Australia's Port of Newcastle resumes coal shipments |
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Tue, 12 Jun 2007 07:23
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SYDNEY (XFN-ASIA) - The world's leading coal export port, Newcastle, has resumed shipments following severe storms that forced its closure last week, Newcastle Port Corp spokesman Keith Powell said.He said three vessels, including two bulk coal carriers have set sail with 55 vessels waiting to load coal, at anchor off the port, and a further nine about to arrive.On Friday one vessel that had been waiting to load 58,000 tons of Coal & Allied coal for delivery to Japanese power utilities was washed onto a sandbank after it was ripped from its moorings in heavy seas.Meanwhile, Port Waratah Coal Services, which runs coal loading operations at Newcastle, said trains from coal mines in the Hunter Valley have not been able to make deliveries due to track damage. The earliest estimate for the resumption of rail operations is Friday.A spokeswoman for BHP Billiton said the company has declared force majeure on some trainloads of thermal coal from the Hunter Valley that were disrupted by the storm.BHP Billiton produces 10 mln metric tons of thermal coal a year from Hunter Valley for export to Asian electricity generators.Meanwhile Rio Tinto's 75 pct owned Coal & Allied Industries Ltd said at this stage it is unable to assess the impact of the storm and subsequent damage on the three mines it operates in the Hunter Valley.The other major coal producer in the Hunter Valley, London-listed Xstrata Plc unit Xstrata Coal, was not available for comment.bruce.hextall@xfn.com
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Australia's east coast storms ground coal bulk carrier off Port of Newcastle 