With the mining sector looking more bullish now than it has for many years, it is likely that consulting engineers will be playing an even greater role in its future.
This is judging from the experience of the past two decades, when the skills base within many mining companies has been steadily pared down, according to SRK Consulting managing director Vis Reddy.
“For various reasons, most mining firms have scaled down their in-house technical capability and have relied increasingly on consulting engineers and scientists,” says Reddy. “The demand for our inputs and expertise in various projects has been greater than ever, as our clients look to us to do more than we have in the past.”
For instance, where traditionally the focus for consulting engineers was at the strategic level – such as planning, feasibilities and scenarios – there is now more involvement at the level of operational support. This trend may accelerate as the sector gathers momentum in the wake of improved commodity prices, and more new projects are generated.
Skills gaps
“In many disciplines, consulting engineers are filling skills gaps for our clients, and this will continue as the sector grows and the turnover of staff increases,” adds Andrew van Zyl, director and principal consultant at SRK Consulting.
“The consulting engineering segment is more than ever a crucial repository of institutional knowledge and experience, which mines can draw upon for a range of requirements.”
He noted that, in addition to their expertise, consulting firms often retain volumes of information and technical data relevant to mine sites. Where changes of ownership or other disrupting factors lead to data being inaccessible to mines, they will frequently find that the larger consulting firms may be able to source that information for them.
Mines’ reliance on consulting engineers has grown with the increasing complexity of the mining landscape, particularly regarding compliance in fields such as health and safety as well as environment, social and governance (ESG).
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