African Underground Mining Services
A Model of Excellence Continent-WideWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Arron Rampling African Underground Mining Services (AUMS) is celebrating almost 10 years in Africa via a series of ongoing, forthcoming and prospective projects – continent-wide – which are set to cement the Company’s prominence in numerous regions’ mining domains; compounded by a nationalisation strategy that is set to ensure long-term sustainability for the business.While the industry situation has left much to be desired globally, AUMS’ business model uniquely positions itself to benefit in times such as these, taking the pressure off organisations looking to move into the continent via a plethora of different outsourced operators, by offering a value-for-money, quick, mobile, one-stop shop gateway into the continent.As such, the Company’s success over the years – since moving into Africa via a joint venture in 2007 – has derived from its success in carrying out underground mining contracts for both local and international clients looking to formulate quick and holistic works with a limited physical presence on the ground themselves.The past 12 months especially have epitomised this ability and thesubsequent prominence that AUMS has been able to establish across both West and East Africa; with two defining projects underway, and a third on the horizon.“2015 was pretty good for AUMS. We won three of the four contracts available for the Group – including new projects in both Tanzania and Ghana – as well as achieving internal growth at our other sites previously touched upon last year,” affirms the Company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Blair Sessions. “We have embarked on an intensive capital…
African Underground Mining Services (AUMS)
Breaking Records with a Can-do Attitude Writer: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Arron Rampling African Underground Mining Services (AUMS) has been bringing Australian standards of mining to the African market for the best part of 10 years and is on the brink of even further success as new, record breaking, projects take off and the local talent pool expands.Formed as a joint venture in 2007 between leading Australian mining service providers, Barminco and Ausdrill who have more than a quarter of a century’s experience operating in Africa - as the 100 percent Ausdrill owned, AMS - AUMS as a wholly owned subsidiary has optimised its expertise as an underground mining contractor ever since; subsequently changing the dynamic of the wider industry in the region.The Company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Blair Sessions explains: “Around 60 percent of the Australian underground mining market is completed using a contractor business model, with only 40 percent or so being run as an owner-operator mine.“In Africa, it was the opposite so when a whole lot of underground mines opened up in the mid 2000s on the continent, everyone was initially favouring the owner-operator model without really exploring all the different contracting options around the world.”This gap in the market gave AUMS the opportunity it was looking for to break into the domain and to replicate the same success it had achieved in Australia with Barminco; delivering a lower cost per unit offering, and developing a client’s mine at higher speed, better quality, and at lower unit cost than the market had anticipated or been exposed…
