61:
40:
68:
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363:, 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.
355:, 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,
1335:
384:. 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.
339:
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
366:
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
414:
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
374:, 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.
367:
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.
380:
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
1371:
340:
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
837:
660:
1364:
757:
344:
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.
60:
1357:
411:
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.
327:
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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1575:
1106:
699:
126:
1470:
573:
518:
491:
1560:
99:
1380:
783:
448:
429:
Production figure is for the combined Nickel West
Operations, which consists of the Mount Keith Mine, Leinster Mine and Cliffs Mine.
534:
1303:
1297:
730:
833:
657:
1256:
880:
851:
1128:
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360:
1520:
1251:
674:
539:
301:
770:
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39:
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nickel was US$ 16,250 per tonne. In 2021–22, Nickel West's nickel production fell to 77,000 tonnes.
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1465:
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1414:
1164:
1117:
751:
392:
Mount Keith is part of BHP's Nickel West operations, which includes, apart from Mount Keith, the
625:
351:
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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731:"BHP to close Nickel West mines until 2027, blaming global oversupply of nickel"
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The mine is located on the north end of the 800 km (500 mi) long
844:"Guide to the Records relating to the history of Western Mining 1931-2005"
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228:
280:
and part of its Nickel West operations. Having originally been built by
1159:
328:
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258:
255:
166:
377:
In 2009, BHP reduced the mine's activity, laying off 300 employees.
658:
Western
Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 2004-05
291:
1353:
862:
729:
Gian De Poloni, Jon Daly, and
Nicolas Perpitch (11 July 2024).
889:
794:
636:
459:
371:
277:
266:
218:
319:
deposit type. The important known nickel deposits are in the
331:
ore, grading 0.6% nickel, enough for about twenty years.
828:
858:
284:, it changed ownership in 2005 when BHP acquired WMC.
596:
Group Historical Information: Mount Keith Operations
510:
Ore geology and industrial minerals: an introduction
276:
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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120:
110:
98:
88:
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773:BHP Billiton website, accessed: 11 December 2009
483:Mantle Plumes: Their Identification Through Time
486:. Geological Society of America. p. 314.
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874:
620:
618:
616:
480:Ernst, Richard E.; Kenneth L. Buchan (2001).
269:. The site's closest landmark is the town of
8:
756:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
32:
1372:
1358:
1350:
907:
900:
881:
867:
859:
609:– via National Library of Australia.
38:
31:
513:. Blackwell Scientific. pp. 145–46.
1107:Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company
834:MINEDEX website: Mt Keith / BHP Billiton
589:
587:
585:
347:ACM entered an equal joint venture with
273:, 85 km (53 mi) to the north.
440:
370:In 2005, WMC Resources was acquired by
1070:(17% LNG phase, 8% domestic gas phase)
749:
311:, with nickel sulfide deposits of the
594:Gilbert M. Ralph (14 November 1994).
7:
819:Mount Keith Deposit Summary Deposit
296:Mining in the Wiluna-Leinster area.
67:
44:Satellite image of the mine in 2010
1381:Nickel mining in Western Australia
706:. 26 February 2009. Archived from
25:
1556:Nickel mines in Western Australia
1576:1995 establishments in Australia
1334:
1333:
323:of the lower cycle, around 2700
66:
59:
27:Nickel mine in Western Australia
1304:BHP Group Limited v Impiombato
1298:Ok Tedi environmental disaster
675:"BHP bolsters nickel supplies"
673:Freed, Jamie (13 March 2009).
565:The International Nickel Trade
1:
852:National Library of Australia
80:Location in Western Australia
1497:Kambalda Nickel Concentrator
1042:Kambalda Nickel Concentrator
700:"Major job losses this year"
398:Kambalda Nickel Concentrator
361:Robert Champion de Crespigny
1521:Mining in Western Australia
1092:Australian Iron & Steel
540:Far Eastern Economic Review
1592:
1561:Surface mines in Australia
1510:
1492:Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter
1471:Emily Ann and Maggie Hays
1313:
1176:Yeelirrie uranium project
1037:Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter
971:Orebodies 18, 23 & 25
679:The Sydney Morning Herald
663:, accessed: 10 March 2023
507:Anthony M. Evans (1993).
402:Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter
242:
54:
37:
1149:Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine
1068:North West Shelf Venture
784:"BHP Annual Report 2022"
626:"BHP Annual report 2021"
568:. Woodhead. p. 79.
449:"BHP Annual Report 2023"
1502:Kwinana Nickel Refinery
1319:BHP Mitsubishi Alliance
1047:Kwinana Nickel Refinery
406:Kwinana Nickel Refinery
18:Mount Keith Nickel Mine
297:
142:27.21333°S 120.55167°E
1154:Richards Bay Minerals
295:
1134:Newcastle Steelworks
1063:Mount Newman railway
829:BHP official website
562:Clow, Simon (1992).
394:Leinster Nickel Mine
382:care and maintenance
265:. It is operated by
147:-27.21333; 120.55167
1032:Goldsworthy railway
935:Goonyella Riverside
639:. 14 September 2021
235:Year of acquisition
138: /
34:
1485:Process facilities
1325:between BHP &
1288:BHP Billiton Tower
1165:Whyalla Steelworks
1118:Ekati Diamond Mine
298:
1543:
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1347:
1346:
1227:James Balderstone
1184:
1183:
1080:
1079:
1052:Mad Dog oil field
575:978-1-85573-049-6
543:. 73–74: 51. 1971
520:978-0-632-02953-2
493:978-0-8137-2352-5
357:Normandy Posiedon
263:Western Australia
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105:Western Australia
16:(Redirected from
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1515:Related articles
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1293:Brookfield Place
1257:George McCulloch
1247:Andrew Mackenzie
1058:Moranbah Airport
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836:Database of the
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1144:OneSteel/Arrium
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710:on 3 March 2009
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848:WMC Resources
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353:WMC Resources
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287:
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282:WMC Resources
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176:80,000 tonnes
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1527:Nickel Queen
1525:
1514:
1425:Ravensthorpe
1409:
1388:Active mines
1302:
1222:Philip Aiken
1189:Acquisitions
1139:Ok Tedi Mine
1097:BHP Shipping
1018:
955:Mount Arthur
949:
850:– via
798:. Retrieved
790:
778:
766:
740:. Retrieved
734:
724:
712:. Retrieved
708:the original
694:
682:. Retrieved
668:
653:
641:. Retrieved
632:
603:. Retrieved
564:
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545:. Retrieved
538:
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463:. Retrieved
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275:
248:
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29:
1410:Mount Keith
1395:Forrestania
1196:Oz Minerals
966:Olympic Dam
950:Mount Keith
771:Nickel West
465:26 February
456:www.bhp.com
229:BHP website
145: /
133:120°33′06″E
121:Coordinates
74:Mount Keith
33:Mount Keith
1550:Categories
1451:Black Swan
1327:Mitsubishi
1321:, a 50/50
1317:Assets of
1272:Colin Syme
982:Resolution
977:Peak Downs
704:Herald Sun
598:(Report).
435:References
388:Production
173:Production
158:Production
130:27°12′48″S
1446:Beta Hunt
1201:Petrohawk
1102:BlueScope
940:Jimblebar
929:Escondida
752:cite news
359:, led by
349:Outokumpu
315:-like or
238:June 2005
115:Australia
1476:Windarra
1430:Savannah
1405:Leinster
1400:Kambalda
1339:Category
1113:Comsteel
1019:Atlantis
945:Leinster
923:Cerrejón
824:Mt Keith
736:ABC News
714:12 March
684:12 March
605:13 March
547:13 March
404:and the
302:Norseman
288:Overview
253:open pit
163:Products
89:Location
50:Location
1160:South32
1129:Lysaght
904:Current
800:7 March
742:12 July
335:History
329:sulfide
225:Website
215:Company
189:History
184:2022–23
111:Country
1466:Cosmos
1456:Bulong
1215:People
1085:Former
1073:VF2388
999:Yarrie
988:Saraji
918:Area C
897:Assets
643:14 May
572:
517:
490:
400:, the
396:, the
306:Wiluna
271:Wiluna
256:nickel
251:is an
202:Closed
194:Opened
167:Nickel
93:Wiluna
1461:Cawse
1281:Other
1172:(40%)
1156:(37%)
1120:(80%)
1109:(38%)
1054:(24%)
1023:(44%)
1011:Other
1001:(85%)
995:(85%)
993:Yandi
984:(50%)
973:(85%)
962:(85%)
931:(58%)
925:(33%)
911:Mines
787:(PDF)
629:(PDF)
452:(PDF)
419:Notes
210:Owner
100:State
1420:Nova
802:2023
758:link
744:2024
716:2009
686:2009
645:2022
607:2023
570:ISBN
549:2009
535:"ША"
515:ISBN
488:ISBN
467:2024
317:sill
313:dyke
259:mine
205:2024
197:1995
1571:BHP
890:BHP
795:BHP
637:BHP
460:BHP
408:.
372:BHP
278:BHP
267:BHP
261:in
219:BHP
1552::
1021:PQ
846:.
793:.
789:.
754:}}
750:{{
733:.
702:.
677:.
635:.
631:.
615:^
584:^
537:.
458:.
454:.
325:Ma
1517::
1373:e
1366:t
1359:v
882:e
875:t
868:v
854:.
804:.
760:)
746:.
718:.
688:.
647:.
578:.
551:.
523:.
496:.
469:.
304:-
20:)
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