The WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation has not approved the commissioning of train 2 at the lithium operation.

Says columnist Clyde Russell.

The output beat a UBS estimate of 1.2 million tonnes.

BHP said its New South Wales Energy coal production would fall as much as 18% to between 15-17 million tonnes next year.

The Anglo-Australian miner's iron ore output fell to 71 million tonnes during the three months ended June 30.

Rio’s Argyle mine in remote Western Australia has transformed the sector since 1983.

He has rejected a recommendation by the Commerce Department to require US power producers to source up to 25% of their uranium from domestic mines, creating instead a working group to review the country’s nuclear fuel supply chain.

Work is progressing to assess the size and quality of the Winu exploration project.