Rio Tinto raises offer to take direct control of Mongolia copper mine Oyu Tolgoi

Mining group Rio Tinto has raised its provide to take direct management of the massive Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia, weeks after its preliminary bid was rebuffed.

The FTSE 100 group mentioned on Wednesday it had elevated its provide for the stake it doesn’t already personal in Turquoise Hill Sources, which owns two-thirds of the Oyu Tolgoi mission, to $3.1bn.

Rio supplied to purchase out minority shareholders within the Canadian car in March for $2.7bn, a suggestion that was rejected this month by a particular committee of impartial administrators arrange by the Toronto-listed group.

Rio, flush with money from hovering commodity costs, got here again on Wednesday to supply C$40 (US$30.79) a share, an 18 per cent enchancment on the earlier provide and a 56 per cent premium to Turquoise Hill’s closing value the day earlier than the unique bid in March.

The mission is important for Rio, which generates most of its income from steelmaking ingredient iron ore, to pivot in direction of metals wanted in a low-carbon financial system.

Chief govt Jakob Stausholm mentioned the corporate “believes this provide not solely gives full and truthful worth for Turquoise Hill shareholders, however is in the most effective pursuits of all stakeholders as we work to maneuver the Oyu Tolgoi mission ahead”.

Shares in Turquoise Hill jumped 21 per cent on Wednesday, whereas these in Rio in London dropped 2 per cent.

Whereas Rio operates Oyu Tolgoi, it doesn’t have a direct stake within the mission, as an alternative holding a 51 per cent stake in Turquoise Hill, which in flip owns 66 per cent of Oyu Tolgoi. The rest is owned by the Mongolian state.

Situated within the Gobi desert, Oyu Tolgoi is among the world’s largest deposits of copper, a steel important for the power transition since it’s utilized in huge portions in electrical automobiles and renewable tasks.

Beginning with preliminary manufacturing volumes of 500,000 tonnes of copper a yr, the mission can be one of many world’s largest mines for the bottom steel as soon as an underground growth is accomplished.

Massive diversified mining corporations are eager to get their fingers on copper tasks since manufacturing must double by 2035 to impress the worldwide financial system and meet emissions targets, based on S&P World. However they’ve been hesitant to spend huge to accumulate tasks after a decade of self-discipline on capital spending.

In an indication of change, BHP Group had a $5.8bn bid to accumulate Oz Minerals rejected this month. The world’s largest mining group made the provide after copper costs had fallen sharply from a document excessive in March above $10,600 a tonne to their present degree of about $8,000 a tonne.

Turquoise Hill is about to boost fairness proceeds to fund the underground growth, which in complete is predicted to price $7bn to develop, ought to Rio fail to take it over.