WESTERN AUSTRALIA'S WEST ANGELAS PROJECT WINS SIX CONTRACTS.

MELBOURNE, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Rio Tinto Ltd-backed West Angelas iron ore project in Western Australia has reached a key milestone, with six major customers signing off on long-term sales contracts.

Robe River Iron Associates, the joint venture company overseeing the A$852 million (US$461.36 million) development, signed-off on five-year contracts for West Angelas marra mamba iron ore with the Japanese steel mills.

The six mills are Nippon Steel Corp, NKK, Kawasaki Steel, Sumitomo Metal Industries, Kobe Steel and Nisshin Steel.

Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) is the 53 per cent owner of the massive Robe project while Japanese trading house Mitsui and Co has a 33 per cent stake, Nippon Steel has 10.5 per cent and Sumitomo Metal Industries holds the remaining 3.5 per cent.

The first contract shipment, comprising 50,0000 tonnes of West Angelas lump ore and 45,000 tonnes of West Angelas fines ore, left Robe's Cape Lambert port today, headed for Nippon Steel's Oita works in southern Japan.

The inaugural commercial shipment follows several successful trial shipments to Japan.

"The conclusion of the long-term supply contract and the commencement of commercial shipments cements Robe's position as the market-leading supplier of marra mamba ore," Robe managing ...