A preliminary assessment of the damage was undertaken on 14 November, indicating that the shiploader could take several weeks to repair. During that time, the terminal will be unable to load coal.
The financial implications of the event still being assessed, said New Hope Group, but delays to shipments could result in lower sales.
Queensland Bulk Terminal is a relatively minor player in the Australian coal export business, shipping about 7 million tpy of coal. But with coal markets currently tight on the back of high Chinese demand, any additional supply constraints could see prices strengthen further.
