Blackham dishes out Matilda contracts

Blackham Resources has awarded four contracts for its Matilda gold project, including a $115 million open-pit mining services contract given to MACA.

The contract awards cover open pit and underground mining services, construction of a tailings dam, and a power station at Matilda, with the project scheduled to produce first gold in the September quarter.

Maca has begun mobilising its fleet to Matilda and will provide drilling, blasting, loading and hauling services to Matilda for about 32 months, starting from next month.

In a statement, Maca said the project would require some new equipment and would utilise the majority of its otherwise idle equipment.

The contract win has grown Maca’s work on hand to about $1.1 billion as of the end of June.

NSW-based private company Pybar Mining Services has been selected for underground mining services, and has already begun mobilising to site.

Underground mining is also expected to begin in July.

Guildford-based Cape Crushing & Earthmoving was chosen to construct the tailings dam, with work already under way, while Kewdale company Contract Power Australia was hired to construct a power station at Matilda.

Contract Power has already installed temporary diesel power at Matilda, while site preparation work has begun for the installation of new gas generators.

Blackham shares were 2.9 per cent higher to 69 cents each, while Maca shares were 5.3 per cent higher to $1.18 each, at 10am.