Anglo American suspends troublesome Minas-Rio iron ore mine for three months
Anglo American suspended its controversial Minas-Rio iron ore mine in Brazil for up to three months, to conduct checks on the pipeline that is the sole method for delivering the highly abrasive iron ore slurry to the port 530km away. A small leak that resulted in suspended operations for 15 days in March was followed by another small, eight-minute leak near the same place. As a result, Anglo took the decision to check the entire pipeline for potential faults, a process that will take up to 90 days. “Minas-Rio is working closely with its employees and unions and all the relevant authorities in Brazil, both locally and nationally, and Anglo American’s marketing business is engaging with its customers in relation to product delivery schedules,” Anglo said in a brief statement. The Minas-Rio mine has cost at least $13bn to buy and build, missing production targets with difficulties in securing permits and permissions, particularly for land servitude for the pipeline. Anglo CEO Mark Cuti...
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