The Firetail mine is an

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...

mine operated by the

Fortescue Metals Group Fortescue Metals Group Limited (often referred to as Fortescue Metals Group, FMG, or simply Fortescue) is an Australian iron ore company. As of 2017, Fortescue is the fourth-largest iron ore producer in the world. The company has holdings of ...

(FMG) and located in the

Pilbara The Pilbara () is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a glo ...

region of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, north of Tom Price. The mine is part of the company's

Solomon Hub Fortescue Metals Group Limited (often referred to as Fortescue Metals Group, FMG, or simply Fortescue) is an Australian iron ore company. As of 2017, Fortescue is the fourth-largest iron ore producer in the world. The company has holdings of m ...

, one of three of its active mining areas, together with the Chichester Hub and the

Western Hub Fortescue Metals Group Limited (often referred to as Fortescue Metals Group, FMG, or simply Fortescue) is an Australian iron ore company. As of 2017, Fortescue is the fourth-largest iron ore producer in the world. The company has holdings of m ...

Overview

The mine is located on the traditional land of the indigenous

Yindjibarndi people The Yindjibarndi are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. They form the majority of Aboriginal people around Roebourne (the Millstream area). Their traditional lands lie around the Fortescue River. Langua ...

, with the proposed mining at the Solomon hub leading to a long-standing dispute between the native title holders and the Fortescue Metals Group over compensation. The issue split the local community to a point where the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation rejected FMG's offers, which led to a rival group, the Wirlu-Murra Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation, being formed, which chose to work with the mining company. The dispute was eventually settled in 2020, after 17 years of legal battle, when the

High Court of Australia The High Court of Australia is Australia's apex court. It exercises Original jurisdiction, original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified within Constitution of Australia, Australia's Constitution. The High Court was established fol ...

ruled in favour of the traditional owners. In March 2011, FMG lodged an application with the

Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia The Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia (EPA) is a statutory authority within the Government of Western Australia, established on 1 January 1972, which acts as the primary provider of independent environmental advice to the ...

for approval of the Solomon iron ore project, consisting of the Firetail and

Kings Valley mine The Thacker Pass Lithium Mine is a proposed lithium clay mining development project in Humboldt County, Nevada which is the largest known lithium deposit in the US, and one of the largest in the world. There has been significant exploration of T ...

, and 127km of new railway line to connect the mines with the existing

Fortescue railway The Fortescue railway, owned and operated by Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia built to carry iron ore. It opened in 2008.Western Australian Minister for Mines and Petroleum,

Bill Marmion William Richard Marmion (born 22 May 1954) is an Australian politician who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia between 2008 and 2021, representing the seat of Nedlands. He served as a minister in the government of Col ...

. However, mining had commenced in late 2012 and first ore from the mine was railed to port in December 2012. The mine, as part of the company's new Solomon Hub, was scheduled to produce 20 million tonnes of iron ore per annum, while the nearby Kings Valley mine, under development at the time, was planned to produce double this amount for a projected total annual production for the hub of 60 million tonnes. By late 2016, the Firetail mine had ramped up production to 27 million tonnes of iron ore per annum, producing high grade ore essential for blending with lower grade from other FMG mines, but was scheduled at the time to be depleted by 2019. In May 2018, FMG approved the construction of the Eliwana mine, reportedly to replace the Firetail mine. A proposed three-fold expansion of the Solomon hub mining area was approved by the

in late 2016, despite long-standing opposition by the traditional owners of the land, the Yindjibarndi people, as well as concerns over the effects on the nearby Hammersley Gorge, located in

Karijini National Park Karijini National Park is an List of national parks of Australia, Australian national park centred in the Hamersley Ranges of the Pilbara region in the northwestern section of Western Australia. The park is located north of the Tropic of Caprico ...

. The expansion was rejected by the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation but approved of by the rival Wirlu-Murra Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation. Mining at the Solomon hub was temporarily suspended in late September 2021, after a fatality at one of the mines, when a male employee died in a ground collapse. Apart from the Solomon Hub, as of 2022, the company also mines the Chichester Hub, consisting of the

Christmas Creek The Christmas Creek, a perennial stream that is part of the Macleay River catchment, is located in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features Christmas Creek rises below Roses Knob, about east by north of the ...

and Cloudbreak mines, and the Western Hub, consisting of the Eliwana mine. A third operation within the Solomon hub, the

Queens Valley mine Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long Is ...

, was approved for construction in 2019 at a projected cost of A$417 million. The mine, located 15km west of the Kings Valley mine, is scheduled to open in 2022.

References

External links

MINEDEX website: Solomon - Greater Solomon
Database of the

Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety is a department of the Government of Western Australia. The department was formed on 1 July 2017, out of the former Department of Mines and Petroleum and Department of Commerce. A restr ...

Solomon Iron Ore Project

{{Iron ore mining in Western Australia, state=collapsed Iron ore mines in Western Australia Surface mines in Australia Shire of Ashburton Fortescue Metals Group 2013 establishments in Australia Aboriginal land rights in Australia