Australian iron ore producer Atlas Iron Limited has announced that mining has started at its Wodgina direct shipping ore (DSO) project, located 110 kilometers south of Port Hedland in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
With the commencement of mining at Wodgina and the scheduled delivery of the new multi-user port at Utah Point, Port Hedland on September 17, Atlas is on track to quadruple combined Pilbara exports to 6 million metric tons per year from its Wodgina and Pardoo DSO mines by December 2010.
"Our New Projects team have not only delivered our second mine in as many years, they have set up a strong culture focused on safety and performance," commented David Flanagan, Atlas' managing director. "It's one thing to make discoveries but very much another to be able to turn them into mines. Wodgina represents a great opportunity to create real value for our shareholders as we build a great iron ore company."