Kimberley Mineral Sands makes first shipment from KMSB

KIMBERLEY Mineral Sands has made its first shipment from the Kimberley Marine Support Base (KMSB) aboard bulk handling vessel Harlequin.

The 182.03 metre length overall (LOA) and 31 metre wide Harlequin is the first vessel of its kind to berth at the wharf.

It is Kimberly Mineral Sands' first use of the facility, supporting its operations by streamlining loading activities, improving efficiency and reducing overall time alongside.

Kimberley Mineral Sands chief operating officer Michael Rose said service agreements were in place with both the Kimberley Ports Authority and KMSB, and KMS would work together with both parties to determine loading preferences going forward.

Kimberley Mineral Sands (KMS) is a joint venture between Sheffield Resources Limited and Yansteel who are developing the Thunderbird Mineral Sands Project located about halfway between Derby and Broome.

It’s first shipment of 100 tonnes of bagged zircon was shipped from Broome in January 2024 and in October last year, shipped its one millionth tonne of ilmenite from Thunderbird through the Port of Broome.

The site has one of the largest and highest-grade mineral sands deposits known.

The Thunderbird Mineral Sands project consists of a large-scale zircon and ilmenite open cut mine and mineral concentration and separation plant.

The site is located on the Dampier Peninsula about 65 km west of Derby, and 25 km north of the sealed Great Northern Highway.