Iron ore mining in Western Australia
Iron ore mining in Western Australia, in the 2018–19 financial year, accounted for 54 percent of the total value of the state's resource production, with a value of A$78.2 billion. The overall value of the minerals and petroleum industry in Western Australia was A$145 billion in 2018–19, a 26 percent increase on the previous financial year.
| Iron ore mining in Western Australia | |
|---|---|
Position of Western Australia within Australia highlighted | |
| Location | |
| State | Western Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Regulatory authority | |
| Authority | Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety |
| Website | www |
| Production | |
| Commodity | Iron ore |
| Production | 844.4 million tonnes |
| Value | A$137.6 billion |
| Employees | 78,974 |
| Year | 2021–22 |
Western Australia's iron ore output for 2020–21 was 838.7 million tonnes, the second-highest figure after 2017–18. The bulk of Western Australian ore went to China, which imported 82% of 2021 production, followed by Japan and South Korea, with 6% each. The state has the world's largest reserves of iron ore with 29% of the world's iron ore, followed by Brazil with 19%, Russia with 15% and China with 12%.
In 2020–21 the Western Australian Government received A$9.8 billion in royalties from the iron ore mining industry in the state. The remaining life of the Pilbara iron ore fields has been estimated as 65 years from 2021.