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Iron ore mining in Western Australia

Iron ore mining in Western Australia, in the 2018–19 financial year, accounted for 54 percent of the total value of the state's resource production, with a value of A$78.2 billion. The overall value of the minerals and petroleum industry in Western Australia was A$145 billion in 2018–19, a 26 percent increase on the previous financial year.[2][3]

Iron ore mining in Western Australia
Position of Western Australia within Australia highlighted
Location
StateWestern Australia
CountryAustralia
Regulatory authority
AuthorityDepartment of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety
Websitewww.dmirs.wa.gov.au
Production
CommodityIron ore
Production 844.4 million tonnes
Value A$137.6 billion
Employees 78,974
Year2021–22[1]

Western Australia's iron ore output for 2020–21 was 838.7 million tonnes, the second-highest figure after 2017–18. The bulk of Western Australian ore went to China, which imported 82% of 2021 production, followed by Japan and South Korea, with 6% each.[4] The state has the world's largest reserves of iron ore with 29% of the world's iron ore, followed by Brazil with 19%, Russia with 15% and China with 12%.[2][5][3]

In 2020–21 the Western Australian Government received A$9.8 billion in royalties from the iron ore mining industry in the state.[4][2][6][3] The remaining life of the Pilbara iron ore fields has been estimated as 65 years from 2021.[7]

History edit

Australian Iron and Steel had leases for the iron ore deposit on Cockatoo Island, in Yampi Sound, and later secured leases over deposits on the neighbouring Koolan Island. The company bought a schooner, Geraldton, carried out survey work on Cockatoo Island in 1929 and 1930, and built some accommodation buildings and a reservoir on the island in 1932. The housing was deserted by May 1934.[8][9][10][11] Cecil Hoskins tried to obtain financial support from Japanese mining interests to develop the Yampi Sound ore deposits—some of the ore was to be exported to Japan—but discussions apparently broke down in early 1935.[12][13] After the end of the Second World War, the company, now a BHP subsidiary, began developing the deposit on Cockatoo Island, and its first ore shipment was in 1951.[14]

Iron ore mining also took place at Wundowie and later at Koolyanobbing, to feed the Wundowie charcoal iron blast furnaces, from 1948 to 1981.[15][16] Koolyanobing also supplied ore to a BHP owned blast furnace at Kwinana, from 1968 to 1982.[17][18] Since that time, apart from a short-lived Direct Reduced Iron plant, at Port Hedland,[19] no iron has been smelted in Western Australia, and almost all ore mined has been exported.

While the Pilbara iron ore deposits were known, such as the Mount Whaleback deposit discovered in 1957 by Stan Hilditch, it was not until 1960, when the Australian government lifted the embargo on iron ore exports that it had put in place because of concerns the mineral was in short supply, that mining began in earnest.[20] Up until the mid-1960s, iron ore production in Western Australia, and Australia as a whole, was negligible, in the range of less than 10 million tons a year. By the mid-1970s, this figure had reached 100 million tonnes, with the majority coming from Western Australia. Production slightly declined in the 1980s but it improved in the 1990s, reaching 150 million tonnes for the country by 1997 and 200 million tonnes by 2003.[21]

The first mine in the Pilbara, the Goldsworthy mine, was developed in 1965 by Mount Goldsworthy Mining Associates, a joint venture between the British-owned Consolidated Goldfields (Aust) Pty Ltd, Cyprus Mines Corporation of Los Angeles, and Utah Construction & Mining Company of San Francisco.[22] A private railway line, the Goldsworthy railway, as well as port facilities at Finucane Island, Port Hedland, were also constructed. On 1 June 1966, the first shipment of iron ore from the Pilbara left on board Harvey S. Mudd.[23][24]

BHP's operations in Newman date back to 1968, when the Mount Whaleback mine was opened, the biggest single open-pit iron ore mine in the world. A new town, Mount Newman, was constructed, as well as a 426 kilometre railway line, the Mount Newman railway. The first train left Mount Newman on 1 January 1969 and the first shipment of Newman ore left port on 1 April 1969 on board of Osumi Maru.[24] Newman remained a "closed" company town until 1981.[20]

Rio Tinto's iron ore operations in the Pilbara began in 1966,[25] with the Mount Tom Price mine opened that year, becoming the company's first mine to open in the Pilbara.[26]

Overview edit

Exploration edit

 
Quarterly expenditure ($millions) on iron ore exploration in Western Australia since 1988
 
Early exploration camp at Mount Goldsworthy (1964)

In 2008–09, expenditure for exploration in iron ore in Western Australia increased by 33 percent compared to the previous financial year, 2007–08. The A$560 million spend on iron ore exploration accounted for 45 percent of all mineral exploration expenditure in the state.[21]

Production edit

 
Major West Australian Commodities in 2022

The bulk of iron ore production in Western Australia comes from the Pilbara region of the state. A number of mines however are also located in the Mid West and Kimberley regions as well as in the Wheatbelt.[21]

The big two producers, Rio Tinto and BHP accounted for 90 percent of all iron ore production in the state in 2008–09, with the third-biggest producer being the Fortescue Metals Group.[21]

Rio Tinto operates twelve iron ore mines in Western Australia, BHP seven, Fortescue two, all of those are located in the Pilbara region.[21]

Railways edit

Pilbara region edit

 
Iron ore mines in the Pilbara region.

The three largest iron ore producers operate private rail networks to transport ore from their mines to ports on the coast.

BHP operates the Goldsworthy railway and the Mount Newman railway, both terminating at Port Hedland.

Rio Tinto operates the Hamersley & Robe River railway, formed in a 2001 merger of the Hamersley and Robe River railways. The two lines terminate at Cape Lambert and Dampier.

FMG's Fortescue railway, a relative newcomer, started operation in 2008. The line terminates at Port Hedland.[27] Before deciding to construct its own line, the National Competition Council of Australia received an application from FMG, on 15 June 2004, to use part of the Mount Newman railway and also part of the Goldsworthy railway.[28]

In June 2010, the Australian Competition Tribunal ruled that FMG would be granted access to Rio Tinto's Robe River line and BHP Billiton's Goldsworthy line but not to the busier Hamersley and Mount Newman lines.[29][30] Treasurer Wayne Swan suggested that several advantages would accrue from access to the rail lines by third parties. It would increase competition, reduce duplication of infrastructure, and reduce environmental damage.[31] Atlas Iron, another junior iron ore miner, is hopeful to come to terms with BHP Billiton in regards to using some of the company's rail infrastructure, the Goldsworthy railway, in the future. BHP, in late 2010, had agreed to a joint feasibility study into how an arrangement might work.[32]

Access to the rail networks by third parties is governed by the State Agreements Act.[33]

Westrail region edit

Other mines connect to port using the state government-owned railways. Examples are Windarling Range and Koolyanobbing – from Koolyanobbing to the port of Esperance; Karara mine using the Karara railway to link to the state network at Morawa; Koolanooka using a 60 km spur line linking to the state network at Morawa; and Mt Gibson trucking to an ore loading siding at Perenjori.[34][35]

Ports edit

In the Pilbara, iron ore is shipped from Port Hedland, Dampier and Cape Lambert. The latter two ports are exclusively used by Rio Tinto, while Port Hedland is used by BHP, FMG and Atlas Iron.

Port facilities at Port Hedland consist of Nelson Point and Finucane Island, both BHP, and Herb Elliott Port, used by FMG. In Dampier, ore is shipped from Parker Point and East Intercourse Island.

The non-Pilbara mines ship their ore out of other ports: Windarling Range ships from the port of Esperance;[34] the Jack Hills, Koolanooka, Mungada and Mt Gibson mines ship from Geraldton.[36][37]

Projects edit

class=notpageimage|
Major iron ore mining locations in Western Australia with Perth as a reference

BHP is currently spending A$1.85 billion on its Rapid Growth Project 4, aimed at increasing its annual iron ore output to 155 million tonnes. To achieve this, upgrades to both mines and port facilities are necessary. The project is scheduled for completion by 2010. As a follow-up, Rapid Growth Project 5, with a budget of A$4.8 billion, targets a further production increase of 50 million tonnes annually. Additionally to upgrades at the mines and ports, it will also include duplication of existing railway lines and is scheduled for completion in late 2011.[21] The Jimblebar mine is part of another expansion project, launched in 2010 and aimed at increasing production from the Pilbara mines to 240 million tonnes of iron ore annually by 2013. The expansion of Jimlebar, together with an expansion of the inner harbour at Port Hedland and works on the duplication of rail tracks is estimated to cost A$2.15billion.[38] The project is titled Rapid Growth Project 6.[39]

Rio Tinto declared its intent to expand the Hope Downs mine, spending a further A$1.78 billion on its new Hope Downs 4 project, scheduled to produce 15 million tonnes of iron ore annually by 2013.[40][41] Rio has commenced construction on its new Western Turner Syncline project. Rio Tinto allocated a further A$1.24 billion in early December 2010, to expand the Brockman 4 mine to 40 million tonnes per annum, from 22, as well as develop its Western Turner Syncline project, raising planned production there from 6 to 15 million tonnes, with the aim of increasing the Pilbara production to 283 million tonnes per annum by late 2013. The expansion would make Brockman 4 Rio Tinto's second-largest mine in the Pilbara.[42] The company has also begun further construction at the port at Cape Lambert, which is scheduled to undergo a further expansion, to be completed by 2012. The new expansion is scheduled to cost A$276 million.[43] The expansion is part of a plan to raise Rio's annual production from the Pilbara from 220 to 330 million tonnes annually by 2016. To achieve this, the Cape Lambert port capacity will be expanded to handle an additional 100 million tonnes annually.[44]

Plans by the Fortescue Metals Group to increase production from 39 million tonnes to 55 million tonnes through a US$220 million upgrade of the Cloud Break mine had to be abandoned in October 2009 because of funding difficulties through its Chinese investors. Instead, Fortescue decided to develop its Christmas Creek mine, at a cost of US$360 million, by building a mine and process plant there and linking it to its existing rail network. Christmas Creek is scheduled to produce 16 million tonnes of iron ore in its first year of operation. Fortescue plans to reach an annual production of 95 million tonnes of iron ore by 2012, downgraded from an earlier target of 120 million.[45]

At Cape Preston, CITIC Pacific Mining is currently, as of 2010, in the process of constructing a 27.6 million tonnes per annum magnetite iron ore mine, named the Sino Iron Project.[46]

Export edit

China, in 2008–09, was the main importer of Western Australian iron ore, having taken 64 percent, or A$21 billion in value. Japan was the second-most important market with 21 percent, followed by South Korea with 10 percent and Taiwan with 3. In comparison, Europe is a small market for ore from the state, having taken only one percent of the overall production in 2008–09.[21]

Criticism edit

The iron ore mining boom in Western Australia experienced since the early 2000s has not exclusively been seen as positive. Communities in the Pilbara region have seen a large influx of residential and Fly-in fly-out workers which has seen land prices skyrocket and has negatively affected tourism as accommodation has become sparse.[47][48]

Aboriginal communities edit

Australian Aboriginal culture in the region is deeply connected to the land and water and the mining activities threaten the fragile desert environment of the Pilbara. Locals in the Pilbara argue that the wealth generated by the local mining industry is passing them by and they are left behind. A lack of accommodation and the unattractive nature of relocating to the "dusty outback" resulted in a majority work force of fly-in fly-out workers, depriving local towns of the benefits of a high-earning permanent population.[48]

Mining companies in Australia have, since 1992, changed their attitude towards the local Aboriginal population. In 1992, the Australian government began to recognise the land rights of the Indigenous Australians, opening an opportunity for the latter to engage in negotiations with mining companies to press for compensation and for assistance in preserving cultural artifacts. However, some Aboriginals feel short-changed, given the enormous profits made from mining, and also consider the financial benefits and employment opportunities as insufficient compensation for the destruction caused to their habitat.[48]

Aboriginal mining companies have been able to secure contracts with the big international mining companies. In 2007, BHP Billiton awarded a A$300 million contract to Ngarda Civil and Mining, an Aboriginal-owned company, to manage the Yarrie mine, the largest ever mining contract awarded to an Aboriginal company.[49][50] As part of the five-year contract, BHP Billiton planned to increase the number of Aboriginal workers at the mine to 70, out of a total of 90 workers. The managing director of Ngarda, Brian Taylor, saw this contract as a positive step, moving Aboriginal people in the region away from government welfare and into permanent employment. Western Australian Aboriginals, in 2007, suffered from an unemployment rate of 14 percent in the state, compared to 3.3% for the general population.[51] Of the 12,000 people employed by BHP Billiton in its Pilbara operations in 2010, 700 were indigenous. Rio Tinto also, as of 2010, employs 700 indigenous workers in its Pilbara operations, comprising 6 percent of its overall work force. FMG, under the leadership of Andrew Forrest, is driving a national program which aims to find 50,000 jobs for indigenous workers in Australia.[50] Companies like BHP, FMG and Rio Tinto have programs aimed at increasing the number of Aboriginal employees in their operations.[48] Indigenous Australians in Western Australia in 2001 accounted for 3.1% of the population.

Companies however lack an understanding of Aboriginal culture, which requires young men to be sent to the bush for up to six weeks to hunt and learn about their culture. Companies are often unwilling to award their indigenous employees this time off to be able to perform these important traditions.[50]

Safety edit

Since the late 1960s, when the Department of Mines began categorising fatalities by commodity, until 2010, 86 work-related fatalities have occurred in the iron ore mining industry in Western Australia.[52]

List of active mines edit

This is a list of major active iron ore mines in Western Australia in 2022–23, according to the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. To qualify for the department's official list of principal mining projects an operation has to either had mineral sales valued at more than $5 million, or, for operations where such figures are not reported, had a minimum of 50 employees:[53][54][55]

Mine Owner 1 Shire Capacity 2 Opening year Coordinates 3
Miralga Creek mine Atlas Iron Shire of East Pilbara 2 2022 21°00′17″S 119°19′04″E / 21.0047°S 119.3179°E / -21.0047; 119.3179 (Miralga Creek mine)
Mt Webber mine Atlas Iron Shire of East Pilbara 9 2014 21°32′13″S 119°17′20″E / 21.5369°S 119.2888°E / -21.5369; 119.2888 (Mt Webber mine)
Sanjiv Ridge mine Atlas Iron Shire of East Pilbara 4 2021 21°24′14″S 119°41′35″E / 21.4040°S 119.6930°E / -21.4040; 119.6930 (Sanjiv Ridge mine)
Area C mine BHP Shire of East Pilbara 55 2003 22°55′12″S 118°58′28″E / 22.919955°S 118.974471°E / -22.919955; 118.974471 (Area C mine)
Jimblebar mine BHP Shire of East Pilbara 14 1989 23°23′04″S 120°07′23″E / 23.384341°S 120.123142°E / -23.384341; 120.123142 (Jimblebar mine)
Newman West BHP Shire of East Pilbara 38 1968 23°21′55″S 119°40′31″E / 23.365360°S 119.675400°E / -23.365360; 119.675400 (Newman West)
Newman East BHP Shire of East Pilbara 12 23°20′23″S 119°47′59″E / 23.339630°S 119.799797°E / -23.339630; 119.799797 (Newman East)
South Flank mine BHP Shire of East Pilbara 80 2021 22°59′27″S 118°52′43″E / 22.990875°S 118.878686°E / -22.990875; 118.878686 (South Flank mine)
Yandi mine BHP Shire of East Pilbara 41 1992 22°44′01″S 119°07′06″E / 22.733650°S 119.118202°E / -22.733650; 119.118202 (Yandi mine)
Iron Ridge mine Fenix Resources Shire of Cue 1.25 2021 26°57′14″S 117°40′45″E / 26.953788°S 117.679282°E / -26.953788; 117.679282 (Iron Ridge mine)
Christmas Creek mine FMG Shire of East Pilbara 16 2009 22°22′46″S 119°50′59″E / 22.3794°S 119.8496°E / -22.3794; 119.8496 (Christmas Creek mine)
Cloud Break mine FMG Shire of Ashburton 28 2008 22°19′26″S 119°23′49″E / 22.3240°S 119.3969°E / -22.3240; 119.3969 (Cloud Break mine)
Eliwana mine FMG Shire of Ashburton 30 2020 22°28′16″S 116°49′40″E / 22.47103°S 116.827671°E / -22.47103; 116.827671 (Eliwana mine)
Firetail mine FMG Shire of Ashburton 27 2013 22°12′54″S 117°53′41″E / 22.214953°S 117.894646°E / -22.214953; 117.894646 (Firetail mine)
Kings Valley mine FMG Shire of Ashburton 40 2014 22°07′14″S 117°52′38″E / 22.120451°S 117.877102°E / -22.120451; 117.877102 (Kings Valley mine)
Queens Valley mine FMG Shire of Ashburton 2022 22°08′26″S 117°49′06″E / 22.140627°S 117.818452°E / -22.140627; 117.818452 (Queens Valley mine)
Roy Hill mine Hancock Prospecting Shire of East Pilbara 60 2015 22°37′19″S 119°57′30″E / 22.621944°S 119.958333°E / -22.621944; 119.958333 (Roy Hill mine)
Karara mine Karara Mining Limited Shire of Perenjori 8 2010 29°11′28″S 116°45′38″E / 29.191111°S 116.760556°E / -29.191111; 116.760556 (Karara mine)
Iron Valley mine BCI Minerals (operated by Mineral Resources) Shire of East Pilbara 8 2014 22°43′36″S 119°19′28″E / 22.726642°S 119.324313°E / -22.726642; 119.324313 (Iron Valley mine)
Koolyanobbing mine Mineral Resources Shire of Yilgarn 8 2018 30°49′02″S 119°31′12″E / 30.81721°S 119.51990°E / -30.81721; 119.51990 (Koolyanobbing mine)
Wonmunna mine Mineral Resources Shire of East Pilbara 5 2021 23°07′48″S 119°02′34″E / 23.129957°S 119.042795°E / -23.129957; 119.042795 (Wonmunna mine)
Koolan Island mine Mount Gibson Iron Shire of Derby–West Kimberley 0.4 2007 16°07′31″S 123°44′18″E / 16.125278°S 123.738333°E / -16.125278; 123.738333 (Koolan Island mine)
Brockman 2 mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 8.7 1992 22°25′38″S 117°20′29″E / 22.427290°S 117.341301°E / -22.427290; 117.341301 (Brockman 2 mine)
Brockman 4 mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 22 2010 22°34′31″S 117°16′07″E / 22.575371°S 117.268501°E / -22.575371; 117.268501 (Brockman 4 mine)
Channar mine Rio Tinto (60%), Sinosteel (40%) Shire of Ashburton 20 1990 23°18′48″S 117°47′06″E / 23.313320°S 117.785103°E / -23.313320; 117.785103 (Channar mine)
Eastern Range mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 20 2004 23°18′48″S 117°47′06″E / 23.313320°S 117.785103°E / -23.313320; 117.785103 (Eastern Range mine)
Gudai-Darri mine Rio Tinto Shire of East Pilbara 43 2022 22°30′20″S 119°01′39″E / 22.505666°S 119.027416°E / -22.505666; 119.027416 (Gudai-Darri mine)
Hope Downs mine Rio Tinto Shire of East Pilbara 30 2007 23°08′42″S 119°34′19″E / 23.144968°S 119.572064°E / -23.144968; 119.572064 (Hope Downs mine)
Hope Downs 4 mine Rio Tinto Shire of East Pilbara 15 2014 23°08′50″S 119°32′45″E / 23.147274°S 119.545879°E / -23.147274; 119.545879 (Hope Downs 4 mine)
Marandoo mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 15 1994 22°38′25″S 118°07′15″E / 22.640150°S 118.120796°E / -22.640150; 118.120796 (Marandoo mine)
Mesa A mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 25 2010 21°40′12″S 115°54′14″E / 21.669979°S 115.903999°E / -21.669979; 115.903999 (Mesa A mine)
Mesa J mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 7 1994 21°45′00″S 116°14′32″E / 21.750059°S 116.242203°E / -21.750059; 116.242203 (Mesa J mine)
Mount Tom Price mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 28 1966 22°44′58″S 117°46′22″E / 22.749531°S 117.772697°E / -22.749531; 117.772697 (Mount Tom Price mine)
Nammuldi mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 6.6 2006 22°25′07″S 117°21′37″E / 22.418579°S 117.360397°E / -22.418579; 117.360397 (Nammuldi mine)
Paraburdoo mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 20 1972 23°13′36″S 117°36′30″E / 23.226780°S 117.608200°E / -23.226780; 117.608200 (Paraburdoo mine)
Silvergrass mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 10 2017 22°19′19″S 117°18′08″E / 22.321905°S 117.302219°E / -22.321905; 117.302219 (Silvergrass mine)
West Angelas mine Rio Tinto Shire of East Pilbara 29.5 2002 23°10′23″S 118°45′53″E / 23.173010°S 118.764702°E / -23.173010; 118.764702 (West Angelas mine)
Western Turner mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 2021 22°40′09″S 117°35′32″E / 22.669181°S 117.592264°E / -22.669181; 117.592264 (Western Turner mine)
Yandicoogina mine Rio Tinto Shire of East Pilbara 52 1998 22°46′09″S 119°13′49″E / 22.769150°S 119.230400°E / -22.769150; 119.230400 (Yandicoogina mine)
Blue Hills mine Sinosteel Midwest Corporation Shire of Perenjori 1 2021 29°08′27″S 116°52′14″E / 29.140746°S 116.870469°E / -29.140746; 116.870469 (Blue Hills mine)
  • 1 Majority-owner and operator shown only
  • 2 Capacity is the production capacity of the mine, not actual annual production, and is in million tonnes of iron ore per annum
  • 3 Coordinates of the main processing facility

List of inactive and exhausted mines edit

This is a list of former iron ore mines in Western Australia:

Mine Owner Location Region Opening year Closing year
Cockatoo Island mine Pluton Resources Cockatoo Island Kimberley 1995 (1951-1986) 2015
Goldsworthy mine Mount Goldsworthy Mining Associates Goldsworthy Pilbara 1966 1982
Jack Hills mine Mitsubishi Corporation Jack Hills Mid West 2006 2012
Koolanooka mine Sinosteel Midwest Morawa Mid West 2010 (1965-1974) 2013
Nimingarra mine BHP Biliton Goldsworthy Pilbara 1988 2007
Shay Gap mine Mount Goldsworthy Mining Associates Shay Gap Pilbara 1973 1993
Tallering Peak Mount Gibson Iron Mullewa Mid West 2004 2014
Wundowie mine Charcoal Iron & Steel Industry (WA Government) Wundowie Wheatbelt 1948 1951
Yarrie mine BHP Yarrie Pilbara 1993 2014

Statistics edit

 
Western Australian Iron Ore Production and Value from 2000 to 2022

Annual statistics for the Western Australian iron ore mining industry:[1][4][56][57][58][59][60]

Subject 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Production (million tonnes/annum) 106.27 107.67 111.64 111.73 119.69 133.13 132.90 141.29 149.74 141.02
Production value (A$ billion) 2.25 2.65 2.95 2.99 2.87 2.79 2.92 3.16 3.93 3.97
Subject 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Production (million tonnes/annum) 151.2 161.8 164.6 188.2 202.0 233.2 242.6 257.6 291.0 316.5
Production value (A$ billion) 3.72 4.91 5.21 5.19 5.33 8.30 12.7 15.7 22.0 33.6
WA Royalty Receipts (A$ million) 285 272 290 330 534 774 830 1,518 1,701 2,394
Employees 9,103 9,289 11,184 12,585 13,727 16,203 18,387 23,185 26,051 27,537
Subject 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Production (million tonnes/annum) 385.0 397.6 454.4 512.6 623.5 718.8 748.1 793.0 839.4 790.6
Production value (A$ billion) 35.3 57.6 60.8 56.4 75.2 54.4 48.8 64.3 62.1 81.8
WA Royalty Receipts (A$ million) 3,785 3,535 4,344 5,226 5,448 4,026 3,600 4,708 4,476 4,884
Employees 33,345 43,008 55,323 60,844 58,257 58,093 53,229 53,221 53,716 59,525
Subject 2020 2021 2022
Production (million tonnes/annum) 836.8 838.7 844.4
Production value (A$ billion) 104.6 154.7 137.1
WA Royalty Receipts (A$ million) 7,802 9,797 10,848
Employees 65,454 76,150 78,974

References edit

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  32. ^ Atlas Iron optimistic about using BHP rail line to Port Hedland ABC Rural, published: 23 November 2010, accessed: 24 November 2010
  33. ^ Report on Current Transport and Communications Infrastructure in the Pilbara Murdoch University, accessed: 4 November 2010
  34. ^ a b "Yilgarn Operations – 2013 Triennial Performance Review" (PDF). Cliffs Natural Resources. Cleveland, OH. 2013. p. 3. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  35. ^ "Koolanooka 1961 to Today" (PDF). Shire of Morawa. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  36. ^ Koolanooka/Blue Hills (Haematite) 17 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine Sinosteel Midwest website, accessed: 28 November 2010
  37. ^ Jack Hills Iron Ore Mine 21 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine Crosslands resources website, accessed: 28 November 2010
  38. ^ BHP approves a $2bn expansion of WA iron ore operations The Australian, published: 29 January 2010, accessed: 14 November 2010
  39. ^ BHP boosts Pilbara despite EU threat to Rio joint venture The Australian, published: 30 January 2010, accessed: 14 November 2010
  40. ^ Rio Tinto to invest $1.78b in Hope Downs The Sydney Morning Herald, published: 30 August 2010, accessed: 7 November 2010
  41. ^ Rio Tinto proceeds with Hope Downs iron project ABC Rural, published: 31 August 2010, accessed: 7 November 2010
  42. ^ Rio Tinto signals $1.24bn ore expansion The Australian, published: 2 December 2010, accessed: 4 December 2010
  43. ^ John Holland lands Cape Lambert port expansion for Rio The Herald Sun, published: 3 September 2010, accessed: 8 November 2010
  44. ^ Rio announces $226m expansion at Cape Lambert The West Australian, published: 14 July 2010, accessed: 8 November 2010
  45. ^ Fortescue Metals Group's China funding flops The Australian, published: 13 October 2010, accessed: 9 November 2010
  46. ^ Sino Iron Project CITIC Pacific Mining, accessed: 28 November 2010
  47. ^ National Geographic, published: 26 September 2007, accessed: 6 December 2010
  48. ^ a b c d National Geographic, published: 26 September 2007, accessed: 6 December 2010
  49. ^ Fact Sheet: Yarrie Mine Operations Ngarda Civil and Mining website, accessed: 6 December 2010
  50. ^ a b c Looking for opportunities ABC North West WA, published: 16 February 2010, accessed: 6 December 2010
  51. ^ Indigenous firm wins $300m BHP deal The Australian, published: 5 September 2007, accessed: 6 December 2010
  52. ^ Western Australian mining fatalities database 25 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine accessed: 19 February 2011
  53. ^ "Western Australia's principal resources projects, 2020-21" (PDF). dmp.wa.gov.au. Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  54. ^ "Western Australia's principal resources projects, 2021-22" (PDF). dmp.wa.gov.au. Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
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  57. ^ Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 2012-13 Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, accessed: 12 March 2023
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  60. ^ 2017 Economic indicators resources data Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, accessed: 30 May 2018

External links edit

iron, mining, western, australia, main, article, mining, western, australia, 2018, financial, year, accounted, percent, total, value, state, resource, production, with, value, billion, overall, value, minerals, petroleum, industry, western, australia, billion,. Main article Mining in Western Australia Iron ore mining in Western Australia in the 2018 19 financial year accounted for 54 percent of the total value of the state s resource production with a value of A 78 2 billion The overall value of the minerals and petroleum industry in Western Australia was A 145 billion in 2018 19 a 26 percent increase on the previous financial year 2 3 Iron ore mining in Western AustraliaPosition of Western Australia within Australia highlightedLocationStateWestern AustraliaCountryAustraliaRegulatory authorityAuthorityDepartment of Mines Industry Regulation and SafetyWebsitewww wbr dmirs wbr wa wbr gov wbr auProductionCommodityIron oreProduction844 4 million tonnesValueA 137 6 billionEmployees78 974Year2021 22 1 Western Australia s iron ore output for 2020 21 was 838 7 million tonnes the second highest figure after 2017 18 The bulk of Western Australian ore went to China which imported 82 of 2021 production followed by Japan and South Korea with 6 each 4 The state has the world s largest reserves of iron ore with 29 of the world s iron ore followed by Brazil with 19 Russia with 15 and China with 12 2 5 3 In 2020 21 the Western Australian Government received A 9 8 billion in royalties from the iron ore mining industry in the state 4 2 6 3 The remaining life of the Pilbara iron ore fields has been estimated as 65 years from 2021 7 Contents 1 History 2 Overview 2 1 Exploration 2 2 Production 2 3 Railways 2 3 1 Pilbara region 2 3 2 Westrail region 2 4 Ports 2 5 Projects 2 6 Export 3 Criticism 3 1 Aboriginal communities 4 Safety 5 List of active mines 6 List of inactive and exhausted mines 7 Statistics 8 References 9 External linksHistory editAustralian Iron and Steel had leases for the iron ore deposit on Cockatoo Island in Yampi Sound and later secured leases over deposits on the neighbouring Koolan Island The company bought a schooner Geraldton carried out survey work on Cockatoo Island in 1929 and 1930 and built some accommodation buildings and a reservoir on the island in 1932 The housing was deserted by May 1934 8 9 10 11 Cecil Hoskins tried to obtain financial support from Japanese mining interests to develop the Yampi Sound ore deposits some of the ore was to be exported to Japan but discussions apparently broke down in early 1935 12 13 After the end of the Second World War the company now a BHP subsidiary began developing the deposit on Cockatoo Island and its first ore shipment was in 1951 14 Iron ore mining also took place at Wundowie and later at Koolyanobbing to feed the Wundowie charcoal iron blast furnaces from 1948 to 1981 15 16 Koolyanobing also supplied ore to a BHP owned blast furnace at Kwinana from 1968 to 1982 17 18 Since that time apart from a short lived Direct Reduced Iron plant at Port Hedland 19 no iron has been smelted in Western Australia and almost all ore mined has been exported While the Pilbara iron ore deposits were known such as the Mount Whaleback deposit discovered in 1957 by Stan Hilditch it was not until 1960 when the Australian government lifted the embargo on iron ore exports that it had put in place because of concerns the mineral was in short supply that mining began in earnest 20 Up until the mid 1960s iron ore production in Western Australia and Australia as a whole was negligible in the range of less than 10 million tons a year By the mid 1970s this figure had reached 100 million tonnes with the majority coming from Western Australia Production slightly declined in the 1980s but it improved in the 1990s reaching 150 million tonnes for the country by 1997 and 200 million tonnes by 2003 21 The first mine in the Pilbara the Goldsworthy mine was developed in 1965 by Mount Goldsworthy Mining Associates a joint venture between the British owned Consolidated Goldfields Aust Pty Ltd Cyprus Mines Corporation of Los Angeles and Utah Construction amp Mining Company of San Francisco 22 A private railway line the Goldsworthy railway as well as port facilities at Finucane Island Port Hedland were also constructed On 1 June 1966 the first shipment of iron ore from the Pilbara left on board Harvey S Mudd 23 24 BHP s operations in Newman date back to 1968 when the Mount Whaleback mine was opened the biggest single open pit iron ore mine in the world A new town Mount Newman was constructed as well as a 426 kilometre railway line the Mount Newman railway The first train left Mount Newman on 1 January 1969 and the first shipment of Newman ore left port on 1 April 1969 on board of Osumi Maru 24 Newman remained a closed company town until 1981 20 Rio Tinto s iron ore operations in the Pilbara began in 1966 25 with the Mount Tom Price mine opened that year becoming the company s first mine to open in the Pilbara 26 Overview editExploration edit nbsp Quarterly expenditure millions on iron ore exploration in Western Australia since 1988 nbsp Early exploration camp at Mount Goldsworthy 1964 In 2008 09 expenditure for exploration in iron ore in Western Australia increased by 33 percent compared to the previous financial year 2007 08 The A 560 million spend on iron ore exploration accounted for 45 percent of all mineral exploration expenditure in the state 21 Production edit nbsp Major West Australian Commodities in 2022The bulk of iron ore production in Western Australia comes from the Pilbara region of the state A number of mines however are also located in the Mid West and Kimberley regions as well as in the Wheatbelt 21 The big two producers Rio Tinto and BHP accounted for 90 percent of all iron ore production in the state in 2008 09 with the third biggest producer being the Fortescue Metals Group 21 Rio Tinto operates twelve iron ore mines in Western Australia BHP seven Fortescue two all of those are located in the Pilbara region 21 Railways edit Pilbara region edit nbsp Iron ore mines in the Pilbara region The three largest iron ore producers operate private rail networks to transport ore from their mines to ports on the coast BHP operates the Goldsworthy railway and the Mount Newman railway both terminating at Port Hedland Rio Tinto operates the Hamersley amp Robe River railway formed in a 2001 merger of the Hamersley and Robe River railways The two lines terminate at Cape Lambert and Dampier FMG s Fortescue railway a relative newcomer started operation in 2008 The line terminates at Port Hedland 27 Before deciding to construct its own line the National Competition Council of Australia received an application from FMG on 15 June 2004 to use part of the Mount Newman railway and also part of the Goldsworthy railway 28 In June 2010 the Australian Competition Tribunal ruled that FMG would be granted access to Rio Tinto s Robe River line and BHP Billiton s Goldsworthy line but not to the busier Hamersley and Mount Newman lines 29 30 Treasurer Wayne Swan suggested that several advantages would accrue from access to the rail lines by third parties It would increase competition reduce duplication of infrastructure and reduce environmental damage 31 Atlas Iron another junior iron ore miner is hopeful to come to terms with BHP Billiton in regards to using some of the company s rail infrastructure the Goldsworthy railway in the future BHP in late 2010 had agreed to a joint feasibility study into how an arrangement might work 32 Access to the rail networks by third parties is governed by the State Agreements Act 33 Westrail region edit Other mines connect to port using the state government owned railways Examples are Windarling Range and Koolyanobbing from Koolyanobbing to the port of Esperance Karara mine using the Karara railway to link to the state network at Morawa Koolanooka using a 60 km spur line linking to the state network at Morawa and Mt Gibson trucking to an ore loading siding at Perenjori 34 35 Ports edit In the Pilbara iron ore is shipped from Port Hedland Dampier and Cape Lambert The latter two ports are exclusively used by Rio Tinto while Port Hedland is used by BHP FMG and Atlas Iron Port facilities at Port Hedland consist of Nelson Point and Finucane Island both BHP and Herb Elliott Port used by FMG In Dampier ore is shipped from Parker Point and East Intercourse Island The non Pilbara mines ship their ore out of other ports Windarling Range ships from the port of Esperance 34 the Jack Hills Koolanooka Mungada and Mt Gibson mines ship from Geraldton 36 37 Projects edit nbsp nbsp Cockatoo amp Koolan Island nbsp Koolyanobbing nbsp Jack Hills nbsp Koolanooka nbsp Mungada nbsp Mt Gibson nbsp Tallering Peak nbsp Wundowie nbsp Dampier nbsp Tom Price nbsp Windarling Range nbsp Paraburdoo nbsp Pannawonica nbsp Port Hedland nbsp Newman nbsp Perthclass notpageimage Major iron ore mining locations in Western Australia with Perth as a reference BHP is currently spending A 1 85 billion on its Rapid Growth Project 4 aimed at increasing its annual iron ore output to 155 million tonnes To achieve this upgrades to both mines and port facilities are necessary The project is scheduled for completion by 2010 As a follow up Rapid Growth Project 5 with a budget of A 4 8 billion targets a further production increase of 50 million tonnes annually Additionally to upgrades at the mines and ports it will also include duplication of existing railway lines and is scheduled for completion in late 2011 21 The Jimblebar mine is part of another expansion project launched in 2010 and aimed at increasing production from the Pilbara mines to 240 million tonnes of iron ore annually by 2013 The expansion of Jimlebar together with an expansion of the inner harbour at Port Hedland and works on the duplication of rail tracks is estimated to cost A 2 15billion 38 The project is titled Rapid Growth Project 6 39 Rio Tinto declared its intent to expand the Hope Downs mine spending a further A 1 78 billion on its new Hope Downs 4 project scheduled to produce 15 million tonnes of iron ore annually by 2013 40 41 Rio has commenced construction on its new Western Turner Syncline project Rio Tinto allocated a further A 1 24 billion in early December 2010 to expand the Brockman 4 mine to 40 million tonnes per annum from 22 as well as develop its Western Turner Syncline project raising planned production there from 6 to 15 million tonnes with the aim of increasing the Pilbara production to 283 million tonnes per annum by late 2013 The expansion would make Brockman 4 Rio Tinto s second largest mine in the Pilbara 42 The company has also begun further construction at the port at Cape Lambert which is scheduled to undergo a further expansion to be completed by 2012 The new expansion is scheduled to cost A 276 million 43 The expansion is part of a plan to raise Rio s annual production from the Pilbara from 220 to 330 million tonnes annually by 2016 To achieve this the Cape Lambert port capacity will be expanded to handle an additional 100 million tonnes annually 44 Plans by the Fortescue Metals Group to increase production from 39 million tonnes to 55 million tonnes through a US 220 million upgrade of the Cloud Break mine had to be abandoned in October 2009 because of funding difficulties through its Chinese investors Instead Fortescue decided to develop its Christmas Creek mine at a cost of US 360 million by building a mine and process plant there and linking it to its existing rail network Christmas Creek is scheduled to produce 16 million tonnes of iron ore in its first year of operation Fortescue plans to reach an annual production of 95 million tonnes of iron ore by 2012 downgraded from an earlier target of 120 million 45 At Cape Preston CITIC Pacific Mining is currently as of 2010 in the process of constructing a 27 6 million tonnes per annum magnetite iron ore mine named the Sino Iron Project 46 Export edit China in 2008 09 was the main importer of Western Australian iron ore having taken 64 percent or A 21 billion in value Japan was the second most important market with 21 percent followed by South Korea with 10 percent and Taiwan with 3 In comparison Europe is a small market for ore from the state having taken only one percent of the overall production in 2008 09 21 Criticism editThe iron ore mining boom in Western Australia experienced since the early 2000s has not exclusively been seen as positive Communities in the Pilbara region have seen a large influx of residential and Fly in fly out workers which has seen land prices skyrocket and has negatively affected tourism as accommodation has become sparse 47 48 Aboriginal communities edit Australian Aboriginal culture in the region is deeply connected to the land and water and the mining activities threaten the fragile desert environment of the Pilbara Locals in the Pilbara argue that the wealth generated by the local mining industry is passing them by and they are left behind A lack of accommodation and the unattractive nature of relocating to the dusty outback resulted in a majority work force of fly in fly out workers depriving local towns of the benefits of a high earning permanent population 48 Mining companies in Australia have since 1992 changed their attitude towards the local Aboriginal population In 1992 the Australian government began to recognise the land rights of the Indigenous Australians opening an opportunity for the latter to engage in negotiations with mining companies to press for compensation and for assistance in preserving cultural artifacts However some Aboriginals feel short changed given the enormous profits made from mining and also consider the financial benefits and employment opportunities as insufficient compensation for the destruction caused to their habitat 48 Aboriginal mining companies have been able to secure contracts with the big international mining companies In 2007 BHP Billiton awarded a A 300 million contract to Ngarda Civil and Mining an Aboriginal owned company to manage the Yarrie mine the largest ever mining contract awarded to an Aboriginal company 49 50 As part of the five year contract BHP Billiton planned to increase the number of Aboriginal workers at the mine to 70 out of a total of 90 workers The managing director of Ngarda Brian Taylor saw this contract as a positive step moving Aboriginal people in the region away from government welfare and into permanent employment Western Australian Aboriginals in 2007 suffered from an unemployment rate of 14 percent in the state compared to 3 3 for the general population 51 Of the 12 000 people employed by BHP Billiton in its Pilbara operations in 2010 700 were indigenous Rio Tinto also as of 2010 employs 700 indigenous workers in its Pilbara operations comprising 6 percent of its overall work force FMG under the leadership of Andrew Forrest is driving a national program which aims to find 50 000 jobs for indigenous workers in Australia 50 Companies like BHP FMG and Rio Tinto have programs aimed at increasing the number of Aboriginal employees in their operations 48 Indigenous Australians in Western Australia in 2001 accounted for 3 1 of the population Companies however lack an understanding of Aboriginal culture which requires young men to be sent to the bush for up to six weeks to hunt and learn about their culture Companies are often unwilling to award their indigenous employees this time off to be able to perform these important traditions 50 Safety editMain article Fatality statistics in the Western Australian mining industry Since the late 1960s when the Department of Mines began categorising fatalities by commodity until 2010 86 work related fatalities have occurred in the iron ore mining industry in Western Australia 52 List of active mines editMap all coordinates using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as KML GPX all coordinates GPX primary coordinates GPX secondary coordinates This is a list of major active iron ore mines in Western Australia in 2022 23 according to the Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety To qualify for the department s official list of principal mining projects an operation has to either had mineral sales valued at more than 5 million or for operations where such figures are not reported had a minimum of 50 employees 53 54 55 Mine Owner 1 Shire Capacity 2 Opening year Coordinates 3Miralga Creek mine Atlas Iron Shire of East Pilbara 2 2022 21 00 17 S 119 19 04 E 21 0047 S 119 3179 E 21 0047 119 3179 Miralga Creek mine Mt Webber mine Atlas Iron Shire of East Pilbara 9 2014 21 32 13 S 119 17 20 E 21 5369 S 119 2888 E 21 5369 119 2888 Mt Webber mine Sanjiv Ridge mine Atlas Iron Shire of East Pilbara 4 2021 21 24 14 S 119 41 35 E 21 4040 S 119 6930 E 21 4040 119 6930 Sanjiv Ridge mine Area C mine BHP Shire of East Pilbara 55 2003 22 55 12 S 118 58 28 E 22 919955 S 118 974471 E 22 919955 118 974471 Area C mine Jimblebar mine BHP Shire of East Pilbara 14 1989 23 23 04 S 120 07 23 E 23 384341 S 120 123142 E 23 384341 120 123142 Jimblebar mine Newman West BHP Shire of East Pilbara 38 1968 23 21 55 S 119 40 31 E 23 365360 S 119 675400 E 23 365360 119 675400 Newman West Newman East BHP Shire of East Pilbara 12 23 20 23 S 119 47 59 E 23 339630 S 119 799797 E 23 339630 119 799797 Newman East South Flank mine BHP Shire of East Pilbara 80 2021 22 59 27 S 118 52 43 E 22 990875 S 118 878686 E 22 990875 118 878686 South Flank mine Yandi mine BHP Shire of East Pilbara 41 1992 22 44 01 S 119 07 06 E 22 733650 S 119 118202 E 22 733650 119 118202 Yandi mine Iron Ridge mine Fenix Resources Shire of Cue 1 25 2021 26 57 14 S 117 40 45 E 26 953788 S 117 679282 E 26 953788 117 679282 Iron Ridge mine Christmas Creek mine FMG Shire of East Pilbara 16 2009 22 22 46 S 119 50 59 E 22 3794 S 119 8496 E 22 3794 119 8496 Christmas Creek mine Cloud Break mine FMG Shire of Ashburton 28 2008 22 19 26 S 119 23 49 E 22 3240 S 119 3969 E 22 3240 119 3969 Cloud Break mine Eliwana mine FMG Shire of Ashburton 30 2020 22 28 16 S 116 49 40 E 22 47103 S 116 827671 E 22 47103 116 827671 Eliwana mine Firetail mine FMG Shire of Ashburton 27 2013 22 12 54 S 117 53 41 E 22 214953 S 117 894646 E 22 214953 117 894646 Firetail mine Kings Valley mine FMG Shire of Ashburton 40 2014 22 07 14 S 117 52 38 E 22 120451 S 117 877102 E 22 120451 117 877102 Kings Valley mine Queens Valley mine FMG Shire of Ashburton 2022 22 08 26 S 117 49 06 E 22 140627 S 117 818452 E 22 140627 117 818452 Queens Valley mine Roy Hill mine Hancock Prospecting Shire of East Pilbara 60 2015 22 37 19 S 119 57 30 E 22 621944 S 119 958333 E 22 621944 119 958333 Roy Hill mine Karara mine Karara Mining Limited Shire of Perenjori 8 2010 29 11 28 S 116 45 38 E 29 191111 S 116 760556 E 29 191111 116 760556 Karara mine Iron Valley mine BCI Minerals operated by Mineral Resources Shire of East Pilbara 8 2014 22 43 36 S 119 19 28 E 22 726642 S 119 324313 E 22 726642 119 324313 Iron Valley mine Koolyanobbing mine Mineral Resources Shire of Yilgarn 8 2018 30 49 02 S 119 31 12 E 30 81721 S 119 51990 E 30 81721 119 51990 Koolyanobbing mine Wonmunna mine Mineral Resources Shire of East Pilbara 5 2021 23 07 48 S 119 02 34 E 23 129957 S 119 042795 E 23 129957 119 042795 Wonmunna mine Koolan Island mine Mount Gibson Iron Shire of Derby West Kimberley 0 4 2007 16 07 31 S 123 44 18 E 16 125278 S 123 738333 E 16 125278 123 738333 Koolan Island mine Brockman 2 mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 8 7 1992 22 25 38 S 117 20 29 E 22 427290 S 117 341301 E 22 427290 117 341301 Brockman 2 mine Brockman 4 mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 22 2010 22 34 31 S 117 16 07 E 22 575371 S 117 268501 E 22 575371 117 268501 Brockman 4 mine Channar mine Rio Tinto 60 Sinosteel 40 Shire of Ashburton 20 1990 23 18 48 S 117 47 06 E 23 313320 S 117 785103 E 23 313320 117 785103 Channar mine Eastern Range mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 20 2004 23 18 48 S 117 47 06 E 23 313320 S 117 785103 E 23 313320 117 785103 Eastern Range mine Gudai Darri mine Rio Tinto Shire of East Pilbara 43 2022 22 30 20 S 119 01 39 E 22 505666 S 119 027416 E 22 505666 119 027416 Gudai Darri mine Hope Downs mine Rio Tinto Shire of East Pilbara 30 2007 23 08 42 S 119 34 19 E 23 144968 S 119 572064 E 23 144968 119 572064 Hope Downs mine Hope Downs 4 mine Rio Tinto Shire of East Pilbara 15 2014 23 08 50 S 119 32 45 E 23 147274 S 119 545879 E 23 147274 119 545879 Hope Downs 4 mine Marandoo mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 15 1994 22 38 25 S 118 07 15 E 22 640150 S 118 120796 E 22 640150 118 120796 Marandoo mine Mesa A mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 25 2010 21 40 12 S 115 54 14 E 21 669979 S 115 903999 E 21 669979 115 903999 Mesa A mine Mesa J mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 7 1994 21 45 00 S 116 14 32 E 21 750059 S 116 242203 E 21 750059 116 242203 Mesa J mine Mount Tom Price mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 28 1966 22 44 58 S 117 46 22 E 22 749531 S 117 772697 E 22 749531 117 772697 Mount Tom Price mine Nammuldi mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 6 6 2006 22 25 07 S 117 21 37 E 22 418579 S 117 360397 E 22 418579 117 360397 Nammuldi mine Paraburdoo mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 20 1972 23 13 36 S 117 36 30 E 23 226780 S 117 608200 E 23 226780 117 608200 Paraburdoo mine Silvergrass mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 10 2017 22 19 19 S 117 18 08 E 22 321905 S 117 302219 E 22 321905 117 302219 Silvergrass mine West Angelas mine Rio Tinto Shire of East Pilbara 29 5 2002 23 10 23 S 118 45 53 E 23 173010 S 118 764702 E 23 173010 118 764702 West Angelas mine Western Turner mine Rio Tinto Shire of Ashburton 2021 22 40 09 S 117 35 32 E 22 669181 S 117 592264 E 22 669181 117 592264 Western Turner mine Yandicoogina mine Rio Tinto Shire of East Pilbara 52 1998 22 46 09 S 119 13 49 E 22 769150 S 119 230400 E 22 769150 119 230400 Yandicoogina mine Blue Hills mine Sinosteel Midwest Corporation Shire of Perenjori 1 2021 29 08 27 S 116 52 14 E 29 140746 S 116 870469 E 29 140746 116 870469 Blue Hills mine 1 Majority owner and operator shown only 2 Capacity is the production capacity of the mine not actual annual production and is in million tonnes of iron ore per annum 3 Coordinates of the main processing facilityList of inactive and exhausted mines editThis section needs expansion You can help by adding to it November 2010 This is a list of former iron ore mines in Western Australia Mine Owner Location Region Opening year Closing yearCockatoo Island mine Pluton Resources Cockatoo Island Kimberley 1995 1951 1986 2015Goldsworthy mine Mount Goldsworthy Mining Associates Goldsworthy Pilbara 1966 1982Jack Hills mine Mitsubishi Corporation Jack Hills Mid West 2006 2012Koolanooka mine Sinosteel Midwest Morawa Mid West 2010 1965 1974 2013Nimingarra mine BHP Biliton Goldsworthy Pilbara 1988 2007Shay Gap mine Mount Goldsworthy Mining Associates Shay Gap Pilbara 1973 1993Tallering Peak Mount Gibson Iron Mullewa Mid West 2004 2014Wundowie mine Charcoal Iron amp Steel Industry WA Government Wundowie Wheatbelt 1948 1951Yarrie mine BHP Yarrie Pilbara 1993 2014Statistics edit nbsp Western Australian Iron Ore Production and Value from 2000 to 2022Annual statistics for the Western Australian iron ore mining industry 1 4 56 57 58 59 60 Subject 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999Production million tonnes annum 106 27 107 67 111 64 111 73 119 69 133 13 132 90 141 29 149 74 141 02Production value A billion 2 25 2 65 2 95 2 99 2 87 2 79 2 92 3 16 3 93 3 97Subject 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009Production million tonnes annum 151 2 161 8 164 6 188 2 202 0 233 2 242 6 257 6 291 0 316 5Production value A billion 3 72 4 91 5 21 5 19 5 33 8 30 12 7 15 7 22 0 33 6WA Royalty Receipts A million 285 272 290 330 534 774 830 1 518 1 701 2 394Employees 9 103 9 289 11 184 12 585 13 727 16 203 18 387 23 185 26 051 27 537Subject 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019Production million tonnes annum 385 0 397 6 454 4 512 6 623 5 718 8 748 1 793 0 839 4 790 6Production value A billion 35 3 57 6 60 8 56 4 75 2 54 4 48 8 64 3 62 1 81 8WA Royalty Receipts A million 3 785 3 535 4 344 5 226 5 448 4 026 3 600 4 708 4 476 4 884Employees 33 345 43 008 55 323 60 844 58 257 58 093 53 229 53 221 53 716 59 525Subject 2020 2021 2022Production million tonnes annum 836 8 838 7 844 4Production value A billion 104 6 154 7 137 1WA Royalty Receipts A million 7 802 9 797 10 848Employees 65 454 76 150 78 974References edit a b Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 2021 22 Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety accessed 23 March 2023 a b c Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 2017 18 PDF East Perth WA Government of Western Australia Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety 2018 Retrieved 12 June 2019 a b c Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 2018 19 PDF Department of Mines and Petroleum East Perth WA Government of Western Australia 2019 Retrieved 1 April 2020 a b c Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 2020 21 Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety accessed 25 March 2022 Tuck Christopher A 28 February 2019 Mineral Commodity Summaries 2019 PDF Reston Virginia U S Geological Survey pp 88 89 Archived from the original PDF on 26 October 2019 Retrieved 12 June 2019 Western Australia Iron Ore Profile PDF Perth WA Government of Western Australia Department of Jobs Tourism Science and Innovation June 2018 Retrieved 12 June 2019 Haselgrove Salomae 9 February 2021 Pilbara to lead decades of Australian iron ore prosperity Australian Mining Retrieved 14 December 2023 Geraldton 1937 Wrecksite YAMPI IRON DEVELOPMENT Daily News 25 July 1935 Retrieved 4 October 2022 IRON ISLAND OF THE NORTH West Australian 16 May 1934 p 18 Retrieved 4 October 2022 Party to Explore Vest Mineral Wealth on North West Coast Daily News 3 August 1935 p 16 Retrieved 4 October 2022 JAPANESE WANT OUR IRON ORE DEPOSITS Smith s Weekly 19 January 1935 p 4 Retrieved 15 October 2022 JAPANESE INTEREST IN W A ORE Advertiser 18 February 1935 p 10 Retrieved 4 October 2022 Iron ore in Western Australia PDF PDF Department of Industry and Resources 1995 Archived from the original PDF on 1 September 2007 Retrieved 14 February 2008 Wundowie Charcoal Kalgoorlie Miner WA 1895 1954 23 January 1948 p 4 Retrieved 25 October 2019 Relix amp Fiona Bush Heritage and Archaeology WUNDOWIE CONSERVATION PLAN PDF p 20 Kwinana iron works opened Canberra Times ACT 1926 1995 20 November 1968 p 28 Retrieved 27 August 2021 Union official predicts 14 000 BHP jobs loss Canberra Times ACT 1926 1995 23 April 1982 p 15 Retrieved 27 August 2021 Last white elephant as iron plant closes Australian Financial Review 25 August 2005 Retrieved 14 December 2023 a b Newman The Sydney Morning Herald published 8 February 2004 accessed 10 November 2010 a b c d e f g Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistic Digest 2008 09 Department of Mines and Petroleum website accessed 26 November 2010 Iron Ore Mount Goldsworthy Agreement Act 1964 Western Australian Legislation Parliamentary Counsel s Office Government of Western Australia 1964 Retrieved 5 April 2019 Utah Development profit reflects Japanese price rise The Sydney Morning Herald 11 December 1973 p 20 Retrieved 1 October 2012 a b History of the Iron Ore Industry and the Pilbara BHP Billiton website accessed 10 November 2010 Pilbara Archived 21 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Rio Tinto Iron Ore website accessed 6 November 2010 The Australian Mines Handbook 2003 04 edition editor Ross Louthean publisher Louthean Media Pty Ltd page 242 Infrastructure Rail Archived 23 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine Fortescue website accessed 6 November 2010 Mt Newman Railway National Competition Council of Australia website accessed 6 November 2010 Junior miners win limited access to Pilbara rail network Archived 14 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine lloydslistdcn com au published 1 July 2010 accessed 4 November 2010 Watchdog can demand Pilbara rail expansion The Australian published 13 May 2010 accessed 4 November 2010 BHP Billiton Rio Tinto angry on open Pilbara rail line news com au published 28 October 2008 accessed 4 November 2010 Atlas Iron optimistic about using BHP rail line to Port Hedland ABC Rural published 23 November 2010 accessed 24 November 2010 Report on Current Transport and Communications Infrastructure in the Pilbara Murdoch University accessed 4 November 2010 a b Yilgarn Operations 2013 Triennial Performance Review PDF Cliffs Natural Resources Cleveland OH 2013 p 3 Retrieved 25 November 2015 Koolanooka 1961 to Today PDF Shire of Morawa Retrieved 7 April 2020 Koolanooka Blue Hills Haematite Archived 17 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine Sinosteel Midwest website accessed 28 November 2010 Jack Hills Iron Ore Mine Archived 21 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine Crosslands resources website accessed 28 November 2010 BHP approves a 2bn expansion of WA iron ore operations The Australian published 29 January 2010 accessed 14 November 2010 BHP boosts Pilbara despite EU threat to Rio joint venture The Australian published 30 January 2010 accessed 14 November 2010 Rio Tinto to invest 1 78b in Hope Downs The Sydney Morning Herald published 30 August 2010 accessed 7 November 2010 Rio Tinto proceeds with Hope Downs iron project ABC Rural published 31 August 2010 accessed 7 November 2010 Rio Tinto signals 1 24bn ore expansion The Australian published 2 December 2010 accessed 4 December 2010 John Holland lands Cape Lambert port expansion for Rio The Herald Sun published 3 September 2010 accessed 8 November 2010 Rio announces 226m expansion at Cape Lambert The West Australian published 14 July 2010 accessed 8 November 2010 Fortescue Metals Group s China funding flops The Australian published 13 October 2010 accessed 9 November 2010 Sino Iron Project CITIC Pacific Mining accessed 28 November 2010 New Australia Mining Boom Taking Toll on Outback Life Page 1 National Geographic published 26 September 2007 accessed 6 December 2010 a b c d New Australia Mining Boom Taking Toll on Outback Life Page 2 National Geographic published 26 September 2007 accessed 6 December 2010 Fact Sheet Yarrie Mine Operations Ngarda Civil and Mining website accessed 6 December 2010 a b c Looking for opportunities ABC North West WA published 16 February 2010 accessed 6 December 2010 Indigenous firm wins 300m BHP deal The Australian published 5 September 2007 accessed 6 December 2010 Western Australian mining fatalities database Archived 25 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine accessed 19 February 2011 Western Australia s principal resources projects 2020 21 PDF dmp wa gov au Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety Retrieved 23 March 2022 Western Australia s principal resources projects 2021 22 PDF dmp wa gov au Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety Retrieved 3 March 2023 Western Australia s principal resources projects 2022 23 PDF www dmp wa gov au Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety Retrieved 1 March 2024 Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 2019 20 Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety accessed 25 March 2022 Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 2012 13 Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety accessed 12 March 2023 Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 2002 03 Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety accessed 12 March 2023 Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 1998 99 Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety accessed 31 March 2023 2017 Economic indicators resources data Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety accessed 30 May 2018External links editDepartment of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety website MINEDEX website Database of the Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Iron ore mining in Western Australia amp oldid 1211133682, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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