Worley announced on 7 September 2026 that BHP has awarded it study and engineering, procurement and construction management contracts for proposed expansion projects at Olympic Dam and Carrapateena in South Australia.
Two major copper projects
The scope covers a potential block-cave development and associated infrastructure at Olympic Dam, together with a potential expansion of Carrapateena’s underground operations and processing infrastructure.
Both developments remain subject to final investment decisions by BHP. Worley said initial engineering, procurement and construction management services have commenced for early-phase activities, allowing planning and design work to move forward while the projects are assessed.
Concurrent delivery model
Worley is expected to deliver services concurrently across several project phases. The work will be led by its Australian team, supported by specialist engineering providers and Worley’s global delivery network, including resources in China and Chile.
The contracts place Worley within two substantial underground mine and infrastructure studies in BHP’s Copper South Australia portfolio. The mix of study, engineering, procurement and construction-management work indicates a broad program covering mine development, supporting infrastructure and processing-related packages.
Workforce significance
No construction commitment or employment numbers were disclosed, and both projects must still pass BHP’s investment approvals. However, the start of early-phase services is likely to require coordinated Australian engineering and project-delivery capability, with specialist support from multiple locations.
The next material steps will include completing the relevant studies, progressing early-phase packages and BHP determining whether to approve the proposed expansions.
Source: Worley Limited, “BHP awards contracts for Copper South Australia projects”, 7 September 2026.