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70:-age (1,600 to 1,800 million years old) sedimentary sequence of quartz sandstone, hematitic sandstone, feldspathic sandstone, siltstone, and hematitic conglomerate, the island has a rugged dissected terrain. Ridges have thin stony sandy soils. The highest point of the island is at 168 m (551 ft).
129:
On completion of mining operations in 1993 the base of Main Pit was 80 metres below sea level. BHP excavated a channel from the ocean to allow seven million cubic metres of sea water to flood the pit, allowing a productive photic zone marine eco-system to develop within the bounds of the former
59:
The island is approximately 13 km (8 mi) in length and 4 km (2.5 mi) at its widest point. It encompasses an area of 2,580 ha (6,375 acres). The island is 750 m (2,460 ft) offshore, with a smaller island, Round Island, between Koolan and the mainland.
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At its peak, Koolan Island had a population of 950 people and had a school, police station, recreation facilities and shops. It had the world's then-longest golf course hole – an 860 yards par 7 number 6 which doubled as the island's air strip.
171:
In 2014, the main seawall failed and the mine was flooded. The seawall was rebuilt and reinforced and the pit is being dewatered again as of August 2018. Shipments of iron ore to China recommenced April 2019.
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It appears the aircraft may have been overloaded with passengers and fuel at the time. The plane took off with the wind from the south across the strip rather than over the ocean and submarine rock. The
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106:. By 1963 it had established substantial mining operations there. The Koolan Island mine closed in 1994 after BHP had extracted 68 million tonnes of high-grade
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of the island. The agreement aims to ensure that 30% of the 220 person workforce is filled by
Indigenous people by the eighth year of operation.
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re-commenced mining at Koolan Island. In 2011 a seawall was completed on the ocean side of Main Pit to allow that pit to be dewatered.
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Driscoll, Andrew M.; Antenucci, Jason P.; Schmied, Lauren D.; Bhautoo, Prema S.; Collie, Troy (30 December 2018).
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121:, with buildings and exotic vegetation removed. Extensive replanting of native species has been undertaken.
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390:"Marine Modelling in Support of Koolan Island Mine Recommencement and Eventual Decommissioning"
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Koolan Island - cave discovered containing (Pleistocene) Aboriginal archaeological material
224:"Koolan Island Iron Ore Mine and Port Facility Project - Marine Management Plan Revision"
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Biological inventory of Koolan Island, Western
Australia. Part 1. Flora and vegetation
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21:
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631:. in Records of the Western Australian Museum, Vol. 17, no. 3 (1995), p. 237-248
582:"Investigation: 198404513 - Cessna 210 L, VH-MDI, Koolan Island WA, 23 December 1984"
142:
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422:"Aztec Resources Ltd Announcements - Aztec Resources Ltd: Koolan Island Agreement"
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for 1.5 MT of ore from 2007. In
November 2006, Mount Gibson Iron took over Aztec.
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291:"Explanatory notes on the Yampi 1:250 000 Geological Sheet, Western Australia"
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Earlier, in April 2006, the company signed a co-existence agreement with two
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On 18 August 2006, Aztec announced that it had signed orders with the
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501:"Crocs, sharks and stingrays: The hazards of mining below sea level"
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Aztec
Resources Commences Construction on Koolan Island Project
191:, struck power lines and somersaulted. Six people were killed.
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aircraft, which had just taken off from the island en route to
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256:"New radiocarbon dates from Koolan Island, West Kimberley WA"
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Major rehabilitation of the island was undertaken after the
529:"Mount Gibson restarts Koolan Island shipments to China"
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Iron ore chronicle, Vol. 234 (March 1989), p. 6.
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A Job well done : the Koolan Island achievement
39:. It is about 1,900 km (1,181 miles) north of
448:"Iron ore supplier Aztec strikes deal with China"
175:As of 2020 Mount Gibson still operates the mine.
289:Tyler, I. M.; Griffin, T. J. (1 December 1993).
295:1 :250 000 Geological Series-Explanatory Notes
43:, and about 130 km (81 mi) north of
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357:Koolan Island Iron Ore Mine and Port Facility
8:
740:
726:
718:
472:"Mount Gibson to swallow Aztec Resources"
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199:strip at the time had been affected by a
31:is an island off the Kimberley coast of
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299:Geological Survey of Western Australia
183:On 23 December 1984, a single-engined
94:operations on Koolan and neighbouring
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7:
499:Fowler, Courtney (24 January 2019).
336:. Perth, WA. 30 July 1951. p. 3
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587:Australian Transport Safety Bureau
365:Environmental Protection Authority
203:in the area on the previous days.
47:. It hosts deposits of high-grade
14:
229:. Perth, WA: Mt Gibson Iron. 2015
527:Zhou, Vanessa (24 April 2019).
394:Coastal Engineering Proceedings
662:Credit Suisse investors report
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88:Australian Iron & Steel
16:Island of Western Australia
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680:Mount Gibson press release
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110:ore, averaging 67% iron.
98:in 1951, shipping ore on
407:10.9753/icce.v36.risk.86
264:University of Queensland
125:Aztec–Mount Gibson Iron
704:16.12528°S 123.73833°E
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876:Buccaneer Archipelago
477:Sydney Morning Herald
260:Australian Archeology
139:Aboriginal Australian
130:working pit. In 2007
37:Buccaneer Archipelago
24:
709:-16.12528; 123.73833
655:George Negus Tonight
700: /
333:The West Australian
100:company-owned ships
480:. 28 November 2006
155:traditional owners
26:
863:
862:
754:Western Australia
559:Mount Gibson Iron
533:Australian Mining
367:. November 2005.
328:"First Yampi Ore"
270:on 10 August 2014
132:Mount Gibson Iron
33:Western Australia
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805:Fitzroy Crossing
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92:open-pit mining
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642:External links
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614:. Perth, W.A.
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658:21 June 2004
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616:BHP Minerals
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591:. Retrieved
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564:. Retrieved
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536:. Retrieved
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510:. Retrieved
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482:. Retrieved
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458:the original
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338:. Retrieved
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272:. Retrieved
268:the original
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252:Sue O'Connor
231:. Retrieved
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143:Dambimangari
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119:mine closure
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845:Oombulgurri
810:Halls Creek
707: /
695:123°44′18″E
566:10 November
484:10 November
432:10 November
426:Investegate
104:Port Kembla
86:subsidiary
55:Description
840:Noonkanbah
780:Bidyadanga
775:Beagle Bay
752:region of
692:16°07′31″S
606:References
538:21 October
512:21 October
312:9 November
233:9 November
185:Cessna 210
90:commenced
68:Statherian
830:Kununurra
820:Kalumburu
790:Camballin
765:Ardyaloon
750:Kimberley
593:3 October
506:ABC Rural
307:0729-3720
297:. Perth:
274:10 August
207:Footnotes
145:(Dambima/
108:haematite
870:Category
618:, 1992.
453:ABC News
254:(1989).
147:Worrorra
49:iron ore
855:Wyndham
815:Kadjina
201:cyclone
162:Chinese
79:BHP era
35:in the
850:Warmun
785:Broome
622:
400:(36).
371:
340:12 May
305:
301:: 23.
197:gravel
189:Broome
164:group
151:Ngardi
74:Mining
835:Looma
800:Derby
770:Balgo
672:from
361:(PDF)
227:(PDF)
166:CITIC
45:Derby
41:Perth
620:ISBN
595:2021
568:2020
540:2019
514:2019
486:2020
434:2020
369:ISBN
342:2020
314:2020
303:ISSN
276:2014
235:2020
402:doi
153:)
102:to
84:BHP
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243:^
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149:-
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