PRO: Point Lowly Seaport

[skyliner]

Just met up with one of the guys who was working out the cuttlefish scenario for the desal plant. He said the spot was ideal re currents disposing of the brine more quickly than in any other feasable location and when considering the dodge tides unique to that area. the overall level of increased salinity compared to normal for that area was in fact VERY VERY little - but measurable , and thus enough for the greenies to jump on. He said the issue has been blown far beyond what is actually the case - the amount of salinity alteration not contributing to the end of the cuttlefish. Interesting!!!

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

[Wayno]

Just met up with one of the guys who was working out the cuttlefish scenario for the desal plant. He said the spot was ideal re currents disposing of the brine more quickly than in any other feasable location and when considering the dodge tides unique to that area. the overall level of increased salinity compared to normal for that area was in fact VERY VERY little - but measurable , and thus enough for the greenies to jump on. He said the issue has been blown far beyond what is actually the case - the amount of salinity alteration not contributing to the end of the cuttlefish. Interesting!!!

Interesting indeed! This is a critical piece of the ODX puzzle, and BHP's response to public feedback on their EIS is due mid-2010. Edging closer...

[rhino]

Looks like this might take off this time:

State Government to announce plans for new deep sea port at Port Bonython
Russell Emmerson From: The Advertiser May 15, 2011 11:30PM


THE State Government has revived plans for a $600 million deepwater port at Port Bonython.

The Government will announce today that it has asked Spencer Gulf Ports Links (SGPL) to prepare an environmental impact statement, giving the company the green light to move ahead with the project after a three-year delay.

The statement is essential to detail the project, its likely impact on surroundings and how the group intends to manage its risks. Infrastructure Minister Patrick Conlon said the project, which could receive its first shipments in just three years and create 400 jobs, was a vital piece of regional infrastructure.

"Port Bonython will be incredibly important," he said.

"There are a number of iron ore mines around there and, in the long term, we will see a second deep-sea port around there because of the size of the resource."

The announcement comes days after BHP Billiton released its Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement for the massive Olympic Dam expansion - a project that will shape South Australia's economy for decades to come.

The Port Bonython facility, if approved, would open up bulk export options for the Upper Eyre Peninsula and more northern resource-rich regions.

IronClad mining this month announced it would use a "floating harbour" at Lucky Bay, 105km south of Port Bonython, to move two million tonnes of ore in its first year of production.

The company said the lack of a suitable permanent facility had forced it to look for a more innovative solution.

Complaints about the lack of infrastructure convinced four of SA's mining companies, including Minotaur Exploration and Centrex Metals, to band together as the Eyre Peninsula Mining Alliance.

SGPL's deep-sea facility would take "Cape" size vessels able to carry up to 180,000 tonnes of cargo, loaded via 3km-long covered conveyor belts to reduce dust.

It would give smaller companies a faster and cheaper way of exporting minerals - delivering faster cash flow for fast-growing companies like IMX Resources and Royal Resources - and solve a bottleneck that is a disincentive to new projects.

Flinders Ports chief executive Vincent Tremaine, who heads SGPL, said the facility would serve as a gateway for a region thought to contain at least 5.2 billion tonnes of iron ore.

"It is absolutely essential infrastructure if we are going to be able to move iron ore out of the state; we have to have this sort of facility because of the high volumes," he said.

"There are interim ways. We are using it to move it out on barges but in the long run we need to be able to handle 50 million tonnes a year.

"Using barges is out of the question."

The State Government named SGPL as preferred bidder for the project out of 10 parties in October 2008, giving it four months to show it did not need taxpayer contributions to make the project work.

The project appeared to stall in the wake of the global financial crisis but Mr Tremaine said work was still being done "behind the scenes" during the three-year gap.

The State Government's approval, however, means the group can now move on.

"The design work is fairly expensive and one reason we haven't done the geotechnical work is because there is at least $1 million work to be done there," Mr Tremaine said.

The consortium comprises Flinders Ports, which manages seven SA ports including Port Adelaide and Port Pirie, builders Leighton Contractors, funds manager Macquarie Capital, BIS Industrial Logistics and Australian Rail Track Corporation.

Mr Conlon said the State Government owned the land because it had been earmarked for the future growth of the area.

"We hold the land because we believe there is potential for it to be a major hub in the export of mineral resources for the state, a future we believe will be very big for South Australia," he said.

[Wayno]

THE State Government has revived plans for a $600 million deepwater port at Port Bonython.

This certainly provides insight to the SA Govt's stance on Olympic Dam.

[rhino]

A bit more multi-user infrastructure for the mid-north. I'd rather see a rail line than a slurry pipeline, but that's just me

Carpentaria canvasses new bulk port option between Wallaroo and Port Pirie in South Australia
Chief Business Reporter Cameron England From: The Advertiser May 31, 2011 12:00AM

A NEW bulk commodities port option, which could open up the eastern iron ore province of SA, is being canvassed by Carpentaria.

An as-yet-undisclosed site, between Wallaroo and Port Pirie on the Yorke Peninsula would be the location of the new port, which would use a conveyor belt to transport ore to a T-shaped loading area in deep water, saving millions on building a jetty all the way out.

This plan would remove the need for ore to go around the top of the Spencer Gulf to another possible option being considered by a Flinders Ports-led consortium at Port Bonython.

Carpentaria is the most advanced of several companies which are aiming to develop large scale magnetite iron ore projects along the Braemar iron formation, which stretches about 250km from Peterborough to just over the New South Wales border near Broken Hill.

A pre-feasibility study released by the company last week said a $2.8 billion project, on the border of SA and NSW, would be viable.

There are a number of other companies exploring for iron ore in the region, and last week eight, including Carpentaria, announced the formation of the Braemar Iron Alliance, which will lobby for and co-operate on infrastructure development in the region.

Carpentaria executive chairman Nick Sheard said the company needed a bulk commodities port to realise its vision of expanding an initial five to six million tonne operation to 20 million tonnes per year.

His vision is for the T-shaped ship loading operation to be situated 2.5-3km offshore in the Spencer Gulf.

Rather than building a jetty over the whole distance, a conveyor belt would be built, supported by pylons.

A T-shaped docking area at the end could accommodate up to two capesized ships to give a capacity of up to 100 million tonnes per year.

Mr Sheard said the distance from shore would give sufficient depth to berth and fill these large ships.

Such a port could also be used to load grain ships, he said.

Carpentaria says it can use existing rail and port facilities for its first stage operations, but wanted to look at building a slurry pipeline to the port for the second stage.

This would be a third-party-owned common-user asset which other exporters from the region could use.

Mr Sheard said possible investors had already been sounded out on the project.

[Wayno]

Major Project Status to fast track development, obviously for ODX.

Location

A proposed deep sea port facility at Port Bonython on South Australia's Spencer Gulf has been declared a major development, helping fast track the project.

Infrastructure Minister Patrick Conlon said a rigorous environmental assessment process could now begin for the privately funded bulk commodities facility.

Mr Conlon said the project aimed to further cement South Australia's reputation in the mining sector, connecting the state to global iron ore markets.

The deep sea port will be built by the Spencer Gulf Ports Link consortium and includes a three-kilometre jetty, conveyor system and a 25km rail line.

It will cost between $600 and $700 million and create 400 jobs during the construction phase as well as ongoing jobs to handle the 50 million tonnes of ore each year.

Planning Minister John Rau granted the project major development status because of its importance to the state.

"Conditions have been put in place to ensure the project meets key target dates," Mr Rau said.

Once the environmental assessments are complete the local community will have a chance to respond.

[rhino]

IronClad gets Eyre Peninsula port approval
Julian Swallow From: AdelaideNow April 10, 2012 5:42PM

IRONCLAD Mining has received final State Government approval to build a port facility at Lucky Bay to service its Wilcherry Hill iron ore project.

The Perth-based miner today confirmed the State Government had accepted its development application for the Spencer Gulf facility, near Cowell on the Eyre Peninsula.

The approval will allow the company to begin building necessary infrastructure at the site for iron ore exports from Wilcherry Hill, a joint venture between IronClad and Trafford Resources that is expected to begin production shortly.

The joint venture also intends to use the port for its nearby Hercules project, which is currently under review.

IronClad has an access agreement with Sea Transport Development SA, and will initially use the port to store and transport iron ore to ships anchored offshore using barges.

However, it said in future it could be upgraded to incorporate a floating harbour or floating crane to service larger vessels.

"For IronClad, development approval for the port facility finalises the company's requirements for an 'end-to-end' logistics supply chain for the ore produced from our Wilcherry Hill project, and has the potential to be expanded to accommodate the ore from our larger Hercules project currently under review," managing director Wayne Richards said.

"The port facility will provide an important export point not only for IronClad, but for other potential mining companies and exporters in the region."

In February, IronClad announced a major off-take agreement for Wilcherry Hill.

The four-year agreement with Hong Kong resources industry investment group New Page Investments is for up to half of the annual iron ore production at Wilcherry Hill.

Last month, IronClad began grade control drilling at Wilcherry Hill in preparation for the start of production.

[Wayno]

the lucky bay port is not only necessary infrastructure for SA, but smart thinking by IronClad who will be able to charge other companies for use of 'their' port. cunning.

[danimations]

A serious port for mineral exports would be a much better outcome. This is one of many sub-optimal port developments progressing through approvals in SA all of which are being constructed on the cheap, just to get some minerals out, and their cashflow up. Government is not leading these miners towards best economic outcomes for state and private sector, but simply checking boxes and encouraging these junior miners to all go their separate ways, building toy ports all over SA, and distributing environmental risks in the process.

A super-port, a genuine multi-user bulk-commodities facility is the answer the state really needs. At present our busiest ports are also those most constrained by lack of access to deep water, lack of room to expand or a combination of the two (Thevenard, Lincoln, Adelaide). Some, like the proposed Port Bonython expansion and Port Spencer developments also threaten significant marine and coastal ecology and the interests of residents.

[danimations]

Wayno, I'm afraid you're incorrect in assuming Port Bonython's expansion has anything to do with Olympic Dam. It's proposed to be an iron ore export facility... and iron ore is not one of ODX's mineral targets. Port Bonython's newly proposed jetty is being pitched to a bunch of junior miners with iron ore deposits on Eyre and in the north... but my question is, who specifically are the future customers? Will the transhipping (barges) operation approved for Lucky Bay be purely an interim measure? Will Onesteel's mining in the Middleback Ranges redirect their exports from Bonython? And what of Port Spencer, the proposed new port Centrex are spearheading?

One thing's for sure, looking at the current EPBC Act referral, the way the conveyor system is designed and approvals are being sort, it's a future iron jetty at Bonython... not fit for exporting the copper concentrate or uranium production from ODX.

[Wayno]

danimations, welcome to the mining series of threads . Thanks for pointing out my mistake above you are of course correct.

Looking forward to more of your insight. It's appreciated.

[Wayno]

A super-port, a genuine multi-user bulk-commodities facility is the answer the state really needs.

question - how would you recommend this be achieved? the SA Govt has clearly indicated it won't lead from an upfront investment perspective.

[mattblack]

Theres also the issue of the massive distances between mineral deposits.

[monotonehell]

Theres also the issue of the massive distances between mineral deposits.

Who was it, last time this fact was mentioned, suggested that the mines should be moved closer?

[rhino]

From ABC online:

EIS guidelines out for planned deep port
Updated August 09, 2012 15:24:02

Environmental impact guidelines have been released for a proposed deep sea port at Port Bonython, near Whyalla in South Australia.

They cover 136 environmental, social and economic issues, including concern about breeding areas for the giant Australian cuttlefish.

A consortium led by Flinders Ports is expected to take 12-18 months to complete an environmental impact statement of the Spencer Gulf Port Link (SGPL) project, which has an estimated cost of more than $600 million.

SA Planning Department director of strategic projects Peter Short said there was already agreement to avoid any construction work during the cuttlefish breeding season.

"We've certainly had many conversations with the proponents about how we manage the cuttlefish during construction," he said.

"Clearly there will be no construction works in the reef area during the aggregation season.

"But the proponents are also keen to do other things that might encourage the cuttlefish and help their breeding."

The SA Government said a deep sea port would support the mining industry and be able to accommodate 180,000-tonne bulk iron ore carriers.

It was given major project status last March.

Flinders Ports CEO Tremaine hoped construction would take about three years, if approval for the project were given, and that it would be ready to handle exports in 4-5 years from now.

"SGPL looks forward to working together with the SA Government and the community to enable the project to achieve all necessary environmental and planning approvals to ensure the project is progressed in a timely manner and in a way that meets the expectations of our community," he said.

Tim Kelly of the Conservation Council said the latest guidelines were flawed and unclear.

"For example, on greenhouse gas emissions the guidelines require that commitments to reducing emissions and renewable energy be described, but then they also invite the proponent to say 'Well what are the impediments to delivering those?' so we're kind of asking for things to be described putting out the escape clauses at the same time," he said.