Rio Tinto shipped its 8 billionth tonne of iron ore from Australia's Pilbara region on May 19, marking 60 years of operations in the area, according to a company statement.

The milestone shipment departed from Cape Lambert port aboard the Juno Horizon, destined for Nippon Steel Corporation. Rio Tinto's first Pilbara iron ore shipment left for Japan in August 1966.

The company operates iron ore mines across the Pilbara region in Western Australia. Its operations have supported the development of six towns in the region, including Karratha, Wickham, Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Pannawonica and Dampier.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive Matthew Holcz said the milestone reflects "the generations of people who have built and sustained our operations, infrastructure and communities over the past 60 years."

The company is advancing studies at Rhodes Ridge, which it owns 50% of, describing it as one of the world's undeveloped iron ore deposits. The site could potentially support mining capacity of about 100 million tonnes of iron ore annually and help Rio Tinto maintain its mid-term capacity target of 345 to 360 million tonnes per year from its Pilbara operations.

The 8 billion tonnes total includes iron ore from the Robe River Joint Venture, according to the statement.