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Australia

Western Turner Syncline Mine

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Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Iron Ore
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
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SnapshotThe Western Turner Syncline (WTS) iron ore mine is part of Greater Tom Price hub. The hub is part of Hamersley Iron operation and belongs to Australian Pilbara Operations.

The WTS mines consist of:
- Western Turner Syncline (WTS1) - Section 10 Iron Ore Mine, which includes BRK; BRK West; S10 Marra Mamba East and West (MME and MMW)) deposits;
- Western Turner Syncline Stage 2 (WTS2), which includes B1 and Section 17 deposits;
- Associated infrastructure required to mine, process, and transport the iron ore to the Tom Price mine within the WTS Development Envelope.

The Western Turner Syncline Stage 2 (WTS2) project, is an expansion of the Western Turner Syncline Stage 1 (WTS1) mine, started operating in November 2021.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Rio Tinto plc 100 % Indirect
Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
Western Turner Syncline is owned by Rio Tinto and operated by its wholly-owned subsidiary Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd.

Deposit type

  • Banded iron formation
  • Detrital Iron (DID)

Summary:

The Western Turner Syncline (WTS) mines include iron ore deposits above (AWT) and below the groundwater table (BWT): B1, Section 17 and the Section 10 Hub (BRK; BRK West; S10 Marra Mamba East and West (MME and MMW)) deposits.

Western Turner Syncline mineralisation is haematite/goethite hosted within the banded iron formations of the Brockman Formation. Detrital deposits also occur.

The BIF is a member of the ~620 m thick Brockman Iron Formation which makes up part of the 2.63 2.45 Ga Hamersley Group. The Hamersley Group comprises almost 2.5 km of consecutive sedimentary and volcanic rocks. In the lower part, it consists of dolomite, shale and BIF, while the upper part consists of dolerite, various lava types and BIF with minor amounts of tuffs and shales. Underlying the Hamersley Group, is the 2.78–2.63 Ga Fortescue Group, which consists of flood basalts and rhyolites. These volcanics were laid down on the uplifted and eroded Pilbara block. This volcanic succession may contain remnants of a Large Igneous Province (LIP).

The Brockman Iron Formation ofthe Hamersley Group is divided into four sub-lithostratigraphic units, namely the lowermost Dales Gorge Member (BIF), the Whaleback Shale Member, the Joffre Member (BIF), and the uppermost Yandicoogina Shale Member. After deposition, these laterally extensive BIF have all experienced minor folding and basinal uplift along with low-grade regional metamorphism – from burial prehnite–pumpellyite facies to greenschist facies.

B1 and S17 deposits
The B1 and S17 deposits occur within the Brockman Iron Formation of the Hamersley Group, and are typical of similar Banded Iron Formation (BIF) derived deposits that occur throughout the Pilbara. The Brockman Iron Formation comprises four members (Yandicoogina Shale, Joffre, Whaleback Shale, and Dales Gorge), and is underlain by the Mount McRae Shale Formation (MCS). Mineralisation at B1 and S17 occurs primarily within the Dales Gorge and Joffre Members, and to a lesser extent within the Whaleback Shale Member Both B1 and S17 are predominantly bedded deposits, although some deposits of secondary surficial ironstone have also accumulated within the Brockman Iron Formation.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Commodity Production

Combined production numbers are reported under Hamersley Iron Operation

Operational metrics

Metrics2022
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Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

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