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Robe River

Producer in Western Australia, Australia with commodity Iron
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Nearby scientific data
  7. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  8. Ownership information
  9. Production statistics
  10. Reserves and resources
  11. Workings at the site
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. General comments
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10134035
MAS/MILS ID 6020550008
Record type Site
Current site name Robe River
Alternate or previous names Pannawonica-Deepdale, Pannawonica

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 116.32938, -21.65656 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Western Australia(province)

Australia(country)

Australia(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Australia Western Australia

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 116.32938, -21.65656
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE IRON DEPOSITS OCCUR IN THE ROBE PISOLITE WHICH IS THOUGHT TO BE TERTIARY IN AGE. IT WAS PRESUMABLY FORMED BY EROSION, SORTING, RE-DEPOSITION AND DESILICATION OF THE BANDED IRON FORMATIONS AND JASPILITES OF THE LOWER PROTEROZOIC HAMERSLEY GROUP. SOME OF THE IRON MAY ALSO BE DERIVED FROM BASIC VOLCANICS IN THE FORTESCUE GROUP. THE IRON CONTENT OF THE ROBE PISOLITE CONSISTS OF MIXED, ISOTROPIC GOETHITE, LIMONITE, HEMATITE AND MAGHEMITE. THE MATRIX CONSISTS OF EITHER COLLOFORM, YELLOW TO BROWN LIMONITE OR BROWNISH BLACK GOETHITE. THE PISOLITES ALSO VARY IN HARDNESS AND COMPOSITION. SOME ARE SOFT, OCHREOUS AND CAN BE DESTROYED BY FINGERNAIL ACTION; OTHERS ARE HARD AND METALLIC. THEY GENERALLY COMPRISE A HEMATITE CORE ENCASED IN A SUCCESSION OF THIN SHELLS OF GOETHITE, HEMATITE AND MAGHEMITE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1972
Milling method Washing

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Cliffs Western Australia Mining
    Year 1981
  • Type Owner
    Owner Robe River Ltd.
    Interest 35
    Year 1981
  • Type Owner
    Owner Cliffs W. Australia Mining Co. Pty Ltd
    Interest 30
    Year 1981
  • Type Owner
    Owner Mitsui Iron Ore Development Pty Ltd
    Interest 30
    Year 1981
  • Type Owner
    Owner Cape Lambert Iron Associates
    Interest 5
    Year 1981
  • Type Owner
    Owner North Broken Hill Peko Ltd.
    Interest 53
    Year 1993
  • Type Owner
    Owner Mitsui And Co. Ltd.
    Interest 33
    Year 1993
  • Type Owner
    Owner Nippon Steel Australia Pty. Ltd.
    Interest 10.5
    Year 1993
  • Type Owner
    Owner Sumimetal Australia Pty. Ltd.
    Interest 3.5
    Year 1993

Production statistics

  • Year 1981
    Ore mined 19599999mt
    Description 19599999 Mt

Comments on the production information

  • ROBE RIVER MILL STOPPED PRODUCING PELLET FEED IRON IN 1980. AT THIS TIME THE MILL SWITCHED TO 100% PRODUCTION OF SINTER FINES.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Indicated 200000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 200000000mt ore
    Total resources 200000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 57 wt-pct Iron Major 1981
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Demonstrated 690700000mt ore
    Total resources 690700000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 57 wt-pct Iron Major 1993
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Indicated 690700000mt ore
    Demonstrated 690700000mt ore
    Total resources 690700000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 57 wt-pct Iron Major 1993

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • OWNER: ROBE RIVER MINING CO. PTY. LTD. 30 % MITSUI IRO ORE DEVELOPMENT PTY. LTD. 20 % PEKO WALLSEND OPERATIONS LTC 35 % CAPE LAMBERT IRON ASSOCIATES 5 % PANNAWONICA IRON ASSOCIATES 10% OPERATOR: ROBE RIVER IRON ASSOCIATES OFFICE VISIT MADE IN PERTH IN NOVEMBER 1987

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 3600HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 0
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 15
    Capacity 63500
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 1.8
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 312
    Operating Shifts per Day 1
    Year of Information 1982

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Ownership

    MAXEY, ANDREA, "FINAL PLANT EXPANSION ON HOLD", NBHP FEATURE

  • Ownership

    IN AUSTRALIAN MINING MONTHLY, SEP 93, P. 6, 12.

  • Reserve-Resource

    AME MINERAL ECONOMICS QUARTERLY MINE ANALYSIS, JUN 93,P. 36.

  • Deposit

    BELL, O.R. AND SPRATT, D.M., CLIFFS ROBE RIVER - THE SUCCESS

  • Deposit

    STORY OF AN AUSTRALIAN IRON ORE PROJECT, AIME, PRESENTED

  • Deposit

    AIME ANNUAL MEETING, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, FEBRUARY 18-

  • Deposit

    22, 1979, 79-21, 29 P.

  • Deposit

    ZIMMERMAN, D.O. ETAL, GEOLOGY OF THE UPPER ROBE RIVER IRON

  • Deposit

    DEPOSITS, WESTERN AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE, 1973, AUSTRALASIAN

  • Deposit

    INSTITUTE OF MINING AND MET., VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA,

  • Deposit

    PP 143-152.

  • Deposit

    LISPSCOMBE, DON, ROBE RIVER STARTS UP IN THE PILBARA,

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, OCTOBER, 1972, PP 75-81.

  • Deposit

    SKILLINGS' MINING REVIEW, ROBE RIVER IRON ORE PROJECT,

  • Deposit

    OCTOBER 30, 1971, PP 10-15.

  • Deposit

    MINING ENGINEERING, $300-MILLION ROBER RIVER PROJECT OFF THE

  • Deposit

    GROUND, AUGUST, 1970, PP 74-77.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit FOURTH LARGEST IRON EXPORTER IN THE WORLD, THIRD IN AUSTRALIA BEHIND HAMERSLEY IRON AND BHP IRON ORE LTD.(SEP 1993)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 09-JAN-1995 Bolis U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

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