As the Global Centre of Excellence for Mining and Minerals, WorleyParsons’ South African operations has recently experienced a surge in the southern African platinum market, with a number of significant platinum projects to the combined value of almost R100-million currently underway in sub-Saharan Africa.

A renewed focus on platinum, particularly in South Africa and Zimbabwe, has brought a combination of new and existing customers to WorleyParsons as they seek out the company’s world-leading concept-to-completion expertise and major project design and delivery capabilities within the minerals and metals sector. WorleyParsons has broad-ranging experience developing decline shafts across a spectrum of mining industries, with specialist expertise in the platinum sector.

Steve Gouws, Business Development Director at WorleyParsons, attributes the company’s recent platinum project awards to its unparalleled and cutting-edge technical skills developed and honed at the world’s leading PGM producers, together with flexible, tailor-made solutions that are responsive to customers’ economic needs. 

“Over the past few years WorleyParsons has consolidated and streamlined operations to align with our customers’ requirements, and improvements and innovation in technology, expertise and production have allowed us to be more time-efficient, flexible and effective,” says Gouws. “While understanding and vision of a project is important, listening to the customer is key.”

Commenting on the renewed focus on platinum projects, WorleyParsons Project Director Ryan Illingworth says that the new contracts are mainly stay-in-business projects. In South Africa, the projects are concentrated on the eastern, western and northern limb of the Bushveld igneous complex, with services ranging from feasibility studies to a mix of engineering, procurement and construction management. These include a feasibility study for various life of mine underground extension projects on the western limb; detailed engineering, procurement and construction supervision services on the material handling system and all other underground infrastructure for an extension at a platinum mine on the eastern limb; and detailed engineering and project management support for the ongoing development of a new deep level underground platinum mine on the western limb, a project in which WorleyParsons has been involved for over 10 years.    

WorleyParsons’ scope of work on platinum projects in Zimbabwe includes a trade-off study for underground mine access for a new mine; and detailed engineering, procurement and construction supervision services on the material handling system for a new underground platinum mine. Both projects call for WorleyParsons’ bulk materials handling expertise. “For the execution work we have in Zimbabwe, we are equipped to put people on the ground,” says Illingworth.

WorleyParsons has extensive experience in process plant and shaft sinking projects in the platinum sector and has provided a full range of services across the mining value chain for major platinum projects including pre-feasibility, feasibility and early works projects, EPC management, bulk materials handling, procurement, manufacture, installation and commissioning, surface infrastructure, personnel logistics, and multiple optimisation projects.