Sweden-based Orefields Raise Boring AB has established a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cementation Canada Inc that could see the two companies collaborate on projects in Scandinavia going forward.

Cementation, a global mine development contractor, complements Orefield’s’ mining services, which include pilot drilling, raiseboring, down-reaming, horizontal raiseboring and casting/grouting, it says, offering capability and experience to engineer and sink shafts, drive decline ramps, lateral development, production mining and mine construction to access and mine orebodies.

Additionally, the team’s offerings include full in-house engineering and design-supply services for crushing/screening and conveying systems that condition and deliver run-of-mine ore to the processing facility.

In addition to introducing expanded capabilities beneficial to the broader Scandinavian Region, the Orefields + Cementation Tier 1 Team bring innovative delivery model alternatives that reduce risk for the mine owner when compared with the conventional engineering procuement and construction (EPC) or design-bid-build approaches, they say.

For example, creative risk-reducing alternatives include:

• Design-build-operate/maintain (DBOM)
  • DBOM + system ownership
  • Following an agreed period of operation, option to transfer ownership
  • Owner’s mine build & mining partner

Cementation explained: “Over the life of the facility, operations and maintenance expenses often far exceed the initial cost to design and build systems. Consequently, the design and construction of the system significantly impacts operational reliability and the resultant costs that accumulate over the years. Our DBOM approach, being performed by a single accountable venture, reduces risk inherent in spreading work packages between different organisations (as with EPC or design-bid-build approaches, for example). Simply put, the principle behind the DBOM delivery model is that we ‘pack our own parachute’, so we make sure it is done right from the beginning through to deployment.”

With this partnership specifically being established in Sweden for the benefit and added value to the Scandinavian Region, technical and professional labour resources, as well as the supply of materials, equipment and fabrication/construction, will be procured in the local regions where possible. Depending on the availability of qualified Scandinavian-based resources, secondary preference will be given to other European Region countries.