BHP Iron Ore
Organisational Architecture
BHP Billiton Iron Ore currently has operations in Western Australia and Brazil. Its Australian Iron Ore assets are based in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. BHP Billiton Iron Ore is one of the world’s premier suppliers of iron ore, employing 8 000 people across the Pilbara - around 18 per cent of the region’s total population. The Company’s operations involve a complex integrated system of seven mines, more than 1,000km of rail and two separate port facilities.
Olympic Dam
Technology Strategy and Organisational Architecture
Located 560 kilometres north of Adelaide, South Australia, Olympic Dam is a multi-mineral ore body. It is the world’s fourth largest remaining copper deposit, fifth largest gold deposit and the largest uranium deposit. It also contains significant quantities of silver. Olympic Dam is Australia’s largest underground mine. Most of Olympic Dam’s employees live in Roxby Downs township, about 16 km south of the operations. The township has a population of about 4 000. The Olympic Dam underground mining operation is highly mechanised, with automated rail transportation and underground crushing. The primary method of ore extraction allows for large equipment to achieve high productivity and maximum ore recovery.
