Project Showcase
Client: Oyu Tolgoi
Location: Mongolia
Status: Current
Oyu Tolgoi, in the South Gobi region of Mongolia, is one of the largest known copper and gold deposits in the world. It is also one of the most modern, safe and sustainable operations in existence. RSV performed the following Engineering and Design services for the Oyu Tolgoi Project:
· Shaft No 2 Headframe and Hoisting Systems Engineering and Design, as well as construction support services
· Shaft No 3 Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering and Design of Headframe and Hoisting Systems
· Shaft No 4 Headframe and Hoisting Systems Optimisation Study Engineering and Design
· Shaft No 5 Headframe and Hoisting Systems Engineering and Design
Client: TRP Merensky Project
Location: South Africa
Status: Current
Two Rivers Platinum (Pty) Ltd (the Client) operates a mine located on the eastern limb of the Bushveld Complex, on the Dwarsrivier 372KT farm near the towns of Lydenburg and Steelpoort, in Mpumalanga province. The Project scope of work entails further development of the mine for extraction of the Merensky reef which is situated above the UG2 reef and is currently not being mined.
RSV scope of work on this project comprises the engineering, procurement and contract management (EPCM) of the infrastructure facilities for surface and underground areas to support the Merensky reef mining operations:
· Surface bulk earthworks and civils for the various facilities
· Electrical power distribution, including overhead power lines, transformers, electrical cabling, substations and switchgear
· Emergency power generators
· Control and Instrumentation for automation and control of facilities
· Communication network including voice, SCADA and PLC communication networks
· Piped services including potable -, service -, fire suppression -, sewage -, waste – and stormwater
· Surface and underground pump stations
· Air compressors
· Surface and underground ore handling comprising decline conveyor, strike conveyors and transfer chutes. Surface ore handling battery limit is discharge into surface ROM silo
· Ventilation fans
· Surface area TMM workshop
· Change house
· Lamproom and crush
· Roads and vehicle parking areas
· Security fencing, access control and CCTV systems
Surface area offices, stores and material laydown facilities
Client: Clencore
Location: Steelpoort
Status: Completed 2017
The Thorncliffe PGM Recovery Plant treats current arisings from three Chrome processing plants together with re-mined dump tailings to recover Platinum Group Metals (PGM).
The plant consists of an upfront section that will receive, combine and condition the three streams from where a combined stream is treated by the PGM recovery plant.
The plant is based on a conventional flotation circuit including rougher flotation, cleaning and re-cleaning. The final concentrate is thickened and despatched to for toll smelting and the final tailings is pumped to a nearby tailings disposal facility.
The RSV scope of services included the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of this facility.
Client: BHP Billiton (Metalloys)
Location: Meyerton
Status: Completed March 2013
Metalloys Meyerton (BHP Billiton company) enhanced their FeMn production by the addition of a new furnace (M14) to its plant.
The circular furnace required 75 MVA of power to operate, which make it one of the largest of its kind in the Southern hemisphere at that time. A unique feature of the furnace was that CO off-gas from the plant was piped to Metalloys’ adjacent power Co-Generation Plant (Elgen). The project CAPEX was ZAR 800 million.
RSV provided EPCM services to upgrade the Elgen Plant as part of the overall M14 Project.
The scope of work included all engineering design disciplines: Process, mechanical, structural, civil, electrical, and control and instrumentation engineering, as well as procurement project and construction management.
The project was completed in March 2013 when the first metal tap was produced.
Client: Impala Platinium
Location: Rustenburg
Status: Completed 2008
Impala Mineral Processes near Rustenburg, South Africa, required a flash dryer to dry toll concentrate prior to the concentrate being sent to its furnaces.
A dryer rated at 40tph was identified as being necessary to meet planned demands. It involved the integration and management of various technology suppliers in order to achieve the required 40tph at less than 0.1% moisture from a toll supply of between 14 -24% moisture content.
Following the feasibility study, which was conducted by RSV, RSV was awarded the EPCM contract for the implementation phase of the Flash Dryer Project.
RSV was responsible for engineering (all disciplines), procurement, construction management, safety management, commissioning and overall project management. The plant included a 40 tph flash dryer, toll concentrate feed facilities, coal bunker, dry concentrate pneumatic conveying system, and a 7500 t concrete site. The project had zero LTIF.
Client: Barrick Newmont: Tanami Expansion project
Location: Northern Territory of Australia
Status: Current
RSV was involved in the engineering and design, from concept through to feasibility, of a 5,4 m diameter raise bored shaft and the associated surface and underground infrastructure. Subsequently, RSV performed the detailed design of the headframe and is providing support during the construction phase.
The project is situate in the Northern Territory of Australia, approximately 540 km north-west of Alice Springs.
This shaft will be equipped for personnel, material and rock hoisting. The project is currently in the implementation phase.
The studies entailed the engineering design and cost estimation for the construction of the following infrastructure:
· 1460 metres deep vertical mine shaft which serves as a production, personnel and small materials, and ventilation intake shaft
· A headframe and shaft system, including a double-drum personnel and materials hoist, and a Koepe production hoist
· Surface infrastructure, a bulk earthworks engineered terrace, various mining operation buildings, and services provision
(water, air, electricity, waste, etc.)
· Underground infrastructure for crushing, storing, and transporting of rock, and various underground services (water, air,
electricity, communications etc.)
The shaft is designed to achieve a production target of circa 4 Mtpa of rock. RSV is currently performing the detailed design of the Head Frame
Client: Marikana Karee 4
Location: Rustenburg
Status: Current
The Sibanye Stillwater Marikana K4 Shaft was put on care and maintenance during Sept 2016 after previous equipping of the upper five levels 26 level down to 29 with 30 and 31 levels to a lesser extent and 32 to 35 not yet equipped. The shaft complex consists of two vertical shafts, one as a downcast shaft from 26 to 36 (Belt) level and the other an up-cast shaft from surface down to 31 level.
RSV scope of work comprises EPCM services to facilitate the transfiguration of the mine from previously mothballed status to full production mode. This includes construction of incomplete, as well as upgrade of surface and underground infrastructure facilities to allow the mine to operate at the designed production level.
The project commenced in June 2021 and the EPCM scope of work is scheduled for completion in April 2027, with a
duration of 5 years and ten months.
Client: Lonmin Karee No. 4 Shaft
Location: Rustenburg
Status: Completed
RSV provided full EPCM services, with additional focus on assisting the client’s operational readiness programme, post shaft and surface infrastructure completion.
The scope of services included Project and Construction Management and across all engineering disciplines for shaft sinking and equipping of twin vertical shafts comprised of a 1350 m deep production shaft serviced by a new Koepe winder, and a refurbished double drum personnel and material winder; as well as the 1170 m deep ventilation shaft, which was equipped with a refurbished headgear and double drum service winder to serve as an emergency second outlet for the mine.
RSV carried out the studies for the ore reserve development (ORD) project required to bring the shaft to full production. RSV also provided seconded personnel to the Client’s Construction Team to assist in the execution of the ORD. This work included the introduction of hydro powered drilling and cleaning equipment.
The project scope was later amended to include the first leg of a second, raise bored ventilation shaft and ore reserve development. Subsequently the shaft was mothballed for some 12 years.
Client: Impala Platinum
Location: Rustenburg, North West Province, South Africa
Status: Completed 2013
RSV undertook the concept study, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies and provided full ECPM services for the No. 16 Shaft project, which comprised the sinking and equipping of twin vertical shafts, surface and underground infrastructure, and management of client appointed specialist contractors.
Both shafts are concrete-lined and 1,675 m deep; the main shaft has a diameter of 10 m, and handles 256,500 tons of ore and waste per month. The
headgear houses the two, production and service, Koepe friction winders and at an overall height of 131 m from the underground foundation, is the tallest such structure in the world.
Design parameters:
· No 16 Shaft
· 10,0 m dia. (1665m deep)
· Towermounted Koepe Rock Winder
· Towermounted Koepe Personnel and Material Winder
· Double drum service winder
No 16 Ventilation Shaft
· 6,8 m dia. (1450m deep)
Client: Anglo American Platinum
Location: Rustenburg, North West Province, South Africa
Status: Completed
Rustenburg Platinum Mines is situated in the North West Province of South Africa and the Bathopele Mine is situated within the Rustenburg Platinum Mines Rustenburg Section.
The purpose of the Bathopele Mine Phase 5 Project was to open up the remaining UG2 reserve at the Bathopele Mine for mining and provide the required infrastructure and services in support of this venture.
RSV provided Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Project Management Services for this project.
Client: Anglo American Platinum
Location: Rustenburg, North West Province, South Africa
Status: Completed 2014
RSV undertook the full Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) project execution service to Sasol Mining in association with partner company GOBA Consulting Engineers.
The services included the development of the complete mine complex including the shaft systems (service, ventilation and decline shaft), materials handling systems (surface 18km overland conveyor, surge bunker and underground conveyors and surge bins) together with all supporting mine infrastructure (offices, workshops, change house, water supply, power supply).
This project entailed the development of a greenfield 10.6 million tpa underground replacement coal mine for Sasol Mining targeting no 4 coal seam at a depth of 160 m below surface, at a capital budget of ZAR3.4 billion.
The following infrastructure had to be developed:
· Shaft infrastructure included an 11.7 m diameter blind sunk men/material shaft, a 10 m diameter blind sunk ventilation shaft and a 7.4 m by 3.5 m blind sunk decline shaft at 17 degrees housing two incline product conveyors.
· Mining included underground pit room development and equipping to support the first two productions sections.
· Surface infrastructure included access roads, office buildings, change houses, workshops and all engineering services and utilities to service a mine with 12 Continuous Miner production sections.
· A Coal Handling System consisting of underground trunk conveyors, underground surge bunker, twin incline conveyors bringing the coal to surface, a 15 000 t coal bunker on surface and a 18 km long overland conveyor system delivering the product to existing Sasol plant infrastructure.
Client: Sasol Mining
Location: Secunda, Mpumulanga, South Africa
Status: Completed
RSV undertook the feasibility study and full Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) project execution service to Sasol in association with partner company GOBA Consulting Engineers.
This project will serve as a replacement mine for production of the current Sasol Brandspruit mine. The Impumelelo mine will produce coal for Sasol Synfuels.
Development of a greenfield 10.5 million tpa underground replacement coal mine for Sasol Mining targeting no 4 coal seam and no 2 coal seam at a depth of 180 m below surface.
The following Infrastructure had to be developed:
· Shaft infrastructure consisting of a 11.7m diameter blind sunk men/material shaft to 200m below surface, a 10m diameter blind sunk ventilation shaft and a 6.5m by 3m blind sunk decline shaft at 17 degrees housing a single incline product conveyor.
· Mining included underground pit room development and equipping to support the first production section.
· Surface infrastructure included access roads, office buildings, change houses, workshops and all engineering services and utilities to service a mine with 12 continuous miner production sections and 3 stone work sections.
· A Coal Handling System including underground trunk conveyors, underground surge bunker, single incline conveyor bringing the coal to surface, a 15,000t coal bunker on surface and a 28km long overland conveyor system delivering the product to existing Sasol plant infrastructure.
Client: Palabora Mining Company (PMC)
Location: Phalaborwa, South Africa
Status: Completed
Palabora Mining Company (previously owned by Rio Tinto) is located some 500 km from Johannesburg and is accessible by both road and air. Ba-Phalaborwa lies in the lowveld region approximately 500 km from the coast of Mozambique
RSV is extremely proud of the achievements for this project which commenced in 2011 with an Order-of-magnitude study for the Lift II mine extension
Palabora Copper is a nominal 33,5 ktpd block cave mining operation with an anticipated LOM until 2017. It is currently establishing a second block cave (Lift II) at some 430 metres below the existing operation, such which will include a twin decline shaft system as a means of accessing the deeper part of the ore body below and the construction of all associated infrastructure.
The execution phase of the project has commenced early in 2015 when RSV was appointed as the main EPCM consultant.
The scope of services includes all engineering disciplines as well as procurement, project, safety and construction management
The scope of our services includes:
· Supervision of underground mining and construction
· Engineering design management
· Surface infrastructure design
· Ore handling system design
· Permanent services design
· Temporary and main mine dewatering design
· Workshop designs
· Cross cut services design
· Refuge bays design
· Roadways design
· Electrical infrastructure design
· Communications and information systems design
· Leaky feeder system design
· Wi-Fi infrastructure design
· Fleet management system
· PCS7 implementation via AS-400 stations, AS-400 interfacing to MV switchgear panels (11kV)
· Environmental monitoring system and conveyor monitoring and control systems.
This was a brownfields project requiring close co-operation between the project team and operations to ensure timeous delivery the project against the schedule.
Client: Lonmin Platinum
Location: Marikana, North West Province, South Africa
Status: Completed January 2011
RSV conducted the Feasibility Study for Karee 3 Shaft Merensky and UG2 Sub-declines and were subsequently awarded the full EPCM contract.
The project entailed the sinking of two parallel, chairlift and conveyor/material, nine degree declines with four levels each and establishing the infrastructure at the bottom of the declines.
A service winder was installed to operate a Gondola system for material transport down the declines.
This was a brownfields project necessitating close interaction with the client operations team and active involvement in logistics management of all personnel and equipment from surface to protect the scheduled activities and ensure timeous completion. The project was ultimately handed over, within budget and ahead of schedule..
