Leading mining executives have warned that the nation’s biggest resources projects could be crippled by COVID-19 outbreaks in the months ahead as the omicron variant spreads, fearing significant workforce disruptions amid uncertainty around how infections and contacts will be managed.

As Western Australia prepares to reopen its borders on February 5, former Northern Star Resources boss Bill Beament said the industry was about to run a “high-wire act” as COVID-19 floods into the state and potentially sidelines mining workers on site and in Perth.