Ensham declares force majeure

Brisbane (Energy Publishing) - Ensham Coal says it has been forced to declare a force majeure for some of its customers receiving coal from its Queensland mine because of the closure of the Blackwater rail line.

The line, which links Bowen Basin mines with the Port of Gladstone, was closed on February 2 because of a train derailment and is not expected to re-open until Monday.

CEO Peter Westerhuis said ships were still being loaded at Gladstone using Ensham’s existing stockpiles which sat at about 200kt today. He was unable to specify how many customers would be affected by the force majeure or how long he expected it to remain in force.