Leighton wins Oxiana contract

Australia`s biggest engineering company – has won an A$800 million contract to mine copper and gold and Oxiana Ltd`s Prominent Hill project.

The deal will see Leighton`s wholly-owned subsidiary Theiss Pty Ltd extract approximately 38 Mt of treatable ore over a six year period, creating a pit some 1.2 km wide, 1.4 km long on the surface and 500 m deep, said a statement by the company.

”We are pleased that the Board has approved the contract and we are looking forward to working with Oxiana over the longer term,” said David Saxelby, Thiess chief executive Australian operations.

Owen Hegarty, Oxiana’s managing director, said: ”Oxiana is delighted to have engaged Thiess as its mining contractor at Prominent Hill and believe it has the experience and ability to do a first-rate job. Thiess has ready access to a skilled workforce and the ability to train and develop its people. Thiess has already commenced the mobilisation of mining equipment to the site, ensuring that the works can commence immediately.”

Thiess has already begun construction of mine site infrastructure, inclusive of a mobile equipment workshop and site offices.

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