Kimberley Mineral Sands has announced the shipment of approximately 5,100t of bagged zircon from its Thunderbird Mineral Sands Project in the West Kimberley, which was loaded onto a chartered vessel at the Port of Broome before departing on 31 January 2024.
Kimberley Mineral Sands’ Chief Operating Officer, Michael Rose, said the first shipment from the Port of Broome signified the start of local exports from the Kimberley port and highlighted the company’s commitment to the region.
“These are the first mineral sands products to depart from Broome, and we’ve worked closely with the Kimberley Ports Authority and local shipping agencies to facilitate this historic shipment.”
Kimberley Mineral Sands has also recently commenced transporting rotainers of product into Broome for storage prior to the first bulk export in the near future.
Zircon is used primarily in the manufacture of everyday ceramics, including tiles, bathrooms and kitchen crockery. It is also used in a range of production processes in refractories and foundry casting, as well as catalytic fuel converters, and air and water purification systems.
The product shipment is en-route to Kimberley Mineral Sands’ global offtake partners.
