Xstrata suspends copper/gold operation as heavy rain batters Queensland

Monday , 05 Jan 2009
Freak weather conditions which have seen Mt Isa cut off by road after almost as much rain in the first few days of 2009 as in the whole of 2008 has led to Xstrata being forced to suspend open pit mining at its Ernest Henry operation.

Rio restarts Pilbara iron ore operations

Monday , 05 Jan 2009
Rio Tinto is restarting its iron ore mines in Western Australia's Pilbara after a two-week closure to cut production.

CopperCo unwinds big copper hedge to stay afloat

Wednesday , 31 Dec 2008
The sudden and severe plight that emerging copper mining house CopperCo Ltd found itself in has already produced its first dose of medicine - the receivers and managers have jettisoned 60% of the company's copper hedge contracts.

World No 2 zinc miner wins time but still on a banker's death row

Tuesday , 30 Dec 2008
The day-to-day machinations of the former third biggest mining house in Australia, OZ Minerals Ltd, took a positive lurch today when the company said it had re-negotiated an extension on sorting out its perilous financial position.

Two proposals put longevity into North Perth Basin’s heavy minerals mining

Monday , 29 Dec 2008
Successful Australian mineral sands explorer Image Resources NL has signed memoranda of understandings (MOUs) with two established mineral sand producers that could add some life to Western Australia’s diminishing heavy minerals activity.

Predators circle for Australian copper miners' assets

Monday , 29 Dec 2008
Potential buyers are looking at purchasing assets of Matrix Metals and CopperCo, both of which have been forced into administration through low metals prices.

Avebury mothballed but some high grade nickel ops are still standing

Friday , 26 Dec 2008
The decision by besieged mining house OZ Minerals Ltd to mothball its recently acquired Avebury nickel mine has not only put Tasmania off the operating nickel map but illustrated how deep-seated the metal price woes are in Australia.

Rio idles Hismelt pig iron plant on weak prices

Monday , 22 Dec 2008
Rio Tinto is shuting down an Australian pig iron plant for three months as low prices make it unprofitable.

Rio to shut down Pilbara iron ore ops for two weeks

Saturday , 20 Dec 2008
Rio Tinto is to put all its Western Australian iron ore operations on are and maintenance for two weeks to match lower demand.

Liquidity strapped world No. 2 zinc miner open to take-over offers and asset sales

Friday , 19 Dec 2008
Oz Minerals which has been given only one month by its lenders to come up with a way to refinance $560 million in debt says it is open to takeover bids and asset sales and is considering issuing new shares.

Sales volumes holding up for BHP, but output cuts ready if necessary

Thursday , 18 Dec 2008
BHP chairman, Don Argus, says the company has so far been able to substantially maintain its sales volumes but will respond accordingly if these turn down.

Junior to open up South Australia's iron ore potential following Chinese deal

Thursday , 18 Dec 2008
The gloomy December mood for Australian exploration juniors on both the commodity price and funding front received a ray of sunshine through a big deal struck between Centrex Metals and China's third largest steelmaker, Wuhan Iron & Steel (Group) Co.

Rio Tinto's selling, but who's buying?

Wednesday , 17 Dec 2008
Rio Tinto is hiving off some of its stakes to pay down $40 billion in debt and market speculation is rife as to which assets are for sale and who might buy.

Xstrata's McArthur River zinc mine expansion halted by court

Wednesday , 17 Dec 2008
Xstrata will consider its options after an Australian court upheld an appeal by some of the country's indigenous inhabitants to halt an expansion of its McArthur River zinc mine, to replace a depleted underground mine with an open pit.

Cape Lambert stock rises sharply on transaction talk

Tuesday , 16 Dec 2008
Australia's Cape Lambert seeks to leverage strong cash position and is in talks on potential investment opportunities

Xstrata shuts down major coal mining section in Australia

Tuesday , 16 Dec 2008
Xstrata has announce the closure of half its production at the very large Oaky Creek Number One coal mine in Queensland, Australia

$A-denominated precious metals ETCs a driver for new commodities trading

Tuesday , 16 Dec 2008
A spark or at least some fresh volatility is to be injected into precious metals trading on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) from this Friday - an added dimension for a market that has been hard hit by falling metal prices and resource company shares being stripped to the bone.

Big output cuts forecast for Australian metals and minerals in 2009

Monday , 15 Dec 2008
Significant cuts in previously predicted production for Australian iron ore, coal, copper and nickel are forecast for the year to July 2009.

State plans could double capacity of world’s largest coal shipping port

Friday , 12 Dec 2008
A proposal by the New South Wales state government calls for a fourth terminal at Newcastle’s coal port – the world’s largest - potentially doubling the capacity to export coal.

All existing mining contracts will be upheld under new Indonesian mining law

Thursday , 11 Dec 2008
Existing mining contracts will be upheld under Indonesia's new mining law, which has been a long time in the making, but it will demand that raw ore and concentrates be smelted/refined in the country within five years.

Australian mine output still rising in Q3 against the trend

Wednesday , 10 Dec 2008
Output from Australian mining operations continued to rise overall during the third quarter but could be facing a downturn as the lower prices and demand really begin to bite.

China's Zhongjin bids for control of Australian zinc miner Perilya

Tuesday , 09 Dec 2008
The Australian sharemarket was stunned today when one of the country's struggling major base metal miners, Perilya, embraced an above-market offer from the big Chinese metals and mining company Shenzhen Zhongjin. This will put more than $A45.4 million ($US29.8 M) into its coffers and also see off an unwelcome bid by neighbouring Broken Hill company CBH Resources.

Market malaise fails to budge Alliance Resources despite high grade uranium hits

Monday , 08 Dec 2008
The Four Mile uranium project in South Australia, already ranked as the best new uranium discovery in Australia this year, failed to provide share price impetus for its junior partner despite the spectacular nature of the new intersections.

Australia's third biggest miner OZ Minerals may lose more than its ranking

Friday , 05 Dec 2008
The predicament for mining house OZ Minerals now has stockbroking circles and business media proffering a series of scenarios for what was the third ranked Australian mining house, with few offering any joy to shareholders in what is currently a stalled debt re-financing.

Fox to reactivate Radio Hill nickel mine

Friday , 05 Dec 2008
Australian miner, Fox Resources, is to reactivate its Radio Hill nickel mine confident that nickel price will have to rise as major cutbacks elsewhere bring supply and demand into equilibrium.