Iron Ore

Challenges

Production is at an all-time high and global output continues to grow. Still, with demand slowing down and focus shifting from expansion to survival, iron ore producers can expect to face economic uncertainty and increasing competitive pressures for some years to come.

In times of flux, mining companies need new, creative strategies to respond to shifting conditions and hold the line on profitability. By fine-tuning operational performance and maintaining a laser-sharp focus on cost, they will be able to derive greater value from their iron ore facilities.

For operations, maximizing capital efficiency and getting the most production from assets will be key. Doing more with less will be the norm, and that will require innovative approaches to operations management. Striving for best practices and looking for better ways of doing things will improve competitiveness and help unlock value, by reducing operating costs, curbing capital expenditures, or both.

Capabilities

Mining and mineral processing

We have hands-on experience with all types of ore bodies and mineralogy. Our work covers the entire iron-ore value chain, from mining through to crushing, grinding, and beneficiation by gravity, magnetic, or heavy media separation. Next comes flotation and filtering, followed by downstream processing, such as pelletizing and sintering.

Bulk materials handling

Our expertise extends to conveying, stockpiling and stacking; loading and unloading; shiploading; and sampling systems. Add in our advanced knowledge of iron-ore processing, ore behavior, and modeling design tools, and our clients get the most efficient and value-engineered bulk-materials handling solutions.

Ore slurry, tailings, and water pipelines

Transporting iron-ore slurries and tailings is the work of pipelines—in a wide range of diameters, often hundreds of kilometres long. We have proven expertise in designing, developing, and building slurry, tailings, and water transport solutions, even in places where the distance between the source and destination is vast.

Iron-ore market studies and due diligence

Our full range of services extends to giving expert advice about developing and reviewing investment strategies. Using up-to-date industry benchmarks, we partner with investment banks, commercial banks, equity funds, bondholders, attorneys, and operating companies to evaluate mergers and acquisitions and other potentially profitable opportunities. Together, we thoroughly assess the full spectrum of financial, operational, technological, environmental, market, and commercial due-diligence issues.

Dynamic simulation modeling

We combine simulation and dynamic modeling of complex processes and operations with expertise in infrastructure systems and projects. Translating business objectives into design and operating requirements is critical to maximizing value across the iron-ore production system. So is understanding the drivers that impact capacity, cost, and value across the entire logistics chain. We do it all.

Operational performance

Our value-focused teams work side-by-side with our clients to deliver concrete improvements in operational readiness, asset management, maintenance support, operational performance, and sustaining projects’ engineering and shutdown services.

Blogs

Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulation for operational validation of your bulk material production assets

Brian Moore

DEM is a software tool that provides accurate visual simulation of how bulk material flows and interacts with equipment, such as transfer chutes, underground production hoists, and run of mine (ROM) ore sizer systems.

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