PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Project house Decmil has been awarded a A$75-million contract by mining major BHP.
The company said that the awarded contract was for the first phase of a A$105-million upgrade and expansion of the Mulla Mulla village, which would support the current operations at Mining Area C, as well as the future proposed South Flank operation.
The South Flank operation would leverage and expand on the existing Mining Area C hub, and was BHP's preferred option to replace the 80-million-tonne-a-year Yandi mine, which would reach the end of its mine life in early- to mid-2020.
First ore from the South Flank operation was targeted for 2021, and the project ramp-up would coincide with the ramp-down of the Yandi operation.
Decmil said on Thursday that work at Mulla Mulla was expected to start immediately.