YOUR MINING AND RESOURCE SECTOR PARTNER

OPERATING DIVISIONS

Company contact: Josh Redmond General Manager - Mining company.

MACA is an international contracting group providing services to the mining, infrastructure and construction sector industries for over 20 years. With a team of highly skilled and dedicated professionals, we deliver operational expertise and equipment tailored to suit the needs of our clients and end-users.

Mining

Civil Construction

Crushing and Screening

Infrastructure Maintenance

International MACA Interquip maca.net.au

First Quantum Minerals Ltd (FMQ) is one of the world’s top 10 copper producers, operating across four continents and employing about 20,000 people.

Gavin Ashley, FQM’s Regional Manager for Projects and Operations, described the group’s global footing: “We are a globally recognised business, headquartered in Canada but operating around the globe. We’re a rather decentralised group and our sites are quite autonomous in their operations, having full accountability for running their business. In this respect, we are not the typical sort of mining company.”

FQM’s global operation portfolio includes the Ravensthorpe Nickel Operation (RNO), an open-pit mine and primary processing plant located in the south west of Western Australia. FQM acquired 100% of the Ravensthorpe project, which was then a decommissioned mine, in 2010. In 2017, the mine was put on care and maintenance due to persistently low nickel prices.

In early 2020, the mine was restarted creating over 600 new jobs. A year later, the company sold a 30% equity interest in the Ravensthorpe Nickel Operation to POSCO, one of the world’s largest steel producers, and the mine is now poised to ramp up to full production levels.

Gavin explained that regarding Ravensthorpe, his role is more or less focused on operational oversight and supporting the FQM projects. “From a corporate perspective, in projects my responsibilities include the engineering, procurement, costs of scheduling site functions within the project scope. FQM does not operate within a firm organisational structure so the roles tend to be fluid, which again, is unusual for a typical company of our size.”

The asset itself is managed by Scott Whitehead, Ravensthorpe Operations General Manager, whose accountability covers the asset’s operation from the start of the process, i.e. mining the mineral, right through to processing, logistics, shipping and ultimately liaising with the group’s trading arm, which sells the final product in the market.

“My role encompasses pretty much everything on site. We have a permanent workforce of about 450 people and then some 200 to 250 contractors, and I’m responsible for all functions from Health, Safety & Environmental, Training, HR to Production, Maintenance and Engineering,” said Scott, affirming Ravensthorpe is a unique technical operation, and a very rewarding place to work, in a good location with great people.