Mining services

Asset management

Decades of experience of owning and operating one of the country’s largest and most diverse fleets enable Downer to offer full maintenance solutions.

By actively monitoring and employing advanced equipment technology as well as operating and maintenance practices, we provide our clients with maximum reliability and the lowest-cost solutions to their mining requirements. Our strong, cooperative relationships with OEMs mean that we always have access to the latest equipment and information.

Consistent, safe and effective equipment performance is ensured through our centralised plant management system and the use of AMT, the world’s leading asset management software for mining equipment.

View the Asset Management Capability Statement here:

Asset Management Capability Statement

Construction of mining infrastructure

As part of our mining service offerings, we have the capability to provide project management service for the design, procurement and construction management of mine-site infrastructure projects. This includes workshops, site offices, wash-down bays, haul roads and water-management systems.

Managed by personnel with a wealth of experience in both the mining and civil construction industries, we are able to offer turn-key solutions on both greenfield and brownfield projects, and efficiently manage subcontractors for specialist work using our own proven systems and controls.

Our services in civil projects include:

• Management of engineering design and documentation for civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and hydraulic works
• Procurement of materials and equipment
• Construction activities such as civil earthworks, services installation, foundation and concrete works, erection of structures, and installation of internal building services
• Final commissioning of facilities and equipment for handover to the customer

View the Civil Projects Capability Statements:

Civil Projects Capability Statement - East 

Civil Projects Capability Statement - West

Crushing

We provide comprehensive, end-to-end materials-handling and processing support to the mining and construction industries. Our extensive range of services includes:

• Design, construction, operation and maintenance of crushing and screening plants
• Operation and maintenance of client-owned assets
• Supply of construction materials, including rail ballast, road-base, sub-base, aggregates, stemming and various engineered fill material
• Load and haul options
• Materials handling and stockpiling
• Process improvement and optimisation
• Quarrying
• Run-of-mine (ROM) pad management
• Provision of asset management services, including fixed and mobile plant maintenance

Blasting

Downer Blasting Services DBS is one of the largest blasting service providers in the Australian mining industry.

For over a decade, DBS have delivered innovative blasting solutions to various projects across Australia, with an extensive fleet of Mobile Processing Units (MPUs), four state-of-the-art emulsion-manufacturing facilities and a 250-strong workforce.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of Downer Mining, it has the backing and scale of a leading mining services company, but with the personal touch of a smaller one.

From working closely with its customers to understand their business drivers and developing detailed blast designs for every new project, to individually configuring each service truck to meet specific user needs, DBS aims to provide flexible and tailored solutions in each and every situation.

DBS integrates innovative products and services with engineering expertise and advanced technology to provide its clients with optimal and cost-effective solutions to their individual blasting challenges. With the capacity and licensing to produce, store and transport emulsion, DBS is able to combine overseas equipment technology with Australian innovation to develop specialised products to meet specific requirements.

DBS’s capabilities include:

• Down-the-hole and total loading services
• Bulk explosives supply and delivery
• Accessories supply and delivery
• Shotfiring services
• Multiple emulsion manufacturing facilities
• Blast management services (technical support)
• Trained and competent personnel
• Extensive fleet of MPUs.

For more information view our DBS capability brochure.

Exploration drilling

We have been providing exploration drilling services in Papua New Guinea since 2003. Our key capabilities include:

• Exploration, resource and de-watering hole drilling
• Underground diamond drilling
• Flexible drill fleet – underground, in-pit, heli-portable
• Drill rig maintenance
• International cultural awareness

View the Exploration Drilling Capability Statement here:

Exploration Drilling

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs

An industry-leading approach

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs are a vital part of the mining industry. As our clients increasingly seek to enhance workforce diversity, we are able to provide them with an industry-leading approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recruitment and development.

A unique feature of our indigenous development methodology is a strong focus on mainstreaming people into “real jobs”. Underpinned by structured training and supported by line management, our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recruits are part of the line structure from commencement. This supports the view that separating indigenous workers from the mainstream workforce disadvantages them in the long term. Managing diversity is a skill required by managers and supervisors, and we provide the necessary training and development to enable our leaders to achieve this.

View the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Capability Statement here:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Capability Statement

Recruitment and training

Our successful recruitment strategy is underpinned by the strong relationships and partnerships we have formed with community organisations throughout Australia. Applying the knowledge that we have gained through extensive consultation and first-hand experience, we have replaced the typical interview process with an Assessment Workshop, with participants attending a two-day program held on site. The group learns about the mining operation, what it’s like to work on a mine site and the importance of working safely. They also undertake a practical assessment in an operator-training simulator and an in-depth tour of operations.

We hire based on a candidate’s work ethic, attitude and eagerness to learn (as opposed to their experience), and the workshop is strategically designed to reveal such qualities.

We have also introduced a Certificate II Metalliferous Mining for indigenous employees. This surpasses industry standards and qualifies participants across 22 units of competency, including safety, environment, IT and first aid. We have designed the course specifically to cater for different learning styles, and to make the training hands-on and culturally appropriate.

Mine planning and design

We recognise the importance of effective mine planning for the success of mining operations. Our technical engineering teams combined with our on-site technical services teams, collectively have many years of experience in mine planning and operations. With expertise in both open cut coal and hard-rock mining, our team offers services in:

• Mine design
• Mine scheduling and optimisation 
• Survey control
• Machine guidance support
• Mine feasibility studies.

Downer works closely with customers, on-site management and mine planning engineers to provide extensive short-term and medium-term mine planning support, analysis and advice. In conjunction with the Base Cost Estimate Mine Plan, consideration is given to the level of mine planning required for sites based on:

• target quantities;
• contract requirements;
• geology of deposit; and
• site planning requirements.

We utilise professional mining software such as Vulcan, Spry, Deswik and XPAC. In addition, we undertake haulage simulations utilising modules within the Spry software to model and optimise numerous options for waste and coal/ore haulage.

Open cut mining

Our team

As one of Australia’s largest open cut mining service contractors, Downer offers an enviable range of capabilities and nine decades of experience. We have worked in a wide range of commodities, including gold, base metals, iron ore and coal, in projects in Australia and overseas.

We pride ourselves on our people and the diverse skills they bring to our projects. Our strong safety and training focus works in parallel with creativity, innovation and hard work to provide optimal solutions to our clients. Our project managers and on-site operations can depend on the full support of our centralised plant management, engineering, training, and health, safety and environment teams, as well as technical and support personnel.

Our open cut capabilities

We have a proven track record in providing:

• Mine engineering, scheduling and planning
• Load and haul operations
• Dozer push operations
• Crusher feed and operation
• Facilities and infrastructure design and operation
• Mine road construction
• Mine site rehabilitation
• Statutory management of operations
• Operation of coal handling and preparation plants

View the Open Cut Mining Capability Statement here:

Open Cut Capability Statement

Plant inventory and management

Our reputation as a leading open cut mining contractor is strongly supported by the size and diversity of our fleet, which includes:

• Hydraulic excavators and shovels from 100- to 800-tonne class
• Off-highway dump trucks from 90- to 300-tonne class
• Ancillary support equipment, including:
• Dozers from D9 to D11
• Graders from 14G to 24M
• Water carts from 17 kilolitre to 130 kilolitre
• Drills capable of 102mm to 311mm holes

Our in-house maintenance support and asset management capabilities optimise our efficiency and overall performance. Underpinning these services are our strong relationships with Original Equipment Manufacturers, which ensure that we have access to the latest equipment and information, driving best-practice maintenance management.

Operator training simulators

Our state-of-the-art operator-training simulators enable us to train operators in the use of a range of heavy equipment. The simulators provide a safe environment in which operators can experience virtual scenarios without the risk of personal injury or damage to equipment.

With several different types of training/assessment options, including emergency response scenarios, correct machine operation and productivity, the simulators provide comprehensive training programs to operators irrespective of skill level.

ReGen

ReGen offers complete solutions for mine closure and mine site rehabilitation, as well as progressive rehabilitation and standalone water infrastructure and management.

ReGen is one of the only services providers in Australia who offer a  complete suite of rehabilitation requirements, including: design, bulk earthworks, civil capacity, revegetation, and monitoring and maintenance. Working with ReGen means that mine owners looking for mining rehabilitation expertise only need to engage with a single business, who offer the cost-effectiveness, efficiency and low-risk profile of a Tier 1 mining contractor.

Our extensive range of capabilities includes:

• Providing all components of a mine closure plan, including landform design, progressive mine rehabilitation, waste rock or spoil management, and water-management structures
• Bulk earthworks, including landform profiling, tailings storage facility decommissioning and closure
• Civil capacity, including topsoil handling and placement, ripping, final grade profiling, water-management structure construction and erosion mitigation structures, such as rock armouring
• Revegetation of native ecosystems or other agreed post-mining land use using seeds or seedlings, including soil preparation and amelioration requirements, such as fertilisers
• Post-closure management and maintenance, such as weed control, erosion repairs and landform/ecosystem monitoring, to meet post-mining criteria and stability.

In addition to its own dedicated plant and specialised equipment, ReGen has access to Downer’s extensive plant inventory and equipment maintenance capability, ensuring that cost-effective, reliable equipment is used in all mine rehabilitation projects. In addition, Downer’s wide geographic spread provides ReGen with the ability to service clients in all areas of Australia, including the Pilbara, Bowen Basin, Hunter Valley and the Goldfields.

To find out more, visit www.mineregen.com or download one of the following capability statements:

ReGen East Capability

ReGen West Capability

Snowden

Snowden is a mining consultancy and software business that supports mining companies in evaluating new mines, improving the performance of existing operations and complying with regulatory requirements.

Snowden has solved technically complex problems in over 12,000 projects across the globe and their experience is applied through the delivery of its reconciliation, geostatistic, optimisation and analytics solutions. These innovative and award-winning solutions improve decision making by ensuring that data is accurate, available and timely and enable productivity improvements by providing important insights across the mining value chain.

Snowden’s consulting capabilities include:

• Geology: high quality resource estimates and technical reviews.
• Mining: practical, value-maximising mine planning solutions and technical reviews from scoping study into operations.
• Corporate: credible and considered due diligence and valuations to support investment decisions.

Snowden software includes:

• Neuroverse: A cloud analytics platform to assist in customers’ digital transformation.
• Supervisor: Powerful workflow software that resolves practical geological issues in the shortest possible time.
• Reconcilor: a sophisticated business intelligence solution that provides reconciliation of tonnes and grade across the mining value chain to drive continuous improvement.
• Bespoke development: the skills to develop a custom solution which meets your needs exactly.

Additionally, Snowden offers a range of mining education products and services delivered by senior mining consultants with substantial experience in solving real mining problems. This not only applies to mining professionals but also to those working in the mining industry in supporting roles who can benefit from our introductory and general courses.

Visit the Snowden website

Tyre management

Otraco is Downer’s tyre management provider. Otraco has over 30 tyre management service contracts in Australia, New Zealand, South America, Southern Africa and Asia. Its clients include Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Anglo American, Debswana, Codelco, Fortescue Metals, BMA Coal, Newcrest, Newmont, Barrick, Citic Pacific, Minara Resources and Peabody Energy and Yancoal. 

Operating at the forefront of the industry, Otraco has developed a wide range of information and analysis systems to identify new opportunities and solutions to minimise its customers’ total tyre-related costs. These not only include focusing on direct costs (through extension of tyre life), but also reduction in equipment downtime, and minimisation of overall tyre and rim repair costs. 

Otraco prides itself on being at the cutting edge of tyre management technology with its internet-based tyre management and reporting system, Otracom. In use at more than 60 mines across the world, Otracom tracks and manages tyres and rims from manufacturing to disposal to identify performance trends and reduce tyre-related costs. It enables users to rely upon a centrally maintained management system that delivers consistent reporting from around the world.

At Otraco’s tyre training centre in Western Australia, trainees are able to work on real mining equipment just 30 minutes from the centre of Perth. The centre provides six-week courses for tyre fitters, with graduates attaining a Certificate II in Automotive Mechanical – Tyre Fitting Heavy (which has been customised to incorporate OTR).

Otraco is a Registered Training Organisation, and is commercially independent of any tyre manufacturer, supplier or repairer.

Visit www.otraco.com for more information. 

Underground mining

We have a highly skilled and experienced hard rock underground mining team that understands the unique nature of the industry. From existing brownfield projects to remote greenfield developments, we have the expertise and equipment to deliver all types of hard rock underground operations.

We work collaboratively with our clients to extract the maximum value from their resource by developing creative and innovative solutions to everyday issues. Fundamental to this approach is building robust, long-term, trusting relationships, as well as flexibility in our contractual arrangements. We therefore offer our clients a range of delivery models, including Alliance partnering, schedule of rates, fixed and variable, and cost-reimbursable contract styles.