The Area C 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 ...

, 92 kilometres west-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 ...

. The mine is majority-owned (85 percent)BHP Billiton Annual report 2010
BHP Billiton website, accessed: 10 November 2010 and operated by BHP, and is one of seven iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara. 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. The Area C mine is part of the Mount Goldsworthy joint venture, together with the Yarrie and Nimingarra mine, with the latter two being in

care and maintenance Care and maintenance is a term used in the mining industry to describe processes and conditions on a closed minesite where there is potential to recommence operations at a later date. During a care and maintenance phase, production is stopped but t ...

since 2014 and 2007 respectively. BHP 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 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 m ...

.Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistic Digest 2009
Department of Mines & Petroleum, accessed: 8 November 2010 As of 2010, BHP employs 8,000 people in its Pilbara operations.About BHP Billiton Iron Ore
BHP Billiton website, accessed: 10 November 2010

Overview

The Area C mine was officially opened on 30 October 2003 by Premier

Geoff Gallop Geoffrey Ian Gallop (born 27 September 1951) is an Australian academic and former politician who served as the 27th Premier of Western Australia from 2001 to 2006. He is currently a professor and director of the Graduate School of Government a ...

, but ore was already being railed from the mine to the port since 16 August.BHP Billiton's Area C Mine Officially Opened
BHP Billiton, published: 30 October 2003, accessed: 10 November 2010 However, bulk samples of the ore had been mined and sent to customers since late 2001. The mine was initially scheduled to produce 15 million tonnes of iron ore annually. Ore from the BHP mines is transported by rail to Port Hedland through two independent railways. The

Mount Newman railway The Mount Newman 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 Goldsworthy rail ...

carries ore from Mount Whaleback, Orebodies 18, 23, 25 and 29, Jimblebar, Yandi and Area C. The Yarrie mine is serviced by the separate, shorter

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 ...

.Rail
BHP Billiton website, accessed: 10 November 2010 Ore from the Mount Whaleback and the other Newman mines, as well as the Yandi mine is transported to the port at Nelson Point, while ore from Area C and Yarrie goes to Finucane Island. Ore is transported through a 1.16 kilometre long tunnel from Nelson Point to the port at Finucane Island. The average loading time for a ship is 30 hours, and 800 ships are loaded annually at Port Hedland.Ports
BHP Billiton website, accessed: 10 November 2010 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
''

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 Following this, mining has resumed.

References

External links

MINEDEX website: Mining Area C
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 The ...

{{Iron ore mining in Western Australia Iron ore mines in Western Australia Surface mines in Australia Shire of East Pilbara BHP Itochu 2003 establishments in Australia