W. Australia’s EPA recommends approval for Oakajee port and rail project

On March 15, the Australian iron ore exploration company Murchison Metals Ltd (Murchison) has announced that the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia (EPA) has recommended approval of the proposed AU$4 billion Oakajee Port and Rail (OPR) project for terrestrial iron ore port development and associated rail infrastructure in the state's mid-west region.
 
Accordingly, the EPA's recommendation covers all iron ore handling, storage and ancillary infrastructure at the proposed 45 million mt/year Oakajee port, to be built 24 kilometers north of Geraldton port, and the associated heavy-haulage railway extending 570 kilometers north-east to the Jack Hills iron ore project.
 
The EPA's recommendation will now be considered by Western Australia's environment minister. Murchison expects receipt of final state environmental approvals by mid-2011.
 
OPR, the owner and developer of both the port and rail projects, is a 50-50 joint venture of Murchison with Mitsubishi Development (Mitsubishi), a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan. The biggest user of OPR's infrastructure services will be Crosslands Resources, the owner of the Jack Hills iron ore project, which is also a 50-50 joint venture of Mitsubishi Development and Murchison.
 
First exports through the Oakajee port are anticipated in late 2014/early 2015.