Leighton’s mining arm was also awarded a contract extension worth $125 million to provide mining services to Peabody Energy’s Moorvale coal mine in the Bowen Basin in Queensland.

The company will deliver earthworks contracts for the eastern stream of Rio’s expansion covering work at the Hope Downs 4, Marandoo, Yandicoogina and Koodaideri iron ore mines.

Leighton also will provide structural, mechanical and piping works in the western stream of the expansion at the Western Turner Syncline and Nammuldi mines and stages two and three of the Brockman 4 mine.

Leighton declined to specify the value of the contracts.

The works form part of Rio’s planned two-stage expansion that would take its capacity to 283 million tonnes per annum in 2013 and to 353Mtpa by 2015.

Leighton western construction general manager Graeme Dunn said the framework agreement allowed the company to commit experienced staff, including indigenous personnel.

The company, in joint venture with WA indigenous contractor Ngarda Civil and Mining, has been delivering the earthworks on Hope Downs 4 and Marandoo.