Aluminium/Light Metals

• advised CITIC, PRC regarding the acquisition and financing of its initial 10% interest in the Portland Aluminium Smelter from Alcoa and the Victorian Government. A highly structured funding package was developed and implemented to minimise CITIC’s equity commitment to the transaction. The $215 million structure took maximum advantage of the aluminium market at the time, which was at a cyclical low (1986-1987);

• advised the non-Government participants (Alcoa, CITIC, Marubeni and Eastern Aluminium) in the Portland Aluminium Smelter on strategic options for acquiring Aluvic’s 25% interest in the smelter from the Victorian Government. The assignment required an analysis of the feasibility and relative attractiveness to each of the participants and the Victorian Government of the various methods available to acquire the 25% smelter interest given limited pre-emptive rights;

• advised CITIC on its strategy for acquiring a further 12.5% interest, $225m, in the Portland Aluminium Smelter from the Victorian Government and arranged the US$170 million underwritten financing;

• advised a Chinese group on their evaluation and negotiation of a potential investment in the new Comalco alumina refinery in Gladstone;

• advised Alinta, Eni and B&B on the creditworthiness of the Alcan Gove Alumina Refinery underlying their bid for the Trans Territory Gas Pipeline. Resulted in a bank underwritten limited recourse financing of almost 30 years;

• advised Magnesium International on the development and financing of a $1b magnesium smelter including alternative sites, power supply and offtake arrangements;

Coal

• advised and arranged underwritten financing for Downer’s Moura Coal Mine bid;

• advised Elders Resources in relation to the acquisition of Oakbridge Limited, a coal miner;

• arranged $80m limited recourse funding for the acquisition and development of the Saxonvale coal mine;

• advised the State Energy Commission of Western Australia with respect to its coal purchase contracts, including contractual risk evaluation and extensive computer modelling of its two coal suppliers' operations;

• arranged a $32m operating lease facility for McMahon Limited contract mining equipment;

• advised and arranged funding for development of Ulan Coal Mine on behalf of White Industries and Mitsubishi;

• advised Bayswater Coal in connection with a rail based multi user coal loader;

Iron Ore

• advised Hastings on the bid for the royalty for the new iron ore mine Mining Area C (MAC);

• advised Hancock Prospecting Pty Limited in respect the selection of its joint venture partner, Iscor Australia (now Anglo American) for the development of the Hope Downs Iron Ore project in WA;

• arranged the tax effective project financing for CMIEC and CRA of the $420m Channar Iron Ore Project using an innovative tolling structure. This included arranging US$230m of non-recourse debt and $132m of structured equity;

Steel

• advised Thiess, Thyssen and Ferrostaal regarding the viability and equity and debt funding of a proposed speciality steel plant in Gladstone, Queensland; advised Boulder Steel regarding the viability, equity and debt funding of its proposed specialty steels project in Australia;

• advised the SA Government on the immediate and long term economic and financial viability of its steel industry;

• advised Boulder Steel regarding the viability, equity and debt funding of its proposed specialty steels project in Australia;

Forestry

• advised a client on the acquisition and funding package for the CNIFP forestry assets in New Zealand utilising a highly structured funding package;

• advised a client on the potential acquisition of North Forest Products Pty Ltd;

• advised and prepared the successful underwritten financing plan for the North Broken Hill Wesley Vale pulp mill project;

• developed the computer model and evaluated the economic and financial viability of a proposed US$600 million export paper pulp mill project in Western Australia for WA Pulp & Paper (Bunnings);

Oil and Gas

• arranged the credit facilities to support a US$12 million oil forwards project finance facility for Command Petroleum's participation in the Skua Joint Venture;

• arranged non-recourse financing for a JV interest in the development of the Harriet Oilfield;

• advised Energy Equity Corporation Limited on the supply of LNG to the Yulara power station;

• advised the joint venture partners of the proposed Kalingas LNG project in Iran;

• advised AMP Capital Limited on the Australian domestic gas market including coal seam methane;

• arranged the first ever PNG project financing with political risk insurance – US$325m of limited recourse debt for Ampolex and Oil Search’s interest in the PNG Kutubu Oil Project;

• advised OilSearch on the development financing of the SE Gobe oil field;

• advised Southern Pacific Petroleum on the financial viability of the Stuart Oil Shale Project near Gladstone, Queensland;

• advised CSBP Wesfarmers and Norsk Hydro in respect of their proposed joint venture ammonia/urea project in Western Australia;

• advised the Western Australian Department of State Development on the evaluation of the North West Shelf Domgas and the strategy for the renegotiation;

• advised on and financed the Surat Basin LPG plant for Bridge Oil;

Gold

• evaluated the economics and financial viability of the Red Dome and Selwyn gold resources in Queensland leading to the sale of a 10% interest in those assets;

• arranged non-recourse finance for Dominion Mining Limited's operations in the Northern Territory and Western Australia;

Others

• arranged an underwritten tax-effective financing for a Rhone-Poulenc gallium and rare earth processing facility;

• structured and negotiated a $50 million, Westpac and Thiess joint venture predevelopment equity financing fund for infrastructure and resource projects;

• advised Queensland Metals Corporation (QMC) in respect of its negotiations on the Kunwarara Magnesia Joint Venture in Queensland with Pancontinental Mining Limited. Subsequently advised QMC regarding negotiations with banks providing project financing facilities;

• subsequently advised QMC regarding negotiations with banks providing project financing facilities;

• advised Bridge Oil regarding the development of a diamond mine and treatment plant in Guinea, West Africa and subsequently arranged the financing, including IFC equity and PRI cover for senior debt and equity participants;

• advised the patent holder of a new biometric security technology on commercialisation and funding of the project.