Pilbara Marble

The Nanutarra White Marble deposit is situated within the Ashburton Mineral Field, Pilbara region of Western Australia, approximately 1,100 km north of Perth. The terrain is characterised by semi-arid, low-relief plateau typical of the Ashburton Basin. Extreme ambient temperatures routinely exceed 45°C in summer months, imposing critical thermal management requirements on all heavy quarrying equipment, hydraulic systems, and on-site personnel. Dust suppression and UV-rated infrastructure are non-negotiable operational baselines at this latitude.

As an operating dimension stone asset, Nanutarra functions on a campaign-quarrying model rather than continuous 24/7 extraction, reducing but not eliminating diesel fuel dependency for mobile plant (diamond wire saws, hydraulic splitters, front-end loaders). No grid connection exists in this corridor; all power generation relies on diesel gensets, making fuel logistics a primary B2B cost driver. Supply chains route through the North West Coastal Highway, with Carnarvon serving as the nearest viable staging point for consumables, fuel, and personnel rotation.

Dimension stone quarrying at Nanutarra employs diamond wire cutting and controlled bench-splitting methodology — fundamentally distinct from comminution circuits. There is no primary crushing, flotation plant, or grinding mill on-site; the value product is the raw marble block itself. Key engineering challenges include:

• Maintaining wire saw cooling water circuits under extreme heat load
• Block integrity management to minimise fracture loss during extraction
• On-site trimming and dimensional QC before road transport
• Generator redundancy to prevent unplanned downtime during cutting cycles

Operations within the Ashburton Mineral Field require rigorous Aboriginal Heritage compliance under the WA Aboriginal Heritage Act, with Section 18 consent processes critical to any pit expansion. B2B partners and procurement teams should verify:

• Active engagement with Murchison and Gascoyne Traditional Owner groups
• Preferential contracting alignment with Indigenous procurement frameworks (e.g., IPAP-aligned vendors)
• Minimal tailings or chemical footprint given the mechanical-only extraction process
• Water use reporting under WA DWER licensing obligations