Combining concept-to-completion expertise with design and major project delivery capabilities for the minerals and metals sector, from bulk commodities to rare earths, professional services provider WorleyParsons offers its customers complete mine-to-market solutions from inception to rehabilitation.

Since its inception, WorleyParsons, based in Johannesburg, Gauteng, has been committed to establishing operations close to its clients’ assets.

Using knowledge gained from each site, the company is able to refine conceptual, design and project execution strategies to help its clients meet the world’s changing resources and energy needs in the mining industry.

Through the establishment of Centres of Excellence in capabilities globally, WorleyParsons explains in a November 10 statement that it has centralised its specialised expertise in industry-specific locations to accomplish client objectives of improving business efficiencies, enhancing tools and capabilities, and achieving performance targets.

With a collective experience of more than 120 years in deep-level mining and process expertise, South Africa is regarded as one of the world’s best mining environments, the company states.

“Having managed more deep-level shaft projects in the world than any other company, it stands to reason that WorleyParsons’ South African operation was established as the global project delivery company’s Mining Centre of Excellence.”

The company specialises in new project developments and existing facility upgrades or expansions, across all commodities.

“From strategy to operations, we realise value through our extensive local experience and integrated solutions,” says WorleyParsons South Africa CEO Denver Dreyer.

He adds that the company’s experts have a thorough understanding of the total mining business value chain, including exploration for and the evaluation of mineral resources, mine planning, permitting and approvals management, mine and mining project development, materials handling and mineral processing, existing facility upgrades, expansions or decommissioning.

“We take a multidisciplinary approach, with teams comprised of experts from across the mining and mineral processing, pyrometallurgy or light metals project life cycle, to identify challenges early and produce tailored strategies that mitigate risks.”

WorleyParsons understands the outcomes its customers want to achieve by using its services and positions its value chains accordingly, says Dreyer.

“We are also in a unique position to be able to offer front-end technical specialist consulting and high-end advisory consulting through Advisian, a WorleyParsons global business that provides management and strategic advisory services coupled with technical consulting and deep domain expertise to address our customers’ business and asset challenges.”

Service Spectrum

WorleyParsons’ service offering across the mining value chain includes mineral exploration, which is essential for the identification of value-creating mining projects and to maintain or expand a producer’s resource base. The company is experienced in gathering, analysing and interpreting geological data from various orebodies, including both greenfield and brownfield sites.

Further, its mine planning capabilities entail determining the most appropriate mining method for a deposit, which is key to extracting maximum value. “Using the latest mine planning and simulation software, WorleyParsons can identify ideal production profiles, mine work plans and development schedules to enhance project economics and help customers make the best investment decisions,” notes the company.

WorleyParsons’ expertise in mining and mine development ranges from the initial phases of conceptual determination of mineable potential within a geological resource through all of the study phases to the development, design and construction of mining infrastructure as well as the operation, improvement and troubleshooting of existing operations.

Additionally, the company says it helps its customers achieve an optimised materials handling process, from mine to market, by implementing innovative value-add solutions that drive productivity and efficiency.

Moreover, WorleyParsons has experience across all facets of the mineral processing sector, covering commodities such as base metals, precious metals, rare earths, phosphates and mineral sands.

The company also has geotechnical expertise with significant tailings storage facilities design and management experience from various mineral processing applications such as alumina residue, base metals, coal, iron-ore and vanadium.

Its expertise in hydrometallurgy ranges from the initial phases of conceptual flowsheet development, testing, design and construction to complex plant commissioning, operation, optimisation and troubleshooting.

Further, for more than 20 years, WorleyParsons’ specialists have designed and delivered many of the world’s most complex pyrometallurgy facilities, with particular expertise in pyrometallurgical processes such as calcining, roasting, smelting, refining, gas cleaning and acid plants.

Also assisting with transport to market, WorleyParsons’ integrated capabilities, which include road, rail, shipping, barging, intermodal transport and slurry pipelines, enable it to consider all appropriate means of transportation to implement the best solution for a customer’s specific challenges.

The company points out that, through its unique, trademarked EcoNomics initiative, it ensures sustainability issues are identified and delivered right throughout all project phases in a cost-effective manner.

Further, WorleyParsons, understanding the bespoke logistical challenges that are present in remote and isolated mining projects, highlights its ability to efficiently deliver tailored solutions to meet its customers’ nonprocess infrastructure needs.