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Chokepoints
Australia · asset class
Iron Ore Mines in Australia
Australia has 98 iron ore mines mapped on the OverWatts open energy atlas — the 3rd-largest fleet of the 70 countries that hold any, and 10% of the world's mapped total. Of these, 55 operating and 23 under construction or proposed. The largest is BHP Jimblebar Mine.
The largest owner-operators are Rio Tinto (19), Mineral Resources Ltd (11) and Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (10) — Rio Tinto alone is named on 19% of them. Half of Australia's iron ore mines in service predate 2008 (median commissioning year of the 43 with a known date), 10 came online in the past decade and the oldest still listed is Rio Tinto Mount Tom Price (Hamersley) Mine, dating from 1966. 23 are in the pipeline, led by ACM Shaw Mine, proposed. They account for 7% of every energy asset OverWatts maps in Australia.
On the interactive map
Largest iron ore mines in Australia
- BHP Jimblebar Mine1989
- BHP South Flank Mine2021
- BHP Mount Newman Mine1969
- Roy Hill Mine2011
- BHP Area C Mine2003
- Fortescue Christmas Creek (Chichester Hub) Mine2009
- Fortescue Cloudbreak (Chichester Hub) Mine2008
- Fortescue Kings Valley (Solomon Hub) Mine2014
- Rio Tinto Gudai-Darri (Hamersley) Mine2022
- Fortescue Queens Valley (Solomon Hub) Mine2019
- Rio Tinto West Angelas Mine2002
- Fortescue Eliwana (Western Hub) Mine2020
- Rio Tinto Hope Downs 1 Mine2007
- Fortescue Firetail (Solomon Hub) Mine2013
- Rio Tinto Mesa A (Robe Valley) Mine
- BHP Yandi Mine1992
- Rio Tinto Brockman 2 (Hamersley) Mine1992
- Rio Tinto Brockman 4 (Hamersley) Mine2010
- Rio Tinto Channar (Hamersley) Mine1990
- Rio Tinto Marandoo (Hamersley) Mine1994
- Rio Tinto Mount Tom Price (Hamersley) Mine1966
- Rio Tinto Nammuldi (Hamersley) Mine2006
- Rio Tinto Paraburdoo (Hamersley) Mine1974
- Rio Tinto Silvergrass (Hamersley) Mine2017
- Rio Tinto Western Turner Syncline (Hamersley) Mine2011
- Rio Tinto Yandicoogina (Hamersley) Mine1998
- CITIC Pacific Sino Iron Mine2013
- Rio Tinto Hope Downs 4 Mine
- Fortescue Iron Bridge Mine2003
- Karara Mine2003
- Rio Tinto Mesa J (Robe Valley) Mine
- MinRes Iron Valley (Pilbara Hub) Mine2014
- MinRes Wonmunna (Pilbara Hub) Mine2001
- Atlas Iron Mount Webber Mine2008
- Mt Gibson Iron Koolan Island Mine
- Atlas Iron Sanjiv Ridge Mine
- Grange Savage River Mine1967
- Southern Iron Peculiar Knob Mine2020
- Atlas Iron Miralga Creek Mine2022
- Fenix Resources Iron Ridge Mine2020
- MinRes Carina (Yilgarn Hub) Mine2011 · idle
- MinRes Deception (Yilgarn Hub) Mine2017 · idle
- MinRes Koolyanobbing (Yilgarn Hub) Mine1950 · idle
- MinRes Mount Jackson (Yilgarn Hub) Mine2003 · idle
- MinRes Parker Range (Yilgarn Hub) Mine2006 · idle
- MinRes Windarling (Yilgarn Hub) Mine2004 · idle
- Fenix Resources Shine Mine2013
- Paulsens East Mine2022
- Northern Iron Warrego Mine
Who owns Australia's iron ore mines
- Rio Tinto19 19%
- Mineral Resources Ltd11 11%
- Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd10 10%
- Fortescue Ltd8 8%
- Mitsui & Co Ltd8 8%
- Atlas Iron Ltd5 5%
- BHP Group Ltd5 5%
- BHP Minerals5 5%
Counts an asset once per company named as its owner or operator; a joint venture counts for each partner.
When they were built
- 1960s4
- 1970s2
- 1980s2
- 1990s5
- 2000s11
- 2010s11
- 2020s8
Median commissioning year 2008 · oldest Rio Tinto Mount Tom Price (Hamersley) Mine (1966) · newest Rio Tinto Gudai-Darri (Hamersley) Mine (2022) · 43 of 98 carry a start date
Under construction & proposed
- ACM Shaw Mineproposed
- Atlas Iron McPhee Creek Mine2026 · proposed
- Atlas Iron Ridley Mineproposed
- Central Iron Hawks Nest (Kite Deposit) Mineproposed
- CIM Irvine Island Mineproposed
- CZR Resources Robe Mesa Mine2025 · proposed
- Fenix Resources Beebyn-W11 Mineproposed
- Fortescue Nyidinghu Mine2030 · proposed
- Gold Valley Yarram Mineproposed
- Grange Southdown Mine2026 · proposed
- Hancock Mulga Downs Mineproposed
- Hao Phat Roper Valley Mineproposed
How Australia compares · iron ore mines by country
- 1. India248
- 2. China201
- 3. Australia98
- 4. Brazil56
- 5. Russia31
- 6. North Korea19
Frequently asked
- How many iron ore mines are there in Australia?
- OverWatts maps 98 iron ore mines in Australia — 10% of the world's mapped total, the 3rd-largest national fleet of the 70 countries with any.
- What is the largest iron ore mine in Australia?
- BHP Jimblebar Mine, operated by BHP Group Ltd, ITOCHU Corp, Mitsui & Co Ltd.
- Who owns the iron ore mines in Australia?
- Rio Tinto is named as owner or operator on the most — 19 of 98 (19%). Next are Mineral Resources Ltd (11), Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (10) and Fortescue Ltd (8).
- How old are Australia's iron ore mines?
- The median commissioning year is 2008, across the 43 in service with a known start date. The oldest still listed is Rio Tinto Mount Tom Price (Hamersley) Mine (1966); 10 came online in the past ten years.
- What new iron ore mines are being built in Australia?
- 23 projects are under construction or proposed. The largest are ACM Shaw Mine, Atlas Iron McPhee Creek Mine and Atlas Iron Ridley Mine.