Roper bar

The Northern Territory Roper Bar Project came to life on January 13, 2014, when mining contracting company Thiess began its three year contract to lead mining operations at the site. The Roper Bar Project is a new iron ore open cut mine located 600 kilometres from Darwin in the Roper Bar Region of the Northern Territory, 60 kilometres from Ngukurr and 50 kilometres from the Gulf of Carpentaria coast.

Roper Bar Project is Wholly Owned by Western Desert Resources

The Roper Bar Project, that is wholly owned by Western Desert Resources, is to be operated by Thiess under an initial three year contract. Thiess have been providing ground mobilisation at the site since November 2013. The contract leaves Thiess in control of all the mining, loading, hauling and dumping operations at the mine. Thiess also provide the on-site management team, plant operators and the supply of the mining fleet. The mine is expected to produce 1.5 million tonnes of iron ore a year initially, with this increasing to three million tonnes a year by the end of the three year contract period. The iron ore is to be exported from the Bing Bong loading facility off the Gulf of Carpentaria coast.

Roper Bar Project Five Years in the Making

Western Desert Resources have been working on developing the Roper Bar Project for the last five years and now it is up and running the company aims to become the foremost low cost iron ore producer in Northern Australia. Following a successful feasibility study into the project, Western Desert Resources, was granted all the necessary approvals to proceed with developing the mine.

The Roper Bar Project development involved the construction of an open pit, a 165 kilometre private haulage road to the coast to transport the direct shipping ore to the loading facility, on site accommodation for the workers and an iron ore processing facility. The iron ore being mined at the Roper Bar Project includes a high grade direct shipping ore as well as a lower grade ore that requires processing and beneficiation before it is ready for export.

Western Desert Resources which was established in the Northern Territory is developing the Roper Bar Project as its flagship undertaking. The area covered by its mining lease is spread over 50 square kilometres. Once the ore is extracted from the open pit it is exposed to a primary crushing circuit that delivers a quality direct shipping ore. The crushed ore is then transported by road to the Bing Bong loading facility where it is taken by barge to bulk ore carriers waiting off the coast.

There have been around 150 people involved in the construction of the Roper Bar Project who have been involved in engineering, varous tradespeople, technicians, labourers, drivers, machine operators, transport service s and support services personnel generally.

Local People Kept Fully Informed of Roper Bar Project Development at all Times

In preparing the Social Impact Statement for the project, Western Desert Resources officials worked closely with Federal, Territiory and local government authorities, as well as with the traditional owners of the land on which the mining is now taking place. This was done to ensure indigenous groups, community organisations and local community members were fully informed of the benefits to be derived from such an undertaking in the area where they live. The company has employed a permanent Community Liaison and Indigenous Employment Coordinator, opened a local office in Ngukurr, established an information hotline and created a project website along with an email address.