PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Junior Magnetite Mines has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Whyalla Ports, part of the GFG Alliance, to investigate the use of port handling and shipping facilities to export magnetite concentrate from the Razorback iron-ore project, in South Australia.
Export scenarios of between five-million and ten-million tonnes a year of magnetite concentrate will be considered in the studies.
Whyalla Port is located 200 km from the Razorback site and has been the preferred portion option for the project since the 2021 prefeasibility study. It currently exports more than nine-million tonnes a year of iron-ore product.
The Whyalla Port is managed by SIMEC Mining, a business unit within the GFG Alliance responsible for the iron-ore business in the South Middleback Ranges.
“Our agreement to work with SIMEC Mining to investigate export services as part of an overall review of export options represents an important step in the development of the Razorback iron-ore project,” said Magnetite Mines CEO Tim Dobson.
“A key feature of the project is its location in South Australia, with nearby rail infrastructure and the opportunity to access existing port capacity offering a low-risk, simplified development pathway. Magnetite Mines and SIMEC Mining both share aspirations to contribute significantly to the urgent decarbonisation of the steel industry, taking advantage of South Australia’s unique attributes with respect to renewable energy, large-scale magnetite resources and supportive stakeholders.”