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Australia

Hope Downs Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Iron Ore
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
SnapshotHope Downs comprises three successful major open pit mines (Hope 1 North, Hope 1 South and Hope 4) producing high-grade lump and fines products.

Hope Downs represents one of Australia’s largest and most successful iron ore projects in the lower cost quartile.
Latest NewsHancock brings in over $5b in profit     November 4, 2024

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Rio Tinto plc 50 % Indirect
Hancock Prospecting Pty. Ltd. 50 % Indirect
Rio Tinto operates Hope Downs 1 and Hope Downs 4 mines via Joint venture between Rio Tinto and Hancock Prospecting.

Deposit type

  • Banded iron formation

Summary:

The Hope Downs mine is located in the Hamersley Group which forms the middle layer of Mount Bruce Group in the Marra Mamba Iron Formation.

The Marra Mamba Iron Formation is the lowermost unit of the Proterozoic Hamersley Group in the northwestern part of Western Australia.

The Marra Mamba Iron Formation varies considerably in thickness, as based on sections measured in the field; however, not enough drill hole data are available to provide a quantitative assessment of its thickness variation throughout the Hamersley Range. Trendall and Blockley repoft a thickness range of 183 to 229 m based on sections mearPresent address: Department of Geology, Georgia State Univcrsity, Atlanta, Georgia

Others report thicknesses that range from a minimum of 15 m to 183 m (Macleod, 1966) for sections in different parts of the Hamersley Range. The Marra Mamba lron Formation is underlain by the Jeerinah Formation which is the uppermost member of the Fortescue Group. This group may be as much as 3660 to 4270 m thick and consists of shales and cherts in the upper part.

Mineralisation at Hope Downs 1 occurs as goethite/haematite within the banded iron formations of the Marra Mamba and Brockman Formation. Some detrital mineralisation also occurs.

Mineralisation at Hope Downs 4 occurs as haematite/goethite mineralisation hosted within the banded iron formations of the Brockman Formation.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityUnits202320222021202020192018201720162015
Iron Ore kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe48,26445,36846,94147,01044,745
All production numbers are expressed as lump & fines.

Operational metrics

Metrics2023
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Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Financials

Units20232022
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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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AV - Autonomous

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 2, 2024
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Aerial view:

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