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April 17 (Reuters) - Australian copper miner OZ Minerals OZL.AX on Monday said it has awarded rail infrastructure company Downer EDI DOW.AX with the contract for the next phase of its Carrapateena underground mine development in South Australia.
The near six-year contract at the copper-gold mine is valued at A$660 million ($513.61 million), OZ said in statement, adding that the contract would be effective from 1 July 2018.
Downer would work with current developer PYBAR Mining Services Pty during the transition period.
This contract is in addition to Downer's engineering, procurement and construction contract at the mine awarded by Oz in December 2017.
In August, Oz said it would begin construction of the mine, one of Australia's largest undeveloped copper project, estimating the cost at A$916 million. which saw a doubling of annual net profit in February, helped by a recovery in copper prices, had earlier said that it would spend about A$500 million in 2018 as construction capital for Carrapateena.
($1 = 1.2850 Australian dollars)