Rio Tinto reassigns coal haulage contracts

Sunday, 25 Dec 2011

It is reported that Rio Tinto has given Asciano a contract for coal haulage from one of its central Queensland mines that was previously split between Asciano and QR National but has allocated a new contract for extra tonnage from another mine to QR National.

Rio Tinto has been building up its Hail Creek mine inland from Mackay and in the past few years has used Asciano fully owned Pacific National to cart two million tonnes per annum while QR National has carted the remainder which has been up to 8mtpa.

But Asicano recently announced a 10 year contract under which it will cart 8mtpa of coal a year to Dalrymple Bay as well as 500,000 tonnes a year from a smaller mine, Kestrel. The contract will put Asciano closer to its goal of having 30% of the Queensland market and the company is building a new maintenance facility at Nebo inland from Mackay that is due to be operating from the middle of next year.

But while QR National lost that contract it gained a 10 year one from Rio Tinto to cart an extra 3 million tonnes per annum from the company Blair Athol/Clermont operations to Abbot Point from January 1 next year. While QR National is already carting coal from this mine to Dalrymple Bay, this new contract is for extra tonnage at the mine and it will go to Abbot Point via what was previously the missing link which was officially opened earlier this week.

This 69 kilometers piece of track links the Goonyella line running to Dalrymple Bay with the Newlands line running to Abbot Point and this sort of contract is exactly the sort of flexibility envisaged in the planning for the line. While QR National paid USD 1.1 billion for the below rail line on which the trains run it must also allow open access above rail and this contract is the second that QR National has won that uses the line, following a 10 year contract with Jellinbah Resources to haul up to 6 million tonnes per annum from its Lake Vermont mine to Abbot Point.

(sourced TheAustralian.com.au)

Rio Tinto boosts driverless truck fleet to 150

Thursday, 03 Nov 2011

Rio Tinto is to become the owner of the world’s largest fleet of driverless trucks after it signed a deal to buy at least 150 from Komatsu Limited over the next four years. The new trucks, which will start arriving in 2012, will be used in Rio Tinto’s Pilbara iron ore mines in Western Australia and can be controlled from its Operations Centre in Perth more than 1500km away.

The move signals a 15 fold expansion from its previous plan to double the fleet to 10 trucks. This is the latest development in Rio Tinto’s Mine of the Future program which introduces next-generation technologies for mining operations with the aim of reducing costs, increasing efficiency and improving health, safety and environmental performance. Implementing autonomous haulage on this scale means more material can be moved more quickly and safely, creating a direct increase in productivity.

In Tokyo Mr Tom Albanese CEO of Rio Tinto and Komatsu Limited president and chief executive officer Mr Kunio Noji signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the supply and purchase of the trucks.

Mr Albanese said that “This announcement further reinforces our longstanding alliance with Komatsu. We have been partnering with Komatsu, using their advanced truck technology at our mines, for almost 20 years. Autonomous haulage is an important component in our Mine of the Future program. These 150 new trucks will work with our pioneering Operations Centre that integrates and manages the logistics of 14 mines, three ports and two railways. These technologies are revolutionising the way large scale mining is done, creating attractive hi-tech jobs, and helping us to improve safety and environmental performance and reduce carbon emissions.”

Rio Tinto has been testing the Komatsu Autonomous Haulage System, the world's first commercial autonomous mining haulage system, in the Pilbara since December 2008. During the trials the AHS technology demonstrated benefits in health, safety and productivity. Elsewhere in its Mine of the Future program, Rio Tinto will begin more widespread deployment of its automated drills, both in the Pilbara and at coal and copper mines.

Caofeidian port rail coal supply rose last week

Mar 1, 2011 |en.sxcoal

Coal transported via railway to Caofeidian port, one of the coal-loading ports in northern China, increased 138,000 tonnes to 1.14 million tonnes in the week from Feb 21 to 27, according to the coal portal, operated by Qinhuangdao Seaborne Coal Market.

Coal haulage via railway averaged 163,000 tonnes per day last week, jumping 13.99 percent from a week ago, according to the report, adding the rail coal shipment had surged for two straight weeks.

According to statistics, Caofeidian port handled 894,000 tonnes coal in the week, up 71,000 tonnes or 8.63 percent from the previous week, especially over 160,000 tonnes from Feb 24 to 26.

As navigation at the port was closed for more than 50 hours, an average of 27 vessels waited off the port for loading, 18 vessels more than that in the previous week.

As of Feb 27, coal stockpiled at Caofeidian port stood at a higher level of 2.37 million tonnes.