Brockman Mining plans to continue its efforts to move iron ore on Fortescue Metals Group’s Pilbara railway, despite agreeing with logistics firm Qube on a truck haulage deal.
The mining minnow recently announced a 2.5mtpa contract to haul iron ore from its Marillana iron ore deposit – known as the Maverick Project – would be undertaken by Qube, in new, significantly larger road trains.
“Subject to the completion of final feasibility studies and the receipt of any required approvals, Brockman and Qube will enter into a Logistics Services Agreement for the provision of logistics services for the transportation and export of Brockman’s product through the Utah Point Port Facility at Port Hedland for a minimum of five years,” Brockman recently announced.
“The key enabler for this Heads of Agreement has been the recent Western Australian State Government initiative in approving the use of performance based standard road trains on prescribed roads in the Pilbara (following a successful trial),” it added.
“These new road trains with increased payloads have provided significant cost savings in road haulage and result in fewer vehicle movements on the State’s roads.
“Qube is currently undertaking an approved trial to further increase vehicle payloads on designated routes in the Pilbara that have the potential to provide additional benefits to the Maverick Project.”
The road haulage announcement is in contrast to Brockman’s recent Supreme Court success in gaining access to Fortescue’s railway line in the region – a decision Brockman boss Colin Paterson recently said left him “vindicated”.
“We need to keep in mind, however, that this is just a small step in what is turning out to be an unnecessarily long, drawn out, process,” he added at a recent speech to the WA Mining Club.