Australian mining and exploration company Sandfire Resources has awarded the contract for open pit mining services of the T3 pit at the firm’s Motheo copper project in Botswana to African Mining Services (AMS).
AMS is a surface mining business of global mining services group Perenti Global Ltd, Sandfire Resources said in a statement.
“The contract, which has an estimated value of US$496 million (A$648 million), is the largest single operational contract for the new Motheo Project covering a period of 7 years and 3 months, with pro-vision for a one-year extension,” the Australian miner said.
“The contract was awarded following a competitive 3-stage tender process which saw a number of key factors taken into consideration when selecting the preferred contractor. These included Citizen Eco-nomic Empowerment, safety culture, equipment suitability and avail-ability, commercial terms and identified improvement opportunities,” according to the statement.
Sandfire Resources is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).