Modern Mining November 2016

COVER STORY

Safety comes first on Black Leading project delivery company WorleyParsons is a major contributor to the ongoing R6 billion Black Rock Project (BRP) at Assmang’s Black Rock Mine Operations (BRMO), situated near Kathu in the Northern Cape. BRMO is operated by Assmang Limited, which is jointly owned by African Rainbow Minerals Limited and Assore Limited. Initiated in 2014 and due for completion during 2019, the Black Rock Project will see the modernisation of the mine to optimise resource exploitation and to create the flexibility within the underground operations to ensure that the mine can more effectively react to changes in market product requirements. The project has thus far enjoyed an impeccable safety record with over 750 shifts having been worked to date without a single lost time injury.

T he BRP has resulted in Assmang becoming one of the major clients of WorleyParsons RSA. Says Peet Greyling, Project Director, Major Projects for the company: “We’ve been involved virtually continuously with BRMO since 2007, starting with study work on the BRP in 2010 which subsequently moved into the execution phase, with WorleyParsons RSA being appointed to provide engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services for the entire underground portion of the BRP.” He adds that a major factor contributing to the success of the BRP has been the very good understanding and relationship that exists between all the stakeholders in the project, including the client team, the mine opera- tion teams, and all the contractors including WorleyParsons. “All parties realise that the success of any project depends on good team work,” he says. “Due to the complexities of this project, stakeholder management is vitally important and the various managers, guided by André Sims, Assmang’s Project Manager, spend a great deal of time managing this.”

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The steel headgear (now removed) used during the sinking of the new ventilation shaft at the Gloria underground mine.

20  MODERN MINING  November 2016