Redpath Mining

SOUTH AFRICAN PEOPLECENTRIC CONTRACT MINING

REDPATH MINING AFRICA

M in S 2 | Africa Outlook issue 89

MINING

T

Redpath

he mining industry in South Africa has evolved over the last 40 years.

With a larger focus on the safety of employees and local communities, the mining sector is in the midst of revolutionising its operations for the betterment of the people involved.

However, at the same time as this, there have been various negative impacts that have affected the industry.

The several economic downturns that have occurred over the last 50 years have caused challenges in the South African industry. Due to this, many mining companies have ceased their learner programmes, resulting in a decrease in skilled workers that has had a negative impact on the productivity of mining firms across the nation. In addition, labour costs in South Africa have increased significantly alongside this lack of increase in productivity. In light of this, mining companies have had to explore different avenues to improve productivity and reduce costs, and so there is a major drive towards the mechanisation of operations within the sector.

Although, there is one company that is focused on not only providing the best and most efficient results, but also making its operations uniquely people centric.

MINING South Africa After a challenging 2020, South African mining is slowly picking up. We spoke to Lawrence Schultz, Managing Director of Redpath Africa Limited, about the company’s projects and community-centric operations Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Josh Mann

Lawrence Schultz, Redpath Africa, Managing Director

Africa Outlook issue 89 | 3

REDPATH MINING AFRICA Back in 1962, a Canadian mining engineer named Jim Redpath decided to start his own company, and from then Redpath Mining was born. Over the decades the company has grown and expanded across the globe with regional offices in Reno (USA), Dortmund (Germany), Johannesburg (South Africa), Brisbane (Australia), and North Bay (Canada) with the latter including the company’s headquarters. The company currently employs around 7,700 employees globally and is undertaking approximately 105 projects across 16 different countries.

The firm offers global contract mining services including trackless horizontal development, trackless decline and incline development, vertical shaft sinking, raise drilling,

engineering design, contract mining and specialised services, such as shotcrete, and regional and high wall support.

Redpath Africa Limited is a key player in the pan-African mining sphere with its primary office in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Lawrence Schultz, Managing Director of the company, has been working for Redpath for a total of over 16 years.

“After I left school in 1976, I was drafted into the South African military for two years,” Schultz begins.

“The most part of my two-year spell was spent up in the Caprivi Strip (the border between Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe). I was earning 17 rand per month, and one Sunday I opened a paper; the centre page had an advertisement from Anglovaal to

COMPANY ACTIVITY The Phakisa Vertical Shaft Rehabilitation in South Africa for Harmony Gold (2009 to 2011).

Originally, the shaft had scaled in the section between 90 metres and 2,002 metres below surface collapsed 90 metres below the surface to approximately 200 metres below the surface. This scaling rendered the vent shaft ineffective. This was a unique company project as the scope of work entailed opening up and re-supporting an old rectangular shaft that had been scaling for numerous years.

Redpath’s methodology used during this project was unique and significantly cheaper than traditional methods. The project was completed within the time given and with a great safety record – no injury from start to finish.

OTHER PROJECTS AND INVESTMENTS: • Redpath Deilmann (the company’s European sister branch) has recently completed two vertical shafts in Belarus using the Herrenknecht vertical shaft boring roadheader (SBR).

• The company is in the process of rolling out its automated raise drilling programme where its raise drills will have the capability to continue either piloting or reaming during shift change overs when there is nobody present around to manually operate the machine.

• The different regions take turns to host innovation workshops annually rotating between shafts and development to investigate innovative means to improve either shaft sinking or mine development.

4 | Africa Outlook issue 89

Logical First Consultants The management team at Logical First consists of people that have worked in the mining design sector all of their careers.

We are a hands-on team that makes it a point to understand what it is the client needs, so as to provide them with the support and a partnership that they can rely on and trust.

From the initial concept through to the final implementation, our team is readily available to assist in providing the client with a safe, economical and working solution for their project.

www.logicalfirst.co.za

MINING

Leading the mine design and auditing sector globally Mining, Sinking, Equipping, Permanent and Infrastructure Upgrade Designs.

Brown and Green Fields Projects.

Engineering Design, Structural, Electrical, Civil and Mechanical.

Shaft, Underground and Operational Audits.

Quality Control and Owners Team Engineering Assistance.

2D Drawings, 3D Models and Fabrication Detailing BIM. More than a decade’s worth of in-house experience.

Past Experience, Future Innovation, Productivity Today.

T +27 10 822 1300 E info@logicalfirst.co.za www.logicalfirst.co.za

MINE SAFE

Africa Outlook issue 89 | 5

REDPATH MINING AFRICA become a Mining Learner Official.

The headline said, “Earn while you Learn” and an amount of 365 rand was shown.

“I decided there and then that I would apply at Anglovaal after my discharge from the military. I was accepted and my career in mining commenced in January 1979.”

In the present, Schultz has held his position as Managing Director proudly for over three years.

COMMUNITY Redpath is a proud business member of every global region it works in and it strongly believes that community involvement is important to the quality of life for its employees. The company’s global family is rich in cultural and lingual diversity and it takes numerous opportunities to celebrate and support regional promotions, youth sports leagues, charitable activities and the arts.

6 | Africa Outlook issue 89

Redpath Africa Limited sets itself apart from its industry competition through its excellent quality of service, shown by its projects, and inclusivity of employees.

“At Redpath you are a family member, not just an employee,” says Schultz.

“The firm offers exciting opportunities to motivated individuals to expand their experience globally. We have many South Africans working abroad for Redpath, and likewise several Australian and Canadian employees working in Africa and Europe. Redpath pools experiences from different projects across the globe - we are always considering new innovative ways to improve safety and productivity.”

The utilisation of these diverse and innovative methods of operation is reflected in the company’s various projects.

Redpath’s Ghaghoo Sand Tunnel in Botswana for example, constructed for the mining of gem diamonds from 2011 to 2013, comprised the excavating a 6.1 metre diameter circular tunnel 430 metres in length from the surface down to the

basalt rock sub-outcrop. This was constructed through a vertical depth of 85 metres of Kalahari sand with a UCS (Universal Compressive Strength) of one mile-per-hour.

“The tunnel was line excavated using an open-faced tunnel shield at the same time as concrete sections being installed to maintain the integrity of the tunnel,” Schultz informs us. “The project was something that has never been achieved before.”

Redpath’s Mindola Deeps Vertical Shaft in Zambia 2013 to 2020, in association with Mopani Copper Plc. a subsidiary of Glencore is another example of the company’s quality level of project completion.

The project comprised of raise boring a 6.1 metre diameter vertical shaft 1,986 metres deep. This was completed in four separate lifts of approximately 500 metres per lift, and the shaft was equipped with a total of five underground access stations.

“This was the longest raise bore shaft in the world to date,” Schultz tells us proudly.

MINING “In addition, the accuracy of our raise drilling was well below the tolerance of 150 millimetres, with the best performance being 25 millimetres off the vertical and the worst performance of 62 millimetres off the vertical.”

In the mining industry, individual employees, management teams, and partners and suppliers are vital to smooth and successful operations.

For Redpath Mining Africa, this is no different.

“Redpath has some global agreements with major suppliers of trackless mobile machinery (TMM).

Each region will engage suppliers for the requirements of their various projects – this is critical to our various projects,” Schultz informs us.

ENVIRONMENT Redpath believes that respecting the environment is integral for the success of the company and the industry. The firm continually works to ensure that its projects comply with all regulations, client requirements and the objectives of the project. Environmental initiatives are encouraged on sites and offices in our regions, whether it is a recycling programme, water reclamation system or waste disposal programme.

Engineering for the safe shipping of company equipment and supplies includes the consideration for environmental factors relating to international transport. The environmental impact of Redpath’s work is taken into consideration on each and every project, and the company takes pride in its extensive experience successfully working in environmentally sensitive areas.

“We are often dependant on what manufacturer our client wants and again availability from the different suppliers.”

On top of this, the company has a management style that allows employees to continue with their jobs without interference and control. This lack of micromanagement increases Redpath’s productivity and employee recognition within the firm.

“We employ the best people in the industry and give recognition when it is due. In this way everyone is responsible for their own standard of work,” Schultz elaborates.

“Successes are rewarded, and failures are assessed to determine the root causes for each individual failure, to implement measures to prevent reoccurrences of these causes.”

Moving into the future and away from a challenging period, Redpath Mining Africa is focusing on building the business back to a pre-COVID state. The maintenance of safety

performance is paramount and ensuring that each company project delivers positive financial results is a staple goal for Redpath.

“Another objective is to actively consolidate new project work all across Africa,” Schultz confirms.

“And strengthening our current collaboration with Redpath Australia through client introduction to our strategy is also important. In doing so, we will improve our current South African performance through the engagement and skills shared by our Australian counterparts, improving aspects such as mining support and planning methods.”

REDPATH MINING AFRICA Tel: +27 11 570 4300 info.africa@redpathmining.com www.redpathmining.co.za

Africa Outlook issue 89 | 7

REDPATH MINING AFRICA 18 Industry Road, Isando Ext 2, Kempton Park, Gauteng Province, South Africa, 1600 Tel: +27 11 570 4300 info.africa@redpathmining.com www.redpathmining.co.za

PRODUCED BY AFRICA OUTLOOK MAGAZINE