NewsBite

Peter Ker

This Month

.

Rio Tinto’s $10.7b lithium takeover wins shareholder approval

Chief executive Jakob Stausholm got an early Christmas present when Arcadium Lithium investors voted to accept his acquisition offer.

Smorgon stoush triggers gold mine fire sale

One of Australia’s most powerful families have pushed their Chinese partners in the Stawell gold mine into receivership.

Vanadium batteries are good for stationary energy storage.

Japanese giant buys Aussie battery start-up in coal to minerals pivot

Idemitsu has taken majority control of Vecco Group as it tries to move towards investments in critical minerals and energy storage.

Two haul trucks at the Savage River  project in Tasmania. Supplies will dwindle at the mine unless it is expanded in the next few years.

Tasmania’s huge Savage River project at risk as iron ore prices fall

Grange Resources, which is developing the mine near Burnie, said it could not fund the expansion at current and forecast prices for the commodity.

The Neosmelt project will be constructed on the site of BHP’s old nickel refinery in Kwinana.

Mining rivals join forces on green iron project

BHP, Rio Tinto and BlueScope have all agreed to develop Australia’s largest iron-making electric smelting furnace, the NeoSmelt pilot facility, in Western Australia.

Advertisement
Malcolm Broomhead will retire from Orica in 2025.

Orica chairman Malcolm Broomhead to step down

A veteran of some of Australia’s most powerful boardrooms has announced plans to step down from his last major corporate directorship.

The big sting: how a mythical bee halted a gold mine

When a NSW mining project was halted to protect hotly disputed Indigenous heritage it showed a lot has changed since Juukan Gorge, even if the laws haven’t.

Syrah’s Balama mine in Mozambique.

AustralianSuper’s graphite bet Syrah defaults on US government debt

More than $370 million of loans have helped keep the miner afloat, but civil unrest in Mozambique has halted production there and triggered default clauses.

Exploration drillers tighten belts as boom fades

Spending on mineral exploration is sliding and inflationary pressures mean each dollar delivers fewer metres drilled. But AI and data analysis might save the day.

Rio published a report last month that found bullying and harassment were still common.

Sexual harassment class action to target BHP, Rio

The big miners’ efforts to attract more female employees have suffered a setback with the launch of sexual harassment class actions.

Rio Tinto says carbon price pain justifies action on emissions

Carbon pricing schemes in Australia and Quebec mean almost half of Rio’s emissions are subject to penalty and would soon cost $940 million per year if not tackled.

Taxpayers have just made a $1.65b bet on a rare earths green premium

It’s the recipient of the second-biggest government loan in history. For the Eneabba project to succeed, everything about how minerals are priced must change.

The site of the Iluka rare earths mineral refinery in Western Australia.

Iluka lands $400m taxpayer loan to get rare earth refinery on track

But investors are worried that the cost of the Eneabba project in Western Australia will make it hard for the company to make a return once it is operational.

  • Updated
Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm.

Rio Tinto rules out unification, mulls ASX share issuance

Rio Tinto boss Jakob Stausholm says he wants to bolster the Australian side of the dual-company structure, not unify it with the British side.

Flotation cells inside the concentrator at the Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia. The mine is central to Rio Tinto’s efforts to diversify away from iron ore.

Rio Tinto outlines 40pc surge in copper as it pivots from iron ore

The mining giant told investors Australian iron ore would provide just over half of its future earnings, down significantly from its current dominant role.

Advertisement

November

Mineral Resources founder and managing director Chris Ellison at last week’s AGM.

Chris Ellison quits as Delta Lithium chairman ‘effective immediately’

The businessman said he was leaving the junior explorer to focus on Mineral Resources, where he intends to quit as managing director within 18 months.

Anglo American boss Duncan Wanblad has sold the miner’s coal assets.

Peabody in $5.8b Anglo American coal deal

Takeover target Anglo American has shored up its defences against BHP by selling its Queensland coal mines for up to $5.8 billion.

MinRes investigates truck crash on Onslow haul road

Another truck has crashed on the road connecting MinRes’ new Onslow iron ore hub, which is critical source of income for the highly indebted miner.

Chris Ellison speaks at Thursday’s meeting.

Ellison reveals ‘dark cloud’ in MinRes’ day of reckoning

The billionaire founder presented a mix of contrition and defiance over the company’s governance scandals at the shareholder meeting on Thursday.

Kellie Parker is Rio’s chief executive in Australia. The company has been grappling with cultural change since a landmark report in 2022.

Rio Tinto workers push back against its diversity efforts

Two years after a major review found the company had systemic bullying issues, employees of both sexes say they are uncomfortable about some changes.

  • Updated

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/by/peter-ker-hveio