Fortescue Metals Group (ASX:FMG) hit an all time high in iron ore exports last month loading more ships than it has ever done in the last two and half years of production.
Thanks to an overall increase in operational productivity the mining company loaded 25 ships with over 4.3 million tonnes of iron ore at Herb Elliott Port.
The Fortescue port operations manager Tony Swiericzuk said that six months ago they regarded loading 20 ships a month excellent. However with the September record of 4.5 million tonnes established, they now look forward to a record of 5 million tonnes.
He felt no doubts about meeting this target as iron ore supplies were increasing from the Christmas Creek mine. This second mine of Fortescue Metals Group is located in Western Australia's Pilbara region and is crucial part of the company's expansion plans.
Fortescue is targeting 55 million tonnes of iron ore production a year. It is assessing if it can reach that figure using the existing port and rail infrastructure.