Location | |
---|---|
Location | Shire of Ashburton, Pilbara |
State | Western Australia |
Country | Australia |
Coordinates | 21°40′12″S 115°54′14″E / 21.669979°S 115.903999°E |
Production | |
Products | Iron ore |
Production | 25,000,000 tonnes (25,000,000 long tons; 28,000,000 short tons)/annum |
History | |
Opened | 2010 |
Owner | |
Company | Rio Tinto Iron Ore (53%) Mitsui & Co. (33%) Nippon Steel (10.5%) Sumitomo Metal Industries (3.5%) |
Year of acquisition | Rio Tinto: 2000 |
|
The Mesa A mine, sometimes also referred to as Waramboo mine, [1] is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 50 km (31 mi) west of Pannawonica. [2]
The mine is owned by Robe River Iron Associates (53% Rio Tinto) and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara. [3] [4] In 2009, the combined Pilbara operations produced 202,000,000 tonnes (199,000,000 long tons; 223,000,000 short tons) of iron ore, a 15 percent increase from 2008. [5] The Pilbara operations accounted for almost 13 percent of the world's 2009 iron ore production of 1,590,000,000 tonnes (1.56×109 long tons; 1.75×109 short tons). [6] [7]
The Hamersley Range, where the mine is located, contains 80 percent of all identified iron ore reserves in Australia and is one of the world's major iron ore provinces. [8]
Rio Tinto iron ore operations in the Pilbara began in 1966. [3] The mine itself began operations in 2010. The mine has an annual production capacity of 25,000,000 tonnes (25,000,000 long tons; 28,000,000 short tons) of iron ore, sourced from open-pit operations. The ore is processed on site before being loaded onto rail. [9]
Ore from the mine is then transported to the coast through the Hamersley & Robe River railway, where it is loaded onto ships. [10]
The mine's workforce is on a fly-in fly-out roster. [9]
The mine is located near the Mesa J mine. The new Mesa A mine was scheduled to replace the Mesa J mine which was nearing the end of its life span. Due to additional deposits found near the existing Mesa J site, a decision was made to operate the Mesa A mine as a FIFO site. The Mesa J site could then continue to run as a residential site based in Pannawonica. After a two-year construction period and expenses of A$1 billion, the mine began operation in February 2010. The mine was initially scheduled for a mine life of eleven years. But has now been extended due to an expansion for the mining of Mesa B and Mesa C deposits.[ citation needed]
Robe River Iron, owner of the mine, is jointly owned by the following companies: [2]
Robe River Iron operates the West Angelas, Mesa A and Mesa J mines. [1] Rio Tinto acquired its share of 53% in late 2000, when it took over mining company North Limited. [11]
Location | |
---|---|
Location | Shire of Ashburton, Pilbara |
State | Western Australia |
Country | Australia |
Coordinates | 21°40′12″S 115°54′14″E / 21.669979°S 115.903999°E |
Production | |
Products | Iron ore |
Production | 25,000,000 tonnes (25,000,000 long tons; 28,000,000 short tons)/annum |
History | |
Opened | 2010 |
Owner | |
Company | Rio Tinto Iron Ore (53%) Mitsui & Co. (33%) Nippon Steel (10.5%) Sumitomo Metal Industries (3.5%) |
Year of acquisition | Rio Tinto: 2000 |
|
The Mesa A mine, sometimes also referred to as Waramboo mine, [1] is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 50 km (31 mi) west of Pannawonica. [2]
The mine is owned by Robe River Iron Associates (53% Rio Tinto) and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara. [3] [4] In 2009, the combined Pilbara operations produced 202,000,000 tonnes (199,000,000 long tons; 223,000,000 short tons) of iron ore, a 15 percent increase from 2008. [5] The Pilbara operations accounted for almost 13 percent of the world's 2009 iron ore production of 1,590,000,000 tonnes (1.56×109 long tons; 1.75×109 short tons). [6] [7]
The Hamersley Range, where the mine is located, contains 80 percent of all identified iron ore reserves in Australia and is one of the world's major iron ore provinces. [8]
Rio Tinto iron ore operations in the Pilbara began in 1966. [3] The mine itself began operations in 2010. The mine has an annual production capacity of 25,000,000 tonnes (25,000,000 long tons; 28,000,000 short tons) of iron ore, sourced from open-pit operations. The ore is processed on site before being loaded onto rail. [9]
Ore from the mine is then transported to the coast through the Hamersley & Robe River railway, where it is loaded onto ships. [10]
The mine's workforce is on a fly-in fly-out roster. [9]
The mine is located near the Mesa J mine. The new Mesa A mine was scheduled to replace the Mesa J mine which was nearing the end of its life span. Due to additional deposits found near the existing Mesa J site, a decision was made to operate the Mesa A mine as a FIFO site. The Mesa J site could then continue to run as a residential site based in Pannawonica. After a two-year construction period and expenses of A$1 billion, the mine began operation in February 2010. The mine was initially scheduled for a mine life of eleven years. But has now been extended due to an expansion for the mining of Mesa B and Mesa C deposits.[ citation needed]
Robe River Iron, owner of the mine, is jointly owned by the following companies: [2]
Robe River Iron operates the West Angelas, Mesa A and Mesa J mines. [1] Rio Tinto acquired its share of 53% in late 2000, when it took over mining company North Limited. [11]