ORGANIC GROWTH IN AFRICA
MCM’s Synclinorium project at Nkana copper and cobalt mine
ZAMBIA
Murray & Roberts has established a permanent presence in Zambia with the opening of an office in Kitwe to serve clients in central Africa. Key mining projects currently underway in the country include:
MUFULIRA DEEPS CONTRACT
Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) has awarded Murray & Roberts Cementation the contract to sink a new vertical shaft and develop the related underground infrastructure at the Mufulira Deeps project near Kitwe. The contract is the second awarded by Mopani Copper Mines to Murray & Roberts Cementation which is also providing shaftsinking services for the MCM’s Synclinorium project
NKANA MINE SYNCLINORIUM SHAFT
Murray & Roberts Cementation was awarded the shaftsinking and equipping of the Synclinorium shaft in Kitwe, Zambia in July 2011 and reached the 700 metre mark early in 2013. The contract is due for completion in June 2015 and is the second largest awarded to the company in Zambia and the first awarded by MCM. The shaft project will establish a hoisting and ventilation facility to extract ore from the Nkana Synclinorium ore body.
LUBAMBE COPPER MINE
Murray & Roberts Cementation was also awarded a decline sinking shaft and underground infrastructure development at Lubambe Copper Mine (formally known as Konkola North) in 2010. The project was completed in October 2012 – well ahead of time and schedule and Murray & Roberts Cementation was awarded follow on development contracts. There are currently four mechanised development crews on the mine doing 1 200 metres of development per month, an average of 300 metres per crew per month.
ORGANIC GROWTH IN AFRICA
Gold Fields Tarkwa project
GHANA
Murray & Roberts Cementation was also awarded a decline sinking shaft and underground infrastructure development at Lubambe Copper Mine (formally known as Konkola North) in 2010. The project was completed in October 2012 – well ahead of time and schedule and Murray & Roberts Cementation was awarded follow on development contracts. There are currently four mechanised development crews on the mine doing 1 200 metres of development per month, an average of 300 metres per crew per month.
Gold Fields Tarkwa project
Awarded to Murray & Roberts and subcontractor NuWater in August 2012, the Tarkwa project involves the provision of two rapidly deployable modular plants. One plant is at the South Heap Leach treating 2,7Ml/d and the other is at the North Heap Leach treating 7,2Ml/d for the Tarkwa mine operations in Ghana. Murray & Roberts and NuWater were able to structure a flexible commercial solution that met the needs of Gold Fields based on a combination of rental and sold plants, as well as operation and maintenance services.
Akyem electrical and instrumentation project
Undertaken by Wade Walker in the eastern region of Ghana, the project has proceeded in two phases: early works and construction power and a process plant. It has involved 235 km of cable racking supports, 75 km of small power and lighting cabling, a 19 km overhead power line and 230 electrical field devices.
Trojan Power pre-feasibility study for two 45 MW gas turbines
Murray & Roberts was awarded the pre-feasibility study in June 2013. The client, Trojan Power, currently operates a diesel power plant in the coastal city of Tema in Ghana. Murray & Roberts companies in the Engineering Africa platform are assisting with project management, engineering and construction planning in the conversion of the plant to a dual plant, using diesel and gas. Electricity produced from the upgraded plant will be supplied to the Volta River Authority.
Increased focus on private sector projects in Africa has resulted in a number of new contracts in the mining, power and water sectors.
