MINING CORPORATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Nationals at war over mining tax

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Oct-16

National Party of Australia leader Barnaby Joyce has weighed into the debate on the proposed increase in Western Australia’s iron levy. Joyce says he supports policies aimed at promoting the growth of regional areas but stresses that the tax hike proposed by WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls is not the answer. Grylls has responded by criticising Joyce for not supporting WA. Grylls wants to increase the iron ore levy from $A0.25 per tonne to $A5, in order to offset WA’s loss of GST revenue.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

BHP and Rio’s stellar run may be done

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 & 25 : 14-Oct-16

Citigroup’s Clarke Wilkins forecasts that the share prices of BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto will fall in coming months. He says a reduction in China’s stimulus program will in turn reduce demand for commodities. George Boubouras of Contango Asset Management adds that there is limited scope for further gains in the price of iron ore and coking coal, which will dampen earnings growth for BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group. However, Peter O’Connor of Shaw & Partners remains upbeat about the outlook for the resources sector, particularly large-cap mining stocks.

CORPORATES
CITIGROUP PTY LTD, CONTANGO ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX CGA, SHAW AND PARTNERS LIMITED, BHOJA AIRLINES, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, OZ MINERALS LIMITED – ASX OZL, ALUMINA LIMITED – ASX AWC, ILUKA RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX ILU, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH, AWE LIMITED – ASX AWE, TRIBECA INVESTMENT PARTNERS PTY LTD, NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

BHP says black lung levy not needed

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Original article by James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 13-Oct-16

The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union has proposed compensating Queensland coal miners who have contracted black lung disease via a levy on coal output. However, BHP Billiton argues that the state’s workers’ compensation scheme is sufficient and the he levy of $A0.10 per tonne is unnecessary. Three of the resources group’s employees have contracted black lung disease, and 16 cases have been confirmed across the state’s coal mining sector since 2015.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND MINES

Miners say water bill to cost jobs

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Original article by Michael McKenna
The Australian – Page: 2 : 12-Oct-16

New Hope Coal has warned that the Queensland Government’s proposed new water licence regime for existing resources projects will affect the timetable for the expansion of its Acland mine. MD Shane Stephan has told state MPs that the company will have to begin laying off workers at the mine in 2017 if the legislation is passed. The Queensland Resources Council has criticised the proposed legislation, which would subject resources projects to an additional environmental approval process in order to obtain a water licence.

CORPORATES
NEW HOPE COAL AUSTRALIA, NEW HOPE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX NHC, QUEENSLAND RESOURCES COUNCIL LIMITED, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT AND HERITAGE PROTECTION

Fortescue buys Nullagine mine for $1

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Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 11-Oct-16

BC Iron will sell its stake in the Nullagine iron ore mine in Western Australia to Fortescue Metals Group. The transaction comprises a token sum of $A1 plus a royalty on 75 per cent of future iron ore production. BC Iron initially sold a 50 per cent stake in the Nullagine mine to Fortescue in 2009, before repurchasing 25 per cent of Fortescue’s stake in 2012. Production at Nullagine was put on hold in late 2015 in response to a downturn in the iron ore price. It is estimated that keeping the mine in "care and maintenance" mode costs at least $A150,00 each month.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, BC IRON LIMITED – ASX BCI, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Rio Tinto satisfied with Autohaul fix

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 11-Oct-16

The head of Rio Tinto’s iron ore division, Chris Salisbury, says the performance of its Autohaul driverless technology is meeting expectations. Rio has been using driverless trucks for a number of years, but a project to roll out autonomous trains at its Western Australian iron ore mines has been delayed due to software issues. This has prompted Rio Tinto to scale back its iron ore production forecast for fiscal 2017. Salisbury said the group will also seek to retrofit its existing haulage equipment with automated technology.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, KOMATSU MINING SYSTEMS INCORPORATED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD, CATERPILLAR, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Iron ore exporters unlikely to meet shipment guidance

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Original article by David Stringer
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 6-Oct-16

Macquarie Group forecasts that Rio Tinto’s Western Australian iron ore shipments for 2016 will fall slightly short of its guidance for 330 million tonnes. Macquarie also says BHP Billiton also may not meet its production guidance. Macquarie had forecast that shipments from the state’s major iron ore export terminals would total 216 million tonnes in the September quarter, but new data shows that about 209 million tonnes were shipped.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD, VALE SA, METAL BULLETIN LIMITED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DBS GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED, BLOOMBERG LP

BHP keeps the faith in US shale business

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 & 24 : 6-Oct-16

The head of BHP Billiton’s petroleum division, Steve Pastor, is upbeat about the group’s US shale operations. He is particularly bullish about the Permian shale field in West Texas, noting that it could potentially become the division’s biggest source of production and cash flow within five years. Meanwhile, Pastor says BHP will consider acquisitions that add value, but it will only pursue deals that are appropriately priced. He has also forecast a global oil shortage in 2017.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, BP PLC

BHP, Rio spurn WA plan for upfront tax

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Original article by Tess Ingram, Julie-anne Sprague
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 5-Oct-16

Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett has again ruled out adopting a WA National Party proposal to increase the iron ore levy on BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto from $A0.25 per tonne to $A5. However, Treasurer Mike Nahan has described the levy as an anomaly, and he has held discussions with BHP and Rio regarding alternatives such as an upfront lump-sum payment. Both companies have indicated that they would not support an upfront payment.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, REACHTEL PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

Miners face $150m hit from blackout

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 4-Oct-16

OZ Minerals has advised that electric power is unlikely to be restored at its Prominent Hill mine in South Australia for at least another week, while its 2016-17 gold production forecast may not be met as a result. The recent state-wide power outage also halted production at BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam mine and Arrium’s Whyalla steelworks. Meanwhile, the suspension of production at Nyrstar’s lead smelter at Port Pirie is believed to have contributed to a spike in the price of lead on the London Metal Exchange.

CORPORATES
OZ MINERALS LIMITED – ASX OZL, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, NYRSTAR AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED, KORDA MENTHA AND COLLEAGUES PTY LTD