Grounded Construction Group has made a fast start on its contract for installing two mining villages and a mine infrastructure administration and maintenance facility for Iluka Resources’ Cataby mineral sands project in the Perth Basin of Western Australia.

The company recently handed over the keys to Iluka, ahead of schedule, after the completion of two stages of its work on the A$275 million ($201 million) project.

The recent completion of stage one and two took place over six months for Tronox Ltd in Cataby and Iluka Resources in Dandgaragan. Stage one included a 260-person mining village, with the greenfield site requiring bulk earthworks, concreting, sealed roads and the transport of buildings.

“As with all Grounded Construction Group projects, best practice methods were used to install accommodation facilities,” the company said. The entire project included the installation of all waste and water treatment plants, electrical, plumbing, communications, bitumen roads, line-marking and car parks.

Stage two in Dandgaragan included the building of a 180-person elevated campsite. Similar to stage one, the project included bulk earthworks, concreting, construction of sealed roads, transportation of buildings and cranage. It also involved waste and water treatment plants, electrical, plumbing, communications, bitumen roads, line-marking, car parks and the installation of a maintenance shed.

Paul Natoli, Grounded’s Managing Director, said: “Our team of project managers and contractors have all worked cohesively and cooperatively to complete these two major stages ahead of schedule and on budget.”

Grounded is currently working on the beginning stages of stage three.

The Cataby mineral sands deposit is a chloride ilmenite deposit with associated zircon and rutile production. It is expected to have an economic life of around eight-and-a-half years.

Heavy mineral concentrate produced at the site will be processed into final products at Iluka’s Narngulu mineral separation plant. The chloride ilmenite product will be suitable for both sale or as a feed source for the production of synthetic rutile.

The project was approved in December 2017 with first production expected in the June quarter of 2019.