BHP’s Copper SA unveils $972m logistics solution with Aurizon
The solution involves shifting the transport of copper concentrate and cathode to rail between Pimba and Port Adelaide.
BHP’s Copper SA business has announced a collaboration with Aurizon to implement an integrated rail, road and port logistics solution for its copper operations in South Australia through four contracts, valued at approximately A$1.5bn ($972.4m).
BHP’s Olympic Dam, Carrapateena and Prominent Hill mines will benefit from the new logistics strategy, which entails shifting the transport of copper concentrate and cathode, as well as other inbound freight, to rail between Pimba and Port Adelaide.
South Australian company Symons Clark Logistics, a long-standing BHP transport partner, has been subcontracted by Aurizon to manage the road transport component from Pimba to the mine sites.
BHP Asset president Copper SA Anna Wiley said: “This is Copper SA’s most significant logistics arrangement since the asset’s formation. The shift to more rail transport will improve road safety, lower emissions, create local business opportunities and deliver significant synergies for our business.
“By value, BHP’s copper cathode is South Australia’s largest single export. This partnership forms a critical link between our operations in the state’s far north and our path to market at the Port of Adelaide. It is about delivering South Australian resources to the world.”
This collaboration underscores the operational synergy following the OZ Minerals transaction and represents the most transformative shift in Copper SA’s logistics since its inception.