BE.Monthly

ACHIEVING BUSINESS EXCELLENCE ONLINE

MONTHLY EDITION July 2013

INCLUDING

decom north sea: london array: de beers: alma:

Searching the cosmos A special focus on the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA)

Included The BE Mining Directory showcases leading mining organisations from across the world, ranging from big corporations to junior mines and their supply chains.

Be seen throughout our portfolio of magazines: •BE Mining Directory •BE Mining •BE Weekly •BE Monthly •

Go to page 274 to see this month’s listing To find out how to get involved contact: vincent@bus-ex.com

business excellence Design Matt Johnson Art Director mjohnson@bus-ex.com Louise Culling Production Designer lculling@bus-ex.com

business Richard Turner Director of sales rturner@bus-ex.com Vince Kielty Director of Editorial Research vkielty@bus-ex.com Sharon Rooke Administration & Operations srooke@bus-ex.com

editorial John O’Hanlon Editor

John has contributed to Business Excellence since its inception: he joined the in-house editorial team in February 2013. johanlon@bus-ex.com

Will Daynes Editor

Will has been a business writer for three years. He joined the Business Excellence team in September 2012. wdaynes@bus-ex.com

CONTRIBUTORS George F. Brown, Jr.

George consults with industrial firms on growth strategy and is the cofounder of Blue Canyon Partners, Inc.

Christine Comaford

Matt Day Head of technology mday@bus-ex.com

Christine has built and sold five of her own businesses and acted as a consultant to the White House.

Andy Turner Chief Executive aturner@bus-ex.com

As president of SailPoint, Kevin oversees product development, marketing, sales, operations and client services on a global basis

Subscriptions

info@bus-ex.com

Kevin Cunningham

Maria Ferrante-Schepis

Maria has 20 years experience as an executive in the insurance and financial services industry.

Simon Hopkins Infinity Business Media Ltd Jacquard House, Queen Street, Norwich, NR2 4SX. England

Simon is cofounder of iBE.net, a developer of cloud and mobile-based business management software.

Anne Marie Kilkenny

www.bus-ex.com

Anne Marie is a Partner at business improvement specialist Oliver Wight.

The content of this magazine is copyright of Infinity Business Media Ltd. Redistribution or reproduction of any content is prohibited.

Amit Patni

© Copyright 2013 Infinity Business Media Ltd.

Amit Patni is Director, Risk Solutions at S&P Capital IQ.

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features

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18

12 supplychain

out of sight, not out of mind

Understanding your global supply chain to overcome challenges and ultimately create a competitive advantage.

18 strategy

Does Your Workplace Meet These Three Powerful Human Needs?

How to give your employees the three things they deeply crave—safety, belonging, and mattering.

26 operations

He Hasn’t an Enemy in the World – But All His Friends Hate Him

26 4 | BE Monthly

How business relationships between supplier and manufacturer impact on innovation, end customers and profitability.

contents

32

32 comment: innovation

Five mistakes that quash corporate innovation

How avoiding conventional thinking could provide a breakthrough for your business.

36 comment: technology

Devise a Mobile Strategy or Perish

Someday people will say, “Are you sure that in 2013 only 1 in 10 people paid for coffee using their phone?�

40 technology

Ready or Not: Your Mission-Critical Data is Moving to the Cloud How the IT department is being bypassed with cloud based applications and the associated security risks.

36

40 BE Monthly | 5

business showcase Special focus: Alma

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62

46 ALMA

Searching the cosmos The history behind the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the significant enhances it is helping bring to the scientific community.

62 Thales Alenia Space Reaching new heights

How Thales Alenia Space has helped ALMA achieve its potential.

70 Thales Geodis Freight and Logistics (TGFL) Trusted transportation

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TGFL’s role in bringing the ALMA project to life was one of the more complex and demanding of the whole undertaking.

contents

energy: 78 London Array

Powering the future Project Director, Richard Rigg, discusses the journey taken by and the lessons learnt from the London Array project, the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

78 94

oil & gas: 94 The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica Caribbean treasure trove

The PCJ exists to make this idyllic island nation self sufficient in energy: to this end it is engaging other oil producing governments and offshore exploration companies to develop the oilfields that surround it.

102 Qatargas

A national treasure

110

Sitting on top of plentiful reserves of natural gas, Qatargas is the world’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and a shining example of excellence within the energy sector.

110 DECOM North Sea The seas of change

DECOM North Sea is working to help drive forward an industry sector estimated to be worth in excess of £35 billion over 30 years.

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business showcase

132 124 Egoli Gas

The clean and reliable energy option From its base in Johannesburg Egoli Gas is helping to supply an increasing number of domestic and commercial customers with a constant supply of natural gas.

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healthcare:

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132 CHUM

New CHUM for Montreal After a decade of uncertainty Montreal, Quebec’s largest city with a population of 3.8 million and the second largest in Canada, is soon to benefit from a $2.5 billion state of the art teaching and research hospital that anyone will be happy to visit – or work at.

146 ESACHS

A clean bill of health General Manager, Javier Fuenzalida, discusses the vital contributions ESACHS makes towards Chile’s well-respected health care system.

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contents

Transport & logistics: 154 LLX (Açu Superport Project) A gateway to the future

LLX is the driving force behind the development of the Açu Superport, one of Latin America’s most important investment projects in recent history.

172 Gibraltar Port Authority

154

172

The gateway to the Mediterranean

The Gibraltar Port Authority has worked tirelessly to ensure that the Port of Gibraltar meets the needs of an ever-increasing flow of shipping traffic.

Mining & Minerals: 180 de beers

Forever friends The world’s leading diamond company it takes its responsibility for growing a sustainable industry very seriously.

180

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business showcase

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216

198 Nordgold

Flexible and on the move Since its establishment in 2007, outperforming the industry seems to have become a habit, and it has not been slow to adopt world class social initiatives either.

216 Australian Satellite Communications (ASC) Keeping things connected

The qualities that have brought ASC such success over the years and how its acquisition by SpeedCast will take the business to the next level.

224 PBE group

safety first

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PBE’s transformation into an international mining solutions provider and the continued diversification of its product suite.

contents

232

232 Resource Generation (Resgen) A major coal resource for South Africa Resgen is to all intents and purposes a South African coal mining company with a strong local partner and a huge stake in the future development of that nation.

244 Pesco

The tools for the job Over little more than a decade Pesco has emerged as a major player in the Chilean economy, supporting mining and a host of different industries.

244

256 Goldcorp mexico

The precious heart of the Americas Goldcorp’s Mexican operations provide an ever-growing pipeline of gold, silver and other metals.

266 PREVIEW: First Quantum Minerals – Trident project A project without equal

266

No other company has shown a greater commitment to Zambia’s recent economic growth than First Quantum Minerals, a fact highlighted further by the development of the Trident project.

BE Directory 274 BIA OVERSEAS SA

BIA: a fascinating never-ending adventure!

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out of sight no

As globalization increasingly become visibility, communication and underst to overcome challenges and ultimat

written by: Anne

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supplychain

ot out of mind

es a reality, organizations need good tanding of their extended supply chain tely create a competitive advantage

e Marie Kilkenny

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supplychain

N

o matter how efficient your organization, t here will a lway s be unplanned events that w it hout co - operat ion across the supply chain, will negatively impact your business. The tsunami in Japan last year was an extreme example. Some organizations only became aware of their third or fourth tier suppliers and the impact they have on the business, because they were in the tsunami-affected area.

Global supply chains are multifaceted, they’re dynamic and it is essential organizations, wherever they are situated within the supply chain, consider and monitor contributing factors.

National taxes, charges, laws and regulations all need consideration. Not to mention the impact of economic, political or market change - and of course natural disasters.

The geographic location of some countries also presents additional challenges. Take New Zealand, relatively isolated from the rest of the developed world, inbound

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and outbound shipping costs can be a significant factor, but it is the time it takes to get products to and from New Zealand which is the key issue. In the world of lean, transportation time is waste. Moreover, long shipment times expose the supply chain to demand and supply variability. Inventory is typically used to buffer the impact of any variability in supply or demand, but this inevitably increases working capital requirements.

These supply chain challenges can be better overcome not by increased stockholding, but by creating a more agile and efficient supply chain. The first step is to understand what the global supply chain you operate in looks like, end-toend. Mapping or modeling the extended supply chain can help to recognise the relative size and influence of different entities within the supply chain, and identify the most influential customers and suppliers, as well as areas of greatest complexity and risk. A major supermarket, for example, is likely to be an influential player. Even if they are several tiers away

from your own business, you have to consider their impact on the supply chain, because it is too significant to ignore.

Likewise, a supplier can be very influential, particularly if their product is in short supply, providing leverage for them to make demands on their customers.

A common problem I have seen in businesses across the world is their small size relative to their global supply chain. Those which are part of a global organization in some cases have little control over sourcing and

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product decisions, having to fall in line instead with Head Office decisions, made with a global rather than local perspective. It is particularly important in this instance to really understand your supply chain, so you have the opportunity to negotiate terms and conditions, or else develop products differently, so as not to be constrained mov ing for wards.

Segmentation, for example, can be an effective way of satisfying individual product and service needs whilst maintaining economies

of scale. And the strategy to customize or configure products locally may be one which can satisfy both global and local needs.

Once you have established a good understanding of your supply chain, partnerships need to be formed with those which have the greatest impact on your business, i.e. influential players and any weak links. Good communication is essential for this, and for ongoing understanding. I never cease to be amazed at the number of businesses which have

supplychain

“Once you have a good understanding of your supply chain, partnerships need to be formed with those which have the greatest impact on your business” very little dialogue with their supply chain partners, and as a result have very poor visibility of drivers behind customer demand and supplier costs.

Visibility is key, and the right processes have to be in place to allow this. Integrated Business

Planning (advanced S&OP), a business management process for running the entire organization, not only provides a 24-36 month rolling horizon, it directly links the corporate strategy and financial plans, and exerts control over the extended supply chain.

One global electrical components manufacturer we now work with, saw demand reduce globally by 35 percent in 60 days in 2008 as a result of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC).

Unable to re-plan their supply chains as quickly as the change in demand, inventories soared to over $250 million, decimating profitability. Having come through this, they have now introduced an Integrated

Business Planning process which enables them to model different supply chain scenarios, and they are now much better equipped to anticipate and react rapidly to ever-changing demand.

The events of the past few years – not only the GFC, but volcanic ash clouds, tsunamis, floods and catastrophic earthquakes – have made the need to optimize the global supply chain ever more pressing. Understanding your supply chain footprint, communicating effectively and forming strategic relationships throughout the extended supply chain is essential in overcoming the many and varied challenges of today to effectively meet customer demand in the most profitable way.

Anne Marie Kilkenny, Partner at business improvement specialist, Oliver Wight. www.oliverwight-eame.com

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Does Your W Meet The Powerful Hu

If you want to outperform, outsell, and o cue from Maslow (yes, the one with the hie employees the three things they deeply c

written by: Chri

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Strategy

Workplace ese Three uman Needs?

out-innovate the competition, first take a erarchy). Here, I explain how to give your crave—safety, belonging, and mattering

istine Comaford

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Y

ou want to grow your business and you’re pretty clear on what you need from your employees. Hard work. Efficiency. Innovation.

Motivation. Results. But what do your employees need from you? If you’re thinking in practical terms—a steady paycheck, a quiet workspace, more training—you’re wrong.

Well, at least you’re only partly right. Before they can meet your deepest needs, you have to meet theirs.

• Safety • Belonging • Mattering If this sounds familiar, it’s because Maslow said it first.

After our essential needs for food and shelter are met, our next level of needs includes safety, belonging, and mattering. Those are needed before we can seek self-actualization. In my new

book, SmartTribes: How Teams Become Brilliant Together, I explain that what that means in a work environment is that people simply can’t perform, innovate, agree, or move forward until those three needs have been met.

Un for t u nately, t he workplace is filled with situations that make employees feel that they’re not safe, that they don’t belong, and that they don’t matter. Unfair promotion practices, an intolerance for failure, micromanaging leaders, fuzzy communication practices—these are just a few conditions that can send people into the survivalfocused fight/flight/freeze part of the brain, creating what I call the Critter State.

To turn things around, you need to get employees into their so-called “Smart State,” where they have full access to their creativity, problem-solving ability, and

emotional engagement. You do that by promoting safety, belonging, and mattering.

The greater the feeling of safety (both emotional and physical), the more your people will feel connected (we’re in this together) and the more they’ll feel that they personally matter, make a difference, and are contributing to the greater good. And all of that leads to greater success for your company.

My clients attest that my techniques work.

“I initially hired Christine because I needed a business coach/mentor to help guide me, grow my business, and provide insight on improving process improvement, efficiencies, and building a great team and company,” says Gail Tolstoi-Miller, CEO, Consultnetworx. “In addition, CCA is known for helping change behavior that can be a hindrance

“Unfortunately, the workplace is filled with situations that make employees feel that they’re not safe, that they don’t belong, and that they don’t matter” 20 | Be monthly

Strategy

to your organization.

“The results have been terrific,” adds Tolstoi-Miller.

“In our first six months of working together, Christine helped me delegate low-value activities and gain 15 hours of strategic time per week, optimize our sales pipeline and process, get me out of stress and into peace and increased performance, streamline both marketing and account management…

I highly recommend CCA for any organization that wants to take their company to

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the next level and build a great team.”

So what can you do to create such a workplace?

Here, I offer several tips.

Understand what safety, belonging, and mattering mean The need for safety, belonging, and mattering isn’t going anywhere. It’s neurological and primal, so you need to understand what those things look like “in action.”

• Safety means creating

an environment where your people can take risks, stretch, and grow.

Be honest: Is it safe for employees to take risks at your company, or will they face consequences if their efforts fall short?

• Belonging means creating an environment where your team feels like a tight-knit tribe. Everyone is equal and rowing in the same direction to reach the organization’s goals.

It’s an admittedly extreme example, but think about

Strategy

“As a leader, your job is to identify whether it is safety, belonging, mattering— or a combination of the three—that is most important to your employee” gangs—where people will literally kill to stay in the tribe. That’s how powerful this stuff is.

• Mattering means that each individual contributes in a unique way. Every employee makes a difference, which is appreciated and publicly

acknowledged. Does your company culture work this way, or are individuals acknowledged only when they make mistakes?

Determine what your company culture is lacking As a leader, your job is to identify whether it is safety, belonging, mattering—or a combination of the three— that is most important to your employees.

A little observation and thought will answer the “which one” question. For example, if your team has an us vs. them mentality, they’re craving belonging. If they behave like victims and complain that they aren’t appreciated, they want to know that they matter. And if there’s an undertone of fear to supervisor-employee interactions, they need safety. Once you know which subconscious need is most

outstanding, do everything you can to satisfy it.

Influence your team through behaviors To truly motivate someone, you can’t just tell her what to do—you must make sure she’s emotionally invested and that she has a reason other than “the boss gave me this assignment” to keep forging ahead. The good news is, various cultural behaviors can boost the experience of safety, belonging, and mattering within your company and can help you to give employees this type of from-within fuel.

While the art (and science) of influence is so complex that entire books have been written about it, here are a few tactics that may help you to deliver safety, belonging, mattering through your behavior.

• C reate and share an engaging mission, vision,

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and value set for your organization. This will draw people together for a greater cause, help them see where they’re headed together, and set their “code of conduct” as a tribe.

• D evelop i nd iv idua l development plans for each of your people. This will show them how they matter, where they belong within your tribe, and how your company sees them as long-term investments (Job security—we’re safe!).

• Institute cultural rituals like high-fives, shoutouts, public appreciation in newsletters, etc. Even if they feel cheesy at first, these rituals will reinforce mattering and tribal customs (which underscore safety and belonging).

• Operate transparently. This means paying attention to accountability structures, open communication, fairness, etc. In order for

your people to feel safe and leave their Critter States, they need to know where the performance “bar” is and how to jump over it.

What I’ve described is the opposite of command & control. You engage and enroll.

You help people envision an exciting future and invite them to join you in creating it. That’s real influence.

Influence your team through communication It shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that the way you communicate with your people can make them feel safe, included, and appreciated— or not. Don’t underestimate the way you seek information and convey ideas.

When you want to help someone feel safe enough to shift out of his Critter State, try using one of these three influencing phrases.

• “What if…” When you use

this preface to an idea/ suggestion, you remove ego and reduce emotion.

You’re conveying that you’re curious—not forcing a position, but scratching your head and pondering.

This enables your employee to brainstorm more easily with you instead of feeling

“When you’re successful, your organization will enjoy more innovation, collaboration, engagement, and forward progress!”

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Strategy

that she needs to agree with the boss.

• “I need your help.” This tactic is called the dom-sub swap, because when the dominant person uses it, they are enrolling the subordinate person and asking them to rise up and swap roles. This is an especially effective phrase when you want a team member to change his behavior or take on more responsibility.

• “Would it be helpful if…”

When someone is stuck in her Critter State, spinning her wheels, or unable to

move forward, offering up a solution will help her to see a possible course of action or positive outcome.

Every employee can be happier and more effective if you simply identify whether

they crave more safety, belonging, or mattering and help them achieve those states. When you’re successful, your organization will enjoy more innovation, collaboration, engagement, and forward progress!

During her incredibly diverse career, Christine has consulted to the White House (Clinton and Bush), built and sold five of her own businesses with an average 700 percent return on investment, and has helped over 50 of her clients to exit their businesses for $12-425 million. She is a leadership columnist for Forbes.com and is frequently quoted in the business and technology media. www.christinecomaford.com

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He Hasn’t an Enemy in the World

But All His Friends Hate Him How business relationships between supplier and manufacturer impact on innovation, end customers and profitability

written by: George F. Brown, Jr.

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Operations

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I

once worked on a project on which, during interviews, both parties to a large supplierdistributor business relationship described the other as a “blood-sucking weasel”. This was an extreme case, but most firms involved in business relationships probably can cite an example of an important relationship that was constantly under strain. William Blake, the English poet and painter, has been quoted as saying “He hasn’t an enemy in the world – but all his friends hate him”. As was the case for the firms involved in the relationship described earlier, that statement applies all too frequently to the relationships between manufacturers and their suppliers and their channel partners.

Such characterizations are neither necessary nor inevitable.

I have seen many instances of CoDestiny business relationships in which both parties gain from the association, rewarding their shareholders in the process. The potential for such “win-win” relationships came up during a lunch discussion at a recent meeting

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hosted by the Institute for the Study of Business Markets.

The discussion participants all acknowledged how very difficult it is to keep business relationships on a positive keel, but all of them cited the benefits of doing so. Over the course of the discussion, several of the executives involved shared examples of contributions that had been made to their firms by suppliers and by channel partners that were important elements of their overall Go-to-Market strategy. Two important lessons emerged from those examples that can help to guide efforts in other firms.

A Shared Focus on Value Creation One case study involved an electrical distributor that had faced a troubled market a number of years ago, in part due to the recession and in part due to changes in the makeup of the industrial segment in his region.

One of their key suppliers came to them, explained that they recognized the situation, and offered to extend the relationship into a new vertical market where

“most firms business rel probably can c of an importan that was c under s

s involved in lationships cite an example nt relationship constantly strain”

Operations growth prospects were much stronger. The executive from the distributor organization provided the following observation: “Hearing about this opportunity reenergized our firm.

And it gave us a new perspective on business relationships. The manufacturer who came to us said we’d been a great partner, that they knew we would deliver, and that they wanted the relationship to continue and to grow. They invested in helping us to get up to speed and collaborated with us on sales calls – actually leading us – as we got going in the new segment.”

The two firms involved are currently profiting from their collaboration, gaining share and seeing improvements to each of their bottom lines.

Two critical lessons about building strategic relationships bet ween manufacturers and their business partners can be learned from this case study.

First, such relationships are business relationships, and both parties must recognize that the relationship will remain strong only as long as it makes economic sense for both parties. “Create

value to capture value” is good advice in all business markets. It is essential advice for manufacturers and their business partners that aspire to shared successes. To reach that goal, both parties must recognize opportunities and invest in creating value for the other party, not just as a “good citizen”, but as the route to capturing value for the firm’s own shareholders.

In a ny busi ne ss relationship, there are three routes to value creation. First is the possibility of increasing volume. Sometimes this involves capturing a greater market share.

In other instances, it can involve expanding the market by introducing new elements to the offer, frequently services or solutions packages. Second is the possibility of reaching a higher price point, either by motivating movement up the “Good-Better-Best” spectrum or by motivating the purchase of optional choices that can be added to the core products. Third is the possibility of improving the bottom lines of the two organizations by efficiency increases or simply taking costs out of the system. In

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strong business relationships, there is an open discussion as to the strategies that the two organizations can implement to create value through one or more of these routes. Every one of the success stories that I have heard about “win-win” business relationships built upon grew out of an idea that created value that could be shared by the firms involved.

There is a second lesson in this case study, and that is the fact that investments often have to be made in order to realize these shared gains. In this instance, the investment

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involved several dimensions – training, collaboration on sales calls, etc. Best-in-class partners know that success doesn’t just happen, and are willing to step up to the plate and make the investments necessary to achieve the growth and profit gains that can come from a strong and effective relationship.

An End Customer Focus Another example was provided by a firm in the food and beverage industry, in this case selling brands through supermarkets and other such

retailers. Their own research showed that one of the major issues voiced by consumers involved spoilage, in this instance an issue in terms of wasted food rather than one involving food safety.

As they were addressing this challenge, one of their packaging suppliers stepped up with insights that had emerged from working with a different customer in a very different industry. The concepts that they shared with this food manufacturer became an important element of their solution, one that in fact enabled them to gain a competitive advantage over the other brands that were alternatives to consumers.

This success story reflects one of the most important characteristics of healthy s u p p l i e r- m a n u f a c t u r e r relationships, namely a shared and primary focus on the end customers served by the “team”. Unhealthy relationships are often characterized by distrust about end customers. The supplier typically fears that the manufacturer will “take their best ideas and put them out for bid”.

And the manufacturer

Operations

“It is often hard to be a good partner in a business relationship, but the payoff can be enormous from making the commitment to do so” fears that the supplier will “pass information along to competitors as to innovation plans or product issues”.

But best-in-class partners to these relationships realize that success starts with a happy and satisfied end customer, and that it is a shared responsibility to achieve that outcome. In the example above, the only question on the table for both organizations was about how to meet the challenge of delivering a better product to the consumer.

To deliver at a high level of quality to end customers requires proactive planning and relationship management.

If all of the interactions between a supplier and a manufacturer involve the sales and purchasing teams, respectively, it’s unlikely that value creation such as described in the example above will occur. The right people in the right business

functions need to know one another and feel comfortable in interacting. To get to that point, the relationship must involve a foundation of trust, familiarity, and strong “touch points”, all of which require attention on an ongoing basis.

Summary It is interesting to contrast business relationships among “blood-sucking weasels” with those that create “win-win” outcomes that benefit both firms. Clearly, the latter is the preferred outcome, but the former is all too common.

Recognition that the relationship must make strong business sense to both parties and a constant focus on end customers are two critical elements that contribute to strong, profitable CoDestiny relationships. I began with a quote from William Blake, and will end with one from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” It is often hard to be a good partner in a business relationship, but the payoff can be enormous from making the commitment to do so.

George F. Brown, Jr. consults with industrial firms on growth strategy. He is the coauthor of CoDestiny: Overcome Your Growth Challenges by Helping Your Customers Overcome Theirs and the cofounder of Blue Canyon Partners, Inc. George has published frequently on topics relating to strategy in business markets, including articles in Industry Week, Industrial Distribution, Chief Executive, Business Excellence, Employment Relations Today, iP Frontline, Industrial Engineer, Industry Today, and many others. www.bluecanyonpartners.com

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Five mistakes that quash corporate innovation by: Maria Ferrante-Schepis

comment: innovation

T

he biggest breakt hroughs in the history of busi ness — a nd the history of the world—are never the result of conventional thinking, says Maria Ferrante-Schepis, a veteran in the insurance and financial services industry who now consults Fortune 100 companies such as GE with innovation agent Maddock Douglas, Inc. “To echo Harvard Business School professor Theodore Levitt back in 1960, ‘In every case, the reason growth (in business) is threatened, slowed or stopped is not because the market is saturated. It is because there has been a failure of management.’ Many of the world’s biggest companies are simply riding on inertia,” says Ferrante-Schepis, author of Flirting with the Uninterested, coauthored

by G. Michael Maddock, which explores innovation opportunity through the lens of the insurance industry.

“There’s a great saying in the South: ‘You can’t read the label when you are sitting inside the jar,’ ” says Maddock, CEO of Maddock

Douglas. “It’s hard to see a need and invent a way to fill that need when you’ve been inside one business or industry for a long time.”

Recognizing those needs requires stepping outside of the jar and viewing things from the outside, adds Ferrante-Schepis. “You can’t innovate from inside the jar, and if you aren’t innovating, you’re just waiting for the expiration date on your business,” she says.

Ferrante-Schepis and Maddock bust five myths relating to corporate innovation: 1. The preference of four out of five dentists doesn’t necessarily matter Many years ago, when the Maddock Douglas firm consulted with P&G to develop new oral healthcare products, Crest was recommended by most dentists. However, it turns out the market had shifted; consumers became more interested in bright smiles than healthy gums. Many industries make the mistake of getting their insights from their own experts rather than asking the consumer.

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do you have something to say?

We’re always looking for industry experts with an opinion.

Get in touch to share yours with us...

editorial@bus-ex.com

comment: innovation make sense to insiders, but say nothing to the average middle-class customer, which is prohibitive. Be very careful about the language you use. In this case, “voice of the customer” should be taken literally. Customers recognize, respond to and build from their own words more than from yours.

2. Giving all your love to those who already love you In the interest of preserving customer morale, too many companies focus on those who already love their service. But that’s not what companies need to work on; they need to focus on what’s not working in order to improve.

The haters very often offer well-targeted insights that can tremendously improve products, customer service, and/or operations.

3. “We tried that idea.

It didn’t work.”

What idea, exactly? People who are in the jar interpret new ideas based on how they last saw them. You may think you’ve tried or tested an idea, but if you applied it in a conventional way, the way it’s

always been used, you haven’t really tried it. Consider the term “auction” - in-the-jar thinkers envision Sotheby’s and not the more practical and innovative eBay. 4. Trying to impress with insider jargon Communication is a huge part of innovation. Policies in the health-insurance industry, for example, include language that may

5. Staying at your desk and in the office Doubling down on what already has not worked for you is not innovative. Get outside your office and act like an anthropologist. Spend time with your customers and bring an expert interpreter and a couple of members of your team. Compare notes; you’ll be shocked at how differently you all see the situation.

Maria Ferrante-Schepis is the managing principal of insurance and financial services at Maddock Douglas, Inc, an agency of innovation focused on helping large brands bring new ideas to market. After more than 20 years as an executive in the insurance and financial services industry, she has joined the Maddock Douglas team to focus on the opportunities for innovation in the insurance and financial services industry, recognizing the significant public and government demand for change. Ferrante-Schepis holds a bachelor’s in marketing and an MBA in management. www.flirtingwiththeuninterested.com

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Devise a Mobile Strategy

or Perish by: Simon Hopkins

comment: technology

T

here are over 1 billion smartphones in use worldwide today.

T hese handheld computers have a myriad of potential uses.

Beyond apps, we use them to browse the web, take photos, listen to music, watch movies, and even buy goods and services. One in 10 transactions at Starbucks now uses the Starbucks mobile app. According to ComScore, 4 out of 5 smartphone owners in the U.S. shop online via their mobile browser or a retail app.

Any business that doesn’t take note of this trend and plan accordingly is going to be at a major disadvantage.

Retailers, in particular, can drive engagement and increase sales with an optimized mobile website, or, even better, a dedicated mobile app. Ad campaigns

on mobile devices can take advantage of locationbased marketing and add value to traditional adverts.

Shoppers love to use apps in store for everything from price comparisons to in-store maps.

Business and the BYOD trend All that potential isn’t confined to retail. If you stop to consider the “bring your own device” trend, you’ll see that the enterprise is embracing mobile technology.

The advantages of allowing employees to bring their own mobile devices to work are too great to ignore. Productivity gains, greater flexibility and mobility, and big cost savings can be had with the right mobile strategy.

Mobile device management tools and security standards are improving all the time.

Companies can exert greater control over the apps that

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“70% of mobile professionals will conduct their work on personal smart devices by 2018” are made available to their employees through enterprise app stores. This space is seeing rapid growth across all business sectors and the benefits are not industry specific – any business can enjoy them.

Assess your potential gains Every business is different, so it’s important to analyze the potential benefits of mobile technology for your company. For sales people, a smartphone equipped with the right apps can be a pipeline to the head office.

Appointment details can be updated in real-time, orders can be input on the spot, and time, billing and expenses can be accurately tracked. Stock and order management in a warehouse becomes a breeze, delivery drivers can be tracked, and even managers can be freed from their desks because their smartphones make them

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reachable at all times.

The old dream of the paperless office is within grasp if you enable data entry through smartphones and keep files in the cloud. Your systems and data can be accessible from any location. You can also track activity more accurately with built-in GPS and a host of onboard sensors in most modern smartphones paving the way for apps that hook into the information you need and record it in real-time.

Engage your customers Engagement levels through mobile, whether its social media interaction, advertising campaigns, or dedicated apps that add value to a brand experience, are higher than traditional approaches. An app allows you to record data about your customers, provide discounts that reward loyalty, and push new products and services. Provided you bear the golden rule of content

comment: technology

$1 Trillion Amount worldwide purchase volume over mobile devices could exceed by 2017 marketing in mind – that you are offering something of value to the customer – then you will reap the benefits. Many brands are seeing advantages in developing tools and even games to serve as delivery vehicles for advertising and to encourage a general boost in brand awareness, which translates to increased business down the line.

It’s happening with or without you Whether you jump onboard or not, the mobile revolution is here to stay. Consumer trust in

mobile payments is growing all the time. An IDC report at the end of last year suggested that “worldwide purchase volume over mobile devices will exceed $1 trillion” by 2017. What business doesn’t want a slice of that?

T he adopt ion of smartphones is also gaining ground in the enterprise at a rapid pace and it’s not confined to big business. Small businesses can add a lot of value and improve efficiency with the right mobile strategy too. Gartner analysts believe “70% of mobile professionals will conduct their work on personal smart devices by 2018.”

Before you dismiss the mobile revolution and decide it doesn’t apply to you, ask yourself what it could do for your business. Can you really afford to ignore it?

Simon Hopkins is co-founder of iBE.net, a developer of cloud and mobile-based business management software. He began his career at Andersen Consulting in 1989 and was most recently Chairman and CEO of ROC Americas Inc., a global IT consultancy. Before that he was COO for Axon Solutions and CFO of Feanix Corporation. He has successfully led companies to IPO or acquisition and earned a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, London. www.ibe.net

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Ready or Not: Your Mission-Cri Data is Moving to How the IT department is being circumnavigated with cloud based applications and the security risks involved when it comes to access

written by: Kevin Cunningham

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itical o the Cloud

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et me set up a common (and alarming) scenario I’m seeing at more than a few enterprises as we enter 2013: while IT is slow to move mission-critical applications to the cloud due to fears of security vulnerabilities, outages, or costs, business units within the same company are already procuring cloud applications without even involving IT - even for critical and sensitive applications. In fact, through a recent survey conducted by my company, SailPoint, we found the selection and deployment of cloud applications is increasingly becoming a business-led process. Alarmingly, the survey found that only 34% of business leaders brought IT into the decision-making process when choosing a cloud service, and only

29% got IT’s help while the service was being deployed.

The lack of IT involvement in the procurement and deployment of cloud applications makes it difficult for IT organizations to manage security and compliance risks. In an increasing number of cases, IT has no visibility to the cloud applications in use and, worse still, is not involved in ensuring proper security and access controls (i.e., understanding and managing who has access to what) are in place. Failing to control access to sensitive applications and data can leave an organization at risk for fraud, misuse of data, and privacy breaches, not to mention negative audit findings. At the end of the day, someone in the organization needs to manage and govern who has access to these mission-critical applications no matter where they reside.

Frighteningly, our recent survey found that nearly half of business leaders aren’t well educated on this need nor are they equipped to effectively handle user access privileges and other key factors necessary to safeguard the data housed in these new cloud applications.

Compounding this trend towards cloud application adoption, end users are feeling more and more empowered to make their technology choices when it comes to how they access these applications. Accessing corporate networks and cloud applications via “bring your own device” smartphones and tablets has become the norm in corporate environments. Because of this IT must approach the issue of access control with a new mindset. Gone are the days when an organization can simply block users from using devices or applications

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“For some cloud applications, cost control may be just as important as security” as IT is often not even aware that they are being used!

Instead, IT will have to find ways to manage and secure cloud applications without blocking business user choice and autonomy. Fortunately, the right identity and access management (IAM) strategy can help organizations extend control to cloud applications in a simple, convenient manner.

Spec i f ica l ly w it h i n their IAM strategy, it’s wise for organizations to inventory and classify clouds applications by risk, rather than taking a one-sizefits-all approach to policy and control. Based on the potential risk or criticality a particular cloud application represents, different levels of management and control are required. For missioncritical cloud applications such as financial services and customer relationship management applications,

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an organization would want complete visibility and oversight as to “who has access to what.” Therefore, for this class of cloud applications, it’s important to implement preventive and detective controls over the processes that grant, change and remove access to cloud applications to ensure that compliance and security guidelines are being followed. By providing detailed reporting on user access, IT and business staff will be armed with the intelligence they need to secure the application, reduce corporate risk and meet audit and compliance requirements.

For less sensitive applications, IT would ideally still have visibility into how and when those applications are used so that decisions can be made about the appropriate degree of management and control

technology they require over time. While not directly managed by IT, organizations should ensure employees understand that sensitive or proprietary information should not be posted to those applications.

For s ome c loud applications, cost control may be just as important as security - for example, many SaaS applications charge based on the number of user accounts. Because of this, it important that accounts are maintained only for users that actively require that a SaaS application to do their jobs and that those accounts are promptly removed when the user leaves the organization or no longer has a need for it. As more and more applications move to the cloud, it will important to know not just who can access applications, but whether workers are truly using the cloud applications

that the organization has licensed on their behalf.

Cloud computing is becoming an integral part of a business’ infrastructure, with more and more companies looking to adopt cloud applications as part of their business strategy. However, the benefits of the cloud, from cost savings to speed to flexibility can be negated if they leave a business exposed to security breaches and compliance issues.

Successfully managing the adoption of cloud applications requires a shift in IT’s role from that of a “gatekeeper” to becoming an enabler.

Those who figure out how to combine the convenience of easy access to cloud applications with IT oversight will be able to gain the buy-in of business users while having the right controls in place to protect assets and manage corporate risk.

In his role as president of SailPoint, Kevin Cunningham oversees product development, marketing, sales, operations and client services on a global basis. As co-founder of SailPoint, Kevin’s goal from the beginning was to build a forward-looking, agile company with the experience to deliver better service and superior innovation to clients. www.sailpoint.com

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special focus:

Searching the cosmos Outgoing Director, Thijs de Graauw, discusses the history behind the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) and the significant enhances it is helping bring to the scientific community, both in Chile and throughout the world

written by: Will Daynes research by: Louisa Adcock

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Atac

cama Large Millimeter/Sub-millimeter Array (ALMA)

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ALMA Preparations for taking the first ALMA antenna up to the Chajnantor plateau begin

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o matter what corner of the planet you inhabit we all share the same amazement and wonder of the stars and planets above us. It is this wonder that has driven scientists and astronomers to try to gain an increasingly detailed understanding of the universe. In order to do so these experts strive to collect as much data and information as possible and one of the major ways of doing this is through the observations of the electromagnetic spectrum radiated by celestial sources.

“Among the most profound mysteries in astronomy are the origins of things such as galaxies, stars, planets, and the molecules that seed life,” explains Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) outgoing director, Thijs de Graauw. “What ALMA does is observe light emitted by cool-temperature objects in space. This permits us to unravel profound mysteries about the formation of planets and the appearance of complex molecules, including organic molecules.”

The birth of ALMA dates back to the 1980s when large size millimeter/submillimeter arrays of radio telescopes were studied by astronomers in Europe (LSA), North America (MMA) and Japan (LMSA), and different possible observatories were discussed. In the 1980s and early 1990s space observatories discovered strong submillimeter molecular emission from galaxies and it became obvious that the ambitious investigations to understand these objects could hardly be realised by only one of the proposed array telescopes and a merger into a single large

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u o r y logis g n i d tic a e s

L

220, Boulevard Pierre BROSSOLETTE – F 92247 Malakoff cedex Tel : 00 33 (0)1.41.17.16.00 // Fax : 00 33 (0)1.41.17.16.49 // Email : contact@tgflog.com

towards excellence TGFL, a joint venture created in 2002 between the THALES and GEODIS groups, is one of the leading companies specialized in providing logistics services to the AEROSPACE and DEFENCE markets.

Management of all our operations, including packing, transportation, warehousing and customs, occurs with complete respect to all regulations and is complemented with full tracing.

Dedicated solutions tailored to AEROSPACE and DEFENCE markets include, project management, military customs expertise, AOG desk, critical operations and conveys, and our Global Control Tower, all of which can be customized to meet our customers’ expectations.

Our teams selected and dedicated to meeting our client’ and their client’ needs.

Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), S. Rossi (ESO)

ALMA

European ALMA antennas

array would be necessary. The discussions and deliberations on merging the three projects took place in the nineties.

Consequently, a first memorandum was signed in 1999 by the North American community, represented through the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the European community, represented through

European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), followed in 2002 by an agreement between them to construct ALMA on a plateau in Chile.

Thereafter, Japan, through the National Astronomical Obser vatory of Japan (NAOJ), worked with the other partners

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Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), R. Durán (ALMA)

to define and formulate its participation in the ALMA project. An official, trilateral agreement between ESO, the NSF, and the National Institutes for Natural Sciences (NINS, Japan) concerning the construction of the enhanced Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array was signed in September 2004. “With the inclusion of the Asian partners,” de Graauw continues, “ALMA has become a truly global astronomical facility, involving scientists from four different continents.”

At its simplest, ALMA is a radio telescope

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made up of an ensemble of 66 antennas, some seven metres and some 12 metres in diameter, that work in unison with the surface of the ALMA interferometer totalling more than 6,500 square metres, which is approximately equivalent to a football field. The sheer size and scope of the project makes it possible for ALMA to detect very faint radiation in space.

Despite the harsh conditions, the ALMA antennas were installed at an altitude of 5,000 metres in an exceptional area for astronomical observation. The high altitude

ALMA and lack of moisture prevents water in the atmosphere from absorbing the radio waves, which would normally hinder observation from Earth.

“As one can imagine,” de Graauw

highlights,” to make images from millimeterwavelength light gathered by multiple antennas, we need absolutely colossal computing power. The signals coming from each pair of antennas must be

“As one can imagine, to make images from millimeter-wavelength light gathered by multiple antennas, we need absolutely colossal computing power” 16 antennas on Chajnantor

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PHYSIK INSTRUMENTE For 50 of its antennas, the ALMA obervatory uses high-precision Hexapods from PI. They align the sub-reflectors to the large main reflectors of the radio telescopes to compensate for external impacts. PI uses its technological knowledge and long-term experience in micro and nanopositioning technology for providing highest positioning performance in extreme ambient conditions. The Hexapod systems with six degrees of freedom in motion are installed behind the sub-reflectors and allow for 6D positioning with resolution in the submicrometer and arcsecond range.

The positioning system’s parallel kinematics structure is considerably more compact and stiffer than serially stacked multi-axis systems and leads to a very high resonant frequency. Since only a single platform is

actuated, the moved mass is significantly smaller. This results in improved dynamics with considerably faster response. For the Hexapods in the ALMA antennas, PI developed and manufactured highly stiff and robust joints. The Hexapods can ad-just the position of the sub-reflectors precisely to several millimeters.The digital controller’s components for position control of the Hexapods have been adapted to reduced atmospheric pressure. With this high-performance digital control technology, that combines incremental position sensors and optical reference sensors in the Hexapod’s individual struts, PI provides a high-resolution measurement and control system for the ALMA observatory. www.pi.ws

Credit: ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), Carlos Padilla(NRAO/AUI/NSF)

ALMA

The Front End Service Vehicle in its raised position servicing the receiver cabin

mathematically compared billions of times proposals were submitted by the worldwide every second. It would take approximately science community, representing an three million domestic laptops to carry out unprecedented level of demand for a the same quantity of operations per second ground-based or space telescope. Those astronomers who obtain as the ALMA correlator.”

Scientists from around obser v ing t ime have the world are already exclusive access to their competing for A LM A’s collected data for one year, after which the data observing time. The first cycle of observations, known becomes public in a vast as Cycle 0, was launched at library. “As with the great Antennas make up the ALMA project the end of September 2011. telescopes that have gone An impressive 919 project before it,” de Graauw

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Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), M. Kornmesser (ESO)

“As with the great telescopes that have gone before it ALMA will enable us to see aspects of the universe whose existence we haven’t even suspected” enthuses, “ALMA will enable us to see aspects of the universe whose existence we haven’t even suspected.”

On a much more localised scale the ALMA project is also contributing directly

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towards Chile’s development as a centre for astronomy. Indeed the construction and operation of the observatory has been identified as one of the most significant factors in the growing encouragement

ALMA

Artist’s impression of the disc of dust and gas around a brown dwarf

of training specialised human resources, promoting innovations in engineering and software development, in helping to improve the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, and supporting the social and economic development of ALMA’s local and regional communities.

“Our relationship with the Chilean community and government has been excellent both at the national and regional levels,” de Graauw says. “We have found collaboration and communication to be fluid at the ministerial level as well as with

regional authorities through the Intendente – the equivalent of a regional governor - and local authorities, through the mayor and town council of San Pedro de Atacama and the Toconao indigenous community.”

Since 2003 ALMA has contributed towards the development of astronomy in Chile through the ALMA-CONICYT Fund, allocated annually to promote human resources, instrumentation, teaching, outreach and fellowships. This fund will apportion close to $700,000 in 2013.

On a regional scale ALMA contributes

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• adaptive optics deformable mirrors with contactless technology of MMT, LBT, Magellan, ESO VLT and for the future E-ELT and GMT telescopes • high performance axes control systems and metrology for ALMA, GTC, E-ELT • wavefront sensors and real time computers for LBT, Magellan, Keck, Gemini observatories

• • • • • • •

Supercomputing in hard real time High speed optical communication and logic Metrology systems Wireless systems Control System Design High level user interfaces Management of the product development from design to production • Management of large scientific projects

www.microgate.it/engineering

MICROGATE

VIA STRADIVARI, 4 . BOLZANO . ITALY . TEL. +39 0471 501532 . FAX +39 0471 501524 INFO@MICROGATE.IT . WWW.MICROGATE.IT

Microgate is a leading electronics engineering and production company.

Our expertise covers the whole design process of electronics systems, including hardware and software design, control system design, prototyping and production.

The Timing & Sport division develops and produces a complete palette of professional sports timing, physical evaluation and rehabilitation products. The Engineering division develops high-tech solutions for scientific and industrial applications.

Since 1995 our research has been focused on the development of control systems for adaptive mirrors, sensors and real time computers for adaptive optics, and radioastronomy. Microgate control systems power the adaptive optics of the most advanced observatories worldwide: MMT, Keck, LBT, Magellan, VLT. Within the ALMA

project, Microgate, as EIE subcontractor, has developed the Antenna Control Unit of the ALMA-AEM antennas. The Control Unit is the brain of the antenna, it performs the challenging task of steering the axes of the giant dishes with micrometer accuracy, while checking all subsystems to allow safe remote operation at 5500m elevation. Microgate has also greatly contributed to the development of an extremely accurate metrology system that compensates for the subtle deformation induced by temperature and wind on the sophisticated and massive structure.

Microgate is the ideal partner for businesses looking for solutions for development, production, and integration of technological devices.

E. info@microgate.it www.microgate.it/engineering

SHARPEN THE UNIVERSE. Microgate Engineering develops advanced solutions for scientific and industrial use. Control systems developed by Microgate are the technological heart of the most advanced astronomical research worldwide: • adaptive optics deformable mirrors with contactless technology of MMT, LBT, Magellan, ESO VLT and for the future E-ELT and GMT telescopes • high performance axes control systems and metrology for ALMA, GTC, E-ELT • wavefront sensors and real time computers for LBT, Magellan, Keck, Gemini observatories

Our capabilities: • HW and SW design of embedded systems based on FPGAs, DSPs and microcontrollers • Supercomputing in hard real time • High speed optical communication and logic • Metrology systems • Wireless systems • Control System Design • High level user interfaces • Management of the product development from design to production • Management of large scientific projects

www.microgate.it/engineering

VIA STRADIVARI, 4 . BOLZANO . ITALY . TEL. +39 0471 501532 . FAX +39 0471 501524 INFO@MICROGATE.IT . WWW.MICROGATE.IT

ALMA

The transporter, now carrying the antenna, leaves the OSF and reaches an altitude of 3,000 meters

annually to the ALMA school. ALMA has given Region II Fund, also since training, selected and 2003. The Fund promotes funded teachers, and built infrastructure to allow these productive and socialprogrammes to take root. economic development in Metres above sea level.

The said programmes have the Antofagasta Region, Altitude of the supporting local initiatives helped to raise test-scores ALMA project through a public call for for Toconao students in national standardized tests, proposals. This year, over and have been well received $300,000 dollars will be allocated. Locally, ALMA supports by teachers, parents and local authorities. a programme to improve education in Currently, there are conversations with the science and English at the Toconao public Municipality of San Pedro de Atacama and

5,000

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Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF, Carlos Padilla Acknowledgement: General Dynamics C4 Systems

ALMA other strategic partners with the intention of replicating Toconao’s successful experience to other schools in the district.

More broadly, Chile benefits from the creation of jobs at ALMA, where over 80 percent of the staff is locally hired. Many of the positions require advanced technical and professional qualifications, so valuable training and workplace learning take place at the observatory. In the long run, ALMA is contributing to the positioning of Chile as the undisputed astronomical capital of the world.

“ALMA is in the business of collecting unique astronomical data for investigations of the universe at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths,” de Graauw says, “and in this wavelength range ALMA is the biggest observatory on the planet.

Looking ahead there is an advanced plan to build a very large radio astronomy telescope based on similar techniques but at much lower frequencies and therefore per unit much easier and cheaper. The diameter of this telescope will be much larger as will be the total radiation collecting area, but the operating frequencies are much lower. The total collecting area is to be equivalent to one square kilometre. Therefore the name of the project is SKA, Square Kilometre Array.

It is in the planning phase and the budget has not yet been allocated but precursor projects are already operating.”

Aerial view of the ALMA Operations Center

For more information about ALMA visit: www.almaobservatory.org

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special focus:

Reaching new

The ALMA astrological observatory in northern Chile is o exciting scientific undertakings currently under developm it will only achieve its potential thanks to the work of com

written by: Will Daynes | research by: Richard Halfhid

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Thales Alenia Space

w heights

one of the most important and ment anywhere in the world, however mpanies like Thales Alenia Space

de

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W

hile Neil Armstrong’s and Edwin Aldrin’s first footsteps on the moon in July, 1969, to this day remains one of the most iconic moments in human history, mankind’s fascination with space dates back to centuries beforehand.

Historical records pinpoint the earliest working telescopes back to the early 1600s and in the time since technological advances have helped mankind create the likes of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Large Binocular Telescope and the Kepler Mission. These creations have in turn brought us some of the most breath-taking images of our universe, stoking the imaginations of a whole new generation of space aficionados.

While the names of the telescopes and satellites themselves are becoming increasingly well known, it would remiss of us not to throw a spot light on the companies whose work is helping to provide us with a whole new view of the cosmos.

Thales Alenia Space is the European leader when it comes to satellite systems and a major player in orbital infrastructures. A joint venture between Thales and Finmeccanica, Thales Alenia Space sets the global standard in solutions for space telecommunications, radar and optical Earth observation, defence and security, navigation and science. With consolidated revenues of €2.1 billion in 2011, Thales Alenia Space has 7,500 employees in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium and the United States.

On 14 January, 2013, the company achieved a significant milestone in its recent history

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CREDIT: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), S. ROSSI (ESO)

Thales Alenia Space

European ALMA antenna brings total on Chajnantor to 16

when it announced that it had completed delivery of 25 dishes, each 12 metres in diameter, for the antennas making up the Atacama Large Millimeter/Sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) astronomical observatory in northern Chile, a huge international program built in partnership by Europe, North America and East Asia.

Built at 5,000 meters above sea level, the ALMA observatory will ultimately comprise 66 adjustable parabolic antennas capable of simultaneously observing the sky at millimetric and sub-millimetric wavelengths. This highly innovative facility will give astronomers an opportunity to study the birth of the universe and to obtain highly detailed images of the formation of stars and planets in our galaxy.

ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of Europe by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and on behalf of East Asia by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). “ALMA is clearly a giant of a project and among the biggest ever conceived in terms of astronomy from the earth,” states Vincenzo Giorgio, of Thales Alenia Space Italy, Responsible for Exploration and Science.

The 25 antennas that Thales Alenia

Space was awarded the European contract to manufacture weigh approximately 100 tonnes each, a size that necessitates the use of a special 28-wheel vehicle and a reinforced road in order to move each structure from its assembly point to its final destination.

To obtain the needed accuracy, the dishes of the antennas have to be extremely light and stable. This has been achieved by the use of ultra-stable CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced

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Thales Alenia Space

Antennas onsite and assembled

plastic) for the reflector base and of rhodiumcoated nickel for the reflecting panels. The surface of the 12-metre dish, must be accurate to within 25/1000 of a millimetre, and cannot change due to any operational conditions, including wind, temperature fluctuations, solar irradiation and the frequent relocations of the antennas with their special vehicle.

“Building a 12-metre dish to these exacting standards was a real challenge for us,” Giorgio continues, “particularly the process of creating a form of industrial production for all 25 of the antennas.” In addition to the sheer volume of work this project entailed, challenges would also centre on maintaining cost controls and a strict delivery timetable that required a production rate of around two antennas every three months.”

In order to negotiate such a large project it was imperative that Giorgio and his team were able to guarantee that the financial performance of the company could be maintained throughout its undertaking. Meanwhile, in terms of the construction process itself, while the company was already familiar with the types of material that would be required to complete a job of this size, the application of these elements was hugely different to anything it had undertaken previously.

Nevertheless, as Giorgio goes on to state, Thales Alenia Space benefited from the use of an in-built secret weapon, so to speak. “When it comes to any scientific work that we conduct we always take a first-time approach to each project: that is a characteristic that I would say is very much a part of our DNA. We know

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CREDIT: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)

Thales Alenia Space from experience that in this line of work you never build the same satellite, or in this case antenna, twice. It is for this reason alone that we approach each task with an open mind and a clear desire to produce the best results.”

In addition to cost and delivery concerns, the company also had to strongly factor in the long-term operation of the antennas once in place and active. One example of an issue that had to be overcome involved the rhodium-coated reflecting panels, of which each antenna possesses more than 100, and how these could be replaced as efficiently as possible should the need to arise during the life of the project.

The company’s solution was to design and construct a unique automatic tool that is able to change the affected panel in as short a time as possible and with maximum precision.

This is just one of a number of examples of the skilled work that Thales Alenia Space has contributed towards the ALMA project.

“The fact that we have been able to deliver our incredibly vital contributions to this project, and do so to a higher standard of quality than that which was initially expected, has unquestionable helped to boost our own reputation in the marketplace,” Giorgio concludes. “What is equally important to us however is the fact that we can proud to have supported a project that will go on to provide hugely significant data to the scientific community for many years to come.”

View of the European antennas assembly site

For more information about Thales Alenia Space visit: www.thalesaleniaspace.com

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Trusted tra

Thales Geodis Freight and Log the ALMA astronomical observ the more complex and deman

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Thales Geodis Freight and Logistics (TGFL)

ansportation

gistics (TGFL)’s role in bringing vatory project to life was one of nding of the whole undertaking

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TGFL

T

GFL, in existence for more than 50 years, became a joint venture between the Thales and Geodis groups in 2002. Thales Geodis Freight and Logistics has since become a dedicated and well-respected supplier of logistical requirements and specialised freight forwarding operations for the aerospace and defence sectors.

Since its formation TGFL has prided itself on its competitiveness, flexibility, adaptability and quality of service, traits that truly put to the test in one of its more recent undertakings, that being its support of Thales Alenia Space – Italy (TAS – I) and its work on the Atacama Large Millimeter/Sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) astronomical observatory in northern Chile.

TGFL’s primary role involved being entrusted with the transportation of the subsystems for 25 of the antennas that would eventually go on to make up the ALMA project.

These subsystems included the antennas’ individual Back Up Structures (BUS), made of carbon fibre, the reflector panels and all manner of spare parts and associated tools.

To give a scale of the work involved, each BUS has a diameter of 12 metres and is carried in two parts, each with a length of 12 metres and a width of six metres, a height of four metres and a weight of some six tonnes.

“The scope of the contract itself,” explains Gilbert Caramelle, Managing Director of TGFL, “called for a number of detailed, complex tasks to be performed, beginning with the design, development, conception and manufacturing of specific handling and transportation tools for the BUS, dubbed jigs,

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that have been performed with an expert partner company by the name of ACMH.” The next phase of the contract called upon TGFL to organise oversize road transportation of the subsystems from their loading point in Massieux, France, to Antwerp, which represents a journey of some 800 kilometres, where they were loaded onto freight vessels.

Each transportation also required the presence of at least ten escort vehicles. From

here they would travel across the ocean to arrive in Puerto Angamos, Chile, where it again fell upon TGFL to ensure their safe and efficient transportation, supported by its sister company GEODIS WILSON, to their assembled site at San Pedro de Atacama, at the altitude of nearly 3,000 metres above sea level. Last, but not least, the jigs were to be brought back to Europe.

“The first documents of the contract

“TGFL’s primary role involved being entrusted with the transportation of the subsystems for 25 of the antennas”

Loading at Antwerp

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TGFL

Parking at Antwerp

were signed in 2007,” Caramelle continues, “at which point we commenced with a preparation phase that involved carrying out a number of studies over the space of nearly two years, during which time we also went about identifying reliable expert partners and preparing our own organisation to manage and pilot the project. The contract was finalised in November 2008, with the first antenna being transported to Chile in May 2009 and the last arriving in December 2012.”

As Caramelle highlights, TGFL’s approach saw it initially embark upon selecting expert partners for every task of the contract and establishing an internal team of experience managers to coordinate, pilot and control the operation. In order for this to succeed

this internal team would have to ensure the correct training was given to every employee involved throughout the operation, be it truck drivers, crane pilots or vessel crew, utilising the expertise of marine surveyors, and that they were each aware of the sensitivity of the contract itself. Furthermore, it was the team’s job to control the execution of each operation, by attending to each and calling upon the support of experts, to build up a comprehensive back up plan for every task and to build up a trustful relationship with the customer and all other partners.

“Proper planning was of prime importance going into this project,” explains Finance Director, Daniel Bouly, “as was the proper coordination of all suppliers. This was primarily due to the fact that we only had four

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Unloading at Puerto Angamos

“We decided to approach each piece of equipment individually and as if it was the first to leave the Manufacturer’s facility” pairs of specially developed jigs to utilise and that we had to use these in an ever-changing ocean freight environment that can present all number of issues.”

Average transportation time for one antenna was typically between one and two months, with over half of this occurring during the overseas transportation phase. It goes without saying then that with such a challenging project the logistical demands

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were massive and required every stage of work to come complete with suitable contingency plans.

“We never once had the same experience when handling any of the 25 antennas,” Bouly reveals. “This is something we anticipated being the case and thus we decided to approach each piece of equipment individually and as if it was the first to leave the manufacturer’s facility. This allowed us to

TGFL

Road transportation in Chile

never become complacent and helped ensure that we constantly re-evaluated our backup solutions, sometimes on an hourly basis to try and account for any eventualities.”

The contract with TAS-I has without doubt been one of the longest and challenging that TGFL has ever faced, yet by adopting an approach to its work that saw it willing and able to adjust any aspect of the project at any given time if necessary, it was able to achieve all of its long-term objectives.

“This project,” Bouly states, “has allowed us to not only build on our existing expertise in the fields of transport and logistics, but also enlarge our experience from a technical point of view, primarily when it comes to using specific handling and transportation tools.”

Arrival at the Operators Port Facility

As others in the company are quick to point out, the contract with TAS – I has also helped to cement some of the other positive traits that TGFL has long been proud of having. “This was a project,” concludes ALMA Contract Manager, René Bouliere, “that really highlighted the strong motivation that the TGFL team possesses. The vast majority of people here will tell you that in many ways this was a dream project to be a part of and I think this contributed to the level of involvement and engagement that I believe was extremely unique to this contract.”

For more information about Thales Geodis Freight and Logistics (TGFL) visit: www.tgflog.com

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London Array

Powering

the future Project Director, Richard Rigg, discusses the journey taken by and the lessons learnt from the London Array project, the world’s largest offshore wind farm

written by: Will Daynes research by: Louisa Adcock

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London Array

I

t was in July 1887 that Scottish academic James Blyth installed the world’s first electricity-generating wind turbine.

Although at the time considered uneconomical in the UK, electricity generating wind turbines proved to be far more cost effective in countries with widely scattered populations, a fact that saw American inventor Charles F Brush follow up Blyth’s work some months later by building the first automatically operated wind turbine for electricity production in Cleveland, Ohio.

Fast forward to the 21st Century and the world finds itself in a situation where rising concerns over energy security, global warming, and eventual fossil fuel depletion have led to an expansion of interest in all available forms of renewable energy, including wind power. It was due to this interest that the fledgling commercial wind power industry began expanding at a robust growth rate of about 30 percent per year, driven by the ready availability of large wind resources, and falling costs due to improved technology and wind farm management.

Today, London Array is arguably the most widely known UK offshore wind farm and the largest of its kind found anywhere in the world. Following confirmation of the suitability of the area for construction of a wind farm site, the London Array project was officially born in 2001, with the Crown Estate providing the consortium of operators at the time, Shell WindEnergy Ltd, E.ON UK Renewables and DONG Energy, a 50 year lease for the site and cable route to shore, which was entered into in 2004.

Planning consent for the project’s 1GW

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SPECIALISTS

We take part in the world’s largest offshore wind projects

LONDON ARRAY

Danish Per Aarsleff A/S and German Bilfinger Construction GmbH are cooperating in the joint venture Aarsleff BilfingerBerger Joint Venture. We have recently completed the installation of 177 foundations for the London Array Offshore Wind Farm located off the east coast of England. Currently, we are installing 80 monopile foundations for the DanTysk Offshore Wind Farm. Previously, the joint venture has installed 92 monopiles for the Horns Rev 2 Offshore Wind Farm, 91 gravity foundations for the Rødsand 2 Offshore Wind Farm, 7 gravity foundations for the Sprogø Offshore Wind Farm and 100 foundations for the Thanet Offshore Wind Farm.

AARHUS

HAMBURG

LONDON

Aarsleff Bilfinger Berger Joint Venture Aarsleff Bilfinger Berger Joint Venture is a Danish-German joint venture between two of the world’s leading contractors – Per Aarsleff A/S from Aarhus and Bilfinger Construction GmbH from Hamburg. Both companies have extensive experience in and knowledge of the execution of demanding marine construction work.

The working relationship From 2004 to 2013, we have implemented huge offshore foundation structures in Denmark, Germany and the UK. The clients of these projects include major energy companies looking for a business partner capable of implementing giant contracts. We have handled everything from design and construction to installation of offshore steel and concrete foundations, just as we have handled the actual installation of wind turbines.

The world’s largest offshore wind farms The JV has executed the foundations for half of the world’s largest operating offshore wind farms. Recently, it has completed the world’s largest offshore wind farm, the London Array Offshore Wind Farm, and it is currently executing the DanTysk Offshore Wind Farm which will be commissioned in 2014. By then, the JV will have executed the foundations for five of the world’s largest offshore wind farms.

Specialists Every single project is unique and poses unique challenges. Therefore, we have always

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focused on finding the right equipment and the right expertise for the specific infrastructure job – also when a job required us to develop new specialist equipment and new solutions.

Staff Our staff has many years of experience and wide expertise within offshore activities, and they cover the whole spectrum from tendering to order acquisition, planning, design and execution.

We attach great importance to being able to execute as much of each project as possible by means of our own staff in order to build up and maintain experience and know-how inhouse. This way, expertise gained is passed on from project to project thus contributing to enhancing our competitiveness.

Our skilled and dedicated staff contributes to our success on the offshore wind market.

Equipment Specialist equipment is required for the implementation of offshore wind projects.

We spend many resources on development and investment in specialist equipment for our projects. Our purpose is to optimise the projects to the benefit of our customers.

Our specialist equipment includes pile grippers, lifting yokes, upending devices, barges, sea fastenings, cage installation tools etc.

All equipment is developed by in-house engineers and technicians. www.abjv.com

London Array

offshore wind farm was granted in 2006, with commissioned on 6 April, 2013,” states permission granted for the onshore works Project Director, Richard Rigg, “an event following in 2007. Work on Phase One started which effectively marked the culmination of in July 2009 when building commenced on the installation of the 630MW wind farm. the onshore substation at Cleve Hill in Kent, From that point on the complete wind farm whereas offshore construction started in has been generating and earning revenue.”

March 2011 when the first foundation was Such is the sheer scale of London Array installed. The first turbine that it is estimated that its 175 turbines will be capable was installed in January of generating enough energy 2012, with first power achieved in October that year to power nearly half a million and the final turbine installed homes and reduce harmful in December 2012.

CO2 emissions by over The number of turbines “We reached the key 900,000 tonnes a year. that make up the “When this project was first milestone of having the wind farm conceived,” Rigg continues, 175th and final turbine

175

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“London Array is arguably the most widely known UK offshore wind farm and the largest of its kind found anywhere in the world�

Construction of a turbine

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London Array “I think it is fair to say that it was felt by many that an undertaking of this size could simply not be carried out.” Indeed at the time there wasn’t even any legislation in place that allowed for the construction of a project the size of London Array.

Nevertheless, it is with a great sense of pride that Rigg can declare that despite the considerable challenges that the consortium has encountered in the last decade or so, London Array looks set to deliver on the promises it made back at the time of its conception.

Said challenges include Offshore substations boost the voltage to reduce transmission losses overcoming the obstacles that presented themselves due to the location than that anticipated and factored in by the of the project in the outer Thames Estuary. consortium. Regardless of these setbacks the Here the water depth can range at lowest project ended up having what Rigg describes atmospheric tide from 25 metres right down as a remarkable year in 2012. “By the end to minus one metre, meaning that at various of December 2012 we had installed in the points some areas of the site actually dry out. space of ten months all bar a few array cables, “As you can imagine,” Rigg highlights, three of the four export cables, and 90 of the “when you have to get a large vessel in to 177 foundations. That means that we finished install components weighing around 650 the year installing the last turbine within a tonnes you have to ensure that you get it in at few weeks of the date we actually set back high tide, jack it up and then await the return in May 2009, which I think is a fantastic of higher water levels before getting it back achievement.”

The consortium, which now consists of out again. All of this adds an extra degree of DONG Energy, E.ON and Masdar, is very keen complexity to the work you are doing.”

In addition to these logistical difficulties to stress that it sees London Array as being the project has been hampered by several the first real industrial scale offshore wind extensive periods of bad weather, worse farm, with its success being a precursor to

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Seen

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London Array the next round of wind farms nexans due to appear off the coasts With energy at the basis of its development, Nexans, a of the UK. worldwide expert in the cable industry, offers an extensive Where it also hopes range of cables and cabling solutions. The Group is a global to see the project being player in the energy transmission and distribution, industry labelled an inspiration for and building markets. Nexans addresses a wide series of future developments is in its market segments: from energy and telecom networks to energy resources and transportation. efforts towards benefiting Continuous innovation in products, solutions and services, the environment and the employee development and commitment, customer orientation local communities who and the introduction of safe industrial processes with limited reside around the site. It has environmental impact are among the key initiatives that place long been the aim of the Nexans at the core of a sustainable future. consortium to see London www.nexans.no Array playing a key role in helping the UK to meet various renewable energy targets. By reducing carbon emissions by more than 900,000 tonnes a year the project will be playing a critical role in helping to tackle the effects of climate change and global warming, this providing significant, long term environmental benefits.

“It is important to recognise that in addition to London Array there are a number of other large offshore wind farms that really are contributing to this shared goal,” Rigg explains. “The more this happens, the sooner people will recognise the scale of the contributions these projects are making. In turn they will hopefully then realise that Installing array cables these wind farms can generate industrial

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LIFTRIG CONSULTING Driven by a passion for safety in lifting operations, LiftRig Consulting’s team of experienced engineers are leading innovators of lifting and handling solutions, cable handling and storage systems, lifting assurance and lift planning services. At LiftRig, we strive to become the leading provider of lifting engineering services and personnel to the energy sector and beyond, and we treat every engineering requirement as a unique project.

Producing innovative solutions requires unique talents which are not always available from many companies. The engineering team at LiftRig has a track record of creating such innovative

LiftRig are proud to be associated with the successful completion of the London Array Wind Farm.

solutions, which can be shown to include world-leading products and advanced solutions to modern challenges Combining over 25 years’ experience in on- and offshore engineering with the +44sales@LiftRig.com (0)1202 238718 www.LiftRig.com latest state-of-the-art design software, the LiftRig team is well-placed to provide solutions that are safe, practical, effective and cost-effective. Our unique design service will satisfy the needs of any organisation responsible for providing a safe system of work to its employees, installers or those of its customers.

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London Array

London Array operations & maintenance office

amounts of electricity and “The relationship we play an important role in the have built up with the local villages of Graveney and energy mix of the future.”

While the wind turbines Goodnestone is nothing that make up London Array short of excellent and stand 20 kilometres out to have already proven to be Of CO2 emissions that sea, the project has still had mutually beneficial for all the wind farm will help a big impact of the onshore concerned,” Rigg enthuses. reduce per year communities in the Cleve Hill Examples of some of the and Ramsgate areas, a fact positive results to come from that has not been lost on the consortium. In these relationships include London Array’s the early days of the project it faced natural support of a university bursary scheme, the opposition to its plans for building its Cleve creation of a community fund managed by Hill substation. Respecting this opposition an independent trust, its donations to various the consortium embarked on a programme wildlife funds and the annual donations of engagement, working hard to involve local made to three local schools. people and keeping communities informed Equal effort has been made by the about the progress of the project at all times. consortium in Ramsgate where it has

900,000+ tonnes

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London Array endeavoured, wherever possible, to employ local people to its construction and operations and maintenance teams, and to source from local suppliers, not only during the construction phase of the project but for all manner of activities related to the project, from hotels and taxis to bringing in a local company to supply the Cleve Hill substation with high speed internet access.

Now that London Array is into its operational phase the focus of the consortium turns to ensuring that it works as effectively and efficiently as possible. In doing so it is expected to produce some hugely important performance figures that its owners hope can then be used to demonstrate that wind farms have indeed become serious players in terms of today’s energy mix.

Looking ahead to the future, Rigg points out that while what has already been achieved is hugely significant, there is more work to be done if mankind is to get the most out of offshore wind power. “The aim for the industry as a whole is to bring down the costs associated with offshore wind and improve the overall reliability of wind power generation. While there is still much to be done if we are to reap the full rewards that wind power has to offer there can be no doubt that the lessons learnt from London Array will prove invaluable for those behind the creation of the next generation of wind farms.”

For more information about London Array visit: www.londonarray.com

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Caribbean treasure tr

The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) exists this idyllic island nation self sufficient in energy: to it is engaging other oil producing governments and exploration companies to develop the oilfields that

written by: John O’Hanlon research by: David Brogan 94 | be monthly

Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ)

r ve

s to make o this end d offshore t surround it

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Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ)

J

amaica is not lacking in natural contracts, explore for oil and develop Jamaica’s resources – for example it is a petroleum resources in the national interest. major exporter of bauxite, the raw In 1995 PCJ’s remit was extended to develop material for aluminium – but it indigenous renewable energy resources. It is not currently known as an oil has established a large biodiesel project with producer. In fact it has to import its oil at a the aim of eventually producing 16.5 million rate estimated at 80,000 barrels a day if oil gallons of biodiesel from crops that grow well on based products like asphalt, are included. Oil nonproductive or marginal land. It also built a to fuel cars boats and aircraft is imported from wind farm at Wigton near Manchester, Jamaica Mexico, Venezuela and other neighbouring in 2004. This facility saved the country $5.3 Caribbean countries. million in 2011/12, proving that renewables Should oil be found in significant quantities could be an important contributor to cutting in Jamaican waters – something that appears oil imports, and more wind capacity is planned almost certainly just a matter from both PCJ’s facility and of time – there could hardly private generation companies investing into the market. be a more attractive location However the holy grail for in the world – the Caribbean is eminently accessible to the PCJ lies offshore in the North American markets and exploration blocks lying to international trade routes; the the south of the island and government is encouraging, selling this potential to the Gross oil-based imports keen to negotiate terms that world’s exploration majors is to Jamaica are attractive to international the work of Brian Richardson, oil & gas exploration and PCJ’s Oil & Gas Exploration production companies; the legal system is Manager. Though a good deal of due diligence democratic and founded on British law; and needs to be done, a large amount of money of course Jamaica is English-speaking. Add to spent on drilling and further geophysical that the fact that it controls a major potential and geological survey work in the waters hydrocarbon reserve that has seen very little surrounding the island. The work done in exploration over the last quarter-century and the 1970s indicated that there were reserves it begins to look like the next big thing. of hydrocarbons, he says, but early surveying The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica just scratched the surface. It did however was set up in 1975 to find ways of reducing produce some very encouraging results: of Jamaica’s dependence on imported energy. It eleven exploratory holes that were drilled is a statutory corporation mandated to take onshore and offshore only one failed to show part in every stage of hydrocarbon trade, from hydrocarbons present. “In the last five years exploration to retail. Specifically the government or so that work has been updated to refine gave it the exclusive right to manage import our knowledge of where these reserves lie. In

80,000 BPD

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FUGRO MULTI CLIENT SERVICES, INC. • High Technical Standards and optimal quality of processed seismic data • Database of more than 300,000 km 2D data worldwide and nearly 10,000 km ² 3D in North West Europe • Over 450, 000 km reprocessed data 2

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Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ)

particular, work has been done in the south- production sharing contracts (PSCs), east section of the Jamaica oilfield which government instruments that allow an oil indicated that there are huge sedimentary company to prospect, subsequent profits being structures in that sector.” shared between Jamaica and the company.

A preliminary bid round in 2004 resulted Richardson is on a mission to market this in two junior exploration companies coming untapped reserve. Last November PCJ’s Oil on board, whose involvement effectively & Gas department was at PETEX in London: cut the perceived risk facing investors to in February 2013 it was the turn of North an acceptable level. “We are now confident American Prospect Expo (NAPE), held twice that over the next two to yearly at Houston, and in three years we will be able March the focus will shift to convince one of the majors back to London where the to take an interest in Jamaica APPEX conference is taking and commit to a drilling place. “The take away is that there is increasing interest programme.” The first step in Jamaica’s offshore, and is to dispose of the rights in 12 months we expect to licences on the available Size of the Joint see that interest translating blocks in and around Regime Area into activity on the ground.” the Walton, concluding

52,000 km2

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Once people understand the structure, then interest will accelerate, he believes. His department’s aggressive marketing strategy includes reigniting old leads that have gone dead because the picture has changed rapidly. Recently he has taken calls from 25 organisations or companies that had been unaware of the opportunity. “I have hanging in my office a picture of a rig that was installed offshore in 1984 – I am committed to seeing a new rig out there three to five years from now!”

If you look at Jamaica on the map, it is surrounded by successful oil economies.

Nicaragua, Venezuela, Colombia and Honduras are cases in point. Jamaica buys energy at preferential rates under various local agreements, and a Joint Regime Area between Jamaica and Colombia, situated south of the Pedro Bank was established in 1993. In 2008, an agreement was signed between the two countries for the conduct of surveys relating to the hydrocarbon potential of the 52,000 square kilometre area. PCJ is actively looking to establish government-to-government level agreements with those neighbours with which it shares the Caribbean Basin. “We want to build on their strengths and also provide our data into the melting plot to understand the Caribbean

basin hydrocarbon scene. Every piece we can place in the Caribbean jigsaw puzzle helps to reveal the whole picture!”

It is also benchmarking a country that has highly relevant experience though it doesn’t share the same waters. Uruguay, like Jamaica had a 20-year hiatus in its exploration programme and followed a similar marketing trajectory in 2008 before hitting success in awarding exploration

“Work has been done in the south-east section of the Jamaica oilfield which indicated that there are huge sedimentary structures in that sector” 100 | be monthly

Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ)

blocks. The Uruguayan government recently signed offshore exploration and production deals with British oil firms BG Group and BP, Ireland’s Tullow Oil and France’s Total.

The companies concluded 30-year concession contracts in April last year for eight oil blocks - three each for BG and BP and one each for Tullow and Total. Between them they have committed to investing a total of roughly $1.56 billion. “The Uruguayans are helping us a lot with their geophysical and geological knowledge and theirs is a scenario that we would dearly like to emulate here!”

Any oil company wanting a head start in a relatively unexploited region that nevertheless is within easy reach of the infrastructure and skills the industry needs, not to mention the prime global markets of the Americas, would

be well advised to take an early position in Jamaica. Brian Richardson points out that indicated oil reserves range between 500 million and a billion barrels, with anywhere between two and four trillion cubic feet of gas. More detailed geological and geophysical work will be carried out over the coming twelve months, followed by drilling a couple of years down the line. At the end of this process lies a commercial bonanza for the oil companies, and the realisation of PCJ’s raison d’etre – to make Jamaica an oil exporter rather than an importer.

For more information about Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) visit: www.pcj.com

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A national treasure Qatargas is a shining example of excellence within the energy sector

written by: Will Daynes research by: Abi Abagun

102 | be monthly

Qatargas

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Q

atar possesses what is the occurring some 80 kilometres northeast third-largest reserve of all of Qatar’s mainland. For its Qatargas 1 known natural gas on the project the company has drilled a total of planet, behind only Russia 22 production wells which now supply and Iran. According to 1,600 million standard cubic feet of dry figures taken in January 2011 reserves in natural gas per day from the field’s reservoir the state were measured at approximately to existing onshore trains.

896 trillion cubic feet. This means that Meanwhile at Qatargas 2 the company has it contains as much as 14 percent of the drilled thirty wells, from which 2.9 billion world’s known natural gas. standard cubic feet of wet natural gas per Established in 1984, and headquartered day is transferred to Trains 4 and 5 onshore. in Doha, Qatargas is recognised today as Furthermore, Qatargas 3 and Qatargas 4 being the largest LNG producing company in supply 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of wet the world, with an annual LNG production natural gas per day between them, each capacity of 42 million tonnes to onshore Trains 6 and 7 respectively. In total 33 wells per annum (MTA).

This immense production are shared between these capacity is delivered to two particular ventures. customers around the world At the very heart from the company’s worldof Qatargas’ offshore class facilities and assets operations is its North Field Bravo offshore complex.

- Qatargas 1, Qatargas 2, Tonnes per annum, Commissioned in 1996 the Qatargas 3 and Qatargas Qatargas’ annual LNG complex’s main facilities 4. From these assets the production capacity company carries its output include two production on seven LNG trains, four platforms, three wellhead of which are officially the largest in the platforms and one remote platform station world, each boasting a production capacity around five kilometres away. It is from this of 7.8 MTA. complex that three of Qatargas 2’s installed Since the establishment of Qatargas 1, platforms are remotely operation, while the the company has completed a successful three platforms shared between Qatargas expansion programme that has included the 3 and Qatargas 4 are operated from the development of the Qatargas 2; Qatargas 3 company’s onshore control room. and Qatargas 4 projects, its Laffan Refinery, Qatargas’ onshore operations on the a dedicated fleet of ships, a regasification other hand occupy a site within the Ras terminal, and the establishment of liaison Laffan industrial city on a plot of land 3.9 offices in Japan and China. square kilometres in area. The original plant Qatargas’ offshore operations can be found consisted of only three trains to process the

42

million

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Qatargas

PCS CABLES LLC is the regional branch office of PCS Italiana Srl, mother Company headquartered in Italy, Torino, and established since 1991 to provide turnkey solutions in the O&G field and sub-sea connections for power utilities.

PCS is committed to provide integrated cable solutions for maximum safety and efficiency, counting on a highly skilled workforce to deliver innovative, customised and flexible solutions with the lowest environmental impact.

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Qatargas psc cables

PCS facilities in Qatar include a workshop in Wakra Rd. and a branch office in the West Bay area of Doha.

PCS “Maintenance and Emergency Repair” team can promptly respond to an emergency cable repair, reaching the critical area in just a few days and providing a full spectrum of solutions to limit the possible damage and resume activity as quickly as possible.

PCS has a dedicated “Engineering Accessories Department”.

Specific accessories lines have been designed and proposed for the installation on platforms and for repair operations.

Qatargas deliveries

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Completing the whole scenario, PCS “Integrated Monitoring System” is specifically appreciated on critical or strategic submarine cables to verify and monitor the cable “health condition”, with both Online Monitoring - in working conditions on composite cables by means of fiber element - and Offline Monitoring during shutdown. www.pcscables.net www.pcsitaly.it

natural gas from offshore. The capacity of these first three trains was a combined ten MTA of LNG. It wasn’t until that 2009 the Qatargas’ Trains 4 and 5, each with a capacity of 7.8 MTA started operating, bringing the combined production capacity of Qatargas to 26 MTA and ushering in a new era of ‘megatrains’ as they have come to be known. This was followed by the arrival of Train 6 in late 2010 and finally Train 7 in early 2011.

It is Qatargas’ belief that its commitment to excellence is what has enabled it to become pioneers in the global LNG industry and helped it to create steady

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growth, advance operational excellence and establish the highest levels of safety and environmental performance.

While acknowledging the strides it has made, one thing that Qatargas places at the very heart of its priorities is its corporate citizenship. Indeed the company strongly believes that as a global leader in the global energy industry, it does not operate in isolation. On the contrary, it believes that Qatargas is intrinsically linked with the

communities and environments in which it operates, wherever they may be around the world.

Keenly aware that this link brings it opportunities as well as responsibilities, Qatargas is committed to operating in ways that reflect its core values, where it looks to create partnerships with the community based on trust, ingenuity, innovation and collaboration. That is why as a global leader in the energy sector it has chosen to

“It is Qatargas’ belief that its commitment to excellence is what has enabled it to become a pioneer in the global LNG industry�

LNG production facilities at night

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Qatargas

Workers at the facility

align social investments with its business objectives, whilst at the same time working with dedication to create and maintain partnerships that promote the long-term economic, environmental, and social value of the communities in which we operate.

To this end the company boasts a comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme focused on long-term, sustainable social development. In addition to this programme Qatargas is keen to display the fact that it strives to adhere to and maintain the highest standards of energy use, responsible energy management and energy conservation, while also upholding a strong commitment to care and the protection of the environment.

As the company looks to build further still on its accomplishments it has set out a

visit for itself whereby it intends to become recognised across the globe as the world’s premier LNG company, one that is known for people, innovation, operating excellence, environmental responsibility and corporate citizenship, by 2015.

On top of this the company will endeavour to set an industry standard for safety performance, customer satisfaction, efficient and reliable operations and financial performance, and through its high calibre and diverse workforce it will continue to embrace the Qatar National Vision 2030 to achieving successful and sustainable development.

For more information about Qatargas visit: www.qatargas.com

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The seas

of change Set up to tackle the main areas of weakness inhibiting UK decommissioning supply-chain capability, DECOM North Sea is working to help drive forward an industry sector estimated to be worth in excess of ÂŁ35 billion over 30 years

written by: Will Daynes research by: Adam Kalynuk

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DECOM North Sea

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DECOM North Sea

B

rian Nixon has spent most of his career working for major engineering contractors. Around 25 years of his career to be exact, roughly half of those years spent in the upstream, offshore sector, with the rest in the downstream, onshore market.

Following this he spent a period of some eight years as the Director of Energy for Scottish Enterprise. “In this particular role,” he states, “I held a pan-energy role setting the strategic direction for the organisations investment plans across the whole of the energy sector. In doing so my attention was drawn to the offshore decommissioning market.”

It was three years ago that Nixon was subsequently approached to head up a new organisation whose efforts would be focused solely on this particular industry as Chief Executive of DECOM North Sea. “This organisation,” Nixon continues, “came about as a result of sustained consultation with the industry, a consultation that was facilitated

by UK and Scottish government agencies that was driven by their recognition that a major programme of decommissioning activity was ramping up in the North Sea.” As Nixon points out, while the thought process behind decommissioning activities has been well documented, and there has been a long-held understanding that all offshore structures will one day have to be removed at the end of their economic lives, the industry has until now been very good at deferring the start of such work, mostly through the application of new technology or enhanced drilling techniques.

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THE QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AFFECTS US ALL, CLEAN AIR AND CLEAN WATER IS ESSENTIAL TO LIFE AND IT IS INCUMBENT ON ALL OF US TO ENSURE THAT WE DO OUR BEST TO MAINTAIN THEM

Armstrong York are driven by this commitment and by the knowledge that our country is still full of dangerous, hazardous and potentially lethal materials and is a legacy that we must not leave for our children to resolve.

The management team at Armstrong York has extensive experience of working in petrochemical and heavy industry environments providing a range of services to major oil and refinery companies within the United Kingdom. On-site support services are a critical factor in the successful relationships with our clients ensuring their core businesses are operated in a safe and efficient manner.

The provision of asbestos management support services to the petrochemical industry and other major industries can be divided into four key areas of service delivery: • Management Support • Asbestos Surveying • Air Monitoring • Response With a particular emphasis on Health and Safety Armstrong York has received major Awards and are justifiably proud that the company’s health and safety record is second to none.

For more information about the services Armstrong York offer please call Kelly Hadley on 0870 3500 375 or visit www.armstrong-york.com

DECOM North Sea It was a year-long Armstrong York consultation process with For over six years Armstrong York have been working in the industry and various partnership with BP Oil UK, Petroplus & Vopak overseeing government agencies that and managing all maintenance activities and providing brought about numerous specialist services at their Coryton Refinery on Canvey recommendations about Island in Essex. Petroplus’s core business is refining crude what was needed to oil into various petroleum products making the inspection of the plant and equipment at the Refinery critical to their spur activ it y in the core business. decommissioning sector, Through the provision of a comprehensive range of vital the most important being asbestos management support services Armstrong York the belief that it required support this core business activity by ensuring that the an independent, totally Refinery operates in a safe manner ensuring all necessary focused industry forum and safety precautions and procedures are implemented that is where DECOM North maintained and continually reviewed. www.armstrong-york.com Sea came from.

Three years down the line and the organisation has evolved to the point where it has some 220 member companies and is moving forward to stimulate a vibrant, efficient and cost effective industry in order to capture the economic benefits that this substantial program of work has to offer.

“Our membership portfolio,” Nixon says, “was always intended to encompass the whole of the oil and gas industry and as such we have worked very hard to achieve and sustain this. Today our members include the

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SQUIBB GROUP Having established a formidable reputation as one of the premier demolition contractors in its native United Kingdom, Squibb Group has evolved to become a major global force across the controlled demolition and dismantling sectors, taking its knowledge and experience across Europe and into the Middle East regions.

www.squibbgroup.com

After years of successful oil and gas production, many of the structures in the North Sea are coming to the end of their expected lifespan and under current legislation, over 90% of these structures need to be completely removed and brought on-shore for reuse or re-cycling. This represents a huge challenge to the industry and Squibb Group, as an affiliated member of Decom North Sea, are working closely with industry regulators and government bodies to assess and formulate effective contracting strategies for the removal of these structures in a technically feasible and safe manner.

With extensive onshore and off-shore experience, Squibb Group are committed to developing technically innovative solutions which recognise and address environmental concerns, health and safety of personnel and costs.

• Dismantling • Decommissioning • Asbestos Removal • Demolition • Temp Works Design • Recycling • Engineering Design • Decontamination • Asset Recovery • Project Management

SQUIBB GROUP DEMOLITION CONTRACTORS UK BASED EXPERT CONTROLLED DEMOLITION COMPANY

DECOM North Sea

“We do a raft of different things to provide our members with a range of benefits” owners and operators of offshore facilities, major first tier contractors and a raft of specialist service providers, consultants and professional services providers.”

DECOM North Sea, being a membership organisation, strives to deliver a wide range of benefits to its individual members to illustrate to them what value they are getting from their fee. “We do a raft of different things to try and work with our members individually and collectively to provide them with a range of benefits,”

Nixon highlights. “This includes hosting networking events, conferences, what we call learning journeys and research visits to regions like Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark where we learn about decommissioning activity in these regions and Squibb Group explore the potential for Squibb Group started work in the Oil & Gas/Petrochemical collaboration and sharing of industry in the 1970’s at the Thames hinterland refineries experience and ideas.” of Coryton, Shellhaven and Canvey Island, eventually As Nixon has stated, becoming a “partner” to Mobil Oil. Amongst some of while the concept of the major projects undertaken was the demolition of a decommissioning is well Catalytic cracker column, in which Squibb became the first contractor to utilise a tower crane for such a project. known, there are few Feasibility studies have been conducted for Kinsail companies and indeed covering the removal of several gas platforms in the South few people who have Irish Sea and having recently extended its services into practical experience of a the Nuclear industry, Squibb Group have been awarded decommissioning project. a framework agreement with Magnox for demolition and “As an industry we are decontamination of their Nuclear Plants across the UK. still at a very early stage www.squibbgroup.com of learning, so in terms of

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focus

Decommissioning ADDRESSING THE CHEMICAL NEEDS OF THE DECOMMISSIONING INDUSTRY, ROEMEX LIMITED INTRODUCE THREE TAILORED CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS...

RX-7892 Wax Remover RX-7846 Hydrocarbon Remover RX-7821 Scale Remover

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DECOM North Sea efficiency, the development of models, the beginning of Roemex Limited is a privately owned, independent oilfield cost reduction, this will only chemical company with its headquarters in Aberdeen, be achieved once we get into Scotland. We have designed, manufactured and supplied a more sustained programme speciality chemicals to the worldwide oil and gas industry of decom m ission i ng for over twenty years. projects. There is a lot of Adding to the existing product ranges for Completion, Production and Hydrotesting operations is the NEW learning going on and that Decommissioning product range, which is aimed specifically is one of the central roles at the Decommissioning market. These products, all of of DECOM North Sea: to which are classified as ‘Gold’ and carry no substitution share experience from warning, are designed to clean, de-wax and de-scale flow past projects; share what lines and process equipment. Please contact we anticipate about future Duncan Baillie for further information. market activity; how we duncan@roemex.com believe projects are likely to be approached; what strategies will be adopted; how companies will allocate work; how they will control risks - and generally try to help new companies to the market understand what their business opportunities are.”

There is no doubt in Nixon’s mind that the next few years are going to be very interesting with the decommissioning industry set to adopt several different approaches to future projects. One of these will be what is dubbed the piece small approach, whereby once the platform and its facilities have been cleaned of all

Roemex Limited

£35 billion Estimated value of the North Sea decommissioning sector

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KDC is a market leader in decommissioning, demolition and land remediation, prioritising safe delivery and helping our customers realise value from their assets. We serve the oil, gas and process markets on shore and offshore. We are also market leaders in the chemical, pharmaceutical, nuclear; energy and natural resources, and utility markets.

We specialise in delivering “end of asset life� and land remediation solutions, providing competitive decommissioning services including strategy development, hazard characterisation, decontamination, de-planting, asset appraisal and disposal and demolition. Our focus is exemplary Safety, Health and Environmental performance to protect our own and our customers’ people and other stakeholders.

Our people make the seemingly impossible possible.

Nigel Jenkins, Sales and Marketing Director nigel.jenkins@kdc.c.uk www.kdc.co.uk

DECOM North Sea

hydrocarbons and hazardous waste it is The third and final approach, which in taken apart using hydraulic shears. The fact has yet to be adopted by companies but small pieces are then placed in open top is a source of considerable interest within the containers on supply boats and taken sector involves the construction of a super ashore for recycling. heavy lift vessel, which is due to come to A further option that is regularly used is market around the spring/summer of 2014. called reverse installation This vessel will have a lifting capacity of approximately where separate modules of 44,000 tonnes, thus having a platform or facility are the potential to lift complete cleaned and removed using topsides or jacket structures. a heavy lift crane. These “If this vessel is to realise are then taken by barge to meet the same fate described its potential,� Nixon says, “it Members of DECOM North Sea during the piece small could result in a significant approach. step change in how the

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DECOM North Sea industry goes about its business, with literally hundreds of man hours being transferred from an offshore environment to onshore locations. Operators clearly see a lot of benefits to such a situation, for example the positive effects it will have on safety performance, environment controls and cost containment.”

Nevertheless, such a development will not be without its complications, posing as it does a number of questions relating to how one would go about freeing such a large structure of hydrocarbons and environment and hazardous waste, and how one would get access to beginning the subsequent demolition process.

This represents just one of the many challenges that the decommissioning sector will undoubtedly have to deal with as it ramps up in the years ahead, but as Nixon concludes, the sheer amount of work and opportunities that lie ahead makes such obstacles well worth finding a way around.

“A major production platform in the central or northern North Sea can take in excess of ten years to be decommissioned. This clearly requires a great deal of work to accomplish and the scale of work ahead can really be put into perspective when you think that in the case of the Shell Brent Field alone, it is thought that the decommissioning of the field will take longer and cost more than it took to design and build in the first place.”

For more information about DECOM North Sea visit: www.decomnorthsea.com

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The clean and energy option

From its base in Johannesburg Egoli Gas is helping to supply an increasing number of domestic and commercia customers with a constant supply of natural gas

Written by: Will Daynes Research by: Paul Bradley

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Egoli Gas

d reliable n

al

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Egoli Gas

T

o many, natural gas is thought energy-efficient natural gas and is committed of as being the most important to providing an uninterrupted flow of natural energy source of the future. gas, ready to use when it’s needed, safely.

Egoli Gas acquires its natural gas from The abundance of natural gas coupled with its environmental integrated energy and chemical company soundness and multiple applications across Sasol. This gas is stored at a secure facility all sectors, means that it will continue to play in Langlaagte where it is carefully monitored an increasingly important role in meeting and controlled. The gas is reticulated to Egoli demand for energy in the years to come.

Gas’ Cottesloe premises where it’s stored in A hugely versatile energy source, natural low pressure holders before being reticulated gas has a number of applications in our daily to homes and business across the city. lives including domestic uses like home heating In order to service the needs of its 6,000 and cooling, cooking, fuel for transportation, plus domestic customers the company has steam heat production, electrical generation established locations across the majority manufacturing and industrial uses like of Johannesburg’s larger suburbs, however producing steel, glass, forest its pipeline infrastructure products, clothing, cement, extends much further afield, fertilizer and petrochemicals, a fact that is crucial to and creating polyethylene servicing its commercial and polymers, which is the most industrial clients.

Johannesburg actually widely used plastic.

Domestic customers To date the natural gas holds the distinction of served by Egoli Gas industry has helped generate being the only South African city to possess piped gas billions of dollars in revenue, created millions of jobs and as the cleanest infrastructure. Originally managed by the burning fossil fuel, has the potential to reduce Johannesburg Council’s Department of Water the harmful emissions generated by oil and and Gas which, from 1928, operated from coal. Abundant supplies of this domestic Cottesloe, the city’s gas infrastructure relied resource will provide a secure and stable on highly pollutant, hydrogen-rich, coal energy future while reducing greenhouse gas based gas for a number of decades. It wasn’t emissions for generations to come. until during 2004 and 2005 that the entire Based in Johannesburg, Egoli Gas is a pipeline network, as well as approximately natural gas reticulator, servicing more than 35,000 individual gas fired pieces of 8,500 domestic, central water hearing, equipment of consumers, was successfully commercial and industrial businesses in converted from hydrogen-rich coal based the metropolitan area of South Africa’s gas to methane rich, natural gas due to the most populated city. The company offers change specification of gas by the supplier. environmentally-friendly, safe, reliable and As such, Egoli Gas’ footprint now extends

6,000+

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Egoli Gas from Midrand in the north Hatfield VW Braamfontein to Orange Farm in the south At Hatfield VW Braamfontein, there are no middlemen. Your and from Roodeport in the service consultant is also your auto technician. Having west to Bruma in the east. recently achieved the highest customer satisfaction index There are a host of in the country, we at Hatfield VW Braamfontein continue to benefits when it comes to strive for service excellence. using natural gas as an With supreme customer service being top of mind and a partnership that has thrived for over six years, it is no energy source, benefits that wonder that Hatfield VW Braamfontein and Egoli Gas have are clearly appealing to both jointly been associated as the leaders in customer service domestic and commercial in all aspects of their respective businesses. users as Egoli Gas’ customer The success of this partnership is based on an open, honest base continues to grow. and frank relationship and having an understanding of Arguable at the top of each other’s business and its needs. Together, Hatfield VW the list of plus points for Braamfontein and Egoli Gas continue to set the benchmark in supreme customer service. domestic users are the cost www.hatfieldvw.co.za savings associated with its use. Natural gas is widely recognised as being more efficient and effective than many other energy sources, and it has the ability to reduce one’s monthly power costs by as much as 50 percent.

As has been well documented numerous times in the past, natural gas is also a much more environmentally friendly alternative than many other sources of energy. Releasing 45 percent less carbon dioxide into the air than other forms of energy, natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel. It is also seen as a much safer form of fuel, seeing as it is colourless, soot-less and sulphur-free, and Pressure meter on natural gas pipeline

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St John’s College gas installation

Anchor R

“Egoli Gas has made national headlines by signing a number of on-going multimillion-Rand contracts” being lighter than air it naturally disperses upward when leaked.

In the last five years Egoli Gas has made national headlines by signing a number of on-going multimillion-Rand contracts with various businesses wanting to implement alternative energy solutions. As part of some

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of these contracts the company has since implemented solutions for the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, financial services provider Absa, cellular network provider MTN and, more recently, financial institution Standard Bank South Africa’s Rosebank business centre.

Egoli Gas

Rand - glass blown with Egoli Gas

Amid rising power costs and climate change concerns, Egoli Gas says it is committed to helping companies reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and electricity burden. It also aims to improve the promotion of natural gas as an alternative form of energy for the greater Johannesburg metropolitan area.

In South Africa, the natural gas industry competes with electricity, coal, heavy and light fuel oil, liquid petroleum gas, paraffin, as well as diesel. As a proponent of natural gas, Egoli Gas believes the benefits of its product far outweigh those of other types of energy sources, especially as it is one of the safest, cleanest and most efficient

The Houghton development

forms of energy. Moreover, natural gas requires low maintenance and can be used domestically and commercially, with industrial applications ranging from steam processes to power generation. “We believe in supporting the initiatives of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa and the City of Johannesburg in meeting the growing demand for energy in the area,� the company states.

For more information about Egoli Gas visit: www.egoligas.co.za

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CHUM

New CHUM for Montreal After a decade of uncertainty Montreal, is soon to benefit from a $2.5 billion state of the art teaching and research hospital that anyone will be happy to visit – or work at

written by: John O’Hanlon research by: Vincent Kielty

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Construction in progress and the CRCHUM in the background, almost completed

CHUM

M

ontrealers have become accustomed to seeing the large building site in the heart of the city that will house the new hospital complex that is being built there. The new CHUM is bounded

by Boulevard René-Lévesque, Rue SaintDenis, Rue Sanguinet and Rue Saint-Antoine towering 20 storeys above ground. The City of Montreal will finally have one of the most advanced teaching hospitals and medical research facilities in the world.

The Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) and its associated Research Centre (CRCHUM) will be truly world class institutions. They were financed under two separate PPP project agreements. Substantial completion of the CRCHUM in the end of September 2013, and substantial completion for the first phase of the hospital is April 2016.

This major redevelopment project is much more than a stunning architectural group of buildings to grace this key site on the edge of the old city. The project has been clouded by uncertainty since it was first mooted more than a decade ago, in 2000.

Sylvain Villiard, Secretary General and Associate Executive Director, has been juggling the project since its inception, through a series of changes of administration and policy. The present site was finally chosen in 2005, by which time, he says, his team had become very good at site evaluation! Then there was a period of discussion about the size of the hospital: it replaces three existing facilities with a total of 1,000 beds, so the government’s preference for a much more smaller facility had to be questioned. At last

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CHUM

HH Angus and Associates Limited HH Angus is pleased to be participating in the CHUM project - the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal. More than 50 members of the HH Angus staff are providing Mechanical and Electrical Consulting Engineering and Security Design to the project, which is being designed to target LEED® Silver.

Founded in 1919, today HH Angus and Associates is one of Canada’s largest private consulting engineering firms. The company focuses on serving clients in the healthcare, technology, commercial and energy system sectors. We’re proud of our reputation for delivering superior engineering design and innovative building solutions to industry leaders.

We are fortunate to work with clients who trust us to incorporate new concepts and refine current ones to provide them with the best solution. With that trust comes the obligation to ensure our design fully meets our client’s expectations.

Recognized as industry leaders with international scope, HH Angus has a history of satisfying clients who require solutions to complex projects. Regardless of a project’s size or intricacy, we work with the design team to understand the character of the facility and to design appropriate systems, on schedule and within budget.

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In addition to mechanical and electrical consulting engineering, our services include: Commissioning • Project Management Vertical Transportation • Lighting Design Communications & Security Peer Review • Renewable Energy Consulting Master Planning • Feasibility Studies • Energy Modeling • Photometrics • Inspection Lifecycle Costing • Simulation Operations Training • Compliance Consulting T. 416.443.8200 or toll free 1.866.955.8201 E. info@hhangus.com www.hhangus.com

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a compromise was reached, and CHUM will have 772 beds and 39 operating rooms.

The main hospital replaces three existing hospitals, the Saint-Luc Hospital that stands at the corner of Saint-Denis and René-Lévesque – that landmark will be demolished as part of the project – the Hôtel-Dieu and the Hôpital Notre-Dame. It is being constructed under a public private partnership (PPP) between the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal and four equity partners that together make up the CHUM Collectif. Innisfree is a UK investment group with 23 active hospital projects, four in Canada; OHL is based in Spain and has built hospitals totalling 60,700 beds in 14 countries; Laing O’Rourke is the UK’s largest privately owned construction company and Dalkia Canada is a subsidiary of the global facilities management group.

The Research Centre to the south-east of the main hospital site and separated from it by Rue Viger, is being delivered via a separate PPP agreement with Accès Recherche Montréal (ARM), a partnership between Fiera Axium Infrastructure and Meridiam Infrastructure, and built by a joint venture of two Quebec companies, Pomerleau and Verreault SENC. In fact it is almost finished – the fabric of the buildings is complete, and the services and equipment are going in under the overall

supervision of Sylvain Villiard who in 2011 handed over the project management of CHUM itself to Paul Landry.

The new centre brings together six former locations – imagine the advantages in communication between the researchers! No wonder they are keen to move in, something they will begin to do in October 2013, a remarkable achievement on the part of ARM and Pomerleau-Verreault says Villiard. “The

“It is a tribute to our partners that after 42 months of construction we are on schedule, on budget and within one percent of our original specification” 138 | be monthly

CHUM

Amphitheatre and main entrance of the New CHUM

CRCHUM consists of two very be a further reassurance to high tech buildings amounting know that these systems will to 68,800 square metres. It is be competently maintained a tribute to our partners that for at least the 30 years of the after 42 months of construction PPP agreement. The facility Number of beds in the we are on schedule, on budget will be formally handed over new hospital on October 1, 2013 and by and within one percent of our original specification.” The January 1, 2014 six hundred buildings that the staff will be people will have moved in. leaving behind are up to 150 years old – their In addition, 5,500 pieces of equipment are inconvenience and inefficiency couldn’t be a being moved – in all $100 million-worth of greater contrast to the fail-safe systems they new equipment is being installed, 40 percent will enjoy in the new facility. of it brand new.

The research facility is linked to the Even the power supply comes in from two separate grid sources. Hydro-Québec and new Integrated Teaching and Training an additional link will give access to power Centre (CIEF) by a bridge that spans one of within the Research Centre. Honeywell is the Montreal’s busiest link roads. Not that you’d facility management partner in ARM – it will know it, because it is an underpass that runs

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“The main hospital will take a little longer to complete, but it is progressing well and is in the hands of a robust partnership� below the site itself. The CIEF is a key part of the hospital: some 6,000 students a year pass through it: now they will be able to work in an environment that contains a great deal of innovative learning technology and is close to a great deal more. The hospital

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is already working with a company involved in simulation to develop new products for surgical, ultrasound and clinical simulation, which apart from its relevance to diagnostics and treatment is increasingly important in teaching. CIEF will have 41 clinical training,

CHUM

Overview of what the New CHUM, including CRCHUM, will look when it’s finished

self-training and skills evaluation rooms and simulation laboratories. It will also include two rooms equipped with virtual simulators and computer operated mannequins.

The main hospital will take a little longer to complete, but it is progressing well and is in the hands of a robust partnership says Paul Landry, who had delivered two large hospital projects in Ontario before coming to CHUM in 2010. The main hospital building, or D Block, comprises three units, he explains, with each storey running out at around 20,000 square metres. The first eight storeys contain all the diagnostic and treatment departments,

including the 39 ORs while above them rise two parallel towers that contain 28 of the 36 in-patient wards.

Connecting directly to the D Block at all levels, block B1 contains the ambulatory care centre, or outpatient facility. It houses 35 different specialist clinics. A good example is the specialist burns unit, one of only two in the province – the other is in Québec City.

In terms of patient numbers, ambulatory care visits represent a major component of overall clinical services, says Landry: “Approximately 500,000 outpatients visits per year are anticipated. That’s one reason it has

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been situated right behind the amphitheatre this system instead of the traditional large that forms the main entrance to the hospital. pneumatic tube system for removing soiled We wanted a direct link between the main linen and refuse which takes up a large entrance and this large volume of ambulatory spatial and electromechanical footprint.” visits for ease of patient access.”

The use of AGVs for in-hospital logistics is The eight-storey logistics building will be not new, and the team visited other hospitals the service and goods handling hub of the including Forth Valley in Scotland to see it hospital. It houses the automated guided in action. However the CHUM system is the largest and most modern vehicle system that was introduced at an early stage in North America, and the by the CHUM Collectif, first in Canada. The robots something Landry gives the follow wi-fi controlled paths partners full credit for. “Our with location precision of 1 centimetre, moving from partners were determined to Anticipated outpatient exceed our expectations, and floor to floor on dedicated visits each year at changed their design at the elevators. “The automated Nouveau CHUM bidding stage to introduce transportation equipment

500,000

A view inside the CRCHUM

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CHUM

“Art and culture in the healing environment is integral to our vision of creating a leading edge patient focused design” that has been conceived for this project is really key to the overall operations of the logistics centre,” he says, adding that robotics will form part of leading edge equipment in the pharmacy and even the operating rooms.

However the smartest thing about this massive building project came right at the planning stage. The original submission called for 55 percent of the facility to be delivered

in Phase 1 leaving a substantial proportion to follow in Phase 2. The Collectif sought a derogation from the government to allow a five-metre height increase to the building and a displacement of the phasing line from the hospital. This meant that in Phase 1 they would be able to deliver 85 percent of all the clinical services. By doing that they avoided in effect building two hospitals, with all the associated high tech infrastructure split between two phases. This way the bulk of the critical elements were shifted into Phase 1 with lower spec outpatient clinics, and administrative services in the second. “Our partners really stepped up to the mark with a great architectural solution, reducing the footprint, freeing up more space around the focal auditorium and main entrance and allowing more natural light to come into the hospital itself and also to reach the street.”

From the point of view of the hospital it was a tremendous advantage to get nearly all of its clinical services; its in-patient services, its diagnostic treatment services, plus all 772 beds and most of its outpatient clinics in one go. Virtually everyone will be able to relocate from the three existing hospitals by 2016, he observes with satisfaction, with the remaining 15 percent of ambulatory clinics delivered by 2020 in Phase 2.

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The CRCHUM is almost complete and will open this year

CHUM No account of the new CHUM would be complete without mentioning its aesthetic aspects. Apart from the rigours of delivering a hospital to LEED Silver standards (Gold is not out of the question) in a climate that can range from minus 20 to 30 degrees Celsius, the design will enhance the city’s identity.

Its most striking feature is hard to put one’s finger on. One contender is the remarkable curved amphitheatre, but the incorporation of two old Montreal landmarks is hard to trump.

The bell-tower of the 1866 St-Sauveur church that stood on the site has been taken down stone by stone to be re-erected at the corner of the new hospital close to its entrance, rising in front of six storeys of the hospital.

The associated Garth House façade is to be incorporated inside the entrance hall. “The design of the façade had to be just right and I think Cannon Design and the local architect Neuf Architects together did a marvellous job of designing this new hospital,” says Landry.

We can’t say much – yet – about what will undoubtedly be a keynote of the design. A competition is in hand to design an eight-storey image covering the façade of the ambulatory centre. One percent of the cost of every building project in Quebec must be reserved for artwork and the designers of CHUM enthusiastically complied, says Paul Landry: “Art and culture in the healing environment is integral to our vision of creating a leading edge patient focused design.”

For more information about CHUM visit: www.nouveauchum.com

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ESACHS

A clean bill

of health General Manager, Javier Fuenzalida, discusses the vital contributions ESACHS makes towards Chile’s well-respected health care system

written by: Will Daynes research by: Louisa Adcock

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A

quick glance over Chile’s basic health indicators makes one thing clear. With infant and maternal mortality levels amongst the lowest in Latin America, and the average life expecting coming in at close to 76 years, a figure that is up from just over 60 years in the early 1970s, it is plain to see that much of the country’s population is benefiting from what is an advanced health care system.

It was eight years ago that ACHS, Chile’s most comprehensive private network of occupational health and injury prevention centres, further contributed to the evolution of the country’s health care system by establishing the ESACHS. “Our main line of business,” states ESACHS General Manager, Javier Fuenzalida, “is to manage health centres, polyclinics and First Aid rooms within the business premises of various sectors of the economy.”

As well as operating primary care facilities that deal with complex workplace injuries and occupational health issues, ACHS provides comprehensive occupational risk prevention and training courses, and up-to-date information on workplace and in-transit accident prevention. Using innovative management systems, in line with the needs of an evolving workforce, ACHS routinely conducts new risk research in order to implement specific programmes for individual industry sectors. It also strives to promote healthy habits and behaviour in order to improve the quality of life of its affiliates, most notably through a range of special programs and education campaigns.

ACHS’ operations are based on a culture of

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ESACHS

Patient rescue service

quality, in which on-going staff training, state-of-the-art technology, and definition of processes and standards figure highly.

Since its creation ESACHS has developed a reputation for delivering high quality service that conforms to the provisions and regulations imposed by the Chilean Health Authority. In order to deliver rescue and patient transfer services throughout the country, the company operates a fleet of more than 300 vehicles, including emergency ambulances, mini buses, trucks and cars.

In order to meet the needs and interests of companies across all manner of industry sectors ESACHS has developed specific health units. These include First Aid and Nursing Rooms in which trained professionals can deliver emergency care, Procedure Rooms and Polyclinics. These Polyclinics are kitted out with all the necessary equipment and facilities to deliver complete care, and come with additional sampling and x-ray rooms. It is at this level that the company shares a hugely important link with the major national and international mining companies operating in various sectors throughout Chile.

From an administrative standpoint the company specialises in providing all manner of services to health centres, ranging from the implementation of First Aid rooms to complex

health units, with its work recognised by a number of vital industries such as the country’s mining sector.

Today ESACHS employs approximately 1,500 employees, while its coverage across Chile spans from the Tarapacá region to the Los Lagos region encompassing a total of 21 agencies found in the most important cities within each region. “In the years since ESACHS first came into being,” Fuenzalida continues,

“ESACHS has developed a reputation for delivering high quality service that conforms to the provisions and regulations” 150 | be monthly

ESACHS

Esachs fleet of vehicles

“we have accumulated a significant level of specialized knowledge within our field of work, much of which is based on the more than five decades worth of experience in the health sector possessed by our parent company.”

With the evolution of mining in Chile in recent times making it an ever more critical component of the country’s economic growth it comes as little surprise to find that ESACHS has made every effort to accompany this growth, in the process delivering its polyclinic and First Aid room management services to some of the most important companies in the sector. Such companies include BHP, CODELCO, the Doña Inés de Collahuasi Mining Company, Lumina Copper, Goldcorp, KGHM International, Antofagasta Minerals, Xstrata Copper, CAP Mining, Yamana Gold and ESO ALMA.

As part of the company’s drive to become even further integrated into Chile’s mining sector it will be attending the EXPONOR 2013 exhibition, which will take place between 17 and 21 June in Antofagasta. Organised by the Antofagasta Industrial Association, the event will bring together more than 1,000 exhibitors from around 30 countries.

“This year marks the very first time that ESACHS has attended EXPONOR,” Fuenzalida says. “Being a participant at this year’s event is a great honour for all of us here and we are very excited to have the opportunity to interact face-to-face with not only many of our current customers, but hopefully some future clients as well.”

In addition to working with the above mining companies ESACHS also provides

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its services to a number of other important sectors and areas of economic activity, such as the education and banking sectors, the forestry and fishing communities and the metalworking, communications and consumer products industries. Furthermore, the company has a strong track record of providing services to Chile’s prisons and its collection of observatories.

“The greatest asset we have as a business,” Fuenzalida explains, “is our dedicated staff, all of whom are fully qualified to deliver

pre-hospital care. Simply put, the reasons behind the quality and efficiency of our services can all be traced back to the work of our employees and it is for this reason that we continue to invest heavily in our people.”

Obviously the services ESACHS provides are very staff intensive in their nature and it is because of this that it also works hard to contract out its external activities, such as transportation, accommodation and deliveries of food and supplies, to its premises to other local businesses. In doing

“Our operational excellence is arguably best demonstrated by our ever-present willingness to develop and improve ourselves”

Ambulance service

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ESACHS

Javier Fuenzalida, General Manager

so the company is also doing its bit for the wider Chilean economy by helped to generate further employment opportunities that local and region businesses can capitalise on.

As it continues to grow as a company ESACHS is constantly in the process of reviewing and expanding the range of services it provides, while always ensuring that at the end of the day its customers have the peace of mind of knowing that they can rely on the company to deliver quality health care.

“Our operational excellence is arguably best demonstrated by our ever-present willingness to develop and improve ourselves,” Fuenzalida highlights. “To this end we are constantly looking to incorporate the latest technology and technological advances into every facet of our operations, from the emergency vehicles we use to the way in which we equip health centres.”

The evidence that this philosophy of selfimprovement is paying off can be seen in the fact that ESACHS’ customer base has increased steadily over the last eight years, and continues to do so now. “Literally every month we are being invited by companies from different economic sectors to participate in proposals related to the management of various health centres,” Fuenzalida concludes. “It is with great pride and satisfaction that we can stand here today and say that we are proving beyond doubt that we are the leaders when it comes to the delivery of such vital services.”

For more information about ESACHS visit: www.esachs.cl

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A gatewa

A sub beh America

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LLX (Açu Superport Project)

ay to the future

bsidiary company of EBX Group, LLX is the driving force hind the development of the Açu Superport, one of Latin a’s most important investment projects in recent history

written by: Will Daynes research by: Abi Abagun

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LLX (Açu Superport Project)

W

ith a population of just facilities, mainly in the port sector. LLX’s over 30,000 people and ventures are strategically located and are a total area of some designed to handle the largest vessels, using 459 square kilometres, the latest port technology, thus resulting in São João da Barra may efficient and low-cost operations. not be as recognisable as some of Brazil’s A total of R$4 billion will be invested in other municipalities, however it is the Açu Superport, of which R$1 billion is being location of one of the country’s most exciting provided by LLX Minas-Rio (responsible for developments, the Açu Superport, the largest implementing the iron ore port terminal) port infrastructure investment project in all and R$3 billion by LLX Açu (responsible for of Latin America. handling other cargo such as steel products, With two terminals, one offshore and petroleum, coal, granite, slag, pig iron and one onshore, the Açu Superport is a private, liquid and solid bulk). mixed-use port complex Building of the Açu that will eventually boast Superport began back in 17 kilometres of piers and up October 2007. Occupying to 47 mooring berths. It is a total area of 90 square being built on the northern kilometres, the complex Rio de Janeiro coastline, will have an initial depth near the area responsible for of 21 metres, which will be 85 percent of Brazil’s oil and expanded to 26 metres, and Total investment being the capacity to receive large gas production. made into the Being an innovative vessels. At present only Açu Superport project boasting modern seven percent of Brazil’s engineering, construction ports have the capacity to and operating practices, the Açu Superport receive capesize ships. will be comparable with the most modern Upon completion the Açu Superport will and efficient ports in the world. It is being have two terminal complexes. The first, prepared to receive large vessels such as TX1 is an offshore terminal with a depth of Capesize and Very Large Crude Carriers 21 meters, a three kilometre access bridge, (VLCCs), which carry up to 320,000 tonnes a tugboat pier, nine oil and iron-ore piers, of cargo, and Chinamax vessels carrying up approach channel and turning basin. Of these, two iron ore piers, the tugboat pier, to 400,000 tonnes.

The principle company behind this approach channel and turning basin are extensive development is LLX, a logistics completed. Once operational TX1 will be company of EBX Group that was founded in able to handle up to 100 million metric March 2007 with a mission to provide Brazil tonnes of iron ore a year and 1.2 million with integrated infrastructure and logistics barrels of oil a day.

R$4

Billion

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The Acu SuperporT projecT in BrAzil

MeeTinG Your eVerY chAllen

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Boskalis tailors innovative and competitive solutions. From feasibility studies, design and execution to maintenance and operational services.

We are a global leading expert in: Design, construction and maintenance of Ports and Waterways Land reclamation Coastal defense and riverbank protection Terminal and harbor towage services Heavy marine transport, lifting and subsea services Salvage Talking about challenges...

Boskalis’ track record in South America is already strong. Not only in the ‘business as usual’ projects but especially when it comes to challenging projects like a submerged tunnel and a LNG terminal in Mexico, a total mining solution in Surinam, the construction of the first man-made island in front of Panama City and the installation of a gas pipeline and a communication cable in Tierre del Fuego.

With its major role in the prestigious project at LLX Acu, Boskalis has once again emphatically demonstrated that it is able to successfully manage whatever challenges arise: Challenges related to environmental restrictions, to sudden changes in planning, to working in exposed off shore conditions or related to interfaces with other contractors. We swiftly adapt ourselves, whatever the circumstances.

Let’s talk about your challenges Boskalis do Brasil Dragagem e Servicos Maritimos Ltda.

Avenida Presidente Vargas 309 (10th floor) Centro Rio de Janeiro RJ 20.040-010 Brazil T +55 21 2121 1042

www.boskalis.com

LLX ACU SUPER PORT PROJECT: MEETING EVERY CHALLENGE For Boskalis, being part of the LLX/OSX project in Brazil has been challenging and inspiring. The entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of the client Eike Batista matches Boskalis’ mentality and work ethic.

LLX Acu Super Port Project is an incredibly dynamic project. Its conception took place quickly and continues to develop rapidly as new customers sign on. To meet the challenge, Boskalis and the Client work closely, with constant communications and transparency – making improvements, meeting deadlines and maintaining high quality while achieving excellent safety performance.

Challenges at LLX Acu Super Port Project included: • A very tight deadline at the start of the project to meet the turtle season. Boskalis solved this through an extremely short mobilization time of the equipment and moving past the beach under unfavorable weather and sea conditions.

• The enormous transportation distance for the dredged material. This challenge was met with almost 20 kilometers of pipeline on location.

• Meeting tight deadlines caused by changes in planning and sequence of activities as the project advances. Boskalis quickly

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adapts by negotiating with the Client and subcontractors, providing alternative solutions and equipment and streamlining execution.

In total five vessels were mobilized: two jumbo cutter suction dredgers, two large trailing suction hopper dredgers, a clamshell dredger plus supporting marine equipment and dry excavation equipment. Although the numbers vary, between 350 and 450 people are at work at any given moment on dredging the access and inner channels, turning basin and harbor basin as well as land reclamation work. At a later date Boskalis will also construct the revetments at the harbor’s entrance. The total dredged volume will be in excess of 43 million cubic meters, part of which will be used to reclaim land for the construction of the port facilities.

Boskalis’ track record in South America is already strong. Not only in the “business as usual” projects, but especially when it comes to challenging projects such as: • the installation of a submerged tunnel in the entrance channel in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, the largest oil exporting terminal in Central America; • the reconstruction of an LNG terminal

LLX LLX (Açu Superport Project)

in Cuyutlàn, Mexico, in severe offshore conditions; • a total mining solution in Surinam, where the overburden in the jungle (partly swamp) was removed and bauxite was lifted, including road transport to the refinery.

The required dredge (1800T) was transported by road to the site.

• the construction of the first artificial island

in front of Panama City (see picture); • the installation of a gas pipeline and a communication cable in the remote location of Tierra de Fuego Let’s talk about your challenges……….. we are ready for it! www.boskalis.com

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Sistema PRI Engenharia WE ARE WHEREVER YOU NEED! Management, Supervision and Project Design of Engineering Works Areas of work: Building and Industrial - Public - Commercial - Education - Housing - Hospitals - Hotels - Special Works Transportation – Infrastructure Highways Railways and Subways Ports Airports Bridges and Viaducts Urban Paving Sanitation and Environmental Water Treatment Sewage Treatment Water Supply and Distribution Systems Sewerage Effluent Treatment Industrial Pollution Control Collection, Treatment and Disposal of Urban Refuse Urban Drainage Energy Hydroelectric Power Plant Dams and Earthworks; Mining; Irrigation Works Thermoeletric Power Plant Transmission Lines Natural Gas Distribution Sucroenergetic Telecommunication Building Communication networks Systems

YOUR ENGINEERING IN BRAZIL

LLX LLX (Açu Superport Project) LLX feature text going et dolore magna aliqua. Ut The other terminal, TX2, here....Lorem dolor sit enim ad minim veniam, quis is an onshore ipsum terminal being amet,around consectetur nostrud exercitation ullamco built a 6.5adipisicing kilometre elit, sed do eiusmod tempor laboris nisi ut aliquip ex long, 300 -met re-w ide incididuntchannel. ut labore TX2 et dolore approach will ea commodo consequat. magnaa wharf aliqua.line Utofenim boast over ad 13 Duis aute irure dolor in minim veniam, quis nostrud kilometres, where liquid and reprehenderit in voluptate exercitation ullamco laboris solid bulk, coal, pig iron, slag velit esse cillum dolore nisi ut aliquipwill ex ea and granite becommodo handled, eu fugiat nulla pariatur. consequat.

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SISTEMA PRI is an engineering consulting company established in 1982, with the objective of providing engineering services in the field of projects, job and enterprise management, planning and general technical studies. PRI stands for “Planejamento Real e Integrado” (Real and Integrated Planning) that designates its own and exclusive management, planning and job control system, created and developed entirely by the company.

Currently with approximately 500 professionals, our team has been developing services in many engineering areas with excellent results. Sistema PRI is highly certified with ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and QUALIHAB Level 6.

The working methodology employed by SISTEMA PRI in the management of jobs and undertakings has been constantly perfected since its foundation, being based on most modern management techniques guided by standard NBR-ISO 10.006:2006 and by the Guia Oficial do Conjunto de Conhecimentos do Management de Projetos - Official Guide of the Set of Project Management Knowledge (PMBOK Guide - edition 2008), published by PMI – Project Management Institute – world leader among professional organizations in the field of project management. www.sistemapri.com.br

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Solução Madeiras Solução Madeiras is a Brazilian company with nine years of experience in building construction prefabricated wood, which is adaptable to different styles, terrain conditions, enterprises that require LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). We serve the industrial, infrastructure, metal & mineral, petrochemical and residential industries. The values we apply to ​our work include commitment, safety, interpersonal relationships and attention to sustainability issues. LLX, one of our high level clients, demanded Solução Madeiras’s expertise in order

Commitment and

Products: The company provides a a focus on construction: wood products (plywood

Certification: The major certified by the FSC® (Fo come from managed for

Services: • Prefabricated wood bu ensure comfort, safety places: office, restaura room and sanitary, acc • Prefabricated roof: roo

to build the LLX Açu Supeport´s office.

The success of this partnership was a result of our understanding of www.solucaomadeiras.com.br the client’s needs, coupled with quality and time commitment to the welfare of the professionals involved in the building process of one of the largest enterprises in Brazil. www.solucaomadeiras.com.br

Commitment and quality in line with the environment

Products: The company provides a wide range of wood products with a focus on construction: a wide variety of woods, engineered wood products (plywood, OSB board), treated wood.

Certification: The majority of our wood products are certified by the FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) and come from managed forests.

Services: • Prefabricated wood buildings. We design spaces that ensure comfort, safety and speed of assembly. Applied to places: office, restaurants, kitchens, warehouses, dressing room and sanitary, accommodation.

• Prefabricated roof: roof system for industrial wood.

www.solucaomadeiras.com.br

Products FSC® on request

LLX (Açu Superport Project)

and gas production and exploration activities which is now licensed for 1.2 million barrels that exist within the Campos Basin. It is here a day. The OFT will lower the water and salt that approximately 85 percent of Brazil’s total content in the oil by using centrifugation oil and gas production originates. and decantation. The operation enhances The complex has been strategically the quality and the commercial value of the product. positioned to handle and Because of its privileged treat oil, provide support location close to the main oilto offshore exploration and production operations, and to producing basins of Brazil, the house a metalworking cluster Açu Superport is extremely dedicated to the oil and gas attractive for companies Total jobs that the port industry. Furthermore, the operating in the oil and gas and industrial complex will ultimately generate Açu Superport will have an sector, such as OSX, which Oil Treatment Facility (OTF), operates in the offshore oil

50,000

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SUNSET Surveillance and Security is an

established company with over 15 years of expertise in providing private surveillance, armed escort and security services to financial, public and private institutions.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: Surveillance personnel: n Armed and unarmed n Dressed in suit and uniform n Entrance control Surveillance and Security for events:

n Punctuality n Technical visits to develop safety and action plans n Commitment to address the particular needs of each event n Communication equipment n Earphones, metal detectors, among others

Consulting:

n Planning of safety n Risk analysis

VIP service: Individual security escorting to schools, airports, personalities, bank visits among others.

Closed CCTV and 24-hour monitoring: n Modern digital technology accessible from virtually anywhere n Systems and alarms integrated with motion sensors and night vision.

Contacts: telephone: +55 21 2568-7114 / 2234-3088 email: administracao@sunsetvigilancia.com.br www.sunsetvigilancia.com.br

LLX LLX (Açu Superport Project) LLX feature to go et dolore magna aliqua. Ut and natural gas text equipment here....Lorem dolorThe sit enim ad minim veniam, quis and services ipsum industry. amet, consectetur adipisicing nostrud exercitation ullamco Açu Superport may also be elit, sed doto eiusmod tempor laboris nisi ut aliquip ex connected gas pipelines, incididunt labore et dolore ea commodo consequat. especially utthe pipeline of magna ad Duis aute irure dolor in Santos aliqua.

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SUNSET SURVEILLANCE AND SECURITY SUNSET Surveillance and Security is an established company with over 15 years of expertise in providing private surveillance, armed escort and security of personalities, services to financial, public and private institutions as well as national and multinational companies. It has a solid operational and administrative structure, formed by a team of qualified employees focused in risk analysis and security plans using with the latest technology to provide a personalized service which meets the individual needs of each client .

Its aim is to deliver high quality services at competitive prices which guarantees its leading position in the market.

Its mission is to protect and ensure the well being of its customers by providing them with the highest

standard of personal and property security.

It works to provide safe and orderly environments and solutions in the area of prevention, acting with strength, reliability and integrity. It provides its personnel specialised trainning by working in partnership with highly regarded training instituitions and regularly evaluates them to ensure the high level of performance is maintained and at the same time treating them fairly and respectifully. As a result, it can offer a unique service to take ensure the safety and peace of mind of its clients.

“WE LOOK AFTER YOUR POSSESSIONS AS WE LOOK AFTER OUR OWN FAMILY”.

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Holanda E N G E N H A R I A LT D A

Phone: +55 024 3355-6047

www.holandaengenharia.com.br

Quality Control, Field Supervision & Consulting • Consulting with focus on durability of structures and prevention of pathologies • Pathologies identification and repairs methodologies • Concrete Quality Control from selection of materials until placement • Quality Control of Soil Structures

Over 25 millions m3 of controlled concrete Through staff trained in laboratory of concrete, soil and rock, we elaborate characterization studies of building materials, experimental concrete dosages and field supervision in control of the works.

Weekly Because a month is a long time to wait...

Your weekly digest of business news and views www.bus-ex.com

LLX (Açu Superport Project) hydraulics, storekeeper, steel HOLANDA fixer and administrative Operating for over 25 years with excellence in the area assistant training. of Quality Control, the experience of the company states A series of initiatives for in major works such as dams, ports, harbors, canals, the fishing community are tunnels, industrial structures, and now proud to be one also being implemented. of the key contributors of the construction of the Latin These include a dentists Americas Largest Port Facility (Açu Superport Project).

Further emphasizing the development and implementation surgery and IT laboratory in of building methods in the area of civil works as well as the fishing community, the the investigation of pathologies including the definition refurbishment of the fishing of repair and recovery systems aimed at durability of offices in Barra do Açu, the structures. refurbishment of schools, We work with quality manuals and procedures the donation of equipment of construction in accordance with the technical to legalise fishing boats, specifications of each work, and in particular in accordance with the standards established by ISO 9001. donation of a head office www.holandaengenharia.com.br for the fishermen’s village, diagnosis of education levels and delivery of navigation kits, with buoys, lifejackets and flags.

On the environmental front, LLX is developing programs aiming to recover and preserve the environment in the region where its ventures are installed. One such program is the Biodiversity Conservation Program, which helps develop applied research for the handling and protection of coastal ecosystems. The program entails initiatives for environmental recovery, area protection and environmental education, in addition to studies conducted by the company itself and supporting scientific research carried out by a number of institutions. One of the program’s flagships is the creation of the Caruara Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN), the largest private reserve in the country, occupying 3,845 hectares.

LL X also invests in initiatives to bolster family-based farming. T he

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LLX (Açu Superport Project) initiatives include the arrangement with the municipal government of São João da Barra and the State Agriculture, Fisheries and Supplies Department of Rio de Janeiro to help small rural producers and associations by building greenhouses in the fifth district of São João da Barra.

The program uses sustainable practices for greenhouse cultivation, adding value to products and rural properties and enabling year-round harvests, in addition to boosting producer income.

In partnership with Companhia de Desenvolvimento Industrial do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (CODIN) and the municipal government of São João da Barra, LLX is building Vila da Terra, a rural housing settlement in São João da Barra. It is here that 90 areas in the location are being allocated to families losing their homes due to the creation by CODIN of the Industrial district of São João da Barra in the municipality.

Relocation to Vila da Terra is being offered to families who are resident in the area and own less than ten hectares of land.

At present more than 7,000 people are working on the port’s construction, 50 percent of whom live in either Campos or São João da Barra. Once operational the port and the industrial complex are expected to generate as many as 50,000 jobs, while at the same time attracting investment of around R$100 billion to the region.

For more information about LLX (Açu Superport Project) visit: www.llx.com.br

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The g M

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Gibraltar Port Authority

gateway to the Mediterranean The Gibraltar Port Authority has worked tirelessly to ensure that the Port of Gibraltar meets the needs of an ever-increasing flow of shipping traffic

written by: Will Daynes research by: Robert Hodgson

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A super yacht berthed in Gibraltars’ world famous Ocean Village complex

Gibraltar Port Authority

F

or centuries Gibraltar, with its navigational safety standards whilst at the strategic location at the entrance same time maintaining the efficiency of the to the Mediterranean Sea, was port. The system, manned by the Gibraltar used as a naval fortress. Today Port Authority´s team of VTS staff, has the Rock, located at a crossroads been operational since 2011 and allows for of Mediterranean and Atlantic shipping constant monitoring of all vessel movements lanes, is recognised for its ability to provide both within and outside BGTW. a wide range of services to vessels of all The VTS operates as both an Information sizes and types, and for being a Maritime Service (INS) and Traffic Organisation Centre of Excellence.

Service (TOS) co-ordinating all ships in With over 71,000 vessels transiting the Gibraltar waters from the operations room Strait of Gibraltar each year, the Rock has in the port building. The VTS staff have at become a major bunkering port, the largest their disposal a range of sensors to assist in the Mediterranean, and for years the them in their work, including Radar and Port of Gibraltar has tapped Automatic Identification into the opportunities System (AIS) with coverage stretching many miles out offered by its proximity to one of the busiest maritime to sea enabling them to thoroughfares in the world. check vessel movements Established in 2005, the well before their arrival.

Vessels transiting The VTS operators can also Gibraltar Port Authority’s the Strait of Gibraltar use CCTV cameras with strategy is to build each year night-time thermal imaging on Gibraltar’s unique capability and a radio geographical position and fiscal status and provide a vital link between direction finding facility which accurately all stakeholders to ensure a cohesive strategy pinpoints the source of VHF transmissions. aimed at achieving common goals.

Whilst the system´s primary focus is on The Port Authority’s main functions include navigational safety, allowing VTS operators the monitoring and the control of all vessel to de-conflict movements in the busy BGTW, movement, the provision of security controls it also provides opportunities to maximise the within restricted and controlled zones, the use of the port space for commercial benefit. licensing of port operations, search and In line with international requirements, rescue in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters vessels are required to provide pre-arrival (BGTW) and pollution control. notification giving VTS staff the ability to Gibraltar´s Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) organise vessel movements in advance with has enabled the Gibraltar Port Authority to local companies and thus ensure maximum strengthen its ability to co-ordinate vessel efficiency and minimum waiting times, with movements in BGTW, thereby improving real-time movement information on vessel

71,000

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Nature Port Reception Facilities Ltd

(PART OF NATURE GROUP PLC)

Our Key Services: • Collection of ship’s waste, both ship generated and cargo related • Treatment of ship’s waste, both ship generated and cargo related • Tank storage facility for storing waste or other products • Ship tank cleaning and de-bunkering services • Consultancy services for the treatment of waste • Registered statistical information for port authorities • Pollution prevention

Operations / Shipping Department +350 200 44463 / 200 40869 / 200 50345 Accounts +350 200 45290 / 200 73905 Operations Fax / Accounts Fax +350 200 41218 / 200 50283 Email: enquiries@ngrp.com

Clean seas. Your choice. Our mission.

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Duismix aute irure service a diverse of users.

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, a magna aliqua.tidal Ut enim adwhich minimallows veniam, quis shipping company Oldenburg-Portugiesische one metre range cruise consectetur adipisicing elit, sed dowho eiusmod nostrud ullamco nisi ut to exercitation berth alongside the laboris port’s Cruise Dampfschiffs-Rhederei, or OPDR, have ships

NATURE GROUP PLC A company with more than 25 years’ experience in waste water treatment and a unique corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy that enables us to be truly a part of Nature and responding to the ever expanding and demanding legislative framework.

Nature Group combines port reception services and facilities, offshore treatment services and the latest sustainable waste treatment technologies in a steadily growing global network.

Nature Group is traded on the AIM market, (ticker: NGR) www.ngrp.com

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Terminal at any time of day or night within an hour of leaving the main shipping lanes of the Strait of Gibraltar.

These cruise ships, and other vessels calling for bunkers - or water for that matter - can be accommodated on both sides of the Western Arm. The outer side is 490 metres long with a maximum draught of 9.6 metres and can accommodate vessels of any length.

The inner side is 450 metres long with a maximum draught of 8.6 metres and can accommodate vessels up to a maximum length of 300 metres. Vessels calling for lay-up or repairs can also berth at the Detached Mole, which is 605 metres long with a maximum draught of 9.1 metres. Two 100 metre berths are available for vessels discharging general cargo.

Gibraltar is the one of the largest bunkering ports in the Mediterranean. In 2011 alone, 4.2 million tonnes of bunkers were delivered to its port, a figure that makes the 0.84 million tonnes delivered in 1990 pale in comparison.

When one considers that of the approximately 10,350 vessels that called at Gibraltar, 6,181 of these were supplied with bunkers, it isn’t hard to see why bunkering has become the main activity of the port.

Among the other advantages of the island and its port are its competitive market,

which comes as a result of its high turnover, its competitive port duties, the fact that the market is continuously monitored by the Government to ensure competitiveness and, lest we forget, the low costs associated with doing business here due to its unique tax-free status within European Union.

It is important to remember as well however

“The port has awarded sustainable ships certified by Green Award with a five percent reduction in tonnage dues since the beginning of April 2013�

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Gibraltar Port Authority

Gibraltar airport runway

that even as the Port of Gibraltar has grown in size, stature and importance, its operators have maintained the belief that safety and environmental concerns associated with the port continue to be given top priority.

It is with this in mind that the port announced in March of this year its participation in the Green Award certification scheme. For its part in the scheme the port has awarded sustainable ships certified by Green Award a five percent reduction in tonnage dues since the beginning of April 2013.

Green Award’s managing director Mr Jan Fransen presented a Green Award board to Minister Neil Costa, officially making Gibraltar a Green Award port. The ceremony

was hosted by the Port Authority and among guests was Minister for Health and Environment Dr John Cortes.

In his speech Mr Fransen said: “The Port of Gibraltar’s view fits very well with the Green Award’s Philosophy. When such a major bunker port as Gibraltar practices its Corporate Social Responsibility through participating in the Green Award scheme, it does make a difference and motivates safe and environmentally conscious shipping.”

For more information about Gibraltar Port Authority visit: www.gibraltarport.com

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De Beers

Forever friends

De Beers is the world’s leading diamond company, and operates across the diamond value chain, from exploration through to retail: it takes its responsibility for growing a sustainable industry very seriously

written by: John O’Hanlon research by: Robert Hodgson

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Close up of rough diamonds

De Beers

E

veryone agrees that diamonds are special. De Beers is unlike other mineral extraction businesses in that, while it is involved in the familiar geological and feasibility work followed by mining and beneficiation, it follows that up with the production and marketing of a luxury end product. It deals in both rough diamonds and finished gemstones, but while diamond may be chemically simple, De Beers recognises 12,000 different categories of rough diamond alone – and that is before they are polished, cut, and set. This makes diamonds less attractive as an investment. Gold is gold, but in the 1980s when a combination of economic factors led people to invest in diamonds, many got their fingers burnt, says Andrew Bone, International Relations Director. “No one would argue that diamonds hold their value and are a good long term store of wealth – but you do have to know just what you are buying.”

Investing in diamonds requires specialist knowledge. The business therefore depends on a lively downstream market to support its trading. Bone says there is every reason to be confident that the market will continue to grow, driven by demand from emerging markets, China in particular. Though ‘middle class’ is an elusive term to define, Wang Xiaolu, an economist and deputy director of the National Economic Research Institute based in Beijing predicts that the Chinese middle class will rise from just over ten percent of the population in 2009 to over 40 percent in 2020 and more that 70 percent by 2030. They may not all want to

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The Process Plant - a view across the large thickeners at the Venetia plant

buy diamonds, but China is really starting to participate in luxury goods markets, and with midstream and downstream diamond beneficiation, Bone notes. “They are building their capacity to cut and polish rough diamonds, and they already have robust institutions overseeing the industry.” As a good indication of how China is determined to be seen as a responsible trader, it is currently vice-chair of the Kimberley Process, established in 2003 to cut off the trade in conflict diamonds, and will take the

chair of that organisation next year.

However the Kimberley Process is only one of a number of ways in which the authenticity and origin of diamonds can be assured. Another is the Forevermark, De Beer’s proprietary diamond brand that offers a promise of beauty, rarity and responsible sourcing. Each Forevermark diamond is inscribed with a unique serial number and Forevermark icon, invisible to the naked eye, using proprietary technology. “As a world class company, consumer confidence is

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De Beers

$2 Billion Investment at Venetia mine

paramount to us. To hold onto that you have to always be one step ahead of the issues, plan for them and act accordingly. De Beers is very proactive; always looking to improve existing processes and engaging in new ones.”

In fact, consumer confidence is the driving force in an approach to operating responsibly and sustainably that goes right back to the preliminary geological survey, according to Dr Nicky Black, Head of Social Performance.

Right through the value chain, she says, runs the consciousness that company as a discretionary, luxury product, diamonds are uniquely exposed to reputational damage, as without consumer confidence that the diamonds they are buying have been mined, cut, and polished in an environmentally and socially responsible way demand will evaporate. “That’s why we established our Best Practice Principles (BPPs) Assurance Programme. Through this bespoke compliance programme, the social, environmental and ethical performance of our own operations and those of our customers is independently verified.

Uniquely within compliance programmes, De Beers asks our customers to meet these requirements as a condition of our supplying them.” Sightholders – customers who purchase rough diamonds from De Beers’ mines – have been required to comply with

Sorting diamonds at DTC Botswana

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Email: ronnie.van.der.nest@bw.atlascopco.com

DE BEERS GLOBAL OPERATIONS De Beers

ATLAS COPCO BOTSWANA Atlas Copco’s Mining and Rock Excavation Technique business area provides equipment for drilling and rock excavation, a complete range of related consumables and service through a global network.

Atlas Copco’s Construction Technique business area provides construction and demolition tools, portable compressors, pumps and generators, lighting towers, and compaction and paving equipment, all of which is supported through a global service network.

Atlas Copco’s Industrial Technique business area provides industrial power A leader in sustainable productivity solutions tools, assembly systems, quality assurance products, software and services.

Atlas Copco Botswana, a customer centre Atlas Copco Botswana was established within the Atlas Copco Group, is part of in 1969, and forms part of Atlas Copco’s an industrial group with world-leading Southern African business region. The positions in compressors, expanders and company operates from head office air treatment systems, construction and in Gaborone, as well as branches in mining equipment, power tools and assembly Francistown and Selebi Pikwe, and systems. With innovative products and currently employs 85 people. services, and in close cooperation with Atlas Copco Botswana is supported by customers and business partners, Atlas South Africa, which is the main hub for the Copco delivers solutions for sustainable Southern African region. A strengthened productivity. regional organisation means that customers The Group is organised into four separate, don’t only have access to Atlas Copco’s but still integrated business areas: world-class quality capital equipment, Atlas Copco’s Compressor Technique but also to related technical and support business area provides industrial services. In fact, even equipment operating compressors, gas and process compressors in extremely remote areas will be able to and expanders, air and gas treatment have the service excellence for which Atlas equipment and air management systems Copco is renowned. all of which are supported through a global service network. This business area also E. ronnie.van.der.nest@bw.atlascopco.com offers speciality rental services. www.atlascopco.com

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De Beers

The trucks are lining up at the start of the shift ready to transport kimberlite ore to the primary crusher

BPPs since 2005. Contractors downstream trade behaves who derive 75 percent or properly is of existential importance to the business, more of their revenue from any De Beers Sightholder or De Beers does not lose business have participated sight of its need to operate Of all diamonds sold in the assurance programme sustainably and ethically worldwide are cut and since 2008. Other contractors at the government level. polished by De Beers have to sign a declaration of Diamonds are the bedrock Sightholders integrity stating that they are of economies such as those free of any material breaches of Namibia and Botswana, where De Beers has 50/50 Joint Venture of the BPP standards.

So far reaching is the programme that partnerships with the Governments, and today more than 330,000 people in the still a big contributor to that of South Africa diamond industry world-wide are covered where De Beers started. And wherever by it – between them, she adds, De Beers diamonds are mined they have a direct Sightholders cut and polish more than 60 impact on the surrounding community. percent of all diamonds sold worldwide.

Speaking as De Beers’ responsible However, while making sure the business lead, Dr Black is understandably

60%

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NEW PRECIOUS RESOURCE DISCOVERED

Click here to visit our dedicated homepage for the mining community www.bus-ex.com/mining BEST PRACTICE IN MINING

De Beers partisan, but her argument is compelling. “I believe our At Komatsu our vision has resulted in a proud heritage of partnership approach has technological success, and we are continuously evolving to been particularly powerful meet the needs of our customers. Our unique and advanced in supporting development. equipment provides our customers in South Africa and Certainly our Joint Venture world-wide with innovation and exceptional value. We partnerships with the understand the challenges our customers encounter in their business; that is why our construction, surface mining, governments of Botswana utility and process equipment is designed to meet the and Namibia speak for highest productivity, safety and environmental standards. themselves. Over the past www.komatsu.co.za 50 year Botswana has been the great success story of southern Africa and has turned its diamonds into lasting national wealth, with four out of every five dollars generated by our diamond related activities staying in the country.”

The Government of Botswana also holds a 15 percent stake in De Beers, in addition to its 50/50 Joint Venture partnership with De Beers in the diamond mining company Debswana. This partnership has helped transform an essentially agricultural economy into a nation with one of the highest economic growth rates in the world.

It is certainly true that the policy of establishing a downstream industry in southern Africa has been a great success.

Ten percent of all rough diamonds from Namibia, for example, being retained and sold locally to the 13 Sightholders that Forevermark Encordia bangle

komatsu

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Based in Cape Town,

ADP Group of Companies consists of ADP Holdings, ADP Marine and Modular, ADP Projects with ADP Namibia and ADPAfrica servicing the African continent.

ADP Projects specializes in providing Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Management (EPCM) services and EPC projects to the Mineral Industry with a small representative office in Johannesburg.

ADP Marine and Modular targets fit for purpose project execution requirements and smaller scale pre-engineered plant and technology supply to national and international marine and land based diamond, mineral sands, coal and gold mining industries.

ADP Marine and Modular also represents major European based Dredging and Marine Company Vosta LMG and is an equal partner with Denith Engineering in Under Water Mining Systems (UMS) a company focusing on the fast growing, niche marine mining market.

ADP Africa specializes in support services to mining companies in Africa that includes spares supply, logistics, meet and assist, visa applications and other general services to their client base.

PO BOX 514 PAARDEN EILAND 7420 CAPE TOWN Tel: +27 21 521 9400 Fax +27 21 521 9401 www.adpgroup.com

ADP started its operations in 1997 and boasts an impressive list of successful mining industry projects predominantly in Africa but including Canada, Brazil, India and Australia.

ADP is specifically structured as a group of companies in order to be able to optimally and cost effectively offer a full range of projects, consulting services and process plants to its clients, whether small or large, from conceptual studies and pre-engineered plants through to larger scale project execution using EPCM or Lump Sum contracting models. Our value proposition is assisting our clients to develop the optimal techno-economic solution for each project leveraging off our prior projects, technology and experienced innovative process engineering core..

De Beers

A view of the Venetia Diamond Mine open pit

have now set up indigenous companies that in the banking, hospitality and industrial currently employ at least 1,250 Namibians. sectors, he points out.

Now De Beers is really stepping up to its The move is taking place right now and principles by transferring a huge chunk of will be complete by the end of the year, its key HQ diamond sorting, valuation and making Gaborone a centre as important to the sales operations from London to Gaborone. diamond industry as London, Johannesburg “This is a bold move, I know,” says Bone, or Antwerp. The impact of De Beers’ activities “it is at the forefront of the move to foster on the other economies of southern Africa ‘resource nationalism’, and not without cannot be overemphasised. The $2 billion risk. But we think it is the right thing to it has announced it will spend on opening do. It will transfer a lot of underground workings at value to Botswana on top of its Venetia mine in South Africa, that country’s largest, what we have already done there in the past.” As well would prolong its life by as the hundreds of direct at least 20 years, during jobs being transferred, the which De Beers will devote People who work to move will act as a catalyst itself to creating sustainable BPP standard to other business activity alternative employment

300,000

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De Beers after the mine closes. One of the most effective ways it is doing this is through its involvement in the Zimele initiative. Started in 2008, Zimele’s programme focuses on those mining communities and impoverished areas that supply the De Beers workforce.

By encouraging the start-up of sustainable indigenous enterprises it aims to create 25,000 employment opportunities and 1,500 companies by 2015. “We have seven hubs, located near our operations in South Africa,” says Dr Black, “and we are currently looking at supporting similar initiatives in Namibia and Botswana as well.”

And stimulating economic development is far from the whole story. Sustainable initiatives generally include elements of education, environmental best practice, healthcare and conservation as well. Mining activities account for only a fifth of the area that is under lease to De Beers and a number of conservation and biodiversity projects have been started under The Diamond Route, a joint venture between De Beers, the Oppenheimer family and the black economic empowerment (BEE) company Ponahalo Holdings. Often these highly protected lease areas prove a haven for wildlife. “A good example is the Orapa mine in Botswana,” explains Andrew Bone. “A rhino conservation project was introduced at Orapa last year: now 15 rhinos are happily breeding there and it is remarkable programme.

For more information about De Beers visit: www.debeersgroup.com

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Flexible and

Since its establishment in 2007, Nordgo a series of acquisitions: outperforming habit, and it has not been slow to ado

written by: Jo research by: Ro

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Nordgold

on the move

old has become a global player through g the industry seems to have become a opt world class social initiatives either

ohn O’Hanlon obert Hodgson

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Nordgold

G

Gold production at Bissa

old is a most conservative and passive investment, but the same cannot be said of gold mining in emerging markets.

To succeed here a company must be flexible and on the move. Its management must be adept and have a keen eye for untapped value.”

These are the words of Nikolai Zelenski, CEO of Nordgold, and they will be echoed in the most heartfelt way by many others involved in the goldfields of Africa and South America. Nordgold was established in 2007 when Severstal Group, one of Russia’s most successful metals and resources corporations, decided to move into the gold market.

Nordgold is a pure play gold producer and Severstal’s decision to diversify into this sector was taken at a time when it saw opportunities to acquire assets in Russia, Kazakhstan, Burkina Faso and Guinea. In its first five years Nordgold expanded rapidly through acquisitions and organic investment, achieving a rate of growth unmatched in the industry during that period. In 2012 Nordgold’s gold production grew to 717,000 ounces from just 21,000 in 2007. Now it has tripled its resource base to 30 million ounces, and has nine operational mines, one development project, several advanced exploration projects and a diverse portfolio of early exploration projects and licenses in Russia, Kazakhstan, Burkina Faso and Guinea.

It was in 2008 that Nordgold, which until then had only been operating in the CIS, acquired a controlling stake in High River Gold Mines Ltd, a Canadian company which held a number of assets in Russia as well as

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AFRICA GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION possesses advanced, high technology equipment. We periodically renew this equipment in an effort to continually improve our performance.

GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION AFRIQUE

TĂŠl. : (+226) 50 41 75 50 /50 41 82 32 E-mail: gc@globalconstructionafrique.com www.globalconstructionafrique.com

AFRICA GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION boasts strong, proven expertise in the mining and industrial sectors.

We are currently a major supplier of equipment and services for industries and mines in Africa.

Nordgold NORDGOLD in Burkina Thetext Taparko NordgoldFaso. feature to go et dolore magna aliqua. Ut mine and Bissa exploration here...Lorem ipsum dolor sit enim ad minim veniam, quis project, both inadipisicing Burkina amet, consectetur nostrud exercitation ullamco Faso were among tempor these elit, sed do eiusmod laboris nisi ut aliquip ex assets.

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Initially consequat. Duis aute irure Excepteur sint occaecat it was in estimated the mine cupidatat non proident, sunt dolor reprehenderit in loading at Bissa encompassed qui pit officia deserunt voluptate velit mineralised esse cillum This is a caption this is a caption in culpaOpen zones over a strike mollit anim id est laborum. dolore traced eu fugiat nulla The feasibility studysit wasamet, completed in June length ofExcepteur approximately seven kilometres pariatur. sint occaecat cupidatat Lorem ipsum dolor consectetur and further exploration subsequently and the mining was obtained non proident, sunt in culpaworks qui officia deserunt 2010 adipisicing elit, sed licence do eiusmod tempor July 2011, with construction starting in conducted by id Nordgold improved confidence mollit anim est laborum.

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All construction works at the further, better reserves than dolor sitdemonstrating amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, September Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud were completed within nisi 15 months – on previously anticipated. sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore site exercitation ullamco laboris ut aliquip ex

GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION AFRICA AFRICA GLOBAL CONSTRUCTIONS positions itself as one of the most successful African companies specialized in studies, construction and maintenance, and providing assistance to the mining, industrial and construction sectors.

We make our experience and high-tech equipment available to our customers at all times. AFRICA GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION has in his possession complete and versatile equipment including digital machinery, lifting last generation, cranes, boats, winches and elevators.

Our team Our highly qualified staff composes a number of different and complementary profiles:

• Engineers • Managerial staff • Technicians • Team leaders • Drivers operators • Technicians industrial transfer Our technical resources: • Propelled telescopic cranes • Cranes fly variables • Telescopic forklifts • Aerial lifts • Tractors double-deck • Guillotines digita E. gc@globalconstructionafrique.com www.globalconstructionafrique.com

be monthly BE WEEKLY| 203 |2

TRANSCORDEC, Burkina Faso’s leading transportation companies, possesses a large fleet of buses that are both safe and comfortable.

Our buses seat between 12 and 70 people and provide transportation between Ouagadougou and various mining sites throughout the region.

We work with companies such as IAMGOLD ESSAKANE SA, SEMAFO, NordGold SOMITA, each of who have found us to be a partner they can almost trust.

E-mail: mamoud.sangare@fasonet.bf

Seen

Contact us today and put your company in the spotlight!

vincent@bus-ex.com

Nordgold

Bissa facilities

time and on budget – and the first gold was of Dore gold for shipment to Switzerland, poured in January 2013. The plant at Bissa is where it is further refined before being sold on designed to treat up to four million tonnes of the open market. “Based on the Q1 results we ore a year, translating into more than 170,000 believe we will exceed our initial production ounces of annual gold production. In 2013 guidance for 2013 of up to 100,000 ounces,” Bissa is officially forecast to produce up to says Igor Klimanov, Managing Director of 100,000 ounces of gold. With the launch of African Operations. the Bissa mine Nordgold has become the first One of the significant challenges during gold miner in Burkina Faso to operate two the Bissa development was a water supply mines in the country simultaneously. Bissa is issue. “Water is one of the crucial components of the ore treatment cycle,” a remarkable example of the flexibility and agility enjoined explains Klimanov. “To

by Zelenski, already reaching solve it we constructed a its production capacity in dam which allowed us to annualised terms. In the first accumulate water during the quarter of 2013 the plant wet season.” At the first look Tonnes of ore milled at milled 747,000 tonnes of ore logistics was a problem too: Bissa in Q1 2013 Burkina Faso is landlocked and produced 40,400 ounces

747,000

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“We look to develop promising people by involving them in advanced projects” and therefore has no sea access for delivering essential equipment. Bissa is situated less than 100 kilometres from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital, and the mine is not far from the national highway which is a part of a secure logistic corridor leading to the ports of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire. “This allows us to easily deliver all bulk equipment and supplies from these locations to the mine site with the minimum risk of disruption or delay,” he says.

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In 2010 Nordgold acquired the Lefa gold mine, located at Lero in the Seguiri Prefecture of north eastern Guinea, about 750 kilometres from the capital Conakry. In 2012 production from Lefa and Taparko accounted for approximately 42 percent of Nordgold’s total production, says Klimanov: “In 2013 we expect Nordgold’s African operations to account for about 50 percent of the company’s revenues.” And with huge reserves that will

Nordgold

Open pit at Bissa

keep it producing for another 20 years, Lefa is of great strategic significance for Nordgold.”

There’s no doubt that gold mining, while it helps to raise the general standard of living in the host country, does have an impact locally.

Nordgold has made a firm commitment to both its own employees and the communities in which it works, so when the villages of Bissa and Imiougou had to be relocated this was seen as more than just a major infrastructure project. Total compensation to the owners of the land affected amounted to 2.5 billion CFA and 380 new houses were built, as well as seven water wells, two mosques, two churches, two community centres and four schools. The dam constructed for the

plant also provides the local population with significantly more water than they previously had access to.

“Our aim was to minimise disruption to people’s lives, while maintaining or improving their communities,” says Alexey Shchedrin, Director of Corporate Communications and IR. “For example, the relocated villages will retain the approximate layout of their predecessors, reflecting our belief that the shape of communities is important to their success. Where we relocated people from agricultural land, we ensured that the new land we provided them with was of similar, if not better, quality and fertility. We were also sure to ensure that we relocated people within

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Forefront of

Project Delivery

With two decade’s experience - including involvement in 19 major mining ventures across 20 African countries - Lycopodium has an enviable reputation for successful project delivery in Africa, on time and on budget.

Lycopodium is an Australian based engineering and project delivery company with offices also in Canada and the Philippines, along with subsidiaries in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Tanzania and Mauritania.

Our experience and extensive knowledge of local operations gained working in remote regions has equipped us with the right skills to deliver fit-for-purpose engineering solutions, making Lycopodium the ‘first choice’ partner for any African mining project.

For your next project: www.lycopodium.com.au • Metallurgical and Process Development • Feasibility Studies • Engineering • Project Delivery • Procurement & Logistics Management • Health, Safety, Environment & Community Management

Nordgold NORDGOLD renovating old clinic.

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LYCOPODIUM ENJOYS SUCCESS 20 YEARS IN THE MAKING Lycopodium Minerals Pty Ltd has been in Africa since “before it was fashionable”.

As an engineering services and project delivery company, it is now working with a large number of international companies looking to tap into its African experience.

Africa has been touted as one of the key emerging markets for miners. However, the importance of Africa as a market isn’t news to Perth-based Lycopodium, which made its first foray into Africa in 1993.

“We were in gold and in Africa a long time before it became a favoured jurisdiction. For instance, we were delivering the Geita project for AngloGold Ashanti in Tanzania in 1999-2000 when the price of gold dipped as low as $US280/ oz,” said Lycopodium Minerals Director of Strategic Development, Dr Greg O’Neil.

The company is currently active in undertaking feasibility studies and engineering, procurement and construction projects in Ghana, Burkina Faso,

Cote d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Tanzania and Zambia.

Its project work is focused on gold and copper developments, along with some magnetite, uranium and nickel.

The company’s clientele in Africa now includes many North American, European, South African and Australian miners who are seeking out Lycopodium because of its 20-year history in Africa.

“The reason why international mining companies come all the way to Perth to deal with an Australian Engineer is because of hard earned experience. It’s a continent where we have a skill set, familiarity and experience.” Dr O’Neil said. “But it all comes down to value and how Australians deliver value... our clients have found our process plants possess a low capital intensity, ramp up to nameplate capacity quickly and demonstrate low operating costs. In essence they are fit for purpose, which is what Lycopodium aims to bring to the African market.” www.lycopodium.com.au

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RANA MOTORS With 35 years of experience, Rana Motors, tyre distribution network leaders in Ghana, and West Africa Tire Services (WATS) Ltd, the Regional distributor for Goodyear Earthmoving tyres in West Africa, are associated with NordGold projects in Burkina Faso by way of supplying Goodyear Earthmoving tyres & in tyre related services for their operations.

WATS Ltd. is the ONLY company in Burkina Faso to employ qualified mining tyre professionals who provide mining tyre consultancy services, on-site tyre service providing and earthmoving tyre repairs (REMA Tip Top), and engage in supplying the whole range of mining/special equipment tyres to mining companies and contractors.

Tyre professionals from WATS and Goodyear share the aim of providing the mining

community in West Africa with better value returns on tyres supplied by them, and are heavily involved in researching the performance of tyres used in mining operations and in recommending specific products that are best suited to challenging applications. In addition they provide a complete after sales service for the tyres supplied. NordGold’s SOMITA mines at Taparko have immensely benefitted from these services.

WATS Ltd. is the retail partner of Goodyear & operates its premium retail stores, “VULCO” in Ouagadougou.

WATS also possesses supply capabilities in regards to conveyor belts used for mining applications.

E. vibi_chandra@ranamotors.com

Nordgold

Vegetable production at Bissa community

standards, appropriate local and at Bissa, where working conditions and 60 percent of unskilled industry-best environmental work is provided from Bissa standards – our 10,000 strong village itself, 30 young people workforce is the core of our work with mobile equipment New houses built for success and deserves nothing and heav y machinery Bissa employees less. Throughout all areas of and a further 70 work in our African operations we the plant itself.

Training is provided by try to employ local people where possible insists Alexey Shchedrin. internal instructors and leading external “This is both good business practice, due consultants. “We look to develop promising to the cost of employing expatriates, and people by involving them in advanced helps to develop the skills base and economies projects, such as innovation or productivity of the regions where we work. We do programmes. While training is offered to all employ expatriates where they have the in order to guarantee an acceptable standard best skills and are able to train our people of professionalism and safety, we also aim and pass on their knowledge.” to identify exceptional talent and tailor their At Taparko 631 of the 654 employees are instruction to prepare them for promotion.

380

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SO.GE.T.EL

Société générale de travaux et de constructions électriques

OUR SKILLS • The transportation and distribution of both low and medium voltage electricity • Electricity for buildings and industry • Installation of all type of air conditioning systems • Installation of the telephone and computer networks • Sound Systems • Installation of elevators and escalators • Video Surveillance • Fire Alarms • Street Lighting • Water networks

Telephone: (+ 226) 50 34 29 00 / 50 34 25 70 Email: sogetel@cenatrin.bf

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SOGETEL

Established for over fifty years, SOGETEL is a leader in its sector and enjoys an excellent reputation in the fields of transportation and distribution of electricity of medium and low voltage.

SOGETEL delivers, installs and maintains low to medium voltage transformers, power generators, air conditioning systems, cold room storage and elevators.

Our technical staff are experts in the deployment of the electricity network, maintaining public street lighting and computer networks.

On a national level, SOGETEL is a partner of SONABEL, the national electricity provider for Burkina Faso.

SOGETEL is active in the mining sector and has proved to be both competent and reliable for the daily operations of this industry.

SOGETEL follows international standards in all its installations and attaches high importance to the security of its employees and the environment.

E. sogetel@cenatrin.bf www.groupefadoul.com

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Employee directing a Caterpillar truck at Bissa

Nordgold in 2012, the number of employees and contractors on site grew significantly. As a result of unusually heavy rains and a long wet season, the risk of malaria infection increased correspondingly. While the number of medical visits for malaria was significant – as were the number of confirmed cases – all cases were treated as a highest priority and no severe cases were permitted to develop. “From early on in the project a well-equipped medical clinic staffed by competent medical personnel was available on site,” explains Shchedrin. “In addition, several preventative measures were implemented, including providing employees with detailed information on the disease and the proper anti-malarial medicines to prevent mosquito bites.”

Having put in place a number of world class sustainability features at all of its sites, such as the use of native trees from Nordgold’s own plantations for the revegetation programme at Taparko, the company will be making further improvements this year.

“We will be upgrading our health and safety management systems at all our operations based on standards like ISO 14001,” says Shchedrin. “In addition to the management of tailings storage facilities, which require constant attention to design, performance and maintenance, other waste streams are managed on a daily basis to ensure conformity with Nordgold’s policies and standards,” he added.

For more information about Nordgold visit: www.nordgold.com

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Keeping things

connected

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Australian Satellite Communications ( ASC)

The qualities that have brought ASC such success over the years and how its acquisition by SpeedCast will take the business to the next level

written by: Will Daynes research by: Peter Rowlston

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S

ince it was established in 1985, Australian Satellite Communications (ASC) has provided a wide range of satellite communications solutions throughout Australia and surrounding regions, building up a reputation along the way as being the leading provider of reliable, turnkey satellite communications solutions, focusing on the mining, oil & gas, construction, education, defence, and maritime, industries.

“Right from the business’s inception,” explains Paul Krzystoszek, Solutions Director, “the vision that the founder and previous managing director Chris Joseland had for the business was for it to always endeavour to be at the forefront of the sector and first with new technologies, solutions and innovations.

Utilising his considerable knowledge of the market and the industry he really helped establish the level of entrepreneurship that the business has retained ever since.”

In the years that followed the company led the industry with the development of a number of technologies including being the first to adopt its iDirect broadband IP platform, which essentially marked the dawn of the era that saw the very small aperture terminal (VSAT) being supplied on mass to customers throughout the region.

The success of ASC in the last decade can in significant part be linked to Australia’s mineral and resources boom that commenced during 2005. “In many ways,” Krzystoszek continues, “our timing in adopting the iDirect technology coincided beautifully with the boom. It was the demand of this sector for such systems

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Dish maintenance

Australian Satellite Communications ( ASC)

Dish installation

that saw us grow several-fold rapidly and that also created what remains to this day a hugely competitive market in Australia.”

Given this competitive climate it has never been more important for a business to stand out from amongst the crowd. Fortunately, as Krzystoszek goes on to highlight, this has never been an issue for Australian Satellite Communications. “Today, we use three specific words to describe ourselves: Credible, Flexible and Reliable. These are the key characteristics that have helped make ASC what it is today. In the early years we drew particular attention to

our flexibility and our ability to deliver solutions in timeframes that others simply couldn’t achieve, thus setting the standard for delivery times that exists now.”

Credible and reliable, meanwhile, are two of the most common terms used by the company’s clients to describe their experiences of working with ASC. “It was Chris Joseland’s philosophy that every little detail of what the company did would contribute ultimately to the experience of the customer,” Krzystoszek states. “He also believed that it was important that the company take an ‘under promote and over deliver’ approach. This became almost a

“The vision that the founder and previous mD Chris Joseland had for the business was for it to always endeavour to be at the forefront of the sector” 220 | be monthly

Australian Satellite Communications ( ASC)

1985 The year that ASC was established

motto of the business and helped breed that strong sense of satisfaction from our clients that we constantly strive to retain to this day.”

In the early days of the resources boom the industry was a much different place where every customer was essentially after a basic system or product that could connect to the internet. “We have photos of the very first system to leave our facility, which consisted of a dish on a tripod stand, with a cable running from a modem into a single PC: it was that basic,” Krzystoszek says. “Today, mine sites are much more sophisticated and a much more educated market means that the focus is now on delivering value added services. These include things like wireless distribution, VoIP, link optimisation such as acceleration, web filtering and firewalling and many other associated value add services.”

With the needs of its clients evolving in such a rapid fashion it is all the more necessary for ASC to embrace innovation. It is for this very reason that the company pays particular attention to Product and Solutions Development divisions specifically tasked with investigating new technologies and developments within the industry. This division has a very simple mission and that is to help ASC get more out of the tools and solutions it has.

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“When it comes to the resources sector,” Krzystoszek says, “we know for a fact that there are a great number of projects out there that are looking specifically at how to achieve greater automation of their operations. This drive towards automation is resulting in greater bandwidth requirements at the mine sites themselves as more data throughput will be required to control various equipment and processes.

This therefore is a real area of growth that we expect to take off as more automation in mines becomes a reality.”

In December 2012, an announcement was made declaring that SpeedCast Ltd, a Hong Kong-based global network and satellite communications service provider, had completed a buyout of ASC. In joining the SpeedCast Group, ASC will be able to offer its customers a wider portfolio of products and

“In joining the SpeedCast Group, ASC will be able to offer its customers a wider portfolio of products and services and better serve thier needs”

Remote site trailer

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Australian Satellite Communications ( ASC)

Remote site communication

services and better serve its global customers’ needs beyond Australia. Meanwhile, SpeedCast will leverage ASC’s outstanding team to deliver continuity of experience for existing ASC customers, while augmenting SpeedCast’s own team.

“The biggest plus for us by joining by SpeedCast is clearly the fact that they are a global player,” Krzystoszek enthuses.

“SpeedCast has the infrastructure already in place and that means that today we can provide services on a global scale and gain access to a vast variety of solutions that we didn’t previously have. The net result for ASC is that we can now become a more aggressive player on the world stage and one that will be

on par with known global brands worldwide.”

The established immediate plan for ASC is to ensure that it remains a well organised and structured organisation, even as its integration with SpeedCast continues at pace. “We are pushing forward with remaining at the forefront of the industry in the ever changing and highly competitive industry. We have a strategy and plan in place to remain sector leaders, competitive and as always, profitable.”

For more information about Australian Satellite Communications (ASC) visit: www.ascs.com.au

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PBE Group

Safety first

Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Champion de Crespigny, discusses PBE’s transformation into an international mining solutions provider and the continued diversification of its product suite

written by: Will Daynes research by: Marcus Lewis

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PBE has extensive electronic manufacturing capabilities

PBE Group

E

ver since it was first established in March of 1971 by Frank Pyott and Roger Boone, PBE’s (Pyott-Boone Electronics as it was previously known) mission has been to design and build reliable, high tech equipment to improve mine safety and productivity.

Originally focused on supplying the US coal mining industry with the most technologically advanced communication and monitoring systems available, something for which PBE remains recognised as being a pioneer of, the company remained a regional leader in its field before, in April of 2011, it entered into a new era of growth and diversification.

This era was ushered in by the acquiring of the business by Prairie Capital V, LP and Vierville Capital and the arrival of Stuart Champion de Crespigny, founder of Vierville Capital, as Chief Executive Officer, who has focused his efforts on building the management team and taking the company global.

“The PBE that we acquired in 2011,” de Crespigny explains, “was very much a US coal focused business. While it unquestionably boasted an excellent product, it was a business that had never really looked at expansion beyond its home market. What we did upon our purchasing of PBE was to set off immediately along a path to increase and improve not only the internal structure of the company, but also its geographic reach.”

In March 2012, the company purchased the Australia business Minecom in a move which helped expand not only PBE’s product range in the communication systems space, but also its global reach.

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1971 The year that PBE was first established

Minecom Leaky Feeder device

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This acquisition was then followed up with that of Mine Radio Systems in February 2013. It was with this development that, in de Crespigny’s eyes, PBE became a truly international company.

“The reality is that the US as a marketplace does not possess the same amount of growth potential for us as a business as the developing international markets,” de Crespigny continues. This approach to global expansion has brought PBE to the point where today it possesses six international offices in the US, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, the UK and Australia, as well as several major distributors serving regions including South America and Russia.

For more than 40 years PBE has built itself a reputation for having a reliable, sophisticated product set and support network designed to improve the safety and productivity of a customer’s mine. As de Crespigny highlights, this played a hugely significant role when it came to raising capital to purchase the company.

“In today’s world,” he says, “there isn’t a person out there in the mining sector who doesn’t agree that safety is the most important factor in the industry right now, and will be of even more importance in the years to come. PBE envisioned this

PBE Group

The management team

being the case some time ago and with its large suite of products we are now in a prime position to service this growing market segment, particular as the industry continues to concentrate more of its efforts on protecting its most important resource, which is of course its people.”

From day one de Crespigny and his team have held the belief that the best way of transforming PBE into a global competitor

was to introduce its product portfolio to the rest of the world. Dubbing itself ‘the single integrated source solution for mining productivity and safety’, PBE specialises in providing its customers with integrated, onestop-shop solutions to cover all of their safety and productivity mine-based needs from an electronic perspective.

During its early years PBE would have been involved in such initiatives as installing

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hard-line telephones underground to provide a communications link from the mine to the surface. Obviously the industry has evolved hugely in the time since to the point where virtual every mine in the world possesses wireless connectivity between those deep underground and those above.

Today PBE possesses a raft of solutions, each of which has been manufactured for a different purpose from safety and control equipment and environmental monitoring systems to personnel and vehicle tracking software and data infrastructure networks.

With its patented MineBoss software system the company also has a product that is capable of monitoring every single

piece of mine equipment from one location anywhere in the world.

The latest development within the company involves the launch of a new product that incorporates the technologies behind proximity alert and collision avoidance systems. “This highly sophisticated system,� de Crespigny says, “uses multiple forms of technology independently developed by PBE to meet one of the most important challenges that mines face today and that is protecting people and assets from the potential damage that larger vehicles and equipment can cause.

This alert system is essentially a much more advanced form of that which can today be found in high-end automobiles and acts much

Screen shot of the MineBoss sotfware and tracking tag

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PBE Group

“we haven’t disconnected ourselves from the things that contributed to the company’s success in the past, but we have evolved as a business” in the same way by providing the operators of large vehicles with the tools needed to avoid what can be massively costly incidents and accidents above or underground.”

The first half of 2013 has seen the company continue its trend of appearing at numerous industry trade shows, conventions and exhibitions. Indeed with the new owners of

PBE having been in place for little over two years it is key that they attend most, if not all of the major mining events around the world simply to publicise the fact that the PBE of today is a different beast to that of years past. “PBE comes with a great deal of history connected to it,” de Crespigny highlights, “and while we want people to understand that we haven’t disconnected ourselves from the things that contributed to the company’s success in the past, we do want them to be aware that we have evolved as a business.”

It has always been PBE’s goal, both before and since its acquisition, to be the market leader in mining safety and productivity solutions. “While there is no doubt,” de Crespigny concludes, “that we have a number of capable competitors in our field, we are confident that our product suite and international expertise gives us the perfect base to realise our ambitions. We are well aware however that this is a marathon, not a sprint, but everything we have seen to date gives us great encouragement for the future.”

For more information about PBE Group visit: www.pbegrp.com

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Resource Generation (Resgen)

A major coal resource for South Africa Though based in Australia Resource Generation (Resgen) is to all intents and purposes a South African coal mining company with a strong local partner and a huge stake in the future development of that nation

written by: John O’Hanlon research by: Jeff Abbott

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Resource Generation (Resgen)

I

t is not hard to see why Resource 744.8 million tonnes of coal on just 34 Generation, a company listed on both percent of the holding, and sitting on a total the Australian and Johannesburg stock reserve of over six billion tonnes in all, the exchanges, was attracted to the Waterberg company is now very keen to get ahead and region of South Africa and in particular start constructing the mine, so that it can to the Boikarabelo coal mine which it has grow value for its shareholders and press been developing since 2008. The area, in the forward with its strategy to develop high north-east of South Africa close to the border grade energy related resources into viable with Botswana, is very accessible, and the and competitive mining operations. The quality of coal in the resource unrivalled.

South African mine is key to this, and the The Boikarabelo coal seam, between 120 project is now reaching a critical stage, with and 130 metres in depth, lies only 20 metres the exploration programme complete and all below the surface in terrain that is flat and major regulatory approvals obtained. Now easy to get at, so removal of the overburden Resgen is putting all its efforts into securing and the creation of an open pit the funding it needs. was an obvious and low cost Apart from the large solution to reach the seam, open pit, the mine will which contains a variety of have its own power plant, different types of coal, from overburden storage and coal thermal coal used in power handling and preparation Target for first stations and for which there is plant (CHPP). The CHPP coal production an insatiable demand within will crush, screen and grade the coal, stockpiling it into southern Africa itself, to soft coking coal for which there is a constant need two main categories. Coal for export will be to supply the steel producing nations of Asia, loaded onto rail trucks for transportation to where capacity is set to continue rising over the ports, while thermal coal for domestic use in the power generating stations of the coming decade.

The company’s holdings, covering 16,000 Eskom in Mpumalanga will be supplied hectares, are only 40 kilometres by road direct, also by rail. from the existing rail system that provides Coal is the major source of energy in access to domestic markets and to the ports South Africa. Production from existing of Maputo, Richards Bay and Durban for mines is limited and there is expected to be export shipments. These three ports all have an imbalance between supply and demand potential to expand their coal capacity, and over the next ten years. The Waterberg coal there is a proposal on the table for a new field contains approximately 40 percent of railway link with Walvis Bay in Namibia as South Africa’s remaining coal resource and is considered to be the main source of coal an alternative route to overseas markets.

Having declared a probable reserve of in the future.

2015

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ResourceRESOURCE Generation GENERATION (Resgen)

RSV ENCO CONSULTING (PTY) LTD

CEO, Alan Wingrove

Boikarabelo Coal Mine Project Resource Generation, a public company listed in Australia and South Africa, is a majority shareholder in Ledjadja Coal and is in the process of developing the Boikarabelo Coal Mine Project, a major project in the Waterberg Coal Field in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The project comprises an open pit coal mine, supporting infrastructure including a 45km rail link, Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP) facilities, bulk water supply (local well field and supplemented by supply from Lephalale) and bulk electrical power supply via the national grid.

The open pit mine will be developed in a phased approach to support both the domestic and export markets. The run-of-mine production for the first six years of operation will be at a rate of some 14.8Mtpa, delivering 3.0Mtpa of export and 3.0Mtpa domestic product. Thereafter, the mine will be expanded to more than 30.0Mtpa run-of-mine production.

RSV ENCO Consulting (Pty) Ltd (“RSV ENCO�) has been involved in the development of the Boikarabelo project from the outset in November 2008 and has provided Ledjadja Coal with engineering design, procurement and project management services to date.

Construction management services will be provided when the project moves to implementation.

RSV ENCO is currently busy with detailed engineering design ahead of full project implementation go-ahead which is imminent, but subject to achieving financial closure. RSV ENCO is seeking appointment as the overall Managing Consultant responsible for delivery of the project; it is expected that the EPCM services contract will be finalised and awarded shortly. The CHPP will be delivered by others on an EPCM basis, with RSV ENCO monitoring safety and overall integration management.

The Rail Link detail design will be completed by others, but managed by RSV ENCO. In addition, RSV ENCO will be responsible for the management of the medical examination process for all contractor employees as well as the Safety, Health and Environment induction process on behalf of Ledjadja Coal prior to commencement of work on site. The RSV ENCO ISO 9001:2008 certified Quality Management System, which is aligned with the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), will be fully implemented on the project. email. enco@rsvenco.com www.rsvenco.com

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We design for Africa Aveng Engineering & Projects Company provides comprehensive engineering design, procurement, construction management and outsourced operational services for multi-disciplinary engineering projects. Aveng Engineering focuses on the mineral processing and refining, power, energy and industrial markets, in Africa and internationally Come and talk to our team www.avenge-pc.co.za | www.aveng.co.za Building 30, The Woodlands, Woodlands Drive, Woodmead, Sandton, 2191* Private Bag x159, Rivonia 2128, South Africa.

Tel +27 10 205 1000 * Fax: +27 0 87 807 0143 * E-mail: John.Shannon@e-pc.co.za

Providing Environmental and Social Solutions for the Coal Industry across Southern Africa

DIGBY WELLS ENVIRONMENTAL

DIGBY WELLS COAL CLIENTS FROM JUNIOR TO TIER 1 – WE UNDERSTAND OUR CLIENT’S NEEDS:

• RESOURCE GENERATION – Boikarabelo Project • ANGLO AMERICAN THERMAL COAL – Biodiversity Action / Management Plans • BHP BILLITON – Various ESIAs • EXXARO – Thabametsi • CIC ENERGY CORP. – Mmamabula Project

• NORTHERN COAL – Jaglust, Mimosa Colliery • CONTINENTAL COAL – Penumbra Coal Mine • UNIVERSAL COAL – Kangala, Brakfontein, Roodekop: ESIAs, IWULA and NEMWA • XSTRATA COAL SOUTH AFRICA – Various ESIAs, Specialist Services, Annual Closure Update AND MANY MORE ...

Tel: +27 11 789 9495 • Fax: +27 11 789 9498 Email: info@digbywells.com • www.digbywells.com Johannesburg • Pretoria • Bamako • London • Accra • Dakar • Perth

Resource Generation (Resgen)

That is why a ten year haulage contract that Resgen’s local BEE subsidiary Ledjadja Coal signed in June last year with South Africa’s national rail transport company Transnet is so important. Transnet Freight Rail will be carrying up to four million tonnes of coal in the first year after production starts, rising

to five million tonnes in the second and continuing at an annual rate of six million tonnes. The agreement covers transport from the Waterburg to Witbank for Eskom and to the coal ports at Richards Bay and Durban for the export tonnage. “Finalisation of this Transnet contract has enabled us to progress

“This contract for domestic offtake now ensures revenue for Stage 1 of the Boikarabelo project is nearly fully underwritten” be monthly | 239

RCE Consultants (Pty) Ltd is an independent railway and civil engineering consultancy with offices in Irene, Gauteng, South Africa.

The company was established with the aim of sustainably providing quality railway and civil engineering services, specializing in the planning, design, and project management of rail and port-related projects.

Specialist Services: • Port Engineering • Project tailored rail facilities • Railway Systems: Modelling and Simulations • Transport System Planning Railway and Civil Engineering Services: • Feasibility Studies • Project Management • Design Services • Railway Engineering Contact us: 0027 82 7769692 heinrich@rce-consultants.co.za

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Contact us today and put your company in the spotlight!

vincent@bus-ex.com

Resource Generation (Resgen)

finance with banks, which have confirmed after production commences, linked to loan they are keen to provide funding,” said finance. This agreement opens the door to Resgen’s managing director Paul Jury. the funding for construction of the mine, If the Transnet deal was last year’s the CHPP and associated infrastructure, and detailed discussions with major milestone, this potential financiers of the year’s is undoubtedly the domestic offtake contract it mining equipment, materials announce on June 4. Under handling equipment, the rail this agreement the global line and project funding are all taking place in tandem, supply chain management said Jury: “This contract for company Noble Resources Coal contained in domestic offtake now ensures undertakes to purchase Resgen’s Waterburg three million tonnes of coal revenue for Stage 1 of the holding every year, for eight years Boikarabelo project is nearly

6 Billion tonnes

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“Finalisation of this Transnet contract has enabled us to progress finance with banks, which have confirmed they are keen to provide funding” fully underwritten. It provides certainty of cash flow generation further bolstering project value. It also highlights the tangible strategic value of the relationship with Noble.” Already regular logistics meetings are being held with TFR to plan the delivery of its haulage services once production starts at Boikarabelo. TFR is making good progress with the first upgrade works on the

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Thabazimbi line which will help to ensure initial capacity requirements are met.

Construction activities actually started in February this year with initial activities including the establishment of site infrastructure, roadworks and water and power connections. Tenders have been issued for longer lead time items, and now Stage 1 of the project is well under way,

Resource Generation (Resgen)

with first coal confidently expected in 2015. So many major hurdles have already been overcome. With a 30-year mining right, life-of-mine development consent for construction of the mine and rail link and integrated water use licence already out of the way, the TFR deal and the Noble coal offtake agreement complete the initial stage of preparedness for production. Other offtake deals will be available when the time is right, says Jury, however two are already in place, one with India’s third largest power utility the Calcutta Electric Supply Company and Bhushan Steel.

Project funding, progressing construction and getting the mine fleet in place are priorities for this year. The current reserve

of 744 million tonnes will keep the mine in production for decades, and with perhaps seven times as much again yet to be developed, this one mine will be enough to make Resource Generation into one of the world’s most significant coal producers and a strategic contributor to the south African economy. The company does have other development interests, notably its Cameroon uranium project. But the advanced and in many ways fail-safe Boikarabelo mine is in a league of its own.

For more information about Resource Generation (Resgen) visit: www.resgen.com.au

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Over little more than a decade Pesco has emerged as a major player in the Chilean economy, supporting a host of different industries including forestry, municipal and industrial waste management, emergency and rescue services, high-rise working and, increasingly, mining

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Elliott HiReach aerial work platform

Pesco Chile

T

he niche Pesco has occupied so successfully is in the provision to its clients of specialised machinery, sourced from around the world, that they need in their operations.

As a measure of its success we need only look at the sales graph: since it was founded in 1998 turnover has progressively risen from zero to more than $55 million in 2012.

One of the most stable, competitive and fastest growing economies in the world, let alone Latin America, Chile recorded an enviable five percent growth in 2012, much of it achieved through its mineral resources, with the state mining company Codelco accounting for a third of the nation’s economy. So despite the diversity of its client base it is not surprising that mining is the major contributor to Pesco too. Mining related business now contributes a third of its turnover and about the same proportion of the company’s profits. Inevitably a good amount of equipment supplied by Pesco ends up working on the operations of Codelco, though it is not Pesco’s model to partner directly with the end user but rather through a third party, usually a leasing company.

This dramatic growth has been achieved using two basic principles, explains General Manager Nicolás Vicencio. “We develop the markets for the products we sell, to increase the volumes we handle; and we add new products to our range according to what the customers say they need.” The company goes to great lengths to source the right equipment for its clients, he adds, visiting OEMs that may be interested in establishing a presence in Chile, and attending trade shows in China,

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Sierra y Plaza Engineering and Services S.A., was established on January 10th, 1994, in the city of Los Andes, Chile.

TECH INDUSTRIAL CLEANING Company: Sierra y Plaza Ingeniería y Servicios S.A.

Currently we are known one of the leading companies in services and engineering projects within the country, maintaining constant innovation that solves the challenges and demands of our customers.

Our core business units are: • Engineering and Projects Services.

• Works Technical Inspection Services.

• Land Survey, Geodesy and Geomatics Services.

• Maintenance, Infrastructure, Civil Works, Construction and Installation Services.

• Management Support Services • Tech Industrial Cleaning Services

VISION AND INNOVATION For several years the company studied our costumers’ needs related to operational continuity, and it was, for them and for us, a big challenge.

There for the resulting was the identification of the key variables that were affecting productivity, maintenance and equipment performance in various production Plants. These variables allowed us to perform a search for solutions, with clear vision that allowed us to apply technology available on the World Market.

www.sierrayplaza.cl

TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRIAL TECH CLEANING SERVICES

High Vacuum Aspiration.

Our proposal presents a different model to solve the problems by applying our know-how in the Engineering´s area, introducing concepts such as: Critical points, planning and control process, reaching new standards for quality, safety and productivity.

This allowed us to achieve a new concept that goes from “Traditional Industrial Cleaning” to “Tech Industrial Cleaning”.

Pneumatic Suction.

The following pictures shows evidence about the standard of service achieved in a workplace, meeting the expectations of our customers.

2012: Customer Codelco Chile, División Andina, achieved standard.

OUR TECH INDUSTRIAL CLEANING SERVICES Currently our Tech Industrial Cleaning Services are executed Concentrating Plants, Crushing Plant, Grinding and Flotation Plant, Underground and Open Pit Mines, and generally in any area where exist any kind of silt accumulation, stones or rocks, that had been generated as spills or operational emergencies, using three processes: Loading and Transportation.

For each one of these processes, it´s in use hightech machinery, capable of performing their jobs in tight spaces, which combined with highly specialized human resources, deliver effective results with low risk exposure and an effective care for the environment, since these processes do not generate pollutants during its application.

Loading and Transportation.

Sierra & Plaza Engineering and Services

As an Engineering services company, our north is oriented to provide high quality services, meeting EO deadlines and costs C Sierra, JosĂŠ Luis which ensure the success of the projects in which we participate, with a high awareness of the persons and environmental care, and that makes us an efficient company.

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We have been recognized among national level, in terms of high security standard, there for; we must be very careful and efficient in every new step that we take.

On that matter, working with Pesco has meant a positive impact on our Tech Industrial Cleaning Services, which has allowed us to incorporate the latest technology making our work more efficient. www.sierrayplaza.cl

Pesco Chile Europe and America. But it’s not all about volume: “It’s our strategy to be experts in every product we sell: we do that by training our people either at the manufacturers’ premises or by bringing their technicians to Chile.” It is a very dynamic process, he says: often a product imported for one client will turn out to have applications in another sector or application. Fire trucks, for example, are used by municipal fire services, one mine sites, and also in forestry operations among other industries.

A lot of the equipment supplied is for cleaning of a specialised nature, so vacuum trucks figure large in the list, whether for cleaning the shovels and large plant in the mine, or in another version, adapted for conveyors. One particularly hazardous operation used to involve cleaning under moving conveyors: now Pesco is supplying a new remote control mini shovel from Movex that takes humans away from the conveyor – with safety the number one priority in

Altec insulated elevator trucks

today’s mines this product is attracting a lot of interest he says. Among other recently supplied equipment are fire trucks and safety equipment destined for Codelco’s Andina project, vacuum trucks for Siemens working at a Codelco/Rio Tinto joint venture, further vacuum trucks for services contractor Sierra y Plaza and telescopic cranes for the leasing company Relsa for the world’s biggest

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Show the world what your company has to offer with our tailored packages

Seen www.bus-ex.com

Pesco Chile copper mine, Codelco’s Chuquicamata. In order to A leading manufacturer of material handling aerial extend its range of specialised work platforms and cranes designed for rugged work cleaning equipment, Pesco environments. PESCO and Elliott Equipment have has introduced Altec partnered to sell and rent Elliott’s complete line of insulator-cleaning equipment telescopic aerial work platforms to mining customers that – essential for keeping clean require mobile aerial equipment to perform maintenance of shovels and other tall machinery. Elliott Equipment the supply power lines to the specializes in manufacturing models that offer aerial mining facilities. working heights up to 215’ (65,5m), basket jib capacities to Pesco does not involve 1,500 lbs (680 kg), boom winch capacities to 7 tons (6,35 itself with the conveyors mt), and a wide range of accessories like remote controls, themselves, nor with the diggers, and tool systems on the truck bed with hoses that heaviest capital equipment terminate in the basket. The company focuses on creating like shovels and ore carriers the best solutions for lifting loads and positioning people.

Elliott Equipment Company looks forward to working with which are bought direct from PESCO to serve the Chilean market with the most advanced the manufacturers. The next and multifunctional aerial devices in the industry. tier of equipment is supplied www.elliottequip.com indirectly, and here there is a major opportunity. On the waste management side, apart from vacuum trucks there is a demand for waste water control – high pressure washing equipment, skips and the hook lifts that move them about, and a wide range of containers. Pesco supplies all these. Much of this work can’t be done at ground level, and needs specialised products to facilitate working at height – up to 30 metres above ground. With brands like Axion, Elliott, Altec and Sky Jack clients have access to the safest and most cost effective lift

Elliott Equipment Company

$55 million Pesco’s 2012 turnover Pesco’s Santiago headquarters

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systems available internationally.

With stock valued at around $20 million on its books, this is a capital-intensive business that works, Nicolás explains, a little differently from most places. “We don’t lease it out directly. We leave that business to the banks, who have their own leasing companies that make arrangements with the contractors.

They buy the equipment from us.” Thereafter, maintenance is a matter of agreement. Pesco can provide full service in its own workshops – again that would be the norm in many countries and Chile is catching up with this practice. For those customers who choose to do their own maintenance Pesco is happy to supply parts and to train their engineers.

As a company, Nicolás Vicencio thinks Pesco is now right-sized. “We have grown a lot in the last three or four years and now we have the workshop areas and staff that will enable us to consolidate our operations in Chile and consider our next steps,” he says. During 2012, it should be noted, Pesco augmented its main six-acre Santiago facility, with its five office buildings and 50,000 square feet of warehouses and workshops, by opening two subsidiary sales and service depots. These are strategically placed at Los Ángeles to the south and Calama to the north, giving excellent access to clients operating

anywhere in the 2,700 miles north-to-south extent of Chile’s territory.

With that in place Pesco is now looking outside its borders. Peru is the first target, and Pesco is actively looking for the right partner to help it grow from a base there.

That will be its strategy, says Nicolás, since each country has its own culture and way of doing business and it will be essential

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Pesco Chile

Dingo mini excavator

to integrate local knowledge with Pesco’s unrivalled expertise and scale in the region.

For now the most attractive economies are the mining ‘tigers’ of the Pacific coast – Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. Pesco does have a dealership in Uruguay, he adds, however this is mainly concerned with forestry products.

“Brazil,” he declares, “is another continent!”

Nevertheless there are opportunities in that huge but rather protectionist economy.

Pesco’s strength lies in the agreements it has to import equipment from all over the world under favourable trade agreements that exist with Chile. To import the same equipment into Brazil would be very expensive, however under Mercosul of which Chile is an associate member it would be possible to export

Supersucker vacuum truck

specialised equipment to Brazil if it had enough Mercosul content. Pesco already supplies a forest trailer to Uruguay, assembled in Chile using only key components that are imported.

That model could be extended, he believes, with Chile becoming a platform for supplying such equipment, value added, to many South American countries, with no duty.

Meanwhile, Pesco is remaining focused on servicing the burgeoning mining industry in the region – that is where most of the demand is coming from, he emphasises.

For more information about Pesco Chile visit: www.pesco.cl

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The precious of the Americ Goldcorp has grown from a mid-sized gold company to the world’s number one gold producer by market capitalisation through a broad-based strategy: its Mexican operations provide an ever-growing pipeline of gold, silver and other metals to keep it there

written by: John O’Hanlon research by: Robert Hodgson

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Goldcorp Mexico

heart cas

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A

s one of the world’s fastest Goldcorp is a Canadian company grow ing senior gold headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. producers, with operations It employs more than 16,000 people globally, and development projects and in Mexico provides employment, directly located in some of the safest or indirectly, for well over 5,000 people. and most stable countries in the Americas Mexico is a natural fit for the company’s Goldcorp is riding on the crest of a wave. Its strategy of sticking to low risk jurisdictions. operating assets include five mines in Canada It has been the world’s major source of silver and the USA, three in Mexico, and three metal since its invasion by the Spanish in the across Central and South America, namely the 15th century, well ahead of its nearest rivals Marlin mine in Guatemala, Alumbrera in the China and Peru, so mining is an industry Argentine, and its newest and largest project that is well understood. It has plenty of gold too, ranking 11th in the world. And today’s Pueblo Viejo in the Dominican Republic.

Goldcorp has the critical mass and enough Mexico is among the countries in the world reserves to cope with the with the lowest political current vagaries of the gold and social risk, despite its price. At a time when many well publicised drug wars, a other companies are feeling factor that makes Goldcorp the pinch it has been able to attractive to investors even at focus on financial discipline, a time of uncertainty in the Expected increase in gold to continue to fund growth metal markets. production this year projects while cutting back for Goldcorp first came into the time being on exploration, Mexico in 2005 when it to defer capital projects where necessary, and merged with Silver Wheaton and acquired El to reconfigure higher cost mines.

Sauzal, a low cost mine located near the town This far sighted contingency planning has of Urique in Chihuahua state in the western enabled it to keep its position as the only part of Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountain North American senior to deliver year on range. El Sauzal has been producing since year growth and to deliver strong results 2003 since when it has yielded more than 1.5 in a challenging market: in 2012 Goldcorp million ounces, however it is now reaching the produced 2,396,200 ounces of gold, only end of its life and Goldcorp is preparing the a little down on the 2011 figure. However community there for life after mining. There’s this year it expects to at least equal its 2011 a chance that more gold can be extracted yet. production level of 2,514,700 ounces, with Exploration efforts are focused on identifying aggressive growth forecast in the five-year new gold reserves to extend the mine life period. By 2017, if it can stay on track it beyond 2014. The Trini pit is expected to should be producing in excess of four million provide more than 218,000 ounces of gold in two phases. The environmental permit for the ounces of gold annually.

10%

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Goldcorp Mexico

Thank you for your business Thank you for your business

Much has changed since 1873, but this has remained constant: Atlas Copco is committed to developing leading – edge technology and taking care of Much has changed since 1873, but this has remained constant: Atlas Copco customers. The best way to celebrate 140 years is to acknowledge the is committed to developing leading – edge technology and taking care of customers that made it possible. Thank you for your loyalty and trust. ¡Gracias! customers. The best way to celebrate 140 years is to acknowledge the customers that made it possible. Thank you for your loyalty and trust. ¡Gracias! www.atlascopco.com.mx www.atlascopco.com.mx

NEW PRECIOUS RESOURCE DISCOVERED

Click here to visit our dedicated homepage for the mining community www.bus-ex.com/mining BEST PRACTICE IN MINING

Goldcorp Mexico first stage of stripping has been issued, and exploration for In 2013 Atlas Copco, ranked as one of the most innovative, potential reserves continues sustainable and ethical companies in the world, celebrates in the surrounding areas.

140 years of profitable growth. At the beginning the Going forward, El Sauzal company made products for railways, but the core of Atlas will continue to work on a Copco’s business dates back to the early years of the 20th sustainable development century when the first compressors, tools and rock drills were manufactured. Today, the Atlas Copco Group has strategy that benefits world-leading positions in these areas and many others. surrounding communities, Atlas Copco supports customers in 180 countries with own such as hydroponic crops, operations in 90 countries. In México, with 60 years of which additionally will help history, Atlas Copco proudly contributes with Mexican the to reduce water consumption mining industry. in the arid climate of the www.atlascopco.com.mx region. A Train-for-the-Work strategy will help people to get free training in high-demand skills, such as welding and mechanics.

The company’s second mine in Mexico is Los Filos, 1,700 metres up in the mountainous terrain of central Guerrero state near the town of Mezcala. It is one of the largest open pit mines in the country as well as an underground mine, with common heap leaching, wet plant and ancillary facilities.

Commercial production for Los Filos open pit operation commenced on January 1, 2008, and since 2009, Los Filos has been Mexico’s largest gold producer. Operations started in 2007, after Goldcorp had developed the

atlas copco

400,000 Ounces of projected gold production at Peñasquito mine in 2013 Goldcorp in the community of Peñasquito

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project from the single Los Filos pit to a twopit mine when Goldcorp acquired the El Bermejal deposit in early 2005—well after having the design and development plans ready for the single Los Filos pit.

2012 gold production at Los Filos was a little up on the previous year, at 340,400 ounces, and new exploration continues to support the potential for significant new reserves in the current open-pit and

underground operations as well as in the new 4P project located on a ridge to the west of the Los Filos pit. The plan is to develop an open pit mine that will be integrated into existing operations as well as testing further potential underground.

The underground mine in operation is a supplementary source of production at Los Filos, so there’s considerable upside potential at this site, with recent exploration

“Peñasquito is a great mine that is already generating outstanding financial returns and whose strongest years lie ahead”

Drilling at Peñasquito

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Goldcorp Mexico

Peñasquito worker and haul truck

showing that both Los Filos and El Bermejal pits could be extended. “Los Filos, remains a reliable producer, and we are testing the potential for further expansion of its production rate,” says Goldcorp’s President and CEO Chuck Jeannes.

However the jewel in Goldcorp’s crown, at least as far as Mexico is concerned, is the Peñasquito mine, which achieved commercial production in 2010. This a true polymetallic resource, which in addition to producing up to 400,000 ounces of gold in 2013 is expected to yield between 208 and 305 million pounds of zinc, between 145 and 160 million pounds of lead and over 20 million ounces of silver. The Peñasquito mine is in fact the fifth largest silver mine in the world and the second largest in Mexico. Jeannes’

assessment: “Peñasquito is a great mine that is already generating outstanding financial returns and whose strongest years lie ahead.”

His confidence is not surprising. Set in a flat valley high in the Central Plateau, in north-eastern corner of the State of Zacatecas Peñasquito promises to become Mexico’s largest open pit mine, consisting of two open pits, Peñasco and Chile Colorado. Additionally, exploration has already shown that later in the mine life, which is pegged currently at 22 years, there could be significant reserves below the current pits. Peñasquito provides jobs for nearly 2,700 people, and to serve the mine Goldcorp has helped to set up a technical college where the mechanical and electrical technicians of the future are trained.

With the high degree of mechanisation

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Pe単asquito site overview

Goldcorp Mexico that mines have adopted the barriers to women working alongside men are rapidly disappearing and Goldcorp’s female employees receive exactly the same benefits as their male colleagues. The company’s responsible mining policies have not gone unnoticed in Mexico. Last year the Mexican Centre for Philanthropy and the Alliance for Corporate Responsibility (CEMEFI) recognised Goldcorp Mexico for the fifth consecutive year, noting it for excellence in Ethical Conduct, Environmental Stewardship & Community Engagement. Additionally, for the second consecutive year the Mexican Mining Chamber gave the Los Filos mine its annual safety award in recognition of its excellent safety record.

“We enter 2013 with a spirit of excitement and optimism,” said Jeannes as he predicted a ten percent rise in gold production to between 2.5 and 2.8 million ounces this year, rising to more than four million ounces by 2017. To achieve its goals, he added, Goldcorp remains focused on five key attributes: growth; low cash costs; maintaining a strong balance sheet; operating in regions with low political risk; and conducting business in a responsible manner. Even if the recent hiccoughs in the gold market prove, as many believe, to be a temporary phenomenon the Canadian senior remains a dominating player in the market, with enough mineral diversification to see it through.

For more information about Goldcorp Mexico visit: www.goldcorp.com

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Preview:

No other company has shown a greater comm than First Quantum Minerals, a fact highligh

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First Quantum Minerals - Trident project

mitment to Zambia’s recent economic growth hted by the development of the Trident project

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FQM - Trident project

Preview:

S

ince it was first discovered in The company has been working within the country in the 1920s, copper the country since 1997 with its operations has been one of Zambia’s most growing out of what were relatively humble important sources of income. beginnings at its Bwana Mkubwa Mine Five years after its independence in Ndola. During its first few years of from British rule in 1964 Zambia was operations the mine was responsible for classified as a middle-income country, producing around 10,000 tonnes of copper with its GDP, then among the highest of any per annum. As a result of the success of African nation, buoyed by what where at this asset, in no small part thanks to the time soaring copper prices. The history the work of the company’s initial 300 of decline in Zambian copper production, as employees, First Quantum was able to opposed to the growth that was witnessed invest in the development of the for example in Chile over the Kansanshi Mine at Solwezi. same period, is well known.

First Quantum and its While the copper market, partner ZCCM commenced and indeed the country as production at the Kansanshi Mine in 2004. Since it began a whole, has undergone operations the Kansanshi significant changes in the Mine has undergone several years since privatisation of expansions, taking it from the industry in the early of Foreign Direct a stage where its initial 2000s, figures for 2009 Investment spent production capacity was show that copper mining in Zambia since the approximately 110,000 in Zambia, which is today privatisation of the tonnes of copper to the point largely centred in and mining sector where it is now capable of around the Copperbelt producing around 340,000 province, produced in excess of 725,000 tonnes of the metal. tonnes of copper and more than 120,000 This saw it earn the title of the eighth ounces of gold per year. largest copper producer in the world.

Today the mine employs some 4,000 With this title in place it should hardly come Zambian nationals directly and a further as a surprise that a host of multi-national 4,000 Zambians are employed indirectly players within the mining community have through on-site contractors, while a multibeen attracted to Zambia and more than $7 stage expansion project currently under billion of Foreign Direct Investment has been development aims to increase copper output pumped into the industry since privatisation. capacity to approximately 400,000 tonnes by Be that as it may it would be hard to find a 2015. Through the success of the Kansanshi company more heavily invested in the country Mine, First Quantum is now able to extend than First Quantum Minerals. its investments in Zambia.

$7

Billion

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FLOWCRETE As the world’s leading specialist flooring company with manufacturing plants across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa, a global commercial and sales support team and the backing of a major multinational manufacturing group, we are well placed to provide the same high standard of product and service across the globe.

Our research and development laboratories are constantly innovating new products and improving existing ones to ensure that our clients benefit from the best in modern flooring technology.

Our commitment is to pioneer greener flooring products that adhere to our

policy of environmental protection as well as introducing automated installation methods that keep us at the forefront of our industry.

Our international client base is spread across a diverse range of market sectors and includes blue-chip brands such as NASA, Lufthansa Technik, BAA, NestlĂŠ, Kraft, Coca-Cola, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Jaguar, Bentley, BP, LG and Sony as well as Wembley Stadium, O2 Arena and Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong International Airports.

E. southafrica@flowcrete.com www.flowcretesa.co.za

FQM - Trident project

Preview:

Site overview

Through its subsidiary, Kalumbila Minerals Limited, the company holds five large scale licences within the Solwezi and Mwinilunga Districts of North Western Province that make up the Trident project.

The Trident project was initially obtained through the acquisition of Kiwara PLC in February 2010. Since then, the large-scale mining licence, covering 950 kilometres, has been received, environmental impact

assessment approved and construction works have commenced.

Located some 140 kilometres west of the town of Solwezi and 150 kilometres from the Kansanshi Mine, Trident comprises the Sentinel copper deposit and the Enterprise and Intrepid targets. Sentinel’s processing facility alone will have a target throughput rate of 55 million tonnes per annum of ore at an average grade of 0.5 percent copper.

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JAIDS Since its creation in 2000, Jaid’s has grown steadily with the town of Solwezi.

Jaid’s is now a one-stop-centre for all your household, stationery, hardware, electrical, automotive and construction needs. We represent major brands in most of these departments. With a current stock count of over 6000 product lines in-store, we are able to supply or source products for our customers in a timely and efficient manner.

We have seen the needs of our customers change as Solwezi town continues to grow, while the demand for our reliability and customer service remains. As a result, Jaid’s has diversified into construction and plant hire, having since secured and completed projects for clients including governmental organisations, Kansanshi

Mining PLC and FQMO. We also own two ready-mix batching plants to cater for all your concreting needs. As a well established and reputable company, we are aware of our social responsibility to the people of Solwezi. Jaids has helped with fundraising and donation of goods for numerous events in the region including funding to revamp the local cricket field.

We are proud to be associated with First Quatum Minerals and wish them every success in the future. Jaid’s shares a cordial and longstanding relationship with FQMO and we would like to offer our services every step of the way forward.

E. jaids@zamnet.zm www.jaidsgroup.com

• Hardware and tools • Safety gear • Motor vehicle oils and lubricants • Automotive spares and tyres • Construction machinery and equipment

Jaids wholesalers has been in existence since 2000 and has since become the leading supplier of all the following products within Solwezi: • Household goods • Office and home furniture • Beddings • Domestic and consumer electronics and electrical goods • Stationery and office equipment • Computers (software and hardware)

Our vast experience of trading in the region has helped us remain at the forefront of wholesaling and retail trading in the Solwezi area. With core values based on quality, reliability, customer service, Jaid’s has a list of satisfied customers, which include the three main major mines within the Province, regional Chiefs, NGO’s and the local trade.

Jaid’s wholesaling and retail trading limited.

Tel: +260218821371 E-mail: jaids@zamnet.zm www.jaidsgroup.com

W H E R E Q UA LI T Y M AT T E R S …

FQM - Trident project

Preview:

Flotation gantry crane girder installation

“It would be hard to find a company more heavily invested in Zambia than First Quantum Minerals�

Higher grades are expected in the first six years of the mine life, which would provide an annual production rate ranging between 270,000 tonnes and 300,000 tonnes of copper.

Board of Directors approval for the development of Sentinel was granted in May 2012 and construction started shortly thereafter towards commissioning in mid2014. The mine life is estimated to be in excess of 15 years with potential to increase

with planned delineation drilling and future successful exploration.

Coming soon: An in-depth look at First Quantum Minerals - Trident project.

For more information about First Quantum Minerals - Trident project visit: www.first-quantum.com

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BIA: a fascinating never-ending adventure!

BIA is proud to be one of the most established heavy-equipment distributors in Africa and Benelux

B

IA and the distribution of civil engineering and construction machinery it’s a long story! It all started in 1902 when Georges Bia decided to open a sales office in Brussels operating in the Belgian and Congoleese markets. Over time the BIA business really kicked off, going from strength to strength to become a key player in the public works, quarry and mining sectors in the Benelux countries and West and Central Africa.

“ BIA already employs more than 700 people in Africa.

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Throughout its long history, BIA has never experienced the levels of growth that it has seen in the last three years.

From 2009 to 2012 the firm’s revenues tripled on the back of strong sales from the African activities. Operating as a distributor for original manufacturers including Komatsu, Sandvik, Bomag, Cummins and Tecnogen, BIA is now targeting to double its revenue by 2015, beefing up its presence in the African continent.

The BIA value added is not strictly limited to be a distributor of premium brands! Maintenance and Service are a priority too. In other words, BIA aims to be the preferred solution provider for mining companies operating in West and Central Africa. BIA also guarantees to its clients the best productivity at low operating cost.

Because each client is unique and each project is specific, BIA offers to

BIA OVERSEAS SA

its clients a tailor-made approach.

BIA already employs more than 700 people in Africa. By the end of 2013 this number could top 1,000.

Among the BIA current staff, 75% are technicians and experienced engineers providing onsite support for client’s fleet of heavy equipment.

Such a support is there to guide the customers from the earliest stages of their projects. By planning, organizing

and controlling specific resources, BIA gives its clients confidence to make their project real and efficient.

BIA Overseas Avenue Einstein, 6F 1300 Wavre – Belgium T +32 10 23 45 00 Fax +32 10 23 45 00 www.biagroup.com

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Included The BE Mining Directory showcases leading mining organisations from across the world, ranging from big corporations to junior mines and their supply chains.

Be seen throughout our portfolio of magazines: •BE Mining Directory •BE Mining •BE Weekly •BE Monthly •

To find out how to get involved contact: vincent@bus-ex.com