http://www.dailymercury.com.au/story/2009/06/20/ships-queue-up-fo...

http://www.dailymercury.com.au/story/2009/06/20/ships-queue-up-for-coal-off-Mackay-ports/


Ships queueing at the right time methinks...just when bids are coming in....well fellas, you better pay up for this once in a lifetime chance to obtain prob qld's greatest infrastructure on the market...bids of at least 2.8 billion accepted



THE Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal, south of Mackay, will load more ships this month than ever before.

As of last night, 50 coal ships queued for cargo along the Mackay horizon, 36 of them for Dalrymple Bay.

But before the end of the month, about 88 will either have been loaded or be waiting to berth.

The huge jump in demand for the region's coal at Hay Point and DBCT, which together form the largest coal port in the world, have been heralded as a gleaming indicator that the icy winds of the economic downturn that bore down on the region late last year, might soon relent completely.

DBCT management chief executive officer Eric Kolatchew was not ready to say the hard times had gone but that this signalled a boost in coal sales from the region.

“It's a sign of a strengthening in demand,” Mr Kolatchew said.

“It's been increasing since March and in April and May we did see a lot of activity from China.”

Traditionally China has played a smaller part in our region's coal sales, but in the past few months, China has put itself forward as the biggest player for our coal resources.

“Historically, we would only see China buying about four per cent of the total coal going through DBCT,” Mr Kolatchew said.

“But if the trend of April and May kept up for 12 months, it would jump up to about 45 per cent.”

To have almost 90 ships off DBCT - not including the ones loaded by nearby Hay Point or Abbot Point, north of Bowen - is not only unprecedented, it's also impossible for the port to keep up with.

“In a good month, we might have 55 to 60 ships being loaded,” he said

“In terms of contracts at port, the maximum level of contracts is about 70 ships.

“Our best months would have been about 66.”

Queensland Rail backed DBCT's figures as it broke its own records.

“Tonnages hauled in the Goonyella system in the 2008/09 financial year are expected to exceed the levels of the previous year with records achieved in recent weeks,” a spokesperson said.

“We expect demand to remain strong over coming months and we are working closely with all members of the supply chain including our customers and DBCT to maximise system capacity.”

He said the terminal could export up to 72 million tonnes of coal a year, a figure not yet reached because the rail infrastructure in the Bowen Basin can't deliver so much coal to the port.

The figure of 88 will include ships queuing, being loaded and others still expected to arrive.

“We are unsure of how long the demand will be there because it's very difficult to get an accurate sustainable picture.

“But July and August will be as strong as June.”

Giant miner BMA, which owns Hay Point, declined to comment about the level of coal being exported from its port yesterday.