Modern Mining January 2016

MINING INDABA

Jonker also points out that the company is able to help customers select the right proj- ect through Advisian, a WorleyParsons global business providing high level strategic and management consulting services as well as concept and prefeasibility studies across all sectors. While the bulk of its service delivery is still in South Africa for its flagship projects such as the Shondoni project (coal), the Black Rock expansion project (manganese), the Bakubung Platinum Mine, the Venetia diamond mine and Impala 17 Shaft (platinum), Jonker says WorleyParsons RSA is also working on a num- ber of prestigious projects in Africa, including the DRC, Mali, Tanzania and Mauritania, and expects to see more of a shift in the next two years as more projects in Africa become viable, particularly in the copper, gold, base metals and fertiliser spheres. Jonker and Ngandu will be part of a local and global WorleyParsons contingent of delegates who will be attending the 2016 Mining Indaba to highlight the company’s technological solu- tions, safety methodologies, environmental considerations and global experience across multiple sectors as key factors in partnering for projects in Africa. 

environmental risk to the workers on site, for which the company came up with a techno- logical solution to capture and reduce dust emissions and reduce carbon footprint. Henry Jonker, General Manager – Minerals, Metals & Chemicals for WorleyParsons RSA, explains that the company is continuously evolving with technology and that it is becom- ing the norm for all new projects to utilise technical advancements in order to work more efficiently and cost effectively. “We want to demonstrate to our customers that we can add value by doing things differ- ently through technology, and we encourage them to take more of an intellectual design view which will ensure that a project will be executed in a more effective and quicker way. We are also deploying integrated and intel- ligent design engineering systems such as SmartPlant on a number of projects, which uses 3D technology to gain intelligence that will streamline efficiencies. For example, for a feasibility study for a new gold mine and plant in Papua New Guinea, we have fully incor- porated SmartPlant technology to improve recovery and plant efficiency.” As part of a global project delivery company with expertise in engineering, procurement and construction across multiple sectors including hydrocarbons, mineral, metals, chemicals and infrastructure, Jonkers says WorleyParsons has the advantage of expe- rience in the oil and gas sectors and can apply this knowledge to the mining space to increase the company’s ability to exe- cute projects more safely. Furthermore, this multisector expertise and experience means that WorleyParsons can provide a one-stop solution – from geotechnical to associated infrastructure. “A lot of the new projects in Africa are not necessarily purely mining, but infrastructure work to enable mining activities,” says Jonker. “Our ability to work in different sectors, as well as being able to draw on different resources thanks to our global footprint, is a key differenti- ator for WorleyParsons. We have access to low cost Global Design Centres in China and India, and can easily integrate our international resources as the entire com- pany works on the same platform. A case in point is the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project in Kenya, where we are bringing a combination of local and international knowledge and experience which will establish the biggest wind farm of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa.”

Master Drilling to launch new technology at Indaba JSE-listed Master Drilling (MD), a global, specialised drilling service solution pro- vider to the mining, energy and civil industries, will be using the Mining Indaba as the platform to launch its new Blind Shaft Boring System (BSBS). MD says it has spent 2015 engineering and perfecting BSBS, which it describes as its solution to mechanising conventional drill-and-blast shaft sinking in hard rock. The BSBS addresses the need for a safer, faster, flexible and lower cost method to access underground orebodies without existing underground access, and en- ables production sooner while still providing efficient infrastructure to support life of mine production and logistics. The system can be used for the establishing of ventilation, rock hoisting and man-and-material shafts in varying sizes between 10 m and 13 m lined diameter, and up to 2 000 m in depth. The system does not require a presink, allowing for the breakaway of levels, simultaneous shaft lining and diameter/depth changes without major modification. Founded in the late 1980s by present CEO Danie Pretorius and based in Foch­ ville on the West Rand, Master Drilling is thought to be the largest operator of raise borers in the world with its fleet numbering over 100 machines, roughly three times the number operated by each of its two closest competitors. It oper- ates not only in South Africa but also in several other African countries (notably Zambia) and also has a strong presence in South and Central America, a region which accounts for roughly half of its revenues. Its international arm, Master Drilling International Limited (MDI), recently an- nounced the acquisition of a 40 % stake in a major raise bore drilling operator in Scandinavia, Bergteamet Raiseboring Europe AB, effective 1 December 2015. The deal provides a platform to diversify into the Scandinavian region and brings an additional 18 raise bore machines into Master Drilling’s fleet. 

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