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Future-Facing Minerals

Prominent Hill Operations Expansion (PHOX)


Client
BHP/Underground Construction Alliance
Duration
Present
Location
Gawler Craton Region, South Australia, Australia
Value
$30 million
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A major underground expansion supporting BHP’s shift to shaft haulage – delivered in a live operation by trusted alliance partners.

Prominent Hill is undergoing one of South Australia’s most significant underground mine expansions. Located in the state’s Far North, the site produces copper, gold and silver and is wholly owned and operated by BHP.

To extend the life of operations by a minimum of seven years and increase haulage efficiency, BHP is transitioning from truck haulage to a deep shaft ore hoisting system. The PHOX project includes construction of a vertical shaft, underground materials handling infrastructure, and supporting surface works – forming a critical investment in long-term production capacity.

PHE Group is delivering the electrical and instrumentation works package beneath the Underground Construction Alliance (UCA), which is acting as head contractor for the broader program of underground infrastructure. As an alliance partner to UCA, PHE brings proven expertise in high-risk mining environments, with works staged and sequenced in active underground zones alongside structural, mechanical and civil construction.

Project Scope

  • Electrical and instrumentation (E&I) works delivered across underground crushing and loading station infrastructure.
  • Integration of the Crushed Ore Bin, apron feeder, Loading Collection Conveyor, and Slew Loading Conveyor into the shaft hoisting system.
  • Additional E&I works extended to shaft infrastructure (bottom, mid-shaft, and headframe), surface materials handling, refrigeration systems, and site water supply and distribution.
  • Scope included the tipple area, gyratory crusher, hydraulics, dust extraction fans, ductwork, workshop overhead crane, and ancillary systems.
  • Installation of tramp metal removal systems, including fixed and self-cleaning inline magnets.

Innovations and Solutions

  • PHOX used an Australian-first skirt sealing system and early shaft energisation to deliver one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest underground ore bins – 11m wide, 32m high, and 1,250m deep. The approach reduced rockfall risk, removed the need for crews at depth, and significantly improved safety.
Project Images
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