The Whaleback Hub consists of Mount Whaleback and Orebodies 29, 30 and 35 and is part of the Newman Operations.

The Eastern Ridge mining operations, collectively, are comprised of four Orebodies namely, Orebody 23, Orebody 24, Orebody 25 and Orebody 32 is part of the Newman Operations.

The Mt. Newman Joint Venture’s operations are centered on the large Mt Whaleback and adjacent satellite ore bodies. Mt. Whaleback is primary iron ore body, with the hematite ore striking east-west for about 5.5km, having a pit width of about 2km.

The OB29/30/35 are predominantly hosted by the upper members of the Marra Mamba Iron Formation (Mount Newman and MacLeod), although mineralisation does extend into the lower Marra Mamba (Nammuldi Member) and into the overlying West Angela Member of the Wittenoom Formation (Figure 7). Overlying detritals, where present, may also be mineralised (Kneeshaw 2008, as cited in RPS Aquaterra 2012).

Marra Mamba orebodies are typically permeable and are likely to form significant localised aquifers mostly surrounded by impermeable country rock. Alluvium (where saturated) and the Paraburdoo Member of the Wittenoom Formation are known potential aquifer units in the region. Mostly, these units are present between OB29/30/35 and Mount Whaleback Pit, with relatively impermeable country rocks to the south and east (RPS Aquaterra 2012; 2013).

The Marra Mamba Iron Formation (lowest unit of the Hamersley Group) is about 180 m thick but variations between 15 m and 230m have been observed in different parts of the Hamersley Basin. It is subdivided into three informal units: a lower BIF member, which contains numerous bands of shale, chert and dolomite; a middle shaly member with dominant black shales, some banded iron formation and a few bands of dolomite; and an upper BIF member made up of banded iron formation with subordinate chert and shale. The thickness ratios from bottom to top of these three members are approximately 18:5:8. Marra Mamba ore contains a higher proportion of goethite to hematite and consequently yields a lower percentage of direct-shipping lump ore after mining crushing and sizing.

The hematite enrichment ores mined in the Hamersley Basin correspond closely in composition to a theoretical mix of 70 per cent hematite, 23 per cent goethite, 5 per cent kaolin and 2 per cent quartz, to yield a composition of about 63.5 per cent Fe, 4.3 per cent SO,, 2.0 per cent A1,0, and 3 per cent loss on ignition. Phosphorus, averaging 0.05 per cent is the most commercially significant trace constituent.

The Eastern Ridge mining operations are located within the Hamersley Basin, which comprises the Fortescue Group (mafic-volcanics), Hamersley Group (Banded Iron Formation or BIF) and the Turee Creek Group of clastic meta-sediments.

Stratigraphy across Eastern Ridge is mainly of the Hamersley Group (~2,630 to 2,450 Ma) which is a 2.5 km thick sequence of predominantly deep water sediments with lesser turbidites and intrusives. Lithologies include BIF, hemipelagic shales, dolomite, chert, tuff and turbiditic volcanics. Since deposition, the Hamersley Group has undergone significant structural and geochemical alteration.

Situated adjacent to the Eastern Ridge mining operations is a broad, deeply incised alluvial palaeovalley that extends south of Orebody 25 and south and northeast of Orebody 23. The palaeovalley has been infilled with Tertiary to Recent alluvial sediments up to 90 metre (m) thick, comprising predominantly gravels, silts, clays, detritals and some zones of calcrete.

The main Orebody 24 range consists primarily of outcropping Brockman Iron Formation. To the south the Dales Gorge Member is conformably underlain by the Mount McRae Shale and the Mount Sylvia Formation. Dolerite and BIF of the Weeli Wolli Formation occur to the north of Orebody 24.

Detrital cover is thin at Orebody 24 consisting usually of <1m of scree. There is deeper cover to the south and north of the deposit.

Orebody 24 has a moderate level of structural complexity in comparison to other Eastern Ridge and Homestead orebodies. The folding style is similar to Orebody 25, having a major role in the development of structures at Orebody 24.

The Orebody 24 is characterised by tight, sometimes isoclinal, anticline-syncline pairs with a north verging axial plane, attributed to the folding. Wavelength is between 100m to 1 km on average, with folding of bedding on the metre scale imitating the shape of the larger scale folding.

Well-described regional faulting occurs in close proximity to Orebody 24. The Whaleback Fault runs along an ENE-WSW strike to the south (Kneeshaw, 2008). The Whaleback Fault is a steep angled normal fault with around 1km vertical displacement. The Fortescue River Fault truncates the stratigraphy and Whaleback Fault east of Orebody 24, separating it from Orebody 23.

Acidic intrusions are well documented in mapping in close proximity to the Fortescue River Fault (e.g. Jones et. al, 1973; Zivkovic, 2014).

The Orebody 25 area is structurally dominated by a large anticline, with Pit 1 developed in the south limb and anticline crest and Pit 3 in the overturned north limb (Kneeshaw, 2008). The majority of ore at Orebody 25 occurs in the Dales Gorge Member. Overlying the Dales Gorge Member is the Whaleback Shale Member, which, in turn, is overlain by the mineralised Joffre Member. To the south, the Dales Gorge Member is conformably underlain by the Mt McRae Shale and the Mt Sylvia Formation, which have been unconformably overlain by alluvial sediments.

Orebody 25 West forms a major east-west trending ridge that rises approximately 60m above the flats located to the north and south. The Orebody 25 West deposit geology comprises members of the Brockman Iron Formation (Yandicoogina Shale Member through to the Dales Gorge Member), the Mount McRae Shale, Mount Sylvia Formation, and the Wittenoom Formation (Bee Gorge Member). To the north, the Weeli Wolli Formation and Wongarra Rhyolite are also present. Tertiary Detrital cover overlies bedrock sequences off the ridge to the south and the north, however, the majority of the Orebody 25 West area is confined to the ridge itself. Orebody 25 West is structurally complex; the stratigraphy is overturned in places, tightly folded and faulted. The folding and faults are considered consistent with features along strike at Orebody 25 that have been truncated by the Whaleback Fault.

Overall, Orebody 32 is considered to be structurally complex. A major west-northwest/east-southeast trending normal fault, named Ali’s Fault, dissects the central section of Orebody 32. Ali’s fault separates a normal sequence of Marra Mamba Iron Formation to the south and an overturned recumbent fold of Marra Mamba Iron Formation with the Paraburdoo Dolomite at its core to the north.

At Orebody 32 the hardcap sequence was characterised by an increase in vitreous goethite and the presence of vugs and cavities. The average depth of the hardcap zone was 30 m below the ground level and the average thickness was 13 m. The hardcap zone is found deeper to the north of Orebody 32 where it is overlain by a thick sequence of tertiary detritals.

Mineralisation at Orebody 32 occurs within the N1, N2 and N3 units of the Mt Newman Member, with the highest grades found in the N1 and N3 units. Mineralisation was also found in some places within the MacLeod Member, the lower West Angeles Member and the Nammuldi Member. Thickness of enrichment was found to be variable throughout the deposit.

Three units of tertiary detritals occur at Orebody 32 East (TD1, TD2 and TD3). The detritals mostly occur on the flat plains in the northern, southern and eastern sections of the deposit around the edge of the outcropping Marra Mamba Iron Formation. The detrital sequence extends up to 60 m depth in the south and east of the area and has an average thickness of 15 m.

The Whaleback Hub consists of Mount Whaleback and Orebodies 29, 30 and 35 and is part of the Newman Operations.

The Eastern Ridge mining operations, collectively, are comprised of four Orebodies namely, Orebody 23, Orebody 24, Orebody 25 and Orebody 32 is part of the Newman Operations.

The Mt. Newman Joint Venture’s operations are centered on the large Mt Whaleback and adjacent satellite ore bodies. Mt. Whaleback is primary iron ore body, with the hematite ore striking east-west for about 5.5km, having a pit width of about 2km. Development of Mt Whaleback began in 1967 and the first ore was shipped in 1969.

Dill and blast of the ore body followed by load and haul of the blasted ore and overburden from open-cut pits.

Following blasting, the broken ore and overburden would be loaded into haul trucks using excavators or front end loaders and subsequently transported to relevant locations around the mine site area. [2013, EIS, p. 24,25]

BHP is introducing 20 autonomous trucks to its fleet at the Newman East (Eastern Ridge) iron ore mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region by the end of 2020. The existing fleet of Cat 793s would be retrofitted with autonomous haulage systems.

There has been no decision to introduce autonomous trucks at the other half of BHP’s Newman operations, Newman West, locally known as Mt Whaleback.

On July 6 2020, the first fleet of autonomous trucks arrived at BHP’s Newman East mine site.

Newman Hub:
primary crusher, ore handling plant, heavy media beneficiation plant, stockyard blending facility, single cell rotary car dumper, train load out.

The Mt Whaleback beneficiation plant treats contact ores using heavy medium (ferrosilicon) drum, cyclone and spirals circuits. [2006, CP, p. 35,36,37]

Orebody 25 Ore processing plant: primary and secondary crushing and screening plant (nominal capacity 12 Mtpa).

The ore is crushed, beneficiated (where necessary) and blended at each processing hub – Newman operations, Yandi, Mining Area C and Jimblebar – to create high-grade lump and fines products. Iron ore products are then transported along the Port Hedland–Newman rail line to the Finucane Island and Nelson Point port facilities at Port Hedland.

Environmental Licence L4503/1975/14 has assessed and approved the processing of up to 80 mtpa of iron ore at the Whaleback hub.

Currently Eastern Ridge is licenced to process u ........