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Area C mine
open-in-new
<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2> <p>The Area C mine was officially opened on 30 October 2003 by Premier <a href="/facts/Geoff_Gallop/VQy77eAB">Geoff Gallop</a>, but ore was already being railed from the mine to the port since 16 August.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> However, bulk samples of the ore had been mined and sent to customers since late 2001.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> The mine was initially scheduled to produce 15 million tonnes of iron ore annually.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p><p>Ore from the BHP mines is transported by rail to Port Hedland through two independent railways. The <a href="/facts/Mount_Newman_railway/B4UNdf40">Mount Newman railway</a> carries ore from Mount Whaleback, <a href="/facts/Orebodies_18,_23_and_25_mine/rX3RzHsU">Orebodies 18, 23 and 25 mine</a>, <a href="/facts/Jimblebar_mine/9PtmakT7">Jimblebar</a>, <a href="/facts/Yandi_mine/hCxX0Pur">Yandi</a> and Area C. The Yarrie mine is serviced by the separate, shorter <a href="/facts/Goldsworthy_railway/3yudBu0B">Goldsworthy railway</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p><p>Ore from the Mount Whaleback and the other Newman mines, as well as the Yandi mine is transported to the port at Nelson Point, while ore from Area C and Yarrie goes to Finucane Island. Ore is transported through a 1.16 kilometre long tunnel from Nelson Point to the port at Finucane Island. The average loading time for a ship is 30 hours, and 800 ships are loaded annually at Port Hedland.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p><p>Mining operations within BHP throughout the Pilbara were briefly suspended in September 2008 to focus on safety after <a href="/facts/Fatality_statistics_in_the_Western_Australian_mining_industry/Vt5AIlL3">two fatalities</a> at the Yandi mine within 10 days of each other.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> Following this, mining has resumed. </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://minedex.dmirs.wa.gov.au/Web/projects/details/1caca7c1-174b-416f-a612-48276bf82dd4">MINEDEX website: Mining Area C</a> Database of the <a href="/facts/Department_of_Mines,_Industry_Regulation_and_Safety/DxnXCt6b">Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>MINEDEX website: Area C search result Archived 2008-09-11 at the Wayback Machine accessed: 6 November 2010 <a href="http://minedexext.doir.wa.gov.au/minedex/external/common/appMain.jsp" target="_blank">http://minedexext.doir.wa.gov.au/minedex/external/common/appMain.jsp</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>BHP Billiton Annual report 2010 BHP Billiton website, accessed: 10 November 2010 <a href="http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bbContentRepository/docs/bhpBillitonAnnualReport2010.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bbContentRepository/docs/bhpBillitonAnnualReport2010.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>About BHP Billiton Iron Ore BHP Billiton website, accessed: 10 November 2010 <a href="http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/ourBusinesses/ironOre/aboutBhpBillitonIronOre.jsp" target="_blank">http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/ourBusinesses/ironOre/aboutBhpBillitonIronOre.jsp</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>BHP Billiton Annual report 2010 BHP Billiton website, accessed: 10 November 2010 <a href="http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bbContentRepository/docs/bhpBillitonAnnualReport2010.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bbContentRepository/docs/bhpBillitonAnnualReport2010.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistic Digest 2009 Department of Mines & Petroleum, accessed: 8 November 2010 <a href="http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/documents/Western_Australian_Mineral_and_Petroleum_Statistic_Digest_2009.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/documents/Western_Australian_Mineral_and_Petroleum_Statistic_Digest_2009.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>About BHP Billiton Iron Ore BHP Billiton website, accessed: 10 November 2010 <a href="http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/ourBusinesses/ironOre/aboutBhpBillitonIronOre.jsp" target="_blank">http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/ourBusinesses/ironOre/aboutBhpBillitonIronOre.jsp</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>BHP Billiton's Area C Mine Officially Opened BHP Billiton, published: 30 October 2003, accessed: 10 November 2010 <a href="http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/investorsMedia/news/2003/bhpBillitonsAreaCMineOfficiallyOpened.jsp" target="_blank">http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/investorsMedia/news/2003/bhpBillitonsAreaCMineOfficiallyOpened.jsp</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>The Australian Mines Handbook - 2003-04 edition, editor: Ross Louthean, publisher: Louthean Media Pty Ltd, page: 241 <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>This month in mining: BHP Billiton commits to major iron ore project Engineering and Mining Journal, published: May 2002, accessed: 12 November 2010 <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5382/is_200205/ai_n21314633/" target="_blank">http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5382/is_200205/ai_n21314633/</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Rail Archived April 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine BHP Billiton website, accessed: 10 November 2010 <a href="http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/ourBusinesses/ironOre/rail.jsp" target="_blank">http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/ourBusinesses/ironOre/rail.jsp</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Ports BHP Billiton website, accessed: 10 November 2010 <a href="http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/ourBusinesses/ironOre/ports.jsp" target="_blank">http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/ourBusinesses/ironOre/ports.jsp</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>BHP suspends WA iron works after second mining death The Australian, published: 5 September 2008, accessed: 12 November 2010 <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/miner-dies-bhp-halts-wa-iron-works/story-e6frgajx-1111117401654" target="_blank">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/miner-dies-bhp-halts-wa-iron-works/story-e6frgajx-1111117401654</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>