Under the contract, Leighton will undertake the majority of the surface mining operations at Moorvale as well as commissioning, managing and operating Macarthur’s new mining fleet.

Leighton has held the Moorvale mining contract since December 2002 when the mine first ramped up. The previous contract was worth $170 million.

Moorvale has an estimated 40 million tonnes of recoverable low-volatile pulverised coal injection coal and thermal coal. The mine produced 1.94 million tonnes last year.

Mining is expected to continue until 2016.

Leighton was trading steady this morning at $22.52.