The Australian bauxite miner Metro Mining achieved a new shipping milestone in August 2024, as expansion activities at its Bauxite Hills Mine in Queensland significantly boosted production. The company recorded a 13 per cent increase in shipments compared to July, with 720,000 wet metric tonnes (WMT) shipped throughout the month. This marks a 29 per cent jump compared to the same period in 2023.
Metro Mining sustained record shipments despite a two-day operational halt to replace conveyor belts at the barge loading facility and conduct planned maintenance on its transhippers. For the third quarter to date, shipments have reached 1.4 million WMT, while year-to-date production has climbed to 2.9 million WMT. The company also set a daily shipping record of 32,022 WMT.
These achievements align with Metro’s full-year guidance of 6 million to 6.4 million WMT shipments. In late August, Metro reported that first-half shipments for 2024 had reached a record 1.5 million WMT, contributing to a 30 per cent rise in second-quarter revenue, totalling $19 million.
Metro Mining’s ongoing expansion efforts at the Bauxite Hills Mine are paying off. By the end of August, both the wobbler screening circuit/barge loading facility and the Offshore Floating Terminal (OFT) Ikamba were operating at 100 per cent and 92 per cent of their respective capacities, respectively.
Metro is enhancing production at the Bauxite Hills Mine, situated 95 km north of Weipa on Western Cape York. The expansion aims to increase output from 3.5 million tonnes per annum to 6 million tonnes per annum. Mining activities are conducted exclusively during the dry season, which spans from April to December.
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