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Todays NT News:


Sherwin Iron executive director Rodney Illingworth said 50 people were hard at work on the project, stockpiling a bulk sample of iron ore at Darwin Port and preparing an environmental impact statement to get the Roper River mine into commercial production.

The mine, 475km southeast of Darwin, has been showing grades of 60.5 per cent iron ore, an increase on the 59.3 per cent expected.

Mr Illingworth said the silica content was also lower, which helped reduce the costs of production.

He said the company was hoping to lodge its environmental impact statement by the end of the month.

It will then begin a review period lasting up to six months while it waits for public comment, changes and recommendations.

The mine will create 300 operational jobs and 200 jobs in construction for up to 20 years, with production expected to begin by March next year. The mine will produce up to six million tonnes of ore worth about $804 million per year at recent prices.

Mr Illingworth will give a presentation on the project at the Mining The Territory conference next week.

The minerals conference is being held alongside the oil and gas conference SEAAOC to form NT Resources Week.

The initiative brings the petroleum and mining sectors together. The value of mineral and energy production in the Territory was $5.9 billion in 2011-12 making up about 19.8 per cent of gross state product.