Fluor Corporation has announced that its Mining & Metals business, in joint venture with Hatch, has been awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contract for BHP’s proposed Olympic Dam Smelter & Refinery Expansion Project in South Australia. The project remains subject to BHP’s Final Investment Decision (FID). Fluor will recognize its undisclosed share of the contract value in the fourth quarter of 2024.
“We are excited to support BHP’s growth plans to increase refined copper cathode production in South Australia,” said Harish Jammula, President of Fluor’s Mining & Metals business. “Accelerating the expansion of downstream processing is crucial to securing local supply of mined materials, reducing reliance on overseas markets, and advancing sustainable production technologies.”
The contract will be executed in phases as BHP progresses toward its FID, expected in the first half of 2027, followed by construction.
This phased approach is designed to support BHP’s goal of increasing refined copper cathode production in South Australia to over 500,000 tonnes by the early 2030s, with a long-term strategy to reach up to 650,000 tonnes by the mid-2030s.