Top iron ore port used by Rio, Fortescue and BHP reopens as Cyclone Sean risk recedes

Australia’s major iron ore export port has reopened after the national weather bureau advised that a severe tropical cyclone was moving away from the Pilbara.

Activity at Port Hedland in northwest Australia resumed early Monday as Severe Tropical Cyclone Sean headed west, operator Pilbara Ports said in a statement.

It didn’t comment on the status of the ports of Dampier, Ashburton, Varanus Island and Cape Preston West, which were also closed on Saturday as the storm approached.

The ports handle the bulk of Australia’s iron ore exports, from major miners including BHP, Rio Tinto, and Fortescue, as well as liquefied natural gas cargoes from Woodside Energy and Chevron.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Sean strengthened into a Category 3 storm overnight, packing wind gusts of up to 185 kilometers (115 miles) an hour, the Bureau of Meteorology said in an update early Monday. It remained off the Pilbara region’s coast and was expected to stay offshore as it heads southwest later in the day.

A flood watch has been issued for the Pilbara, including Port Hedland, with a storm tide forecast between Onslow and Exmouth for Monday, the weather bureau said.

Australia typically experiences between three and five cyclones across the northwest region annually.

Bloomberg.