High demand for Territory iron ore buoys Frances Creek project

THE operators of the Frances Creek mine, near Pine Creek, have been buoyed by overseas interest in its 300,000 tonnes of stockpiled ore.

Stockpiles of iron ore could soon be exported from the Frances Creek mine. Picture: Glenn Campbell

THE operators of the Frances Creek mine, near Pine Creek, have been buoyed by the overseas interest in its 300,000 tonnes of stockpiled ore.

Linecrest company director Rodney Illingworth said everything was still on track to start mining new ore for export this year.

He said with Australia’s surging iron ore exports on track to break a $100 billion export record, the timing for Frances Creek could not be much better.

“We still have a way to go, but things are ticking along nicely,” Mr Illingworth said.

“There has been good interest in the iron ore and with the Australian dollar where it is it has added more impetus in support to restart the mine.

“The plan is to process some of the stockpiles that have been sitting there to reduce the stockpiles onsite and send 40 per cent of it overseas.

“We will be reprocessing the stockpiles, which means we don’t have to incur mining costs, which will save a considerable sum.”

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Mr Illingworth said the resource sector was playing an important role during the coronavirus pandemic, pointing to the fact that resources industries have continued to operate throughout the crisis, maintaining jobs and production levels.

“We have a small workforce of about 10 locals on-site at Frances Creek at the moment and once we get going we will be hiring more local workers,” he said.

“So there are job opportunities for people in and around Pine Creek and beyond.”

Mr Illingworth said while the company had been doing a lot of planning on rehabilitation work, it had also mobilised equipment such as crushers at Darwin Port in preparation.

He said he was pleased with the enthusiasm shown by the port for the potential new business.

No iron ore has not been exported through the Port of Darwin for more than five years.

In those days around 1.2 million tonnes a year was being shipped out of the Port of Darwin.

Mr Illingworth said the approvals for reprocessing the ore stockpiles at Frances Creek were still to be completed with government.

“But they are close and everything we are doing is proceeding on schedule,” Mr Illingworth said.

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“The Northern Territory Government has been very supportive and proactive in what we are doing.

“We are also starting the planning and approval process to re-open the hard rock mining, which is second stage.”