Mining contractor Murray & Roberts Cementation has been awarded a R4.8-billion, five-year mining contract for the Kalagadi Manganese operation, in the Kalahari basin.
The three farms on which the mineral explorer held new-order mining rights were believed to hold some 960-million tons of manganese ore. The project involved the construction of a manganese mine and a 2.4-million-ton-a-year high-grade sinter plant near Hotazel, in the Northern Cape.
Murray & Roberts CEO Henry Laas believed the award would further bolster the recent growth in the company’s global underground mining platform order book, which was encouraging, given that the global commodity cycle remained depressed.
“Most key commodities are represented in the platform’s order book and current portfolio of projects. In the medium term, an upturn is expected in the commodity cycle, which will present significant growth potential to [this business],” he said in a statement.