The prefeasibility study (PFS) for gold miner Morobe Mining’s Wafi-Golpu project, in Papua New Guinea, was recently completed by project delivery and consulting services firm WorleyParsons, the company announced in December.

The Wafi-Golpu project involves the development of a new greenfield copper/gold mine, process plant and associated infrastructure.

Morobe Mining is a 50:50 joint venture between South Africa-based gold miner Harmony Gold and Australia-based gold company Newcrest Mining.

WorleyParsons states that, further, it is also working on its first potash project, with the provision of a definitive feasibility study (DFS) for global potash development group Sirius Minerals’ York Potash project.

The DFS marks the start of the first new potash mine to be established in the UK since 1973.

Another first-time client for WorleyParsons is Mauritanian 78% State-owned mining company Société Nationale Industrielle de Mauritanie (SNIM), which is engaged in mining the Kedia d'Idjill (F’derik), Guelb El Rhein, and M'Haoudat iron-ore mines in Mauritania.

SNIM awarded WorleyParsons two feasibility studies for the rehabilitation and modernisation of the Guelb 1 iron-ore plant, in April 2014.

WorleyParsons is also responsible for the development of the F’derik mine to ensure it produces three-million tons a year of iron-ore, based on its PFS.

Additionally, the company recently provided Limpopo-based phosphate producer Foskor with process consulting services.

WorleyParsons also ventured into the rare earths sector through its undertaking of a PFS for TSX-listed rare earths miner Frontier Rare Earths at its Zandkopsdrift project in the Namaqualand region of the Northern Cape during the course of 2014.

The company is also involved in the local iron-ore sector and is “focused” on extracting value from jig discard.

WorleyParsons further avers that it remains the “recognised dominant player” in shaft sinking, stating that it is currently undertaking the development of several shaft sinking projects including JSE-listed junior platinum group metals mining company Wesizwe Platinum’s Styldrift No 17 shaft, in Rustenburg and South African ferrochrome producer Assmang's Black Rock mine operations, in the Northern Cape.

Duly Awarded

In September WorleyParsons won the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction’s 2014 Steel Awards mining and industrial category for its work on Wesizwe’s Bakubung platinum mine’s main shaft headgear.

The Bakubung mine is located on the western limb of the Bushveld Complex, near the town of Rustenburg, in the North West.

The judges described the final structure as “a classic example of excellence in the use of steel”.

Meanwhile, WorleyParsons GM Henry Jonker states the company’s mining team “moved into a whole new realm” at diamond mining company De Beers’ Venetia underground diamond project, in Limpopo by harnessing a methodology from other industries to create an intelligent three-dimensional model of the vertical shaft.

He says that it is believed to be the first time this technology is being used on a vertical shaft project from the design stage.

“The present trend towards modernising mining through design is being steered by the mines themselves, who have recognised that the rapid development of digital technologies, automation and mechanisation is fundamental to meeting the challenge of safety in future capital intensive shaft development projects.”

Safety Emphasis

Jonker states that WorleyParsons is placing increased emphasis on improving safety at its projects.

He highlights that, underpinned by the greater WorleyParsons ‘OneWay’ enterprise-wide integrity management framework, the company made good progress in achieving improved operational safety levels in 2014.

Jonker explains that OneWay consists of “simple expectations that align the company’s business” and establishes the foundation for achieving WorleyParsons’ vision of industry leadership in zero harm.

“The OneWay expectations set the minimum standard every person in the company must meet and aligns every individual, team, group, project, contract, location and region to work as one WorleyParsons unit.”

The company is working in partnership with stakeholders in the South African mining industry to challenge and potentially improve the current safety standards and productivity levels within the sector.

Company Consolidation

Meanwhile, the consolidation of the company’s local project delivery capabilities into a single location in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, in September, positioned WorleyParsons to reach out from a “robust base” of long-term contracts to secure new business from first-time clients in non-traditional industry sectors, he says.

Jonker asserts that the consolidation has made WorleyParsons “Africa’s leading project delivery and engineering company”.

He further avers that since relocating WorleyParsons has established itself as “one of the largest engineering contractors in the country, providing a broad offering of well-developed services into sub-Saharan Africa across the mining, hydrocarbons, power and infrastructure sectors”.

Moreover, Jonker highlights that with all the company’s operations “under one roof”, along with it possessing “a young, dynamic and diverse team” with strong ties to other WorleyParsons centres of excellence worldwide…the company is “well placed for growth and expansions during this year”.

He points out that despite the downturn in the local mining industry, WorleyParsons has maintained a strong core engineering capability in the industry and built the capacity necessary to “harness new opportunities when the climate inevitably improves”.

“The African mining sector is a very exciting space for those who are willing to grasp the opportunities available. It is a dynamic environment but it demands flexibility, agility and mobility.”

Further, Jonker emphasises that there exist significant opportunities in Africa, as it remains a “new frontier” for global mining houses.

“For these reasons we have increased our focus beyond South Africa in to the rest of Africa. In fact, we are concentrating in almost equal measure on opportunities in South Africa as we are on the rest of the continent and internationally,” he enthuses.

Jonker notes that WorleyParsons has responded to the challenging times the resource industry has been through by being innovative, which has enabled it to secure a consistent flow of work in new market sectors and new territories.

WorleyParsons is currently examining other resource industry sectors, such as oil and gas.

The company will be showcasing its service offering at the Investing in African Mining Indaba taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from February 9 to 12.