Worsley Alumina
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  Worsley Alumina Location in Western Australia | |
 | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Worsley, Western Australia |
| State | Western Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 33°13′45″S 116°04′36″E / 33.2291429°S 116.0767335°E |
| Production | |
| Products | Alumina |
| Production | 4,377 kilotonnes (9.6 billion pounds)[1] |
| Financial year | 2018 |
| Type | Open pit |
| History | |
| Opened | 1984[1][2] |
| Owner | |
| Company | South32 (86%) Japan Alumina Associated (10%) Sojitz Alumina Pty Ltd (4%)[1] |
| Website | www |
| Year of acquisition | 2015 |
Worsley Alumina comprises a bauxite mine located near the town of Boddington and an Alumina refinery located near Worsley.[1][3] Ore is mined then transported 50 km (31 mi) to the refinery via an overland conveyor system. Alumina is then transported 55 km (34 mi) to the port of Bunbury for shipping.
The Boddington Bauxite Mine is located south of the town of Boddington, and comprises the two sites of Saddleback and Marradong. The orebody exists as a hardcap layer of between 2–12 metres (6 ft 7 in – 39 ft 4 in) thick, it is drilled and blasted before bulldozers can access the softer ore below. The ore is first crushed to a diameter less than 18 cm (7.1 in) before a second stage reduces it to 3 cm (1.2 in).[4]
In the current approved Life of Operation Plan, total ore reserves are scheduled to be depleted by 30 June 2035.[1]: 57