MINING CORPORATIONS – AUSTRALIA

BHP digs deep to make new Pilbara mine female friendly

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 26-Oct-18

BHP Billiton has awarded about $1.5 billion worth of contracts associated with its new South Flank iron ore mine in the Pilbara. BHP has required contractors to demonstrate their track record with regard to gender and cultural diversity when bidding for South Flank contracts, as part of its push for the project to have a gender-balanced workforce. Women comprise about 35 per cent of workers at South Flank, which is slated to commence production in 2021.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

Coronado Coal burnt as shares dip on debut

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Original article by Matt Chambers, Samantha Bailey
The Australian – Page: 21 : 24-Oct-18

Coronado Coal has a market capitalisation of around $3.5bn after the stock closed at $3.60 on its first day of trading on the Australian sharemarket. Shares in Coronado were issued at $4 apiece, at the bottom end of the indicative range of between $4 and $4.80 in its prospectus. Coronado acquired the Curragh coking and thermal coal mine in Queensland from Wesfarmers earlier in 2018, while it also owns coking coal mines in the US.

CORPORATES
CORONADO GLOBAL RESOURCES INCORPORATED – ASX CRN, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, SHAW AND PARTNERS LIMITED, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, YANCOAL AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX YAL, NEW HOPE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX NHC, STANMORE COAL LIMITED – ASX SMR, ENERGY AND MINERALS GROUP, ATLAS FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, STANWELL CORPORATION LIMITED, GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Why Coronado was shunned by big fundies

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 23-Oct-18

Many Australian fund managers chose not to participate in the IPO of Coronado Global Resources, forcing private equity firm Energy & Minerals Group to scale back the size of the raising and the issue price of Coronado share. Some resources-focused fund managers are said to have taken the view that Coronado’s offer price was less compelling than similar IPOs, while its commitment to pay out all free cash flows in its first year as dividends is also believed to have been a concern.

CORPORATES
CORONADO GLOBAL RESOURCES INCORPORATED – ASX CRN, ENERGY AND MINERALS GROUP, SHAW AND PARTNERS LIMITED, JANUS HENDERSON GROUP PLC – ASX JHG, PEABODY ENERGY CORPORATION

Coronado pushes past IPO blow

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 22-Oct-18

Coronado Global Resources is slated to commence trading on the Australian sharemarket on 23 October. The IPO raised $774m and was oversubscribed, although Coronado had scaled back the size of the offering from an initial target of $1.4m. Metallurgical coal accounted for about 75 per cent of Coronado’s total production in 2017. The company owns coal mines in Queensland’s Bowen Basin and the US state of Virginia. Energy & Minerals Group (EMG) will retain a stake of up to 78.9 per cent in Coronado.

CORPORATES
CORONADO GLOBAL RESOURCES INCORPORATED – ASX CRN, ENERGY AND MINERALS GROUP, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS PTY LTD, SULLIVAN AND CROMWELL, WHITEHALL ASSOCIATES, NEW HOPE COAL AUSTRALIA, YANCOAL AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX YAL

BHP dials down copper target after unplanned outages

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 & 24 : 18-Oct-18

BHP Billiton’s production report for the September quarter shows that the resources giant has scaled back its forecast for copper output in 2018-19. BHP expects full-year production to be within the range of 1.62 million to 1.705 million tonnes, compared with previous guidance of 1.67 million to 1.77 million tonnes. The downgrade has been attributed to disruptions at the Olympic Dam mine in South Australia and the Spence project in Chile. Meanwhile, BHP’s iron ore shipments totalled 69.42 million tonnes during the quarter, and the company still expects Pilbara iron ore volumes of 273 million to 283 million tonnes for the full year.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS

Miners warn Labor over Indonesia FTA

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Original article by John Kehoe, Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 17-Oct-18

Australian mining companies argue that a proposed free-trade agreement with Indonesia must include an investor-state dispute settlement clause, given the Indonesian government’s recent policy of requiring resources projects to have majority ownership. The mining sector accounts for about one-third of Australia’s foreign direct investment in Indonesia. However, Labor opposes the federal government’s plans to include an ISDS clause in the FTA, a stance that is backed by unions.

CORPORATES
NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIA-INDONESIA BUSINESS COUNCIL LIMITED, FREEPORT-McMORAN COPPER AND GOLD INCORPORATED, CHURCHILL MINING PLC, PLANET MINING, AUSTRALIA. EXPORT FINANCE AND INSURANCE CORPORATION, INDONESIA-AUSTRALIA BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP GROUP, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED, WHITE INDUSTRIES AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Local miners struggle to keep pace with Vale

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 17-Oct-18

Rio Tinto’s iron ore shipments from the Pilbara totalled 81.9 million tonnes in the September quarter, compared with 88.5 million in the June quarter. Rio Tinto has attributed the fall in shipments to factors such as maintenance work and the death of a worker at one of its mines. BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals Group are also tipped to report lower iron ore export volumes for the quarter. Meanwhile, Brazilian rival Vale has reported record third-quarter production of 104.9 million tonnes, while its sales rose by nine per cent to 84 million tonnes.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, VALE SA, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MINERAL RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX MIN, ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS

Rio Tinto may cut rates on Mongolia loans in compromise move

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 15-Oct-18

Recent media reports in Mongolia have suggested that Rio Tinto could be prepared to reduce the interest rates on the loans it provides to the government-owned company that has a 34 per cent stake in the Oyu Tolgo copper mine. According to the reports, Mongolian MP Gombojavyn Zandanshatar has indicated that Rio Tinto will reduce its loan interest rates as part of negotiations with the government regarding their agreement to expand the mine. The government is dependent on loans from Rio Tinto to finance its share of construction costs.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, OYU TOLGOI LLC, TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LIMITED, TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, OZ MINERALS LIMITED – ASX OZL

Fortescue in $500m share buy-back

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 12-Oct-18

Shares in Fortescue Metals Group closed nearly 2.5 per cent higher at $3.76 on 11 October, after the pure-play iron ore miner announced plans to repurchase $500m worth of its shares. Peter O’Connor of Shaw & Partners has welcomed the share buyback, which has coincided with the recent rise in the price of lower-grade iron. Fortescue is expected to launch the buyback following the release of its quarterly results in late October.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, SHAW AND PARTNERS LIMITED, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

How a $US1 move is making millions for Australian miners

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Original article by Stephen Bartholomeusz
The Age – Page: 21 : 11-Oct-18

A rally in the price of iron ore, crude oil and metallurgical coal in the last month has in turn sparked a rise in the share prices of BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. It is estimated that BHP’s EBITDA rises or falls by about $US227m for every $US1 movement in the iron ore price. The steel input is currently trading above $US70 per tonne, compared with BHP’s average realised price of $US56.71/tonne in 2017-18. Likewise, every $US1 per barrel change in the price of crude oil has a $US43m impact on BHP’s EBITDA.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, VALE SA, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT