Wodgina

The Wodgina direct shipping ore mining operation 100 kilometres south of Port Hedland in the Western Australia Pilbara Region is operated by Atlas Iron Limited. In February 2008 Atlas Iron Limited acquired the rights to mine the area from Talison Minerals Pty Ltd, a company now known as Global Advanced Metals (GAM).

Wodgina Mine Potential Recognised Early
Atlas Iron was immediately impressed with the potential to mine iron at Wodgina, right from the drilling of the very first exploration hole in late 2008. This enthusiasm led to the Wodgina Mine being commissioned as a DSO (direct shipping ore) operation by mid 2010. Since that time the Wodgina Mine has become a most important part of Atlas Iron Limited's Pilbara operations.
The Wodgina Mine DSO deposit is located within an area known as the Wodgina Greenstone Belt. This particular area of mineralisation is central to the Wodgina tantalum mine that was operated there by Talison Minerals before being placed on care and maintenance. The tantalum resource in the area is regarded as being the largest single tantalum source in the world. Iron ore is plainly visible throughout the Wodgina area because of its many outcroppings along a range of hills that identify the Wodgina anticline. Drilling has shown the deposit to extend to more than 60 metres in depth.

Production at Wodgina was Fast-Tracked With use of Existing Facilities
Atlas found fast-tracking of the Wodgina Iron Ore Project was made easier when they reached an agreement in early 2009, with Talison, to use Talison's existing tantalum mine infrastructure, as it was not being worked owing to the tantalum mine being put on care and maintenance. The infrastructure consisted of the following:

• A crushing and screening plant that was able to process six million tonnes of ore annually

• A 10MW gas fired power generation plant
• A modern 300 personnel accommodation village
• Other associated facilities such as an administration block

All this infrastructure close to the Wodgina mine site meant the new
project was able to begin operations much earlier than previously thought, as well as save tens of millions of dollars in start up costs. Atlas is currently evaluating the construction of a beneficiation plant at the Wodgina Mine as well as carrying out ongoing exploratory drilling to further expand its resource base.

Wodgina ore Shipped out of Port Hedland for Export
The Wodgina iron ore mine produces a quality low alumina fines only iron product that is transported by truck from the mine to the company's shared Utah Point port facilities at Port Hedland for export. Atlas has a majority holding in the Utah Point Port Hedland ship loading facility and this was further advanced with its purchase of Aurox, an acquisition that will give it the ability to export up to 15 million tonnes of iron ore through the port annually from 2015.
Atlas recognises that it would be difficult to transport 15 million tonnes of iron ore a year by road transport from the Wodgina Mine to Port Hedland. It has therefore entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with railway company Aurizon to investigate the development of an independent railway being built in the Pilbara, that could transport its product from the mine to the port. This investigation is due to be reported on early in 2013.