By Rhiannon Hoyle
SYDNEY--Rio Tinto PLC (RIO.LN) said it has signed a new US$156 million contract with Westug for tug boat services at its iron-ore ports at Cape Lambert and Dampier in remote northwest Australia.
Under the five-year deal, Perth-based Westug will handle the operations and maintenance of Rio Tinto's 11-vessel tug fleet at those sites, as well as four smaller craft, the mining company said in a statement.
The four terminals at Rio Tinto's Cape Lambert and Dampier ports in Western Australia's Pilbara region handled a combined 330.1 million metric tons of iron ore shipments last year.
-Write to Rhiannon Hoyle at rhiannon.hoyle