Onslow Iron

Cardo Bore East is situated within the Ashburton Mineral Field, Pilbara Region, Western Australia — one of the planet's most geologically iron-rich yet operationally hostile terrains. The site endures extreme arid conditions, with annual rainfall below 300 mm, summer temperatures exceeding 48°C, and cyclonic exposure during the wet season. Water supply infrastructure — including bore fields, on-site storage, and dust suppression networks — is not a secondary concern but a primary operational constraint that directly governs workforce safety, equipment longevity, and regulatory compliance.

Cardo Bore East operates as an active DSO extraction node within MinRes's Onslow Iron Project, a multi-partner venture structured under the Red Hill Iron Joint Venture (RHIJV). The asset runs 24/7 continuous operations, sustaining an uninterrupted diesel burn cycle across the heavy mobile fleet — including excavators, haul trucks, and ancillary support units. Power dependency on diesel gensets and remote substation infrastructure is absolute. B2B procurement cycles for fuel, lubricants, tyres, and electrical components are mission-critical and volume-intensive, representing high-frequency vendor engagement opportunities.

Material handling at Cardo Bore East follows a drill-blast-load-haul sequence typical of Pilbara DSO operations, with ore processed and transported via an integrated logistics chain toward the Onslow export terminal. The project relies on conveyor and overland transport systems as part of MinRes's broader Onslow Iron infrastructure corridor. Engineering demands include:

• Heavy mobile equipment fleet management in extreme heat
• Overland conveyor maintenance and structural integrity monitoring
• Crushing and screening plant operations for DSO grade control
• Road haulage fleet coordination to Onslow Port
• Remote site communications and SCADA integration

The Onslow Iron Project, under which Cardo Bore East operates, is subject to ESG commitments aligned with MinRes's corporate decarbonisation roadmap and the expectations of JV partners Baowu and POSCO — both signatories to net-zero steel transition frameworks. Key sustainability vectors include:

• Evaluation of solar hybrid power to offset diesel dependency at remote nodes
• Autonomous and electric vehicle pathway integration into fleet strategy
• Water recycling and zero-discharge protocols for arid-zone compliance
• Biodiversity offset obligations under WA State Agreement frameworks
• Scope 1 & 2 emissions reporting aligned with TCFD disclosure standards