Terra Mining Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of JCHX Mining Management Co Ltd (JCHX), has successfully commissioned it’s second, multimillion-dollar magnetic separation processing plant at its magnetite mining project at Extension Hill in Western Australia.
In conjunction with the implementation of its Stage 1 dry separation facility in February 2025, the project has increased its production and export capacity to a total of 4 million tonnes of high-grade magnetite per year. Extension Hill is the only magnetite mine in Australia to have successfully implemented a dry magnetic separation processing facility.
The expansion was announced by the Chairman of JCHX, Mr Wang Qinghai, who was onsite at Extension Hill, located 290km south-west of Geraldton, to personally launch the facility.
Daniel Filer (Project Director of the Extension Hill Project), Gao Xiang (Senior Engineer, Resource Development Division, JCHX), Ree Dai (Managing Director, Terra Mining),Wang Qinghai (Chairman of JCHX), Barry Cook (Chief Operating Officer, Terra Mining), Ben Li (Finance Manager, Terra Mining), Niu Yongbao (Deputy General Manager, Information Technology Centre, JCHX)
“Following on from the successful implementation of our first dry magnetic separation facility earlier this year, today’s announcement demonstrates our continued commitment to the production of high-grade magnetite suitable for low-carbon intensity steelmaking,” said Mr Wang. “With an offtake agreement for the increased production already secured, this expansion will further develop the strength of Terra’s magnetite portfolio, while supporting Australia’s plans to become a more significant player in the climate-friendly steel supply chain.”
The increase in annual production, supported by the bespoke magnetic separation processing facilities onsite, is in line with Terra’s plans to grow its magnetite production volumes and become the fourth largest producer by volume annually in Australia. It will also bolster Extension Hill’s contribution to Western Australia’s economic development and sustainability goals, including regional jobs in mining and logistics.
Ree Dai, Terra Mining’s Managing Director, spoke to the significance of the launch stating, “We have grown our production four-fold from our first year of operations. This is a transformational change. Extension Hill continues to expand its capacity while decarbonising production methods and reducing its environmental impact.”
Extension Hill has been operated by Terra Mining since 2023. It employs over 215 personnel directly, with a further several hundred personnel employed in its delivery-chain support. The current inferred resource volume of the project is 341 million tonnes of magnetite.
Established in 2020, Terra Mining is an established mining contractor and producer with an operational footprint spanning diverse minerals and metals. With ongoing contracts across multiple continents and a continuously expanding presence in Australia, Terra has quickly built a reputation as well-resourced, outcome focussed and as a good neighbour for every project on which it is engaged.
JCHX Mining Management Co., Ltd. specialises in providing mine engineering, mine development and construction, contract mining, and research & development services in non-ferrous, ferrous and chemical industries. Listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, it operates over 40 mines and successfully produced over 44 million tonnes of ore in 2024.
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