Orebody 18

The Orebody 18 iron ore open pit that is located in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia, about 34 kilometres of the mining town of Newman, is owned by BHP Billiton. It produces around 28 million tonnes of iron ore annually.

Orebody 18 is Mined in Conjunction With the Adjacent Wheelarra Open Pit
The Orebody 18 open pit has been mined in the conventional manner by mining contractor Macmahon since 2005 in conjunction with the nearby Wheelarra open pit which it began operating in 2006, also on behalf of mine owner, BHP Billiton.

Orebody 18 is Operated bt Macmahon Mining Contractors
The open pit mining operation at Orebody 18 is carried out by drilling, blasting, loading and hauling, followed by crushing and screening before it is taken by rail to Port Hedland where it is exported to the company's overseas customers. Macmahon mining contractors employ over 500 personnel at both the Orebody 18 and Wheelarra Mines.

Macmahon were awarded the prestigious Merit Award at the BHP Billiton Global HSEC Awards in 2009 for developing the Crusher Maintenance Work Safety System that is in place at the Orebody 18 Mine site. This particular safety system has been designed to specifically ensure any necessary shut downs, or crusher maintenance servicing, is carried out in the safest manner possible. The system was devised by Macmahon in conjunction with BHP Billiton mine workers who put into practice ideas that were gathered from management and on-site staff.

Orebody 18 is one of Seven Open Pits Within the Newman Area
The Orebody 18 open pit is one of seven iron ore open cut mines BHP Billiton own in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia. BHP Billiton also own and operate more that 1,000 kilometres of railway that networks the various mines which is used to take the ore to one or other of the two company owned port facilities at Port Hedland, Finucane Island or Nelson Point. In 2011 BHP Billiton reported its iron ore shipments out of Port Hedland had reached 173 million tonnes annually.

Orebody 18 Owner BHP Billiton is one of the World's Largest Iron ore Producers
BHP Billiton is one of the world's largest iron ore producers employing around 13,000 personnel across the Pilbara Region of Western Australia alone. Most of its mining operations are supported by the mining town of Newman where there is both family and single worker accommodation. Newman is a modern town with all the facilities of any Australian city suburb. Port Hedland houses the workers and their families who are engaged in the port facilities and ship loading operations.

Mining operations at Newman are centred around the massive Mount Whaleback open pit mine that was established there in 1968. It is the largest open pit mine in the world that stretches over a distance of five kilometres in length and about 1.5 kilometres in width. Orebody 18 is one of the many smaller deposits that surround the main deposit at Mount Whaleback.