But it's several strong partnerships with local providers that is helping deliver one of the most integral components of the project's supply chain at the Port of Ashburton, 15km south of Onslow.
The marine operation is underpinned by game-changing transhippers, which significantly reduce the project's environmental footprint compared to developing a deep-water port, which would have required substantial dredging and capital investment.
The fleet also includes two crew transfer vessels (CTVs) - MinRes Element and MinRes Incentive - which were hired from Western Australian marine services company, Jetwave Marine, on long-term contracts.
MinRes worked in conjunction with Jetwave Marine to refurbish the boats mechanically, functionally and aesthetically to meet the unique requirements of the Onslow Iron project.
Onboard, 14 crew members form part of the operation via dedicated marine partnerships with local regional managing partners.
These crew members are all local to the region spanning Exmouth to Dampier.
Major maintenance and procurement contracts have also remained in the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions, with businesses from Exmouth and Onslow undertaking works as required.
MinRes Executive General Manager Marine Jeff Weber said supporting local businesses was key to the success of the operation.
“We’ve built out a great fleet of vessels that are supporting the ramp up of Onslow Iron’s operations to 35 million tonnes per annum,” Jeff said.
“However, the vessels are only as good as the people on board and we’re very proud of the local crew we’ve assembled across our marine operation.”
“We’re also proud to have signed long-term contracts that deliver certainty to local businesses in the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions of Western Australia.”
MinRes' currently operates five transhippers, each capable of ferrying 20,000 tonnes of iron ore to awaiting ocean going vessels anchored 40km offshore, which contributed to a record 3.2 million tonnes of product shipped in August 2025.
A sixth transhipper, MinRes Lily, is set to arrive in 2026 following the successful launch of the transhipper barge at the Cosco shipyard in Guangzhou, China in September.
Learn more about Onslow Iron and MinRes’ innovative transhipping solution.
