The company has agreed to buy a share of cobalt production from Vale’s Voisey’s Bay mine in Canada, giving the mining royalty and streaming company exposure to the key battery metal for the first time.

Company posted a 21% drop in full-year core earnings as a run of pandemic-driven production roadblocks wiped out the boost from higher gold prices.

The company total production for the quarter ended 31 December 2020 increased by 38%.

Company has signed an agreement to acquire the global leader in ground support and reinforcement products for underground mining and tunneling.

Company has stopped using very large crude carrier (VLCC) ships converted into very large ore carriers (VLOC), following a final delivery to China on Sunday.

Company has halted operations after pro-independence protests nearby, and that military forces are now guarding the evacuated plant.

BHP CEO Mike Henry executive said that tension in international relations is antithetical to the prosperity of Australia, and the world.

Company's shares were up 7.4% midday Friday after it reported initial assay results from its 10,000 metre 2020-21 core drilling program.

First concentrate from the initial 3.8-million-tonnes-per-annum (Mtpa) concentrator plant on track for July 2021.

The miner produced 12.3 million carats in the first nine months of 2020, down 29% from the same period in 2019.

South African law firm Mbuyisa Moleele and UK-based Leigh Day filed the class action suit last week on behalf of what they say is estimated to be more than 100,000 individuals.

The amount would ensure the enforcement of any potential fine or forfeiture of assets, rights and values related to the disaster.