Featured
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Chalmers sell-down order adds to crazy tale of rare earths intrigue
Treasury orders forcing Chinese interests to sell shares in Northern Minerals comes as Australia faces hard questions on Chinese involvement in our critical minerals sector.
- James Thomson
- Opinion
- Publishing
AFR will not walk away from WA
Political and business leaders in Western Australia say privately that Kerry Stokes has an unhealthy degree of media power in the state.
- Updated
- Michael Stutchbury
Perth’s high-flyers turn out to toast Financial Review’s Mining Summit
The state’s political and business leaders gathered at Perth’s Wildflower for the second The Australian Financial Review Mining Summit dinner.
- Updated
Junior miners in ‘survival mode’ put consolidation on back burner
It is a tale of two worlds in mining as the smaller players cut costs while large miners like BHP eye more acquisitions to grow copper stocks.
- Aaron Weinman
Major lithium miners push for a more reliable spot price
MinRes and Pilbara Minerals say a trading exchange would reduce volatility and make the battery commodity more attractive to commercial bank financing.
- Elouise Fowler
May
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
The Anglo mine BHP craves explains why a deal boom is coming
Investors expect the growing demand for copper and the surging costs of building new mines will spark a frenzy of big mining deals, regardless of the outcome.
- James Thomson
Lithium giant says China will remain pivotal to local mining projects
Local miners are torn between their dominant customer and investor over two decades, and the lure of subsidies from the US, Australia’s biggest defence ally.
- Elouise Fowler
Hancock exec says Cook’s California dream may mean higher emissions
Magnetite projects fit perfectly into Australia’s green future but are hamstrung by insufficient power, water and regulatory fatigue, Sanjiv Manchanda said.
- Vesna Poljak
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Big China question hangs over Australia’s critical minerals sector
Geopolitical tensions between China and the West loom large over Australia’s critical minerals industry, and there are no easy answers.
- James Thomson
Big miners split with smaller peers over tax credit ‘white elephants’
Minerals Council chief executive Tania Constable says the government should limit access to the $13.7 billion production tax credit to avoid funding unviable projects.
- Peter Ker
Injured Aussies could be compensated ‘millions’ by Singapore Airlines
Fifty-six Australians were on board the flight and eight were injured in the “severe turbulence”; Angus Taylor says “commercial viable” nuclear power industry won’t need subsidies. Here’s how the day unfolded.
- Updated
- Hannah Wootton
- Updated
- Nickel
King says BHP prioritised shareholder returns over nickel jobs
The miner has said it will decide whether to close its nickel business by August. The resources minister says there has been a decade of underinvestment.
- Updated
- Brad Thompson
Inside the most promising critical minerals discovery in years
WA1 Resources has enjoyed a 108-fold increase in share price since floating in 2022 thanks to a discovery near the tiny remote community of Kiwirrkurra in WA.
- Peter Ker
- Exclusive
- Madeleine King
King accuses ‘anti-WA’ Dutton of jeopardising national security
Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King also accuses the opposition leader of stoking class warfare by opposing the government’s production tax credits for miners.
- Tom Rabe
- Opinion
- The AFR View
From euphoria to subsidies to kick-start the next great mining hopes
An Australian mining industry more used to being threatened by super-profit tax raids is being offered handouts to kick-start its way into the low carbon era.
- The AFR View
How we can take on Tesla, according to WA’s Roger Cook
WA Premier Roger Cook insists his state’s nickel crisis should not deter major miners from pushing ahead with higher social and environmental standards.
- Tom Rabe
- Exclusive
- WA Parliament
Cook says magnetite will make WA the ‘California of Australia’
WA’s future in resources wasn’t just linked to battery minerals, but also to a different variety of iron ore largely overlooked by our mining industry: magnetite.
- Tom Rabe
AusSuper sets sights on becoming a global force in critical minerals
Australia’s largest industry super fund will step up its investment in battery metal lithium as it seeks to grow its $12 billion critical minerals fund.
- Elouise Fowler
March
Lithium hopeful Liontown in $550m loan from banks, taxpayers
The new agreement will ease concerns over Liontown Resources after January’s spectacular loan withdrawal.
- Peter Ker
Lynas not standing still after mega-merger stalls
Lynas boss Amanda Lacaze missed out on a tie-up with a New York-listed rival aimed at challenging China’s dominance. What next for the rare earths player?
- Brad Thompson
Global lithium producer signals price rout has ended
Chinese appetite for electric vehicles has outstripped expectations, boosting optimism of a lithium price rebound and spurring bets from investors.
- Elouise Fowler
February
BHP sheds jobs, axes white-collar teams in global reset
BHP rocked its workforce with a major restructure disbanding specialist teams and putting far greater responsibilities on its iron ore, coal, copper and nickel leaders.
- Brad Thompson
Surviving mining’s boom and bust
Price bubbles have burst and priorities have shifted, but a huge opportunity exists to shape a low-carbon future. What can the mining sector do differently?
More pain for nickel, lithium as supply deluge bites
Of the three key critical minerals, nickel has the darkest outlook because of cheap supply from Indonesia, but investors are backing copper as demand picks up.
- Cecile Lefort
Alumina may need to raise capital if Alcoa deal fails
The takeover target slumped after it disclosed a $US150 million ($229 million) annual loss and Alcoa shares tumbled in New York.
- Peter Ker