The six-year contract includes drilling and blasting, mining, and crushing and screening works at the iron ore project
MACA wins $131m contract for Iron Ridge project in Western Australia. (Credit: MichaelGaida from Pixabay.)
Australian mining services provider MACA has secured a A$185m ($131m) mining and crushing contract for the Fenix Resources’ Iron Ridge iron ore project in Western Australia.
Located nearly 600km north-northeast of Perth, the Iron Ridge project is a premium direct-shipping iron ore (DSO) project which is completely owned and being developed by Fenix Resources.
Under the six-year contract, MACA will be responsible for drilling and blasting, mining, and crushing and screening works at the iron ore project.
Fenix Resources managing director Rob Brierley said: “We having been interacting with MACA on all aspects associated with the Iron Ridge Project for well over a year now, and we are pleased that this relationship will continue as we transition to production in the near-term.
“MACA has vast experience in all aspects of iron ore mining operations and has essentially offered Fenix a one-stop shop for all our service requirements leading up to the transport of the ore from site to the port of Geraldton.”
Open pit mining, crushing works to begin in this quarter
MACA started the early stage works last month and is now mobilising the heavy earthmoving equipment to the Iron Ridge project.
Open pit mining and crushing and screening operations are set to begin in the current quarter.
Previously, MACA has completed the iron ore-related works on the contracts with Atlas Iron and Crossland Resources.
Fenix said that the terms of the contract are in line with its feasibility study, which was completed last year, and customary for contracts of this nature.
The iron ore project is estimated to produce nearly 1.25 million tonnes (Mt) of direct-shipping iron ore per year for an initial mine life of 6.5 years.
Last month, the company has taken a final investment decision (FID) for the Iron Ridge iron ore project.