BHP appoints new asset president for Olympic Dam mega-mine
BHP has employed Dr Jennifer Purdie to head up Olympic Dam - the third woman in a row to take on the role.
BHP has appointed the third woman in a row to head up operations at Olympic Dam, with Dr Jennifer Purdie taking on the role later this month.
Dr Purdie has more than 30 years’ experience in the resources sector, having held senior roles at Rio Tinto, Alcoa and Adani Renewables before joining BHP as executive general manager gas distribution just under two years ago.
Dr Purdie takes on the role most recently filled by Laura Tyler, who was promoted to BHP’s chief technical officer last year, and Jacqui McGill before her.
Olympic Dam has been something of a problem child for the company, struggling with profitability in a portfolio of assets delivering strong returns.
The copper, uranium, gold and silver mine made a full year loss before interest and tax of $US79 million in 2019-20, on revenues of $US1.463 billion, up from a loss the previous financial year of $US58 million.
A $3.7 billion expansion plan for the project was shelved in October last year. The Brownfields Expansion Project (BFX) would have increased production from the current capacity of 200,000 tonnes of copper per year to as much as 300,000.
Guidance for the current financial year is for production of 180-205,000 tonnes of copper.
Replacement and commissioning of the refinery crane is expected to be completed in the current quarter, the company said in its latest production report.
“Production in the 2022 financial year is expected to be lower as a result of the major smelter maintenance campaign planned for the first half of the year.’’
BHP said Dr Purdie “has more than 30 years of global management and leadership experience spanning operational, business improvement and corporate roles in the mining, energy, heavy manufacturing and infrastructure sectors’’.
“Jennifer will bring a strong mix of operational, technical and commercial capability to Olympic Dam, combined with a proven track record of delivering on strategy, cost reduction, productivity improvement, project execution and stakeholder relationships,’’ BHP president, ,minerals Australia, Edgar Basto said.
“Her unique skill-set will complement the strong operating team we have in place at Olympic Dam, which has delivered increasingly solid operational performance through our focus on reliability. I congratulate Jennifer on her appointment and look forward to working with her to continue to deliver safe and reliable operations at Olympic Dam.
“Olympic Dam is a world-class resource producing essential copper that the world needs, and a major contributor to the South Australian economy through jobs, significant investment, local suppliers and export revenue.”
Justin Bauer will continue as acting asset president until Dr Purdie commences in the role, BHP said. Dr Purdie will start in the role on February 22.