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Dust suppression at a BHP iron ore mine in the Pilbara

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
MiningCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
Thirsty BHP eyes 29 Optus Stadiums worth of extra water

The Big Australian is certain that extracting an additional 29 Optus Stadiums worth of groundwater from the Pilbara each year will have ‘no impact’ on water supply for WA residents.

Simone Grogan and Adrian Rauso

Thursday’s deaths add to a shocking list of fatalities on Simandou operations over the past two years.

MiningCommentsPremiumTriple fatality adds to death toll on Simandou project

The deaths add to a shocking list of fatalities at Simandou over the past two years as Africa’s largest mining and infrastructure project gears up for first exports.

Daniel Newell and Adrian Rauso

Fortescue Metals Group’s Cloudbreak operation.

InfrastructurePremiumFMG drags contractors to court over allegedly botched bridge

Fortescue is blaming a group of contractors, including Acciona and an offshoot of multinational engineer WSP, for an allegedly defective bridge that crosses part of its sprawling iron ore network.

Simone Grogan

Port Hedland harbour. Pilbara Ports Authority

MiningCommentsPremiumNo impact to BHP iron ore exports in China fight, for now

Ships laden with BHP’s Western Australian iron ore are continuing to set sail for China despite the global superpower’s supposed ban on the mining giant’s key export. But the champagne should stay on ice.

Adrian Rauso and Simone Grogan

Opposition finance spokesman James Paterson said it was not “good enough for the federal government to take a hands-off attitude”.

PoliticsCommentsAustralia must back BHP in China iron ore standoff: Opposition

Anthony Albanese has been urged to ditch a ‘hands-off attitude’ and get involved as Australia’s biggest miner faces off with Beijing.

Joseph Olbrycht-Palmer and Thomas Henry

Premier Roger Cook is confident BHP and Chinese customers will reach an agreement.

MiningCommentsPremium‘Weaponisation of trade’: China & BHP in iron ore standoff

Anthony Albanese and Roger Cook have expressed their concerns about a Chinese ban on BHP iron ore imports, hoping any squabble over Australia’s lifeblood commodity can be ‘resolved quickly’.

Simone Grogan

Almost $100bn of iron ore was shipped to China in the 12 months to June.

analysis
analysis
EconomyPremium
analysis
Why iron ore fights are nightmares for Treasurers

If there’s one thing that keeps WA treasurers up at night it’s the nightmare scenario of the arse falling out of the iron ore price.

Matt Mckenzie

Sources on Wednesday morning said BHP cargoes were continuing into China as commercial talks progressed.

updated
updated
MiningCommentsPremium
updated
Iron ore slips on China-BHP price stalemate

BHP is continuing to negotiate a deal that will keep iron ore from its vast Pilbara empire flowing into Chinese steel mills, with PM calling the rumoured stalemate ‘concerning’. 

Daniel Newell

A BHP iron ore train in the Pilbara.

Iron orePremiumChina bans BHP iron ore cargoes as pricing dispute deepens

China’s state-run iron ore buyer has told major steelmakers and traders to temporarily halt purchases of all new BHP cargoes, widening an earlier curb as contract talks stall.

Alfred Cang and Katharine Gemmell

A jumbo truck on the MinRes Onslow haul road.

updated
updated
MiningCommentsPremium
updated
Mining giant MinRes to sack more than 100 workers

Mineral Resources is expected to start letting go scores of contractors after completing upgrades to its Onslow Iron haul road following a series of truck rollovers that raised serious safety concerns.

Daniel Newell

Chairman signing with XCMG in Beijing

MiningFMG unloads green deal blitz for Pilbara decarb undertaking

Fortescue lieutenant Dino Otranto is banking that an onslaught of Chinese renewable deals will allay the fears of the miner’s real-zero “sceptics” as Andrew Forrest caps off a week of climate crusading. 

Simone Grogan

Mineral Resources managing director Chris Ellison pictured at their offices in Osborne Park.

MiningCommentsPremiumMinRes locks in cheaper debt to ease financial pressure

Mineral Resources has taken a huge step towards reducing the interest rate on more than $1 billion of debt it owes.

Adrian Rauso

BHP Port Hedland Operations

MiningCommentsPremiumUnions drag BHP to the negotiating table at Port Hedland

BHP has bowed to union pressure by agreeing to thrash out a new enterprise agreement covering more than 400 workers at its WA iron ore port. 

Adrian Rauso

Mineral Resources managing director Chris Ellison pictured at their offices in Osborne Park.

MiningPremiumMinRes setback as Pilbara Ports deal stays secret

A Supreme Court Judge has kiboshed Mineral Resources’ campaign to pry open a private agreement between the State and Chevron, dealing a blow to the Chris Ellison-led miner’s $17 million port dues battle.

Simone Grogan

A Rio Tinto iron ore mine in the Pilbara. Pic. Rio Tinto

MiningCommentsPremiumHow long can iron ore defy expert odds before it crumbles?

Market gurus are again predicting a gloomy future for iron ore, despite the commodity’s price hovering at year-high levels.

Adrian Rauso

Mineral Resources announced the closure of Koolyanobbing at the end of 2024.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
MiningCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
Mines Department orders rehab guarantee from MinRes

Mineral Resources is on the hook for new security bonds totalling about $6m following a State Government probe into cleanup costs.

Adrian Rauso and Simone Grogan

Official figures showed China’s industrial output and consumption had their worst month yet this year after a sharp slowdown in July.

Iron orePremiumIron ore dips as China home prices cloud future demand

Iron ore retreated as China’s economic activity slowed more than expected in August and lower home prices in the country clouded the demand outlook.

Annie Lee

BHP Port Hedland Operations

Iron orePremiumBHP commits to second port upgrade in pursuit of 305mtpa

BHP is banking that a new car dumper and raft of port infrastructure to the tune of $1.4 billion will help shift enough iron ore to hit a long-pledged 305 million tonne per annum output target. 

Simone Grogan

Enough mine waste to fill 13,000 Olympic-size swimming pools poured into the Doce River, wiping away villages and causing tens of billions of dollars worth of destruction.

MiningCommentsBHP pays $110m to settle deadly dam class action

BHP will pay $110 million to aggrieved Australian investors who bought shares in the Big Australian just before the deadly Samarco dam collapse in Brazil.

Daniel Newell

Iron ore still faces a “downward correction risk if steel margins fall slowly once mills restart activity, CBA warns.

MiningCommentsIron ore set for weekly gain with margins, supply in focus

Iron ore was headed for its first back-to-back weekly gain since July, as expectations of production resuming in China boosted sentiment.

Katharine Gemmell

Bauxite and alumina has the highest injury frequency rate among WA’s most worked commodities, according to WorkSafe data.

MiningPremiumREVEALED: WA mining workers most likely to be injured on job

West Australian miners of this commodity were almost three times more likely to get injured than they were in tin, tantalum and lithium. SEE THE TRENDS.

Danielle Le Messurier

Fenix Resources Executive Chairman John Welborn. Pictured is John at the business in Perth

MiningCommentsFenix rises on $60m Mid West mining deal

Fenix Resources has beefed up its fledgling Mid West iron ore empire after striking a $60 million deal with the world’s largest steelmaker.

Adrian Rauso

Ivanhoe Atlantic CEO Bronwyn Barnes.

MiningBarnes bullish on Ivanhoe mine as cash flows out for rail

A US-billionaire backed explorer striking deals with the Liberian Government and attempting to woo Trump on African iron ore could be heading for the Australian Securities Exchange by December.

Simone Grogan

A truck carrying Fortescue’s iron ore.

MiningPremiumWhat we learnt from the miners this results season

Another results season is done and dusted with some major themes emerging from WA’s biggest miners. 

Adrian Rauso