The mine at Queens Valley, about 15km from the Kings ore processing facility (OPF) at Solomon in the Pilbara region of WA, will have a life of 10-15 years, at an initial strip ratio of 1.4:1.
As part of the development of Queens Valley a hydraulic barrier wall will also be built.
FMG already has environmental and heritage approvals in place and is expected to get started on development straight away.
The Solomon mobile maintenance facilities will be moved closer to Queens when it is built, which will slash travel distances and operating costs and also give FMG better access to additional tonnes around the Kings OPF.
FMG CEO Elizabeth Gaines said Queens would maintain the highly valued Kings Fines low-alumina sinter fines product which supplied FMG's key customers in China, Japan and Korea.
