Records highlight Isa link with Port of Townsville

Mt Isa’s synergistic relationship with the Port of Townsville is underscored by three trade records broken in 2007-08.

They are among six individual import and four export trade records broken in the period, listed in the Port’s latest annual report.

In one record 582,378 tonnes of cement was imported from Gladstone. Used in stope filling and mine remediation, cement is distributed from Townsville by road and rail to the greater North Queensland area, including all points west to Mount Isa.

Sulphur, of which a record 124,398 tonnes was imported, is used at Incitec Pivot’s Phosphate Hill Mine south of Mt Isa. Bulk sulphur is containerised at the Port and railed to Phosphate Hill where it is converted to sulphuric acid for the production of DAP (diammonium phosphate) and MAP (monoammonium) high analysis fertilizer.

Record exports included 187,480 tonnes of lead ingots produced by Xstrata Mount Isa Mine and Lead Smelter. Lead is railed to the Port of Townsville for export to the UK.

The Port of Townsville is a Supporting Sponsor at the 3rd Annual Mining the Isa Conference at the Mount Isa Civic Centre on 17-18 November.

The conference will feature presentations from Mt Isa mining industry leaders. They include Joe Gutnick, CEO of Legend International Holdings, who will speak on the world’s new appetite for phosphate; Steve de Kruijff, Chief Operating Officer, Xstrata Copper who will give an update on operations; and Mark Lynch, Managing Director of Citgold Corporation, who will report on the Charters Towers goldfield development.

http://www.iir.com.au/isa

To arrange a media pass, request more information or arrange speaker interviews please contact:
Nigel Dique – Informa-IIR 02 9080 4108; 0423 024 819; nigel.dique@informa.com.au

Joe Gutnick to address Mining the Isa forum

Mining industry entrepreneur Joseph Gutnick will give the keynote address at the 3rdAnnual Mining the Isa Conference at the Mount Isa Civic Centre on 17-18 November.

Mr Gutnick, President and CEO of Legend International Holdings, will speak on the world’s new appetite for phosphate and its effect on the Mt Isa region.

Demand for phosphate, used primarily in agricultural fertilizers has escalated in recent months in response to world wide food shortages and higher prices.

Legend International Holdings recently entered into a long term agreement to supply phosphate from its Lady Annie project in Queensland to Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), India’s largest fertilizer enterprise, a cooperative with over 50 million farmers associated with it.

The conference program includes presentations from established mining companies in the Mount Isa region, junior companies, and infrastructure stakeholders including water, energy and transport companies.

Among them are Steve de Kruijff, Chief Operating Officer, Xstrata Copper who will give an update on operations and Mark Lynch, Managing Director of Citgold Corporation, who will report on the Charters Towers goldfield development.

Betty Kiernan, the state Member for Mount Isa and Bob Katter, the Federal Member for Kennedy, will also address the conference.

http://www.iir.com.au/isa

To arrange a media pass, request more information or arrange speaker interviews please contact:

Nigel Dique – Informa-IIR
02 9080 4108
0423 024 819
nigel.dique@informa.com.au