Minerals desk · Bulk ores and alloys
Ores that feed the furnace.
Iron ore, bauxite, manganese, chrome and nickel ore moved in bulk from mine to smelter, on both index-linked and fixed-price terms.
- Annual volume
- 15M tonnes
- Grades handled
- 20+
- Discharge ports
- 26
Overview
The minerals book
The minerals book handles dry bulk ores where value sits in grade, moisture and impurity levels, and where a half-percent of Fe or Al₂O₃ decides whether a cargo clears.
We take positions on index-linked structures against published references, and offer fixed-price alternatives to buyers who need budget certainty across a quarter.
Cargoes are sampled and analysed by an agreed independent laboratory, with umpire analysis available where results are contested.
Products
What we trade, and to what specification.
| Product | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Iron ore fines | 58 – 62% Fe | Index-linked against published references |
| Bauxite | 42 – 48% Al₂O₃ | Guinean and Australian origin into refineries |
| Manganese ore | 36 – 44% Mn | Into alloy smelters across Asia |
| Chrome ore | 40 – 44% Cr₂O₃ | South African lumpy and concentrate |
| Nickel ore | 1.3 – 1.8% Ni | Laterite ore into NPI and HPAL plants |
Trade routes
Origin to destination.
Origin
Guinea
Destination
China, Gulf refineries
Capesize, planned around the wet season
Origin
Sulawesi, Indonesia
Destination
Domestic and Chinese smelters
Barge and Supramax
Origin
South Africa
Destination
China, India
Chrome and manganese on Panamax
Origin
Brazil
Destination
Northwest Europe, Middle East
Iron ore fines on Capesize
Execution
How the cargo actually moves.
- Moisture and transportable moisture limit certification before load
- Independent sampling, with umpire analysis on contested lots
- Stockpile management at origin and discharge
- Seasonal routing around monsoon and wet-season constraints