Iron ore, LNG ports in Australia’s Pilbara mining hub close as cyclone strikes

Key iron ore and liquefied natural gas (LNG) ports in Western Australia were closed on Thursday as a tropical cyclone struck off the coast of the resources rich Pilbara region, the ports’ operator said.

Pilbara Ports said operations at the ports of Ashburton, Cape Preston West, Dampier and Varanus Island were all shut amid strong gales and storm force winds caused by Tropical Cyclone Narelle, a category 3 system.

“The system is forecast to continue intensifying, with the forecast indicating category 4 by Thursday afternoon,” the operator said in a statement.

The Port of Ashburton is used by Chevron for exports from its Wheatstone LNG plant and Mineral Resources for iron ore exports. Rio Tinto is a major user of the Dampier port for iron ore and industrial salt exports. Oil and gas producer Santos operates Varanus Island port.

Port Hedland, the world’s largest export point for iron ore, remains open.

(By Christine Chen; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Christopher Cushing)