BHP will “meet its iron ore commitments to customers” despite this week’s train derailment that has disrupted supplies.
Chief executive Andrew Mackenzie he did not expect the miner would let down any of its customers, reports Reuters.
“We will have the ability to supply our customers as we have been contracted to do,” Mackenzie told media after BHP Billiton’s annual general meeting.
BHP said this week it would use stockpiles at Port Hedland to maintain its port operations, but that the reserves were not expected to cover the entire period of disruption.
“We are continuing to mine so we will have good stocks at the mines as soon as the rail fully opens,” he added.
On Monday BHP was forced to derail one of its trains after it ran away when the driver was out conducting an inspection.
The train travelled for 90 km by itself before being derailed near Turner, about 120km south of Port Hedland, leaving about 1.5km of track damaged.
