50:
29:
57:
282:
352:, was interested in ACM's gold projects, and WMC and Normandy agreed to make a joint bid for the company and to split the assets afterwards, with WMC receiving the nickel assets and Normandy the gold ones. The joint offer was eventually successful, with the final transactions completed in June 1992. The final deal saw Outokumpu re-involved in the project, with WMC selling 50 percent of the Mount Keith project to the Finnish company.
344:, WMC, for a time, held a substantial interest in ACM, owning 20 percent of the company's shares in 1987, but soon sold these again for a profit. In May 1991, ACM's managing director approached WMC as well as a few other mining companies with the request of taking over the former. WMC Resources concluded that it wasn't interested in the takeover but wanted to acquire the Mount Keith project. Among the companies approached,
1324:
373:. This decision is scheduled to be reviewed in February 2027 but BHP would continue to spend $ 450 million annually on its nickel operations to facilitate a potential restart. The decision was estimated to affect 1,600 workers and the mines and smelters but BHP committed to offer all employees affected a redeployment or redundancy.
328:
The deposits was originally discovered through exploration drilling by Metals
Exploration Limited in 1969. Australian Consolidated Minerals, ACM, initially held a 16 percent stake in the venture, something the company gradually increased to 100 percent by 1988. Despite the early discovery, the mine
355:
WMC declared that it was ready to proceed with the project on 11 February 1993, now at an estimated cost of A$ 450 million, but
Outokumpu was unwilling to commit to the mine and, 11 days later, sold its stake back to WMC for cash and considerations. Construction of the mine commeced soon after and
403:
Production figures published by the company for the whole Nickel West
Operations and not broken down to individual mines. In 2020–21, Nickel West produced 89,000 tonnes of nickel, an eleven percent increase of production in comparison to the previous year. The average sale price for the produced
363:, which bundled WMC's nickel assets under its Nickel West brand, which became the largest nickel producer in the state, producing a combined 67,000 tonnes out of the 180,000 tonnes produced in Western Australia in 2004–05. At the time of the WMC acquisition by BHP, the mine employed 950 people.
356:
activities at the mine peaked in 1994 with a construction work force of 1,000 people on site at the time. Commissioning of the plant began in
November 1994 and shipment of first ore took place in 1995.
369:
Due to an oversupply of nickel and a consequent drop in nickel prices, BHP announced on 11 July 2024 that it would temporarily close all of its Nickel West operations in
October 2024 and place them in
1360:
329:
was not developed at the time because of low nickel prices in the 1970s and the project's large infrastructure costs. Changes to
Western Australian mining in the 1980s, the move towards
826:
649:
1353:
746:
333:
operations rather than the workforce residing in fully developed towns reduced the potential cost of the project and ACM started to review the project again in 1988.
49:
1346:
400:
After crushing and processing the ore on site, nickel concentrate is transported by road from the mine to
Leinster for drying and subsequent on-shipping.
316:
old. In 1971, the mine was thought to be able to provide 10% of the world's demand for nickel; in 1992 it was estimated as containing 270 million tons of
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1564:
1095:
688:
115:
1459:
562:
507:
480:
1549:
88:
1369:
772:
437:
418:
Production figure is for the combined Nickel West
Operations, which consists of the Mount Keith Mine, Leinster Mine and Cliffs Mine.
523:
1292:
1286:
719:
822:
646:
1245:
869:
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349:
1509:
1240:
663:
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759:
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1080:
1030:
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28:
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1025:
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nickel was US$ 16,250 per tonne. In 2021–22, Nickel West's nickel production fell to 77,000 tonnes.
1020:
1454:
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1403:
1153:
1106:
740:
381:
Mount Keith is part of BHP's Nickel West operations, which includes, apart from Mount Keith, the
614:
340:
to develop Mount Keith at a projected cost of A$ 417.4 million and a start-up date of May 1992.
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720:"BHP to close Nickel West mines until 2027, blaming global oversupply of nickel"
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103:
289:
The mine is located on the north end of the 800 km (500 mi) long
833:"Guide to the Records relating to the history of Western Mining 1931-2005"
1101:
217:
269:
and part of its Nickel West operations. Having originally been built by
1148:
317:
1132:
247:
244:
155:
366:
In 2009, BHP reduced the mine's activity, laying off 300 employees.
647:
Western
Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 2004-05
280:
1342:
851:
718:
Gian De Poloni, Jon Daly, and
Nicolas Perpitch (11 July 2024).
878:
783:
625:
448:
360:
266:
255:
207:
308:
deposit type. The important known nickel deposits are in the
320:
ore, grading 0.6% nickel, enough for about twenty years.
817:
847:
273:, it changed ownership in 2005 when BHP acquired WMC.
585:
Group Historical Information: Mount Keith Operations
499:
Ore geology and industrial minerals: an introduction
265:
The mine, originally opened in 1995, is operated by
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Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety
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Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety
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146:
109:
99:
87:
77:
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762:BHP Billiton website, accessed: 11 December 2009
472:Mantle Plumes: Their Identification Through Time
475:. Geological Society of America. p. 314.
1354:
863:
609:
607:
605:
469:Ernst, Richard E.; Kenneth L. Buchan (2001).
258:. The site's closest landmark is the town of
8:
745:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
21:
1361:
1347:
1339:
896:
889:
870:
856:
848:
598:– via National Library of Australia.
27:
20:
502:. Blackwell Scientific. pp. 145–46.
1096:Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company
823:MINEDEX website: Mt Keith / BHP Billiton
578:
576:
574:
336:ACM entered an equal joint venture with
262:, 85 km (53 mi) to the north.
429:
359:In 2005, WMC Resources was acquired by
1059:(17% LNG phase, 8% domestic gas phase)
738:
300:, with nickel sulfide deposits of the
583:Gilbert M. Ralph (14 November 1994).
7:
808:Mount Keith Deposit Summary Deposit
285:Mining in the Wiluna-Leinster area.
56:
33:Satellite image of the mine in 2010
1370:Nickel mining in Western Australia
695:. 26 February 2009. Archived from
14:
1545:Nickel mines in Western Australia
1565:1995 establishments in Australia
1323:
1322:
312:of the lower cycle, around 2700
55:
48:
16:Nickel mine in Western Australia
1293:BHP Group Limited v Impiombato
1287:Ok Tedi environmental disaster
664:"BHP bolsters nickel supplies"
662:Freed, Jamie (13 March 2009).
554:The International Nickel Trade
1:
841:National Library of Australia
69:Location in Western Australia
1486:Kambalda Nickel Concentrator
1031:Kambalda Nickel Concentrator
689:"Major job losses this year"
387:Kambalda Nickel Concentrator
350:Robert Champion de Crespigny
1510:Mining in Western Australia
1081:Australian Iron & Steel
529:Far Eastern Economic Review
1581:
1550:Surface mines in Australia
1499:
1481:Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter
1460:Emily Ann and Maggie Hays
1302:
1165:Yeelirrie uranium project
1026:Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter
960:Orebodies 18, 23 & 25
668:The Sydney Morning Herald
652:, accessed: 10 March 2023
496:Anthony M. Evans (1993).
391:Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter
231:
43:
26:
1138:Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine
1057:North West Shelf Venture
773:"BHP Annual Report 2022"
615:"BHP Annual report 2021"
557:. Woodhead. p. 79.
438:"BHP Annual Report 2023"
1491:Kwinana Nickel Refinery
1308:BHP Mitsubishi Alliance
1036:Kwinana Nickel Refinery
395:Kwinana Nickel Refinery
286:
131:27.21333°S 120.55167°E
1143:Richards Bay Minerals
284:
1123:Newcastle Steelworks
1052:Mount Newman railway
818:BHP official website
551:Clow, Simon (1992).
383:Leinster Nickel Mine
371:care and maintenance
254:. It is operated by
136:-27.21333; 120.55167
1021:Goldsworthy railway
924:Goonyella Riverside
628:. 14 September 2021
224:Year of acquisition
127: /
23:
1474:Process facilities
1314:between BHP &
1277:BHP Billiton Tower
1154:Whyalla Steelworks
1107:Ekati Diamond Mine
287:
1532:
1531:
1336:
1335:
1216:James Balderstone
1173:
1172:
1069:
1068:
1041:Mad Dog oil field
564:978-1-85573-049-6
532:. 73–74: 51. 1971
509:978-0-632-02953-2
482:978-0-8137-2352-5
346:Normandy Posiedon
252:Western Australia
235:
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94:Western Australia
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1504:Related articles
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1282:Brookfield Place
1246:George McCulloch
1236:Andrew Mackenzie
1047:Moranbah Airport
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825:Database of the
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1226:Marius Kloppers
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1133:OneSteel/Arrium
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699:on 3 March 2009
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837:WMC Resources
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165:80,000 tonnes
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1516:Nickel Queen
1514:
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1414:Ravensthorpe
1398:
1377:Active mines
1291:
1211:Philip Aiken
1178:Acquisitions
1128:Ok Tedi Mine
1086:BHP Shipping
1007:
944:Mount Arthur
938:
839:– via
787:. Retrieved
779:
767:
755:
729:. Retrieved
723:
713:
701:. Retrieved
697:the original
683:
671:. Retrieved
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18:
1399:Mount Keith
1384:Forrestania
1185:Oz Minerals
955:Olympic Dam
939:Mount Keith
760:Nickel West
454:26 February
445:www.bhp.com
218:BHP website
134: /
122:120°33′06″E
110:Coordinates
63:Mount Keith
22:Mount Keith
1539:Categories
1440:Black Swan
1316:Mitsubishi
1310:, a 50/50
1306:Assets of
1261:Colin Syme
971:Resolution
966:Peak Downs
693:Herald Sun
587:(Report).
424:References
377:Production
162:Production
147:Production
119:27°12′48″S
1435:Beta Hunt
1190:Petrohawk
1091:BlueScope
929:Jimblebar
918:Escondida
741:cite news
348:, led by
338:Outokumpu
304:-like or
227:June 2005
104:Australia
1465:Windarra
1419:Savannah
1394:Leinster
1389:Kambalda
1328:Category
1102:Comsteel
1008:Atlantis
934:Leinster
912:Cerrejón
813:Mt Keith
725:ABC News
703:12 March
673:12 March
594:13 March
536:13 March
393:and the
291:Norseman
277:Overview
242:open pit
152:Products
78:Location
39:Location
1149:South32
1118:Lysaght
893:Current
789:7 March
731:12 July
324:History
318:sulfide
214:Website
204:Company
178:History
173:2022–23
100:Country
1455:Cosmos
1445:Bulong
1204:People
1074:Former
1062:VF2388
988:Yarrie
977:Saraji
907:Area C
886:Assets
632:14 May
561:
506:
479:
389:, the
385:, the
295:Wiluna
260:Wiluna
245:nickel
240:is an
191:Closed
183:Opened
156:Nickel
82:Wiluna
1450:Cawse
1270:Other
1161:(40%)
1145:(37%)
1109:(80%)
1098:(38%)
1043:(24%)
1012:(44%)
1000:Other
990:(85%)
984:(85%)
982:Yandi
973:(50%)
962:(85%)
951:(85%)
920:(58%)
914:(33%)
900:Mines
776:(PDF)
618:(PDF)
441:(PDF)
408:Notes
199:Owner
89:State
1409:Nova
791:2023
747:link
733:2024
705:2009
675:2009
634:2022
596:2023
559:ISBN
538:2009
524:"ША"
504:ISBN
477:ISBN
456:2024
306:sill
302:dyke
248:mine
194:2024
186:1995
1560:BHP
879:BHP
784:BHP
626:BHP
449:BHP
397:.
361:BHP
267:BHP
256:BHP
250:in
208:BHP
1541::
1010:PQ
835:.
782:.
778:.
743:}}
739:{{
722:.
691:.
666:.
624:.
620:.
604:^
573:^
526:.
447:.
443:.
314:Ma
1506::
1362:e
1355:t
1348:v
871:e
864:t
857:v
843:.
793:.
749:)
735:.
707:.
677:.
636:.
567:.
540:.
512:.
485:.
458:.
293:-
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