Pilbara autonomous train crash derails Rio Tinto shipments and output

[Pelican Press 0]

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Pilbara autonomous train ****** derails Rio Tinto shipments and output

A train collision on its Pilbara network in May lost Rio Tinto nearly a week of rail capacity but the iron ore major was still able to achieve marginal increases in quarterly shipments.

Rio shipped 80.3 million tonnes of the steel-making ingredient in the three months to the end of July — up 3 per cent from the previous quarter — which took first half exports to 158.3 million tonnes.

That was 2 per cent shy of the total shipped a year earlier and implies an annualised run rate of just under 317 million tonnes a year — well off the lower end of its full-year target.

Production for the June quarter was 79.5mt — up 2 per cent from the previous three-month ******* but 2 per cent lower than a year earlier. That took output for the first half to 157.4mt — also off 2 per cent from a year earlier.

A laden Rio train came off the tracks about 80km from Karratha on May 13 after smashing into stationary wagons that had workers nearby. The incident marked the mining giant’s third driverless train derailment in the Pilbara within the space of a year.

Rio on Tuesday said production and shipping in the quarter had been impacted by the collision, which resulted in around six days of lost rail capacity and full stockpiles at some mines.

But the miner has maintained full-year guidance of between 323 and 338mt. Production costs also remain unchanged at between $21.75 and $23.50 a tonne

It again warned export levels of its lower grade SP10 product are expected to remain higher until replacement projects are delivered, noting construction of its majority owned $3.1 billion Western Range mine is now 70 per cent complete..

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