Mining Chronicle - 1 August 2006 Vol 11, No.7, Page 68
INNOVATIVE MARITIME ENCOUNTER
An innovative maritime encounter occurred on a remote part of the Western Australian coast in June when the Seacorp vessel SCS Anne called at Koolan Island.
The vessel rendezvoused with a barge to deliver a 250-tonne crawler crane to Aztec Resources’ Koolan Island Iron Ore project for construction company Marine & Civil.
In addition to providing a one-stop direct cargo service to Koolan from Fremantle, the SCS Anne was also used as a floating crane while the cargo was transferred and reassembled on the receiving barge.
Seacorp general manager Cleve Woollams said the transfer of cargo, which included a 57-metre fully assembled boom, enables the multipurpose SCS Anne to showcase her ability to offer logistical and economic efficiencies to clients in remote locations.
The 105m-long SCS Anne, which regularly sails between Fremantle, Dampier, Port Hedland, Wyndham, Broome, and Darwin, can ship containers, break bulk, heavy lift, over dimensional, and hazardous cargo.
The ship is equipped with two 60-tonne cranes, located on the portside, which can be operated in tandem and lift 110 tonnes.
The vessel, with its unimpeded deck length of 65m, is ideally suited to shipping “non-dimensional cargo”, said Seacorp managing director Craig Thompson.
Marine & Civil Construction operations manager Alan Sweet said the SCS Anne’s ability to handle awkward cargoes and rendezvous with barge operators enabled the company to avoid the double-handling that would have been needed with other transport. The vessel’s heavy-lift capacity ensured the crane could be transferred directly on to the piling barge.
“The alternative would have involved driving up the North West Highway and then accommodating the more expensive option of taking a barge from a land-backed port facility,” said Mr Sweet.
Craig Thompson said the shipping service, which was partly underwritten by the Western Australian Government, offered the cheapest transport option for businesses and individuals in the region.
“There are many opportunities along our vast coastline to offer a logistical and economic advantage for companies and individuals needing to locate heavy, oversize or hazardous cargoes,” Mr Thompson said.
Peter Bilbe, managing director of Aztec Resources, said the crawler crane would be used to lift and position piles for building a wharf at Koolan.
The SCS Anne’s ability to cart heavy and oversize cargoes was appealing because it provided a direct means of doing what would normally take a truck and a barge, Mr Bilbe said.
“We are certainly keen to explore other options to road transport, providing they are both economical and practical,” Mr Bilbe said.
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