SYDNEY--Coal shipments destined for Asia from major export
terminals in northeast Australia were suspended as the coastline
was battered by heavy rains and squally winds from ex-tropical
cyclone Dylan.
The ports of Hay Point and Mackay in Australia's Queensland
state were closed, a spokesman for North Queensland Bulk Ports
Corp., the port authority, said Friday. The Glencore Xstrata PLC
(GLEN.LN)-operated Abbot Point coal terminal was operating, but
shipments had been suspended, he said.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said Dylan hit land in the
early hours of the Australian morning Friday as a category two
cyclone. It had since weakened into a tropical low as it moved
inland, said the bureau, although it kept a severe weather warning
in place for local communities.
The port authority spokesman said Maritime Services Queensland
would make the decision on when to reopen terminals at Hay
Point--used to export coal mined by BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) and
Mitsubishi Corp. (8058.TO)--and Mackay.
Glencore Xstrata said ship-loading at Abbot Point would remain
suspended "until it is safe to resume operations."
"We don't expect major impacts at our coal-mining operations,
but we have management strategies in place to address potential
issues and we continue to monitor Bureau of Meteorology advice on
the weather situation," a spokesman said in a statement.
North Queensland Bulk Ports Corp. said it was awaiting
assessment reports from each of the terminals to determine if any
damage had been caused.
BHP Billiton said any impact on production would be reported in
its next operational review.
Write to Rhiannon Hoyle at rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com
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