Sandtrax

Sandtrax is an active open-cut iron ore mine located in the Marble Bar district, Pilbara region, Western Australia. It operates as one of five satellite pits within Atlas Iron's Miralga Creek DSO operation. The Pilbara terrain is characterised by extreme heat, abrasive red-dirt particulates, and remote isolation — conditions that impose severe mechanical wear on equipment and demand high-specification dust suppression and filtration systems across all mobile and fixed plant assets.

Sandtrax is currently producing under an approved works programme valid through September 2028, with a regulatory amendment confirmed May 2026. The operation relies on a FIFO workforce model, with personnel rotated through Port Hedland as the primary logistics hub. Remote site conditions necessitate fully self-sufficient camp life-support infrastructure, including catering, accommodation, medical, and communications services procured by category from qualified Pilbara-experienced providers.

The Miralga Creek DSO model requires no on-site beneficiation — run-of-mine ore is crushed, screened, and loaded directly for road haulage to Utah Point, Port Hedland. Multi-pit satellite operations demand robust conveyor and materials-handling systems capable of sustained throughput under abrasive, high-temperature conditions. Procurement priorities include:

• Conveyor belting and transfer-point wear liners
• Heavy-duty screening media and crusher wear parts
• Bulk haulage fleet maintenance and tyre management services
• Dust control systems for haul roads and ROM pads

As a DSO satellite pit, Sandtrax operates under proactive progressive rehabilitation obligations aligned with Western Australian regulatory requirements. Disturbance footprint management, native vegetation offsets, and pit closure planning are integral to the operational approval framework. While the DSO model eliminates tailings impoundments, land rehabilitation scheduling and erosion control across multiple active pit faces represent key ESG procurement categories for environmental services suppliers operating in the Pilbara.