Whitehaven chief executive Paul Flynn says coal prices will stabilise this year and rise in 2016

Whitehaven Coal chief executive Paul Flynn does not expect thermal coal prices to weaken further year this year, defying the expectations of some analysts, and says prices will start to recover in 2016 just as the company is further increasing production at its new Maules Creek mine in northern New South Wales, according to the Australian Financial Review.

Flynn said the anticipated improvement in prices, along with the expected refinancing within months of Whitehaven's $1.2 billion of debt, “starts to position the company pretty well” for the future.

Rugby star David Pocock in court over Whitehaven coal mine protest

Former Wallabies captain David Pocock will face court on Wednesday on charges relating to his arrest during a coal mine protest in northwest NSW, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Pocock’s charges include entering enclosed land without lawful excuse and hindering the working of mining equipment, after chaining himself to a digger for 10 hours in November as part of a blockade at the Maules Creek coal mine.

He is expected to appear before Gunnedah Local Court.

Axiom planning nickel production by year end

The final resolution of long-running litigation between Japan's Sumitomo and Axiom Mining over control of a large nickel deposit in the Solomon Islands, which is expected around Easter, is likely to see development work on the project accelerated with the intention of achieving initial exports of ore by year end, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Recent drilling on the prospect has yielded nickel grades of as high as 2.59% at shallow depths of just 8.4m, which is higher than the grades of around 1% encountered in earlier shallow drilling on the prospect by Canadian miner Inco.