Australia has become a less attractive investment option since new taxes on carbon and mining were proposed, according to reports which may be off interest to people attending mining business events.

Evy Hambro, managing director of BlackRock told The Age that ‘Australia has definitely dropped down the list relative to its historical position because of the uncertainty around the tax changes.’

In fact Mr Hambro says that the new taxes are ‘two new burdens that are having to be shouldered by resource companies’, adding that it could lead to unemployment and lost investment in the company.

However, despite growing pressure over the proposed mining tax, Australia’s PM Julia Gillard insists that the government will go ahead with the planned increase.

Marcus Evans presents mining business events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.
 

The trend for mergers and acquisitions in mining shows no sign of slowing and will be the talk of mining business events this year.

And multi-national mining company Anglo American is set to merge with the world’s biggest cement company to create a Uk construction materials business.

Anglo American owns Tarmac in the UK, and revealed today a plan for a joint venture with Lafarge which would combine its cement contracting businesses with that of Tarmac.

The venture is predicted to have annual sales of £1.8bn and would employ a workfore of 7,300.

Profits have recently soared at Anglo American thanks to its successful mining of iron ore.

The firm has also experienced success in the platinum business. Anglo Platinum is now the world’s largest producer of the metal which is a staple in manufacturing.

Marcus Evans presents mining business events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

Attendees of mining business events this year will look to the North East for signs of growth in the UK sector, after a recent merger and acquisition.

York Potash Ltd has been sold to Sirius Minerals plc, along with 600 square kilometres of mineral rights.

The deal includes coastal land between Scarborough and Whitby where vast amounts of potash is found under the shore.

Sirius is now looking into the viability of the first new deep potash mine in Britain in forty years.

If approved, York Potash will begin to look into the effects of the move on the environment.

While the project may be controversial, it has the potential to create up to 5,000 jobs both directly and indirectly.

And the deal should prove a vital boost to the UK mining industry as a whole.

Marcus Evans presents mining business events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

Mining events over the coming months will have to come to terms with a changed environment: after month after month of stellar performance, mining stocks are now under pressure.

Wednesday saw a wide range of London-listed miners drop sharply, with Anglo American leading the plunge.

Their stocks fell by 2.5 per cent, while BHP Billiton dropped by 1.6 per cent.

Concerns about the environmental and financial aftermath of the ongoing Japanese nuclear disaster are at the heart of the mining sector’s unease.

"No one wants to get back into equities until there’s a cast-iron all-clear from the Japanese government," head of sales at Capital Spreads Angus Campbell told the Wall Street Journal.

Indeed, world uranium spot prices have plunged by ten per cent over the course of the week so far, and are expected to continue to drop on Friday.

Marcus Evans presents mining events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

A maiden drilling project in Western Australia has shown promising gold and copper reserves to meet demand, mining conference delegates may be interested to hear.

The Dundas project, which is being run by Thor Mining showed 0.25 per cent copper and 0.17 grams per ton gold on the first attempt to drill the 66 air hole core area.

Strongly anomalous copper and gold values were discovered in 20 and 16 of the holes respectively, all of which lie within a small area.

Proactive investors reported that Thor Mining had located several other patches of copper and gold in the area.

Chairman Mick Billing said: "These first results in the top metre or so of bedrock are extremely encouraging."

More drilling is to be scheduled as soon as possible, the news provider reported.

Australia exports around 300 tonnes of gold a year. It is the world’s third largest exporter.

Marcus Evans presents mining conferences, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

Mergers and acquisitions are often the talk of mining business events after a number of key alliances were forged last year. And the trend shows no sign of slowing in 2011 after international engineering firm AMEC made a major purchase.

The firm has acquired BCI Engineers and Scientists, a Florida-based consulting company focused on the water and mining sectors.

AMEC will pay £12.3 million for the company over the course of two years, with the fee dependent on performance.

Hisham Mahmoud is the president of Earth and environmental business at AMEC, and explained the acquisition was “consistent with our growth strategy in the water and mining sectors”.

The firm purchased BCI in order to integrate their expertise into AMEC’s existing operation. And this strategy may continue to be a trend for mining companies in 2011.

Marcus Evans presents mining business events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

A strong recovery in the mining sector will be the focus of mining business events this year. And Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto appears to be leading the way after profits soared by more than 200 per cent.

The mining firm announced last year’s financial results this week and revealed profits reached $14 billion in 2010.

Experts put this down to strong demand in Asia for coal and iron ore, and many believe mining firms will continue to see increased profits in 2011.

Rio Tinto also announced it will be entering a “significant growth phase” which will include small and medium-sized acquisitions.

The firm continues to maintain a strong interest in coal miner Riversdale Mining.

However Brazilian steelmaker CSM has increased its stake in Riversdale to 19.9 per
cent, which may complicate any deal.

Marcus Evans presents mining business events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

Schneider Electric: Utilising Single Integrated Solutions in Mining

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“It is crucial for mining companies to get to market faster,” says Paul Cooper, General Manager – Mining, Minerals & Metals, Schneider Electric. “Through the use of integrated solutions, mining executives can effectively reduce risks and speed up the delivery of their project”.

From a sponsor company at the upcoming marcus evans Mining Technology & Innovation Summit, Cooper discusses effective methods for reducing energy usage and deploying automation and electrical distribution projects faster.    

What are the current challenges in the mining industry?

Paul Cooper: It is crucial for operators to get to market faster. The demand for resources and the number of projects currently being developed are simultaneously growing. The problem is that there is a shortage of skills and a corresponding increase in the cost of labour. Mining organisations will find it difficult to source the quantity of skills traditionally required to operate and maintain their operations.

Deploying solutions in a modular fashion through a single sourced integrated solution can help manage these risks and provide a solution that allows mining executives to operate their business with visibility across the demand chain. The integrated technology platform means that maintenance and diagnostics can be performed to a detailed level easily from remote locations.

What opportunities do sustainable developments bring?

Paul Cooper: A single integrated strategy will help provide a mechanism to monitor energy usage across the operation. Energy consumption can then be monitored with a production context so that intelligent decisions can be made about how to reduce energy while still meeting required production targets.

What are the top priorities of mining executives?

Paul Cooper: We must look at the specific pain points that customers are experiencing and find ways of alleviating those while adding business value.

There is an operational advantage to providing a top-to-bottom single integrated system, as the tools will highlight productivity opportunities from the outset of the project. There is a corresponding maintenance benefit once systems have been deployed. Being able to drill from a high level down to a device level will allow personnel to understand why a device is not operating the way it should.

What is your outlook for the next few years?

Paul Cooper: We must find innovative ways to automate existing operations and introduce new procurement models for equipment and for the delivery of projects. The skills shortage will be a major influencer over the next five to ten years and will lead to increased automation and the use of remote operations. Increased visibility across an entire mining business (the demand chain) and the corresponding ability to make quick decisions resulting in bottom line value will be a key differentiator amongst mining competitors.

Contact: Stacey Melvin, Journalist, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Mining Technology & Innovation Summit

Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on changing business parameters, risk management framework and boosting returns and productivity.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – mining sector portal

Please note that the summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric is a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, that is focused on making energy safe, reliable, and efficient. The company holds leadership positions in energy and infrastructure, industrial processes, building automation, and data centres/networks, as well as in residential applications. 

www.schneider-electric.com

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced – kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

The world’s biggest mining company, BHP Billiton, has dropped its plans to buy Potash Corporation after the Canadian government refused to let the deal proceed.

Canadian minister Tony Clement explained: "BHP did not demonstrate to my satisfaction that their plans to market potash would enhance Canada’s already prosperous position to compete internationally."

Potash had also opposed the mining giant’s advances, claiming that BHP’s big "substantially undervalued" its potential.

BHP now has 30 days to appeal against the decision, but market-watchers doubt whether it will continue with the bid.

Goldman Sachs Australia analysts are anticipating the BHP will start to buy back its Australian-listed stock under a buyback programme that was suspended in 2007.

Marcus Evans presents mining events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.