In the AFR, things getting serious!!Chris Ellison’s Mineral...

In the AFR, things getting serious!!

Chris Ellison’s Mineral Resources is getting a taste of its own medicine as iron ore miner GWR Group and other junior companies push to use the Port of Esperance on Western Australia’s south coast.Mineral Resources enjoys a monopoly on iron ore exports from Esperance in the wake of the WA’s Labor government supporting its acquisition of Cleveland-Cliffs’ Koolyanobbing iron ore operations three years ago.GWR, one of a small band of new iron ore players cashing in on sky-high prices for the steel-making ingredient, claims other users have been shut out of the port.The campaign to open up Esperance comes as the WA government continues to delay a decision on Mineral Resources’ plans to take on bigger rivals BHP, Fortescue Metals Group and Gina Rinehart’s Roy Hill by building two new berths at iron ore export epicentre Port Hedland on the state’s Pilbara coast.GWR is currently carting iron ore about 800 kilometres from its Wiluna West project to the Port of Geraldton for export, but sees Esperance as a longer term solution if it increases production.The company has approvals to mine at a rate of 7 million tonnes a year for 10 years.