Welcome to the latest edition of the Pipeline! It's been a busy and eventful month across our operations.
As you may be aware, there have been significant changes to Monadelphous’ contracts with Albemarle, with the company formally advising last week that construction of the third production train at Kemerton would cease with immediate effect, that the second train would be placed on care and maintenance and that they would focus on optimising train one.
We have also now been formally advised that our maintenance contract has been suspended, which means our team are temporarily stood down. We are in close contact with our people who are impacted by Albemarle’s decision regarding what this means for them, and I will provide further updates as they become available.
We have seen continuing price volatility, particularly in commodities such as nickel and lithium, impacting customers’ spend and production over the past year. However, despite some uncertainty within these markets, there continues to be a pipeline of opportunities across the resources sector and work within the Mining and Minerals Southern Region.
I want to also assure everyone involved that Albemarle’s decision is unrelated to the performance of our teams, which has continued to be of the highest quality.
Recently at Tanami, we faced a challenge when a storage bin got damaged and stopped production. Jason Hanrahan, our Maintenance Supervisor, took the lead in fixing it. Our team acted fast, overcoming unexpected challenges to keep things running smoothly.
In celebration, we're proud to acknowledge Damien Knight for his amazing accomplishment of working with Monadelphous for 20 years. Originally from Melbourne, Damien joined our team in 2004 as a boilermaker in Kalgoorlie. He quickly adapted to the very different weather conditions and has grown with the company ever since.
Community engagement continues to be a priority for us. More than 50 south-west motorcycle riders showcased their commitment by participating in the annual Blanket Ride, donating essential items to the Bunbury Intown Centre. This year marks the 10th anniversary of this heartwarming initiative, founded by Stephen 'Stubby' Chitty, and we couldn't be prouder of our team's involvement.
Over in Worsley, our team recently undertook a challenging and high-risk task: removing an end-of-life calciner seal pot weighing 39.5 tonnes. The team's commitment to safety was evident in their approach. They custom-designed a calciner seal pot cradle, which was fabricated in-house, to ensure the safe dismantling and removal of the vessel without incident.
Earlier this month, we came together across our Australian operations and offices to celebrate NAIDOC Week, acknowledging the rich history and achievements of First Nations peoples. Our diverse team, including many First Nations employees, made the week truly special by sharing their stories and experiences. This celebration reaffirms our commitment to recognising and respecting the cultures and contributions of First Nations peoples, making everyone in our team feel respected and appreciated for their unique perspectives.
As always, stay safe, and let's continue to support each other in achieving our goals.
Paul