Thiess subsidiary Hunter Valley Earthmoving (HVE) secured an extension to its operations at the Liddell coal mine in the NSW Hunter Valley region for the blasting and removal of overburden and the mining and haulage of coal to the client's Coal Processing Plant. Thiess also undertook mine planning and mine statutory responsibilities.

Overburden was removed using three 35m3 excavators, two 29m³ excavators plus 240-tonne and 170-tonne payload trucks, while coal was mined with a 15m³ excavator. Coal was hauled to the run of mine (ROM) pad with 100-tonne payload trucks, while reject was hauled from the coal washing plant back to the pit as required by non-highway trucks.

• the mining of coal seams previously mined by underground methods
• management of in-pit spontaneous combustion
• blasting overburden with hole temperatures up to 100°C, and
• close proximity of Lake Liddell, as well as rail and power infrastructure, which placed restraints on blasting.

The coal seams recovered from the site included the Lemington Seams, Pikes Gully, Arties, Liddell and Barrett Seams.

* For long term contracts extending beyond five years, the total contract value shown includes the value of work completed to date plus five years worth of work in hand.