Cyclone halts BHPB iron-ore shipments, threatens mines

Publishing Date21 Dec 2009
12:53pm GMT

Tropical cyclone Laurence, which last week caused evacuations of oil and gas rigs, is moving into Western Australia’s iron-ore-rich Pilbara area, causing BHP Billiton to suspend shipments of the steel-making ingredient.

The mining company halted iron-ore shipments after Port Hedland was closed today, Melbourne-based spokeswoman Samantha Evans said in a phone interview. The port was closed at 1am and there are no immediate plans to reopen it, harbour master Lindsay Copeman said.

Laurence last week affected the sparsely populated Kimberley coastal region's energy and mining projects.

Mt Gibson Iron Ltd evacuated 220 employees from its Koolan Island facility. HWE Mining Pty Ltd evacuated workers off Cockatoo Island, where it mines iron ore in partnership with Cleveland-based Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.

Cyclone George in March 2007 caused flooding at Energy Resources of Australia Ltd's Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory. That storm killed two workers and injured 16 others at Fortescue Metals Group Ltd's iron-ore operation in Western Australia.

Cyclone Tracy, one of the worst natural disasters in Australia's history, killed 71 people on Christmas Day, 1974 when it struck Darwin, according to the government’s Emergency Management Authority. The storm forced 35,362 of a population of 47,000 to flee, the nation’s biggest peacetime evacuation.

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