A cyclone that menaced last week now threatens to disrupt energy and mining operations in the country’s west.
Currently a low-pressure system, Narelle is expected to re-intensify into a cyclone as it emerges over the South Indian Ocean later Tuesday, and then move parallel to the Pilbara coast on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. The system will be fueled by waters measuring about 30C, the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center said.
Along Narelle’s projected path are several liquefied natural gas facilities, including Chevron Corp’s Gorgon and Wheatstone projects, which have a combined capacity of nearly 30 million tons a year and are major sources of global fuel supply. Chevron didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Tropical Cyclone Narelle’s primary threat to LNG facilities is less about catastrophic structural failure and more about operational disruption,” said James Caron, director of meteorological operations for North America and Asia at Atmospheric G2. “The most likely impact is temporary shutdowns of production and delays in cargo loading.”
The Dampier port, which serves several LNG export plants, expects the clearing of ships from the harbor to be completed by Wednesday, according to GAC Shipping Australia. Port Hedland, the world’s largest iron ore export port, is evacuating, the logistics company said.
Further inland, open-pit iron ore mines may also fall within the cyclone’s area of impact. While there is some uncertainty around how Narelle’s track and intensity will develop, forecasts suggest the system could cause large swells along the Pilbara coastline from late this week, affecting ports crucial for iron ore exports, said Alex Zadnik, business manager for Australia at MetraWeather.
Last year, a series of cyclones dumped heavy rain across the Pilbara, disrupting iron ore operations and even damaging a port facility used for outbound shipments. Flooding can also damage rail links used to transport ore from mines to ports. Australia is the largest exporter of iron ore, a key ingredient in steel production.
Narelle last week forced the temporary closure of two of Rio Tinto Group’s bauxite mines in Queensland, and of the world’s largest manganese mine on the Northern Territory’s Groote Eylandt.