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MINERAL Resources has locked in port and rail agreement with Hancock Prospecting, ensuring it can export iron ore from its assets in Western Australia’s Pilbara that were once considered stranded. MinRes and Hancock announced the agreement on November 29, which will involve the development of an iron ore export hub at the Port Hedland Standley Point Berth 3, in South West Creek. “Our long-stated strategy is to transform from short-life, high-cost mines to lower-cost, longer-life operations underpinned by innovative infrastructure solutions.”

While co-operation among Pilbara iron ore miners is rare, MinRes has an existing relationship with Hancock via its mining services division. “We look forward to working with Hancock, Roy Hill, PPA and the state government to progress this project which would help unlock stranded assets in the Pilbara and would create thousands of jobs for West Australians for years to come,” Ellison said.

Ellison said yesterday the agreement with Hancock and Roy Hill was the first of its kind in the Australian resources industry. “Our long-stated strategy is to transition from short-life, high-cost mines to lower-cost, longlife operations underpinned by innovative infrastructure solutions,” he said.

30 November, 2021.

Mineral Resources’ infrastructure agreement with Roy Hill and Hancock Prospecting could enable the ASX-listed miner to develop stranded iron-ore resources such as its Marillana project, Macquarie says. “A development of Marillana and the infrastructure agreement presents upside risk to our base-case earnings and valuation for MIN,” says Macquarie, which doesn’t factor that project into its base case for Mineral Resources at present

29 November, 2021.

The ASX-listed MRL told shareholders that haulage solutions were key to unlocking stranded assets in the Pilbara and this agreement would provide a cost-effective solution for MRL to develop its Pilbara assets. “We are pleased to have entered into the port and rail agreement with Hancock and Roy Hill. This partnership and infrastructure sharing is the first of its kind in the Australian resources industry and would enable significant value to be unlocked for MRL in a sustainable manner,” said MD Chris Ellison.

The joint venture agreement represents a change of tick by Mr Ellison, who has previously talked up Mineral Resources’ capacity to develop two new export berths with a combined capacity of 40 million tonnes per annum. The agreement will likely make it easier for the state government and the Pilbara Ports Authority to assess multiple competing applications for increased capacity at the famously congested inner harbour at Port Hedland.

Hancock Prospecting outlined its plans for a number of new iron ore developments both at its own 1Bt-plus Mulga Downs deposit and through subsidiary Atlas Iron in its annual report on Friday, in which Rinehart’s company posted an eye-watering $7.3 billion profit for FY2021. MinRes, Hancock and Roy Hill have entered an agreement to jointly investigate the development of a facility at the Stanley Point Berth 3, in which Roy Hill would develop and operate the project including a rail haulage and port services. MinRes boss Chris Ellison said the deal will unlock stranded assets in the Pilbara as the company seeks to transition from higher cost production to low cost, long life assets.

WA mining identities Gina Rinehart and Chris Ellison will join forces in a landmark deal to develop new port facilities at South West Creek in Port Hedland to help unlock stranded iron ore assets in the Pilbara. Mr Ellison described the partnership and infrastructure-sharing deal as the first of its kind in the Australian resources industry. “We look forward to working with Hancock, Roy Hill, PPA and the State Government to progress this project which would help unlock stranded assets in the Pilbara and would create thousands of jobs for West Australians for years to come.”

Hancock Prospecting Pty Limited (Hancock) and Mineral Resources Limited (MRL) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a legally binding agreement under which they will jointly investigate the potential to develop a new iron ore export facility at the Port of Port Hedland’s Stanley Point berth 3 in South West Creek, where Roy Hill Holdings Pty Ltd (Roy Hill) would provide services to both MRL and Hancock for development and operation of the project, including rail haulage and port services (Project).

“As a business we are wholeheartedly committed to providing support for breast cancer patients and ongoing research into the disease, as well as welcoming women in mining. All of this is driven by the unrelenting passion of Roy Hill Executive Chairman, Mrs. Gina Rinehart, who has directly initiated ideas that have captured the hearts and minds of our people, and wider, such as painting our trucks and locomotives pink, and naming them after those in our business who have suffered cancer,” said Gerhard Veldsman, Roy Hill’s CEO.