Thunderbird

The Thunderbird Heavy Mineral Sands deposit is situated approximately 90 km north of Broome on the Dampier Peninsula, West Kimberley, Western Australia. The terrain is characterised by low-relief coastal plains with shallow, unconsolidated sand profiles — ideal for bulk earthmoving operations but highly sensitive to seasonal monsoonal flooding (wet season: November–April). Flat topography facilitates large-scale strip mining sequences, yet the remote, laterite-capped landscape demands robust haul road engineering and dust suppression protocols to maintain continuous ore movement efficiency.

As an operating mine, Thunderbird presents acute B2B procurement demand across its full asset lifecycle. The remote location — over 90 km from Broome's service hub — creates critical dependency on local mechanical workshops and mobile maintenance contractors to minimise costly unplanned downtime on WCP and mining fleet assets. Key B2B supply vectors include:

• Heavy mobile equipment (HME) servicing and parts supply
• Reagent and consumable logistics to site
• Electrical and instrumentation (E&I) maintenance contracts
• Camp catering, facilities management and FIFO crew logistics

Thunderbird employs a Wet Concentrator Plant (WCP) processing dredge-mined ore slurry through gravity spirals to produce a Heavy Mineral Concentrate (HMC). Downstream, a Mineral Separation Plant (MSP) applies electrostatic and magnetic separation to isolate ilmenite, zircon, leucoxene and rutile streams. The physico-chemical demands are stringent:

• Precise slurry density and particle size control (<1 mm fraction)
• High-voltage electrostatic separator maintenance
• Water recycling circuits with strict turbidity management
• Reagent dosing for zircon flotation circuits

KMS operates under a proactive rehabilitation mandate integral to its mining lease conditions. The Thunderbird model applies a continuous strip-mining and concurrent backfill sequence, minimising the active disturbance footprint at any given time. Tailings storage facilities (TSF) are engineered for zero-discharge, with processed sand tailings redeposited into mined voids. ESG commitments include:

• Dampier Peninsula Traditional Owner agreements and cultural heritage protocols
• Progressive landform rehabilitation with native species revegetation
• Water balance management under WA DWER licence conditions
• Annual sustainability reporting aligned to GRI standards