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Robe Mesa Project

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Australia

Robe Mesa Project

Location: 94 km E from Onslow, Western Australia, Australia

Project Contacts:

Level 3, 47 Havelock St West Perth
PO Box 16
Perth
Western Australia, Australia
6005

Contacts:

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
Study CompletedFeasibility
StagePermitting
Commodities
  • Iron Ore
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Robe Mesa iron ore deposit is a part of the Yarraloola project. The Robe Mesa project is a simple, low strip ratio, Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) mining operation.

The 2023 Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) production schedule mines high-grade and low-grade iron ore throughout the life of mine but only processes high-grade for the first 4 years, with low-grade stockpiled. Processing throughput increases after year 4, with the inclusion of the low-grade ore. Both products will be sold separately but there will be opportunities to blend both products to smooth grade variation over the life of mine.

CZR continues to work with environmental regulators to finalise the permits required to commence construction and operations on site.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Nippon Steel Corporation 14 % Indirect
Mitsui Iron Ore Corporation Pty Ltd. 33 % Indirect
Rio Tinto plc 53 % Indirect
CZR announced on 9 September 2025 that it had completed the sale of Robe Mesa project to North Mining Limited (an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto Limited), Robe River Mining Co Pty Ltd (an indirectly 60% owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto Limited and 40% owned by Mitsui Iron Ore Development) and Mitsui Iron Ore Development Pty Ltd (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsui & Co Ltd) (together, the RRJV) for cash consideration of A$75 million.

At the RRJV level, ownership is held by three major mining and steel industry participants:

• Rio Tinto – 53%;

• Mitsui Iron Ore Development – 33%;

• Nippon Steel – 14%.

Prior to completion of the transaction, on 17 April 2025, a Release Deed was executed between Zanthus Resources Pty Ltd, ZanF Pty Ltd (Creasy Group) and Mr Mark Creasy, pursuant to which ZanF and Mr Mark Creasy waived all relevant rights under the Yarraloola Joint Venture Agreement that related to the Sale Agreement.

Contractors

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SourceSource

Deposit type

  • Channel Iron (CID)

Summary:

The Robe Mesa Orebody is classified as a Channel Iron Deposit (CID). These deposits are considered as ‘secondary’ as they have formed through erosion and transport and reconsolidation processes rather than an in-situ enrichment of an iron-rich protolith.

Robe Mesa is part of the Robe River paleochannel, which is a tertiary-aged channel. The paleochannel is delineated by a series of flat-topped hills that are locally called ‘mesas’.

The Mesa contains two cycles of deposition, and each has a sharp basal contact that shows an upwards increase in the number of iron-rich fragments.

The Robe Mesa deposit occurs as two mineralised CID horizons of flat-lying pisolitic iron-stone that are each up to 25 m thick and separated by up to 20 m of ferruginous silt and sandstones. These CID horizons contain goethite as the dominant iron ore mineral. High-grade mineralisation is typically sourced from the MCU and MCL units, with the MMU and MML units representing a more poorly sorted and lower-grade pisolitic ironstone

The Robe Mesa is a fluvial deposit of goethite-rich fragments of wood and pisolites supported by a fine grained goethitic matrix. The deposit outlines the trace of a Tertiary-aged channel from the Robe River into older rocks of the Ashburton Formation that have since eroded.

Dimensions
The Robe Mesa deposit has a total strike length of 1700 m (which is limited by the extent of the lease to the south and areas of heritage clearance to the north). Mineralisation extends to the north and the south. It has an across strike width of 800 m and extend vertically for approximately 70 m below surface.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Water usage

Parameter2023
Groundwater 17.1 l/s

Commodity Production

Production rate commencing at 3.5 Mtpa for the first 4 years then increasing to 5 Mtpa as export capacity becomes available – initial 8-year mine life.
CommodityUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Iron Ore Mt 3.5 *33 *
All production numbers are expressed as fines. * According to 2023 study.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Hourly processing capacity  ....  Subscribe
Stripping ratio  ....  Subscribe
Waste tonnes, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Total tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2023 study.

Production Costs

CommodityAverage
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Iron Ore  ....  Subscribe
C1 cash costs Iron Ore  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Iron Ore  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2023 study / presentation.

Operating Costs

CurrencyAverage
OP mining costs ($/t milled) AUD  ....  Subscribe
Processing costs ($/t milled) AUD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2023 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Pre-Production capital costs $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Sustaining CapEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
OP OpEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Processing OpEx $M AUD 137
Transportation (haulage) costs $M AUD 636
G&A costs $M AUD 275
Total OpEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Income Taxes $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Royalty payments $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Gross revenue (LOM) $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
EBITDA (LOM) $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 8% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 10, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Dec 15, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Dec 15, 2025

Workforce

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2023

Aerial view:

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