Western Australia’s principal resource projects

WA’s mining industry consisted of 138 predominantly higher value and export-oriented mining projects in 2023–24, up from 134 in 2022–23, and the highest number since the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) began tracking projects on this basis in 2014–15.

The State’s mining industry also comprised hundreds of quarries and small mines in 2023–24 that largely produced the basic raw materials required for the local construction and agricultural industries. Such materials included clays, construction materials (aggregate, gravel, rock and sand), dimension stone, gypsum, limestone, limesand and spongolite. There were 12 principal producers of these materials.

In 2023–24, there were 16 major mineral processing operations that transformed bauxite into alumina; gold doré into gold bars; nickel ore into nickel concentrate (through toll treatment) and nickel concentrate into nickel matte, nickel powder, nickel briquettes, and nickel sulphate; rutile and synthetic rutile into titanium dioxide pigment; zircon into fused zirconia; silica sand into silicon metal; spodumene concentrate into lithium hydroxide; and rare earth concentrate into rare earth carbonate.

WA’s petroleum industry consisted of 20 projects that produced oil, gas and condensates from 50 fields in onshore and offshore areas of the State in 2023–24. Many of these petroleum projects had associated processing plants for LNG exports and domestic gas sales.

Mining

Gold

The number of gold projects fell to 49 in 2023-24, down from 52 during 2022-23, and the gold industry once again had a high degree of turnover and activity:

• There were several new and re-started gold projects during the year, that notably included:
  • Auric Mining’s Jeffrey’s Find
  • Bellevue Gold’s Bellevue
  • Ramelius Resources’ Symes 

These projects were more than offset by gold projects from 2022-23 that either were under the threshold (they did not produce more than 2,500 ounces of gold), had completed mining, been wound down, or entered care and maintenance. They most notably included:

• Genesis Minerals’ Mt Morgans
• Novo Resources’ Beatons Creek
• Pantoro’s Halls Creek
• Ramelius Resources’ Vivien
• Spartan Resources’ Dalgaranga
• Westgold Resources’ Beta Hunt project was reclassified as a nickel project for 2023-24 after being primarily a gold project in 2022-23.

Several gold projects also changed hands in 2023-24, including:

• Telfer: was acquired by Newmont Corporation through its acquisition of Newcrest Mining in November 2023.
• Beta Hunt and Higginsville: were acquired by Westgold Resources after it merged with previous owner Karora Resources in August 2024.
• Deflector and Mt Monger (previously owned by Silver Lake Resources), as well as Darlot and King of the Hills (previously owned by Red 5): became part of Vault Minerals, a newly formed company arising from the merger of Silver Lake and Red 5 in September 2024.

Iron ore

The number of iron ore projects increased from 33 to 36 most notably on:

• Fortescue’s Iron Bridge: completed its first shipment in September 2023.
• Mineral Resources’ Onslow: achieved its first ore on ship in May 2024.

Smaller iron ore operations including Kimberley Metals Group’s Ridges, Extension Hill’s Mount Gibson, Hedland Mining’s Poondano, and Twin Peaks (owner 10M subsequently entered administration in June 2024), restarted, while Newcam Minerals also achieved first production at Mt Gould.

Some iron ore projects were reclassified:

• BHP’s South Flank: is now considered a principal project after previously being part of the Mining Area C project.
• Fortescue’s Solomon: is now included under Fortescue’s Western project.
• Mineral Resources’ Koolyanobbing and Parker Range: now fall under its Yilgarn project, which was due to transition to care and maintenance in early 2025.

Nickel

The nickel industry endured a difficult financial year. While the number of nickel projects increased from nine to 11, due to a single quarter of sales from IGO’s Cosmos project and the reclassification of the Beta Hunt project, several projects were put into care and maintenance amid weak market conditions including:

• BHP’s Nickel West
• First Quantum Minerals’ Ravensthorpe
• Mincor Resources’ Kambalda
• Panoramic Resources’ Savannah
• IGO’s Cosmos.

IGO’s Forrestania project also reached the end of its current economic life.

Lithium

The number of lithium projects increased from six to seven due to the opening of Covalent Lithium’s Mt Holland project in March 2024. However, amid lower for longer prices, several projects were put into or are transitioning to care and maintenance after the end of the 2023-24 financial year:

• Mineral Resources’ Bald Hill: was put into care and maintenance in early December 2024.
• Arcadium Lithium Mt Cattlin: is transitioning into care and maintenance by mid-2025.
• Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora: the Ngungaju plant, part of the Pilgangoora operations, was also to be placed into care and maintenance from December 2024.

Other minerals

Mineral sands: there was an increase in the number of mineral sands projects from 10 to 11 with the commencement of production at Kimberley Mineral Sands’ Thunderbird project in October 2023.

Tantalum: the classification of Global Advanced Metals’ Wodgina tantalite project as a principal project brought the number of tantalum projects up from one to two. Wodgina tantalite has been operating on and off since 2010, but its sales values surpassed $5 million for the first time.

Manganese: while there was no change in the number of manganese projects, mining was suspended at Element 25’s Butcherbird project in late 2023, with stockpile processing operations concluding in the March quarter 2024.

Potash: the State’s single producing potash project, Beyondie, was suspended after its owner Kalium Lakes, entered administration in August 2023 and ultimately liquidation.

Other minerals: there was no change to the number of bauxite, coal, copper-lead-zinc, rare earths, salt, silica sands, and talc projects. However, there were some notable events for copper-lead-zinc projects with Aeris Resources’ Jaguar suspended in September 2023 and Sandfire Resources’ DeGrussa project reaching its end of life with final sales of stockpiles in the September quarter 2024.

Mineral processing

There were 16 major mineral processing operations. This is one higher than the 15 in 2022-23, with Lynas Rare Earths’ Kalgoorlie cracking and leaching plant commencing the production of mixed rare earth carbonate during the June quarter 2024.

There were some notable developments at mineral processing projects during the year:

• Alcoa’s Kwinana Alumina Refinery: curtailed production in June 2024.
• BHP’s Nickel West: suspended operations, including the Kalgoorlie nickel smelter, Kambalda nickel concentrator, and Kwinana nickel refinery, from October 2024.

Petroleum

There were 20 petroleum projects, one higher than in 2022-23 with the addition of Strike Energy’s Walyering onshore domestic gas project, which achieved first gas production in September 2023. Notably, Cliff Head had its final oil sales in August 2024.

More information on Western Australia’s principal mining projects, principal producers of basic raw materials, principal mineral processing operations, and petroleum projects, including notable events, for each financial year, are available on this page: Western Australia’s Principal Resource Projects.

Western Australia’s principal resources projects reports

Current report

Western Australia’s principal resources projects 2023-2024