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Western Turner Syncline Mine (Stage1; Stage 2; Section 10; Section 17), Tom Price, Ashburton Shire, Western Australia, Australiai
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Western Turner Syncline Mine (Stage1; Stage 2; Section 10; Section 17) | Mine |
| Tom Price | - not defined - |
| Ashburton Shire | Shire |
| Western Australia | State |
| Australia | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
22° 40' 33'' South , 117° 35' 54'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Price | 2,723 (2011) | 20.1km |
The Western Turner Syncline mine (Stage 1) is located 20 kilometres north-west of Tom Price. The mine is immediately west of the Nanutarra-Tom Price Road, and Mount Samson. The mine was opened in 2010, is capable of 15 Mpta, and has an expected life of 10 years. The ore is transported by conveyor to Tom Price. The ore body, known as Section 10, is on the lower slopes of the main range of the Western Turner Syncline.
Stage 2 is 12 kilometres west of Stage one, on the B1 and Section 17 ore bodies. Development of the mine was well underway in 2016, when it ground to a halt due to a mandatory aboriginal heritage survey. A rock shelter was located containing a rich and varied assemblage of grinding stones, stone flakes, 48 other artefacts, and faunal material like egg shells. The estimated age of the material is 40 000 years, making it 20 000 years earlier than what was thought for human habitation in the region. It is one of the most important heritage sites in the Pilbara.
Mining companies often complain Australia is one of the most expensive countries to mine, in part due to the extensive heritage and conservation studies needed. (A mineral heritage law would be nice).
It is a wonder what happens elsewhere in the world, without these protections. Despite this, part of a significant rock art site was destroyed by a BHP Billiton railway near Abydos, and who knows what else never sees the light.
Rio proceeded to apply to mine the area anyway, and this would have resulted in the destruction of the rock shelter. The local Wintawari Guruma people have blocked this thankfully. They are hardly anti mining, having approved eight iron ore mines on their land so far. They are suggesting Rio redesigns its pits to avoid the rock shelter.
Commodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Rock Types Recorded
Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!
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Alphabetical List Tree DiagramList of minerals for each chemical element
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
Australia
- Western Australia
- Fortescue BasinBasin
- Hamersley BasinBasin
- Pilbara CratonCraton
- Warakurna Large Igneous ProvinceGeologic Province
- West Australian ElementCraton
Australian PlateTectonic Plate
- West Australian Craton
- Pilbara CratonCraton
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Western Turner Syncline Mine, Tom Price, Ashburton Shire, Western Australia, Australia