IN THE STOPE
There has also been an increase in the use of digitisation
in the project design and mine development. Our Building
Information Modelling (BIM), 4D, 5D, 6D and 7D technologies
are extremely popular and more companies are making
use of this technology. BIM is used to create a sophisticated
digital project design/twin platform and to prepare for project
execution as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. BIM
augments the three primary spatial dimensions of width, height
and depth with 4D, 5D, 6D and 7D technology, which allows
the project team to visualise project objectives and will greatly
improve operational efficiency.
Are mining companies designing and developing new mines
with technology, digitisation and automation in mind?
Our rapid prototyping and StepWise systems enable us to very
quickly build concept studies in the very early phases, shorten
the feasibility phases, and significantly provide definitive
direction. The fully-integrated financial and technical StepWise
process model can be used to determine the best options for a
project by considering all the relevant techno-economic factors,
while rapid prototyping can create a visually data-centric smart
model of a facility early in the project development process.
Yes, definitely. Not only that, but they realise it is vital to
incorporate BIM and that they will need to manage information
systems through data-centric models and then feed that data
into mine-specific automation.
Robert Hull, vice president mining, minerals & metals Africa, at Worley.
How will all this technology and automation
change the mining industry in the future?
There has already been a significant
step change. In most projects that
we are involved in, from concept
studies all the way through to
implementation, there is a much
more data-centric focus. We
are able to run scenario testing
and can look at constructability
reviews through virtual reality.
Who knows what mining will look
like in five to ten years? The rate of
change right now is so high it can
only get better.
graphite, which are used in the production of
these new technologies. At the moment
this sector is very competitive, but very
exciting since most of these minerals
are found in Africa.
"There are many
positives about Africa
and lots of opportunities
as Africa hosts immense
mineral wealth.
What do you do as a company to adapt
to these rapid changes so that it benefits
your clients?
We identified the coming changes a long time
ago and implemented a formal business plan to make sure
we stay ahead of that curve. Our new technology solutions
prove that this was highly successful, and there has been an
immense uptake.
What are the opportunities in Africa?
There are many positives about Africa and lots of opportunities
as Africa hosts immense mineral wealth. This wealth, however,
needs to create real value for the people in those countries rich
in mineral reserves. I believe minerals will play a key role in the
development of the continent.
Which minerals or commodities will you be focusing on?
Amongst others, we are working on platinum group metals,
gold, diamond, iron ore, heavy minerals and manganese
projects in Africa. I believe phosphates and platinum will remain
big drivers. Globally, there is a big focus on clean energy and
technology including electric vehicles and batteries. As a result,
there will be an increased demand for minerals like lithium and
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The South African market seems
to have lost its shine. What is
your view on the mining industry
in South Africa?
We have seen a real upturn in
South African focused projects
in the last year. There has been
a positive upswing in terms of
projects being delivered, and
projects being driven through the
lifecycle. Not only early phase studies,
but we’ve also seen implementation studies,
feasibility projects, and engineering and design
projects coming through, and companies have
implemented some of those projects. A fair amount of those
are in brownfields expansion. But there are also a number of
greenfield projects, although a lot of them are still in early phase
and funding remains a challenge.
What role does infrastructure play in the development of a
new mine, and at what stage does Worley become involved?
The majority, if not all, of the projects undertaken by Worley
have infrastructure requirements, referred to as resource
infrastructure, as opposed to urban or public infrastructure.
As part of our project delivery services, we advise our clients
when and where the relevant infrastructure needs to integrate
with their project, as invariably these projects have unique
infrastructure challenges.
Typically, resource infrastructure includes front-end and delivery
services relating to transport facilities, logistics, terminals, power
and water supply and management, specialist consulting,
environmental considerations and non-process infrastructure
African Mining
African Mining October 2019
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