Australia's Brisbane aluminum shipments remain under force majeure

Tokyo （Platts）--17Jan2011----Shipments of aluminum products from the flood-hit Brisbane port in Queensland, Australia, remained halted Monday as the force majeure, declared last Thursday, stays in place, said a spokesman for Rio Tinto Alcan Monday.

The Port of Brisbane was reopened Monday after a week-long closure, and a total of 10 ships were serviced at the Fishermen Island facilities that comprise seven container berths and four berths for bulk and general vessels, according to Rosy Field, the port spokeswoman.

There are 29 berths in total at the port.

The port is clearing away debris floating on the water, to avoid collisions with ships, Field said.

"[The] Port is gradually opening to shipping once it is safe to do so," she said.

The port infrastructure has managed to escape damages, Field added.

While some wind and showers are expected later in the week, the weather has been mild, which may help with the cleanup process.

But Brisbane municipality officials issued a warning to remain cautious.

"We are in a wet season, and another flood hitting Brisbane in a similar fashion [in the coming weeks], is a possibility," said a source at the Brisbane City Council.

Meanwhile, Rio Tinto Alcan has not been able to restart cargo loading yet, according to a second company source.

The company ships aluminum billets and foundry alloy products to Southeast Asia from the Boyne smelter located 450 km, or 279 miles, southwest of Brisbane.

Boyne aluminum products are normally transported by trucks to the Brisbane port. The Bruce and Burnett Highways, the two major connecting roads, were open Monday after suffering partial closures last week, according to the Queensland traffic information center.

Vehicle entry into roads within Brisbane City, however, have been restricted Monday due to cleanup activities, according to the Queensland traffic information website.

Market sources estimate affected aluminum tonnage by the Brisbane port closure to be several thousand tons at most, as the majority of Boyne's products are shipped from the Gladstone port on bulk ships.