South32 has temporarily suspended operations at its Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO) in northern Australia.
Located on an island in Australia’s Gulf of Carpentaria, GEMCO has been forced to shut down as tropical cyclone Megan wreaks havoc the area.
South32 said initial inspections revealed the cyclone has caused structural damage to the wharf.
“The safety of our people and the community on Groote Eylandt is our priority,” South32 said in a statement.
“Severe weather conditions continue to impact the Eylandt and we are closely monitoring the situation.”
The company said the full impact of the damage and its disruption to production will be assessed once access to the port and other infrastructure is restored.
Close to export markets in Asia, GEMCO’s open-cut, strip-mining operation is one of the largest manganese ore producers in the world.
In the 2022–23 financial year, GEMCO produced 5.9 million tonnes of the metal worth $1.53 billion.
South32 owns 60 per cent of GEMCO, with the remaining 40 per cent held by Anglo American Plc.
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