MT TOM PRICE IRON ORE DEPOSIT


The Mount Tom Price orebody is located at long. 117º45'E, lat. 22º45'S in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia, 1130 km north of Perth. Unmined, it represented the second largest (after Mt Newman) known accumulation of high grade hematite in the Hamersley province. It sits near the keel, and at the eastern extremity of, the regional E-W trending Turner Syncline. The orebody consists mainly of hematite in a sequence of Brockman Iron Formation. It is approximately 7.5 km long and up to 1.6 km wide. It occupies two local synclines and part of the intervening anticline. Later cross-folding is present. Two south-dipping normal faults parallel, and in part limit, the ore. The base of the northern syncline is higher than that of the southern, giving an overall southerly dip and apparent thickness of 150 m, extending to a depth of 250 m below surface. Most (~90%) ore occurs in the Dales Gorge Member of the Brockman, with local enrichment in the Joffre where in fault contact with mineralised Dales Gorge. Remaining ore is associated with the Colonial Chert and Whaleback Shale Members. High grade mineable reserves at Mount Tom Price are of hematite ore. Generally porous, this yields high lump, is low in contaminants, and preserves remanent BIF banding. It is formed from randomly oriented fine-grained platy hematite and martite. Small quantities of ultra-fine earthy hematite fill voids. Shale macro-bands, partially replaced by iron oxides (up to 50% Fe) are present. The orebody is capped by low grade, mainly goethitic, hydrated material averaging 18 m in thickness (< 50 m in synclinal troughs) which has an irregular distribution. Minor deposits of 'canga' - 1 to 20 cm fragments of hematite and/or BIF cemented by goethite - occur as scree deposits and hillside wash in streams. Mt Tom Price commenced production in 1965. Initial reserve totalled about 900 Mt @ 64% Fe with a high lump to fines ratio, and low impurities. The impurity content of the high grade ore reserve in 1990 was 0.053% P, 3.5% SiO2 and 1.9% Al2O3.

Location:Western Hamersley Basin, Western Australia
Annotation:Annotated Landsat Thematic Mapper sub-scene of the Turner Syncline and Rocklea Dome. Bands #7, #4, #1 RGB.
Source:Kerry O'Sullivan
Date:
File size:91.48 Kb
Location:Western Hamersley Basin, Western Australia
Annotation:Annotated high altitude view west of the Turner Syncline and Mt Tom Price operations of Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd
Source:Kerry O'Sullivan
Date:circa 1982
File size:62.52 Kb
Location:Western Hamersley Basin, Western Australia
Annotation:Annotated view west across the 'Panhandle' southern extension of the Turner Syncline to the Rocklea Dome in the distance
Source:Kerry O'Sullivan
Date:circa 1982
File size:62.00 Kb
Location:Mt Tom Price, Hamersley Province, Western Australia
Annotation:Mt Tom Price prior to development
Source:Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd
Date:circa 1960
File size:49.86 Kb
Location:Mt Tom Price, Hamersley Province, Western Australia
Annotation:Panoramic view south over Tom Price operations
Source:Peter Laznicka
Date:July 2001
File size:81.70 Kb
Location:Mt Tom Price, Hamersley Province, Western Australia
Annotation:View S from the Pipeline Road towards the town of Tom Price. Mt Nameless is on the right in the basal Dales Gorge Member of the Brockman Iron Formation.
Source:Kerry O'Sullivan
Date:September 1985
File size:54.17 Kb
Location:Mt Tom Price, Hamersley Province, Western Australia
Annotation:Mt Nameless. Rocks of the Brockman Iron Formation. Discrete bands on the lower slopes are S-macrobands in the basal Dales Gorge member, prominent marker horizons which include the 'Bruno Band' named after Bruno Campana, a notable geologist.
Source:Kerry O'Sullivan
Date:September 1985
File size:61.86 Kb
Location:Mt Tom Price, Hamersley Province, Western Australia
Annotation:Aerial view west with Mt Nameless in right foreground
Source:Kerry O'Sullivan
Date:September 1985
File size:65.94 Kb
Location:Mt Tom Price, Hamersley Province, Western Australia
Annotation:Aerial view north-west across South East Prong. North East Prong centre scene. Eastern end of Tom Price left scene. Mt Nameless in right distance.
Source:Kerry O'Sullivan
Date:September 1985
File size:43.85 Kb
Location:Mt Tom Price, Hamersley Province, Western Australia
Annotation:Aerial view east along axis of South East Prong
Source:Kerry O'Sullivan
Date:September 1985
File size:54.19 Kb
Location:Mt Tom Price, Hamersley Province, Western Australia
Annotation:SE Prong. Ore types mainly H2F friable and H3C powder. Some H2M medium and a small amount of H1C hard conchoidal.
Source:Kerry O'Sullivan
Date:September 1985
File size:63.15 Kb
Location:Mt Tom Price, Hamersley Province, Western Australia
Annotation:SE Prong. Ore types mainly H2F friable and H3C powder. Some H2M medium and a small amount of H1C hard conchoidal.
Source:Kerry O'Sullivan
Date:September 1985
File size:69.52 Kb
Location:Mt Tom Price, Hamersley Province, Western Australia
Annotation:SE Prong: H3C powder ore
Source:Kerry O'Sullivan
Date:September 1985
File size:72.03 Kb
Location:Mt Tom Price, Hamersley Province, Western Australia
Annotation:SE Prong: ore
Source:Kerry O'Sullivan
Date:September 1985
File size:72.17 Kb
Location:Mt Tom Price, Hamersley Province, Western Australia
Annotation:SE Prong: H1C hard conchoidal ore.
Source:Kerry O'Sullivan
Date:September 1985
File size:49.00 Kb

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