Rio Tinto plc (LON:RIO) has lowered guidance for iron ore shipments from the Pilbara in Western Australia after the region was hit by tropical cyclone Damien.
In a statement, the FTSE 100-listed miner said shipments in 2020 are now expected to be 324-334mln tonnes, against previous estimates of 330-343mln tonnes.
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Rio said the sixteen mines it operates in the region are progressively resuming production but that it “will take time to return to normal operations”.
It noted that the cyclone damaged infrastructure in the area, hitting access roads, electrical and communications networks and accommodation.
Last year, the mining giant lowered shipment guidance from Plibara twice due to operational challenges in June and a tropical cyclone in March.
Rio shares were up 1% to 4,227.5p on Monday afternoon.