Rio Tinto has declared force majeure on third-party contracts for alumina exports from its refineries in Queensland, Australia, due to reduced gas capacity at its operations. This announcement follows an incident on the Queensland pipeline in early March, which significantly affected gas supplies from Rio’s Gladstone facility.
A company spokesman stated that the impact of the Queensland fires on the pipeline had been under assessment since March. The latest update from the pipeline operator indicates that restoring gas flows to full capacity will take considerably longer than initially anticipated. The current estimate suggests that normal levels will not resume until the second half of 2024. Until then, Rio’s Yarwun refinery in Gladstone and Queensland Alumina (QAL) will continue to operate at reduced capacity.
Despite these challenges, Rio Tinto confirmed that its aluminum smelters are maintaining production levels. The force majeure declaration affects only third-party contracts and does not impact internal operations. 
