Rio Tinto plc’s ERA Court Fight Puts Ranger Mine Cleanup Back in Focus
Energy Resources of Australia said Friday that Rio Tinto’s push to buy out minority shareholders is still with the Federal Court, keeping legal uncertainty hanging over the shuttered Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory. The proposed compulsory acquisition—Rio’s attempt to squeeze out the last holdouts—hit a hurdle after objections surpassed the legal threshold, so court sign-off is still pending. Investors are watching closely as Rio pushes to boost production and hold costs in check, all while managing its aging assets. Earlier this week, the company posted a 9% increase in copper-equivalent output from a year earlier—this metric translates all commodity production into copper terms—and left its main 2026 guidance where it was.