Fenix Resources has awarded the drill & blast, mining, and crushing & screening contract for its Iron Ridge project, in Western Australia, to MACA Ltd.

MACA is a reputable contractor with a strong track record of operational experience in the mining sector and has been involved in the Australia iron ore industry having carried out long-term works for Atlas Iron Ltd and Crossland Resources, Fenix said.

Early stage works commenced last month through local contractors, with MACA currently mobilising heavy earthmoving equipment to site.

Open-pit mining and crushing and screening operations are due to commence in the current quarter.

MACA said the contract is expected to generate around A$185 million ($131 million) in revenue for it over the 75-month term.

Fenix Managing Director, Rob Brierley, said: “We having been interacting with MACA on all aspects associated with the Iron Ridge project for well over a year now, and we are pleased that this relationship will continue as we transition to production in the near-term.

“MACA has vast experience in all aspects of iron ore mining operations and has essentially offered Fenix a one-stop shop for all our service requirements leading up to the transport of the ore from site to the port of Geraldton.”

The terms of the contract are in line with the company’s feasibility study, announced on November 4, 2019, which outlined that circa-8 million tonnes of high-grade hematite grading some 64% Fe will be extracted over a 6.5 year life of mine.

This same study assumed a single open-pit operation using conventional excavator‐truck mining fleet, adopting 10 m benches and mining these benches in three flitches. Ore and waste would be hauled to the run of mine pad and waste dump, respectively, by a fleet of 100 t haul trucks, while drill and blast will be conducted using a top hammer drill rig and ANFO or heavy ANFO explosives.