Coal exports from Australia's Dalrymple Bay coal terminal touched 6.05 million mt in September, the highest level since 6.68 million mt in June, and a month on month increase of 5.6%, a source close to the coal export facility in Queensland said Thursday, October 23.
September's cargo volume from the terminal was loaded on to 59 ships, compared with 60 outbound vessels in August, the terminal's operator, DBCT Management, in a report released Thursday.
Last month was a relatively snag-free month for the Dalrymple Bay coal terminal and shipping operations have continued to run smoothly into October, said the source.
"We have had a good start to October and from what we can see, the terminal's supply chain does not have much planned maintenance for the rest of 2014," he said.
September's coal shipments of mostly coking coal from the terminal were slightly higher than September 2013, when exports stood at 5.93 million mt, according to data on the website of the port authority, North Queensland Bulk Ports Corp.
Dalrymple Bay terminal is at the head of a 300 km-long supply chain for coal exports that links together around 20 coal mines in Queensland's Bowen Basin coal field.
Companies that are users of Dalrymple Bay coal terminal include Anglo American, BHP Billiton-Mitsubishi Alliance, Glencore, Peabody Energy and Rio Tinto.
CHINA, INDIA OFFTAKE
The terminal in September shipped 689,000 mt of coal to China, which was similar to the monthly volumes for July and August, but exports to the Asian country have yet to recover to June's 1.43 million mt level.
India-bound ships took on 1.49 million mt of coal at Dalrymple Bay terminal in September -- the highest level for the past 12 months, and an increase from the 1.07 million mt shipped to India in August.
Japan was the destination for 1.03 million mt of coal shipped from the Dalrymple Bay terminal last month, but down from the 1.63 million mt lifted by Japanese customers in August.
South Korean demand for Dalrymple Bay coal exports was stronger in September, at 1.4 million mt, and more than double its offtake in August at 634,000 mt.
Dalrymple Bay terminal's vessel queue -- a good indicator of cargo demand -- has risen slightly during October to 23 ships as of Tuesday, from around 17 vessels early in the month.
Coal export cargoes were available for around half of the ships waiting in DBCT's vessel queue Tuesday, according to a report from the terminal.
EXPORTS FROM BHP TERMINAL AT 5-MONTH HIGH
Coal exports from the Hay Point coal terminal located alongside the Dalrymple Bay terminal touched a five-month high of 3.81 million mt in September, up on 3.32 million mt in August, according to NQBPC's website.
Hay Point terminal is operated by BHP Billiton-Mitsubishi Alliance and is the dedicated shipment facility for the miner's exports of Bowen Basin coking coal.
