Firetail mine
| Location | |
|---|---|
Fortescue Metals Group | |
| Website | Fortescue website |
 | |
The Firetail mine is an
Native title issues
The mine is located on the traditional land of the
In March 2011, FMG lodged an application with the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia for approval of the Solomon iron ore project, consisting of the Firetail and Kings Valley mine, and 127km of new railway line to connect the mines with the existing Fortescue railway. Mine life, at the time, was predicted to be 20 years with a combined production of 80 million tonnes of iron ore per annum.[3]
A proposed three-fold expansion of the Solomon hub mining area was approved by the
In 2017, the
Mining operations
The Firetail mine officially opened on 6 May 2013 in the presence of Western Australian Minister for Mines and Petroleum, Bill Marmion. However, mining had commenced in late 2012 and first ore from the mine was railed to port in December 2012. The mine, as part of the company's new Solomon Hub, was scheduled to produce 20 million tonnes of iron ore per annum, while the nearby Kings Valley mine, under development at the time, was planned to produce double this amount for a projected total annual production for the hub of 60 million tonnes.[8]
By late 2016, the Firetail mine had ramped up production to 27 million tonnes of iron ore per annum, producing high grade ore essential for blending with lower grade from other FMG mines, but was scheduled at the time to be depleted by 2019.[9] In May 2018, FMG approved the construction of the Eliwana mine, reportedly to replace the Firetail mine.[10]
Mining at the Solomon hub was temporarily suspended in late September 2021, after a fatality at one of the mines, when a male employee died in a ground collapse.[11]
Apart from the Solomon Hub, as of 2022, the company also mines the Chichester Hub, consisting of the Christmas Creek and Cloudbreak mines, and the Western Hub, consisting of the Eliwana mine.[12] A third operation within the Solomon hub, the Queens Valley mine, was approved for construction in 2019 at a projected cost of A$417 million. The mine, located 15km west of the Kings Valley mine, is scheduled to open in 2022.[13]
References
- ABC Local. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ Jenkins, Keira (29 May 2020). "Fortescue Metals Group has lost a High Court appeal to overturn Native Title rights over 2,700 square kilometres of land in the Pilbara, including the site of an iron ore mine". SBS. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ "Solomon Iron Ore Project" (PDF). www.epa.wa.gov.au. Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia. March 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
- ^ Wahlquist, Calla (23 November 2016). "Path cleared for major Western Australia iron ore mine expansion". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ Jenkins 2020.
- ^ Robinson, Tom (6 November 2022). "Yindjibarndi people ask for landmark Fortescue Metals case to be heard on-country in remote WA". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ Mercer, Daniel (14 August 2023). "Legal fight between Yindjibarndi and Andrew Forrest cuts to the heart of Australia's native title rights". ABC News. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
- ^ Latimer, Cole (6 May 2013). "Fortescue opens Firetail iron ore mine". Australian Mining. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ Evans, Nick (27 October 2016). "FMG eyes replacement options for Firetail". The West Australian. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ Jamasmie, Cecilia (28 May 2018). "Fortescue goes ahead with $1.3bn iron ore project in Western Australia". MINING.COM. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ Weber, David (7 October 2021). "FMG suspends operations at its Solomon Hub iron ore mine in WA's Pilbara after employee death". ABC News. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- Fortescue Metals Group. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ Newell, Daniel (22 May 2019). "FMG green lights $US287m Solomon extension with Queens Valley development". The West Australian. Retrieved 26 March 2022.