Queensland LNG Exports, Despite Cyclone

Australia's LNG export hub at the Port of Gladstone on the east coast is continuing to operate despite a cyclone beating down the coastline. “Cyclone Iris has not had any impact on the Port of Gladstone and its operations to date,” the Gladstone Ports Corporation said in an email April 3. “Gladstone Ports Corporation will continue to monitor the system as it tracks south, but does not anticipate any disruptions at this stage,” it said.

A departmental spokesman from Maritime Safety Queensland said the situation is dynamic and ports remain on heightened alert with some other exporting ports some 400 km to the north of Gladstone shutting.

Tropical Cyclone Iris is a category 2 and is estimated to be 320 km east-northeast of Townsville and 365 km north of Mackay, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said at 5:54 pm EST April 3.

“Tropical cyclone Iris is expected to continue moving southeast, parallel to the Queensland coast, for the next two days and may intensify further during this period,” the bureau said.

“On Thursday the cyclone should slow down and begin to weaken. It may reverse direction and adopt a track to the northwest overnight Thursday or on Friday. The cyclone is not expected to cross the Queensland coast in the short to medium term, but may approach the coast close enough to produce significant impacts,” it said. The port is home to the Australia Pacific, Queensland Curtis and Gladstone LNG projects.