AUSTRALIA —Worley has been awarded contracts by BHP to undertake study and engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services for potential expansion programs at the Olympic Dam and Carrapateena copper operations in South Australia. The two developments are still subject to final investment decisions by BHP, meaning the wider expansion projects have not yet received full investment approval. Initial EPCM activities have nevertheless commenced on early-phase work.
At Olympic Dam, Worley’s scope is focused on potential block cave development together with the infrastructure required to support the underground mining concept. At Carrapateena, the work covers a potential expansion of underground mining operations and associated processing infrastructure. The combined scope links mining, mineral processing and supporting infrastructure across the two assets, allowing the engineering program to address different stages of the potential developments in parallel.
The contracts are relevant to South Australia’s resources sector because both operations are established copper assets and the proposed work involves additional underground mining and processing capabilities. Engineering, procurement and construction management companies, specialist engineering providers, mining contractors and infrastructure suppliers could be involved as the programs progress beyond their current study and early EPCM phases. The work also supports the broader development of copper supply in a market where the metal is used extensively in electrification and energy-related infrastructure.
For BHP, the current arrangement provides technical and project-development support while investment decisions on the potential expansions remain pending. For Worley, the awards extend its role from advisory and study activities into EPCM services covering potential execution phases. The structure also gives the engineering contractor involvement across multiple stages of development rather than limiting the engagement to a single study.
Worley is an Australia-headquartered engineering and project services company serving the energy, chemicals and resources sectors, with capabilities spanning consulting, engineering, procurement, construction management and asset services. BHP is a global resources company with operations and projects across commodities including copper, iron ore, metallurgical coal and potash. Its Copper South Australia operations include the Olympic Dam and Carrapateena assets.
From a business and investment perspective, the key consideration is that the contracts do not represent final approval for construction of the proposed expansions. The immediate activity is concentrated on studies, engineering and early EPCM services, while BHP retains the decision on whether to proceed with the larger development programs. Progress toward FID will therefore determine whether the potential mining, processing and infrastructure expansions advance into subsequent execution stages.
