NORTH STAR BULK EARTHWORKS

CLIENT
Ironbridge Operations

PROJECT
North Star Bulk Earthworks

LOCATION
Pilbara, Western Australia

STATUS
Complete

The Iron Bridge Magnetite project, 100 kilometres south of Port Hedland, incorporating the North Star and Glacier Valley ore bodies, is a Fortescue Metals Group led group venture which includes Taiwan’s Formose Group and China’s Baosteel Group.

Scope
NRW undertook the construction of early access infrastructure, establishment of ramps accessing the Darby Mesa Process Plant and mining area.

NRW’s scope of work included:

  • Upper Process Plant bulk earthworks;
  • Permanent Access Road to Accommodation Camp;
  • North Ramp Access to Mesa;
  • Construction of laydown and ore processing pads;
  • Roads and fuel storage area;
  • Raw and process water dams;
  • Crushing and screening area;
  • Pipeline corridor;
  • ROM Gabion Wall;
  • Concentrate Handling Facility pads and storage ponds;
  • Tailings Dam;
  • Magazine and explosives storage earthworks;
  • Great Northern Highway intersection;
  • Development of Initial Mining Area (IMA); and
  • Mining of ore and overburden from IMA.

Indigenous Engagement
As part of our ongoing commitment to Indigenous engagement, NRW partnered with local Aboriginal businesses, Indigenous Construction Resource Group (ICRG) and Njamal, the traditional owners of the North Star land, to form the NRW and Njamal ICRG Joint Venture.

Challenges
The NRW North Star team dealt with limited facilities at the beginning of the project, access restrictions due to cyclones, and inclement weather causing flooding. They also managed continuous manning level fluctuations due to construction and commissioning phases, and on the ground design changes to provide economic benefit for the client.

Achievements
The NRW North Star project team boast an impressive TRIFR of zero and no recordable injury for the life of the project. While one million tonnes of ore passed through the processing plant, the team won the Project of the Quarter safety award five times. This project marks the fifth contract successfully delivered to Fortescue Metals Group by NRW’s Mining department.