Diversified resources company Mineral Resources (MinRes) has officially broken ground at its Lamb Creek iron-ore project in the Pilbara after securing all required regulatory approvals.

Lamb Creek will be developed as a 7.5-million-tonne-a-year openpit operation and is expected to extend the company’s Pilbara Hub production profile by more than five years. MinRes says the project will also deliver an improved cost structure.

Located about 50 km from the company’s Iron Valley mine, ore from Lamb Creek will be blended with material from Iron Valley and hauled to Utah Point for export through Port Hedland.

Construction of the mine and associated infrastructure – including a 16 km haul road and a crushing plant – is now under way, led by MinRes’ in-house engineering and construction teams. The internal build capability is expected to accelerate development, with first ore targeted for the fourth quarter of the 2026 financial year.

MinRes CE Iron Ore Chris Soccio said Lamb Creek would strengthen the company’s Pilbara footprint. “Developing Lamb Creek supports our five-year outlook for the Pilbara Hub, which plays an important role in our iron-ore portfolio,” he said.

“I extend my thanks to the countless MinRes staff who have played a role in bringing Lamb Creek to life – for many, this project has taken years of hard work, approvals and planning.

“It’s also important to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands where Lamb Creek sits – the Banjima People – with whom we have a strong relationship thanks to early and ongoing consultation.”

Development of Lamb Creek coincides with the staged winding down of the Wonmunna iron-ore operation. All employees based at Wonmunna will transition to Lamb Creek once the new mine is operational, with MinRes expecting no job losses.

MinRes acquired Wonmunna from the Australian Aboriginal Mining Corporation in 2021 and delivered first ore five months after starting construction. Since then, the company has developed nine pits and exported more than 26-million tonnes from the site.

MinRes released its maiden mineral resources and ore reserves for the Pilbara Hub earlier this year, outlining 161-million tonnes at 57.0% iron in resources and 51-million tonnes at 57.5% iron in reserves. The Pilbara Hub is guiding nine-million to ten-million tonnes of production for 2026.