R3,2 BILLION CONTRACT AWARDED TO BOIPELO MINING CONTRACTORS

Boipelo Mining Contractors has been awarded a five-year, R3,2 billion contract for the provision of underground mining services at the Arnot coal mine in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The mine produces coal for Eskom’s Arnot power station.

Boipelo Mining Contractors, a BBBEE Level 1 underground mining contractor, is a joint venture between Murray & Roberts Cementation and Amandla TM and provides contracting services to the South African coal mining industry.

Says Charles Makgala, executive partner Boipelo Mining Contractors, “This is a key award for Boipelo and with our industryleading capabilities across the underground coal contract mining value chain, we look forward to delivering project excellence, safely and on time.”

The Murray & Roberts Group understands the global implications of climate change and is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and growing its service offerings in the cleaner energy sector. Considering the shortage of electricity in South Africa and Eskom’s dependence on its fleet of coal-fired power stations to generate electricity to meet base-load demand, the Group has decided to limit its coal mining service to the South African mining sector

CEMENTATION AND COMPAS MINERALS WIN THE HATCH-CIM MINING AND MINERALS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT SAFETY AWARD

The Hatch-CIM Mining & Minerals Project Development Safety Award is a prestigious award presented to the project team that carries out a major mine and mineral plant development project in Canada that best excels in safety.

The award criteria requires the project to be completed in Canada within the past two years and with over 300 000 work hours. Cementation’s application was the Goderich Mine Shaft Relining Project No 1 and No 2 Shafts, which was a complex and challenging scope of work, executed with 543 474 work hours and no lost-time injuries. The overall project duration was 1 673 days and achieved safe substantial completion by mid-February 2019.

From the beginning, there was full support and involvement from the mine operator, Compass Minerals, and its project management group, Bemac Construction Corp. Richard Bartlett, Cementation’s project manager for the project, said, “The culmination of achievements on this project were the result of a true team effort. Cementation, Compass Minerals and Bemac, along with our subcontractors and suppliers, embraced common goals to make this project a notable success for all stakeholders.”

The scope of work included demolishing and replacing two headframes, relining both shafts and installation of full circumference steel liners in both No 1 and No 2 Shafts, as well as related infrastructure to provide ventilation upgrades.

“Over and above all the expertise of the people and the teamwork between organisations and departments, what stood out for me from the Goderich Mine Shaft Relining Project, was the care that the teams showed to each other. Their commitment to ensure everyone made it home healthy and safe allowed this complex project to be completed without high potential events,” said Steve Wrixon, health and safety manager, Cementation. Safe work execution was a result of planning and dedication to health and safety as the team went beyond a culture of compliance, to one of commitment.

“It is a great achievement to receive safety recognition for a project of this scale, complexity and duration,” said Peter Baker, vice president, operations, Compass Minerals’ Goderich Mine. “This team effort required discipline, camaraderie and focus, with safety as a primary objective. Compass Minerals is proud of everyone involved in helping us operate as safely and efficiently as possible.”

RUC CEMENTATION INKS SUBCONTRACTOR AGREEMENT FOR TANAMI EXPANSION PROJECT

RUC Cementation Mining has signed a subcontractor agreement with GE Engineering Services for construction works at the Newmont Mining Tanami Expansion Project.

Newmont’s Tanami mine is located in the Tanami Desert, 540 kilometres from Alice Springs in Australia’s Northern Territory. It is a fly-in fly-out underground gold operation in one of Australia’s most remote locations.

Geoff Jones, GR Engineering Services managing director, says, “This is our first subcontractor agreement with RUC and we look forward to working together towards a safe and successful outcome for Newmont.”

GR Engineering Services is a leading engineering consulting and contracting company specialising in engineering design and construction services to the mining and mineral processing industries. Headquartered in Perth, it has offices in Brisbane and Indonesia and has successfully delivered projects in over 20 countries.

Barry Upton, RUC Cementation Mining managing director, says, “We are excited to engage with Newmont, the world’s largest gold producer, on this project.” Barry continues, “RUC and GR Engineering are both aligned in delivering safe projects, on time and to budget, while maintaining the highest health and safety standards and we are pleased to be partnering on this project for Newmont.”

The Tanami Expansion Project includes the construction of permanent surface facilities such as winders, conveyors and headframe and the equipping and lining of a 5.5 metre diameter, 1 400 metre deep shaft. The contract is valued at approximately R2,3 billion. The project team has recently begun site preparations and the expected completion is in April 2023.

The Group’s Mining platform holds a leading position in most major regional underground mining markets in the western world and is well positioned to benefit from the expected improvement in market conditions