Parts of South Australia have been hit by extreme wind which has caused a power outage at BHP’s Olympic Dam copper-gold mine.
Gusts were reported to be in excess of 130km per hour in some areas with over 130,000 lightning strikes lashing the region in just 24 hours.
South Australian Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis told the ABC BHP’s Olympic Dam has been heavily impacted, with the mine expected to shut for up to seven days.
“They’ve got their critical power needs covered, but mining operations won’t be allowed to continue because of ventilation issues,” he said.
Ventilation is critical in a mine not only for air quality, but to ensure harmful gasses and fumes can’t trigger a fire or explosion.
“All of the safety issues are in place to make sure that the smelter can remain operational and warm,” Koutsantonis said.
“We’re working very very hard to make sure they get back online as fast as possible.”
A BHP spokesperson told the ABC electrical storms in South Australia’s north had caused structural damage to transmission lines, including the two lines that supply Olympic Damn and Roxby Downs.
“ElectraNet crews are working to restore power as soon as possible, and we are working with them to better understand the scale of the impact and recovery timelines,” the spokesperson said.
“In the interim, back-up generation and business continuity plans are in place.”
Olympic Dam is one of the world’s most significant deposits of copper, gold, and uranium.
Located 560km north of Adelaide, Olympic Dam is made up of underground and surface operations and operates a fully integrated processing facility from ore to metal.
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