Mining giant Rio Tinto says it is again considering scaling back operations of its alumina refinery at Gove in the Northern Territory.
In a statement to employees today, Gove operations general manager Ryan Cavanagh said the option of curtailing production at the refinery is back on the agenda after the latest gas supply offer from the Territory Government.
He said that, in February, the Government originally committed to release 300 petajoules of its domestic gas supply to the refinery but since then had amended the offer to 175 petajoules.
Mr Cavanagh said the company was considering what this likely amount of gas supply would mean for refinery operations.
He said no decision had been made, and workers would be informed as soon as possible about the future of the refinery.
“It is important that we continue to focus on those things we can control, and ensure safety remains our number one priority,” he said.
The refinery operator, Rio Tinto subsidiary Pacific Aluminium, earlier this year said that operating the refinery using expensive liquid fuels was no longer economical.
