Australian iron ore company BC Iron Limited (BC Iron) announced on January 11 that haulage of iron ore has begun by its 50 percent-owned Nullagine Iron Ore Joint Venture with Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) located in Pilbara, Western Australia.
Accordingly, iron ore has been transported to Fortescue's ore processing facility at Christmas Creek through public roads with a target of having its first ore shipped overseas in the current quarter.
The crushing and screening plant at the Outcamp Mine has begun wet commissioning works with mined ore.
The construction of the private JV haul road continues and, once an appropriate base is constructed, haulage will commence via this route instead of via public roads.
BC Iron remains on track for its stated targets of shipping the first ore in the first quarter of 2011 and of reaching an initial annual production rate of three million metric tons to be increased to five million mt, with the shipment of one million metric tons by June 30, 2011.