirectly involved with the company after he steps down within the next 18 months. Bradley Watson from Bell Potter notes that Ellison is the largest shareholder in MinRes, and there could be speculation about the future of his stake in the company when he leaves. Other market observers believe that the relatively long leadership transition could weigh on the company’s share price.

CORPORATES
MINERAL RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX MIN, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED

Fortescue execs face bonus backlash

Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 16 : 6-Nov-24

Fortescue shareholders will be given a vote on a proposal to grant performance rights to mining division CEO Dino Otranto and clean energy arm CEO Mark Hutchinson. However, Fortescue notes that granting performance rights does not require shareholder approval under the Corporations Act or ASX listing rules; the company has indicated that it will issue the performance rights even if investors vote against the resolution at its AGM on Wednesday. Three large US pension funds will oppose the resolution, with SBA Florida contending that there has been insufficient disclosure of performance targets.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE LIMITED – ASX FMG, SBA FLORIDA

Bat with bite puts end to ore plan

Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 6 : 15-Oct-24

Rio Tinto has advised that it will not proceed with the Giles Mini iron ore mine, which was to be part of the broader Rhodes Ridge project in the Pilbara. Rio Tinto and its partners in Giles Mini have withdrawn their application to develop the deposit due to concerns about its impact on the habitat of the ghost bat, which is classified as a vulnerable species. However, the Rhodes Ridge project will still go ahead, despite also being home to a sub-population of the carnivorous ghost bat.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Green issues curb Hancock project target

Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 9-Oct-24

Documents filed with the Western Australian government show that Gina Rinehart has significantly scaled back the size of her proposed Mulga Downs iron ore project. The Mulga Downs mine was initially slated to produce 20 million tonnes of iron ore each year, but this has been reduced to 12 million tonnes. The amount of vegetation to be cleared at site has also been reduced from 8,422 hectares to just 4,339 hectares. Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting has a 95 per cent stake in the subsidiary that is developing Mulga Downs.

CORPORATES
HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD

Fortescue eyes $50m carbon free kick

Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 8-Oct-24

The federal government has indicated that companies will be able to start trading its Safety Mechanism Credits from early 2025. The new carbon credit scheme will reward companies with one SMC for every extra tonne of carbon they cease emitting beyond their designated target. Given that Fortescue has a goal of achieving ‘real zero’ emissions across its iron ore mines by the end of this decade, it could be in line to earn about 1.4 million SMCs in 2030. Analysts suggest that Fortescue could gain additional revenue of between $50m and $150m by selling these credits to other emitters. However, chairman Andrew Forrest has been a vocal critic of carbon offsets in the past.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE LIMITED – ASX FMG