US EditionMining giants join forces to extend life of WA iron ore projects
BHP and Rio Tinto plan joint study for up to 200 million tonnes of combined iron ore output to extend mine life and boost long-term production in Pilbara.
- On Jan 15, 2026 BHP Group and Rio Tinto Group signed two non-binding memoranda to explore joint work on Rio's Wunbye deposit and BHP's Yandi mine, aiming to extract up to 200 million tonnes of iron ore in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
- BHP and Rio Tinto said the arrangement follows earlier shared-tenure work, building on a 2023 agreement that allowed mining across the Mungadoo Pillar to extend mine life and support Western Australian jobs and local communities using existing Pilbara infrastructure.
- The companies agreed to progress a conceptual study followed by an order-of-magnitude study, and one memorandum contemplates BHP supplying Yandi output for processing at Rio Tinto's Yandicoogina facilities.
- Subject to approvals, first ore could arrive by the early 2030s, the companies said, while BHP shares rose 3% and Rio Tinto gained 0.8% in Sydney amid this week's metals rally.
- The arrangement follows earlier cooperation such as the NeoSmelt consortium, with BHP's recent sale of a stake to BlackRock's GIP, while the two produce more than 600 million tons globally.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
Mining giants join forces to extend life of WA iron ore projects
Two of Western Australia’s mining powerhouses have joined forces in a bid to extend the life of two neighbouring iron ore projects in the Pilbara region.
Financial Post
Business TimesBHP, Rio Tinto Are Joining Forces to Boost Iron Ore Pipeline
(Bloomberg) — BHP Group and Rio Tinto Group, the world’s two biggest mining companies, are poised to join forces in Australia’s Pilbara iron ore hub to produce up to 200 million tons of the steelmaking material from next decade.
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