BHP Entrusts Worley to Advance Two Major Copper Mine Expansions in South Australia

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 7, BHP awarded multiple contracts to Worley to provide study, engineering design, and engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) services for the expansion projects of the Olympic Dam and Carrapateena copper mines in South Australia. Both expansions are still subject to BHP's final investment decision, and Worley has commenced some early EPCM work.

The Olympic Dam portion will focus on potential block cave mining development and associated infrastructure, with Worley conducting studies and EPCM services concurrently across multiple project phases. BHP is currently constructing the Southern Mining Area underground decline at Olympic Dam, scheduled for completion in fiscal year 2028, which will add up to 2.5 million tonnes per year of vertical mining capacity and provide underground access for subsequent mine expansion.

The Carrapateena portion includes potential expansion of the underground mining system and ore processing facilities. BHP is advancing the Carrapateena block cave expansion, with the underground decline to the base of the block cave orebody approximately 95% complete. The project is planned to progressively ramp up capacity from fiscal year 2029, with ore processing capacity increasing to up to 12 million tonnes per year and extending mine life beyond the current sublevel cave orebody.

Worley will primarily execute the contracts through its Australian team, supported by specialist engineering service providers, its global integrated delivery team, and teams in China and Chile. The scope of services covers multiple concurrent project phases, including studies, engineering design, procurement, and construction management. The contract value and specific execution timeline have not yet been disclosed.

BHP is concurrently advancing its Copper South Australia expansion plan. Copper production guidance for fiscal year 2026 is 310,000 to 340,000 tonnes; the company has previously proposed increasing South Australian copper production to 500,000 tonnes per year by the 2030s, and is further evaluating a pathway to 650,000 tonnes per year by the end of the 2030s. A potential final investment decision for the Olympic Dam smelter and refinery expansion is expected in 2027, with the first phase intended to increase concentrate smelting capacity to 1.1 to 1.4 million tonnes per year.