Both the Minorca and Hibbing mines are located in the Mesabi iron range where iron ore has been extracted for over 100 years. The ore bodies are within the Biwabik Iron Formation, a series of shallow dipping Precambrian sedimentary rocks known as taconite with a total thickness in excess of 200 meters and running for approximately 200 kilometers. Although the first deposits mined in the Mesabi iron range consisted of oxidized hematite ores, production was shortened in the mid-1950 to low grade magnetic taconite ores

ArcelorMittal Minorca operates a concentrating and pelletizing facility, along with two open pit iron ore mines – Laurentian and East Pits located 12 kilometers from the processing facilities. The processing operations consist of a crushing facility, a three-line concentration facility and a single-line straight grate pelletizing plant. The Minorca pelletizing facility produced 2.7 million metric tonnes of taconite pellets in 2015. Pellets are transported by rail to ports on Lake Superior.