Dra Mineral Projects

DRA has an extensive international track record

as an EPCM contractor in the mining sector.

While its roots are firmly in Africa, its global

footprint has been growing at a steady rate.

Internationally, the EPCM market has seen a

few companies able to deliver large projects

while smaller players focus on specialisation of

sub-sections of a project. However, this has

been the case in Africa only until recently. As a

result, DRA Mineral Projects has had to expand

its operations and expertise to include mining,

infrastructure and contract operations in order

to stay ahead of its competitors, a strategic

decision that DRA believes has worked in its

favour. Clients are realising more and more

that collaboration between them and the

EPCM contractor is essential for the success of

a project.

Uys comments: “In addition to its expertise

in mining and mineral processing, the

company owns Holley & Associates which

specialises in earthworks, civil, structural, shaft

steelwork and infrastructure design

engineering, DRA Technical Services whichspecialises in winder design and engineering,

as well as a fully-fledged E,C&I department

that is a self-sufficient leader in the industry.

Together, DRA is able to take a ‘total solutions’

approach to many of its projects.”

The company has an extensive track record

as an EPCM contractor on a number of

projects including Perseus Mining’s Central

Ashanti gold project in Ghana, a processing

plant with a 5.5 Mt/y output; and Impala

Platinum’s Zimplats operation in Zimbabwe,

where Phase 2 of the project will see the

plant’s overall output increased to 270,000

oz/mth.

DRA also completed the Khumani Iron Ore

expansion project in South Africa’s Northern

Cape province which extended the mine’s

output from 10 Mt/y to 16 Mt/y.

The group carried out the Nkomati Nickel

mine expansion project for Norilsk/African

Rainbow Minerals; the EPCM contract for the

Anglo American Zimbabwe Unki platinum

mine’s mining, infrastructure and 120,000

t/mth concentrator project; and the total

solution EPCM contract for the 1.8 Mt/y

Booysendal Platinum Concentrator for

Northam Platinum which includes mine detail

design, surface and underground infrastructure

as well as the process plant.

In addition to its African operations, DRA

has offices in Canada and Australia where it

states that a significant track record is starting

to develop, as well as design facilities in India

which provides the group with substantial

materials handling drawings and designs.

Mdm Group

MDM has the ability to

deliver fairly large scale

projects across a range

of minerals. Over the

last three years, the

South Africa-based

company has

completed for First

Uranium: the Ezulwini

integrated gold and

uranium plant at a cost of some $150 million;

the Mine Waste Solutions (MWS) $230 million

Phase 1b gold and uranium tailings plant,

which is believed to be the largest in the

world; and has commissioned the $150 million

MWS Phase 2 CIL gold tailings plant a month

ahead of schedule. MDM has also finalised the

Gold Fields West Wits gold and uranium

tailings BFS last year in a JV with DRA – MDM’s

scope is valued at $350 million, and includes

the principal work on the process plant. MDM

is also carrying out the FEED for the Tharisa

Expansion Project near Brits, South Africa,

which is a chromite and platinum project. The

company is also updating the Kalukundi

copper-cobalt FEED/BFS, a project owned by

Africo Resources. Finally, MDM is conducting

the EPCM work for the 3 Mt/y Kalagadi

Manganese project in South Africa. Outotec

are delivering the sinter plant and MDM the

balance of the plant requirements. The

following summarises MDM’s main projects

and contract values:

■ Gold Fields BFS – gold and uranium and

base metals extraction from tailings – MDM

scope $350 million

■ Commissioning PH2 project for Mine Waste

Solutions (First Uranium), 650,000 t/mth

gold CIL tailings plant – $150 million (EPC)

■ EPCM execution project for Kalagadi

Manganese (Kalahari Resources), scope

$200 million, commissioning mid-2012

■ EPCM execution project for Gold Fields. CIL

expansion at Tarkwa mine in Ghana, $20

million

■ FEED design for platinum/chromite project in

South Africa, value $150 million, execution

starts in May 2011 (EPC)

■ BFS study for Metorex, Kinsenda copper

concentrator project in DRC, value $55

million, execution starting May 2011.

Hatch

Hatch is recognised as one of the world

leaders across the entire mine lifecycle, from

pre-feasibility studies to commissioning. The

group has projects today with the 15 largest

metals companies in the world by market

capitalisation. It can also bring its full suite of

services to clients, such as its energy and