It is a world class, low phosphorus, Marra Mamba iron ore deposit located in the Pilbara – one of the world’s premier iron ore provinces – and the only independent iron ore project with West Australia majority ownership.
To date, HPPL has invested (and committed to invest) in excess of A$1 billion on exploration, feasibility studies and early works for Roy Hill and has spent years achieving approvals, permits and licences. It has undertaken more than 500,000 metres of exploratory drilling to define a JORC Code compliant resource of 2.4 billion tonnes that will sustain a mine life of more than 20 years, at a production rate, after ramp up, of 55 Mtpa,
Since the start of the booming mining industry in Australia, each development needs massive investment in the provision of roads, rail, pipelines, port facilities and mine infrastructure. The Roy Hill processing plant will be the largest single feed processing plant in the region.
A purpose built iron ore port facility will be constructed to receive, stockpile, screen and export direct shipped iron ore as lump and fines. The wharf has been designed to be able to handle up to 320,000 tonne cape size vessels.
The construction of a 344 km pit-to-port heavy haul railway will be managed by the large contractor Parsons Brickerhoff (part of Balfour Beattie).
Five ore trains will run per day, each consisting of three locomotives hauling 232 ore cars with a total payload of 31,450 tonnes or ore.
The initial works, including port dredging, internal mine roads, a 2.5km sealed airstrip, as well as several construction accommodation village with a total of 4,600 beds.
The overall project is still in its due diligence process, and the final debt financing for the project is still yet to be secured, but approvals are set to be in place by mid-2013.
