Strike Resources (ASX:SRK) has received a second works approval from the Western Australian Government’s Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) to conduct transhipment operations from the Port of Ashburton in Onslow.
The company reports the works approval will allow the company to undertake bulk loading of iron ore from a transhipment vessel to ocean going vessels within a designated anchorage area located off the port.
Strike is seeking to bulk load up to 1.8 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa), which is equivalent to 10,000 tonnes per day, of iron ore from the transhipment vessel.
The company notes this approval follows the delivery of an initial work approval in July 2022 to undertake the Category 58 bulk loading, and represents all the DWER approvals required to start export operations from the Port of Ashburton.
The Port of Ashburton is touted to become a longer term export solution for the company due to its closer proximity to the Paulsens East Iron Ore Project versus the Utah Point port in Port Hedland. As part of the company’s stage two development plans, it will export an additional 1.8Mtpa of iron ore from Paulsens in the Pilbara.
It is believed that the change in shipping location will lead to ‘significantly’ lower trucking costs from mine to port.
With the marine-side works approval now obtained, Strike Resources announces that the works approval is subject to a number of usual conditions relating to offshore transhipment bulk loading operations, including compliance with aspects of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Strike Resources is an ASX-listed resource company that is working to develop its Paulsens East project in Western Australia, from which it has exported about 66,618 tonnes of 62% iron lump DSO through the Utah Point port in Port Hedland.
Other assets included within the company’s arsenal include the ‘high-grade’ Apurimac Iron Ore Project in Peru, as well as a 43% shareholding interest in Lithium Energy (ASX:LEL), which was spun-out of Strike under a $9 million IPO in May 2021.
Images: Strike Resources Limited
