| Former Name: | Fortuna Metals Marginbet Portland International |
| Industry: | Mining |
| Foundation: | January 2005 |
| Founder: | Stephen Hobbs Nick Kephala John Levy |
| Location City: | West Perth, Western Australia |
| Key People: | Tony Kiernan(Chairman) Dale Henderson (CEO) |
| Products: | Lithium, tantalite |
| Revenue: | $176 million |
| Revenue Year: | 2021 |
| Operating Income: | ($51 million) |
| Income Year: | 2021 |
| Homepage: | www.pilbaraminerals.com.au |
Pilbara Minerals is an Australian lithium and tantalite mining company.
Pilbara Minerals was founded in January 2005 as Portland International.[1] It commenced trading in August as an internet and telephone sports bookmaker. Having been renamed Marginbet in April 2007, it was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in September 2007.[2] [3]
In November 2007 it diversified into gold mining, purchasing two prospecting licences in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia.[4] In December 2007, the company discontinued its bookmaking business.[5] In April 2008 Marginbet was renamed Fortuna Metals.[6]
In 2009/10, 13 exploration licences in the Pilbara were purchased.[7] [8] In 2012, Pilbara Minerals acquired Sturt Resources that had gold and copper mining interests in Papua New Guinea.[9] In June 2014, Pilbara Minerals acquired a 50% stake in the Tabba Tabba Tantalum project.[10] In July 2014, Pilbara acquired the Pilgangoora Tantalum-Lithium Tantalum project, now known as the Pilgangoora Operation.[11]
In 2020 Pilbara Minerals acquired the Altura lithium project in Western Australia,[12] now part of the Pilgangoora Operation.
In 2019, a contractor was charged with murdering a co-worker at the Pilgangoora mine site. The case is now before the court.[13]