Atlas, Brockman could lose WA port

Atlas Iron (AGO) and Brockman Mining (BRM) risk losing their port allocation at Port Hedland if they fail to meet infrastructure development goals set by the Western Australia government, according to The Australian Financial Review.

The state's premier, Colin Barnett, has targeted the miners' two berths, saying a timeline for their development is being negotiated by the state and the Port Hedland Port Authority.

“This will require a series of development milestones – once finalised – to be met in order to maintain the capacity allocation,” Mr Barnett said in a statement to the AFR.

Other miners have become increasingly interested in the miners' berths, which come with a 50 million tonne annual quota.

The Atlas and Brockman joint venture, North West Infrastructure, still hopes to develop the two berths, but requires an agreement with rail infrastructure providers, which could drag on beyond any timeline insisted on by the state and Port Hedland, the AFR added.