Australia iron ore ports reopen as cyclone threat eases

* Key Australian iron ore ports reopen

* Iron ore price ignores brief closures (Recasts on reopening of ports)

SYDNEY, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Two of the world's biggest iron ore export terminals, Port Hedland and Dampier in Australia, reopened on Tuesday following brief shutdowns due to the threat of a cyclone that never materialised, the Pilbara Ports Authority said.

Port Hedland, used by BHP Billiton (NYSE: BBL - news) and Fortescue Metals Group and accounting for about a fifth of all seaborne-traded iron ore was closed for 10 hours. Dampier, where Rio Tinto (Xetra: 855018 - news) sends ore, was closed for 17 hours, according to the authority.

Forecasters said earlier on Tuesday that the threat of a tropical cyclone developing in the warm Indian Ocean waters off Western Australia's Pilbara iron ore district had eased.

A tropical low on Monday had shown signs of intensifying to cyclone strength, leading the authority to close the ports and order all ships to evacuate.

Analysts said the brief closures would do little to ease a global supply glut driving down iron ore prices.

Iron ore stood at $67.80 a tonne , near a 5-1/2 year low of $65.60 reached in December.

Any drop in shipments from the ports would be reflected in monthly export figures compiled by the authority and due in early February. (Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Joseph Radford)