BHP commissions Fluor, Hatch to support South Australia copper expansions

BHP (ASX: BHP) has commissioned two engineering firms to support the expansion of its copper smelter and refinery facilities in South Australia, including at Olympic Dam, one of its biggest copper projects.On Friday, the global miner signed contracts with Fluor Australia and Hatch to carry out the proposed expansion in stages, with an investment of more than A$40 million in the first stage on the overall strategy and planning.The expansion project is part of BHP’s ambitious plans to increase its copper cathode production to over 500,000 tonnes a year by the early 2030s. From the mid-2030s onwards, the company expects to deliver up to 650,000 tonnes, which is more than double the 322,000 tonnes from the last financial year.Phase 1 of the expansion involves an upgrade of the Olympic Dam operation to a two-stage smelter and extension of refinery facilities with capacity to produce more than 500,000 tonnes per year.A final investment decision on the Phase 1 smelter and refinery expansion is anticipated in the first half of fiscal 2027, BHP said.Texas-based Fluor has been involved in design and construction of several projects across the world, including the expansion of a BHP iron ore mine in Western Australia in 2007. Hatch has also undertaken designing work for BHP to design an electric smelting plant in Australia.Rashpal Bhatti, group procurement officer at BHP, said, “Fluor and Hatch are experienced global EPCM partners with significant shared experience in delivering mega projects, who will bring the right level of scale and expertise to help BHP progress its copper growth plans in South Australia.”“BHP is building momentum in South Australia, and this is another step forward in our strategy to increase the production of SA’s high-quality copper resources to support the global energy transition,” added Anna Wiley, asset president for BHP’s South Australia copper operations.Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com