Australia-based rail freight company Aurizon has announced that, as a result of cyclone Debbie and localized flooding, which hit Australia’s coal producing state Queensland last week, it has mobilized all available crews and resources over recent days to inspect and commence repairs, where possible, on the four coal systems (Newlands, Goonyella, Blackwater and Moura), though the recovery of rail infrastructures is expected to take approximately five weeks.
For the worst-affected Goonyella system, Aurizon stated that it will examine alternative routing opportunities for impacted customers and rail operators as other systems become available in the coming weeks, from the western sections of the Goonyella system, north up the Newlands system to Abbot Point Coal Terminal, and south through the Blackwater system to the Port of Gladstone.
Meanwhile, US-based coal miner Peabody Energy has announced that its metallurgical coal mines in Queensland have recommenced operations; however, outages of the rail system are preventing coal shipments from mine to port. Peabody noted that it is still too early to assess impacts on volume and results, as well as any effects on second quarter price negotiations with metallurgical coal customers.
Queensland accounts for more than half of the world's seaborne metallurgical coal supplies.