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Rio Tinto said last night that it entered into a binding agreement with a consortium comprising private equity manager EMR Capital and PT Adaro Energy Tbk, an Indonesian listed coal company, for the sale of its entire 80% interest in the Kestrel underground coal mine in Queensland, Australia, for $2.25B.

Rio Tinto CEO J-S Jacques said in a statement, “The sale of Kestrel, together with the announced divestments of Hail Creek and our undeveloped coal projects, delivers exceptional value to our shareholders and will leave our portfolio stronger and more focused on delivering the highest returns through targeted allocation of capital.”

The transaction is subject to customary conditions precedent being satisfied, including the receipt of regulatory approvals from Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board and the Queensland Government. Rio Tinto anticipates that Australian income tax will be payable on sale proceeds which are in excess of the cost base of the assets at completion. The currently estimated tax payable is in the order of $0.5B.
 

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