Presentations and Papers
Summary - Pilbara + Mid-West (WA) Iron Ore Case Studies
Presenter: Sam Sanfilippo
Western Australia is the leading iron ore producing state in Australia, with the dominant share of the current seabourne iron ore market. It is the base of production for producers including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group (FMG). The state holds significant reserves of proven iron ore resource, as well as recognised inferred and indicated reserves for the future. The projections are for strong growth in the WA iron ore market, as demand is forecast to increase globally.
The Pilbara region alone is forecast to expand from its current levels of approximately 235 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) to between 400Mtpa and 560Mtpa by 2015, increasing further to between 560Mtpa and 890Mtpa by 2025.
Similarly, the Mid-West region has seen the growth of numerous iron ore producers which includes Gindalbie Metals. This region’s major export hub is through the Port of Geraldton, which is expected to expand its iron ore exports during this decade (to 2010), where it is expected to rise to 10Mtpa to 15Mtpa. Furthermore, the forecast is for exports to rise as high as 21Mtpa to -27Mtpa by 2020, based on the plans of various Mid-West ore producers.
An increased global demand for iron ore from the Pilbara and Mid-West has produced a need for rapid development of economically sustainable iron ore projects. To ensure their success, these projects require development with a systematic approach to the planning of significant port, rail and mine infrastructure. With these demands as a backdrop, private organisations require engineering planning strategies that will develop these major projects in the most economical manner possible.
A complex supply chain is required as the backbone to these major ore projects, incorporating industry best practice in engineering planning, to ensure efficient delivery of the ore from the mine, along the railway and through to the port.
This paper describes the elements of this complex supply chain, including planning considerations, selection criteria, constraints, design and construction issues and risks, together with conclusions pertaining to the strategy of planning these major projects. It also provides current case studies relating to iron ore projects in the Pilbara and Mid-West regions of Western Australia. The information in this paper is derived from various tudies and reports undertaken by Maunsell.
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