Metro Mining (ASX:MMI) restarted operations at the Bauxite Hills Mine in Cape York in mid-March, with the company reporting Tropical Cyclone Narelle to have caused minimal impact to the site.
The company lost seven days of production due to the cyclone, with no damage to site infrastructure, allowing operations at the mine to start up again.
The Regional Harbour Master reopened the Port of Skardon on 25 March 2026, with barging restarting at reduced capacity while bed-levelling assets work to restore the shipping channel to full operational draft.
Barging operations are expected to return to full capacity by mid-April.
Metro shipped 100,000 wet metric tonnes during March, regardless of the impact of the cyclone.
Transhipping operations are utilising the TSA Skardon Floating Crane loading capesize vessels. These are supplemented by chartered geared ultramax vessels, with the first geared vessel being sailed on 1 April 2026.
The Ikamba Offshore Floating Terminal has undergone a statutory survey and maintenance program at the dry dock in Batam, Indonesia. The terminal has taken on bunkers in Singapore and begun towing back to Australia.
Towing is expected to arrive at Bauxite Hills at the end of April, weather permitting.
Bauxite Hills forecasts to ship between 6.6 and 7.1 million wet metric tonnes in 2026.
As reported by Mining.com.au, Metro Mining conducted its wet season maintenance program at the mine in March, with restarted operations focused on pre-stripping activities, grade control, and road maintenance.
Metro Mining is a bauxite producer, focused on its 100%-owned Bauxite Hills Mine north of Weipa, near the coast of the Skardon River in Far North Queensland.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Metro Mining
