http://www.opandr.com/images/opandr---huini.pdfMEDIA...

http://www.opandr.com/images/opandr---huini.pdf

MEDIA STATEMENT

Monday 3 October 2011
OAKAJEE SUPPLY CHAIN SIMULATIONS WIN ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD
Oakajee Port and Rail (OPR) and AECOM are among the category winners at this year’s WA Engineering
Excellence Awards, for their extensive work in iron ore supply chain modelling for the mid-west project.
The Oakajee Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) Supply Chain Simulation won the Control Systems, Reports
and Procedures Category.
AECOM was appointed to undertake discrete event simulation modelling of OPR’s iron ore supply chain
in close collaboration with OPR. The work has proven critical in providing OPR with a comprehensive
model of the mine and port supply chain, capturing the dynamics of an integrated system and
supporting optimisation. The modelling provided:
Optimisation of the operations over the whole mine to port logistics chain;
Sizing of the railway rolling stock fleet, stockpiles and stockyard machines;
Capacity assessment and analysis of potential bottlenecks to reduce delays, demurrage and
other costs; and
Objective assessment of mine customer interfaces and their impacts on the transport system to
demonstrate how all customers can be efficiently and equitably served.
The simulation and associated analysis aims to mitigate the risks in infrastructure design and quantify
operational costs of the designed systems.
OPR Chief Executive John Langoulant said the simulation provided valuable insight into the integrated
supply chain dynamics and had delivered a superior engineering design.
“The Supply Chain Simulation is a very important step in ensuring the engineering design of port, rail
and stockyard infrastructure maximises the efficiency of the supply chain,” Mr Langoulant.
“The award is testament to the amount of work OPR and its engineering contractors have completed to
date, in delivering technical viability for the project.”
The Engineering Excellence Awards recognise outstanding achievement in the science and practice of
engineering and highlights the contribution of engineering to the economy, community and
environment.
OPR’s vision is to deliver an integrated mid-west iron ore supply chain – benefiting the region’s resource
sector and wider economy for decades to come – through the construction of a deepwater port at 2
Oakajee, 25km north of Geraldton, and a 570km railOakajee, 25km north of Geraldton, and a 570km railway, servicing the region’s emerging mining
operations.
ENDS
Robert Newton
Public Relations Manager
t +61 8 9486 0777 m +61 (0)488 717 005