Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 2043 |
The Iron Bridge incorporates the North Star and Glacier Valley magnetite ore bodies.
In May 2023, Fortescue launched its first high-grade magnetite project, Iron Bridge, with a maiden concentrate grade of over 68%.
Iron Bridge is Fortescue's most innovative iron ore project. Iron Bridge will ultimately be Australia’s largest magnetite project – and, once Fortescue connects it to Pilbara renewable energy, Australia’s first magnetite project to operate using renewable energy by 2030. |
Source:
p. 26
The Iron Bridge Magnetite project is an Unincorporated Joint Venture between FMG Magnetite Pty Ltd (69 per cent), and Formosa Steel IB Pty Ltd (31 per cent).
FMG Magnetite Pty Ltd is a subsidiary of FMG Iron Bridge Ltd, which is owned by Fortescue (88 per cent) and Baosteel Resources International Company Limited (12 per cent).
Contractors
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Summary:
The Iron Bridge mineralisation lies within the Pincunah Member of the Soanesville Group, which is part of the Pilbara Super Group in the East Pilbara Terrane.
Regionally the rock sequence is dominated by mafic to andesitic volcanics and volcaniclastics, BIF’s and terrigenous clastic sequences intruded by Archaean granitoids. In the project area the rocks have been tightly folded, having a general strike of north-south with a steep sub-vertical dip.
The Pincunah Member forms an overturned north-south striking ridge through the North Star area of the deposit, dipping steeply to the west. Several vertical faults have been interpreted to rotate the Pincunah Member to north-west, parallel to the Mount Yule Granite complex in the north-west region of the project area.
Iron mineralisation at Iron Bridge occurs primarily within the Pincunah Member which outcrops across the entire project tenement. It is often masked by cemented caps of ferruginous weathered BIF, silcrete and detritus. A surficial weathered zone forms in upper (20–60 m) horizons dominated by maghemite and kenomagnetite, hematite and goethite after magnetite.
The hanging wall of the Pincunah Member is the Kangaroo Caves Formation and is composed of BIF bands interlayered with laminated, micro to mesobanded shales and chert. BIF units are up to 15 m in thickness and occur most commonly immediately adjacent to the Pincunah Member contact, while the remainder of the formation ........
Summary:
FMG Iron Bridge (Aust) Ltd. proposes to mine using conventional open pit mining methods which consist of drill and blast followed by load and haul. The North Star Extension indicative pit footprint will include two pits; Glacier Valley North (GVN) and Glacier Valley South (GVS), with an estimated maximum pit depth of ~370 m.
Magnetite concentrate product will be transported through a slurry pipeline between Iron Bridge and Port Hedland.
The ore bodies planned to be mined are bulk deposits and while some ore loss and dilution may occur along the edges, this edge dilution is accounted for in the regularisation process.
Ore mined from the designated pits will be either fed directly to the Proposed Amendment crusher hoppers for the Ore Processing Facility (OPF) or stockpiled on the run-of-mine (ROM) pads, or other long-term stockpiles.
Ore stockpiles and waste dumps are located to the east and west of the mine and make use of natural valleys to store the life of mine (LOM) volumes.
In May 2023, Fortescue launched its first high-grade magnetite project, Iron Bridge, with a maiden concentrate grade of over 68%.
Source:
Source:
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Pipelines and Water Supply
Source:
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Production:
Commodity | Units | Avg. Annual (Projected) |
Iron Ore
|
kt
| 20,000 |
All production numbers are expressed as concentrate.
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2024 | 2022 |
Annual production capacity
| ...... | ...... |
^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Reserves at June 30, 2023:
Magnetite Ore reserves are based on Mass Recovery expressed as a 17 per cent Davis Tube Recovery (DTR) cut-off.
All magnetite Mineral Resources are reported above a 9% mass recovery cut-off.
Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade |
Probable
|
843 Mt
|
Iron (magnetite)
|
67.3 %
|
Measured
|
311 Mt
|
Iron (magnetite)
|
31.9 %
|
Indicated
|
1,064 Mt
|
Iron (magnetite)
|
31 %
|
Inferred
|
5,100 Mt
|
Iron (magnetite)
|
30.4 %
|
Total Resource
|
6,475 Mt
|
Iron (magnetite)
|
30.6 %
|
Financials:
| Units | 2024 |
Capital expenditures (planned)
|
M USD
| ...... |
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Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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