This Month
Glencore seeks taxpayer bailout for Queensland copper smelter and refinery
The Swiss mining giant warned its Mt Isa copper smelter and Townsville copper refinery in Queensland were struggling and required taxpayer support.
March
Copper hits record as Trump tariffs wrong-foot traders
Reports that Trump could impose tariffs on the metal within weeks has intensified the rush to ship it into the US, lighting a fire under ASX-listed mining companies.
Copper stocks rocket as traders push prices above $US10,000
The industrial metal reached its highest level since October as traders scrambled to prepare for potential tariffs, lighting a fire under the ASX’s copper producers.
Trump’s tariff mayhem creates a lucrative commodity trade
Anxiety about imminent levies on copper has triggered a spike in New York-traded prices, causing traders to scramble to ship the metal to the US.
BHP inks $40m earn-in deal with ASX-listed Cobre
BHP’s Xplor program was designed to turbocharge exploration efforts for early-stage miners focused on critical minerals which play into the energy transition theme.
February
Left out of BHP’s $4.4b copper deal, NGEx courts Aussie fundies
This type of charm offensive is typically a precursor to a deal – often a secondary listing or capital raising.
Rio Tinto just pulled off a little miracle
Rio CEO Jakob Stausholm has quietly engineered an impressive strategic shift inside the mining giant. Its financial results for calendar 2024 tell the story.
BHP dividend slumps to eight-year low amid slowing Chinese demand
The iron ore mining giant is instead spending more money on developing new operations, focusing on in-demand commodities like copper and potash.
There’s a revolution going on inside BHP
Chief executive Mike Henry has been telling us for years that the Big Australian has to change. The turning point has now arrived.
Internal files show Rio had early warning of Oyu Tolgoi blowouts
The mining giant held an “urgent” crisis meeting into a nine-month delay on its copper project in the same week it told investors it on was on schedule.
BHP buoys uranium bulls with plans for small increase in production
Investors had feared the mining giant would create significantly more supply when it expanded production of copper in Olympic Dam. It says it will not.
January
Rio Tinto offers $472m to settle Mongolian mine tax dispute
The miner is hoping the deal will settle the Oyu Tolgoi tax stoush as it ties up loose ends over its copper bet amid the Glencore merger speculation.
$260b Rio Tinto, Glencore mega-deal would sideline Australia
Follow the money, and it’s hard to see how this mining merger would say much good about Australia’s future.
The China commodities super-cycle is over. Will there be another boom?
China’s massive industrialisation and urbanisation drove a huge commodities boom that has run its course, but some executives are hopeful it will be replaced.
Rio bosses asked staff to ‘limit’ emailing news of cost blowout
Internal documents provided to a New York court suggest the company pushed discussions about the troubled Oyu Tolgoi project onto encrypted messaging platforms.
Resources fundies reveal top picks ahead of ‘stellar’ 2025
Some portfolio managers are chasing the elusive surge in copper stocks or braving the lithium sector, while others plan to ride the rally in bauxite and silver prices.
Why the US wants BHP and Rio to get crazy rich in the Congo
BHP and Rio Tinto see just one problem with the big new copper mine Robert Friedland has built in the DRC. But the US government reckons it has the solution
December 2024
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.
Rio’s abandoned copper mine ‘life-threatening’ to Bougainville locals
The Panguna copper mine in Bougainville continues to generate toxic waste and may spark landslides that could kill people and cause lasting ecological damage.
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.