BHP announces South Flank annual production of 80 million tons of iron ore

BHP Billiton reported that its South Flank iron ore project in Western Australia had delivered the first batch of products.

South Flank is a mine with an annual production capacity of 80 million tons per year. Together with the existing C mining area, it will form the largest iron ore operation hub in the world-producing 145 million tons of iron ore per year. The hub, known as Western Australia's Iron Ore (WAIO), is an integrated system of four processing facilities and five mines, connected to more than 1000 kilometers of railway infrastructure and port facilities in the Pilbara region.

South Flank is Australia's largest new iron ore mine in more than 50 years and is being developed on time and on budget. "South Flank's high-quality ore will increase WAIO's average iron ore grade from 61 per cent to 62 per cent and the proportion of total lump ore from 25 per cent to 30-33 per cent," Edgar Barstow (Edgar Basto), president of BHP Minerals Australia, said in a media statement. " "South Flank's minerals will supply the global steel market over the next 25 years, which will help build electricity, transportation and urban infrastructure around the world."

South Flank is said to be the preferred option for BHP (BHP) to replace the salt mine, which has an annual production capacity of 80 million tons, which has run out of life.

According to Basto, the $3.6 million project created more than 9000 direct and indirect jobs during construction and will provide more than 600 operational jobs over its lifetime, including 40 per cent of women and 15 per cent of local operators.

The executive also said that, South Flank's capital intensity is $45 / tonne, about half of the Jimblebar of BHP's last large iron ore project.