Login
Rio Tinto advised on Rhodes Ridge modernisation
International law firm Allens has advised Rio Tinto on the modernisation of a joint venture relating to the greenfields Rhodes Ridge project.
Emma Musgrave
Firm: Allens (Rio Tinto); Clayton Utz (Wright Prospecting)
Value: Undisclosed
Area: Project development
Key players: The Allens team was led by partner Jodi Reinmuth and comprised partners Ben Farnsworth and Ted Hill, finance counsel Michelle Teng, managing associate Anne Nguyen, senior associates Rob Merriam, Jonathon Holborn and Brittany Lawtie, and lawyers Nick Todd, Paige Pittorino, Madeleine Ninkov and Lewis Pope.
The Clayton Utz team was led by deputy chief executive partner Emma Covacevich and included partners Brett Cohen, Rohan Mishra and Elizabeth Richmond, as well as special counsel Marni Riley and Armin Fazely.
Deal significance: The greenfields Rhode Ridge project is situated 40 kilometres north-west of Newman in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
“The transaction provides a pathway for development of a strategic resource containing approximately 5.8 billion tonnes of high-grade iron ore, which will play a key role in Rio Tinto’s Pilbara Blend over the coming decades,” a statement from Allens explained.
“The resources will be developed in connection with Rio Tinto’s existing rail, port and power infrastructure, including its planned instalment of one gigawatt of renewable power assets in the Pilbara.”
Commenting further, Allens’ lead partner on the deal Jodi Reinmuth said: “Allens has worked with clients at the forefront of Australia’s energy and resources sector for decades, and decarbonising the activities of major resources companies will be an important part of the country’s energy transition.
“The Allens team is delighted to see the participants in the Rhodes Ridge joint venture modernise the pathway toward the development of the Rhodes Ridge asset.
“This is a very significant transaction for the Australian resources industry, and we look forward to assisting with the evolution of the joint venture during its development phase, including in conjunction with traditional owners.”
Commenting on behalf of Clayton Utz, lead partner Emma Covacevich said:
"We’re really pleased to have had the opportunity to work with the Wright Prospecting team and Rio Tinto to achieve this outcome.
"With continued global demand for high-quality iron ore, there is enormous value in realising the untapped potential of the Rhodes Ridge project," she said.
Emma Musgrave
Emma Musgrave (née Ryan) is the managing editor, professional services at Momentum Media.
Emma has worked for Momentum Media since 2015, including five years spent as the editor of the company's legal brand - Lawyers Weekly. Throughout her time at Momentum, she has been responsible for breaking some of the biggest stories in corporate Australia. In addition, she has produced exclusive multimedia and event content related to the company's respective brands and audiences.
Prior to joining Momentum Media, Emma worked in breakfast radio, delivering news to the Central West region of NSW, before taking on a radio journalist role at Southern Cross Austereo, based in Townsville, North Queensland.
She holds a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) degree from Charles Sturt University.
Email Emma on:
