With the iron ore price hammered and the world headed for a depression is the port still going ahead? What is the latest you Gero rad lads?
The company I work for is doing the graphic design for all the proposals for Oakagee...
I've already told them that I won't be doing any programming for them.
Still going ahead as far as I know... it's a long term project, a drop in ore price for a year or two isn't going to affect things all that much unfortunately.
Oakajee Port was highlighted by WA Govt as a top priority over stadium projects etc.
Maybe I'm missing the big picture but I just can't see Oakagee getting off the ground anytime soon, Iron ore has all but ground to a halt in the midwest and they are still talking about building the new port. The costs involved in building the port are mind boggling, just the outer harbour work was reported to be over $650 million, and all this for an industry that has fallen in a hole and in a very uncertain economic climate.
I am with you Cranky, I have a sneaking suspicion that this project will be canned. I think most people are underestimating the impact of the financial meltdown. In my opinion, the good times in WA are all over red rover. Hold on to your hats and run for cover.
Colin Barnett .......is so pro Oakagee......... he was around with Richard Court 10 years ago .This will be his swan song............or gong ??????????
In todays Geraldton PAPER .....OPR
OAKAGEE PORT AND RAIL .........were advertising (full page) ...........for 10 start up managment positions to drive it.
YELLOW CAKE IS BARNETTS EYE BALLS to $$$$$$$$$$$. for it ????? Not good
The Geraldton windsurfing club .........had some offering to investigate an artificial reef.? There was some progress ......as i herd .....an offering ??????? to look into it, may be a study ...............??????????? youll have to ask someone involved, may be they could inform us again.
It really is a shame for all wave and wind persons ,environment/beach and ocean lovers out there.
Also theres a fair chance it could be the final nail in the coffin for the crays,as its a major breeding stretch of coast for the industry and the perilous counts have been way down ?
Barrnet ..........................will tart / buy Geraldton up and slip the yellow cake through the back door ...............
Its like taking lambs to the slaughter, aint going to matter how they do it.
I'm sure it will happen eventually, just not anytime soon. I don't know about the uranium, would they spend a couple of billion to build a port just for uranium? I dunno, does everyone realize how big this project would be if it happened? 0 infrastructure, ugly terrain in and out of the water, sjit loads of limestone and more swell than they want 12 months of the year, it's going to swollow up some cash.
I have mixed feelings about building a port at Oakagee, which I will not be talking about here. As to whether the port/rail will be built:
A couple of points (my opinion only).
Infrastructure such as port and rail networks take a long time to build. Mining/minerals industries have always been cyclical industries (according to AusIMM "average, “bull” markets last for 5.4 years while “bear” markets last for 1.3
years". Meaning that even if they started building now they would finish after this period of crappness caused by greedy US bankers.
Projects cost less in downturns (like a lot less) and government backing for such projects will be higher (because they create jobs, stimulate the economy, etc). Projects cost less because there isnt as much competition for resources (such as equipment and labour) plus engineering and construction companies will probably quote cheaper prices for projects because they wont be in such high demand as the are during boom times and will have to compete with one another.
The recovery stage after this downturn is predicted to be something pretty spectacular (regardless how long you think this downturn will last), because countries are still developing and urbanising - demand will come back as soon as the money and confidence comes back. In this climate supply will drop dramatically (mines will close, companies will go bust, financing for new mines dissappears) meaning that when the money does come back, and with it demand we will again see a huge shortage of supply v. demand.
have to agree with you there Filthy, if anything this will stretch out what has happened in the last few years, with a bit of a breather and opportunity for those with balls to get a good slice of the action at a bargain price.
Does anyone believe that forever onward all the Indians and Chinese people are going to be thinking "we want to stay as peasants living in grass huts now" after a taste of the action already?
If anything these people will be more desperate to get on with it.
Having actually wave sailed there for well over 10 years,the energy this section of coast GENERATES and recieves will cause some major change and energy deversions. GOOD LUCK ...........THERE WILL BE A LOT OF PROBLEMS.
This energy just dosnt disapear
I was taken back to see a BRIEF animation (correct or incorect) on the (abc)? of the size of the break wall. WITH 2 ships passing each other and a second following another in.
I agree with the above POSTES...........................
ANY WAY Life is short ..............so enjoy it ...................Spot x rocks
Ok build the f#cken port if you have to. Just build it 30kms up the road. No one will give a sh#t if you build it up there.
The thing people should realise is that uranium sells for $60 a POUND - iron ore is $90 a TONNE - so your need a much bigger port to ship Iron ore compared to uranium.
Its not like shipping loose lead ($0.50 a pound as a metal !) either - I think they seal the U Oxide in drums, not treat it like wheat !
So the shipping of yellowcake doesnt need some big fancy new port, even if the proposed mines were in the midwest, and I dont think many were. The big BHP/RIO one looked near Kalgoorlie I think.
Talking to a few people I'm pretty sure Oakajee has been put on hold indefinately.
RIO bought Alcan, and were gonna split up Alcan and sell the parts of that business that they didn't want, to fund the Oakajee project. However thanks to economic downturn, they can't sell the parts of Alcan they want to fund the Oakajee Project.
Sorry - your right, it wasnt supposed to be bagged.
It was meant to be pellets not "powder" - I knew there was something not done right
From http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21504950-5006789,00.html
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