The Australian-British multinational mining, metals and petroleum company BHP announced its milestone shipment of three billion tonnes of high-quality iron ore from Western Australia to China, according to a company release on Wednesday.
After its initial shipment in 1973, it took BHP approximately 30 years to deliver its first 100 million tonnes of iron ore to China.
By 2014, BHP had exported one billion tonnes. After considerable investment and expansion in BHP's WA Iron Ore division, the landmark shipment of three billion tonnes was completed in just nine years.
At BHP's Pilbara and Port Hedland operations in Western Australia, important customer representatives were welcomed to celebrate this landmark milestone.
BHP's Chief Commercial Officer, Vandita Pant, and Asset President of Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO), Brandon Craig, were joined by China Iron and Steel Association Vice Chairman, Luo Tiejun and other customer representatives at the Mining Area C, part of WAIO in Pilbara, and South Flank mine sites in Pilbara.
'BHP's relationships with our customers in China have been fundamentally important to our company over the past 50 years, BHP's Chief Commercial Officer, Vandita Pant, was quoted as saying in the statement.
'We look forward to building on our strong partnerships through collaboration to innovate and advance technologies with the potential to help decarbonize the steelmaking industry,' she added.
The group commemorated the achievement at a gala dinner in Perth with West Australian Premier Roger Cook, Australian Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King, and representatives of the People's Republic of China Consul-General.
'This is a significant milestone for BHP's iron ore business and for Western Australia, and we are delighted to commemorate the achievement, celebrate our partnerships, and showcase our world-class Western Australia operations,' Asset President of Western Australia Iron Ore, Brandon Craig, said.
'We are fully focused on continuing to produce and deliver our high-quality iron ore resources safely, reliably and sustainably,' he added.
By Duygu Alhan
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr