Gwindinup north

The Gwindinup North mineral sand mining project south of Perth in Western Australia is located 30 kilometres south of the Bunbury Mineral Separation Plant. The Gwindinup North mining operation includes the Gwindinup South project and is to include the adjacent Happy Valley South and Happy Valley North sand mines as an extension of the existing project as the mine develops.

Mining Commenced at the Gwindinup North Mine in 2008
Mining commenced at both the Gwindinup North and South deposits during the first quarter of 2008 and mineral sands from project are being treated at the Bunbury Mineral Separation Plant. The Gwindinup and Happy Valley deposits contain up to 2.9 million tonnes of heavy mineral and has an expected life of mine to at least 2017.

Gwindinup North Deposit Initially Owned by the Cable Sands Group
On an historic basis the Gwindinup mineral sands deposit was originally owned by the Cable Sands Group that was acquired by Bemax Resources Limited in May 2004. The Cable Sands Group was one of Australia's original titanium producers having first mined the mineral in 1956. Bemax was founded in 1987 and became listed on the ASX in 1990. Bemax grew to become one of Australia's leading mineral sands miners.

Cristal Global Acquires Gwindinup North in 2008
In 2008 Bemax was acquired by Saudi Arabian company, Cristal Global, through its wholly owned Australian subsidiary, Cristal Australia Pty Ltd. Cristal Mining Australia Limited, the owner of the Gwindinup North mine is in turn a wholly owned subsidiary of Cristal Australia. Cristal Mining Australia is engaged in the mining, processing and sale of mineral sands in the Murray Basin Region of Eastern Australia as well as that at Gwindinup North.

The Gwindinup North sand mine produces ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene and zircon non magnetic minerals that it separates from other materials at its own Bunbury Mineral Separation Plant. It also toll treats material from other miners at its Bunbury Plant.

Bunbury Mineral Separation Plant Treats Gwindinup North Mineral Sands
The Bunbury Mineral Separation Plant underwent a substantial upgrade in 2005 to allow it to have the capacity to process minerals from the company's Murray Basin mines, as well as its Gwindinup and associated mining projects, as well as being able to cater for its wider toll treatment customers. In 2006, the mines former owner Bemax was recognised as Australia's leading mineral sands mining company, the world's seventh largest producer of Zircon, the thrid largest producer of rutile and the largest producer of leucoxene.

The new owner of the Gwindinup North mineral sands mining project, Cristal Australia Pty Ltd, is wholly owned by The National Titanium Dioxide Company Limited (Cristal Global). Cristal Global is a private company with its head office in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In October 2012 Cristal Global brought most of its global subsidiaries together under the one common denominator in their respective names, 'Cristal.' Some of these companies included; Bemax Resources Limited, Millennium Inorganic Chemicals, and International Titanium Powder. The former Bemax subsidiary, Cable Sands (WA) Pty Ltd, is continuing under its own historic name.
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