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Australia

Paulsens East Mine

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Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Iron Ore
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
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SnapshotThe Paulsens East Mine consists of a ~3km long outcropping high-grade hematite ridge.

In September 2022, Strike Resources Limited completed its first shipment of Lump DSO to China via Utah Point at Port Hedland. Further shipments were paused due to market conditions and rising costs.

On June 24, 2024, Terra Mining signed contracts to operate the mine on behalf of Miracle Iron Holdings Pty Ltd, assuming statutory on-site roles.

However, after submitting monthly claims in August, September, and October 2024, Terra Mining issued a statutory demand to Paulsens East on 22 January 2025 under the Mining Services Contract due to unpaid amounts. Paulsens East attempted to set aside the demand, arguing the existence of a dispute, but on 12 June 2025, the Supreme Court of Western Australia dismissed the application and upheld the demand, ruling there was no genuine dispute.

Production information is not publicly available as the owner is a private company.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Miracle Iron Holdings Pty Ltd 100 % Indirect
Paulsens East Iron Ore Pty Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
On 22 December 2023, the Strike Resources entered into a Share and Asset Purchase Agreement (Agreement) with certain parties including Miracle Iron Holdings Pty Ltd (Miracle) for the sale of 100% of the shares in wholly-owned subsidiary, Strike Iron Ore Holdings Pty Ltd (SIOH) in consideration of a cash purchase price of A$20.5 million. SIOH is the parent of Paulsens East Iron Ore Pty Ltd, the owner and operator of Paulsens East.

On 8 March 2024, the Strike Resources completed the sale of SIOH under the Agreement.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Conglomerate hosted

Summary:

The Paulsens East tenement includes sediments of the Middle Proterozoic Wyloo Group which contain hematite mineralisation. The Wyloo Group rocks range from the continental Beasley River Quartzite to red beds of the Mt McGrath Formation that have been overlain by the shallow marine Duck Creek Dolomite.

The iron mineralisation found within the tenement occurs as a hematite conglomerate in the Mt McGrath Formation forming a prominent arcuate ridge up to 60 metres high, with cumulative average widths of ~6 metres and approximately 3,000 metres long. The conglomerate consists of hematite pebbles in a hematite rich matrix and cement. The conglomerate, when it is fully mineralised, is composed of hematite clasts in a hematite matrix. When the conglomerate is “unmineralised” (i.e. below economic cut-off grade) the clasts are composed chert and often Weeli Wolli BIF (a distinctive banded red chert alternating with a siliceous hematite BIF).

The Paulsens East iron ore deposit comprises three main bands of iron rich hematite conglomerate mappable as continuous bands along its three kilometre strike length. These bands were originally deposited in the Proterozoic and formed by erosion of mineralised bedrock and its subsequent reconstitution. During reconstitution, hematite pebbles were deposited and held together in hematite matrix along land and marine interface such that the high purity heavy hematite conglomerate bands occur interbedded with ferruginous quartzites and subordinate ferruginous clay.

The core of the deposit is generally very high grade and it is expected that sampling of blast holes and sharp colour contrast will assist greatly in grade control.

The Indicated Mineral Resource extends from the surface to 75 metres below the deepest drill intersection or the 150 metre RL (reduced level), whichever occurs first.

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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Commodity Production

FY 2023 (July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023): In September 2022, Strike completed a maiden shipment of 66,618 tonnes of iron ore from Paulsens East, but less than a week after the maiden shipment exports were suspended given market conditions.
CommodityUnits2023
Iron Ore t  ....  Subscribe
All production numbers are expressed as lump.

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Aerial view:

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