Coffey acquires South African mining consultancy, gaining...

Coffey acquires South African mining consultancy, gaining worldleading
mine backfill intellectual capital
(Melbourne, Australia – 6 November 2007) – Coffey International Limited (ASX:COF) today
announced its subsidiary company Coffey Mining, South Africa (Pty) Limited has acquired
South African (backfill) consultancy NS Consultancy for $0.4 million in cash.
The highly specialised Johannesburg-based business, founded and solely owned by Mr Nils
Steward, employs five staff.
Coffey International Limited managing director Roger Olds said that the continued expansion
of the Coffey group’s operations in Southern Africa and other key markets was part of the
group’s strategy to compete in diverse specialties and geographies.
“Coffey Mining now totals approximately 200 staff across offices in South Africa, Ghana,
Senegal and Zambia and sister company Coffey Projects employs 15 from its Johannesburg
office,” Roger said.
Coffey Mining chief executive officer Dan O’Toole said this acquisition complemented Coffey
Mining’s current service areas.
“The acquisition of NS Consultancy is highly strategic as the company is a world leader in the
rheological characterisation of paste, slurry and thickened tailings, pipeline design, mine
backfill systems, pipeline stress and transient analysis. Coffey Mining is now one of the few
firms in the world able to provide this expertise combined with our other specialist services,
and geographical reach. Coffey Mining continues to be unique in its ability to service the
minerals industry from feasibility to mine closure,” Dan said.
NS Consultancy specialises in the areas of backfilling, pipeline stress and transient analysis,
tailings shotcrete and structural concrete development, as well as plant and pipeline or
alternative delivery methods, to the areas of placement or use underground. The company is
a leading provider of pipeline design to South African mines.
Backfilling is a method used to fill previously mined excavations to provide localised ground
support to enable ongoing mining in the area.
In addition to its engineering expertise, NS Consultancy also operates a unique full scale
closed loop pipeline testing facility for the evaluation of solids transportation by pipeline.
Coffey plans to use this intellectual capital to recreate similar facilities in Australia and longerterm
to establish Coffey Mining as the world-leading backfill consultancy.
Mr Steward said: “Coffey has successfully grown its business internationally over the last
eight years and now has operations in more than 60 countries. I’m confident of using this
knowledge and experience to successfully grow the mine backfill discipline within Coffey.”
Coffey Mining recently announced an agreement to acquire a mining consultancy company in
Brazil with more than 350 staff. This acquisition increases total mining consulting and field
staff numbers to approximately 750.
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