Hope Downs mine
Encyclopedia
The Hope Downs mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
, 100 kilometres northwest of Newman
.
The mine is partly owned and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore
and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara. In the calendar year 2009, the combined Pilbara operations produced 202 million tonnes of iron ore, a 15 percent increase from 2008. The Pilbara operations accounted for almost 13 percent of the world's 2009 iron ore production of 1.59 billion tonnes.
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.
The project leases are estimated to have 1,450 million tonnes of mineable ore and the mines to have an expected life of more than 30 years.
at Hope Downs deposit began in 1992. Hancock unsuccessfully tried to develop the project with a number of partners, briefly rumored to be planning to join up with the Fortescue Metals Group
in 2005, who was then developing its Cloud Break mine
in the region. The development of the project suffered further delays when attempts to gain access to BHP Billiton's rail network failed, burdening the project with a further A$1 billion in cost to construct rail and port infrastructure. Eventually, in July 2005, Rio Tinto became a partner in the project instead, making thereby the construction of major infrastructure unnecessary, and, after spending A$1.3 billion, the mine moved into production in November 2007. The mine has an annual production capacity of 30 million tonnes of iron ore, sourced from open-pit operations. The ore is processed on site before being loaded onto rail.
In the first half of 2009, Rio Tinto upgraded the mine from an annual production of 22 million tonnes to 30 million tonnes.
Ore from the mine is then transported to the coast through the Hamersley & Robe River railway
, where it is loaded onto ships. The 30 kilometre spur line connecting the mine with Rio Tinto's existing railway system was named "Lang Hancock Railway" in honor of Lang Hancock
, founder of Hancock Prospecting and discoverer of the iron ore deposit.
The mines workforce is on a Fly-in fly-out
roster. In the calendar year 2009, the mine employed 787 people, an increase in comparison to 2008, when it only employed 453.
Rio Tinto declared its intend to expand the 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.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, 100 kilometres northwest of Newman
Newman, Western Australia
Newman, located about 1186 km north of Perth and 9 km north of the Tropic of Capricorn, is a town in the Pilbara region. It can be reached by the Great Northern Highway...
.
The mine is partly owned and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore
Rio Tinto Group
The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara. In the calendar year 2009, the combined Pilbara operations produced 202 million tonnes of iron ore, a 15 percent increase from 2008. The Pilbara operations accounted for almost 13 percent of the world's 2009 iron ore production of 1.59 billion tonnes.
The Hamersley Range
Hamersley Range
The Hamersley Ranges is a mountainous region of the Pilbara, Western Australia. The range runs from the Fortescue River in the northeast, 460 km south. The range contains Western Australia's highest point, Mount Meharry, which reaches approximately AHD. There are many extensively-eroded...
, where the mine is located, contains 80 percent of all identified iron ore reserves in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and is one of the world's major iron ore provinces.
The project leases are estimated to have 1,450 million tonnes of mineable ore and the mines to have an expected life of more than 30 years.
Overview
Rio Tinto iron ore operations in the Pilbara began in 1966. Exploration work through Hancock ProspectingHancock Prospecting
Hancock Prospecting is a Western Australian mining company chaired by Gina Rinehart the daughter of Lang Hancock. At stages of its trading it has been known as Hancock Prospecting Ltd, Hancock Resources, Hanwright Pty Ltd, Hancock & Wright Ltd, and Hancock Prospecting Pty. Ltd.The Hancock Group of...
at Hope Downs deposit began in 1992. Hancock unsuccessfully tried to develop the project with a number of partners, briefly rumored to be planning to join up with the Fortescue Metals Group
Fortescue Metals Group
Fortescue Metals Group is an Australian iron ore mining company. The company has holdings of more than 87,000 km² in the Pilbara region of Western Australia making it the largest tenement holder in the state. It is listed as FMG on the Australian Securities Exchange .In 2008, the group loaded...
in 2005, who was then developing its Cloud Break mine
Cloud Break mine
The Cloudbreak mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 89 kilometres west-south-west of Nullagine, in the Chichester Range....
in the region. The development of the project suffered further delays when attempts to gain access to BHP Billiton's rail network failed, burdening the project with a further A$1 billion in cost to construct rail and port infrastructure. Eventually, in July 2005, Rio Tinto became a partner in the project instead, making thereby the construction of major infrastructure unnecessary, and, after spending A$1.3 billion, the mine moved into production in November 2007. The mine has an annual production capacity of 30 million tonnes of iron ore, sourced from open-pit operations. The ore is processed on site before being loaded onto rail.
In the first half of 2009, Rio Tinto upgraded the mine from an annual production of 22 million tonnes to 30 million tonnes.
Ore from the mine is then transported to the coast through the Hamersley & Robe River railway
Hamersley & Robe River railway
The Hamersley & Robe River railway, majority-owned and operated by the Rio Tinto Group, is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia for the purpose of carrying iron ore. The network is larger than any other Australian heavy freight rail network in private ownership. The...
, where it is loaded onto ships. The 30 kilometre spur line connecting the mine with Rio Tinto's existing railway system was named "Lang Hancock Railway" in honor of Lang Hancock
Lang Hancock
Langley Frederick George "Lang" Hancock was an Australian iron ore magnate from Western Australia who maintained a high profile in the competing spheres of business and politics...
, founder of Hancock Prospecting and discoverer of the iron ore deposit.
The mines workforce is on a Fly-in fly-out
Fly-in fly-out
Fly-in fly-out is a method of employing people in remote areas. It is often abbreviated to FIFO when referring to employment status. This is common in large mining states in Australia...
roster. In the calendar year 2009, the mine employed 787 people, an increase in comparison to 2008, when it only employed 453.
Rio Tinto declared its intend to expand the 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.
External links
- Rio Tinto Iron Ore website
- MINEDEX website Database of the Department of Mines and PetroleumDepartment of Mines and PetroleumThe Department of Mines and Petroleum is a department of the Government of Western Australia. The department was formed on 1 January 2009, out of the former Department of Industry and Resources and Department of Consumer and Employment Protection, which were split into three new departments, the...