I-Rio Tinto ithe ngoLwesithathu ihlela ukukhokha u-US $3.1 billion, noma u-C $40 ngesheya ngalinye, ukuze uthole ingxenye engamaphesenti angama-49 enkampani yezimayini yaseCanada i-Turquoise Mountain Resources.I-Turquoise Mountain Resources inyuke ngo-25% ngoLwesithathu ezindabeni, okuyinzuzo yayo enkulu yansuku zonke kusukela ngoMashi.

Lesi sicelo singaphezulu kuka-$400m ngaphezu kwebhidi yangaphambilini engu-$2.7bn evela e-Rio Tinto, i-Turquoise Hill Resources eyenqaba ngokusemthethweni ngesonto eledlule, yathi ayizange ibonise ukubaluleka kwayo kwesu lesikhathi eside.

Ngo-March, i-Rio yamemezela ibhidi le-US $ 2.7 billion, noma i-C $ 34 isabelo, kumaphesenti angu-49 we-Turquoise Mountain eyayingenawo kakade, i-premium engamaphesenti angu-32 enanini layo lesabelo ngaleso sikhathi.UTurquoise Hill waqoka ikomiti elikhethekile elizohlola isiphakamiso sikaRio.

I-Rio isivele ingumnikazi wama-51% we-Turquoise Hill futhi ifuna u-49% osele ukuze ithole ukulawula okwengeziwe kwemayini yethusi negolide i-OyuTolgoi.I-Turquoise Mountain inamaphesenti angu-66 e-Oyu Tolgoi, enye yezimayini zethusi negolide ezaziwa kakhulu emhlabeni, esifundeni sase-Khanbaogd esifundazweni saseMongolia eseNingizimu Gobi, kanti enye ilawulwa uhulumeni waseMongolia.

“U-Rio Tinto unethemba lokuthi lesi sipho asigcini nje ngokunikeza inani eligcwele nelifanelekile le-Turquoise Hill kodwa futhi lizuzisa bonke ababambiqhaza njengoba siqhubekela phambili no-Oyu Tolgoi,” kusho u-Jakob Stausholm, isikhulu esiphezulu sase-Rio, ngoLwesithathu.

I-Rio ifinyelele isivumelwano nohulumeni waseMongolia ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka esivumele ukunwetshwa okubambezele isikhathi eside kwe-Oyu Tolgoi ukuthi kuqale kabusha ngemuva kokuvuma ukucisha isikweletu sikahulumeni esingu-$2.4bn.Uma ingxenye engaphansi komhlaba ye-Oyu Tolgoi isiqediwe, kulindeleke ukuthi ibe imayini yethusi yesine ngobukhulu emhlabeni, lapho i-Turquoise Mountain kanye nozakwethu bayo ekugcineni behlose ukukhiqiza amathani ethusi angaphezu kuka-500,000 ngonyaka.

Selokhu kwaphahlazeka impahla maphakathi neshumi leminyaka elidlule, imboni yezimayini ibikuxwayile ukuthola amaphrojekthi amakhulu ezimayini.Lokho kuyashintsha, nokho, njengoba umhlaba uguqukela kumandla aluhlaza, lapho izikhondlakhondla zezimayini zandisa ukuchayeka ezinsimbini eziluhlaza njengethusi.

Ngasekuqaleni kwale nyanga, i-BHP Billiton, isikhondlakhondla sezimayini emhlabeni wonke, sihoxise isicelo sayo sika-$5.8 billion somvukuzi wethusi i-OzMinerals ngezizathu zokuthi nayo iphansi kakhulu.