The approval ensured the site aligned with occupational health and safety regulations and was one of several key applications needed in the process to production.

Strike managing director William Johnson said the approval allows the site to remain on track for production.

“The company is grateful to DMIRS for its timely review of the PMP and remains confident of achieving its target for first shipment of iron ore in the second half of calendar 2021,” Johnson said.

Paulsens East is being developed to deliver six million tonnes a year of high grade iron ore lump and fine products over an initial four-year mine life.

The project’s mining proposal is under assessment and should allow site works and mining activities to commence once approved.

Strike is clarifying outstanding queries from the DMIRS in order sign off, after the proposal was submitted in 2019.

The company is also awaiting a works approval from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, and native vegetation clearing permits from the DMIRS.

The site is just 10 kilometres east of Northern Star’s Paulsens gold mine, in the Pilbara region, which produced 55,000 ounces in 2017 before it was closed.

Strike has been publicly confident of the quality of its resource, hinting to its media partners the iron ore could be upgraded to a premium product.