The Marillana Iron Ore Project is located 100km northwest of Newman, in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
Ausenco, as Lead Study Manager, assisted Brockman Resources to complete a prefeasibility study (PFS) for the project in 2009.
The PFS was based on the mining and beneficiation of detritals and CID ore at a design plant throughput of 37.5 Mt/y, with a mine life in excess of 20 years at a nominal 18 Mt/y production.
The PFS envisaged that both detritals and CID will be processed as a fines only (-8 mm) product, with the CID material being processed on a campaign basis. No lump product will be produced. The product will be railed to Port Hedland for shipping, under one of several rail/port infrastructure scenarios.
The PFS was completed in July 2009 with Ausenco subsequently being awarded the role of Lead Study Manager for the project DFS. Ausenco is responsible for the compilation and production of the consolidated DFS Report incorporating contributions by all participants.
The DFS is based on a revised mining and throughput rate of 42 Mt/y of detrital ore over a project life of 25 years, with CID ore being mined and treated on a campaign basis at the rate of 3-3.5 Mt/y. The Services Agreement for the DFS was executed in November 2009, based on a scope of work for process plant, related infrastructure and management of other consultants. Scope additions include, but are not limited to, power supply options studies, in-pit crushing and conveying options, fine rejects storage and in-pit disposal, coarse rejects in-pit disposal, site geotechnical investigations, test work programs, bore field design and costing, surface water management and flood protection design and costing, groundwater reinjection design and costing, for which sub-consultants and test facilities were engaged.
The DFS was completed in the third quarter of 2010.