Japanese trading giant Itochu Corporation has joined a group of industry and government agencies working to establish an ammonia ship refueling hub in the Pilbara.
Japanese investors Mitsui and Itochu have each acquired a stake in BHP's Ministers North iron ore deposit in the Pilbara, keeping with their investments in the Big Australian's assets.
Toro Energy is closing in on the finalised design of a pilot plant that will allow it to test ores from three uranium-vanadium deposits at its project south-west of the WA town of Wiluna later this year. The plant will test improved beneficiation and hydrometallurgical circuits Toro has developed at near-production scale with an eye to incorporating the design flow sheet upgrade into future feasibility studies.
The giant Japanese trading house will join Macquarie Group as a shareholder in UON, despite the Wangara energy company losing a court battle over its intellectual property.
BCI Minerals has signed an offtake deal with Japanese investment firm Itochu Corporation to supply salt from its flagship Mardie project, which is facing a $700 million cost creep.
BHP has started development of a new Pilbara iron ore mine after its Japanese partners, ITOCHU and Mitsui & Co, bought a minority stake in the project.
SPECIAL REPORT: Mitsui & Company, Shell and Itochu Corporation are among a swag of businesses that have made substantial investments in the state's exporting industries over the decades, showing that foreign investors can contribute without directly operating assets.
The High Court has ruled that native title rights are not extinguished by the granting of mining leases, in what indigenous groups have described as a landmark decision which will provide a clear basis for the resolution of other native title disputes.
