Tinkler set to battle out royalties dispute in court

THE royalties dispute between former billionaire Nathan Tinkler and one of his first business partners is expected to go to trial amid allegations of improper payments, according to The Australian.

Embattled Tinkler and his former friend Matthew Higgins are in dispute over the distribution of $1 per tonne royalties from central Queensland's Middlemount coal mine held by company Oceltip.

Orica cuts 400 jobs but keeps Minova

Orica, the world’s biggest explosives maker, has flagged 400 job cuts at its mining consumables unit Minova.

However, Orica said it had no plans to sell it even though volumes were down 15% because of tough conditions in the coal market, according to the Australian Financial Review.

On Tuesday chief executive officer Ian Smith said he was confident there would be no further write-downs on Minova, which supplies products such as steel bolts used in underground mining.

BHP's shale gas division faces claims

BHP Billiton's controversial shale division is set to be dragged back into the US court system as two new legal claims target damages payments that could run into the millions of dollars, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

The two claims were lodged in the Arkansas court system this month and focus on contentious issues surrounding royalty payments to landowners and a series of seismic events that coincided with fraccing activities run by BHP subsidiary Chesapeake Energy.

BHP was previously taken to court in Arkansas by other plaintiffs raising similar complaints and the two claims – lodged separately on March 6 and March 11 – suggested both issues could continue to plague the company.