As an early adopter of digital technology in the energy, chemicals and resources sectors, global project and asset services provider Worley has been testing new technology to develop value-adding digital strategies that help customers make better informed decisions. “There has been a lot of hype and rhetoric around digital, but, in the past few months, there has been a shift in the industry. The company is starting to move from strategies and visions to tactical plans and targets. Technologies that Worley has been testing . . . are starting to return data, and the company is starting to see how it can take the industry forward,” says Worley digital president Bradley Andrews.

Worley minerals and metals Africa mining VP Robert Hull adds that the company is not ‘on-boarding’ digital technology now because it is the latest buzzword.

“Innovation is in our DNA at Worley. We have always strived to embed innovation into every aspect of the business and keep up with new technology,” says Hull.

“The South African operation, in particular, has been active in digital technology for almost a decade. It is at the forefront of introducing digital transformation to the mining world. Worley is one of the only professional service providers in the industry to offer fully integrated Building Information Modelling- (BIM-) compliant designs.”

Worley has been applying BIM principles and systems in the mining and mineral processing sectors and it says its customers are starting to see value in how a simulated operational facility model, or a ‘digital twin’, could improve productivity and reduce much of the risk associated with construction and commissioning.

While many third-party providers are offering three-dimensional (3D) modelling services to the mining sector, Worley is one of the few companies with in-house digital capabilities, and the know-how and technology to take BIM from 3D modelling through to seven-dimensional modelling, creating an intelligent and integrated project scope from the design phase to operation and decommissioning.

“Worley is leading the way in terms of developing BIM capabilities for mining in South Africa, and it’s a necessary step for any business wanting to prosper in the new digital age,” affirms Worley minerals and metals Europe, Middle East and Africa senior VP Denver Dreyer.

“However, there are many pitfalls in digital transformation. We have traversed this path for some time, so we understand the digital challenges. Worley is the [best] companies are going to find to help them navigate through these challenges.”

Dreyer also notes that it is vital to partner with a service provider that has years of industry experience, as well as technical expertise, to deliver an intelligent and integrated project scope.

“Worley’s digital offering goes beyond engineering and design to operations, safety and efficiencies,” says Dreyer. “The digital technology that we are bringing to the table will help our customers reduce costs and operational risk, improve productivity, reduce risk to the asset and the environment, and reduce risk to human life.”

He adds that, globally, the organisation is driving digital transformation to offer customers cutting-edge digital capabilities through collaboration between locations – especially South Africa, Kolkata and Perth – to share digital knowledge. A new division is focusing purely on digital technologies, and the organisation is also investing in independent software companies pioneering digital tools.

For example, Worley is collaborating with proprietary software developer Arundo Analytics, which has developed software that enables advanced analytics to provide data-driven insights for industrial operations.

Another example is safety performance optimisation company SaltGrid, a cloud-based platform that applies artificial intelligence to customers’ health, safety and environmental data to predict the quantum and type of incidents likely to occur.

Using these digital tools, Worley is compiling data from every project undertaken by the company globally.

“By analysing the data from previous projects, we can look at statistical patterns regarding safety and predict typical risk areas. This enables our customers to take proactive measures based on the history of similar projects,” explains Dreyer.

Beyond the project scope, sustainability is the highest-ranking agenda item on any mining board, and tools such as SaltGrid and BIM will assist mining companies in quantifying and managing issues such as access to energy and water, and carbon emissions reduction.

“As the pre-eminent global provider of professional services to the energy, chemicals and resources sectors following Worley’s acquisition of Jacobs Engineering Group’s energy, chemicals and resources division, we now have far greater expertise, more resources and access to the latest technology to help our customers navigate the challenges they face – from the front-end studies to every phase of a project across the full mining value chain,” says Dreyer.

Meanwhile, Worley will be attending the Investing in African Mining Indaba, which is taking place on February 3 to 6 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Worley will be demonsgtrating how it can assist its customers to “optimise growth and investment in the digitalised mining economy”.