SMELTING FURNACES – QUEENSLAND

Mount Isa smelter set for bailout

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Original article by Ryan Cropp
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 8-Oct-25

The federal and Queensland governments are set to announce a taxpayer-funded support package for Glencore’s Mount Isa copper smelter. Industry sources have indicated that the package to be announced today will enable the plant to remain open for at least another four years. The federal and NSW governments are still holding talks with Rio Tinto regarding similar support for the Tomago aluminium smelter, while taxpayer assistance has previously been announced for the Whyalla steelworks and two zinc and lead smelters that are owned by Nyrstar Australia.

CORPORATES
GLENCORE PLC, GLENCORE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, TOMAGO ALUMINIUM COMPANY PTY LTD, NYRSTAR AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Rio calm as Russia sanctions hit plant

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 16-Apr-18

Rio Tinto has advised that its Queensland Alumina Limited business is unlikely to be significantly affected by a move by the US to impose trade sanctions on Russian companies. However, Rio Tinto has responded to the trade sanctions by declaring force majeure with regard to some QAL contracts. Russian companies that are affected by the sanctions include Rusal, which has a 20 per cent stake in QAL. Rio Tinto also has offtake agreements with Rusal regarding the former’s alumina smelters in France and Iceland, while Rusal also sources bauxite from Rio Tinto for its smelter in Ireland.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, QUEENSLAND ALUMINA LIMITED, RUSAL, GLENCORE PLC, LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF STATE

Rio’s Boyne smelter to slash output, jobs

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 22 : 20-Jan-17

The rising spot price of electricity in Queensland has prompted the Rio Tinto-controlled Boyne aluminium smelter to reduce annual production by around 45,000 tonnes. While the bulk of its electricity is supplied by the Rio Tinto-backed Gladstone Power Station, some 15 per cent is sourced via the spot market, where the price recently spiked to more than $A12,000 per megawatt hour. Some jobs will also be lost at the Boyne smelter, which has a workforce of about 1,000.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BOYNE SMELTERS LIMITED, GLADSTONE POWER STATION, STANWELL CORPORATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR, ALCOA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Foul-mouth Palmer says PM, banks out to get him

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Original article by Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 2 : 13-Sep-16

Prominent businessman and former MP Clive Palmer has told the Federal Court that he was a victim of a "political witch-hunt". Giving evidence on 12 September 2016 in the examination of the collapse of Queensland Nickel, he accused Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of persuading the big banks to refuse a loan of $A25 million, which he had sought for Queensland Nickel in September 2015.

CORPORATES
QUEENSLAND NICKEL PTY LTD, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, PPB HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Party’s all but over for Palmer

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 6 : 24-May-16

Businessman and federal MP Clive Palmer has advised that he will not recontest the seat of Fairfax in the 2016 election. Palmer has also indicated that he will not seek a seat in the upper house. Zhenya Wang is currently the Palmer United Party’s only representative in the Senate. Palmer’s nephew, Martin Brewster, will be the party’s sole candidate for the lower house. He will contest the seat of Herbert, in which Palmer’s failed Queensland Nickel is based. The company was wound up in April.

CORPORATES
PALMER UNITED PARTY, QUEENSLAND NICKEL PTY LTD, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Palmer may be forced to end his lawfare

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Original article by Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 5 : 3-Feb-16

Lawyers representing the administrators of Queensland Nickel may order legal action against China-based CITIC to be discontinued, due to concerns about the likely cost of further litigation. The Clive Palmer-backed company launched a $A137.5m civil damages claim against CITIC in 2015, although most of the legal action by Palmer against the Chinese group is being undertaken via Mineralogy. Queensland Nickel’s administrators may also seek to settle litigation over an alleged breach of environmental laws in order to avoid further legal costs.

CORPORATES
QUEENSLAND NICKEL PTY LTD, CITIC LIMITED, MINERALOGY PTY LTD, FTI CONSULTING PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, SINO IRON PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF QUEENSLAND, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, TOWNSVILLE MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Taxpayers may yet have to prop up Palmer firm

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 22-Jan-16

Queensland Nickel administrator FTI Consulting will consider a range of restructuring options for the failed company, which operates the Yabulu refinery. Any restructuring strategy is likely to take several months to develop, but FTI has approached the State Government regarding options such as tax relief or a loan guarantee. Queensland Nickel’s owner, businessman Clive Palmer has indicated that he will not comment further on the collapse before the creditors’ meeting on 29 January 2016.

CORPORATES
QUEENSLAND NICKEL PTY LTD, FTI CONSULTING PTY LTD, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF STATE DEVELOPMENT, TRADE AND INNOVATION, QUEENSLAND. TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, COOLUM RESORT PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

AWU sools watchdog on to Palmer Nickel

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Original article by Sarah Elks, Jared Owens, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 6 : 20-Jan-16

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission has been asked to investigate Queensland Nickel for potential breaches of the Corporations Act. Australian Workers’ Union state secretary Ben Swan has raised concern about the company’s donations to the political party of Clive Palmer, who is Queensland Nickel’s only shareholder. Swan also says Palmer may have been a "shadow director", despite resigning as a Queensland Nickel director in early 2015.

CORPORATES
QUEENSLAND NICKEL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, NATIONAL TEXTILES LIMITED, ONE.TEL LIMITED, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, PALMER UNITED PARTY

Aurizon hit by Queensland Nickel collapse

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Original article by Mark Ludlow, |Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 19-Jan-16

Faced with financial problems, Clive Palmer’s Queensland Nickel has opted for voluntary administration, with FTI Consulting appointed as administrators. Queensland Nickel MD Clive Mensink said on 18 January 2016 that the company has the potential to return to profitability. It was therefore "business as usual." Queensland Nickel”s creditors include Aurizon, Powerlink, Ixom and the Port of Townsville.

CORPORATES
QUEENSLAND NICKEL PTY LTD, FTI CONSULTING PTY LTD, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, POWERLINK QUEENSLAND, IXOM AUSTRALIA, PORT OF TOWNSVILLE, PALMER UNITED PARTY, STANWELL CORPORATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY