Bulk Carrier Collides with Pier in N. Australia

Mining operations in Northern Australia were halted yesterday following an incident where a Cypriot-flagged bulk carrier, caught in strong cyclone-induced winds, collided with a pier.

The mining entity, Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO), which is a collaborative venture between South32 and Anglo-American, had to cease its activities after the 189-meter Anikitos cargo ship inflicted "significant damage" on a dock at the mining site's shipping facility, as per the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). This damage came in the wake of a cyclone that affected the region over the preceding weekend.

The ship's owner and its insurer are currently coordinating with tugboat services to secure tugs that will help in relocating the ship, currently positioned next to the damaged wharf, to a safer mooring spot.

South32 announced in a release yesterday that operations at Groote Eylandt, which hosts one of the globe's major manganese mining projects, have been temporarily suspended.

Photographic evidence depicts a section of the pier collapsing into the sea. Meanwhile, the vessel, covered by NorthStandard, is said to be stable.