Cape Lambert
Encyclopedia
Cape Lambert is a port facility operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore
in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
. It is located 40 kilometres north of Karratha
.
mining operations in the Pilbara. (The other port is Dampier
.) Ore is carried to the two ports on the Hamersley & Robe River railway
.
Cape Lambert is East of Karratha (59km), West of Point Samson (11km) and Port Hedland (220km) and due North of Wickham
(10km), Roebourne (22km) and Millstream National Park
(108km).
. Boat Beach offers swimming and fishing and a boat-launching ramp. It is home to the old Port Walcott Yacht Club.
. Employees at the Cape Lambert facilities live in the nearby town of Wickham
or a temporary construction camp between the Port and the Point Samson Road.
The port has an annual capacity to handle 80 million tonnes of iron ore. In comparison, the port of Dampier can handle 140 million tonnes annually. The former is approximately 40% of Rio Tinto's annual iron ore production from the Pilbara, as of 2009. Individual ships at the port take between 24 and 36 hours to load. The wharf at Cape Lambert is 3 kilometres long, 30 metres high and one of the highest, longest and deepest wharves in Australia
.
Rio Tinto expanded the port from a capacity of 55 million tonnes annually to 80 million tonnes at a cost of A$952 million. The port is scheduled to undergo a further expansion to be completed by 2012. The new expansion is scheduled to cost A$276 million. The expansion is part of a plan to raise Rio Tinto's annual production from the Pilbara from 220 to 330 million tonnes annually by 2016. To achieve this, the Cape Lambert port capacity will be expanded to handle an additional 100 million tonnes annually.
The wharf at Cape Lambert stretches for 2.7km, built to a minimum of 17.87metres above the water. It is the tallest in Australia
. The wharf holds or shares every Australian bulk handling records.
On 4 June 2011, a scaffolder was killed
at the port, the scaffolding he was on falling into the water. It was the first fatality in Rio Tinto's Pilbara operations in almost eight years, having been fatality-free since August 2003.
Rio also proposed an additional 1.8km, four-berth jetty and wharf at Cape Lambert to increase its current annual capacity of 80 million tonnes by a further 100 million tonnes. The expansion will be staged, rising to 225 million tonnes a year by the first quarter of 2011, 230 million tonnes by the second quarter of 2012, and 280 million tonnes by 2014.
(SKM), has been appointed as the Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management contractor for the expansion of Rio Tinto
’s Cape Lambert port facility, including the delivery of a new greenfields iron ore port facility, Cape Lambert Port B, located alongside the existing Cape Lambert port.
Ltd, was awarded the $276 million deal for construction of the new 920 metre long Jetty and 420m long two-berth Ship-loading Wharf, and related works. Offshore piling started in Mid-2011.
for works at Cape Lambert.
The contract involves earthworks for the wharf abutment and tug harbour and the partial removal of the existing tug harbour breakwater.The construction of the wharf abutment and breakwater involved clearing, grubbing, topsoil stripping and surface soil stripping;
excavate and remove existing materials extension of existing road crossing over the power station cooling water outlet. The construction of the tug boat harbour extension included the removal, temporary storage and reuse of tug boat harbour armour rock and core material and loading, hauling and placing the core material and rock armour.
Rio Tinto Group
The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It is located 40 kilometres north of Karratha
Karratha, Western Australia
-Facilities:A range of hotel, motel, B&B and caravan/RV accommodation is available for visitors. However, as the town is booming, accommodation is often hard to come by.The town has restaurants, a tavern, two hotels and two night clubs...
.
Overview
Cape Lambert is one of the sea ports for exporting iron ore from Rio Tinto'sRio Tinto Group
The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
mining operations in the Pilbara. (The other port is Dampier
Dampier, Western Australia
Dampier is a major industrial port in the north-west of Western Australia. The Dampier Port is part of the Dampier Archipelago. The port services petrochemical, salt, iron ore and natural gas export industries. Rio Tinto exports large volumes of iron ore through the port, and in September 2010...
.) Ore is carried to the two ports on the Hamersley & Robe River railway
Hamersley & Robe River railway
The Hamersley & Robe River railway, majority-owned and operated by the Rio Tinto Group, is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia for the purpose of carrying iron ore. The network is larger than any other Australian heavy freight rail network in private ownership. The...
.
Cape Lambert is East of Karratha (59km), West of Point Samson (11km) and Port Hedland (220km) and due North of Wickham
Wickham, Western Australia
Wickham is a townsite located 1,572 km north of Perth and 13 km north of Roebourne in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.-History:...
(10km), Roebourne (22km) and Millstream National Park
Millstream-Chichester National Park
Millstream Chichester National Park is a national park in the Pilbara region of Western Australia , and is located north of the state capital, Perth....
(108km).
Point Samson Beach
Linking the facility at Cape Lambert with the small holiday town of Point Samson is a long white Beach. The perfect white beach stretches for over 1km and is the perfect vantage point to observe queues of iron ore bulk tankers waiting to dock at the port, turtles nesting or whales migrating just off the Cape. Sunsets at the beach can be dramatically red.Boat Beach
Boat Beach which is a very popular local swimming and fishing spot situated immediately West of the Port rail and processing facilities, but easiest accessed off Walcott Drive not far from the town of WickhamWickham
Wickham, formerly spelled Wykeham, is a small historic village and civil parish in Hampshire, southern England, located about three miles north of Fareham. It is within the City of Winchester local government district, although it is considerably closer to Fareham than to Winchester...
. Boat Beach offers swimming and fishing and a boat-launching ramp. It is home to the old Port Walcott Yacht Club.
Cape Lambert Port
The port at Cape Lambert was opened in 1972 and is operated by Pilbara Iron on behalf of Rio TintoRio Tinto Group
The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
. Employees at the Cape Lambert facilities live in the nearby town of Wickham
Wickham, Western Australia
Wickham is a townsite located 1,572 km north of Perth and 13 km north of Roebourne in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.-History:...
or a temporary construction camp between the Port and the Point Samson Road.
The port has an annual capacity to handle 80 million tonnes of iron ore. In comparison, the port of Dampier can handle 140 million tonnes annually. The former is approximately 40% of Rio Tinto's annual iron ore production from the Pilbara, as of 2009. Individual ships at the port take between 24 and 36 hours to load. The wharf at Cape Lambert is 3 kilometres long, 30 metres high and one of the highest, longest and deepest wharves in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Rio Tinto expanded the port from a capacity of 55 million tonnes annually to 80 million tonnes at a cost of A$952 million. The port is scheduled to undergo a further expansion to be completed by 2012. The new expansion is scheduled to cost A$276 million. The expansion is part of a plan to raise Rio Tinto's annual production from the Pilbara from 220 to 330 million tonnes annually by 2016. To achieve this, the Cape Lambert port capacity will be expanded to handle an additional 100 million tonnes annually.
The wharf at Cape Lambert stretches for 2.7km, built to a minimum of 17.87metres above the water. It is the tallest in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The wharf holds or shares every Australian bulk handling records.
On 4 June 2011, a scaffolder was killed
Fatality statistics in the Western Australian mining industry
These are Fatality statistics in the Western Australian mining industry which capture the number of people killed in the industry in the Australian state of Western Australia. The Department of Mines and Petroleum, DMP, the governing authority for the industry in the state, has published statistics...
at the port, the scaffolding he was on falling into the water. It was the first fatality in Rio Tinto's Pilbara operations in almost eight years, having been fatality-free since August 2003.
Expansion Projects
In 2010 Rio Tinto announced $US200 million ($A226.4 million) in funding to begin expanding its Cape Lambert port facilities as part of a wider expansion of its Pilbara iron ore operations. The port expansion will support increasing the export capacity of Rio's Pilbara operations to 330 million tonnes a year by 2016.Rio also proposed an additional 1.8km, four-berth jetty and wharf at Cape Lambert to increase its current annual capacity of 80 million tonnes by a further 100 million tonnes. The expansion will be staged, rising to 225 million tonnes a year by the first quarter of 2011, 230 million tonnes by the second quarter of 2012, and 280 million tonnes by 2014.
Expansion Management
Sinclair Knight MerzSinclair Knight Merz
Sinclair Knight Merz is an engineering, sciences and project delivery firm. It is based in Australia with offices in Asia, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and New Zealand.-Overview:...
(SKM), has been appointed as the Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management contractor for the expansion of Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto Group
The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
’s Cape Lambert port facility, including the delivery of a new greenfields iron ore port facility, Cape Lambert Port B, located alongside the existing Cape Lambert port.
New Jetty & Wharf
John Holland Group, a whole subsidiary of Leighton HoldingsLeighton Holdings
Leighton Holdings is Australia's largest project development and contracting group. It is active in the telecommunications, engineering and infrastructure, building and property, mining and resources, and environmental services industries...
Ltd, was awarded the $276 million deal for construction of the new 920 metre long Jetty and 420m long two-berth Ship-loading Wharf, and related works. Offshore piling started in Mid-2011.
New Tug Harbour
Abigroup, in joint venture with indigenous contractor Geraldton Line Haul (GLH), has been awarded a $65 million contract by Rio TintoRio Tinto Group
The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
for works at Cape Lambert.
The contract involves earthworks for the wharf abutment and tug harbour and the partial removal of the existing tug harbour breakwater.The construction of the wharf abutment and breakwater involved clearing, grubbing, topsoil stripping and surface soil stripping;
excavate and remove existing materials extension of existing road crossing over the power station cooling water outlet. The construction of the tug boat harbour extension included the removal, temporary storage and reuse of tug boat harbour armour rock and core material and loading, hauling and placing the core material and rock armour.
Quarry Operation
The Abigroup contract included quarry work ivolving the pioneering of the upper levels of the quarry by drill and blast and recovery of material for use in a crushing and screening operation. Operating quarry benches and daily drill and blast activities have been established to produce raw feed material and armour and the blasted material is sorted, loaded and hauled to either stockpiles or the crushing and screening operation.External links
- Beachsafe - Boat (Wickham) Beach
- Beachsafe - Point Samson Beach
- Rio Tinto Iron Ore website
- Sinclair Knight Merz website
- John Holland Group website
- Place Names Search Results - Cape Lambert Geoscience AustraliaGeoscience AustraliaGeoscience Australia is an agency of the Australian federal government. It carries out geoscientific research.On a user pays basis it produces geospatial products such as topographic maps and satellite imagery.-History:...
website