BHP doubles down on steelmaking coal as BMA returns rise
BHP has reaffirmed its commitment to its Queensland steelmaking coal business, with CEO Brandon Craig saying some of the commodity’s best years could still lie ahead. “The best…
BHP’s new CEO faces costs, strikes and M&A questions
BRANDON Craig takes the helm at BHP on July 1 confronting a demanding agenda that spans cost overruns, threatened industrial action, major capital decisions and a shifting…
Rio Tinto sees lithium as fastest-growing division
RIO Tinto expects its lithium business to outpace all other divisions as the mining giant works to triple output by 2028 to meet rising demand from electric vehicle and battery…
US-Abu Dhabi fund eyes stake in troubled Eramet
A MINING investment fund backed by the US and Abu Dhabi is in early discussions about acquiring a stake in Eramet, the troubled French miner whose shareholders include the French…
Stewart aims to keep it simple at Sibanye-Stillwater
SIBANYE-Stillwater shares are down almost 10% year to date, which is quite a disconnect considering its latest quarterly results, in which the platinum group metals (PGM) and…
BHP not boxed into M&A after “lessons from the past”
BHP CEO Mike Henry said previous experience had taught his company not to get “boxed into M&A” in order to grow production. “We’ve deliberately positioned ourselves so we don’t…
Copper overtakes iron ore in BHP’s record half-year
BHP Group has reported a stronger-than-expected half-year profit, with copper surpassing iron ore as the world’s largest miner’s biggest earnings contributor for the first time,…
Glencore-US Govt is the perfect relationship rebound
MINING houses of the ilk of Rio Tinto and Glencore are the standard-bearers of industry consolidation. So how do you consolidate the consolidators? With great difficulty, it…
Time is ripe for a Rio Tinto, Glencore merger
NOW we know why Glencore CEO Gary Nagle refrained from restructuring the company last year. Instead of spinning out coal or selling the group’s trading business, which was one…
The copper core
ON December 3 diversified miner Glencore rolled out plans for new copper projects totalling $14bn in expenditure. That increases to $24bn should it develop El Pachón, a project…
Glencore to reopen Alumbrera as targets 1.6mt/y in copper output
GLENCORE annnounced today the restart of its Alumbrera mine in Argentina by late 2026 as it sought to give fresh momentum to its struggling copper division. Amid a downgrade of…
Rio Tinto shelves Serbian lithium project
RIO Tinto has suspended work on its $2.95bn Jadar lithium project in Serbia as the mining company’s new CEO pursues a strategy of cost reduction and portfolio simplification. The…
BHP projects image of calm as M&A gyrations begin
IT has been three years into a copper price bull run, yet it’s surprising how troubled some of its largest producers are. Rio Tinto, Anglo American and Glencore, accounting for…
BHP touts copper expansion whilst avoiding M&A talk
MINING giant BHP showcased its copper growth ambitions during a shareholder briefing on Monday, whilst steering clear of questions about potential major acquisitions, said…
Vicuña extends Argentine mine life by years
VICUÑA Corp., a joint venture between Australia’s BHP and Canada’s Lundin Mining, has announced a six-year extension to the operational lifespan of its Josemaria copper, gold and…
Rio Tinto CEO Jakob Stausholm to step down this year
RIO Tinto said on Thursday its CEO of four years’ standing Jakob Stausholm would step down from the company later this year once a successor was found. “Jakob will continue to…
Chile’s Codelco and Rio Tinto form lithium venture
CHILE’S state-owned copper giant Codelco has announced a strategic partnership with global mining titan Rio Tinto for its new Maricunga lithium project, marking a significant…
Barrick wants deal with Mali rather than “badly run legal fight”
THE shutdown of Loulo-Gounkoto in Mali was weighed heavily on Barrick Mining Corp.’s first quarter with its CEO Mark Bristow saying he’d prefer a negotiated settlement with the…
Will BHP return for Anglo? Definitely, maybe
WILL BHP take a second shot at Anglo American when the UK’s six-month “put up or shut up” takeover rule lapses? ‘Definitely, maybe’, to quote Oasis, the UK rock band that is…
Goldman Sachs slashes copper price outlook for 2025
AN expected rally in copper prices would not materialise in 2025, said the Financial Times citing a report on the metal’s prospects by US bank, Goldman Sachs. The copper price is…