Cobham Aviation Services has secured a three-year contract with OZ Minerals to provide fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) services between Adelaide, Port Augusta and its Carrapateena copper-gold project in South Australia.

Over three years, Cobham will operate 14 flights each week between the locations with a RJ 100 aircraft servicing the route. Services began last month.

This is the second OZ Minerals contract Cobham has secured in recent years. The company has operated all FIFO services to and from OZ Minerals’ Prominent Hill mine since 2017.

Cobham Aviation Services Vice President of Regional Services, Dean Brennan said the contract win reflects Cobham’s continued competitive offering within the FIFO environment.

“The Carrapateena project is significant for South Australia and its economy. Cobham is delighted to play its part in such an important development and continuing its relationship with OZ Minerals.”

Cobham has provided aviation services to the mining and resource sector in Australia for more than 25 years.

Carapateena, 160 km north of Port Augusta in South Australia’s highly prospective Gawler Craton, is one of Australia’s largest undeveloped copper deposits. The project will be a 4.25 Mt/y underground operation, with an estimated mine life of 20 years.

Construction of Carrapateena is underway and commissioning is scheduled for the December quarter of 2019 after which the project will ramp up to steady state production.