Metro Mining said its Offshore Floating Terminal (OFT) Ikamba safely departed Weipa, Queensland, Australia, on 25 April and completed its final stage of mobilisation to the Skardon River. Three days later, Ikamba commenced cargo operations loading bauxite onto a capesize vessel, 8 nautical miles from shore.
OFT Ikamba triples the miner’s potential transhipping throughput but also provides additional resilience and upside to the Bauxite Hills Mine operation, located 95 kilometres north of Weipa.
“It has been over a year since Ikamba was loading bauxite off the West African coast. After travelling halfway around the world and undergoing a refurbishment in China, it is exciting to see it in operation at Skardon River,” CEO and MD Simon Wensley.
“My thanks to our truly professional team that has contributed to this epic journey. I wish the new Metro crew, fair winds and seas and above all, safe operations.”
Metro Mining said Ikamba will work in tandem with a single floating crane barge to optimise ship loading in 2024.
Bauxite Hills Mine is Metro Mining’s flagship project. It has as an estimated ore Reserve of 101.5 million tonnes and total Resources of 131.2 Mt.
Source: Metro Mining