Australia to propose tax incentives for critical minerals
The proposed law will set up a tax incentive worth 10% of relevant processing and refining costs for 31 critical minerals.
BHP and Mitsubishi Development Pty (MDP) announced Tuesday they have completed the divestment of the Blackwater and Daunia mines to Australia’s Whitehaven Coal for $4.1 billion.
The sale, first announced in October 2023, furthers BHP’s push to exit its coal operations in Queensland, after the world’s largest-listed miner sold out of the South Walker Creek and Poitrel coal mines last year.
Daunia and Blackwater were part of the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) metallurgical coal joint venture in Queensland. Each of BHP and MDP hold a 50% interest in BMA.
Whitehaven Coal has paid BMA $2 billion cash consideration on completion plus a preliminary completion adjustment of $44.1 million for working capital. A $100 million deposit was made by Whitehaven on signing of the asset sale.
Another $1.1 billion in cash remains payable to BMA over three years after completion, and a potential additional amount of up to $900 million in a price-linked earnout may also be payable by Whitehaven to BMA over three years, the miner said in a statement.
BHP has been working towards making a transition to commodities and away from coal-related assets at a time when the focus shifts to industrial metals like copper and nickel.
