Barminco Holdings has been named by Round Oak Minerals as the preferred contractor for the Mt Colin underground copper mine in Queensland.
The four-year, $95 million contract includes a one-year option to extend the agreement to five years.
Barminco will provide the full suite of underground mining services, including mine development and production.
The contractor will employ around 65 staff at the project, which is between Cloncurry and Mt Isa in north-west Queensland. It is already mobilising at the site ahead of an anticipated start of operations next month.
Barminco chief executive officer Paul Muller said the contract added to the strong platform of projects being delivered across the business.
“We look forward to working closely with the Round Oak team as the Mt Colin mine heads into underground production after open-cut mining ended in 2015,” Muller said.
“This long-term contract adds to our presence in north-west Queensland, having operated at the nearby Dugald River zinc project for more than six years.”
Muller said the contractor was seeing a significant increase in tendering activity for hard-rock underground mining, both here in Australia and overseas.
“Resources companies are increasingly demanding service providers who can reliably deliver safe, innovative and productive underground mining services,” Muller said.
“Our deep capability in people, equipment, systems, processes and expertise developed over three decades of national and international experience leaves us well placed to deliver value for mine owners.”
Round Oak was formerly known as CopperChem.