Atlas to start mining in Wodgina in early June

Australian iron ore producer Atlas Iron Limited announced on April 30 that it has secured final government approval for its Wodgina direct shipping ore (DSO) project to allow the commencement of mining. A mining fleet will mobilize to the site immediately, with mining due to start in early June 2010.
 
Atlas aims to achieve iron ore exports at a combined rate of six million metric tons per annum from its Wodgina and Pardoo DSO mines in Western Australia by December 2010.
 
"This is a huge achievement and we are enormously proud of the whole team," Atlas managing director David Flanagan said. "To take a project from an iron ore discovery to an iron ore mine in less than 18 months is simply remarkable. We are now well positioned to benefit from very strong demand, high iron ore prices moving forward, and to meet our annual target export rate of six million metric tons by December 2010," he stated.