BHP Billiton tour of Port Hedland site at Nelson Point

PORT HEDLAND – BHP BILLITON TOUR  9 MARCH 2011

Notes from tour this morning - statistics are staggering!! 

90 minute tour was in a minibus and we were not allowed out. All had to wear longsleeved shirts and long pants and closed shoes for safety reasons - in case there was a problem and we would have to leave the minibus.

 

BHP produced 134 Million tonnes iron ore in 2010

10,000 employees live in Pilbara area; another 4,000 fly in/fly out

7 mines are operated

BHP Port Hedland site at Nelson Point is mostly on reclaimed land.

Port Hedland population ~19,000; by 2015 expected to be 40,000. Most new development at South Hedland.

1957 iron ore discovered near Newman. At the time embargo on iron ore exports as believed reserves very limited. Lifted 1960s.

1962 Mt Goldsworthy, NW of PH. Production 110km rail link to Finucane Island

1966 first shipment of iron ore left Port Hedland

1968 Newman railway 426km – private rail line

1969 first shipment from Newman through Port Hedland to Japan.

BHP not only iron ore producer here – Fortescue other company.

Growth plans – expect to export 300 Million tonnes by 2015. Anticipated life of current mines – over 40 years more.

Harbour expansion – new outer harbour being developed and built.

Newman rail link being doubled (and plans to triple it).

Social and economic and community impact tremendous.

7 mining operations in Pilbara – most near Newman, southwest of PH.

Biggest single open pit mine in world – Brockman hematite 68% iron ore – needs to be blended with lower grade ore depending on need of customer.

Shovels take 70 tonnes of ore at a time – 240 tonnes per truck – goes to primary crusher and further 2 levels of crusher to smaller pieces – to stockpiles and loaded to trains 9000 tons/hr.

Waste rock used for site rehabilitation.

Trains travel 426km over 8 hrs . 2500 ore cars per day – 300,000 tonnes/day.

141 locomotives – largest cost $5M – built in Canada. Carriages built in China.

Trains: 2-3 locos in front followed by “rake” of 104 cars, then 1-2 locos and another rake of 104 cars and again. Trains  are 2.5 to 3.75km long.

14 loaded and 14 unloaded trains travel daily.

1 driver operates each train. Control centre in PH monitors all trains and tracks.

Short BHP ore train

Port Hedland: 78km conveyor belts – spaghetti junction! 110 belts.

Bucket reclaimers turn 10,000tonnes/hr

5% ore shipped within Australia; >50% China; also Korea, Japan and Europe.

Train unloaded – pulled through 3 sheds automatically.

Sets of three ore cars unloaded automatically – cars and track rotated 135 to dump ore. All remain connected by fixed couplings.115-135 tonnes ore/car.

Ore is watered down by spray. Dust vacuumed, mixed with water to slurry. Used in reclamation. 90 minutes to unload a rake of cars (104).

1.61km tunnel with conveyors takes some ore under harbour to other side – Finucane Island.

30 hrs to load 220,000 tonnes into 300m long ships.

Water cannons are atmospherically controlled to limit dust.

OTHER MINERALS (not BHP):

Chromite – used in steel production (light grey coloured piles)

Manganese – dark grey coloured piles.

Brought by road trains – mostly to Finucane Island terminal.

Salt dumper: Road trains bring salt from Rio Tino plant – 3 trucks at a time can be dumped.

4% salt for table use. Most of rest used industrially and as road salt. Much exported to Europe.

Copper concentrate also exported.

Ore carrier ships wait 14-18km offshore (to-day I counted 27 ships waiting).

Pilots are flown to ships by chopper and brought back by chopper.

Harbour control tower 38yrs old – 27m high. Sways in cyclones. Will be replaced by 10 storey building with Control centre at top.

Harbour has 12 tugs. 3 used to bring each big chip in. I saw 4 used to take ship out.

Port Hedland is largest iron ore  port in world and highest tonnage port in Australia.

During cyclones ships are sent out.

Channel is dredged to 14m at  zero tide.