Tag Archives: Mineral Resources Ltd

CSI Mining Services gets crushing gig at Atlas Iron’s McPhee Creek project

Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , ,

CSI Mining Services, part of Mineral Resources Ltd, says it has been awarded a five-year crushing contract for Atlas Iron’s McPhee Creek project, in Western Australia.

The contract will see CSI supply and operate a 10 Mt/y primary crushing plant at the McPhee Creek iron ore mine site, fed by Atlas Iron via dump trucks or wheel loaders, with product to be stockpiled for reclaim and haulage by Atlas Iron.

Chief Executive Mining Services, Mike Grey, said the contract adds to the strong pipeline of upcoming work for CSI.

“It’s fantastic to strengthen our partnership with Atlas Iron, with CSI also currently providing crushing services for their Sanjiv Ridge mining operations and crushing and haulage operations for Roy Hill,” he said. “It’s an exciting period of growth for our business, with CSI recently awarded three new crushing contracts.

“The variety of projects we support ensures our people have opportunities to work on different mine sites with diverse clients, gaining experience across a range of crushing plants.”

CSI is scheduled to mobilise to site in late 2024 to commence construction activities, ahead of crushing commencing in the June quarter of 2025.

The McPhee mine site is located in the northeast Pilbara region of Western Australia, some 100 km north of Roy Hill Mine and 30 km north of Nullagine, with an expected production rate of approximately 9.5-9.7 Mt/y (wet). Primary crushed ore will be hauled via road train from McPhee to Roy Hill for processing, transport to the port and shipping.

MinRes takes delivery of Hitachi EX3600 excavator for Onslow Iron

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Mineral Resources Ltd has taken delivery of a Hitachi EX3600 hydraulic excavator at its Ken’s Bore mine site, set to support its Onslow Iron project in Western Australia.

The brand new excavator was transported via four trucks, travelling 1,350 km from Perth, and will be used to construct haul roads, run of mine pad and mining broken stocks.

It made the trip along with a haul truck and drill – just some of the 15 haul trucks, three excavators and four drills that will work on site when the mine is fully operational.

MinRes’ A$3 billion ($2 billion) Onslow Iron project is, MinRes says, set to redefine mining in Western Australia, shipping around 35 Mt/y of iron ore from mid-2024. It is owned through the unincorporated Red Hill Iron Joint Venture, which is 40% held by MinRes, who will manage the project, with the other partners being Baowu, AMCI and POSCO.

Hexagon, MinRes to ‘transform mining’ with autonomous road train developments

Automation, IoT, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hexagon AB has signed a major agreement with diversified mining company Mineral Resources (MinRes) to provide an autonomous haulage solution for a fleet of road trains to run at the Onslow iron ore project in Western Australia, which, the companies say, will transform safety, productivity and sustainability in the region.

The world-first, fully autonomous road trains are a full-site, truck-agnostic solution, leveraging positioning, onboard autonomy and by-wire, fleet management, collision avoidance, world perception and autonomous mission management solutions from Hexagon.

These solutions will be added to Kenworth 330 t road trains (coming with three trailers each), which will run autonomously on MinRes’ 150 km private haul road.

This agreement builds on two major milestones the companies achieved over the last two years in anticipation of rolling out the fully autonomous road trains at Onslow.

In late 2021, Hexagon and MinRes signed an agreement to develop an autonomous road train solution as part of a plan to unlock “stranded tonnes” in the Pilbara of Western Australia. Then, in April 2022, the companies announced a world-first had been achieved with the successful demonstration of a triple-trailer, automated road train platoon in the Yilgarn of Western Australia – each autonomous road train, in this case, hauling 300 t of iron ore.

Andrew Crose, Vice President, Autonomous Mining, Hexagon’s Mining division, told IM that the speed of adoption of this automated solution – from agreement to demonstration, to planned commercial deployment, in a little over two years – was aided by the abilities and efforts of a global team of Hexagon experts.

“Hexagon has staffed a large multi-national team across the Hexagon technologies stack across Perth (Australia), United States, Brazil, Switzerland and Canada to deliver this technology,” he said.

The companies also worked within the framework of the established Code of Practice for Safe Mobile Autonomous Mining in Western Australia to gain the necessary regulatory approvals to move the project forward at such a pace.

Mike Grey, Chief Executive, MinRes, said in the press release: “Automation will remove the risk of driver fatigue, lower operating costs and reduce fuel use and emissions. There’s enormous potential for these vehicles to transform mining across the world.”

Commissioning of the autonomous road trains is expected to fall in line with the go-live date for Onslow – currently estimated for the first half of 2024.

The road trains form an important part of the 35 Mt/y project, ensuring this tonnage is moved from the mine to the Port of Ashburton.

MinRes has said previously that the autonomous road train technology will initially be adopted for its own mining operations, with a view to offering the solution to its Tier 1 customer base as it grows its Mining Services division.

Hexagon recently expanded its autonomy offering with the acquisition of HARD-LINE; a deal that, Nick Hare, President, Hexagon’s Mining division, says allows the company to provide a scalable automation platform that all mining companies can use and grow with.

Mineral Resources’ achieves energy strategy milestone with Wonmunna solar installation

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Mineral Resources (MinRes) says it has marked an important milestone in its energy strategy with the successful installation of a 2.1 MW solar-battery system at its Wonmunna iron ore project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Located 80 km northwest of Newman, the Wonmunna mine was purchased as an undeveloped project in the 2021 financial year. First ore was achieved just five months after construction began at the site and during the 2022 financial year, production from Wonmunna ramped up to 5 Mt/y.

Installation of the 5B Maverick solar technology at the Wonmunna site – complete with more than 4,000 solar panels – was completed during the 2023 financial year. Following successful testing and optimisation works, the technology is now providing significant benefits for site operations and reducing dependency on diesel fuel, MinRes says.

The combined solar-battery system will produce more that 30% of the mine’s power requirements and ultimately cut diesel consumption by approximately 760,000 litres each year, while reducing the site’s carbon emissions by around 2,000 t/y of carbon dioxide equivalent.

In addition, the crusher at the site is powered 100% by the system during the middle of the day when renewable output meets peak plant load.

During the warmer summer months, the system can achieve more than 40% displacement on any given day – and, with a 20-year life span, it can be redeployed to other operations once Wonmunna reaches its end-of-life, MinRes says.

Chief Executive Energy, Darren Hardy, said the Wonmunna solar and battery array at Wonmunna was a positive step forward in the company’s renewable energy strategy.

“MinRes is committed to pursuing renewable energy opportunities where we can and our team has been working hard to deliver a solar array and battery solution that delivers optimum output at Wonmunna,” Hardy said. “Together with natural gas, renewables will play an important role in our energy future, and MinRes continues to pursue off-grid solar power and energy storage solutions to support our remote locations.”

Gas and LNG power stations currently supporting MinRes’ lithium operations at Mt Marion in the Goldfields and Wodgina in the Pilbara are delivering significant emissions savings, according to the company. This includes a 64 MW capable power station at Wodgina, which is the largest of its kind on a mine site in the southern hemisphere, the company says.

At the upcoming Onslow Iron project, also in the Pilbara, MinRes will install a range of energy solutions designed to offset diesel with alternative fuels and renewable energy options, energy storage, and electrification of mobile equipment and transport.

MinRes says it recognises the need for meaningful action to address climate change and is committed to investing in activities that reduce the carbon intensity of its operations and maintaining best-practice environmental, social and governance performance.

The company’s Roadmap to Net Zero Emissions outlines MinRes’ pathway towards a transition to gas, renewable energy and other emerging technologies to support its operations and reduce its carbon intensity – including the company’s goal to achieve of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Hexagon’s Mining division highlights Power of One progress with new autonomous solutions launch

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Hexagon’s Mining division, on the day HxGN LIVE Global 2023 kicks off in Las Vegas, has introduced a new autonomous portfolio to its planning, operations and safety technology portfolios, signalling its intent to continue to solve the mining industry’s biggest challenges.

HxGN Autonomous Mining is a portfolio that protects people and equipment while addressing the challenges of operational productivity and decarbonisation, Hexagon’s Mining division says.

“By helping to autonomously manage vehicle traffic, improve fleet situation awareness and introduce drill automation, the new portfolio empowers mines to future-proof operations with the foundational building blocks of full operational autonomy,” it explained.

These building blocks include tools providing autonomous world perception, path planning in both manned driver-assist and autonomous operation, and machine intervention up through control on mining vehicles and drills primarily in open-pit environments and haulage operations.

HxGN Autonomous Mining unites Hexagon’s Power of One hardware with its core computing platform, connecting a unique ecosystem of sensors and software, according to the company. “The portfolio can help mines to succeed today while preparing for tomorrow,” Andrew Crose, Vice President, Autonomous Mining, Hexagon’s Mining division, said.

The Power of One platform is a holistic, life-of-mine smart solution connecting sensors, software, in-field apps and cloudware. The aim is to connect the mine to the boardroom via a single on-board ecosystem comprising a smart computer, antenna and display.

Nick Hare, President of Hexagon’s Mining division, told IM on the side lines of the Las Vegas event, hosted at Caesar’s Forum, that the company has rapidly moved from concept to reality with the Power of One platform.

He explained: “At MINExpo 2021, we announced the Power of One concept. Last year at HxGN LIVE Global, we told everyone it was now available and ready to implement. This year, we’re able to talk about real deployments that will start from the next quarter.

“We’ve moved from concept to deployment in just under two years, defying the supply chain issues that have affected everyone in this industry.”

The building blocks that are part of HxGN Autonomous Mining include the World Perception suite of detection solutions; mining’s first Level-9 collision avoidance technology, Hexagon’s collision intervention system, HxGN MineProtect Vehicle Intervention System; HxGN MineOperate Reverse Assist for optimised shovel and truck spotting; HxGN Autonomous Mining VIS Analytics to analyse and compare information such as locations, equipment and more; the intuitive drill automation platform, HxGN Autonomous Mining Drill Assist; HxGN Autonomous Mining Platooning Solutions to maximise the safety of ore haulage, boost cost-efficiency and reduce carbon emissions; and HxGN Autonomous Mining Mission Manager Solution to empower pit controllers and dispatchers to optimise the movement of autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles, and mine production activities through one interface.

The company’s “unparalleled” technology stack – as Crose refers to it – can currently automate around 80% of the processes involved in open-pit haulage, according to Hare.

In an on-the-road scenario, the company can already automate the majority of functions, as it is proving out with Mineral Resources Ltd on its autonomous road train project. In pit haulage, it is also working on an autonomous haulage system (AHS) solution to compete with the likes of Caterpillar and Komatsu’s own AHS platforms. Parts of this are likely to be seen operating later this year. In terms of autonomous drilling, the company is getting even closer to the fully-autonomous benchmark through work it is carrying out with Phoenix Drill Control.

While not all Power of One users will leverage the entire technology stack from the off, Hare said he is expecting many companies to quickly add building blocks to their deployments as they familiarise themselves with the platform.

“We have significantly improved upon the industry standard when it comes to the Power of One and this new automation platform,” he said. “For example, when integrating fleet management – under our HxGN MineOperate solution – and collision avoidance (the HxGN MineProtect Collision Avoidance System within the World Perception Suite), we can reduce the number of interfaces operators have to interact with. Depending on the scenario, we can highlight an optimised route to the crusher for a truck or make them aware of an impending collision on just one screen. This significantly improves the user experience, reduces the likelihood of incidents and improves productivity.”

Another significant enhancement the company has achieved with its Power of One platform is consolidating the numerous antenna fitted to open-pit trucks into a single antenna able to receive and, depending on the network and software settings, process the same amount of information.

“From a perception perspective, we have also moved up the tiers with our sensor solutions, going from a 2D radar-based system as was used for our initial collision avoidance systems to a 4D radar-based platform able to distinguish between people, berms, trucks, light vehicles, etc,” Hare said.

Add to this upgraded software to process all the valuable data coming off the sensor and the company believes it now has as close to an off-the-shelf commercial solution as can currently be obtained.

The platform is expected to bring immediate productivity benefits for customers – Crose mentions better blast outcomes with drilling automation to improved equipment performance and production via autonomously managed vehicle movement – but the reduction in hardware is also expected to lead to significant cost savings for clients.

“We are confident that this portfolio, under the auspices of the Power of One platform, will provide return on investment for clients,” Hare said. “While it is being integrated into a standardised offering that aids deployment cost and time, the starting point for every project is how to solve the problems the mining client is experiencing. We will take time to understand what issues they are having on site and ensure the system rules and algorithms are built in such a way as to prioritise solving these. At the same time, we will highlight as many opportunities to optimise their operations as we can.

“This is how we ensure that value is generated immediately from day one.”

Hexagon’s Mining division also introduced HxGN Underground Mining, an integrated sensor-software portfolio built for the unique challenges of underground environments, at the same event.

MinRes’ Onslow Iron project welcomes launch of first transhipper

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Mineral Resources says its Onslow Iron project has reached a major milestone with the successful launch of Western Australia’s first shallow draft and fully enclosed transhipper.

Transhippers, designed by MinRes in collaboration with naval architects, as well as local and international engineering firms, are key to this large iron ore project. The vessels significantly reduce the project’s cost and environmental footprint as their shallow draft means millions of tonnes of iron ore can be shipped without the need for a deep-water port, according to MinRes.

Transhippers are also an integral part of MinRes’ dust-free mine-to-ship transport solution as they will be fully enclosed to ensure no dust pollution in Onslow from MinRes operations, it added.

Each transhipper is named after an island off the Pilbara coast, with the first, MinRes Airlie, launched into the water in March, one year after construction started at the COSCO shipyard in Zhoushan, China.

Onslow Iron will see ore transported by fully covered road trains along a dedicated haul road from the Ken’s Bore mine, 150 km east of Onslow, to the Port of Ashburton. At the port, the ore is transferred to a 220,000 t enclosed negative pressure storage facility. From there, it will be moved via covered conveyors into the transhipper’s “hopper” storage area.

At 123-m long and 36-m wide, the transhippers will have a 7-m draft when fully loaded, transporting ore to capesize bulk carriers anchored 40 km off the Pilbara coast.

This design drastically reduced the amount of seabed dredging required for the loading berth at the Port of Ashburton, according to MinRes

“When operating off the Pilbara coast, the five transhippers will be propelled by powerful tugs that provide crew with home-like comforts and high spec finishes,” the company said.

Transhippers are equipped with a loading system that distributes the ore throughout the vessel’s hold. Once ready for discharge, the ore drops onto conveyors that feed a loading boom into capesize bulk carriers.

MinRes Managing Director, Chris Ellison, said: “The successful launch of our first transhipper, MinRes Airlie, is a significant milestone in the development of our Onslow Iron project, which is set to redefine mining in Western Australia. Transhippers are just the latest example of the cutting-edge innovation being designed and developed by MinRes and are crucial to how we will unlock stranded iron ore deposits in the West Pilbara.

“The unique design of these shallow draft vessels means we don’t need to build deep-water berths, drastically reducing both the cost and environmental footprint of this landmark project. The interior fit-out of these vessels demonstrates our commitment to setting a new standard for workplace wellness, whether our people work in our state-of-the-art headquarters in Perth or at sea on a transhipper.”

MinRes’ A$3 billion ($2 billion) Onslow Iron project is, MinRes says, set to redefine mining in Western Australia, shipping around 35 Mt/y of iron ore from mid-2024.

Fitting out of MinRes Airlie will continue throughout 2023 ahead of an expected arrival in Western Australia early next year.

Onslow Iron is owned through the unincorporated Red Hill Iron Joint Venture, which is 40% held by MinRes, who will manage the project, with the other partners being Baowu, AMCI and POSCO.

Swift to connect AngloGold, MRL, Roy Hill sites with network tech

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Swift says it has been awarded project contracts with multiple companies including AngloGold Ashanti, Mineral Resources Ltd and Roy Hill that amount to A$2.06 million ($1.36 million) in total contract value to the specialist technology company.

The contracts are for infrastructure work to be undertaken in 2023.

Under the new agreements Swift’s engineering and delivery teams will design and install various network infrastructure and Wi-Fi infrastructure solutions, aligned with the needs of each individual site.

Through consultation with each customer, Swift’s teams will leverage their extensive knowledge and expertise within the mining and resources sector to ensure each network and Wi-Fi infrastructure solution supports reliable and stable connected services, it said. The designs will not only support the delivery of an enhanced on-site living experience, but also ensure the solution is scalable and future proofed.

While the aggregate revenue from these contracts is material to the company, no individual contract generates revenue over A$1 million, it said.

Mineral Resources, MEVCO agree on battery-electric Toyota HiLux utility vehicle deliveries

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Mineral Resources says it will be the first miner in Western Australia to take delivery of Australia-engineered battery-electric Toyota HiLux utility vehicles for its mine site operations.

The investment, it says, is a demonstration of MinRes’ commitment to decarbonise its mining operations in Western Australia, which includes two of the world’s largest hard-rock lithium mines.

MinRes placed the order with mining industry vehicle supplier and global systems integrator MEVCO, which recently announced a partnership with SEA Electric to electrify Toyota HiLux and LandCruiser utes.

From its factory in Melbourne, SEA Electric is converting the vehicles from diesel-powered engines to all-electric using its SEA-Drive power-system.

The HiLux utility vehicles purchased by MinRes will be fitted with an 88 kWh battery that provides a range of up to 380 km and can be charged up to 80% in less than one hour, according to the company. The mine site-ready electric vehicles also produce no noise, fumes, heat or vibrations.

A demonstration model arrived in Perth, Western Australia, this week and MinRes is expected to take delivery of the first batch of electric vehicles in April.

MinRes, which is committed to net zero emissions by 2050, will use the electric utility vehicles at its various mine operations across Western Australia, including at the Koolyanobbing iron ore mine in the Yilgarn.

The addition of the electric utility vehicles comes two years after MinRes took delivery of the first all-electric light truck to roll off the SEA Electric production line.

MinRes is cutting emissions at its mining operations through a variety of technologies, including plans to transition road trains at its Onslow Iron project from diesel to electric.

At the Wonmunna iron ore project in the Pilbara, a 2.1 MW solar array and battery system is also being installed that will provide 30% of the site’s energy requirements.

MinRes Chief Executive Officer, Mining Services, Mike Grey, said: “MinRes has a plan to transition to a low-carbon future and cutting our reliance on diesel is central to achieving this goal. Our MEVCO electric utes are just one of the many ways we’re driving towards net zero and an exciting step in our decarbonisation journey.

MEVCO Chief Executive Officer, Matt Cahir, added: “While many companies talk about decarbonisation, MinRes is actually doing it. Partnering with one of the leading innovators in the mining industry is testimony to the MEVCO HiLux ute.

“MinRes is a company that is at the forefront of innovation and understands how that culture attracts and keeps the best mining talent in the industry. We are excited to be part of MinRes’ decarbonisation journey.”

S5 System tapping AI technology to solve mine asset management issues

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Australia-based engineering company S5 System says it is out to solve three common mining workplace problems using artificial intelligence-based technology that takes minutes to install, is affordable and offers rapid payback on investment.

The company has produced three OEM-agnostic asset management products and is advancing research and development to expand the application range of its specialised monitors, sensors and control devices.

S5 System Founder and CEO, Davoud Nassehi (pictured at the recent IMARC event), says the company’s current focus is on growing awareness of three market-ready products – BoltTight, which monitors the tightness of bolted joints; WearMon, wear liners with real-time monitoring; and GETsmart, a ground engaging tool (GET) dislodgement detection system.

They are currently being used on Western Australia mine sites by the likes of Newmont and Mineral Resources Ltd.

Nassehi says he saw an urgent need for the products in his time working in the mining and telecommunications industries.

“Knowing that industries are going to Industry 4.0, I wanted to help them transition from Industry 3.0 and increase the available insights into machinery, plant and feed processes with more realistic data to use in later lifecycle stages,” he said.

“It makes the workplace safer, more secure and more agile, and saves money by allowing users to know what’s happening in their systems, through monitoring and all the good things that are becoming possible by using IoT.”

The wireless products can be fitted to any equipment brand, are suitable for the harshest mining environments and don’t rely on cameras to provide feedback, according to S5. Installation is not dependent on existing infrastructure, Nassehi added.

“They are plug-and-play products,” he said. “They require zero maintenance, are self-diagnostic and the batteries don’t need to be replaced for years.”

BoltTight uses patented technology to constantly monitor the compression force in bolted joints. The washers are designed in standard metric and imperial sizes, and send data using ZigBee wireless technology to a hub that collects data from all the nearby washers and transfers it to the server for analysis, monitoring and data storage purposes.

Any critical failure can be detected, and a real-time audio-visual alarms notify the operation and maintenance team of the exact location of the failed bolt in the plant’s 3D models, according to the company.

“Currently, in the market, there are very few bolted-connection intelligent solutions,” Nassehi said. “Some use ultrasonic or other non-destructive test tools, which are expensive and require manually checking every joint by experienced technicians. There are smart bolt options attempted in the market, however, embedding electronics inside a bolt compromises its specification and integrity.”

“Miners have been looking for a reliable way of detecting GET failures and locating failed parts for years”

Having experienced first-hand the expensive and time-consuming job of replacing wear liners in equipment such as mills, crushers, feeders and transfer chutes, Nassehi conceived the WearMon system.

The non-invasive online condition monitoring system can be directly installed on any type of mining plant liner material such as rubber, metallic, ceramic, polyurethane and polyethylene, it claims. Via battery-powered wireless wear sensors on one of the bolts, it offers accurate real-time and historical wear data; machine learning; predictive, condition-based maintenance; suggested shutdown planning information; accurate inventory requirements; and service forecasts, Nassehi says.

“This system continuously monitors the remaining thickness at each sensor location and reports to the server,” he said. “Information then is processed on the sever and forms a basis to predict the remaining life. If the next scheduled maintenance state is pre-set, then the shutdown date can be entered directly into the software and, if there is a planned shutdown date entered into system then the software algorithm will determine which liners will need to be changed out and predict the number and location of the required material accordingly.

“Alternatively, if maintenance dates are flexible, the system generates predictions with accurate estimate of the serviceable life of the liners and suggests a replacement date.”

S5’s GETsmart system also has sensors at its foundation. They are inserted into a shovel’s GET and shrouds, and connect wirelessly to the in-cab monitor, which actively scans all sensors. When it detects a tooth break, a real-time audio-visual alarm notifies the operator and they can remotely stop the downstream crusher.

Nassehi said unlike competitor options, the GETsmart system doesn’t rely on cameras – which can get dirty very quickly in a mining environment and so impair visibility – for feedback.

“Estimated to cost the mining industry between 1-5% of total production each year, broken GET are a massive global problem for the mining industry,” he said. “Miners have been looking for a reliable way of detecting GET failures and locating failed parts for years.”

Rio Tinto, BHP, Hancock among miners supporting new Western Australia community initiative

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The McGowan Government in Western Australia has launched what it says is a state-first Resources Community Investment Initiative, backed by major mining companies, which will facilitate investment in iconic state infrastructure projects and community and social initiatives across Western Australia.

Established with founding partners Rio Tinto, BHP, Hancock Prospecting, Roy Hill, Atlas Iron, Woodside Energy, Chevron Australia and Mineral Resources Ltd, the initiative provides a state government-backed platform for direct contribution to iconic infrastructure and social projects in the Western Australia community that will make the state an even better place to live for generations, the government said.

The initial commitments total A$750 million ($496 million) from Rio Tinto (A$250 million), BHP (A$250 million), Hancock Prospecting, Roy Hill and Atlas Iron (A$100 million), Woodside Energy (A$50 million), Chevron Australia A($50 million) and Mineral Resources (A$50 million).

Government will work with The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia and other companies to encourage additional investment from across Western Australia’s resources sector, it said.

An initial pipeline of projects has already been identified, including the Aboriginal Cultural Centre, the Perth Zoo Master Plan, the Remote Aboriginal Communities Fund, the Perth Concert Hall redevelopment and additional contributions to Telethon.

It will also extend to include transformational projects across the state, to enable companies to collectively contribute to achieving long-term social and economic outcomes in the regions they operate in, in areas such as education and training, health, Aboriginal wellbeing and energy decarbonisation projects.

Each company will decide the projects they wish to nominate funding to and individual project agreements will be established with agreed project milestones.

An advisory committee, comprising of an independent chair as well as government and industry representatives, will be convened to oversee the initiative and ensure the highest standards of governance.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive, Simon Trott, said: “This initiative is a great example of government and industry working together to support critical projects that will enable our community to prosper for generations to come. We want to leave a lasting, positive legacy wherever we operate, and this initiative will build on our more than 50 years of work helping to create thriving and resilient communities across Western Australia.”

BHP Asset President WA Iron Ore, Brandon Craig, said: “BHP has a long and proud history in Western Australia, and we welcome the collaborative approach taken by the Western Australia Government and the mining industry to strengthen our significant contribution to this great state. We look forward to furthering our support for long-term social and economic outcomes in the regions where we operate, and for all West Australians.”

Hancock Prospecting Executive Chairman, Gina Rinehart, said: “Hancock Prospecting, Roy Hill and Atlas Iron have invested in programs and infrastructure in West Australia over many years and we are pleased to make a further A$100 million contribution through the RCII initiated by Premier McGowan.”

Mineral Resources Ltd Managing Director, Chris Ellison, said: “Western Australians have played a vital role in the success of MinRes and our industry. As a proud Western Australian company, MinRes is continuing to grow, creating jobs and building projects in this great state. It is only natural that we support an initiative that is building a better future for all Western Australians.”