NT iron ore mine re-opening to support 250 jobs

Monica Gameng   |   May 4, 2020

Further approval has been granted to Nathan River Resources for the development of the next stage of the Nathan River Project in the Northern Territory’s Roper Gulf region, bringing a much-needed boost in jobs and to the local economy. 

“The resources industry is the Territory’s largest industry sector and the single biggest contributor of own-source revenue to the NT economy. 

“The decision by Nathan River Resources to invest in this project is a welcome boost for the resources sector, the Territory’s economy and job opportunities for local people. It is a sign of confidence in the NT as a place to invest and exemplifies the significant potential of the Territory’s mining industry,” Minister for Primary Industry and Resources Paul Kirby said. 

Nathan River Resources – a British Marine Group-owned company – took over the development of the former Western Desert Resources’ Roper Bar iron ore mine in 2017. 

The open-cut iron ore mine is located approximately 55 kilometres southeast of Ngukurr and it has been under care and maintenance since 2015. Nathan River Resources was given the approval to re-commence mining as well as shipping of existing stockpiled minerals and processing of low-grade ore on-site in February 2018. 

The recent approval granted to Nathan River Resources will allow for about 1 million tonnes of high-grade iron ore to be mined, exported and transported to the Bing Bong load-out facility through an established haul road. 

“The Nathan River Project is a significant mining operation for the Northern Territory, with over $250 [million] spent on infrastructure to-date to open up iron ore mining and employment opportunities for Territorians and the Roper region. 

“Operations are scheduled to commence in quarter 3 this year, with more than 250 full-time positions expected across mining, haulage, marine and support functions. We now look forward to working with our partners and suppliers in the Territory to refurbish the Project’s pit to port infrastructure over the coming months ahead of the resumption of iron ore exports,” Nathan River Resources CEO Stefan Murphy said. 

The workforce currently on site undertaking critical maintenance works are operating under an approved COVID-19 Management Plan. Once mining operations ramp up, additional staff are required on site and it will need an additional COVID-19 Management Plan to be submitted to and approved by the NT Chief Health Officer if travel restrictions are still being observed at the time. 

“The resources sector will have an important role to play in our economic recovery from the Coronavirus crisis and the Territory Labor Government is working hard to create jobs for Territorians,” Mr Kirby said. 

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Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom; Australian MiningNS EnergyMining WeeklyKatherine Times 

Monica Gameng
As Felix's Marketing Assistant since 2015, Monica is responsible for researching and sharing new and progressing projects within the construction and mining sectors in Australia. It's no surprise that Monica has her finger on the pulse of Australian major projects given she has produced more than 1,000 posts. She truly is an industry expert.
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