Port Hedland Port Authority News

Ships at 2 Australian iron ore ports face cyclone threat; ships being evacuated from Port Hedland, Dampier. Australia's Pilbara Ports Authority said it had started evacuation of ships at the Port Hedland and Dampier iron ore ports due to cyclone threat, but forecast a short closure due to the low intensity of the storm. Any interruption in iron ore shipments from the key ports of top supplier Australia could support prices of the steelmaking raw material, which are mired near 5-1/2-year lows in a world market flush with supplies from big Australian miners. Iron ore shipped via Port Hedland, which handles about a fifth of the world's seaborne iron ore trade, totaled nearly 40 million tonnes in December, most of which was mined by BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals Group.

From July 1, 2014, Dampier Port Authority will be merged with Port Hedland Port Authority to form a new body named Pilbara Ports Authority, GAC reported in its daily hot news report. The Western Australian Government recently passed the Ports Legislation Amendment Bill 2013, introducing structural reforms to its statutory port authorities. The main thurst of the reforms is that, with the exception of Fremantle Port, port authorities will be merged or renamed to create four new regional port authorities: Mid West, Southern, Kimberley and Pilbara. The first to be created, Pilbara Ports Authority, will control and manage the ports of Ashburton, Dampier and Port Hedland. pilbaraports.com.au

Iron ore exports to China from Australia's Port Hedland, which accounts for about a fifth of the globally traded market, rose by almost 7 percent in April, from March when they jumped 27 percent. Shipments to China amounted to 28.89 million tonnes in April, up from 27.04 million in March, data from the Port Hedland Port Authority showed. That was almost 50 percent higher than in April last year, a sign of still resilient demand from the Asian giant and of Australia's success in grabbing market share from other producers. Overall shipments of iron ore from Port Hedland edged up to a fresh record of 34.82 million tonnes, from 34.43 million in March. That compares to 26 million tonnes in April last year.

Teekay Shipping Australia boosts towage services in Port Hedland to meet growing throughput at Australia’s busiest port. The 80+ tonne bollard pull tugs 'RT Rotation', 'RT Sensation' and 'RT Inspiration', supplied under contract from KOTUG International, will join three powerful Rotor®Tugs already operating in the port, which the mining industry now regards as the busiest in Australia. The Port Hedland Port Authority is forecasting an increase in throughput results from 247 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) in 2012, to nearly 500 mtpa by 2017.