The contract, valued at A$1.9 million (US$1.3 million), will involve drilling of dewatering and injection wells at the mine's southern area development project. Work should be completed by the end of the financial year.

Pentium parent company Vysarn said the drill rig's mobilisation will be the seventh in its fleet to be attached to a drilling programme since acquiring the drilling assets from Ausdrill last August.

"The award of this work further strengthens the company's strategy to become the premium dewatering service provider in Western Australia, specifically to Tier 1 mining clients," Pentium managing director Sheldon Burt said.

Cataby is t located in the Shire of Dandaragan about 150 kilometres north of Perth. Iluka expects to produce around 370,000 tonnes of chloride ilmenite per year, processed into approximately 200,000t/y of synthetic rutile.