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Situated in Western Australia, the Pilbarra looks like a barren orange-red expanse to the untrained eye. But anyone who knows anything about mining knows it's one of the world's most valuable and vital regions.

Why? Iron ore…

Steel makes our world go round — cars, buildings, and power wouldn't exist without the stuff. And steel requires two main ingredients: coal and iron ore, which makes iron ore as critical to humanity as it gets.

In 1968, Western Australian iron ore production was about 20 million tons. Today, the region exports over 850 million tons annually. With new mines still opening and existing mines undergoing expansions, the Pilbara's iron production will continue STRONG for decades.

When I asked Rio Tinto to visit their new mine, Gudai Darri, they also asked if we wanted to check out their rail and port operations. I promptly signed us up!

Rio Tinto has SEVENTEEN iron ore operations in the Pilbara. Gudai Darri started in 2022 and will operate for 40 years at an annual production rate of 40+ million tons. Nuts…

Part two will be out soon!