The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority has approved plans by mining major Rio Tinto to expand opencut mining at its West Angelas mine, in the Pilbara.
Rio, and its joint venture partners Mitsui and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, in October last year approved a $579-million spend to develop Deposits C and D at the existing West Angelas operations, to help sustain the production of Rio’s Pilbara blend.