UK-Australian metals firm Rio Tinto will spend $180mn on a Norman Creek access project near the town of Weipa in Australia's Queensland, as part of works to expand bauxite mining in the region.
Rio Tinto will build a 19km haul road, camp accommodation and a communications tower as part of the plan to mine the Norman Creek region of its 22.8mn t/yr Amrun mine, the firm said on 7 August.
Norman Creek is expected to begin production in 2027, with full construction completed in 2028. The expansion will maintain operations until at least the middle of the century, as the Norman Creek area contains about half of Amrun's declared ore reserves of 978mn t.
The works are in addition to the company's plans to make a final investment decision on its planned 20mn t/yr Kangwinan mine which would start producing in 2029.
Kangwinan would help replace output from the 13mn t/yr Gove mine in the Northern Territory and the Andoom mine, part of Weipa operations that are scheduled to close at the end of the decade.
Rio Tinto reported bauxite output up on the year in April-June due to Amrun producing at above-nameplate rates for the period.
