Name and Location
Anketell Point port (APP) multi-user facility project, West Pilbara, Australia.

Client
Australian Premium Iron Joint Venture (APIJV) is an unincorporated joint venture, comprising Aquila Resources and American Metals and Coal International.

Project Description
The plan is to develop the APP multiuser facility for processing and exporting iron-ore from APIJV’s West Pilbara iron-ore project (WPIOP) Stage 1 mining operations.

The WPIOP is a greenfield development, which entails the development of iron-ore mines, ore processing facilities, 300 km of heavy-haul railway and a deep-water port. It comprises two parts.

The first part of the WPIOP is the proposed establishment and operation of the mining area and associated infrastructure, as well as the construction of a railway line to access port facilities.

The proposed APP comprises the second part entails the establishment and operation of a deep-water port, with iron-ore stockpiling, transfer and ship-loading facilities. The port will have an initial capacity of 115-million tons a year, with the ultimate capacity expected to be about 350-million tons.

The main components of the proposal will be 22 km of railway to complete the rail corridor from APIJV’s WPIOP Stage 1 mines to the port. Two car dumpers will initially be required to unload the ore from the rail cars onto stockpile conveyors, with up to two slewing and luffing stackers to build the shipping stockpiles.

A shipping stockpile pad will also be required to store iron-ore fines and lump. Up to two bucket-wheel reclaimers, which will move the ore from the stockpile to the export conveyor, will be constructed and a conveyor will move the ore from the shipping stockpiles to the ship-loading facilities.

Marine infrastructure will include a 3 km causeway, extending from the mainland, and a 1.1 km piled trestle jetty and wharf, supporting four berths. A 15.2 km shipping channel will be dredged, including two berthing pockets and a turning basin, to provide sufficient water depth for Capesize vessels.

Three areas comprising a total area of 2 202 ha have been identified for the disposal of dredge spoil.

Other infrastructure required includes offices, workshops and ancillary infrastructure; a 3.5 Gℓ/y desalination plant to provide water for dust suppression, potable purposes and infrastructure maintenance; a 40 MW power station; bulk fuel storage facilities for 40-million litres of diesel, and a wastewater treatment/disposal system.

APIJV also plans to develop a quarry located to the east of Anketell Point to provide rock for the construction of the causeways.

Value
Not stated.

Duration
Development will take 20 years.

Latest Developments
The Western Australian government has given environmental approval for the development of the 115-million-ton-a-year Anketell multi-user port.

The Western Australia Environment Minister has imposed certain conditions and procedures, which Aquila believes compares favourably with other recent port approvals in the state.

The port project is awaiting federal approval.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
APIJV, tel +61 8 9423 0222, fax +61 8 9423 0233 or email project@apijv.com.au.