Under agreements to purchase, Marubeni would buy 12.5 per cent, Korean steel maker POSCO 15 per cent and STX Corporation 2.5 per cent in subsidiary Roy Hill Holdings, Marubeni announced yesterday.
The stake in the project had been put up for sale early last month. Hancock Prospecting chairwoman Gina Rinaheart described the sale as a ''strategic alliance".
Hancock Prospecting will still hold a 70 per cent stake in the project.
''We are delighted that POSCO and STX as our initial Roy Hill investors have increased their shareholding and we welcome Marubeni into what is the most advanced integrated independent iron ore project in Australia,'' Mrs Rinehart said.
''We are also pleased to finalise this strategic alliance with companies whose countries need our iron ore and with the mutual determination to make this project a success.
''The confidence and commitment which such major international companies have placed in Roy Hill, at a time of global economic uncertainty, speaks volumes for the robustness and integrity of this project, which will remain as the only independent world-class Pilbara iron ore project with West Australian majority ownership.''
''We are also pleased to finalise this strategic alliance with companies whose countries need our iron ore and with the mutual determination to make this project a success.
''The confidence and commitment which such major international companies have placed in Roy Hill, at a time of global economic uncertainty, speaks volumes for the robustness and integrity of this project, which will remain as the only independent world-class Pilbara iron ore project with West Australian majority ownership.''
