The dirty commodity powering Australia's economy

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was derided for praising coal as ``good for humanity,'' given the environmental harm the fossil fuel causes. But it certainly helps our economy.

Capex challenge for iron ore majors

The world's biggest iron ore miners need to start spending as much as $US8 billion on new mines.

Boral suffers 'first strike' against executive pay

The shareholder backlash against overpaid executives has snared Borak, with investors holding more than a quarter of its capital rejecting its pay packages.

Gold tops $US1300 in haven bet

Donald Trump's improving election odds is prompting investors to seek safety in gold.

Yuan fuels rally in iron ore

Iron ore's eye-catching rally to its April high is probably due to the weakening of the yuan.

Gold reaches highest in month

Gold, silver and platinum rallied to one-month highs as US election worries paced equities lower.

Cancer sufferers drop US talc case against Rio Tinto

The ovarian cancer sufferers who alleged their use of talcum powder sourced from Rio Tinto's talc mines led to their medical condition have dropped their case against the Australian mining giant.

Aussie miner teeters on China's low-price edge

Our addiction to mobile devices has fuelled a global boom in demand for rare earths, yet the sole Australian player in the market is awash in a sea of red.

BHP reckons copper to win from renewables, electric cars

Lithium plays may be enticing investors at the speculative end of the market, but BHP reckons copper will be a prime beneficiary of the push towards electric cars and renewable energy.

Tribe vows to fight North Dakota pipeline through winter

Native American leaders have vowed to protest through the winter against the $US3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline.

Call to overhaul planning from resources industry

The resources industry has slammed duplication, inconsistency and uncertain timeframes in NSW's planning regime.

Wild ride: Fortescue eyes lands of opportunity

• ANALYSIS

After 13 years of battling the Australian mining behemoths BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, Andrew Forrest has in many respects joined their club.

Vale's quarterly profit tops estimates

Vale shares rose to a two-year high after the iron-ore miner beat analysts' earnings estimates.

BHP's Dalla Valle to quit

BHP's chief commercial officer,  Dean Dalla Valle is to leave the company at the end of March 2017. He has taken charge of the group's Samarco response

Calls for Adani coal mine exemption from new laws

The LNP has accused the Qld government of jeopardising the multi-billion dollar Carmichael coal mine by "opening the door" to further environmental legal challenges.

Resources contributed $55.7 billion to Queensland economy in 2015-16: report

Queensland's resources industry contributed $55.7 billion to the state's economy in the 2015-16 financial year, a report released by the Queensland Resources Council on Thursday showed.

Gold poised to sink to $US1100

The Fed will probably raise rates in December and twice more in 2017, hurting gold.

Iron ore surges, tracking coal

Iron ore is surging thanks to its bulk-commodity compatriot, coal.

Coking coal's rally fires up iron ore

Iron ore futures have surged as a spectacular rally in coking coal pulls steel and other raw materials in the supply chain higher.

'You don't get much more Australian': Rinehart defends Kidman bid

Australia's richest woman, Gina Rinehart, on Tuesday defended her joint bid with China's Shanghai CRED Real Estate for the nation's biggest cattle empire, after it was trumped by a rival all-Australian syndicate.

Mining companies 'abrogate' responsibility to towns: Minister

Anthony Lynham says mines need to do more.

Vale bets big on cost cuts

For the Brazillian iron ore giant, it's all about protecting ever-narrowing profit margins.

SGX's iron ore contract holds sway

Iron ore contracts in Singapore have greater pricing power than those traded in China.

BHP employees face 'qualified homicide' charges over Samarco disaster

​Eight present and former BHP employees are facing potentially lengthy prison terms after Brazilian prosecutors filed 'qualified homicide' charges.

'I'm done': BHP chairman Jac Nasser to step down

Jacques Nasser, chairman of BHP Billiton, said he planned to step down from the world's biggest mining company after helping guide it through a deadly tailings dam spill in Brazil.

Samarco dam employees charged over deaths

An Australian is among 22 people charged by Brazilian prosecutors over their roles in the collapse of a tailings dam at the Samarco that killed 19 people.

Aluminium falls near month low

Aluminium neared its lowest in a month on worries about oversupply after a rise in Chinese output.

BHP sets 50:50 gender target for 2025

Australian mining giant BHP Billiton wants half its male-dominated workforce to be women by 2025.

Iron ore price set to fall heading into 2017

Fortescue Metals has indicated the price of iron ore prices may decline heading into 2017 as the market makes way for additional supplies from Australia and Brazil, even as high cost domestic miners in China continue to close down.