Miners brace for twin cyclone threat
Glencore suspends operations at a NT mine as Cyclone Trevor approaches, while WA iron ore ports await Veronica.
Global commodity giant Glencore has suspended mining and shipping operations from its McArthur River zinc mine in the Northern Territory as part of its cyclone preparations.
Authorities have declared a state of emergency in the region as Tropical Cyclone Trevor nears, with the Bureau of Meteorology saying the storm was intensifying and warning of a “severe impact” ahead of landfall on Saturday.
At the same time, areas further west are bracing for the arrival of another cyclone, named Veronica, with key West Australian iron ore ports there being cleared.
“(The McArthur River mine) is preparing for Cyclone Trevor in line with our standard cyclone procedures,” a spokesman said in an emailed statement.
“We are suspending mining operations on site and shipping operations at Bing Bong loading facility.”
That comes after commodity giant Rio Tinto on Wednesday suspended its Weipa bauxite mining operations in north Queensland ahead of the cyclone.
Meanwhile, Rio, BHP and Fortescue have all cleared their ships from ports ahead of Cyclone Veronica’s expected landfall south of the world’s largest iron ore export hub of Port Hedland on Sunday.
Reuters