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Australia

Hope Downs Mine

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Australia

Hope Downs Mine

Location: 75 km NW from Newman, Western Australia, Australia

Regional Office:

152-158 St Georges Terrace
Perth
Western Australia, Australia
6000

Contacts:

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Iron Ore
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Hope Downs operation comprises the Hope Downs 1 mine, which includes the Hope Downs North, Hope Downs South, and Baby Hope deposits, as well as Hope Downs 4 mine.

The Hope Downs 1 Sustaining Project (Hope Downs 2 (HD2) and Bedded Hilltop (BHT) deposits) includes the development of mine pits and associated infrastructure including mineral waste infrastructure, processing facilities at HD2 or BHT, linear infrastructure, infrastructure for surface water management and water supply. The project will have a production rate of up to 19 million Mtpa of ore over an expected life of 15 years. The project is pending final approvals before construction can commence.

At the Hope Downs 4 mine, the proposed construction works of the Build, Own and Operate (BOO) Crushing and Screening Plant have commenced in accordance with the existing works approval granted on 16 May 2023. The proposed construction works are expected to be completed by May 2025, with a three-month commissioning phase.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Rio Tinto plc 50 % Indirect
Hancock Prospecting Pty. Ltd. 50 % Indirect
The Hope Downs 1 and Hope Downs 4 mines, which form part of the Greater Hope Downs project, are owned and operated through the Hope Downs Joint Venture (HDJV). The joint venture is held in equal shares by Rio Tinto (50%) and Hope Downs Iron Ore Pty Ltd (50%), the latter being a subsidiary of Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd.

Contractors

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SourceSource

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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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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AV - Autonomous

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityUnits20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Iron Ore kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe48,26445,36846,94147,01044,745
All production numbers are expressed as lump & fines.

Operational metrics

Metrics2023
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Mine Financials

Units2025202420232022
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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 21, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 21, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 21, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 21, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 21, 2025

Workforce

Aerial view:

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