L'Haridon Bight Mining

L'Haridon Bight is situated within the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, Gascoyne region, Western Australia. The terrain is characterised by low-lying coastal flats and shallow marine embayments, with minimal elevation relief. This near-sea-level, flat topography simplifies mass material movement logistics but imposes strict environmental access constraints. Tidal influence and soft substrate conditions require purpose-engineered extraction equipment to avoid ground disturbance beyond licensed extraction zones.

Operating as Shark Bay Shell, the site produces biogenic coquina shell grit — a high-calcium, naturally occurring limestone analogue used in agriculture, aquaculture, and construction. The remote Gascoyne location creates acute dependency on local mechanical workshop support to minimise equipment downtime. Procurement cycles for dredging and screening plant components must account for extended lead times from Perth. Vendor-managed inventory agreements with regional suppliers in Carnarvon are operationally critical.

• Primary product: shell grit (biogenic calcium carbonate)
• Secondary grades: coarse coquina aggregate, fine limesand
• Key end markets: poultry feed supplement, soil amendment, coastal construction

The operation employs mechanical dry or wet harvesting of shell deposits rather than conventional hard-rock comminution. There is no primary crushing circuit or flotation plant; instead, processing centres on screening and grading infrastructure to classify shell fractions by particle size. Physical-chemical requirements focus on calcium carbonate purity (typically >95% CaCO₃) and moisture control for bagged product. Screening decks and conveyors represent the highest-wear mechanical components requiring scheduled preventive maintenance.

Operating within a UNESCO World Heritage Zone imposes the most stringent environmental compliance framework applicable to any Australian mining operation. There are no conventional tailings facilities; however, rehabilitation of harvested shell beds and seabed disturbance management are primary ESG obligations under DMP and DBCA co-regulatory oversight. Annual extraction volumes are quota-controlled. Progressive site rehabilitation, water turbidity monitoring, and biodiversity offset reporting form the core of the ESG reporting cycle for this operation.