Atlas purchased the iron ore rights for the Wodgina Project from Talison Minerals Pty Ltd, now known as Global Advanced Metals, in February 2008.
The project was fast tracked by Atlas, going from the first drilling program to production in just over one and a half years. The company was aided by the ability to use the existing but dormant processing infrastructure of the tantalum mine owned by Talison (Global Advanced Metals) in the area. At the time, the tantalum mine had been placed on care and maintenance by Global Advanced Metals and in January 2011, the company announced that it would restart tantalum production. Less than a year after it reopened, due to softening global demand, tantalum mining operations ceased at the end of February 2012.
In July 2010, Atlas commenced production at the Wodgina mine. The company planned to lift production from its Pilbara operations to 20 million tonnes of iron ore by 2012, up from 6.5 million tonnes in late 2010. Of this, 10 million tonnes were expected to come from the new Turner River hub, which was to blend and process ore from the company's northern Pilbara projects, located at Wodgina, Abydos and Mt Webber.
Atlas was hopeful to come to terms with BHP Billiton for the use of that company's rail infrastructure, the Goldsworthy railway. BHP, in late 2010, had agreed to a joint feasibility study into how an arrangement might work.
Mining at Wodgina ceased on 5 April 2017 when reserves were exhausted.
References
^"2015 Annual Report"(pdf). Perth, WA: Atlas Iron Limited. 25 September 2015. p. 11. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
^Emery, Kate (24 January 2012). "GAM closes Wodgina tantalum mine". The West Australian. Retrieved 20 March 2012. Worldwide softening tantalum demand and delays in receiving Governmental approval for installation of necessary crushing equipment are among contributing factors in this decision
