Mining services provider Thiess has secured an A$480m ($353.7m) contract extension from Australian coal miner QCoal to continue operations at the QCoal Northern Hub located in Queensland’s Bowen Basin.
Image: Operations at a coal mine. Photo: courtesy of dan/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
The extended contract bagged by the CIMIC Group subsidiary is for four years under which it will continue to deliver mining services to the Sonoma, Sonoma North, Drake and Jax coal mines that make up the QCoal Northern Hub.
Thiess will be responsible for mine planning, drill and blast, overburden removal and coal mining at the four mines with works under the new contract to commence from this month.
CIMIC Group CEO Michael Wright said: “Thiess has a long-standing partnership with QCoal and the Thiess team has provided expert planning and optimum mine sequencing to deliver consistent outcomes for our client.
“This extension builds on our relationship with QCoal and enables us to drive greater efficiencies at the project.”
Thiess has been providing its mining services at the QCoal Northern Hub since September 2007. The QCoal Northern Hub, which is located 200km south-east of Townsville, produces hard coking and thermal coal.
CIMIC Group executive mining and mineral processing and Thiess managing director Douglas Thompson said: “We’re proud to continue our work at the QCoal Northern Hub where we have a proven track record of delivering innovative and low-cost mining solutions.
“We also look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the Collinsville community with whom we have worked closely with for more than 20 years.”
Thiess had first started operating in Collinsville in 1996 through the Collinsville Coal Mine, which it operated till 2013.
The mining services provider bagged two other contracts this month, one from BHP Nickel West and the other from Coronado Curragh.
Under an A$225m ($165.8m) contract, Thiess will deliver mining services for BHP at the Rocky’s Reward nickel mine in Western Australia. The other contract, worth A$160m ($117.9m) is to continue to deliver mining services for Coronado Curragh at the Curragh Coal Mine in Queensland.