Australia-based miner BHP has approved a $900 million investment, on a 100 percent basis, to develop the Ministers North high-grade Brockman iron ore deposit in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, supporting the company’s medium-term Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) production target of more than 305 million mt per year.
The project, located southeast of Yandi, will operate as a satellite extension of the mine and use its existing processing, rail and port infrastructure, helping Ministers North generate an expected return of more than 30 percent. The development will include a 13 km haul road and land bridge, upgrades to existing facilities and the installation of new primary and secondary crushers at Yandi. Construction is scheduled to begin in July, with first ore expected in the financial year 2028-29 and annual production projected at around 20 million mt once fully ramped up.
Ministers North will produce direct-shipping iron ore fines through dry crushing and screening. The project is owned by BHP, Itochu Corporation and Mitsui & Co., with respective stakes of 85 percent, eight percent and seven percent.
Meanwhile, BHP’s attributable iron ore production increased by one percent year on year to a record 264.7 million mt in the financial year ended June 30, 2026, while WAIO output remained broadly stable at a record 256.9 million mt, equivalent to 291.2 million mt on a 100 percent basis, supported by strong supply chain performance, record material mined and South Flank’s output exceeding its annual nameplate capacity. For the financial year 2026-27, BHP expects total iron ore production of 260-272 million mt, including 253-264 million mt from WAIO, or 286-298 million mt on a 100 percent basis.
