PB role: part of an integrated owner’s team delivering all on-site ore processing requirements; infrastructure delivery, including roads, the accommodation village, water supply, reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment, power station, airstrip and communications

The Jacinth-Ambrosia Mineral Sands Mine project, located approximately 200 km north-west of Ceduna in remote South Australia, is being delivered in conjunction with Iluka Resources Limited as an alliance-style project.

PB is working with Iluka in an integrated team to deliver the entire mine development: from the definitive feasibility study through board approval, government approvals, engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM), and commissioning until the first shipment of heavy-mineral concentrate leaves port for processing in Western Australia.

PB was part of the integrated team that developed the initial estimate for board approval and continued with financial controls and forecasting. The integrated team also managed the development and maintenance of the master project schedule, document control, quality assurance, construction management and contract administration.

Technical challenges included:

• dealing with hyper-saline water in ore processing, RO treatment for drinking water and in civil construction works
• securing environmental and land access permits within a regional reserve
• delivering cost-effective engineering design solutions with consideration of the relatively short mine life and remote environmental conditions.

PB commenced work on the project in August 2007, and the team expects to load the first shipment of heavy-mineral concentrate by Christmas 2009 — almost six months ahead of schedule and up to $20m under budget.