Taiwan eyes more coal investment here

Taiwan is likely to follow India and China by increasing its investments in Australian mines to source coal for seven massive new coal-fired units to be built within the next decade, according to The Australian.

Mining bodies debate world heritage ban

Mining industry bodies are concerned about excessive red tape stemming from recommendations in a Senate report on mining company environmental offsets programs, according to the Australian Financial Review.

The Minerals Council of Australia director of health, safety, environment and community policy, Melanie Stutsel, said although they respected the value of world heritage and critically endangered areas, which the report said were “red flag” areas where development should be permanently banned, the suitability of an area for development should be assessed on a “case-by-case basis”

Stutsel said offsets – areas where mining companies compensate for affected flora and fauna – were being seen as a requirement of each project rather than as a measure of last resort.

BHP Billiton looks to catch up to Rio Tinto in ironman contest

Miner BHP Billiton is confident it can “close the gap” with iron ore arch-rival Rio Tinto on margin per tonne within a few years, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

And it is likely to develop the $20 billion outer-harbour project at Port Hedland rather than expand its inner-harbour operation if it moves to produce beyond its current annual run rate target of 270 million tonnes.

BHP president of iron ore Jimmy Wilson says the miner is trailing Rio on margin per tonne, and “our desire absolutely is to close that gap”

Barrick’s Zambia mine in spotlight

Suitors are circling Barrick Gold’s Lumwana copper mine in Zambia as expectations build that the becalmed gold giant could be open to a $1 billion-plus offer, according to The Australian.