Modern Mining November 2018

CONSULTANTS/ PROJECT HOUSES

Above: Entrance to the underground mine at the RHA tung- sten mine in Zimbabwe. Right: A diamond mine in Botswana photographed during a site visit by Bara. typical of what one would expect from a mining consultancy and includes mine design, layout and scheduling; the design and engineering of ventilation and cooling systems, mine infra- structure and tailings dams; environmental engineering; process plant engineering; opera- tional support; scoping and feasibility studies; Competent Persons Reports; and capital and operating cost generation. Pooley says that while Bara is not an EPC or EPCM contractor, it sometimes gets closely involved in project implementation. “We find that more and more of our clients are under- taking the execution of their projects in-house. Since they are typically juniors with limited resources, they will frequently require assis- tance when it comes to engineering design, procurement and management and this is a role that we can play. In effect, we become part of the Owner’s Engineering Team filling the gaps as required.” Discussing current conditions in mining, Pooley says there is a will amongst junior companies to progress their projects but that, all too often, their efforts are being sty- mied by ‘red tape’ – delays in permitting, for

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