MINING CORPORATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Rinehart’s Roy Hill to lift output

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 14 : 9-Jan-18

Roy Hill Holdings is seeking to lift its iron ore export capacity at Port Hedland to 60 million tonnes a year. The company reached its annual production target of 55 million tonnes in September 2017, less than two years after shipments from its namesake mine began. Roy Hill says the increased production can be achieved without investing in additional infrastructure. Meanwhile, a Federal Government report has forecast strong growth in Australia’s iron ore exports in 2018 and a fall in the price of the steel input.

CORPORATES
ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG

Still more riches to be unearthed by miners

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 18 : 9-Jan-18

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index has outperformed the broader Australian sharemarket over the last two years, and Macquarie Equities is bullish about the outlook for mining stocks in 2018. The firm believes that major resources groups will have the scope to increase their capital returns to shareholders if the spot prices of key commodities remain at around current levels. Macquarie has maintained its "outperform" rating for both BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, while Fortescue Metals Group is its preferred stock among pure-play miners.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 MATERIALS INDEX, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, OZ MINERALS LIMITED – ASX OZL, METALS X LIMITED – ASX MLX, EVOLUTION MINING LIMITED – ASX EVN, ST BARBARA LIMITED – ASX SBM, REGIS RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX RRL, ILUKA RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX ILU, NEOMETALS LIMITED – ASX NMT, OROCOBRE LIMITED – ASX ORE, WESTERN AREAS LIMITED – ASX WSA, ALUMINA LIMITED – ASX AWC

Minerals Council pushes back over BHP threat

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 13 & 18 : 21-Dec-17

A Minerals Council of Australia spokesman says it intends to keep lobbying on the issues of climate and energy policy. This is despite BHP Billiton’s threat to cancel its membership if the MCA continues to advocate polices that are contrary to its own. However, BHP’s 50 per cent stake in the Bass Strait gas fields means it has less exposure to rising electricity prices on the east coast than fellow MCA members such as Rio Tinto and Glencore. BHP’s share of Bass Strait gas is equivalent to about 10 per cent of domestic demand for gas on the east coast. In contrast, BHP’s mining operations on the east coast account for around one per cent of National Energy Market demand.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GLENCORE PLC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Hambro tips iron ore discounts to persist

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 13-Dec-17

BlackRock fund manager Evy Hambro expects lower-grade iron ore to continue to trade at a discount to the benchmark price for some time. The discount has widened amid growing demand in China for higher-grade ore. Hambro notes that Australian miners may find it increasingly difficult to maintain the quality of their iron ore, as some of the best-quality reserves in the Pilbara have been exhausted. Brazil-based Vale is also increasing production of higher-grade iron ore at its S11D project.

CORPORATES
BLACKROCK WORLD MINING TRUST PLC, VALE SA, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Japanese look past Glencore for coal supply

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 20 : 11-Dec-17

New Hope Coal CEO Shane Stephan says there is growing concern among Japanese coal buyers about Glencore’s growing dominance of the Australian coal industry. He adds that this is prompting coal buyers to look at alternative suppliers such as New Hope and Whitehaven Coal. Australia will account for about 55 per cent of Glencore’s global coal production of 124 million tonnes in 2017, and the company’s share of Australia’s coal market will rise if its deal to acquire 49 per cent of the Hunter Valley Operations mine from Yancoal is approved.

CORPORATES
GLENCORE PLC, NEW HOPE COAL AUSTRALIA, NEW HOPE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX NHC, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, YANCOAL AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX YAL, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, MACH ENERGY, YANZHOU COAL MINING COMPANY LIMITED

Bargain buy of Canadian iron mine pays off for O’Keefe

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 7-Dec-17

Australian-listed Champion Iron aims to commence iron ore shipments from the Bloom Lake project in Canada in March 2018, having paid less than $US10m for it in 2016. Previous owner Cliffs had invested some $US2.4bn in the project, which it had acquired as part of its $US5bn purchase of Consolidated Thompson in 2011. Champion Iron is headed by Michael O’Keefe, who estimates that Bloom Lake’s higher-grade iron ore to fetch about $US80 per tonne at current prices. He is the former head of Riversdale Mining, which was acquired by Rio Tinto in 2011.

CORPORATES
CHAMPION IRON LIMITED – ASX CIA, CLIFFS NATURAL RESOURCES INCORPORATED, RIVERSDALE MINING LIMITED, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG

Thompson urged to follow BHP boss with listening tour

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 5-Dec-17

Simon Thompson, the former head of base metals at Anglo American, will succeed Jan du Plessis as chairman of Rio Tinto in March 2018. Thompson has been on Rio’s board since 2014. Rob Penaloza of Aberdeen Asset Management says he will be interested to hear more about Thompson’s priorities and see how his approach to the role will differ to that of his predecessor. Penaloza also suggests that Thompson should hold talks with shareholders before taking up his new role.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, ANGLO AMERICAN PLC, NEWMONT MINING CORPORATION, SANDVIK AB, XTREAMLOK PTY LTD, TULLOW OIL PLC

Fortescue boasts a few female firsts in corporate shake-up

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 22 : 1-Dec-17

Fortescue Metals announced 30 November that Elizabeth Gaines is to replace outgoing CEO Nev Power, making Gaines the first female to head up a major Australian mining firm. Greg Lilleyman, who had been seen as a contender with Gaines to replace Power, has been promoted from director of operations to chief operating officer, while Julie Shuttleworth, currently in charge of Fortescue’s Solomon operations, has been appointed to the newly created role of deputy CEO. It is believed it makes Fortescue the first ASX 200 company to have females occupying the top two executive roles.

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

BHP expects to cut Australian mine costs by further 10pc, talks up copper prices

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

BHP Billiton has told participants at its investors’ briefing on 28 November that it aims to achieve $US2 billion in productivity gains over the next 24 months, with its Australian mines expected to account for 80 per cent of that target. Its iron ore division, which achieved unit costs of $US14.60 per tonne in the year to 30 June 2017, is expected to reduce that figure to under $US13 in the medium term. Meanwhile, BHP told investors that copper prices in 2017 had been better than forecast, and that it expects prices to again be strong in 2018.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, FREEPORT-McMORAN COPPER AND GOLD INCORPORATED, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Lithium aspirant readies first sales to China

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 14-Nov-17

Altura Mining is on target to commission its $170 million Pilgangoora lithium project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region during the March 2018 quarter. Altura has contracts with J&R Optimum Energy and Lionenergy that will see both firms take at least 100,000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate per annum for an initial period of five years. J&R Optimum Energy is Altura’s major shareholder. Altura is targeting initial annual production of 220,000 tonnes, with plans to double output to 440,000 tonnes.

CORPORATES
ALTURA MINING LIMITED – ASX AJM, J & R OPTIMUM MINING, LIONENERGY, PILBARA MINERALS LIMITED – ASX PLS, BLACKROCK INCORPORATED, NEW HOPE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX NHC