PERTH, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Embattled mining magnate Clive Palmer said he has transferred A$250 million ($175 million) in assets from two mining companies to his Queensland Nickel refinery, in comments made in a television interview broadcast on Saturday after the refinery went into voluntary administration earlier this week.
Assets from two of Palmer's privately-held mining companies, Waratah Coal and China First, including "proven" coal deposits, were given to help Queensland Nickel Pty Ltd (QNI), Palmer said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
The axing of 237 jobs at the refinery in Townsville last week was an attempt to keep the company solvent, Palmer added.
"We're heroes, not villains," Palmer said, adding that administrators would reveal the details of the pledged assets at a creditors meeting slated for January 29.
Queensland Nickel is one of Australia's biggest nickel refineries with a capacity of 35,000 tonnes a year. A slump in the nickel price from nearly $30,000 a tonne in early 2011 to less than $9,000 a tonne amid a mounting supply glut has pushed it into financial difficulty.
QNI and the administrators, FTI Consulting, said earlier this week that they intend to run the business as usual while the company's future is reviewed.
Palmer told the ABC that he was confident the company would be able to trade out of administration.
Palmer's purchase of Queensland Nickel from mining giant BHP Billiton (L:BLT) Ltd BHP.AX in 2009 was met with scepticism and surprise after BHP said it could no longer make money. For Christmas the following year, Palmer presented 55 of its workers with a Mercedes Benz car and gave away 650 holidays to Fiji to employees and their partners to celebrate a bumper year of profitability.