Mindijup Silica Sand

The Mindijup mine is situated at 570 Mindijup Road, Many Peaks, within Western Australia's Great Southern region — a landscape characterised by gently undulating coastal plain terrain transitioning into low granite outcrops typical of the Albany hinterland. The relatively flat to low-relief topography minimises complex cut-and-fill earthworks, enabling efficient mass earthmoving with standard open-cut strip-mining methodology. Proximity to the South Coast Highway provides direct sealed-road access, reducing haul-road construction burden and associated geotechnical risk.

AustSand Mining operates under a Japanese consortium structure, with TOCHU CORPORATION holding majority equity (71%), ensuring long-term offtake alignment with Asian industrial markets. The operation runs on DIDO rotational rosters sourced primarily from Albany (~60 km north), eliminating the need for a permanent on-site camp. Key B2B operational pillars include:

• Bulk silica sand production for glass, foundry, and industrial applications
• Export logistics channelled through the Port of Albany
• Lean site workforce model with Albany as the primary labour and services hub
• Dual office structure: Perth corporate HQ and dedicated mine-site administration

Mindijup's extraction circuit is engineered around the high-purity silica sand specification demands of downstream industrial clients. The process flow typically encompasses:

• Topsoil stripping and overburden removal via hydraulic excavators and scrapers
• Wet scrubbing and attrition to eliminate clay-bound impurities
• Spiral classification and density separation for granulometric control
• Drying circuits to achieve export-grade moisture specifications
• Stockpile management and bulk-load-out to road trains for port transfer

Achieving target SiO₂ purity thresholds (typically ≥99%) demands rigorous physicochemical process control at each beneficiation stage.

As a Japanese-consortium-backed operation, AustSand Mining is subject to growing ESG disclosure expectations aligned with Toyota Tsusho and Tsuneishi corporate sustainability frameworks. Key sustainability vectors relevant to the Mindijup operation include:

• Progressive land rehabilitation of mined-out silica sand cells per WA DMP requirements
• Dust suppression and water recycling within the wet-processing circuit
• Potential integration of solar-assisted power to reduce diesel dependency at site
• Biodiversity offset obligations under Great Southern regional environmental conditions
• Scope 3 emissions accountability through Japanese parent-company ESG reporting chains