WDS said the amendment shifted the interim performance test date from April to August.
WDS managing director Laurie Voyer said the relaxation of that critical date enabled WDS to move forward with more confidence, plus facilitated the necessary engineering commitments for the project.
“We are pleased to have achieved this relaxation, which has been offered by our client [Eagle Downs Coal Management],” the MD said.
“We now need to capitalise on this and ensure we continue to provide our client with the highest level of confidence of successful completion. Importantly this amendment with EDCM underpins our forecast fiscal year 2015 results as per guidance”
Voyer, the former Leighton veteran who was appointed WDS’ managing director and CEO in November, made Eagle Downs a critical priority with underperformance (time and cost overruns) impacting the contract last year.
The contract is targeting completion in mid-2016.
WDS won the contract off Aquila Resources in late 2013 with the two 2km drifts initially expected to be finished by late 2015.
The Eagle Downs hard coking coal project is targeting completion by the first half of 2017.
As of last year the project aimed to produce 4.5 million tonnes per annum of coking coal over the first 10 years of its 47-year mine life and has potential to expand to 8Mtpa through longwall top coal caving technology.
EDCM is half owned by Vale and Aquila (which was acquired by Baosteel in July 2014).