The company plans to spend A$600 million (US$460 million) on Olympic Dam this financial year, including developing the Southern Mine area that represents 70% of the orebody that has been untouched, and a smelter maintenance campaign which will have 1,300 contractors on site for over 100 days at its peak.

Olympic Dam asset president Jacqui McGill said was the company was looking for diverse talent to help execute the projects. The jobs are in addition to the 350 announced in May.

"We've had some great success recruiting people from outside mining and appealing to people with diverse experience and background," she said.

South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy CEO Rebecca Knol told the national broadcaster it was a sign of a "strong resources growth period".

She told the ABC the creation of jobs for Olympic Dam followed a round of job losses two years ago when the company decided against the underground expansion, which was now underway.

BHP has a 3,500-strong workforce in South Australia, split between the mining town of Roxby Downs and Adelaide.