Author: Chloe Coutinho

Copper, bauxite big for Rio Tinto in Q4 Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) has released its Q4 CY24 production results, with copper and bauxite operations driving consistent performance and profitable growth. Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm says the company is making strong progress in delivering organic growth from its major projects. “The Oyu Tolgoi underground copper mine in Mongolia continues to successfully ramp up, while the Simandou high-grade iron ore project in Guinea and our Western Range mine in the Pilbara are on schedule for first production this year,” he said. “Significant milestones were achieved at our...

MLG seals $45m in Northern Star contracts MLG Oz has executed key contracts with Northern Star Resources (ASX: NST) (Northern Star) for the provision of haulage and site services across four of its operations in the Goldfields of WA. The four contracts are for existing work that MLG has already been performing for Northern Star across the Jundee, South Kalgoorlie, Kanowna Belle and Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) operations. The total combined value of the contracts has the potential to exceed $45mpa in revenue for MLG. Two of the contracts will run until June 30, 2027. The new agreements with Northern Star come...

BHP, Lundin Mining acquire Filo Corp BHP Canada (ASX: BHP) and Lundin Mining have formed a joint venture (JV) company, Vicuña, following their acquisition of Filo Corp that finalised today. The 50:50 JV will hold the Filo del Sol (FDS) copper project and the Josemaria copper project located in the Vicuña district of Argentina and Chile. Prior to completion, Lundin Mining owned 100% of the Josemaria project. At completion, BHP Canada acquired a 50% interest in the Josemaria copper project from Lundin Mining. BHP Canada and Lundin Mining then contributed...

Pilbara Minerals nets $15m grant Three major job-creating regional projects will receive a multimillion-dollar funding boost as part of the WA Government clean energy plan to diversify the economy and set WA up for the future. The WA Government has allocated $34m through its Investment Attraction Fund to three clean energy projects that will drive new job opportunities across WA. WA Premier Roger Cook says WA is on track to become a global clean energy powerhouse, to keep its economy for the long term and create the jobs of the future in the State. "These projects are at the cutting edge of the...

Alcoa secures gas supply for alumina refineries Alcoa of Australia (ASX: AAI) has inked a new gas supply agreement with Chevron Australia for its WA alumina refineries. Effective January 1, 2028, the agreement will provide a total of 130PJ of gas over a 10-year period. Alcoa Australia president Elsabe Muller says the new contract plays an important role in securing the future of Alcoa’s WA operations and continues its association with one of the state’s longstanding domestic gas suppliers. “This agreement with Chevron forms part of our long-term energy strategy focussed on ensuring our refineries remain globally competitive whilst sustaining thousands of direct and indirect jobs and businesses...

POSCO Holdings, Hancock join forces POSCO Holdings and Hancock Prospecting have formalised their collaboration by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on lithium cooperation. Under the agreement, POSCO Holdings and Hancock Prospecting will pursue a lithium business venture with an annual production capacity of 30,000 tons. The two companies will jointly evaluate optimal sites for establishing the lithium...

BlueScope, BHP and Rio Tinto decarbonise steel Australia’s two largest iron ore miners and its biggest steelmaker have selected the Kwinana Industrial Area in WA as the location to develop Australia’s largest ironmaking electric smelting furnace (ESF) pilot plant. The groundbreaking project combines the expertise of BlueScope (ASX: BSL), BHP (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) to test technology to enable the use of Pilbara iron ore to produce iron without the need for traditional blast furnaces, as the companies come together to try to accelerate the decarbonisation of steelmaking. The industry leaders formed the NeoSmelt collaboration in February 2024, combining...

Pantoro: high grade gold at Scotia Pantoro (ASX: PNR) has provided an update on its initial underground development and diamond drill results from the southern end of the Scotia orebody in WA. Grade control results have demonstrated both strike and width increases to the current ore reserve in the areas tested. Initial extensional drilling has confirmed additional wide, high grade mineralisation below the current mine plan, highlighting the potential for significant resource growth and extended mine life. Initial drill testing beneath the current Scotia South ore reserve has returned 9.2 m @...

IGO, Encounter Resources enter copper JV IGO (ASX: IGO) has entered a joint venture (JV) with Encounter Resources (ASX: ENR), following the sole funding of $15m of exploration expenditure on the company’s Yeneena project in WA. The exploration expenditure earned IGO a 70% interest in Yeneena. Yeneena comprises a major land position in the highly prospective Paterson Province in northern WA, targeting copper-cobalt mineralization. The project is located 60km south-west of the major gold-copper mine at Telfer, owned by Greatland Gold — which the company recently acquired from Newmont Mining (ASX: NEM) — and south of...