Jimblebar mine

Jimblebar mine

Company type	Mining operation
Industry	Iron ore mining
Founded	1989
Headquarters	Newman , Australia
Products	Iron ore
Owner	BHP

The Jimblebar mine is an iron ore extraction site located in Western Australia's Pilbara region, situated 41 kilometres to the east of Newman. Fully owned and managed by BHP, it represents one of the seven iron ore mining operations the company oversees within the Pilbara. In addition to mining activities, BHP operates two port facilities at Port Hedland—Nelson Point and Finucane Island—and maintains a rail network exceeding 1,000 kilometres across the area.

Within the Pilbara iron ore sector, BHP holds the position of second-largest producer, trailing Rio Tinto but leading ahead of Fortescue Metals Group. As reported in 2010, BHP's workforce in the Pilbara region numbered around 8,000 employees.

Overview

Mining operations near Newman commenced following the discovery of the Mount Whaleback deposit in 1957, with development gaining momentum after the federal government removed an iron ore export ban in 1960. The initial mine, Goldsworthy mine, began production in 1965 alongside the establishment of a railway line and port infrastructure at Finucane Island. The first shipment of iron ore from the Pilbara region was dispatched on 1 June 1966.

BHP initiated its activities in Newman in 1968 through the Mount Whaleback mine, which is recognized as the world’s largest single-pit open-cut iron ore operation. This development was supported by significant infrastructure investments, including constructing the town of Newman and a 426-kilometre railway known as the Mount Newman line. The inaugural train departed from Newman on 1 January 1969, with ore shipments commencing in April of that year.

The Jimblebar mine began operations in March 1989, initially offering an annual production capacity of 14 million tonnes facilitated by a two-stage crushing process. Originally referred to as McCamey's Monster after prospector Ken McCamey, BHP acquired the mine in 1992. Jimblebar also processes ore extracted from the Wheelara deposit, which is co-owned by BHP alongside various Chinese and Japanese stakeholders.

Transportation of ore from Jimblebar and other mines is conducted via rail to Port Hedland using two main railway lines: the Mount Newman railway caters to Mount Whaleback, Orebodies 18, 23, 25, and 29, Jimblebar, Yandi, and Area C; whereas the shorter Goldsworthy railway services the Yarrie mine. The Jimblebar site is located at the terminus of a 32-kilometre spur branching off from the Mount Newman railway.

At Port Hedland, shipments from Mount Whaleback and Newman mines as well as Yandi are loaded at Nelson Point; meanwhile, ore from Area C and Yarrie is dispatched from Finucane Island. These two port areas are connected by a tunnel measuring 1.16 kilometres in length. Each year approximately 800 vessels are loaded with an average turnaround time close to 30 hours per ship.

Jimblebar forms part of BHP’s Pilbara expansion initiative launched in 2010 aimed at increasing production capacity to 240 million tonnes annually by 2013. This program involves enlarging Jimblebar’s output capabilities, upgrading Port Hedland’s inner harbour facilities, and duplicating rail tracks with an estimated investment of A$2.15 billion. Initially designated as Rapid Growth Project 6, it now falls under BHP's "Iron Ore Major Projects" portfolio.

In March 2011, Thiess Pty Ltd was awarded a $166 million contract focused on bulk earthworks and infrastructure development at Jimblebar. Furthermore, ALE was engaged to provide logistics support throughout the construction phase, managing over 140 cargo consignments including more than 110 modules transported using specialized heavy haulage equipment over a period of seven months.

External links

• MINEDEX: Jimblebar-Wheelarra-Hashimoto / BHPB – Information from the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety database