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Contract Mining News
Gold mining now under way at Sol Plaatjies project
By: Mia Breytenbach 19th August 2016 Mining has started at ASX-listed gold developer West Wits Mining’s Sol Plaatjies project within the Soweto Cluster prospecting right area, in Johannesburg. With prestripping completed over the past few weeks, the extraction of the first ore from the openpit is imminent. →
Working towards improving confidence in black-owned businesses
By: Sascha Solomons 15th July 2016 Black-owned companies servicing the mining industry are faced with challenges owing to the demand created for their services by the existing Mining Charter, which stipulates the need for black empowerment of emerging companies servicing the sector, says materials handling and hauling expert... →
FIKILE MASHININI Mining houses have little trust in 100%-black-owned companies, which is influenced by South Africa’s political background
Construction of tailings storage facilities at Tharisa platinum mine to be completed in six months 
By: Donna Slater 8th July 2016 Mine development and construction company Fraser Alexander has concluded a contract for platinum group metals (PGM) miner Tharisa Minerals to install and commission a tailings storage facility at its Tharisa mine. →
Mining equipment sector to reach $156bn by 2022 – report
By: Ilan Solomons 6th July 2016 The global mining equipment sector is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.9% between 2016 and 2022, to reach a value of over $150-billion by 2022. This was according to a new report published on Monday by global market research company Allied Market Research (AMR) titled ‘World... →
enX, Eqstra sign R7.8bn deal to create ‘industrial powerhouse’
By: Creamer Media Reporter 30th June 2016 JSE-listed industrial energy group enX will acquire two of JSE-listed industrial and capital equipment group Eqstra’s divisions and recapitalise Eqstra’s contract mining division in a R7.8-billion deal. enX would issue 52.7-million of its shares (consideration shares), at R21 apiece, to Eqstra... →
Production, maintenance reporting systems to improve production fleet
17th June 2016 Mining and communications technology provider 3D-P has released the 3D-P Production Reporting and 3D-P Maintenance Reporting systems, powered by iVolve, to improve the efficiency of mines. Adding to its current portfolio of application integration solutions and wireless network services, 3D-P... →
EFFICIENCY OF MINES Production and maintenance reports contribute to better decision-making
Contract mining offers edge in depressed market 
By: Sascha Solomons 20th May 2016 Historically, mining was a highly protected industry and had a low propensity for outsourcing, but more operations are being outsourced across Africa, says global consultant and adviser Deloitte. This is owing to mines not having access to robust mining systems and processes, expertise and the... →
Greater demand for outsourced service providers possible
By: Sascha Solomons 20th May 2016 Mining projects in South Africa have been placed on hold, owing to the current commodities oversupply and price slump, as well as the shortage of funding for projects, but the concern is whether South Africa will be able to ramp up production when the industry recovers, states specialist... →
South African EPCM business acquired by Swiss company
20th May 2016 Worldwide supplier of advanced technologies, products and services for the metals and mining industries Tenova has concluded the sale of its South African electronically commutated permanent magnet (ECPM) business operation Bateman Projects. The company announced the successful demerger in April,... →
Contractor finds value in gold mine dumps
By: Sascha Solomons 20th May 2016 Although tailings retreatment is not new to South Africa, the country’s mine dumps, especially those of the gold mining sector, still hold immeasurable value that could increase the profitability of mining projects for clients and contractors, says materials handling and hauling expert Ncamiso... →
Positive progress at Kombat copper mine
13th May 2016 Canadian exploration and development company Kombat Copper president and CEO Paul Bozoki is confident that the Kombat copper mine, in the Otavi Mountainlands of Namibia, will start production in late 2016 and begin generating cash flow for the company. →
MCC
6th May 2016 MCC, the contract mining, plant leasing and rental division of JSE-listed Eqstra, continues to prove that commitment to partnering with its clients to ensure joint survival and success in the globally constrained mining market has resulted in improved performance and growth of its order book. “We... →
Contract miner to restructure partnerships to enhance rewards
By: Kimberley Smuts 6th May 2016 The contract mining, plant leasing and rental division of Eqstra, MCC, is taking a new approach to contract mining to improve its partnerships with clients. The company has embarked on creating a contract model that works on a project-to-project basis to reduce costs, increase revenue and grow... →
Dismissal of R42m claim sends coal company's share price up
By: Martin Creamer 3rd May 2016 A R42.5-million claim brought against coal mining company Keaton Mining by opencast mining services company Megacube Mining has been dismissed with costs. The JSE-listed Keaton said in a Stock Exchange News Service announcement on Tuesday that Megacube would also be liable for its failure to... →
Mandi Glad
Companies ink deal to co-market hard-rock mining services in Africa
By: David Oliveira 15th April 2016 Australian underground hard-rock mining contractor PYBAR Mining Services announced a three-year agreement with LSE-listed drilling services company Capital Drilling earlier this month for the comarketing of underground hard-rock mining services in Africa. Capital Drilling is headquartered in... →
West African chamber to launch at Ghana mining event
8th April 2016 The newly formed West African Chamber of Mines (Wacom), which comprises chief executives from the chambers of mines in Ghana, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Burkina Faso, will be officially launched at the twelfth West African Mining & Power Exhibition (Wampex) in June. →
Eqstra H1 profit falls on exit of noncore operations
By: Natasha Odendaal 1st March 2016 JSE-listed Eqstra’s profits plunged into the red during the first half of the 2016 financial year, as an exit plan and overall progress made on the company’s 2020 strategy – and resultant impairments on discontinued operations – weighed on the interim financial results. The integrated leasing and... →
Watpac slaps BC Iron with A$53m counterclaim
By: Mariaan Webb 23rd February 2016 Mining services provider Watpac Civil & Mining has fired back at iron-ore company BC Iron with a counterclaim of A$52.78-million as the legal battle between the two companies intensifies. BC Iron, which is seeking damages for alleged failures by Watpac to comply with a mining services contract at... →
Merger enables engineering firm to weather tough market conditions
By: Nadine James 22nd January 2016 Metallurgical engineering company MDM Engineering has kept its head above water and has been able to secure new contracts despite the depressed market conditions in the mining industry, MDM executive director and founder George Bennett tells Mining Weekly. He attributes the company’s... →
Macmahon wins Telfer mining contract
By: Esmarie Iannucci 11th November 2015 Australian gold miner Newcrest Mining has awarded a mining contract at its Telfer mine, in Western Australia, to project house Macmahon Holdings. Newcrest in September decided to retain ownership of the Telfer openpit mine, but took the decision to move to contract mining in an effort to save costs. →
Excelsior awards mining contract
By: Esmarie Iannucci 9th November 2015 Gold developer Excelsior Gold has awarded an openpit mining contract to Hampton Transport Services at its Kalgoorlie North project, in Western Australia. Openpit mining was expected to start on November 16, with initial tonnes expected from the Castlereagh and Jackorite openpits, which along with... →
Mining contractor refocuses on after sales service offering
By: Nadine James 23rd October 2015 Environmental opencast mining contractor DynaD has renewed its focus on its after-sales services, partly owing to slow growth and development in a lacklustre coal sector, says DynaD drill and blasting director Chris Bester. “Nothing much happened in the coal industry in the past year,” he says,... →
Caterpillar restructuring to see more than 10 000 retrenchments by 2016
By: Henry Lazenby 25th September 2015 US-based heavy machinery and mining equipment manufacturer Caterpillar will retrench more than 10 000 employees by the end of 2016 as part of a significant restructuring and cost reduction plan, designed to lower operating costs by about $1.5-billion a year, once fully implemented. Starting later... →
M&R holds line on resources-focused strategy despite commodity meltdown
By: Terence Creamer 27th August 2015 Engineering and construction group Murray & Roberts (M&R) says it has no intention of shifting its strategy away from the international natural resources market, notwithstanding the prevailing weak climate for commodities and a bleak immediate outlook. Speaking to investors on Thursday, CEO Henry... →
Lack of projects, mining pressures challenging equipment suppliers
By: Mia Breytenbach 3rd July 2015 The “absolute dearth” of exciting, new mining projects, paired with the concern that South Africa is no longer a favoured destination for new mining projects are some of the greatest challenges facing equipment suppliers, states heavy equipment manufacturer Bell Equipment Sales Africa (Besa)... →
DECLINING SALES As large-scale projects are significantly limited, it is difficult for companies supplying equipment to the mining and construction sectors
Sentula narrows FY loss
By: Creamer Media Reporter 24th June 2015 Mining services provider Sentula Mining on Wednesday reported a marginal improvement in its headline loss a share to 41.3c for the financial year ended March 31, compared with a loss of 43.7c in the 2014 financial year. Its basic loss a share narrowed from 91.8c in 2014 to 50.5c in the year under... →
Macmahon flags multimillion-dollar writedown
By: Mariaan Webb 22nd June 2015 Mining contractor Macmahon Holdings on Monday announced that it expected to impair the carrying value of equipment and inventory held on June 30, 2015, by between $95-million and $125-million. This impairment would be in addition to the $130-million recorded in the company’s half-year financial... →
Finding good quality contractors a significant challenge
By: Bruce Montiea 22nd May 2015 Among the many challenges facing the South African mining industry, such as strikes, skills retention and load-shedding, the challenge of employing and managing contractors seems to be significant, says contractor compliance management solutions company ComplyWorks MD Nicolai Massyn. He notes... →
PREPARING TO BLAST Finding quality contractors is among the biggest challenges for miners
Contract mining, outsourcing industry increasingly competitive
By: Bruce Montiea 22nd May 2015 The contract mining and outsourcing industry is becoming increasingly ruthless, as big construction companies compete with smaller companies for contracts, says mining, construction and general plant hire company West Rand Plant Hire (WRPH). WRPH assistant plant manager Riaan Botes notes that... →
Miners turn to contractors during tough times
By: Bruce Montiea 22nd May 2015 Amid commodity-price pressure and high extraction costs, mining companies are looking to mining contractors for solutions to reduce costs, says surface mining company MCC Contract Mining CEO Justin Colling. He says, as a result, contracting companies have been forced to reassess their operating... →
More miners seeking contractor support for short-term planning
By: Bruce Montiea 22nd May 2015 An increased number of mining companies are seeking support from contractors for short-term tactical planning, as opposed to only long-term, strategic and life-of-mine planning, says opencast and underground mining consultant Sound Mining. However, Sound Mining director Vaughn Duke warns against... →
Company to optimise gold mine’s water treatment plant
10th April 2015 Water management company Veolia has been appointed to optimise, operate and maintain the water treatment plant of gold major AngloGold Ashanti’s Iduapriem gold mine in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem municipality of the western region of Ghana, over the next two years. “This contract that will be handled by... →
Eqstra not selling contract mining business – yet
By: Irma Venter 3rd March 2015 Eqstra Holdings was going to reduce its exposure to contract mining, but it was not yet ready to sell the troubled business, said CEO Walter Hill on Tuesday. He said Eqstra would not sell its contract mining business in a “depressed market”. He said it would be prudent to first make the business... →
Walter Hill
Downer wins Fortescue work
By: Esmarie Iannucci 23rd February 2015 Iron-ore major Fortescue Metals has awarded project house Downer Edi a A$720-million mining contract at Christmas Creek mine, in Western Australia. Downer is currently employed as the mining services contractor at the Christmas Creek 1 mine, while Macmahon Holdings performs mining services at... →
Local construction company secures contract in Ghana
By: Pimani Baloyi 23rd January 2015 South Africa-based privately-owned and managed structural steel, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, piping and platework (SMEIPP) construction company Redis Construction Afrika, which will exhibit at the 2015 Investing in African Mining Indaba, in November announced that it had been awarded... →
Company increases African network through indaba
By: Sashnee Moodley 23rd January 2015 Oil condition monitoring company WearCheck, a member of Setpoint Group, hopes to increase its network on the African continent and reach a new market of mining customers, MD Neil Robinson tells Mining Weekly. The company will exhibit at this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba, which is... →
SA mine fatality at all-time low, sets positive outlook for 2015
By: Natasha Odendaal 21st January 2015 South Africa may be gaining traction on its ambitions of “zero harm” within the mining sector, with indications that the number of recorded fatalities in 2014 had reached a record low with the unofficial count at 84. In the run-up to the release, at the end of January, of the latest Department of... →
Underground mining platform most active shaft sinker outside China
16th January 2015 With 22 active shaft projects under way globally, construction and engineering group Murray & Roberts’ underground mining platform is ranked the most active shaft sinking group in the world, outside of China, says Murray & Roberts Cementation business development executive Allan Widlake. The... →
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