MINING CORPORATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Investor’s moral win in Rio row

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 20 : 12-Dec-19

Australia’s Takeovers Panel has ruled that Rio Tinto can proceed with its proposal to underwrite Energy Resources of Australia’s entitlement offer, despite the fact that it could result in Rio significantly increasing its stake in the uranium miner. However, the Takeovers Panel also found that Rio Tinto’s underwriting offer was made in "unacceptable circumstances". The Rio deal was opposed by ERA investor Richard Magides, who has a 15.9 per cent stake in the company via Zentree Investments.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ENERGY RESOURCES OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX ERA, AUSTRALIA. TAKEOVERS PANEL, ZENTREE INVESTMENTS

Andrew Forrest’s $500m payday as iron ore rallies

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Original article by Julie-anne Sprague
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 12-Dec-19

Shares in Fortescue Metals Group closed $0.14 higher at $10.38 on 11 December, after peaking at a record $10.45. The pure-play iron ore miner’s shares have gained nearly 150 per cent in the year to date; the rally has seen the stake of founder Andrew Forrest rise to around $11.3bn, with the iron ore price trading at around $US93 per tonne. BHP’s share price is currently trading at its highest level since August, while Rio Tinto is trading at a four-month high.

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

Time for Adani to deliver on jobs

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 4 : 12-Dec-19

Labor leader Anthony Albanese says Adani’s Carmichael coal mine has been approved, so the company should begin creating the jobs that it has promised. Adani in turn argues that it already employees hundreds of people. Albanese has also used his tour of regional Queensland to call for labour-hire workers in the mining sector to receive the same pay as direct employees, contending that some are paid up to 40 per cent less. He has also criticised the federal government for its lack of action regarding the low wages of labour-hire workers.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION

Forrest locks horns with WA government over native title court fight

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 11-Dec-19

Fortescue Metals Group is seeking special leave to appeal against a Federal Court ruling with regard to its Solomon iron ore mining hub in the Pilbara. Western Australia’s State Solicitors Office wants the High Court to dismiss Fortescue’s application, arguing that there are major flaws in its case. The Federal Court dismissed Fortescue’s appeal against a 2017 ruling in early October, effectively stating that it had constructed the mining hub without the consent of traditional land owners.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, YINDJIBARNDI ABORIGINAL CORPORATION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Rio Tinto’s hold on Oyu Tolgoi deal firms with Mongolian court win

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 9-Dec-19

Rio Tinto and the Mongolian government entered into an agreement in 2015 regarding a $US5.3 billion expansion of the Oyu Tolgoi mine. The Mongolian First Administrative Court upheld a claim in November that proper parliamentary process may not have been followed when striking the agreement. However, a statement issued on the Court’s official website on 5 December indicated that the ruling is not likely to impact on the 2015 agreement.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Whitehaven takes hit on drought and fires

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 6-Dec-19

Whitehaven Coal has advised that output at its Maules Creek mine in 2019-20 will be 7-10 per cent lower than previously forecast. The company has indicated that factors such as smoke from the New South Wales bushfires has disrupted work at the mine. Whitehaven also said the mine’s production has been affected by a shortage of skilled workers. Environmental activists have suggested that the downgrade is linked to climate change.

CORPORATES
WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, AUSTRALASIAN CENTRE FOR CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INCORPORATED, YANCOAL AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX YAL, NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, GLENCORE PLC, AURELIA METALS LIMITED – ASX AMI

Rio wears cash drain to bet on copper

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 5-Dec-19

Rio Tinto will extend the life of its Kennecott copper mine in the US until at least 2032 after unveiling plans to spend $US1.5bn on a new pit wall cutback. Rio Tinto is also widely tipped to spend some $US1.5bn on the expansion of its Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia in 2020. The capital investment programs have raised doubts as to whether Rio Tinto’s copper and diamonds division will generate free cash flow in 2020. Copper and diamonds have accounted for the bulk of its expenditure on exploration in 2019.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

Vale pact could deliver more deals for OZ

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 29-Nov-19

OZ Minerals has exercised an option to acquire the Pantera copper exploration project in Brazil’s Carajas region from Vale. OZ has also acquired an option to buy another two copper projects from Vale, which will in turn transport and market OZ’s copper concentrate in the region. OZ MD Andrew Cole has flagged the possibility of expanding the partnership with Vale. Meanwhile, OZ has advised that construction work at the Pedra Branca copper and gold project in the Carajas region will commence in December.

CORPORATES
OZ MINERALS LIMITED – ASX OZL, VALE SA, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, EVOLUTION MINING LIMITED – ASX EVN, NEWMONT GOLDCORP CORPORATION

Australia’s cashed-up gold miners embrace high-risk deals

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 29-Nov-19

Evolution Mining is optimistic that all-in sustaining production costs at the Red Lake gold mine in Canada will fall to less than $US1,000 an ounce in three years’ time. Production costs at the mine currently exceed $1,600 an ounce, while gold is trading at $US1,452 an ounce. Evolution’s deal to acquire the mine from Newmont for $US375m ($555m) is part of a growing trend for Australian miners to buy underperforming gold assets with hopes of turning them around.

CORPORATES
EVOLUTION MINING LIMITED – ASX EVN, NEWMONT GOLD COMPANY, NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, ST BARBARA LIMITED – ASX SBM, SARACEN MINERAL HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SAR, NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX NST, OCEANAGOLD CORPORATION – ASX OGC, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, IMPERIAL METALS CORPORATION, BARRICK GOLD CORPORATION, ATLANTIC GOLD CORPORATION

Rio to open $1bn Pilbara mine

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 27 : 28-Nov-19

Rio Tinto has advised that it will invest $US749m ($1bn) on the Western Turner Syncline 2 expansion at its Tom Price iron ore hub in the Pilbara. Exports are slated to commence in 2021, and the output will replace existing production at other Pilbara mines rather than adding new capacity. Rio Tinto also intends to deploy autonomous haulage trucks at the Western Turner Syncline 2 project.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO