The order, which was formalised on Wednesday at the MINExpo International 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada, follows shortly after the successful erection of Hail Creek’s first 9020. P&H Minepro Services walked that machine off its erection pad on August 17 – on time, on budget and no lost time injuries recorded during the project’s 24-month duration.

RTCA representative Nick Barlow said this performance had a major bearing on the company’s decision to select P&H again. It had also assessed other new and secondhand dragline options.

“We are very happy with the performance of the first dragline and our expectations are the same for the second one,” Barlow said. “The safety performance was fantastic to bring the machine online in time, and P&H’s willingness to work with us was a big part of them getting the second dragline.”

The new Hail Creek machine will give P&H a population of six 9020s in Australia

The 5700-tonne model is the flagship of the company’s dragline range and is said to have captured 75% of worldwide orders in its class in the past 10 years.

Carrying an 89-cubic metre capacity bucket on a 97.5m boom, the 9020 works on a 22m-diameter, high strength P&H Gradial tub, which can effectively handle multiple load paths in any direction.

P&H representatives said Hail Creek’s second dragline was likely to take about the same time as the first to erect. It was likely to be operational in 20 months time.