Cargo Preparation

Preparation of excavated bauxite into exportable cargo involves the following stages.

a) ROM Sorting and grade assessment:

The excavated material is removed from the mine to a dumping plot nearby and then subjected to manual sorting to remove large size boulders (more than 300mm) and also non-bauxite foreign material to minimize contamination. If required the large size bauxite bearing boulders are broken into smaller size boulders.

The desirable sorted material is removed to the ROM stockyard and stacked in 500 MT stacks.

Each of these stacks is sampled and chemically tested to know the grade.

Based on this determined grade the material is sent to crushing and screening plant.

b) Crushing and Screening:

Grade wise separate ROM stack wise material is fed to the crushing and screening plant whereby '4' size fractions are produced:

-10mm, 10 - 30mm, 30 - 75mm and + 75mm

Size wise material is then transported to the stockyard and stacked in 500 MT stacks. These individual stacks are once again sampled and analyzed for grade and categorized accordingly.

Now the cargo is ready for dispatch to port as per requirement. Cargo which satisfies size and quality requirement only is dispatched to port.

Cargo Movement

Material is mostly handled and moved internally using tractor-trailers / dumpers from one point to the other point. For this the company has its own fleet of trucks / dumpers and tractors. Whenever required additional vehicles are hired also. Basic movement sequence is as given below:

Note: The Company has a pro-active practice of dispatching prepared cargo - 500 M.T. to 1000 M.T., round the clock, to port and converge stack, which are readily available for ship loading. We maintain these stocks at the port whether and contracted shipment is due or not. When the shipment is declared the daily cargo movement rate to port is enhanced up to 1500 MT and can be further increased, if needed. Daily inventory of cargo at port is maintained and reported.

Cargo Management

The company has assiduous cargo management practices whereby ample care is taken to ensure that cargo contamination and quality dilution is minimized and grade / size wise cargo traceability is maintained, from one stage to the other.

The storage plots are prepared properly with minimum one foot bauxite soiling and their boundaries are well demarcated. Unauthorized movement is not permitted. The stock handling and movement are always conducted under regular supervision.

For the case of identification and traceability the graded cargo stocks are placed with placards bearing quantity and quality details.

CARGO HANDLING AT PORT AND SHIP LOADING

a) CARGO STORAGE PLOT AT PORT

We are maintaining a 40, 000 sq. Mtr. plot at the port of Porbandar, Gujarat State for cargo storage and management. The plot is kept clean at all times. Whenever a shipment is completed the remaining cargo at the plot is segregated separately and the plot is made ready to receive fresh cargo. All this is done to prevent cargo contamination.

The cargo is moved into the port plot by trucks / dumpers and unloaded forming separate stacks as per size, grade and quality for each buyer. Each stack is of 1000 MT.

There is a documented system to maintain traceability of the incoming cargo each truck wise. Prolific records are maintained and daily cargo movement / convergence in the port is also prepared.

The necessary machinery to handle the cargo in the plot is available with the handing agent, who works under active supervision of the company supervisors. We also have deputed well experienced and skilled staff at Okha Port on permanent establishment who has having experience of 50 to 60 shipments made during last 3 / 4 years and they performed remarkable role in quality controlling and ship loading.

It is a regular practice of the company to keep proactively moving cargo into the port plot. On an average 500 to 1000 MT of cargo is moved every day. However, when a shipment is declared the movement rate is increased to 1500 MT per day even more when required. This way we are able to converge required cargo well in time and effect the shipment without any delay.

Ship Loading

So far ships up to 60,000 M.T. capacity have been calling at Porbandar Port. Ship loading takes place in two ways.

• Direct loading into the ship at the berth.
• Loading of bargers at the jetty and then loading of ship from barges in the mid-stream anchorage.
  The loading operations is conducted by stevedores ,under the supervision of company supervisors. They have ample resources in the form of ‘5 loaders, 40- 50 dumpers, 5 barges and 3 tugs with capacities ranging from 300 to 800 MT.
• Cargo loading and loading rate.
  Since there are no port cranes available at okha port the loading depends upon ship’s cranes/ grabs and their sizes. For Example ,with a grab of 8/10 cum capacity it is possible to lopad around 1500 mt per hook per day at the berth and around 1000 mt per day at the midstream anchorage.
  It is also possible to load by ‘Zon ceiling’ at the berth with a crane capacity of 25/30 – about 750 MT can be loaded per hook in a day.

Ship loading record:

It is a practice of the company to plan and undertake ship loading meticulously. The ship loading process is continuously supervised by a director of the company at the port to achieve best possible results.

In a short span of ‘2’ years have established a sound reputation as dependable shippers. When required have risen to the challenges and achieved loading rates of up to 16500 MT Per day also.

But for ‘force majeure ‘ reasons on two occasions have always loaded shipments in time (92% shipment on time).

Production and shipping capacity:

Since we have to feed own bauxite for calcinations plants also, on daily basis, we are operating four mines (out of eight) exclusively for this purpose. The other four operating mines thus cater to export and local sale needs. The current optimum production capacity for exports, at an average 40% recovery,rate factor, ranges between 50-55000. Hence keeping in view other demands and exigencies SCABAL can export up to 50,000 MT Metallurgical and other grade of bauxite per month.

The production and shipping capacity can be enhanced also if more areas opened/developed. Hence it has also to be kept in mind that during monsoon/rainy months (June to August) the mining activity as well as port operations get almost closed, hence shipments are not possible during these months.