Swick wins BHP, St Barbara contracts

This will be Swick’s second largest project and see the company mobilise eight rights in the first year, on top of the three currently operating at site.

The rigs will be mobilised from Swick’s existing fleet.

Swick has been working with up to five rigs at Olympic Dam since 2017 when an initial trial of its underground mobile diamond drills commenced.

“We are delighted to be awarded a long-term contract with BHP at Olympic Dam,” Swick managing director Ken Swick said.

“Credit goes to our operational team who have delivered outstanding safety performance, and high quality and productive drilling that enabled Swick to secure this long term, high volume work.”

Swick has also won a five-year drilling contract from Minas de Aguas Teñidas SAU (MATSA) at its copper operations in Spain.

This, combined with the Olympic Dam contract, has expanded Swick’s order book to $363 million.

In addition, Swick’s mineral technology business Orexplore, has secured a $700,000 in-field commercial agreement with St Barbara.

Under the agreement, Orexplore will scan around 1500 metres of core per month over a six-month period at St Barbara’s Gwalia mine in Western Australia.

“We look forward to ensuring the value is extracted from this rich 3D data set and I am confident we can add significant long-term value to the Gwalia mine and the wider brownfield market,” Swick said.