Mt dove

The small scale Mt Dove open pit iron ore mine in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia, 65 kilometres south of Port Hedland, was Atlas Iron's third direct shipping ore mine to begin production when it was opened in November 2012. It was an important part of Atlas Iron's 'Horizon One' growth program that was set up to expand the company's North Pilbara iron ore production to 12 million tonnes a year by December 2013.

Mt Dove Iron Ore Transported to Utah Point for Exporting

The first blast took place at the Mt Dove mine on October 28, 2012, with its first ore being extracted by November, 2012. High grade production was therefore able to take place as soon as the crushing and screening plant came online in January 2013. The ore from the Mt Dove mine is transported by ore haulage trucks along the Great Northern Highway to the Utah Point Port Facility where it is blended with the company's other ores delivered to the same facility from its other North Pilbara mines.

Mt Dove Mine Operated in the Conventional Manner

The Mt Dove open pit iron ore mine is operated by the conventional drill, blast, load and haul method of open pit mining. When removed from the pit the ore is first taken to the ROM (run-of-mine) facility, a 28 hectare area where it is stockpiled to await crushing and grading. The ROM facility contains four ROM stockpiles that have a total storage capacity of 310,000 tonnes.

A Single Crusher Handles all the Crushing Work at the Mt Dove Mine

The Mt Dove mine has a single mobile crushing and screening plant which is capable of producing an all-fine product. The ore is put through three crushing and two screening stages before it is transported to the port where it is exported directly without the need for any further processing. All oversized ore is heaped and fed back through the crushing plant to obtain optimal export size.

Gas Pipeline Crosses the Mt Dove Mine Site

Major infrastructure work required at the Mt Dove mine included the construction of a crossover of the Epic Energy Wodgina Gas Pipeline. This pipeline passed through the Mt Dove mine site. Other infrastructure included the building of a heavy equipment workshop and associated road and earth works. Power for the mining operation is supplied by multiple diesel powered generators that have a dedicated diesel fuel storage area. The fuel storage and re-fuelling depot at the Mt Dove mine can store 136,000 litres of fuel. There is also a weighbridge and turning lane that has been built on the mine access road near the ROM facility. Workers at the mine are accommodated in a 60 personnel accommodation camp. There is also a submerged aeration filter wastewater treatment plant that can treat 40 cubic metres of waste a day.

MACA Awarded Mt Dove Mining Contract

Mining operation at the Mt Dove mine is managed by MACA (Mining and Civil Australia) mining contractors. The mine has an iron ore resource of only 2.3 million tonnes that is expected to sustain mining for only two years.

Parsons Brinckerhoff win Award for Mt Dove Development

The Mt Dove mining development project was managed by Parsons Brinckerhoff that was awarded the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM), project management achievement award for its work in delivering the project on time, on budget and injury free.