MINING CORPORATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Austerity drive drops Mackenzie to $9m

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Original article by Barry FitzGerald
The Australian – Page: 20 : 26-Sep-14

BHP Billiton’s 2014 annual report reveals that CEO Andrew Mackenzie received total remuneration of $US7.98m ($A9.06m) in 2013-14. This compares with the $US15.99m paid to his predecessor, Marius Kloppers, in 2012-13. The resources group has also advised that executives will receive no increase in their base salaries in 2014-15, while the annual report does not outline the likely effect that spinning off non-core assets will have on its executives’ salaries

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

BHP coal venture to cut 700 jobs in Bowen Basin

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Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 18 : 24-Sep-14

BHP Billiton’s joint venture with Mitsubishi will retrench 700 employees at its coal mines in central Queensland, amid continued weakness in the price of metallurgical coal. Dean Dalla Valle, the head of BHP Billiton’s global coal business, says the coal sector is likely to experience further upheaval in the next 12-18 months. Some 10,000 jobs have been shed in Australia’s coal mining industry in the last 12 months

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, BM ALLIANCE COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION

Former MD to repay company $500,000

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 20 : 23-Sep-14

The Federal Court of Australia has ordered the former MD of explorer MHM Metals to repay over $A500,000 to the company. It found that John Rogers had misappropriated company funds through the sale of a boat in 2008. The company also plans to pursue claims for $A5 million against one of Rogers’ private companies, with allegations of related party transactions and conflicts of interest

CORPORATES
MHM METALS LIMITED – ASX MHM, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION PTY LTD

Steel price recovery a boost to miners

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Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 20 : 17-Sep-14

The iron price gained four per cent in overnight trading on 15 September 2014, rising to $US85 per tonne. Shares in Australian-listed iron ore producers rallied in response. However, independent market strategist David Scutt notes that sharp gains in the iron ore price often occur between September and November

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, BC IRON LIMITED – ASX BCI, ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, MOUNT GIBSON IRON LIMITED – ASX MGX, DFP RECRUITMENT SERVICES PTY LTD

Setback for Rinehart in dispute over royalties

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 21 : 17-Sep-14

A court decision will reduce iron ore royalties for Hancock Prospecting and Wright Prospecting by $A80 million. The companies wanted $A200 million from Rio Tinto, in a dispute stemming from royalty agreements made in the 1960s with Hamersley Iron, now a subsidiary of Rio Tinto. Part of Rio’s appeal was dismissed, but the court found that the joint venture Hanright was not entitled to royalties from the Channar agreement

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, WRIGHT PROSPECTING PTY LTD, HAMERSLEY IRON PTY LTD, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Hancock allows GVK more time

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 16-Sep-14

Hancock Prospecting has given Indian company GVK more time to make the final payment for coal projects in the Galilee Basin in Queensland. GVK bought the Kevin’s Corner and Alpha projects for $US1.26 billion in September 2011. It was due to make the last payment of $US560 million ($A622 million) on 16 September 2014. The extension is open-ended at present. Coal prices have fallen significantly since GVK bought the projects

CORPORATES
HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, GVK POWER AND INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED, QUEENSLAND. TREASURY, WARATAH COAL PTY LTD, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, MARKET FORCES PTY LTD

Price collapse to cost big miners $10bn

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Original article by Barry FitzGerald
The Australian – Page: 19 : 11-Sep-14

Government revenue and the profits of major Australian-listed mining companies will be hit by the downturn in the iron ore price, which is currently trading at around $US83.20 per tonne. Macquarie Group has responded by reducing its profit forecasts for BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group by a combined $US3.93bn in 2015 and $US4.76bn in 2016. Macquarie expects the iron ore price to trade at $US92/tonne in 2015

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S CORPORATION, ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, CLIFFS NATURAL RESOURCES INCORPORATED

Price collapse to cost big miners $10bn

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Original article by Barry FitzGerald
The Australian – Page: 19 : 11-Sep-14

Government revenue and the profits of major Australian-listed mining companies will be hit by the downturn in the iron ore price, which is currently trading at around $US83.20 per tonne. Macquarie Group has responded by reducing its profit forecasts for BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group by a combined $US3.93bn in 2015 and $US4.76bn in 2016. Macquarie expects the iron ore price to trade at $US92/tonne in 2015

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S CORPORATION, ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, CLIFFS NATURAL RESOURCES INCORPORATED

Price collapse to cost big miners $10bn

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Original article by Barry FitzGerald
The Australian – Page: 19 : 11-Sep-14

Government revenue and the profits of major Australian-listed mining companies will be hit by the downturn in the iron ore price, which is currently trading at around $US83.20 per tonne. Macquarie Group has responded by reducing its profit forecasts for BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group by a combined $US3.93bn in 2015 and $US4.76bn in 2016. Macquarie expects the iron ore price to trade at $US92/tonne in 2015

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S CORPORATION, ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, CLIFFS NATURAL RESOURCES INCORPORATED

‘Clock ticking’ on Rio coal venture

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 10-Sep-14

Rio Tinto is again seeking approval from the New South Wales Government for an expansion of the Mount Thorley Warkworth coal mine in the Hunter Valley. The Land & Environment Court overturned a decision to approve the project, and Rio re-submitted its plans for the mine in June 2014. Rio has warned that the mine will not be economically viable beyond 2015 unless the expansion is approved, and has argued that the mine will inject $A1.5bn into the state’s economy over two decades

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, NEW SOUTH WALES. LAND AND ENVIRONMENT COURT, ENERGY RESOURCES OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX ERA