BHP Plans Major Olympic Dam Shutdown, Boosting Local Jobs

Highlights:

• BHP Group Limited (ASX: BHP) to accommodate 1,600 additional workers for Olympic Dam’s major maintenance shutdown in mid-2027.
• BHP stated that the project would require an investment in the hundreds of millions and is expected to be finalised in less than 100 days.
• Fleetwood Limited (ASX: FWD) and other firms to share a $100 million accommodation program, boosting South Australia’s economy.

Workforce expansion for 2027 maintenance program

BHP Group Limited (ASX: BHP) has announced plans to accommodate an additional 1,600 workers at its Olympic Dam mine in northern South Australia as part of a large-scale maintenance shutdown scheduled for mid-2027. At the time of writing, shares of BHP Group Limited (ASX: BHP) were priced at $41.525, marking a rise of 1.285 points or 3.19%. Anna Wiley, BHP Copper South Australia asset president, confirmed that the program will require a significant investment running into the “hundreds of millions.” She added that the work would be completed in under 100 days. While the exact capital cost remains undisclosed, the project signals BHP’s continued commitment to upgrading one of its most important copper assets.

Fleetwood and local businesses to benefit

Fleetwood, an ASX-listed modular building company, is among the major beneficiaries of the shutdown preparations. The company has already begun building accommodation huts at its Para Hills facility in Adelaide. The accommodation program, valued at around $100 million, is being shared across four companies. Wiley emphasized the importance of the partnership with Fleetwood and highlighted the scale of the project during a site visit on Thursday. She noted that while Olympic Dam’s previous shutdowns occurred in 2017 and 2021, this one has been extended to a six-year cycle to accommodate the growing complexity of the site’s operations.

A boost for South Australia’s economy

The upcoming shutdown is expected to provide a strong boost to the South Australian economy, both in terms of direct employment and through contracts awarded to local suppliers. The surge in worker demand and infrastructure spending underscores the long-term role of Olympic Dam in Australia’s mining industry and its contribution to regional development.

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