Rio Tinto resumes Pilbara port operations after cyclone
Rio Tinto said operations had resumed at three of its four Pilbara iron ore port terminals after Tropical Cyclone Narelle ravaged Western Australia’s Pilbara region, disrupting shipments, but its annual guidance remained unchanged.
Cyclone Narelle brought heavy rain and power outages to Australia’s northeast coast in March, forcing the miner to temporarily close two bauxite mines.
South32 also suspended operations at the Gemco manganese mine, which is co-owned by Anglo American.
Narelle has charged up WA’s northwest coast, causing port closures in the iron-rich Pilbara region.
Rio, the world’s largest iron ore producer, said ship loading at three terminals resumed on Saturday after the ports were closed on March 24.
Shipping is expected to resume “in the coming days” at Cape Lambert A, the fourth terminal currently undergoing repairs, the miner said.
Rio said two tropical cyclones in February and March were estimated to have affected the company’s iron ore shipments by approximately eight million metric tons, adding that it had “identified a way to compensate for approximately half of these losses.”
Rio’s forecast for Pilbara iron ore shipments for 2026 remains unchanged between 323 million tonnes and 338 million tonnes.
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