Downer has been successfully delivering contract mining and civil projects to an impressive list of global customers for over 90 years.
Downer services coal and metalliferous mining customers at all stages of the mining lifecycle, specialising in both surface and underground mining. We operate across more than 50 sites in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Africa.
Key capabilities:
- Resource definition, exploration drilling and mine feasibility studies
- Open cut mining services to Australian coal, iron ore and gold
- Underground mining services to Australian, Papua New Guinea and South African copper and gold
- Drilling, explosives manufacture and supply, blasting and crushing
- Mine closure and rehabilitation.
Proven track record
In New South Wales, Downer provides mining services at Newcrest Mining’s Cadia Valley underground mine near Orange and Cobar Management Pty Ltd’s CSA underground copper mine located in Cobar, Central Western NSW.
In Queensland, Downer has provided mining services at Stanwell Corporation’s Meandu mine in the South Burnett region since 2013. Services include mine management, planning, drilling, overburden removal, coal mining, coal processing, rehabilitation and maintenance of mobile and fixed plant. Downer has also been working closely with the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) for many years, providing mining services at several mine sites in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland including Goonyella Riverside, Daunia, Peak Downs, Saraji, Blackwater, Caval Ridge and Poitrel Mine.
In Western Australia, Downer has been providing mining services to Karara Mining Ltd at its Karara mine since the magnetite operation commenced production in February 2012. Downer also provides mining services at the Gruyere gold project in Laverton for joint venture partners Gold Road Resources Ltd and Gold Fields Ltd.
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:
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:
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 more than 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, 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 customers with optimal and cost-effective solutions to their individual blasting challenges. With the capacity and licensing to produce, store and transport emulsion, DBS can 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 brochures:
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:
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:
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.
Tyre management
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.
