Western Australia’s major minors will be battening down the hatches after The Bureau of Meteorology issued a cyclone warning for the Kimberley Coast. The Pilbara region’s ports are at threat of impact as Tropical Cyclone Christine approaches with winds of up to 165 kilometres per hour.
BHP Billiton Limited
(ASX:BHP) has been forced to halt loading ships as Port Hedland goes into lockdown mode after ships were evacuated from the inner and outer harbours over the weekend.
A BHP spokesperson has told the media the company is progressively securing port rail and mine infrastructure and tying down equipment at Port Hedland and the company’s Yarrie mine.
Port Hedland is Australia’s largest port and reported a 29 per cent jump in iron ore exports last month from the year before - reaching 28.1 million tonnes in November 2013. The region’s cyclone season usually occurs between November to the end of April.
Shares in BHP Billiton bounced 0.7 per cent higher on Friday to finish the week at $37.55. BHP Billiton reported a net profit of $11.9 billion in the 2013 financial year
