Mesa A mine

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Iron ore mine in Western Australia

title: "Mesa A mine" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["iron-ore-mines-in-western-australia", "rio-tinto-iron-ore", "shire-of-ashburton", "surface-mines-in-australia", "2010-establishments-in-australia"] description: "Iron ore mine in Western Australia" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesa_A_mine" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Iron ore mine in Western Australia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox mine"]

Field	Value
name	Mesa A mine
pushpin_map	Western Australia
pushpin_label	Mesa A mine
pushpin_map_caption	Location in Western Australia
coordinates
place	Shire of Ashburton, Pilbara
subdivision_type	State
state/province	Western Australia
country	Australia
owner	Rio Tinto Iron Ore (53%) Mitsui & Co (33%) Nippon Steel (10.5%) Sumitomo Metal Industries (3.5%)
acquisition year	Rio Tinto: 2000
products	Iron ore
amount	25000000 t/annum
opening year	2010
mapframe	yes
mapframe-zoom	9
::

The Mesa A mine, sometimes also referred to as Waramboo mine, is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, 50 km west of Pannawonica.

The mine is owned by Robe River Iron Associates (53% Rio Tinto) and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore and is one of twelve iron ore mines the company operates in the Pilbara. In 2009, the combined Pilbara operations produced 202000000 t of iron ore, a 15 percent increase from 2008. The Pilbara operations accounted for almost 13 percent of the world's 2009 iron ore production of 1590000000 t.

The Hamersley Range, where the mine is located, contains 80 percent of all identified iron ore reserves in Australia and is one of the world's major iron ore provinces.

Overview

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Iron_ore_Pilbara_2.svg" caption="Iron ore mines in the [[Pilbara]] region"] ::

Rio Tinto iron ore operations in the Pilbara began in 1966. The mine has an annual production capacity of 25000000 t of iron ore, sourced from open-pit operations. The ore is processed on site before being loaded onto rail.

Ore from the mine is then transported to the coast through the Hamersley & Robe River railway line, where it is loaded onto ships.

The mine's workforce is on a fly-in fly-out roster.

The mine is located near the Mesa J mine. The new Mesa A mine was scheduled to replace the Mesa J mine which was nearing the end of its life span. Due to additional deposits found near the existing Mesa J site, a decision was made to operate the Mesa A mine as a fly-in fly-out site. The Mesa J site could then continue to run as a residential site based in Pannawonica. After a two-year construction period and expenses of $1 billion, the mine began operation in February 2010. The mine was initially scheduled for a mine life of eleven years. But has now been extended due to an expansion for the mining of Mesa B and Mesa C deposits.

Robe River Iron Associates

Robe River Iron, owner of the mine, is jointly owned by:

Rio Tinto – 53% – operator
Mitsui & Co – 33%
Nippon Steel – 10.5%
Sumitomo Metal Industries – 3.5%

Robe River Iron operates the West Angelas, Mesa A and Mesa J mines.

References

[https://web.archive.org/web/20110327120352/http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/documents/Statsdigest09web.pdf Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistic Digest 2008–09] [[Department of Mines & Petroleum]]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080911130252/http://minedexext.doir.wa.gov.au/minedex/external/common/appMain.jsp Deepdale Mesa A search result] Minedex
[http://www.riotintoironore.com/ENG/operations/301_pilbara.asp Pilbara] {{webarchive. link. (2013-10-21 Rio Tinto Iron Ore website, accessed: 6 November 2010)
[http://www.riotintoironore.com/ENG/operations/497_mining.asp Mining] {{webarchive. link. (2010-06-12 Rio Tinto Iron Ore website, accessed: 6 November 2010)
[http://www.riotintoironore.com/documents/AJM_23_Mar_2010_FINAL.pdf Preparing for the future] {{webarchive. link. (2011-07-15 Rio Tinto presentation, published: 23 March 2010, accessed: 7 November 2010)
[http://www.miningweekly.com/article/iron-ore-production-falls-62-in-2009---unctad-report-2010-07-30 Global iron-ore production falls 6,2% in 2009 – Unctad report] miningweekly.com, published: 30 July 2010, accessed: 7 November 2010
(June 2017). UNCTAD]] website, published: 30 July 2010, accessed: 7 November 2010
[http://www.australianminesatlas.gov.au/education/fact_sheets/iron.jsp Iron fact sheet – Australian Resources and Deposits] {{webarchive. link. (2011-02-18 [[Geoscience Australia]] website, accessed: 7 November 2010)
The mine itself began operations in 2010. Operation of the mine was contracted to HWE Mining.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110216073839/http://hwe.com.au/verve/_resources/MesaA-contract140408.pdf HWE Mining awarded $344 million contract at Rio Tinto's Mesa A iron ore operation, WA] [[CIMIC Group. Leighton Contractors]] 14 April 2008
[http://www.riotintoironore.com/ENG/operations/2021.asp Mesa A mine] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-07-01 Rio Tinto Iron Ore website, accessed: 6 November 2010)
[http://www.riotintoironore.com/ENG/operations/497_rail.asp Rail] {{webarchive. link. (2013-07-01 Rio Tinto Iron Ore website, accessed: 6 November 2010)
Rio Tinto acquired its share of 53% in late 2000, when it took over mining company [[North Limited]].[https://www.theguardian.com/business/2000/aug/05/2 Rio wins North deal] ''[[The Guardian]]'' 5 August 2000
''The Australian Mines Handbook – 2003–04 edition'', editor: Ross Louthean, publisher: Louthean Media, page: 243

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