Olive Downs complex
- Project: Olive Downs Complex (Bowen Basin, Queensland)
- Client: Pembroke Resources
- Sector: Mining & Resources
The Olive Downs Complex is a large-scale greenfield mining development designed to support modern autonomous mining operations. Fraser-Lever delivered integrated engineering services across multiple disciplines, coordinating the design of critical infrastructure including the Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP), mine infrastructure, haul roads, water services, high-voltage power distribution and specialist mechanical equipment.
Project overview
The Olive Downs Complex is a Tier 1 steelmaking (coking) coal development located in Queensland’s Bowen Basin. Developed by Pembroke Resources, the project incorporates a Coal Handling & Preparation Plant (CHPP), Mine Infrastructure Area (MIA), haul roads, high-voltage electrical infrastructure, water services and extensive supporting surface infrastructure required to enable autonomous mining operations.
Fraser-Lever delivered multidisciplinary engineering and specialist mechanical fabrication across several major work packages during project delivery. Working alongside multiple contractors and engineering design organisations, our team provided practical engineering solutions across mechanical, civil and electrical disciplines while helping coordinate complex interfaces across critical project infrastructure.
Fraser-Lever’s role
- Mechanical equipment design, fabrication, supply and commissioning support
- Surface and non-process infrastructure design
- Mine infrastructure area (MIA) detailed design
- High-voltage reticulation and kiosk substation design
- Site-wide water services distribution and pumping
- Haul roads, light vehicle roads, earthworks and drainage
- Electrical protection studies and integration, including support for the Ergon connection agreement
- Interface coordination across multiple contractors and engineering design teams
The breadth of Fraser-Lever’s involvement enabled engineering decisions to be considered across disciplines rather than in isolation, resulting in practical, coordinated and constructable engineering outcomes.
The engineering challenge
Delivering a major greenfield mining development requires hundreds of interconnected infrastructure systems to function as a single operation.
At Olive Downs, Fraser-Lever worked across multiple engineering packages interfacing with the Coal Handling & Preparation Plant (CHPP), Mine Infrastructure Area, water infrastructure, tailings facilities, substations and supporting surface infrastructure. Engineering teams were required to continually define battery limits, coordinate overlapping scopes and maintain alignment between multiple contractors and engineering organisations.
At the same time, infrastructure needed to support staged construction while remaining capable of meeting the long-term operational requirements of an autonomous mining operation. Delivering practical, buildable solutions across mechanical, civil and electrical disciplines required continual collaboration, engineering judgement and interface management throughout the project.
Engineering in practice
One of the defining aspects of the project was balancing immediate construction requirements with the long-term needs of the operation.
Within the Mine Infrastructure Area, Fraser-Lever designed both temporary and permanent facilities that supported staged mine development. Temporary infrastructure included heavy vehicle workshops, storage facilities, tyre change areas and supporting services that enabled early mining operations. Permanent infrastructure was subsequently developed to integrate with and replace these facilities as the operation matured, including purpose-built heavy vehicle workshops, high-voltage refuelling facilities, HV and LV wash pads, explosive reload facilities, pit dewatering infrastructure, lighting, drainage and sections of the autonomous haul road.
Engineering judgement also played a significant role in coordinating electrical protection schemes between Ergon, Yurika, the CHPP and the Mine Infrastructure Area while managing complex interfaces across multiple infrastructure packages.
Throughout the project, Fraser-Lever’s multidisciplinary approach ensured engineering solutions remained practical, safe, constructable and adaptable as project requirements evolved.
Project outcomes
- Delivery of integrated mechanical, civil and electrical engineering packages across multiple infrastructure work scopes
- Design, fabrication and supply of the CHPP Rejects Gate for the Coal Handling & Preparation Plant
- Detailed engineering of the Mine Infrastructure Area supporting both staged construction and long-term mining operations
- Integrated design of site-wide infrastructure including roads, drainage, water services and high-voltage reticulation
- Successful coordination of complex engineering interfaces across multiple contractors and engineering organisations
- Continued engagement supporting Stage 2 studies and sustaining capital works
Planning a similar mining development?
Whether you’re delivering a greenfield mining project, expanding an existing operation or upgrading critical infrastructure, Fraser-Lever brings practical multidisciplinary engineering experience across every stage of the asset lifecycle.