NewsBite

Mark Wembridge

Yesterday

Iluka boss Tom O’Leary.

Iluka CEO backs efforts to loosen China’s rare earths stranglehold

Tom O’Leary says Western governments had acknowledged ‘China’s monopoly’ by acting to secure their own sources of critical minerals.

This Month

Rio Tinto CEO Jakob Stausholm (left) and Chairman Dominic Barton at the Rio Tinto AGM in Perth.

Rio Tinto defeats activist hedge fund push to axe dual listing

The miner’s board has won its months-long battle with Palliser Capital after shareholders voted down its proposal.

April

MinRes headquarters in Perth.

MinRes rules out equity raise as debt mountain hits $5.4b

The diversified miner burnt through $300m of cash in three months, but its shares jumped as fears of a dilutive share placement were alleviated.

From left: Delta managing director James Croser, chairman Nader El Sayed, and non-executive director Josh Thurlow.

Gina Rinehart-backed Delta Lithium to spin out WA gold mine

The junior explorer will separate its gold assets into Ballard Mining and launch an IPO to take advantage of astronomical demand.

Amanda Lacaze, CEO Lynas Rare Earths.

Lynas blasts Labor over critical minerals stockpile plan

Lynas CEO Amanda Lacaze has warned Labor’s critical minerals stockpile will be counterproductive and may damage Australia’s only rare earths producer.

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Barrels at a uranium production facility in Utah. Demand for uranium could rise this decade, but for now, producers are struggling.

Will uranium ever get its day in the sun?

It was one of the hottest trades of last year. Now the commodity has a new claim to fame – it dominates the list of most-shorted stocks.

Citi has become the latest bank to cut its lithium forecasts.

Lithium investors fear price plunge from Labor stockpile

A fresh wave of supply would deal another blow to lithium prices, which Citi already expects to fall a further 27 per cent in coming months.

Woodside’s Louisiana LNG site.

Woodside eyes competitive edge with US project

Woodside says its Louisiana gas project can defer tariffs under a US free trade zone, giving it a cost edge over US LNG competitors.

Three MinRes board members have quit in a week.

MinRes loses the final member of its board ethics committee

Denise McComish’s abrupt exit follows the departure of Jacqueline McGill and Susie Corlett from the West Australian miner, which already had investors on edge.

Investors scurried to the safety of gold.

Capricorn Metals chief stood down after aggravated assault charge

Paul Criddle pleaded not guilty in a Fremantle court a week ago, but shareholders were only informed on Tuesday afternoon when the gold miner told the ASX.

Super funds demand answers after MinRes board exodus

Susie Corlett and Jacqueline McGill have been critical of founder Chris Ellison, and their exit has raised questions about plans to overhaul governance.

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Evolution Mining pockets gold windfall as NSW mine life extended

The ASX-listed company’s margins are bulging after producing bullion for $1600 an ounce and then selling at more than three times that cost.

Gold is booming but Bellevue is not.

Bellevue Gold flags takeover talk after bad hedges force $156m raise

The struggling West Australian gold miner has been forced into a dilutive fundraising to close out lowball forward hedging contracts.

The Hemi project will be one of the largest gold mines once constructed.

Northern Star set to seal $6b De Grey buyout in mega gold deal

The price tag is the highest ever for an undeveloped Australian project, and the buyer hopes to take control of the promising Hemi development.

Mark Creasy in Perth in 2019.

Rio Tinto and Mitsui target billionaire Creasy’s Pilbara iron ore

The giant miner and Japanese trading house have bid $75 million for the legendary prospector’s iron ore tenements.

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Palliser Capital’s James Smith in the audience when holders of Rio’s London-listed stock voted on the hedge fund’s proposal.

Rio says Australian dividends at risk if investors back activist fund

ASX shareholders will vote on whether to force the miner to review its dual-company structure and end its primary London listing next month.

US President Donald Trump has been a longtime supporter of fossil fuels.

Australian exports safe from Trump’s ‘beautiful coal’ dream

The president’s push to reinvigorate the US coal industry will not seriously affect Australia dominance of exports to China, experts say, but prices are likely to fall further.

Donald Trump in the White House with coal miners on Tuesday.

Trump cites Australia in his ‘beautiful clean coal’ energy overhaul

US President and fossil fuel advocate Donald Trump has noted Australia’s sales to China when signing executive orders to turbocharge coal production.

Gold Road chief executive Duncan Gibbs.

Gold Road pushes for higher bid as mine study suggests vast riches

WA miner says scoping study suggests Gold Fields’ $3.3 billion bid undervalues prospects for the Gruyere joint venture.

Mineral Resources shares have have lost one-third of their value since last week.

MinRes debt anxiety grows as lithium miners walloped by tariff fears

The company’s debt is trading at an increasing discount as investors fret about billions of dollars in loans far higher than its market capitalisation.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/by/mark-wembridge-p537py