Chatham Rock Phosphate Ltd. has signed a memorandum of understanding with transport group Aurizon Ltd. to provide logistical solutions for the development of its Korella phosphate operations.
Under the memorandum of understanding, Aurizon and Chatham Rock’s wholly owned Australian subsidiary, Avenir Makatea Pty. Ltd., trading as Korella Fertilizers, have agreed to establish a framework for discussing logistical solutions and associated infrastructure investments, which Aurizon could provide to support Korella getting its product to market:
Under the MOU, Korella and Aurizon will participate in exclusive discussions for the full pit-to-port logistics solution, including road, rail and shiploading of phosphate rock from Korella North, Korella Central and Korella South (mines) near Phosphate Hill to Korella’s proposed Round Oak round distribution hub in Cloncurry and onward to the Port of Townsville. This would include provision by Aurizon of terminal and storage services at Korella North, Round Oak round distribution hub in Cloncurry, Cloncurry container terminals, and Stuart and Aurizon port service terminals at the Port of Townsville.
Earlier this year, Chatham Rock, through Korella Fertilizers, commenced discussing with Aurizon the provision of logistics services at a Korella transport hub to be established in Cloncurry. These discussions progressed to finalizing a lease on a 22-hectare site owned by Aurizon on Round Oak Road, Cloncurry, that is close to the existing Aurizon Cloncurry container terminal.
- Under the MOU, Korella and Aurizon will participate in exclusive discussions for the full pit-to-port logistics solution, including road, rail and shiploading of phosphate rock from Korella North, Korella Central and Korella South (mines) near Phosphate Hill to Korella’s proposed Round Oak round distribution hub in Cloncurry and onward to the Port of Townsville. This would include provision by Aurizon of terminal and storage services at Korella North, Round Oak round distribution hub in Cloncurry, Cloncurry container terminals, and Stuart and Aurizon port service terminals at the Port of Townsville.
- Earlier this year, Chatham Rock, through Korella Fertilizers, commenced discussing with Aurizon the provision of logistics services at a Korella transport hub to be established in Cloncurry. These discussions progressed to finalizing a lease on a 22-hectare site owned by Aurizon on Round Oak Road, Cloncurry, that is close to the existing Aurizon Cloncurry container terminal.
Subsequently, discussions broadened to encompass the complete transport task for Korella Fertilizer’s phosphate, and this led to the establishment of the MOU.
Under the MOU, this will include current planning for a rail-loading facility to be built at Korella North for bulk loading of two million tonnes per year of phosphate from Korella North, Korella Central and Korella South and the establishment of a five-million-tonne-per-year bulk phosphate shiploading facility in the Port of Townsville.
With Aurizon’s newly opened Aurizon port service facility in the Port of Townsville, the potential for earlier bulk shipments of Korella phosphate as trial cargoes can also be considered.
Aurizon is the major transport and logistics provider to companies operating in Queensland’s North West mineral province with existing contracts that include:
Transport on rail of sulphuric acid in tankers from Mount Isa to Phosphate Hill;
Transport on rail of sulphuric acid in tankers from Townsville to Phosphate Hill;
Transport on rail of elemental sulphur in containers from Townsville to Mount Isa;
Transport on rail of lead/zinc concentrate from Cloncurry container terminal to Townsville;
Transport of cement from Townsville to Cloncurry container terminal;
Transport of phosphate concentrate from near Dajarra (150 kilometres south of Mount Isa) to Mount Isa by road and then 1,000 kilometres by rail from Mount Isa to Townsville.
- Transport on rail of sulphuric acid in tankers from Mount Isa to Phosphate Hill;
- Transport on rail of sulphuric acid in tankers from Townsville to Phosphate Hill;
- Transport on rail of elemental sulphur in containers from Townsville to Mount Isa;
- Transport on rail of lead/zinc concentrate from Cloncurry container terminal to Townsville;
- Transport of cement from Townsville to Cloncurry container terminal;
- Transport of phosphate concentrate from near Dajarra (150 kilometres south of Mount Isa) to Mount Isa by road and then 1,000 kilometres by rail from Mount Isa to Townsville.
Chatham Rock looks forward to progressing Korella Fertilizers by matching mine development with efficient and flexible transport and logistic solutions.
About Korella Fertilizers
Korella Fertilizers is an operation, based in Cloncurry, northwest Queensland, for international phosphate company Chatham Rock.
With its Korella phosphate sourced south of Cloncurry at Phosphate Hill, Korella Fertilizers is establishing a distribution hub and an MCP manufacturing plant in Cloncurry to service its rural customer base, especially those in northern Australia.
In parallel, the company is working on plans for a two-million-tonne-per-year bulk phosphate rail-loading facility at Korella North and Phosphate Hill and a five-million-tonne-per-year shiploader in the Port of Townsville.
