Vale pares 2016 iron ore production forecast

Vale cut its iron-ore output forecast for next year as efforts to limit low-margin operations and a dam spill at a joint venture threaten to close the gap between the Brazilian giant and producers in Australia, according to the Australian Financial Review.

The world's biggest miner of the steel-making ingredient expects to produce 340 million to 350 million metric tons in 2016, it said in a filing Tuesday. That compares with guidance of 376Mt given in December. Vale was expected to forecast 344Mt, according to the average of three analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

Anglo Pacific eyes bigger presence in Australian mining

Anglo Pacific PLC is seeking to strike more deals with Australian miners, according to the Australian Financial Review.

Its business model is focused on royalty deals, which typically means the company purchases the rights to between 1% and 15% of revenue generated by particular mines.

The company's biggest asset is its royalty over areas of the Kestrel coking coal mine that Rio operates in Queensland. Anglo Pacific has rights to between 7% and 15% of revenues, depending on where the coal has been mined and commodity prices.

Rio Tinto dividend safe but a strain, says Aberdeen

One of the world biggest resources investors says Rio Tinto will not follow its rival BHP Billiton by cutting dividends next year and has chided the companies for their “constraining” progressive dividend policies, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Senior investment manager at Aberdeen Asset Management Michelle Lopez said the miners would be better adopting a payout ratio instead of their progressive dividend policies, which hold that their dividends will not go backwards in US dollars.