Rio Tinto Sizes Up Its Lithium Play Options
Rio Tinto Sizes Up Its Lithium Play Options
Rio Tinto still has the lithium bug, on top of its ambitions for copper, iron ore, bauxite, aluminium and alumina and the obscure mineral scandium which it produces in Quebec and possibly soon in Australia.
Rio's Australian annual meeting in Perth on Thursday heard from CEO Jakob Stausholm who revealed that, while his company remains very interested in lithium, it didn't want to pay too much to play.
But chair, Dom Barton also told the meeting that the company is under growing pressure from parts of the US government and industry to get its massive Resolution copper mine up and running.
The project has been blocked for years by activist opposition on environmental and native rights.
"We are getting immense pressure to proceed because of the copper reserves that are there," Barton told shareholders at Rio Tinto's Australian shareholders meeting.
Pressure was coming from "parts of the U.S. government," Barton clarified on a media call following the meeting, as U.S. senators seek to get copper put on the U.S. critical mineral list which would allow copper projects access to tax breaks.
"We are engaging and we are not (making) any conclusions but we are going through a process right now," CEO Jakob Stausholm said.
But lithium is a headliner grabber and Rio has had something of a chequered career so far in key battery metal.
Its $US2.5 billion plan for a major mine and refinery in Serbia is on the back burner after strong opposition and it is reviewing the start-up costs for its Rincon project in Argentinia because of the country's surging inflation (over 100% a year), weakening growth and a sinking currency.
"Of course, I don't like any cost overruns but, on the other hand, it basically provides invaluable learnings for us before a project is being recommended for full sanctioning," Stausholm said.
Rio paid $US825 million for the Rincon prospect and said it would spend $US140 million on development work on Rincon but that is being reviewed because of the explosion in costs.
Stausholm told media after the AGM that "We wouldn't mind having a stronger lithium business."
"I think it is very difficult to justify to go in and buy at these high prices unless you already know you can sell the lithium at a high price," which is uncertain, he said of the potential for dealmaking.
Lithium prices have slumped sharply since peaking last November. Albemarle has downgraded its outlook, but another US producer, Livent has upgraded its 2023 outlook despite the weak prices.
Stausholm said the outlook for long-run lithium prices is unclear.
"I'm not sure the short term is giving you any indications of" long-term pricing, he said. "What we do know is the world needs to build a number of lithium mines."
Mr. Stausholm said he remains hopeful of a way forward for Rio Tinto's lithium project in Serbia, which came to a halt last year when the government there revoked its licenses.
His caution is in contrast to the spending by Albemarle - there's the $US1 billion on two new hydroxide refinery processing trains in WA and the proposed $US3.7 billion bid for Liontown Resources while Wesfarmers and SQM of Chile are looking at spending more money expanding their mount holland mine and associated WA refinery.
The slide in Chinese prices has seen the share prices of local producers fall, but all are pressing ahead and not as seemingly hesitant as Rio is here.
Rio shares rose 1.2% to $110.14 at the close on Thursday.
力拓除了雄心勃勃地生产铜、铁矿石、铝土矿、铝和氧化铝以及在魁北克可能很快在澳大利亚生产的不起眼的矿物铯之外,还存在锂错误。
里约热内卢周四在珀斯举行的澳大利亚年会听取了首席执行官雅各布·斯陶斯霍尔姆的讲话,他透露,尽管他的公司对锂仍然非常感兴趣,但它不想花太多钱去玩。
但董事长唐·巴顿也在会议上表示,该公司正受到来自美国政府和行业部分部门的越来越大的压力,要求他们启动并运营其庞大的Resolution铜矿。
该项目多年来一直因反对环境和原住民权利的激进分子而受阻。
巴顿在力拓的澳大利亚股东大会上对股东说:“由于存在铜储量,我们面临着巨大的继续压力。”
巴顿在会后的媒体电话会议上澄清说,压力来自 “美国政府的一部分”,因为美国参议员正在寻求将铜列入美国关键矿产名单,这将使铜项目获得税收减免。
首席执行官雅各布·斯塔斯霍尔姆说:“我们正在参与,我们没有(得出)任何结论,但我们现在正在经历一个过程。”
但是锂是头条新闻的抢夺者,到目前为止,里约热内卢在关键电池金属领域的职业生涯有些停顿。
在强烈反对下,其在塞尔维亚建造一座大型矿山和炼油厂的25亿美元计划处于次要地位。由于该国通货膨胀率激增(每年超过100%)、增长疲软和货币贬值,该公司正在审查其在阿根廷的Rincon项目的启动成本。
Stausholm说:“当然,我不喜欢任何成本超支,但另一方面,在建议对一个项目进行全面批准之前,它基本上为我们提供了宝贵的经验教训。”
里约热内卢为Rincon勘探项目支付了8.25亿美元,并表示将花费1.4亿美元用于Rincon的开发工作,但由于成本激增,正在对此进行审查。
Stausholm在股东周年大会后对媒体说:“我们不介意加强锂业务。”
他谈到交易的可能性时说:“我认为,除非你已经知道可以以高价出售锂,否则很难证明以如此高的价格买入是合理的,” 这是不确定的。
自去年11月达到峰值以来,锂价格已大幅下跌。雅宝下调了展望,但另一家美国生产商Livent尽管价格疲软,但还是上调了其2023年的展望。
Stausholm说,长期锂价格的前景尚不清楚。
他说:“我不确定短期是否能给你任何长期定价的迹象。”“我们所知道的是,世界需要建造许多锂矿。”
Stausholm表示,他仍然对力拓在塞尔维亚的锂项目有前进的方向充满希望。去年,由于塞尔维亚政府吊销许可证,该项目陷入停顿。
他的谨慎态度与雅宝的支出形成鲜明对比——西澳大利亚州有10亿美元购买两列新的氢氧化物炼油厂加工列车,拟议以37亿美元竞标Liontown Resources,而智利的Wesfarmers和SQM正在考虑花更多的钱扩建荷兰山矿和相关的西澳炼油厂。
中国价格的下滑使当地生产商的股价下跌,但所有生产商都在向前迈进,并不像里约那样犹豫。
周四收盘时,里约股价上涨1.2%,至110.14美元。
译文内容由第三方软件翻译。
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