Further to my earlier post where I set out the expected exports for the year.
There are a number of limiting factors to the amount KML can export in a year, but the most important one is the railway from Karara to Geraldton.
KML runs 4 trains (through its sub-contractor). The trains carry 7,000 tonnes.
They can run 4 trains a day which equates to 28,000 tonnes per day.
A ship carries 60,000 tonnes (although there a few that carry 70,000 tonnes).
So it takes 3 days from the start to get 60,000 tonnes for the first ship.
It takes at best 24 hours to dock, load and unload a ship
On a 45 day cycle they can get 21 ships loaded and out.
That means the optimum cycle of 2.142 days or 170 ships a year.
However there are four shutdowns for maintenance at Geraldton per annum and these last about 4 to 5 days. Some interfere with KML ships, some have minimal effect.
However KML seem to be able to export at a rate of 2.8 days per ship which is running at 77% of optimal capacity.
Whether this is in KML domain to control this is unknown to us mushrooms.
However, during this quarter there have been up to 5 days between ships departing and the next arriving (not during maintenance times). All lost exports to KML.
I am unsure whether there were maintenance issues with the KML plant, but I would be organising maintenance to coincide with the Geraldton shutdowns.
At present there is a gap of 10 days from the ship Vitaoecan and Sea Pearl. However this may be remedied.
It makes it difficult to make money when a ship carries $AUD6m of exports and is delayed for 10 days.
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