The Marandoo mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 45 kilometres east of Tom Price.MINEDEX website: Marandoo search result accessed: 6 November 2010
The mine is owned and operated by Rio Tinto and is one of seventeen iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara.Pilbara Rio Tinto Iron Ore accessed: 6 November 2010Mining Rio Tinto Iron Ore accessed: 6 November 2010 In 2009, the combined Pilbara operations produced of iron ore, a 15 percent increase from 2008.Preparing for the future Rio Tinto presentation, published: 23 March 2010, accessed: 7 November 2010 The Pilbara operations accounted for almost 13 percent of the world's 2009 iron ore production of .Global iron-ore production falls 6,2% in 2009 - Unctad report miningweekly.com, published: 30 July 2010, accessed: 7 November 2010Production of iron ore fell in 2009, but shipments continued to increase, report says UNCTAD website, published: 30 July 2010, accessed: 7 November 2010
The mine, alongside the rail, is within a narrow corridor that splits Karijini National Park into a northern and a southern half. The Hamersley Range, where the mine is located, contains 80 percent of all identified iron ore reserves in Australia and is one of the world's major iron ore provinces.Iron fact sheet - Australian Resources and Deposits Geoscience Australia website, accessed: 7 November 2010
Overview
Marandoo was formerly located in the Karijini National Park until it was excised in 1991 to allow for mining operations to commence. An associated rail corridor was excised allowing transport of the ore to the coast to the west, and to connect with future mines to the east.
Rio Tinto iron ore operations in the Pilbara began in 1966. The mine itself began operations in 1994.CRA lets others do dirty work Australian Financial Review 12 December 1994 The mine has an annual production capacity of of iron ore, sourced from open-pit operations. The ore is processed on site before being loaded onto rail.Marandoo mine Rio Tinto Iron Ore accessed: 6 November 2010
Ore from the mine is then transported to the coast through the Hamersley & Robe River railway line, where it is loaded onto ships.Rail Rio Tinto Iron Ore accessed: 6 November 2010 Ore from Marandoo, like Brockman, Mount Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Channar, Eastern Range and Yandicoogina are transported as lump and fines ore product from the mines to Dampier via rail. Before being loaded onto ships for export, the product is blended and rescreened. The maximum size for the lumps is , while the fines are at a maximum of .Iron fact sheet - Mining Geoscience Australia accessed: 7 November 2010
Marandoo opened in October 1994 and was, at the time, the showpiece mine in regards to best practice design for Hamerley Iron.The Australian Mines Handbook - 2003-04 edition, editor: Ross Louthean, publisher: Louthean Media page 241
The mine is owned by Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto, which owns 13 mines in the Pilbara, including Marandoo.
The mines lifetime was extended another 20 years in the early 2010s when its lease was modified to allow it to extended below the natural water table. Groundwater is currently pumped to plains outside Karijini, where Rio Tinto is growing hay and supporting cattle.
Workers The mine's workforce is on a fly-in fly-out roster, having originally been based residential, until the town became too small for the workforce.Fly in, fly out plans for Marandoo mine ABC News, published: 26 May 2005, accessed: 7 November 2010 In 2009, the mine employed 355 people, an increase in comparison to 2008, when it only employed 250.Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistic Digest 2009 Department of Mines & Petroleum accessed: 7 November 2010
Tourism The mine can be seen from Mount Bruce, the second-highest mountain in Western Australia, located within Karijini National Park and the Hamersley Range.Karijini National Park - Top 5 attractions Karijini National Park website, accessed: 7 November 2010
References
External links Iron Ore Rio Tinto Marandoo Main Pit Minedex