Citic Pacific chief sidesteps mines start date query

The embattled property-to-steel conglomerate Citic Pacific is still working to resolve technical challenges as it seeks to get its iron ore mining project in the Pilbara region in Western Australia into commercial operation, according to the company's chairman, Chang Zhenming.

Chang would not be drawn on whether the first shipment of ore, already more than three years behind the original target, would be delayed again.

"We have been conducting trial production every day. Our priority is to resolve the technical challenges as soon as possible," he said after the firm's annual meeting in Hong Kong yesterday.

"Trial production is a process that takes time, which is typical for a project like ours - the world's largest magnetite iron ore project under construction."

Asked if the first shipment from the project would be loaded by the end of this month as planned, Chang said: "We need a little bit more time."

On April 19, Citic Pacific said it expected to see the first shipment in the second half of this month, which was a month later than it had indicated in March, because of technical reasons.