NRW Holdings drilling unit Action Drill & Blast has secured a seven-year extension of the primary drilling contract at the Greenbushes lithium mine in Western Australia, worth about A$300 million.
The new deal, due to start in July next year, continues Action’s 11-year association with Talison Lithium at Greenbushes. Its new seven-year contract, with two-year extension option, follows the $700 million Greenbushes mining contract announced this week by NRW rival, Macmahon.
Action will perform ore, waste, pre-split and RC grade control drilling, plus bulk explosive loading, stemming and initiation.
The contractor says new equipment capital expenditure of about $30 million will be needed over the next seven years. It also expects to expand the current 56-strong workforce to as many as 160 people.
