Modern Mining June 2019

COMPANIES

mining clients and which used to be undertaken by the group’s advisory and consulting arm is now being handled directly by Worley’s MM&M business unit. “From a client perspective, the changeover is trans- parent as they will be dealing with the same teams working off the same systems and from the same offices.” On the subject of the ‘digitalisation’ of min- ing, Hull emphasises that Worley is a world leader in the application of digital tech- niques to the planning, design

streamlined implementation of scope changes, and real-time progress reporting. “We’ve already applied our digital technol- ogy to several projects here in South Africa – and indeed further afield – and we’re roll- ing it out fully on a major new project we’ve recently been awarded,” says Hull. “The cli- ent is very receptive to innovation and has embraced the concept wholeheartedly. Moving forward, the intention is to apply our digital capabilities to all of this client’s projects that would benefit from it and we are working on this delivery strategy.” Hull adds that Worley can also deploy its unique StepWise process to expediently create option analyses for clients. This is a fully inte- grated financial and technical process model that assists clients to make strategic deci- sions on potential investments, especially in the resource sector, with a focus on maximis- ing returns while minimising and managing exposure to risk. Opportunities and risks are identified early in the process, thereby offer- ing real value choices quickly and at a very low cost. Summing up, Hull says that Worley – in the wake of its acquisition of Jacobs ECR – is now better equipped than ever to provide its min- ing clients in Africa with a full service offering across the entire mining business value chain, with its global capabilities meshing seam- lessly with its in-depth knowledge of mining in Africa derived from more than 35 years of engagement with the continent’s resources sector. “We already have a strong track record behind us in Africa and we intend to build on this to become the partner of choice for mining companies operating across the continent.” 

and execution of mining projects, with the South African office having been responsible for the design and development of much of the group’s leading-edge technology in mining and minerals processing. “We have developed techniques that revolu- tionise project design and implementation,” he says. “They allow for significant savings in cost and time and give not only our own engineers but also clients a real insight into how their projects will look and perform. In essence, a ‘digital twin’ of the project is created which can be viewed using virtual reality technology. The level of detail available is incredible. To give you an example, it is perfectly possible now to stand on a site, select a component or part such as a pump or valve in the digital twin and call up the name of the manufacturer, the part number, the specs and other relevant information.” Worley’s digital offering draws on data centric design technology that utilises rapid prototyping, and other innovative processes such as Industrial and Building Information Modelling (BIM) to create a sophisticated digital project design platform and prepare for project execution as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. Building Information Modelling augments the three primary spatial dimensions of width, height and depth with 4D, 5D and 7D technology. The incorporation of 7D technology, the most recent development, takes the ‘digital twin’ concept into a project’s operational phase. Benefits of using the technology include improved design and construction produc- tivity, early identification of crucial design oversights that lead to expensive rework,

Worley is a world leader in the application of digital techniques to the planning, design and execution of mining projects.

June 2019  MODERN MINING  25