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☆ In Australia's outback, Rio Tinto prepares for a low carbon future
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Rio Tinto hosted media to Gudai-darri's mine, plant and 34 megawatt solar farm last week, as well as its Dampier port and rail operations. At Gudai-darri, Rio will not mine below the water table in order to conserve an aquifer important to the Banjima people. Iron ore exports were worth A$124 billion ($78.79 billion) last year. Earlier this month, Aboriginal elders walked off a heritage survey on a Rio Tinto iron ore project over concerns it had played down the harm it caused them after blasting impacted an Indigenous rock shelter in August. Rio, which began shipping iron ore in 1966, shares the region with other iron ore majors including BHP Group (BHP.AX) and Fortescue (FMG.AX).

Persons: Melanie Burton, Fortescue, Rio, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rio Tinto, BHP Group, Thomson Locations: Rio, Dampier, Port Dampier, Perth, Australia, DAMPIER, Western Australia, Rio Tinto's, darri, Rio Tinto

☆ Rio Tinto cuts Canada iron ore production estimate on extended plant outage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Rishav Chatterjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File PhotoThe world’s biggest iron ore producer expects an iron ore output of 9.3 million to 9.8 million tons (mt) from its Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) business, down from 10.0 to 11.0 mt previously projected. Rio reported a 1.2% rise in its third-quarter iron ore shipments, as it ramped up production at the Gudai-Darri mine. It shipped 83.9 mt of iron ore from Pilbara in the September quarter, compared with 82.9 mt a year earlier. The miner, which generates 70% of its profit from its iron ore operations, saw prices of the commodity improve as top consumer China stepped up its stimulus efforts. Rio realised a 5% increase in mined copper output to 169,000 tons, reflecting a ramp-up of high-grade underground Oyu Tolgoi mine and higher feed grades at Escondida.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Rio, ”, Kyle Rodda Organizations: Reuters, Rio Tinto, Developers Association of Canada, REUTERS, Iron Ore Company, Canada, IOC, “, Capital.com Locations: Rio, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Northern Quebec, Pilbara, China, Escondida

LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto (RIO.AX), (RIO.L) posted a 38% drop in annual profit and more than halved its dividend on Wednesday, hurt by weaker iron ore prices as demand from China slowed, while higher labour and material costs also ate into earnings. Strict COVID-19 curbs in top steel producer China curtailed economic activity last year, dragging down iron ore prices from lofty levels a year earlier. The world's top iron ore producer said China consumption showed signs of rebounding and commodity prices had found support in recent months, although the economy remained volatile. Rio Tinto last year earned an average realised price of just $106.10 per dry metric tonne (dmt) of iron ore, down from $143.80 per dmt in 2021. Rio Tinto reported underlying earnings of $13.3 billion for 2022, compared with a record $21.4 billion in 2021.

☆ Australia's radioactive capsule: searching scientists were quietly confident
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A view shows the area where a radioactive capsule was found, near Newman, Australia, February 1, 2023. Western Australian Department Of Fire And Emergency Services/Handout via REUTERSSYDNEY, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The task was daunting: find a tiny radioactive capsule that had fallen off a truck somewhere in Western Australia's vast outback sometime in January. Western Australia is buzzing with low-level rays thanks to its A$230 billion ($160 billion) mining industry. The Australian Radiation Incident Register reported six incidents of material being found, lost or stolen in 2019. That year, a radioactive gauge was stolen in Queensland state, according to police reports.

☆ How do you lose a radioactive capsule? Australian investigators are wondering too
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —The discovery of a tiny lost radioactive capsule beside a remote highway in Western Australia raises many questions – not least how it escaped layers of radiation-proof packaging loaded onto a moving truck. Under the Radiation Safety Act 1975, only specially trained and licensed operators can package radioactive substances, but different rules apply to contractors hired to transport it, Steen said. “Any transport company can transport radioactive material provided they have got the license to do so,” she said. Staff from the National Emergency Management Agency, the Australian Nuclear and Science Technology Organization and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency also took part. This time, it traveled in a convoy of enclosed white vehicles – with big stickers warning of the presence of a radioactive substance.

☆ Australia's radioactive capsule to be moved to storage as investigation starts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A view shows the area where a radioactive capsule was found, near Newman, Australia, February 1, 2023. The week-long search retracing the truck's journey involved 100 people from at least five government agencies using specialised radiation detection equipment. Capsule was found south of the town of Newman after a week-long search. Western Australia's Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson launched an investigation on Wednesday and said prosecutions would be considered under state radiation safety laws dating to 1975. A report for Western Australia's Health Minister is due in several weeks.

☆ Missing radioactive capsule found on remote road in Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —Authorities scanning a remote Australian highway for a tiny missing radioactive capsule have found it by the roadside, after a challenging search likened to trying to find a needle in a haystack. Search teams found the missing capsule not far from the Rio Tinto mine, suggesting it fell off the truck soon after departure. On Thursday it would start its journey south again – this time to a health department facility in Perth. Department of Fire and Emergency Services/APRadiation Services WA says radioactive substances are transported throughout Western Australia on a daily basis without any issues. A member of the Incident Management Team coordinates the search for a radioactive capsule lost in transit.

☆ Missing radioactive capsule found in Western Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Australian authorities on Wednesday found a radioactive capsule that was lost in the vast Outback after nearly a week-long search along a 1,400 km (870-mile) stretch of highway, an emergency services official said. The military was verifying the capsule and it would be taken to a secure facility in the city of Perth on Thursday, Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said in a news conference. The radioactive capsule was part of a gauge used to measure the density of iron ore feed from Rio Tinto's (RIO.AX) Gudai-Darri mine in the state's remote Kimberley region. The ore was being taken to a facility in the suburbs of Perth - a distance longer than the length of Great Britain. The silver capsule, 6 mm in diameter and 8 mm long, contains Caesium-137 which emits radiation equal to 10 X-rays per hour.

☆ Australia aims for bigger fines a week into Outback hunt for radioactive capsule
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Members of the Incident Management Team coordinate the search for a radioactive capsule that was lost in transit by a contractor hired by Rio Tinto, at the Emergency Services Complex in Cockburn, Australia, in this undated handout photo. Department of Fire and Emergency Services/Handout via REUTERSSYDNEY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Authorities in Australia will review laws that penalise the mishandling of radioactive material with a A$1,000 ($707) fine as a search for a hazardous capsule lost in the Outback enters a seventh day. The penalty for failing to safely handle radioactive substances is A$1,000 and A$50 per day the offence continues, according to state legislation from 1975. The silver capsule, 6 mm in diameter and 8 mm long, contains Caesium-137 which emits radiation equal to 10 X-rays per hour. Authorities suspect vibrations on the bumpy road loosened screws and a bolt on the gauge letting the capsule fall out.

☆ Australia’s Nuclear Safety Agency Joins the Hunt for Missing Radioactive Capsule
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Rhiannon Hoyle | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ADELAIDE, Australia—Authorities intensified their search for a missing capsule containing radioactive material in Australia’s far west, deploying car-mounted detection equipment for the first time as they began to retrace a truck’s nearly 900-mile journey across the Outback. The capsule, which is less than a third of an inch long and contains Cesium-137, is believed to have fallen from a truck somewhere between Rio Tinto PLC’s Gudai-Darri mine and Perth, the capital of Western Australia. An initial search using hand-held radiation monitors failed to find the capsule, which was discovered to be missing on Jan. 25, prompting a public health alert.

Due to the tiny size of the capsule and the huge distances involved, authorities warn the chances of finding it are slim. Department of Fire and Emergency Services/APHow rare is it to lose a radioactive device? Radiation Services WA says radioactive substances are transported throughout Western Australia on a daily basis without any issues. A conveyor belt transports iron ore at the Gudai-Darri mine operated by the Rio Tinto in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, June 21, 2022. At that rate, the capsule could be radioactive for the next 300 years, said Deb from RMIT University.

☆ Explainer: How did a radioactive capsule go missing in Australia and how dangerous is it?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Australian authorities are mounting an extensive search for a tiny radioactive capsule believed to have fallen out of a road train - a truck with multiple trailers - that travelled 1,400 km (870 miles) in Western Australia. When it was unpacked on Jan. 25, it was found broken apart, with one of its four mounting bolts as well as screws and the capsule missing. Authorities suspect vibrations from the road train caused the gauge to break apart and the capsule fell out. The road train travelled from the mine in the state's remote Kimberley region and arrived at a storage facility in the suburbs of Perth on Jan. 16. The search involves at least five other government agencies including the Department of Defence, the police, the Australian Nuclear and Science Technology Organisation and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services said on Monday that it would take five days to retrace the road train's route. Authorities suspect vibrations from the road train caused the screws and a bolt from the gauge to come loose, and then the capsule fell out. A member of the Incident Management Team coordinates the search for a radioactive capsule that was lost in transit by a contractor hired by Rio Tinto, at the Emergency Services Complex in Cockburn, Australia, in this undated handout photo. Department of Fire and Emergency Services/Handout via REUTERSCenturion said in a statement that the capsule was dislodged from equipment contained in a crate. "The equipment can detect radiation emitted by the missing capsule and is currently being used around the Perth metropolitan area and outskirts."

☆ Mining giant Rio Tinto apologizes for sparking radiation alert after losing device in Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A vehicle travels through the Gudai-Darri mine operated by the Rio Tinto Group in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, Australia, in June 2022. The company has apologized after a radioactive capsule used at the site went missing. Mining giant Rio Tinto on Monday apologized after the loss of a small radioactive capsule used in its operations caused a radiation alert in Western Australia. It was delivered by a third-party contractor from Rio Tinto's Gudai-Darri site to Perth for repairs on Jan. 12, arriving on Jan. 16. Rio Tinto, one of the world's biggest mining firms, says it routinely transports and stores dangerous materials and has controls in place to manage risks.

☆ Australia searches for tiny radioactive capsule believed to be lost on desert highway
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Rio Tinto apologized on Monday for the loss of a tiny radioactive capsule believed to have fallen from a truck that has sparked a radiation alert across parts of the vast state of Western Australia. It is unclear how long the radioactive capsule, part of a gauge used to measure the density of iron ore feed, has been missing. The gauge was picked up by a specialist contractor from Rio's Gudai-Darri mine site on Jan. 12. Authorities suspect vibrations from the truck caused the screws and the bolt to come loose, and the radioactive capsule from the gauge fell out of the package and then out of a gap in the truck. The silver capsule, 6 millimeters in diameter and 8 mm long, contains Caesium-137 which emits radiation equal to 10 X-rays per hour.

☆ Rio Tinto apologises after radioactive capsule lost in Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto Ltd's (RIO.AX) iron ore division chief Simon Trott apologised on Monday after a contractor hired by the mining giant lost a radioactive capsule in transit in Western Australia which sparked a radiation alert across parts of the state. We recognise this is clearly very concerning and are sorry for the alarm it has caused in the Western Australian community," Trott said in a statement. Early reports suggested the loss was not discovered for almost two weeks after the capsule left Rio's Gudai-Darri mine site. Rio said it was informed by the contractor the capsule was missing on Jan. 25. "We have completed radiological surveys of all areas on site where the device had been, and surveyed roads within the mine site as well as the access road leading away from the Gudai-Darri mine site," Trott said.

☆ Rio Tinto sees increased volatility as China reopens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto (RIO.AX) on Tuesday said that China's reopening from COVID-19 restrictions is set to raise near-term risks of labour and supply-chain shortages, while it also flagged a strong start to iron ore shipments for 2023. Rio looks set to retain its crown as the world's biggest iron ore producer as quarterly iron ore shipments came in slightly ahead of expectations, near the bottom of the year's guidance. "It's good to see they made their iron ore guidance. Iron ore shipments for the final quarter of 2022 rose 3.8% to 87.3 million tonnes (Mt), bringing full-year shipments to 321.6 Mt, which beat a Visible Alpha consensus estimate of 320.2 Mt. Rio Tinto maintained its full-year iron ore shipments forecast of 320 Mt to 335 Mt.

☆ Iron-Ore Prices Buckle as China Property-Market Slump Drags On
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Rhiannon Hoyle | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Autonomous trucks haul iron ore at Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri mine in Western Australia, where vast mining operations contribute more than half the world’s exports of the steel ingredient. ADELAIDE, Australia—Iron-ore prices have slumped to a three-year low as a sharp slowdown in Chinese homebuilding combines with Beijing’s zero-Covid strategy to sap demand for the steelmaking commodity. The benchmark price of iron ore—one of the world’s most-traded commodities—fell by 17% in October from September to end the month more than 50% below its 2022 high, which was set in March.

☆ Rio Tinto tempers annual iron ore shipments outlook as demand weakens
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 18 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto (RIO.AX), (RIO.L) on Tuesday forecast annual iron ore shipments at the lower end of its outlook after third-quarter iron ore deliveries fell amid weak global demand, particularly in top metals consumer China. read moreWeakness in prices and cooling China demand had led Rio to more than halve its interim dividend payout in July. The world's biggest iron ore producer shipped 82.9 million tonnes (Mt) of the steel-making commodity in the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with 83.4 Mt a year earlier. The company retained its annual cost outlook for iron ore, but raised estimates for copper to between 150 cents and 170 cents per pound from 130 cents to 150 cents a pound. Rio last month said it would team up with China Baowu Steel Group to develop an iron ore project in Western Australia for $2 billion.

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