Eight potential ports, each capable of berthing Cape-sized ships of up to 180,000 tonnes, have been identified between Geraldton and Cape Cuvier, situated 50 kilometres north of Carnarvon
Eight potential ports, each capable of berthing Cape-sized ships of up to 180,000 tonnes, have been identified between Geraldton and Cape Cuvier, situated 50 kilometres north of Carnarvon.
Each has been provisionally assessed and evaluated by engineers Maunsell Australia for Perth-based iron ore miner Murchison Metals, which is gearing-up to become a major player in the state’s booming iron ore export trade.
Murchison plans to export up to 25 million tonnes annually of premium grade hematite ore annually to several North Asian steel mills by 2009.
The most favoured of the eight assessed sites was Oakajee, just 22km north of Geraldton.
The others, in order of construction costs and other pertinent criteria, were: Point Grey and Greenough Point, both north of Shark Bay but south of Carnarvon; Point Whitmore, Cape Cuvier, and two sites at Whaleback Hill, each north of Shark Bay and Carnarvon; and Zuytdorp Point (recently renamed Pepper Points), 250km north of Geraldton.
Each was assessed with an eye to being capable of accommodating vessels with a draft of 17-metres.
“The conclusion from this comparison was that Oakajee was the best port site by a very significant margin,” the Maunsell engineering report said.
“The principal differentiator was cost with Oakajee being less than half the cost of all other sites, except Zuytdorp Point.
“Taking into consideration the likely lower risks with social and environmental approvals at Oakajee, it was also concluded that no other port sites were worthy of further consideration.
“Thus Oakajee was selected as the preferred port site.”
Oakajee has been mooted as a potential port and industry site on a number of occasions, including by French aluminium producer Pechiney and the ill-fated Kingstream steel project.
Five years ago, the University of NSW’s Water Research Laboratory undertook a preliminary coastal engineering assessment of Oakajee.
Murchison’s expansion plans envisage railroading high-grade ore from its Jack Hills mine site, which is 500km north-east of Geraldton.
The Maunsell engineering team also identified three possible railroad routes from Jack Hills to Oakajee.
In another move, two state MPs, former Court government transport minister Murray Criddle and Nationals MP Grant Woodhams have presented a joint submission to the Federal Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport and Regional Services outlining the Mid-West’s medium-to-long-term infrastructure requirements.
“There is an urgent need for a major upgrade of rail and road infrastructure and a deep water port capable of handling cape size vessels to cope with the increased resource activity,” their submission says.
“The region’s iron ore deposits and coal reserves are currently recognised as the second largest in Australia after the massive Pilbara resource.
“Approximately $200 million has been spent on deepening the port of Geraldton and improving access.
“The problem at the port is that no investment has been allocated to improve storage or to upgrade out-going bulk loading facilities.”
The submission said the region currently had five companies with 11 iron ore projects wanting to proceed to the production and export stages.
Mount Gibson Iron began exporting this year and Midwest Corporation and Gindalbie Metals also have advanced projects.
From a base of 1.3mt in 2004, the export of iron ore and concentrate and pellets from Geraldton could reach 11mt in two years, 23mt in 2009, and 60mt by 2012.