Privately held Northern Iron has dispatched its inaugural shipment of magnetite from the Warrego Rehabilitation Project bound for Asian markets.
Just over 47,000 tonnes of magnetite concentrate was shipped from the project, which expected to operate for three years and is forecast to produce up to 1.2 million wet tonnes of magnetite concentrate annually.
It currently employs 35 people at the historical Warrego mine located 50km northwest of Tennant Creek.
Northern Iron is recovering the magnetite from the re-processing tailings.
Magnetite is highly sought after in low-emissions steel production. As the name implies, magnetite is a highly magnetic and dense mineral, allowing it to be effectively separated from other tailings material in the processing plant using a combination of water and magnetism, to form a magnetite concentrate.
Processing at the Warrego site started in October 2024, with the magnetite concentrate railed from Tennant Creek to Darwin Port in December 2024 for export to Asian markets.
The Northern Territory Government says the shipment marks a milestone in legacy mine remediation and economic growth for the Territory.
Minister for Mining and Energy Gerard Maley says the project is a prime example of how legacy mine sites could deliver both environmental and economic benefits, particularly for regional areas.
“The Warrego Rehabilitation Project is exactly the type of innovation the CLP Government is supporting – it’s creating jobs, addressing legacy mine issues, and producing a valuable resource,” says Maley.
“The first shipment of 47,100 tonnes of magnetite concentrate shows how historical mining sites can be rehabilitated in a way that creates local jobs while driving economic benefits and long-term sustainability.”
Maley adds that the Warrego Rehabilitation Project is an example of how legacy mine remediation and value creation can be done in parallel and supports the CLP Government’s commitment to ensuring legacy mine sites are managed responsibly.
“The modular design of the Warrego processing plant means it can be relocated and reused at other legacy mine sites in the Tennant Creek region, driving further economic activity while continuing to reduce environmental liabilities,” he says.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: Northern Iron
