Karara mine facts for kids
The Karara mine, as seen from the air
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| Location | |
|---|---|
 Karara mine
Location in Western Australia
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| Location | Shire of Perenjori |
| Western Australia | |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 29°11′28″S 116°45′38″E / 29.19111°S 116.76056°E |
| Production | |
| Products | Iron ore |
| Production | 8 million tonnes per annum |
| History | |
| Opened | 2010 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Ansteel Group and Gindalbie Metals |
| Website | https://www.kararamining.com.au |
The Karara mine is a very large iron mine located in the Mid West part of Western Australia. It's a place where people dig up iron ore, which is a rock that contains iron. Iron is used to make steel for buildings, cars, and many other things.
The Karara mine has a huge amount of iron ore. Experts believe there are about 2 billion tonnes of ore there. This ore contains a special type of iron called magnetite. Magnetite is magnetic, which makes it easier to separate the iron from the rock.
The mine is owned by two companies: Ansteel Group and Gindalbie Metals. It is run by a company called Karara Mining Limited. The mine started operating in 2010.
Key Moments in the Mine's History
- In 2011, there were big floods in Thailand. These floods caused delays for some of the building work at the Karara mine.
- In 2014, the mine produced much more iron ore. They shipped over 2 million tonnes of ore in just three months! Even with this increase, the mine was still working to become profitable.
How Iron Ore is Transported
Getting the iron ore from the mine to where it can be shipped is a big job. The Karara mine has its own special Karara railway line. This railway is about 79 kilometers (about 49 miles) long.
Railway Lines and Ports
The railway connects the mine to the main train network.
- First, to Geraldton: The ore is first carried on a train with a "narrow gauge" track. This means the tracks are closer together than usual. It goes to the port city of Geraldton. About 10 million tonnes of ore can be shipped from here each year.
- Future plans for Oakajee: There are plans to build a new port at Oakajee. A "standard gauge" railway will be built to this new port. Standard gauge tracks are wider. When this new port is ready, the mine could ship at least 30 million tonnes of ore every year!
- Dual Gauge Tracks: Some parts of the railway will be "dual gauge." This means the tracks will be set up so that both narrow gauge and standard gauge trains can use them.
The Karara railway line joins the main train line just north of a town called Morawa.
