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Maritime consultancy wins Madagascar mineral sands advisory contract

15th March 2013

By: Samantha Herbst

Creamer Media Deputy Editor

  

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Australia-based mineral sands mining and exploration company World Titanium Resources (WTR) has commissioned port and maritime develop- ments specialist consultancy BMT JFA Consultants to provide project management services and supervise site investigations for the Toliara Sands project, north of the Port of Toliara, in south-west Madagascar.

WTR proposes to mine and export 407 000 t/y of ilmenite and 44 000 t/y of zircon-rich concentrate, ultimately destined for export to manufacturers in China and the US, from the Ranobe mine to a new port site near Toliara.

BMT JFA was engaged by WTR’s mining consultant, TZ Mining International, in February 2012 to first complete a port options study, followed by the prefeasibility study (PFS) for marine works.

“This involved a review of potential sites for the port, with a primary focus at the location near Toliara; a review of the shipping requirement through the port; a comparison of concepts for the onshore and nearshore developments of the jetty and laydown pad; and a study of alternatives to direct loading, including transshipment through barging and the preparation of capital and operational cost estimates for the concepts,” illustrates BMT JFA senior engineer Philip Slagle.

The PFS undertaken from June to September 2012 for the marine works, involved refinement to the port facility position and alignment, further detailed options for direct loading and transhipment, the requirements for containers and bulk material, navigation and constructability considerations, concept- engineering design with value engineering analysis, and detailed cost projections and scenarios, as well as scope development for site investigations and modelling studies required for further design and cost estimates.

Further, BMT JFA is managing and completing the site investigations and modelling studies for the project while it develops the basic engineering design from the study results with sister company BMT Asia Pacific.

“The basic engineering design will form the scope of the project’s engineering, procurement and construction manage- ment programme,” says Slagle.

He tells Mining Weekly that the lack of available site data and information for the relatively remote and understudied area posed significant challenges during the PFSes.

To compensate for this, BMT JFA dealt with multiple scenarios during option development to incorporate sufficient flexi-bility, while balancing enhancing cost and design.

Basic engineering on the project is currently under way, with detailed engineering expected to start in September and on-site construction by the end of the year.

The site investigation results, which BMT JFA will supervise, will allow for improved accuracy in capital-cost estimates and will enable the specialist consultancy to progress the basic engineering design and preparation of tender documentation.

WTR CEO Bruce Griffin says BMT provided “expert input” in the design and selection of the preferred export port option for the Ranobe mine project.

“BMT also developed and currently coordinates marine and geotechnical studies to enable detailed design of the preferred option,” he says, adding that the consultancy has extensive port-engineering knowledge and experience, the application of which effectively enhanced the project as a whole.

Specific site works at the proposed port site include landside and nearshore geotechnical investigations, with borehole drilling and cone penetration testing; landside and hydrographic surveys of the project site and surrounding area; as well as a 12-month monitoring programme for measuring waves, currents and water levels.

The BMT JFA team includes specialists from Netherlands-based BMT Argoss – a sister company that monitors, analyses and forecasts environmental conditions, and Brisbane-based BMT WMB – a sister company with more than 40 years of national and international experience in the mechanical, maritime and water and environmental engineering fields.

These specialists will provide offshore ocean design conditions, cyclone modelling, water-level modelling and concept design for the port materials handling operation.

Slagle says this project showcases BMT JFA’s ability to deliver complex projects using engineering resources that are available worldwide through BMT Group as a whole.

“Through carrying out robust and structured studies, which consider all aspects of the proposed port infrastructure, we have been able to deliver an optimum design solution for WTR.”

Once the mine is fully operational, the mineral sands processed at Ranobe will be hauled to the Toliara jetty by heavy-haul trucks, where the material is stored onshore in closed sheds. An empty bulk-carrier ship will berth at the jetty once or twice a month.

The material is conveyed along the trestle of the jetty and loaded onto the ship by a shiploader before the ship departs.

Slagle says first shipment is expected towards the end of next year or early in 2015.

Slagle tells Mining Weekly that BMT JFA, with BMT Group, is interested in expanding its services into Africa.

“Our participation in the Ranobe mine project has garnered interest from other junior mining companies looking to export resources from Madagascar and other African coastal countries.”

He adds that the com- pany’s presence in the region has opened doors for new contracts and opportunities with various African ports and maritime authorities.

“Tapping into BMT Group’s wide range of specialised engineering knowledge and experience, BMT JFA is connecting proven solutions with engineering challenges specific to the growing maritime industry in Africa.”

Slagle says working in an aggressive and uncertain marine environment can pose con- siderable technical and practical challenges, which the company has to deal with every day.

“However, BMT JFA is well equipped to deal with these situations. We take on the water- side challenges so that our clients – most of whom would be more familiar with the mining and landside works – do not have to.”

Edited by Megan van Wyngaardt
Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

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