Yarrie

Mining commenced at the Yarrie Mine in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia in late 1993, it was one of three other open cut iron ore mines in operation at that time working in the same area, along the Goldsworthy railway, 90 kilometres north east of Marble Bar. The others mines being; Shay Gap, Nimingarra and Goldsworthy. Yarrie is the only one of them still operating. The Yarrie mine is part of the BHP Billiton Mount Goldsworthy joint venture with Itochu Corporation and Mitsui Iron Ore Corporation.

Mine Production at the Yarrie Mine has Declined
The fixed ore processing plant on site at the Yarrie Mine, that is capable of treating eight million tonnes of iron ore a year, is now on care and maintenance. A smaller mobile plant has taken its place, in 2012 the Yarrie mine produced close to two million tonnes of iron ore.

Yarrie Mining Contract awarded to Ngarda Civil Mining in 2007
Yarrie Mine created a milestone in its long productive history in 2007 when it awarded the Aboriginal owned mining contracting company, Ngarda Civil and Mining, the responsibility of operating the mine extension project. Ngarda were awarded a five year contract to supply the following services at the Yarrie Mine:
- Facility and infrastructure management
- Haul and access road maintenance
- The loading of the ore trains, along with road haulage and ore handling, from the mine to the train load out facility
- The loading and haulage of run-of-mine ROM ore
- Blasting and drilling of the ore body

The contract that expired in June 2013, was the largest mining contract to be awarded to an Aboriginal owned mining contracting company. The contract increased the number of Aboriginal people employed at the mine to 70. A considerable number when it is considered the total number of employees at the mine, at that time, only totalled 90. Ngarda was established in 2001 by the Ngardu Ngarli Yarndu Foundation, Henry Walker Eltin (HWE) an engineering contracting company that has since been delisted and Indigenous Business Australia. From 1998 to 2007 the mine had been operated by Leighton Holdings. During this period Leightons employed 200 mine workers.

Yarrie Open cut Mines are 45 Kilometres Apart
The Yarrie Mine is located about 200 kilometres east of Port Hedland, It isn't one mine, as its name suggests but actually comprises the Cattle Gorge, Numingarra and Yarrie open cut mining operations that are around 45 kilometres apart.
The Yarrie Mine is operated on a fly-in-fly-out basis with the employees working an eight days on six days off roster. When at the mine the workers are housed in village accommodation at the mine site. Facilities in the camp include the employees own ensuite bathroom, air conditioning, large flat screen TV and their own refrigerator, as well as a communal recreation room and gymnasium.

Hot Summers at the Yarrie Mine
The climate at the Yarrie Mine is very hot in the summer months and from mild to warm during the winter months. During the months of December and January temperatures are regularly above 45 degrees Celsius. The nearby outback town of Marble Bar recorded the highest temperatures that were sustained over 160 days from October 1923 through to April 1924 when the daily maximum temperature remained above 37.8 degrees Celsius. This created a world record that is still standing.

BHP Billiton owns seven iron ore mines in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia, 1,300 kilometres of privately owned railway and two world class port facilities at Port Hedland.
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