Attracting other participants

It is also the case that companies that had

former specialisms in other industries such as

power, oil/gas and chemicals, are moving into

mining EPCM. Technip is a good successful

example of a company that has done this.

Denegre comments: “Technip was already a

world leader in the fields of massive LSTK EPC

for the oil and gas industry. The company then

made the acquisition in 2009 of Sofremines,

today Technip Mines, a recognised player

providing consulting and engineering services

for mine design and ore beneficiation.”

Another good example is KBR, well known

worldwide as the huge global engineering,

construction and services group supporting the

energy, petrochemicals, government services

and civil infrastructure sectors. But it too has

entered the mining sector through its Minerals

division. As EPCM contractor, KBR in association

with Lycopodium delivered all mining facilities

for the Hope Downs 1 (North and South) iron

ore deposits. Included were mine pre-strip and

dewatering, mine infrastructure, materials

handling, processing plant, rail load-out

facilities, stockpiling, and power and water

supply. After performing the initial feasibility

work including design options and preliminary

engineering, KBR was engaged to provide EPCM

services to Energy Resources of Australia (ERA)

for a new water treatment plant at ERA’s Ranger

uranium mine operation at Jabiru. The plant

Incorporates a state-of-the-art, 7 million litres/d,

ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis desalination

plant. Finally, KBR, as part of a 20-year association

with BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam mine – the

world’s largest uranium deposit and fourthlargest

copper deposit – has produced feasibility

studies and environmental management plans,

designed access roads, supplied process and

potable water and high-voltage power, and

delivered stand-alone EPCM projects for

multiple aspects of the mine’s development.

Review of industry players

The following seven companies by no means

comprise the whole EPCM market but give agood overview of the roles and types of

companies involved, as well as some of the

recently completed projects and those still

underway.

TWP

South Africa-based TWP is currently managing

a project portfolio with a capital value of more

than $25 billion. The group has technical and

project management expertise in most areas of

the mining value chain and in many

commodities. TWP Projects, the main

operating company, has a number of divisions

that focus on specific market areas. These

Include mining and mining infrastructure,

process plants, energy, and bulk infrastructure.

TWP Projects is currently managing 13 deep

level shaft projects. TWP also has a large

architectural practice, TPSP, as well as a plant

operating company. The group’s geographic

focus includes Africa, South America and

Australia, with offices in a number of African

countries as well as Peru (Lima) and Australia

(Perth). In conjunction with parent company

Basil Read, TWP has the ability to tackle

projects in the mining, infrastructure and

energy markets using EPCM as well as

EPC/turnkey contracting models.

Recent work includes a contract with

Beacon Hill Resources to complete the

definitive feasibility

study for the Minas

Moatize coal mine in

Mozambique. The

stage one agreement

includes the design

of the coal handling

and preparation

plant, and the opencast

mine.

TWP Projects is

also the EPCM

contractor on the

Styldrift project, an

extension of the

Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine (BRPM) in

South Africa which involves developing a main

shaft and services shaft and other surface

infrastructure.

In 2010, TWP Projects successfully

completed phase one of the Konkola Deeps

mining project in Zambia, a four year project

which has culminated in one of the largest

steel headgears in the world for the mine’s

new No 4 Shaft, standing at 81.5 m.

More recently, in March 2010, Red5

awarded TWP Australia the EPCM contract for

the Greenstone Resources Siana gold project in

the Philippines. The project scope is for a 1.1

Mt/y carbon-in-leach gold processing facility,

including utilities, services and infrastructure.

Continental Coal, a South African thermal

coal producer, selected TWP as the consultants

for the DeWittekrans feasibility study which

started in January 2011, and will be completed

in mid-2011.

Impala Platinum awarded TWP the contract

for a feasibility study on its No 18 shaft, which

will be Impala’s deepest shaft to date, at over

1 km.

Mauritius-based Mimosa Investments has

awarded the Mimosa mine phase six project in

Zimbabwe to TWP. Scope of work includes the

engineering, design and planning to extend

the life of the mine.

TWP is also working on a life-of-mine study

at coal miner Anglo Thermal Coal’s New Vaal

colliery, investigating the life extension of the

mine, and will undertake the long-term

planning for the mine. Finally, the group’s

infrastructure division has secured a 3-5 year

contract at Kumba’s Sishen mine for

infrastructure and housing.