AAP reported that Miner Fortescue Metals shipped a record 14.77 million tonnes of iron ore in the December quarter.

Australia's third largest iron ore producer increased the amount of total shipped tonnes by 19 per cent from 12.2 million tonnes in the September quarter.

The amount of ore mined in the three months to the end of December was 16.01 million tonnes, up one per cent from the September quarter.

Fortescue planned to sustain a 55 million tonne a year run rate during the March quarter, the company said in a statement.

(Sourced from AAP)