Modern Mining June 2019

COMPANIES

Acquisition a major boost The recently completed acquisition by WorleyParsons (now rebranded as Worley) of the Energy, Chemicals and Resources division of Jacobs (Jacobs ECR), represents a major boost to Worley’s mining business and will also open significant opportunities for Worley’s Global Centre of Excellence for mining in Johannesburg. This is the view of Robert Hull, who now heads the Worley Mining, Minerals & Metals (MM&M) division for Africa.

A s Hull points out, Jacobs ECR, although probably best known for its dominant presence in the petrochemical and chemi- cal industries, was extremely strong in mining, with some major on-going prestige mining projects in its portfolio which is now inherited by Worley. These include a deep-level shaft for a copper and gold mine in Mongolia and a new materials handling facil- ity – able to handle up to 10 Mt/a of granulated and coarse material – for a polyhalite project in the UK. “The South African office is already contrib- uting to these and other projects that were in the

Worley’s Robert Hull.

Jacobs ECR portfolio,” says Hull. “The Global Centre of Excellence for mining services, the global Worley Group and the new projects that have been brought into the Group as a result of the merger will now benefit from the mining expertise that resides here in our Johannesburg office. This expertise extends to every aspect of mining, including shaft and mine development, minerals processing plants, materials handling, mine infrastructure, transport to market, and tailings and waste management.” He adds that a forte of the Johannesburg office is the design and construction of deep shafts, with the majority of the landmark shafts constructed in South Africa over the past 15

Underground at Wesizwe’s Bakubung PlatinumMine in the Western Bushveld. Worley has had a long involvement with the mine, which entered development in 2011.

22  MODERN MINING  June 2019