Thiess Pty. Ltd. said Oct. 15 that it secured a five-year, A$1.2 billion mining services contract from BHP Billiton Group for the Mount Arthur coal project in New South Wales, Australia.

The contract extends an existing agreement, expanding Thiess' operations as mine operator to include the Ayredale and Roxburgh pits at the southern end of Mount Arthur. The company said it will deliver mine design, planning and scheduling services in addition to drill and blast operations, overburden removal and coal mining.

The CIMIC Group Ltd. unit said planned work will create 300 new permanent jobs.