Bhp yandi

The Yandi open cut mine, located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, transports its iron ore by rail to Port Hedland for export. The mine, that is 90 kilometres from Newman, is operated and owned by BHP Billiton (85 percent) with two other joint partners, Itochu Corporation (eight percent) and Mitsui and Company (seven percent).

Big Changes Since Yandi Opened in 1991

Mining operations began at the Yandi mine in 1991 and the first shipment of iron ore from operation was exported out of Port Hedland in 1992. Major upgrading took place at the Yandi open cut mine between 1994 and 2003 that brought its production capacity up to 41 million tonnes a year. The infrastructure at the mine includes a train loading facility, an overland conveyor, two processing facilities and a primary crusher.

Yandi is now Owned and Operated by BHP Billiton

In 2011 BHP Billiton acquired all HWE Mining subsidiaries from Leighton Holdings which allowed it to operate the Yandi mine in its own right in conformity with its company policy to own and operate all of its iron ore operations in the Pilbara. The company is predicting an increase of five percent in production in 2013 following an increase of 15 percent that brought the 2012 June quarter production figure to 40.8 million tonnes, a company record. This result was assisted by increased ship loading facilities at Port Hedland and better ore handling facilities at the Yandi mine.

Iron Ore From Yandi Taken to Port Hedland by Rail for Export

Ore from the Yandi open cut mine is taken to Port Hedland by the company's own Mount Newman Railway where it has its own ship- loading, stockpiling and processing facilities set up at both Nelsons Point and Finucane Island. The facilities at Port Hedland are known as the Inner Harbour Operations and it is currently in the process of developing a further export facility nearby known as the Outer Harbour to allow for further expansion of its operations that will bring annual production of iron ore to 220 million tonnes a year with a planned ultimate production rate of 350 million tonnes. The first phase of the Outer Harbour Development will include a railway spur line, stockyards, land side infrastructure, a dredged departure channel, a four berth wharf and the construction of a four kilometre long jetty.

Yandi Open cut Part of Planned Expansion Program

The Yandi open cut iron ore mine will be part of the proposed expansion that will start showing results in 2016. To upgrade the Yandi operation sufficiently to reach these new production target levels a $100 million contract has been awarded to AGC to undertake piping and heavy haulage upgrades as well as mechanical and structural improvements. This will entail the transportation of 43 structural modules of varying weights from 100 to 300 tonnes each from Port Hedland to the Yandi mine, the building of 2,000 tonnes of conveyor components, conveyor and stockpile systems, as well as the building of a new ore handling plant.