Thiess (Indonesia) has been awarded a US$1.52 billion contract extension by PT Arutmin Indonesia for the operation of the Senakin and Satui Coal Mines in South Kalimantan, Indonesia.

PT Arutmin Indonesia is a subsidiary of Bumi Resources.

Thiess Managing Director David Saxelby said, "The renewal of the contract is testament to Thiess' performance and commitment to Indonesia. The additional work provides a tremendous boost to our base workload for the future."

"The contract also further strengthens our relationships with Bumi Resources and reaffirms our competitive position in Indonesia."

Thiess Indonesia's operations commenced at Senakin in 1989 and at Satui in 1998 with both operations being moved to a single contract in 2000. The new contract is an extension to the existing Life of Mine and covers an additional 7 year period.

Thiess will continue its existing scope of work which includes mine planning, overburden removal, coal mining and transportation, plus operation of the coal processing plants and barge loading ports.

Thiess Indonesia President Director Roy Olsen commented that operations on both sites would be ramped up over the coming months to increase production to 12 MT of coal and 120 million cubic meters of overburden per annum.

Mr Olsen said, "The successful conversion of these projects confirms the client's confidence in the capability of our entire team and extends our long term relationship with the Arutmin projects."