Metallica Minerals Ltd and joint venture partner Metals Finance Corp have entered into a nickel supply agreement with BHP Billiton Ltd.
Shares in Metallica and Metals Finance jumped on the news, up 13.64 per cent and 10.64 per cent respectively at 1115 AEDT.
BHP Billiton has agreed to purchase all of the nickel from the mining juniors’ [...]

Metallica Minerals Limited said on Friday that top Chinese tin producer Yunnan Tin Group’s unit in Australia had agreed to buy a 5 percent stake in it for A$5.9 million ($4.0 million).
The unit would buy 5.38 million shares in the Australian firm, which invests in Nornico and Lucky Break nickel projects in the country.
The company [...]

Cape Alumina Pty Ltd., part owned by Chinese aluminium group Chiping Xinfa Huayu Alumina Co Ltd., has gained approval to look further afield for bauxite in Australia, underscoring China’s hunger for the raw aluminium-making material outside its borders.
Cape Alumina is prospecting in Australia’s bauxite-rich Cape York region, where world No.2 miner Rio Tinto Ltd./Plc. also [...]

China’s largest independent alumina-aluminum producer, Chiping Xinfa Huayu Alumina Co Ltd, has increased exposure to the Australian bauxite mining industry by acquiring additional 7.5 pct in Cape Alumina Ltd, to take its stake to 17.5 pct, Cape Alumina said.
Xinfa, which acquired the stake from Anegada Metals Corp Ltd for an undisclosed sum, has also acquired [...]

EXPLORER Metallica Minerals says it is moving to a pre-feasibility study of the company’s North Queensland nickel and cobalt (NORNICO) project.
Metallica Minerals managing director Andrew Gillies said yesterday the company was encouraged by the findings of a scoping study and had initiated a pre-feasibility study which was expected to be completed within six months.
The study [...]