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Cyclone PutsWesternAustralian Iron Miners onAlert
A Reuters India article viewed outcomes from a .differentangle . .Itnotedthatthe .merger .could open rail .networks .to smaller miners,opening access to millions more tons of iron ore into the world’s supply .
Rio and BHP have .been .fighting such access, saying they lack spare capacity . .To in win support for the JV, they may have to appear competition-friendly, .the Reuters article said .
“Withaccessto .a .railline,theseguyshaveviable mines,” James Wilson .a .JD .Carmichael .& . Co . .analyst said . .
Rail access would justify developing the junior’s own stagnant .deposits .spread over half .a . millionsquare .kilometers .ofAustralia’sPilbara iron ore district . .Many are drilled and ready to go and could yield .50 .million metric tons .(Mt) . a .year by .2013 . .“The Pilbara is incredibly .endowed with iron ore,so much of it not yet exploited,saidGraemeRowley,executivedirector of Fortescue .Metals, .Australia’s No . .3 .iron ore miner .
“By unlocking the rails to everyone,the balance of world supply would move much more in favor of Australia,”Rowley said .
“If Rio and BHP really want to show regulators they are serious about competition and not pursuing .a .monopoly, the best way to do this is by providing rail access to the junior miners,”Carmichael’sWilson said .
Cyclone Puts Western Australian Iron Miners on Alert
Bloomberg reported Dec . .21 .that tropical cyclone Laurence, which caused evacuations of oil and gas .rigs, .was moving intoWesternAustralia’s iron .ore-rich .Pilbara area,causing BHP Billiton Ltd . .to suspend iron ore .shipments .
BHP halted iron ore .shipments . after Port Hedland was closed on Dec . .21, .spokeswoman Samantha Evans said . .
“We expect there may be some production interruptions at some operations because of heavyrainfall,”Evanssaidin .a .statement . .“Otherwise we are mainly just keeping .a .watch on the cyclone’s path .”
Cyclone Laurence is the first of the season in Northwestern Australia,which accounts for 73% . of the nation’s natural gas .exports . and 62% .of its mining production . .The area may experience .asmanyassixcyclonesthisseason, which runs from .November . until April, according to an October forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology .
A .redalertisinplaceforsomeareasofWestern .Australia, the state’s Fire and Emergency ServicesAuthority said in .a .statement . .
Rio Tinto, Dampier Port’s main customer, said the cyclone is unlikely to affect the company’s iron-ore production and .shipments . .Rio was“keeping .a .close eye”on the cyclone’s path, which was expected to pass well to the east of the company’s mines in the region, .Perthbased spokesman Gervase Greene said .
Laurencelastweekaffectedthesparselypopulated Kimberley coastal region’s .energy .and mining projects . .Mt . .Gibson Iron Ltd . .evacuated .220 .employees from its Koolan Island facility . .HWE .MiningPtyLtd . .evacuatedworkers off Cockatoo Island,where it mines iron ore in partnership with Cleveland- based Cliffs Natural Resources Inc .
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