To diversify and strengthen its portfolio, Minopex, a DRA Global company, recently acquired a majority shareholding in South Africa’s UMM Contracting Services, adding underground mining services to its overall service offering. This underground mechanised mining capability provides Minopex and its clients with access to skills and experience in commodities best mined using caving methods such as block, panel, sublevel or any of their derivatives. UMM current clients include Palabora Mining Company, Consolidated Diamond Mines, Gold Fields South Deep and Koffiefontein Diamond Mine plus ongoing consulting work for Petra, Venetia, Munali Nickel Jwaneng (Debswana) and New Field Resources.
A statement added: “In addition to the operational mining capability, UMM Contracting Services extends its offering to clients wanting independent reviews or technical advisory work. This would be of interest to clients currently undertaking mining and project studies and operational readiness initiatives. This expert advisory and insight will endorse the constructability and practical achievability for clients that might not have the required skills in-house but still want assurance of success.”
In more detail, the UMM capability covers a wide range of value adding services for clients who outsource underground mechanised mining. “We are focused on leveraging technical expertise and industry insight to operate, maintain, engineer, advise and optimise mines. Our team of Mining Engineers, Drill & Blast Engineers, Mine Planners, Surveyors, Project Managers and Technical Services personnel are experts in mining production, planning, scheduling, survey and reconciliation. Operations include mechanised underground contract mining including mine development, secondary support, longhole mining and production.”
UMM’s maintenance services include trackless mechanised fleet maintenance, maintenance contracts and engineering services. A dynamic engineering team “utilises the latest engineering, procurement and construction management or bespoke contracting models and strategies, when designing and implementing mining related infrastructure.” Services include underground infrastructure: construction, equipping and maintenance, SMART TMM Performance Management/Monitoring System.
Independent technical mining advisory services include Life of Mine, design and scheduling, on-mine planning processes, longhole drill & blast expertise, operational readiness as well as compliance audits and reports (due diligences, reserves and CPR sign-offs). On optimisation UMM states: “We focus on a ‘one size fits none’ approach – each phased technical offering is customised to our individual clients’ unique business and operational requirements. Optimisation services include value engineering & optimisation, training and development, operational assistance and supply chain management.”
