The Yandi 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 ...

mine 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 g ...

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 t ...

, 90 kilometres north-west of

Newman Newman is a surname of English origin and may refer to many people: The surname Newman is widespread in the core Anglosphere. A * Abram Newman (1736–1799), British grocer * Adrian Newman (disambiguation), multiple people *Al Newman (born 196 ...

. It should not be confused with Rio Tinto's nearby

Yandicoogina mine The Yandicoogina mine, often shortened to Yandi, is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 95 kilometres north-west of Newman. it should not be confused with BHP Billiton's Yandi mine, which is located nearby. The ...

, which is also sometimes shortened to Yandi. The mine is majority-owned (85 percent)BHP Billiton Annual report 2010
BHP Billiton website, accessed: 6 December 2010 and operated by BHP. As of 2021 the mine has commenced its end-of-life ramp-down, but is still used to provide supply chain flexibility at a lower level of production. The company also operates two port facilities at

Port Hedland A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...

, Nelson Point and Finucane Island, and over 1,000 kilometres of rail in the Pilbara. As of 2009 BHP Billiton is the second-largest iron ore mining company in the Pilbara, behind

Rio Tinto Rio Tinto, meaning "red river", may refer to: Businesses * Rio Tinto (corporation), an Anglo-Australian multinational mining and resources corporation ** Rio Tinto Alcan, based in Canada ** Rio Tinto Borax in America *** Rio Tinto Borax Mine, ...

and ahead of

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 m ...

.Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistic Digest 2009
Department of Mines & Petroleum, accessed: 6 December 2010 As of 2010, BHP employs 8,000 people in its Pilbara operations.About BHP Billiton Iron Ore
BHP Billiton website, accessed: 6 December 2010

Overview

The first iron ore mine in the Pilbara to develop was the Goldsworthy mine in 1965 and a railway line, the

Goldsworthy railway The Goldsworthy railway, owned and operated by BHP, is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia built to carry iron ore. It is one of two railway lines BHP operates in the Pilbara, the other being the Mount Newman rai ...

, as well as port facilities at Finucane Island were constructed. On 1 June 1966, the first shipment of iron ore from the Pilbara left on board of ''Harvey S. Mudd''.History of the Iron Ore Industry and the Pilbara
BHP Billiton website, accessed: 6 December 2010 Operations at Yandi commenced in 1991, with the first ore shipment taking place in 1992. The plant was upgraded from 1994 to 2003 to its current capacity of 41 million tonnes annually. The mine consists of 3 processing plants and two train loading facilities. Mining operations within BHP throughout the Pilbara were briefly suspended in September 2008 to focus on safety after two fatalities at the Yandi mine within 10 days of each other.BHP suspends WA iron works after second mining death
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The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...

'', published: 5 September 2008, accessed: 12 November 2010

References

{{Iron ore mining in Western Australia Iron ore mines in Western Australia Surface mines in Australia Shire of East Pilbara BHP Itochu 1991 establishments in Australia