The BHP Board recently announced approval for the Western Ridge Crusher Project (WRC), located on Nyiyaparli Country, approximately 21 kilometres southwest of Newman. The Western Ridge Crusher is a sustaining tonnes proposal for Newman Operations.

BHP WA Iron Ore Asset President Tim Day said this was a significant milestone and project, with an expected total investment of US$943 million (100% basis). “We expect to award more than US$45 million (100% basis) in contracts to local and Indigenous businesses – both via BHP direct and indirect engagements. This will achieve significant social value for the communities in which we operate,” he said.

First production is expected in in Q1 FY2027, and the project is expected to deliver an average of 25 Mt/y providing around 12 years of products for WAIO to replace production from depleting orebodies around Newman. The project scope includes new ore processing and transportation infrastructure, including construction of a new 30 Mt/y primary crusher and a 12 km overland conveyor to transport the ore from the Mount Helen and Silver Knight iron ore deposits to the Newman West ore processing hub.

There are four deposits in all that will be mined using conventional open pit methods. In more detail, iron ore from Eastern Syncline and Bill’s Hill deposits will be transported via road to one of Mt Whaleback’s existing primary crushing and ore handling plants (OHP) facilities, namely OHP2, OHP5 and OHP3. Ore from Mount Helen and Silver Knight will be crushed in the new primary crusher and transported via the overland conveyor back to the existing Mt Whaleback coarse ore stockpile (COS) for processing through OHP4, prior to being transported via rail to port.