MINING CORPORATIONS – AUSTRALIA

BHP pays $110m to settle dam class action

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 15 : 10-Sep-25

BHP has reached an out-of-court settlement over a class action that was launched on behalf of Australian investors who bought its shares in the three years or so before the collapse of an iron ore tailings dam in Brazil on 5 November 2015. BHP’s shares fell by 22 per cent in the wake of the disaster; amongst other things, BHP was accused of failing to disclose material information to the market and engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct by claiming that safety was its highest priority. BHP agreed to pay $110m shortly before the case was scheduled to be heard by the Federal Court. However, US-based litigation funder G&E KTMC Funding is expected to be entitled to a significant share of the payout.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, G&E KTMC FUNDING

South32 chief in blast over green tape

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 17 : 3-Sep-25

Diversified miner South32 battled the bureaucracy for more than seven years to secure approval to continue operating its Worley bauxite and alumina business in Western Australia. Meanwhile, difficulty in gaining approval for an extension to the Dendrobium coal mine in the Illawarra region of NSW prompted South32 to sell the asset in 2024. South32 CEO Graham Kerr says the Trump administration has made it much easier to gain environmental approval for US mining projects compared with Australia. The company is on track to gain all approvals for its Hermosa critical minerals project in less than four years; it was the first project to be added to the FAST-41 list.

CORPORATES
SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32

Trump slams activists over Rio, BHP copper mine delay

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Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 20-Aug-25

The US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service division gave final environmental approval for the Resolute Copper project in June. However, the US 9th Circuit Court has granted a temporary administrative injunction to block the transfer of land that is necessary for the BHP and Rio Tinto project in Arizona to proceed to its next stage. President Donald Trump has criticised the coalition of activists that had sought the injunction; he has stated on the Truth Social platform that the activists are "anti-American" and represent other countries that compete in the copper sector. Trump also targeted the "radical left" court for delaying the copper project.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, RESOLUTION COPPER MINING LLC, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE. FOREST SERVICE, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

BHP cuts spending, warns of job losses to weather slide in earnings

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 20-Aug-25

BHP has posted a 2024-25 underlying net profit of $US10.15bn ($15.63bn), which is 26 per cent lower than previously and slightly below analysts’ expectations. The result was marred by lower prices for iron ore and coal, although this was partially offset by a higher copper price. Meanwhile, BHP has advised that it will reduce capital expenditure by $US3bn between 2028 and 2030; a decision on the proposed expansion of its Olympic Dam copper mine in South Australia will also be pushed back to 2028. CEO Mike Henry has flagged the potential for job cuts, particularly at its Queensland coal mines due to the impact of lower prices and the state government’s royalties regime.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

‘No regrets’: Rio Tinto’s outgoing CEO marks his scorecard

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Original article by Eric Johnston
The Australian – Page: 13 & 14 : 13-Aug-25

Rio Tinto’s head of iron ore Simon Trott will formally succeed Jakob Stausholm as CEO on 25 August. Stausholm says he is proud of what he has achieved at Rio Tinto since taking up the role in 2021; amongst other things, he addressed the resources group’s cultural issues, rebuilt trust in the company in the wake of the Juukan Gorge scandal and increased its exposure to the copper and lithium sectors. Stausholm has defended Rio Tinto’s move to ramp up exposure to lithium, arguing that it is very clear that the world needs more lithium.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Rinehart a winner in rare earths move

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 14 : 6-Aug-25

Shares in Lynas Rare Earths and Iluka Resources rose strongly on Tuesday, in response to the federal government’s plans to create a floor price for rare earths. Resources Minister Madeleine King has indicated hat the government is also open to taking equity stakes in rare earths companies, as part of its proposal to establish a critical minerals strategic reserve. Arafura Rare Earths’ CEO Darryl Cuzzubbo says an Australian floor price would disrupt China’s dominance of the rare earths sector; he adds that any strategic reserve for rare earths should be linked to a non-China controlled price index. Mining magnate Gina Rinehart has an eight per cent in Arafura and a similar stake in Lynas.

CORPORATES
LYNAS RARE EARTHS LIMITED – ASX LYC, ILUKA RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX ILU, ARAFURA RARE EARTHS LIMITED – ASX ARU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES

Forrest-backed Greatland loses $1b on guidance

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Original article by Mark Wembridge
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 30-Jul-25

Greatland Resources has downgraded its 2025-26 production forecast just one month after listing on the Australian sharemarket. The gold miner had previously expected to produce up to 340,000 ounces of gold in the current financial year, but this will now be within the range of 260,000 to 310,000 ounces. MD Shaun Day has attributed the downgrade to Greatland’s "conservative approach" to guidance. The company’s shares fell 22 per cent to $5.36 on Tuesday, compared with an issue price of $6.60 in the recent IPO. Greatland’s investors include Wyloo, the private company of Andrew and Nicola Forrest.

CORPORATES
GREATLAND RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX GGP, WYLOO METALS PTY LTD

Despite $22bn promise, Adani has paid zero corporate tax in Australia and experts think it won’t ever pay a cent

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Original article by Jonathan Barrett
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 29-Jul-25

Adani Mining posted a loss of $461.7m in the year to 31 March, despite having revenue of $1.27bn. It operates the Carmichael coal mine in Queensland, and is part of the India-based Adani conglomerate. Large annual payments to related parties is a key reason why Adani Mining has yet to make a profit, more than three years afer production at the Carmichael mine began. Jason Ward from the Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability & Research says the level of related-party transactions at Adani Mining is "pretty unprecedented"; he believes that the company has been structured in a way that ensures it will never make a profit or have to pay tax.

CORPORATES
ADANI MINING PTY LTD, CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE TAX ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESEARCH

Rio reveals 80-year plan for Pilbara iron ore mines

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 29-Jul-25

Rio Tinto is seeking environmental approval from the Western Australian government for its East Pilbara Strategic Proposal. Rio Tinto has stated that the EPSP covers potential future developments in the region over the next eight decades, including iron ore mining and renewable energy projects, as well as supporting infrastructure. BHP secured approval for a similar proposal in the Pilbara in 2019, which enabled project approvals to be streamlined. Rio Tinto’s long-term commitment to the Pilbara is in contrast to recent warnings from Fortescue’s founder Andrew Forrest that the region is at risk of becoming a ‘wasteland’

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

Back to future on carbon with Rio

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Original article by Greg Brown, Noah Yim
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 16-Jul-25

Rio Tinto has used its submission to the Productivity Commission’s so-called ‘five pillars’ review to call for Australia to introduce a market-based price on carbon. The resources group contends that this is the most effective way to encourage the private sector to make low-carbon investments and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, Rio Tinto has also argued that further government subsidies will be needed, as a carbon price alone will not be enough to reduce heavy industries’ emissions while allowing them to remain globally competitive.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION