Tropical Cyclone Sean made itself known in Western Australia last week, delivering record rainfall along the Pilbara coastline.
Rio Tinto’s rail and port operations were impacted by the weather event and while damage assessments are still ongoing, the major has seen the majority of its rail and port services returned to operations.
“The company is working to mitigate impacts and will provide an update at its full year results on 19 February 2025,” Rio Tinto said in a statement.
“First quarter shipments will be affected. Overall shipment guidance for 2025 remains unchanged.”
The major recorded damage to a railcar dumper at its East Intercourse Island port facility, which saw 45 million tonnes of Rio Tinto iron ore move through its port in 2024.
The dumper was flooded as the cyclone made its way to Karratha during January 20, delivering 274mm of rainfall. Initial indications suggest the dumper may be offline for three to four weeks as work to repair the flood damage continues.
Though the storm never made landfall, it damaged several ports along the coastline and also flooded roads and homes. Tropical Cyclone Sean was the second tropical cyclone of the 2024–25 cyclone season.
Rio Tinto and Glencore were recently in the news as it was reported the two held talks about a potential merger late last year. However, the talks are no longer active, a source revealed to Bloomberg.
If successful, the merger would effectively create the world’s largest listed mining company, combining the strengths of Glencore, a global leader in coal and base metals, and Rio Tinto, the world’s second-largest miner.
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