including McPhee Creek
Company knowledge base · Hancock Prospecting
Hancock Iron Ore
Roy Hill, the former Atlas portfolio, Hope Downs and a Pilbara story that began long before the first mine was built.
Hancock at a glance
From Pilbara prospecting to a private iron ore major.
Lang and Hope Hancock founded Hancock Prospecting in 1955 after Lang's widely recognised 1952 Pilbara iron ore discoveries and campaign against Australia's export embargo. Gina Rinehart became Executive Chairman in 1992 and advanced Hope Downs and the US$10 billion Roy Hill development.
In July 2025, majority-owned Roy Hill and wholly owned Atlas Iron were brought together as Hancock Iron Ore. Hancock Prospecting remains the private parent, while the Hope Downs joint venture is operated separately through Rio Tinto's network.
annual portfolio scale
mine to Port Hedland
Hancock Prospecting interest
Lang Hancock's Pilbara flight of discovery
Hancock Prospecting founded
Gina Rinehart becomes Executive Chairman
Hope Downs 50:50 Rio joint venture
Roy Hill's first shipment
Hancock acquires Atlas Iron
Hancock Iron Ore formed
McPhee Creek first ore
Operating portfolio
Explore mines, logistics and future projects.
The map separates Hancock Iron Ore's operating business from Hancock Prospecting's Hope Downs investment. Locations are approximate and not intended for navigation.
REGIONAL SYSTEM MAPPilbara, Western Australia
Approximate locations — not for navigationMine
Roy Hill
Hancock's flagship owner-operated mine and the centre of an integrated mine, processing, rail and port system.
Open profile →8 PROFILES
Roy Hill
Approximately 344 km south-east of Port Hedland
- Product
- Hematite iron ore
- Opened
- First shipment December 2015
Mount Webber
East Pilbara, approximately 230 km from Port Hedland
- Product
- Direct shipping hematite ore
- Opened
- Opened 2014
Sanjiv Ridge
Approximately 33 km south of Marble Bar
- Product
- Direct shipping hematite ore
- Opened
- First ore 2021
Miralga Creek
East Pilbara, south-east of Port Hedland
- Product
- Direct shipping hematite ore
- Opened
- Operations began 2022
McPhee Creek
Approximately 30 km north of Nullagine and 100 km north of Roy Hill
- Product
- Hematite iron ore
- Opened
- First ore June 2026
Hope Downs
East Pilbara, north-west of Newman
- Product
- Hematite iron ore
- Opened
- First production 2007
Port Hedland & Rail
Stanley Point and Utah Point, Port Hedland
- Product
- Iron ore logistics
- Opened
- Roy Hill first shipment 2015
Ridley Magnetite
Pilbara region near Port Hedland
- Product
- Magnetite concentrate
- Opened
- Evaluation and de-risking phase
Financial & ownership snapshot
A major private company, without a public share price.
Latest consolidated figures shown are for Hancock Prospecting's year ended 30 June 2025, in Australian dollars.
Important:
Hancock's consolidated result includes more than individual mine performance. Roy Hill, Atlas Iron and Hope Downs have distinct ownership and reporting boundaries. FY2025 contributions reported on Hancock's site included A$1.8bn from Roy Hill, A$832m from Hope Downs and A$260m from Atlas Iron. General information only, not financial advice.
Original editorial illustration · The FIFO Hub · AI-assistedAutomation & technology
Roy Hill chose open autonomy.
Instead of limiting automation to one truck manufacturer, Roy Hill worked with Epiroc on an OEM-agnostic system for its mixed fleet. That makes the project significant beyond one mine: it tests whether autonomy can be layered across existing equipment from multiple manufacturers.
- Autonomous haulageAll 78 large haul trucks were converted for driverless capability, with deployment and ancillary-vehicle integration completed in stages.
- Mixed fleetThe system is designed around 54 Caterpillar 793F and 24 Hitachi EH5000 trucks rather than a single-manufacturer fleet.
- Remote operationsTraffic management, mine communications and operational control connect the Pilbara fleet with a Perth Remote Operations Centre.
- FIFO connectivityThe Horizon fibre connection adds high-capacity data for operational systems while improving digital access for workers living on site.
Workforce and technology watch
Latest Hancock workforce and technology stories.
Selected for workforce, automation, technology, people and project relevance. Source-checked 30 August 2026.
Roy Hill extends drone operations beyond visual line of sight
A supplier case study describes upgraded airband and remote communications supporting Beyond Visual Line of Sight drone operations at Roy Hill, including control from the mine, Perth Remote Operations Centre or an emergency location.
Workforce read
Longer-range drone inspection can reduce exposure to hazardous ground while increasing demand for licensed aviation capability, communications, spatial data, remote monitoring and disciplined field coordination.
Drone pilotsSpatial teamsROC operatorsCommunications technicians
McPhee Creek moves from project delivery into operations
Hancock Iron Ore produced first ore at McPhee Creek after commissioning and began transporting it to Roy Hill for processing. The operation is forecast at about 8 Mtpa with an expected 15-year mine life.
Workforce read
The milestone marks a workforce handover from construction and commissioning into operating, road-haul, maintenance and village support. Hancock says the village will accommodate about 200 workers.
OperationsMobile maintenanceRoad haulageVillage services
High-speed fibre reframes connectivity as a FIFO retention issue
Hancock highlighted the workforce and operating impact of Vocus's 2,000 km Horizon fibre route, including metro-comparable camp connectivity and the communications capacity behind remote supervision of autonomous haulage.
Workforce read
Reliable video calls, telehealth, study and entertainment can affect the site experience, while resilient bandwidth also supports remote operations, predictive maintenance and safety monitoring. Connectivity now sits across both workforce welfare and production technology.
FIFO workforceRemote operatorsOT networksTechnology teams
Sanjiv Ridge Stage 2 advances as a brownfields expansion
Hancock Iron Ore outlined a proposed second stage combining the Glen Herring, Dazzler and Hero pits with a new haul connection into existing Sanjiv Ridge infrastructure.
Workforce read
Brownfields expansions can use established systems while still creating engineering, approvals, civil, construction and operating work. Actual roles depend on approval, schedule and contracting strategy.
EngineeringCivil constructionApprovalsOperations
Sources & image register
Independent, sourced and explicit.
Operational, ownership and financial information links to Hancock Prospecting, Hancock Iron Ore and technology-partner sources. Map points are approximate regional references.
Featured visuals are original AI-assisted editorial artwork created for The FIFO Hub. They are illustrative, not documentary photography. Official photography remains linked at source rather than republished without permission.
- 01Hancock Prospecting — company history and ownership ↗
- 02Hancock Iron Ore — operating portfolio and logistics ↗
- 03Hancock Iron Ore — Indigenous engagement ↗
- 04Hancock Iron Ore — environmental publications ↗
- 05Hancock Iron Ore — FY2025 financial context ↗
- 06Hancock — McPhee Creek first ore ↗
- 07Hancock — Roy Hill and Atlas form Hancock Iron Ore ↗
- 08Hancock — Hope Downs 2 investment ↗
- 09Epiroc — Roy Hill autonomous haulage milestone ↗