Tag Archives: Port Hedland

Fortescue completes tug fleet and towage infrastructure at Herb Elliott Port

28th June 2019Bulk handling, Mine operation news, Mining services, Steel and iron oreAndrew Forrest, Damen Shipyards, Elizabeth Gaines, Fortescue Metals, Herb Elliott, Iron ore, KOTUG, Port Hedland, Song Cam, tugboats, Western Australia, Westug Pty LtdDaniel Gleeson

Fortescue Metals Group has celebrated the completion of its fleet of tugs and towage infrastructure at the company’s Herb Elliott Port, in Port Hedland, Western Australia.

Founder and Chairman, Andrew Forrest (pictured on the left), together with Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth Gaines (pictured on the right), and the core leadership team, were joined by local politicians and members of the Port Hedland community to celebrate the milestone ahead of tug operations commencing in July.

Fortescue has procured and constructed six tugs and leased a further three tugs, including six Advanced Rotor Tugs 85-32W, which were constructed by Damen Shipyards at the Song Cam and Damen Song Cam shipyards, in Vietnam, it said. The tugs will be based at the new nine berth tug and harbour facility, located in the vicinity of Fortescue’s berths one to three at Anderson Point.

Forrest said: “As Australia’s economic and industrial gateway to Asia, the port of Port Hedland is the largest bulk export port in the world. It is an economic powerhouse of our country generating countless jobs and businesses directly across the nation and supporting the standard of living of us all.

“Since Fortescue was founded, we have set ourselves the toughest stretch targets we could. We aimed to develop the world’s most advanced vertically integrated bulk operations infrastructure, and to seamlessly link this with our core exploration, metallurgical and mining operations.

“Our aim was to develop an integrated world leading system to deliver critical ores that would build the economies of nations. The strategic decisions made by the Board to build our fleet of ore carriers and Fortescue owned and operated towage capability mark the critical completion of this part of Fortescue’s journey.”

Gaines added: “Fortescue operates the most efficient bulk port operation in Australia and the towage fleet represents the final element in our supply chain, with our innovative new tug fleet able to provide safe and reliable towage services and additional towage capacity for all Port Hedland users. The tug fleet and new facilities will maximise the efficiencies of our operation and provide long-term sustainable towage services crucial to meeting the demands of our customers.

“I would like to thank the entire Fortescue team for their work to bring us to the point of operational readiness, as well as the Pilbara Ports Authority, Damen Song Cam Shipyard, who constructed the vessels, and KOTUG and Westug Pty Ltd, who will manage the towage operations.”

Onsite Rental Group seals Rio Tinto Iron Ore equipment contract

7th June 2019Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron oreIvan Vella, light vehicles, local procurement, Mike Foureur, mining equipment, Onsite Rental Group, Pilbara, Port Hedland, Rio Tinto, Rio Tinto Iron OreDaniel Gleeson

Rio Tinto says it has awarded a contract worth close to A$30 million ($21 million) to Onsite Rental Group to provide ancillary and light mobile equipment (LME) over the next three years to the iron ore division’s Pilbara mines and Coastal operations.

Onsite is established in the Pilbara and will provide on the ground support through its offices in Karratha, Tom Price, Newman and Port Hedland, as well as its office in Perth, Rio said.

“The equipment will support maintenance activities across Rio Tinto Iron Ore’s Pilbara mines and Coastal operations and includes access platforms, telehandlers, lighting towers and generators,” the miner added.

Onsite has committed to provide local employment opportunities, boost indigenous engagement, deliver apprenticeships and training, as well as establish diversity programs, according to Rio.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Managing Director Supply Chain Services, Ivan Vella, said: “Rio Tinto’s procurement practices, and those of our contractors, play a significant role in the creation of sustainable and resilient communities, including job opportunities for local people, which ultimately benefits the communities where we operate.”

Onsite Rental Group Managing Director, Mike Foureur, said the company plans to increase local employment, particularly for service technicians based out of Newman and Tom Price, to service this contract.

“We will work closely with Rio Tinto to align, commit and grow local content and indigenous participation through partnering and supplier opportunities within the Pilbara region,” he said.

Pilbara Minerals and POSCO move a step closer to lithium chemical production JV

18th March 2019Energy minerals, High tech minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining servicesBattery minerals, Ken Brinsden, lithium carbonate, lithium chemicals, lithium hydroxide, Pilbara Minerals, Pilgangoora, Port Hedland, POSCO, spodumeneDaniel Gleeson

The Pilbara Minerals Board has conditionally exercised its option to enter into an incorporated joint venture with POSCO (for up to 30% participation) for the development of a downstream lithium chemical conversion facility in South Korea.

Pilbara Minerals’ Managing Director and CEO, Ken Brinsden, said the company’s relationship with POSCO had developed over the last year as it has continued to work through the Pilgangoora lithium project joint venture.

“It has been really pleasing to see the positive results generated by the due diligence work to date. The significant investment by POSCO into their PosLX technology has paid off and they have proven their ability to produce an industry leading, battery-ready lithium product through their innovative lithium purification process,” he said.

On October 2, 2018, Pilbara Minerals produced its first spodumene concentrate shipment from Pilgangoora. A total of 8,800 t (wet) of spodumene concentrate grading approximately 6.1% lithia and 1.2% Fe2O3 set sail from Port Hedland bound for the company’s offtake partners in north Asia.

The company’s agreement with POSCO encompasses long-term offtake, funding and the downstream conversion plant joint venture opportunity.

Brinsden said the rapid growth in lithium chemicals consumption in South Korea could see the country’s battery manufacturing sector supply around 25% of worldwide capacity by 2028, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

The downstream lithium facility, to be located in the Gwangyang Free Economic Zone in South Korea, would have up to 40,000 t/y of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) capacity and process spodumene from Pilgangoora using POSCO’s patented PosLX purification process.

Since the December quarter, Pilbara Minerals has been undertaking technical due diligence to assess the proposed chemical plant development and work to date has delivered promising results, it said.

“Due diligence has included a visit of technical staff and assessment of POSCO’s existing commercial operations plant using their PosLX technology, based on Pilbara Minerals’ spodumene delivered from the Pilgangoora project,” Pilbara Minerals said.

POSCO has developed its first commercial-scale operation (after the initial development of a pilot scale plant) that produces up to 2,500 t/y of lithium chemicals on an LCE basis, according to Pilbara Minerals. Based on spodumene chemical conversion, the plant has the capacity and flexibility to produce both high grade lithium hydroxide, or, alternately, lithium carbonate products with low impurities in the final products produced.

Pilbara Minerals said: “The battery grade lithium hydroxide produced has to date been tested by major South Korean cathode makers and has passed their qualification process.”

Once a number of conditions surrounding the deal are complete, they will be put to the Board of Pilbara Minerals for a final decision and commitment to the joint development in mid- to late-May 2019. The parties would then aim to complete construction of the chemical conversion plant in late 2020 with commencement of ramp-up and production from early 2021.

Downer EDI to maintain BHP’s Port Hedland iron ore export facilities

4th October 2018Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Steel and iron oreBHP, Downer EDI, Iron ore, Port Hedland, Western AustraliaDaniel Gleeson

Downer EDI has been granted a three-year maintenance contract by BHP’s iron ore division as the world’s biggest miner by market capitalisation looks to shore up its export facilities in Port Hedland, Western Australia.

Downer’s scope of works spans the maintenance of the Port Hedland export operations across the Finucane Island and Nelson Point facilities. This will include the provision of mechanical, electrical, heating, ventilating and air conditioning, minor civils, rope access services and integration with the BHP maintenance team in planning and executing the services, Downer said.

This is the second such maintenance contract BHP’s iron ore divison has awarded in recent days. The company, this week, signed a similar agreement with Monadelphous that covered five of its iron ore mines.

Grant Fenn, Chief Executive Officer of Downer, said the contract win demonstrated Downer’s leading position in the delivery of major maintenance and industrial services to customers in the resources and energy sectors.