Iluka's South West operations consist of mining and processing facilities located south of Perth, Western Australia. Iluka has a long history in the South West, having successfully operated in the region for more than 50 years.
The current operating mine site is located at Waroona approximately 140km south of Perth and produces heavy mineral concentrate from the onsite wet concentration plant. Mining operations at Waroona are planned to cease in the fourth quarter of 2009. Iluka has plans in train for two additional mining operations in the South West – Tutunup South and Tutunup.
Heavy mineral concentrate from the Waroona mine site is trucked to the North Capel Separation Mill facility. The minerals are extracted through a magnetic separation process to produce ilmenite, and other non magnetic heavy minerals. The ilmenite mineral undergoes further refinement in the North Capel Synthetic Rutile Processing Plant via a heating and cooling alteration process in two coal fired kilns producing synthetic rutile for the export market. Product is predominantly exported through the Port of Bunbury.
The older of the two synthetic rutile kilns (SR1) was idled in June 2009 as part of planned changes to reduce Iluka's production base in response to weak demand associated with the global economic crisis. Click here to view the ASX Release.
The development of the Tutunup South and Tutunup projects are currently subject to the relevant government and board approvals, which if received are expected to supply feedstock to the South West’s processing facilities from 2010 onwards.
The South West operations have a number of sites that have previously been mined and are now in rehabilitation and site closure phases. Rehabilitation plans are developed in the early phases of initial mining management plans in consultation with landowners. More than 2,500 hectares from former mines have been rehabilitated with 90 per cent of the land returned to a broad spectrum of agricultural uses.
Under current plans, the company expects to continue operating in the South West until at least 2015.
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Operation /Location |
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Active rehabilitation sites:
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Completed rehabilitation sites:
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| Main Assets |
The Waroona mine consists of an open cut mine, screening plant and wet concentrator facility.
The Capel and North Capel facilities include:
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Employment |
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Mineral Sands Products |
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Production |
In 2008, the South West produced:
- 243 thousand tonnes of synthetic rutile
- 534 thousand tonnes of ilmenite
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*Project is defined as a site under planning or currently in construction, but not producing mineral sands products.