Fortescue adds hydrogen-powered coaches at Pilbara

Gold's nearly $100 jump early on and copper's 4.5% meltdown split mining investors' Brexit fortunes.

Gold climbs the most in eight years, while copper and oil fall.

Combined these mining and metal giants are worth $700 billion with operations in every corner of the world.

Rumours follow Rio's decision to group its least loved units — coal, uranium salt, borates and its Iron Ore Co. of Canada — under a new umbrella branded as the “energy and minerals” business.

Chief executive Andrew Mackenzie believes the iron ore market will take longer to balance out than other commodities due to an excess of supply coming on stream in the next few years.

Andrew Harding, once tipped as the most likely person to take the company’s reins, is being replaced by Chris Salisbury, currently leading the copper and coal division.

30 million tonnes per year iron ore mine owned by BHP and Vale idle since November.

Despite only taking several minutes online, and costing less than the morning newspaper and cup of coffee, many Australian businesses are failing to protect their legal rights of ownership.

Vale-BHP joint venture was shut after deadly dam spill in November – Samarco produced a fifth of global seaborne iron ore pellets supply before the disaster.