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[ad_1] Brazilian miner Vale’s decision to cut 30mt of high-cost production has been welcomed by Australian producer Fortescue Metals Group, but with plans to replace that production with low-cost iron ore, Vale is set to get more competitive with major Australian producers. A senior Vale executive on Monday confirmed the Brazilian giant planned to get

[ad_1] Businessman and federal MP Clive Palmer says Australia needs to take action over a move by China to heighten the strictness of testing on coal imports. China has long tested imported shipments of coal for unacceptable levels of ash and sulphur. But Chinese customs recently expanding testing to fluorine, phosphorus, arsenic and other trace

[ad_1] Maintenance has shut down the Hunter Valley coal network this week, with the closure starting on Tuesday at 6am, and set to run into the late evening on Thursday. The network-wide maintenance shutdown means limited train operations to allow multi-million-dollar packages of work to be delivered in a safe and efficient way at dozens

[ad_1] Consumables supplier Bradken has said merger talks with Chilean outfit Magotteaux are still on the table, as the former announced its 2014/15 financial year guidance this morning. Bradken noted the decline in its share price yesterday, saying it couldn’t explain the action, which saw 1.2 million shares change hands and the price drop from

[ad_1] Struggling junior Pilbara miner Atlas Iron has extended its equity raising campaign, citing strong demand from existing shareholders. Atlas moved to close its Pilbara mines when the iron ore price dipped below US$50 a tonne earlier this year. It decided to keep open two of its projects – Abydos and Wodgina – however, after

[ad_1] NSW coal miners are up in arms over the state government’s recent moves to toughen up the approval process for major mining projects. The Baird Government on Tuesday released a draft amendment to NSW’s environmental planning policy on mining. The amendment would remove the significance of the resource as one of the principal considerations

[ad_1] Australia’s iron ore miners have taken a hammering on the stock market, as the commodity’s market price returned to near-record lows this week. Rio Tinto opened at $51.35 a share this morning, its lowest opening price since June 2013. Fortescue Metals Group opened yesterday at $1.71 a share, its lowest opening price since January

[ad_1] The chairmen of Australia’s two biggest container ports have both gone on record this week, suggesting Brookfield’s $9bn bid for Asciano could trigger a bevy of infrastructure privatisation moves from state and federal governments. Quoted in the AFR on Tuesday, Port of Melbourne chairman Mark Birrell and NSW Ports chairman Paul McClintock agreed the

[ad_1] Brisbane-based engineer Ausenco has announced a strategic alliance with Spanish multinational construction firm Duro Felguera, with the two companies looking to work together towards global EPC opportunities. A classic victim of the mining boom-bust cycle, Ausenco was worth $16.30 a share at its peak in 2008. After steady declines in the last 5 years,

[ad_1] Reports of job cuts at several engineering firms are thought to suggest the downturn in key sectors is being compounded by a lack of new infrastructure spending. Aurecon has reportedly made 300 people redundant – representing 4% of its global workforce – and 180 of those jobs are said to have been based in