Continuous
improvement
Operations and maintenance
Continuous improvement
Ausenco is a leading global provider
of engineering and project management
services to the resource and energy sectors.
We combine ingenuity with insight to deliver
effective end-to-end solutions for our clients.
Our professionals offer expertise across every
aspect of the resource and energy sectors
— in areas including mineral processing;
pipelines; transportation systems; ports and
terminals; infrastructure; and conventional,
renewable and alternative energies. We’re also
experts in optimising performance through
tailored operations and maintenance solutions,
and in providing environmental and
sustainability strategies that deliver benefits
for projects, communities and the environment.
We’re skilled in every phase of the project
lifecycle. From initial concept through to
operation, our people can assess, plan, cost,
design and construct ingenious solutions
that add value and support your return
on investment.
Comprehensive operations and maintenance
to maximise your returns
We provide a complete range of operations
and maintenance services to a wide variety
of industries and sectors. Our services
are designed to provide comprehensive
coverage across:
• operational readiness
• asset management
• reliability engineering
• continuous improvement
• contract operations.
This brochure provides an overview of our
continuous improvement services and is one of
the five operations and maintenance offerings.
Even when everything’s running to plan,
successful businesses seek to improve the
performance of their plant, equipment and
processes — and we can help.
Training solutions
We ensure operational staff are trained and
assessed as competent to agreed standards
before production begins. As a registered
training organisation, we offer accredited
training that is recognised Australia-wide
and can be used around the world.
All our training is designed to offset expenditure
investment, targeting a result for owners that is
cashflow-neutral or positive.
Modelling solutions
We know that effective simulation and
optimisation modelling leads to innovative
solutions that help to drive cost and schedule
savings for our clients. Our suite of modelling
tools can cover every aspect of a project, from
pit to port and from conception through to
end-of-life of assets.
In our operations readiness suite, the proven
Rylson8 modelling process can develop an
operating cost model from first principles,
or challenge owners to achieve the best
sustainable results within their existing
operating cost model.
Additionally, we independently assess
operations from a process performance
perspective, and help owners to achieve the
best plant and cost performance through
optimisation, yield or efficiency improvements,
and continuous improvement. This typically
leads to significant, sustainable cost reductions.
Isaac Plains Coal Handling Preparation
Plant, Queensland, Australia
The ongoing quest to achieve the best
At Ausenco, we believe that it’s vital to
constantly review operations to ensure that
plant and equipment are functioning as well
as possible.
Investment in our continuous improvement
solutions returns optimal operational
performance of assets and ensures best use
of resources, whether you partner with us for
a short time, or keep us involved throughout
the lifecycle of your operations.
Our areas of expertise include:
• lifecycle planning
• resource planning and optimisation
• process and maintenance audits
• opportunity analysis
• Root-Cause Analysis (RCA)
• Theory of Constraints
• Poka Yoke
• sustaining capital programs
• de-bottlenecking
• logistical support
• inventory and spares analysis
• critical spares optimisation
• risk management
• analytical services
• training
• health, safety and environment
• Six Sigma DMAIC
• Failure Reporting, Analysis and Corrective
Action System (FRACAS).
Sweating your assets
Using unique databases developed over many
years work in the operations and maintenance
field, we assess the performance of your plant
components and systems against industry
norms and similar assets operating elsewhere.
We can then work with you to develop an
improvement plan.
We can assist you in other areas including:
• taking a ‘first principles’ approach and
working with you to ensure appropriate
planning occurs across the asset lifecycle
• identifying opportunities to increase
production and reduce operating costs
• maximising performance to assist in
meeting or exceeding your production
targets and minimise long-run costs
• building on existing technical
documentation and training materials to
provide cost-effective, customised solutions
• working closely with you to ensure process
objectives transfer seamlessly through
to sustainable production results
• dealing with unexpected failures effectively
and securing sustainable benefits from the
process improvements
• assessing practices and expenses and
comparing these to owner benchmarks
and industry norms.
Our experience
Project
Isaac Plains CHPP Project
Location
Bowen Basin, Queensland, Australia
Client
Ocean Coal Mining Pty Ltd and Vale Australia
Year
2008–ongoing
Description
Ausenco used its operations and maintenance expertise
to significantly improve production at Isaac Plains.
Project
Hidden Valley Project
Location
Papua New Guinea
Client
Morobe Mining (MMJV)
Year
2010
Description
Ausenco provided skills and training support to help the Hidden
Valley gold–silver plant achieve optimal production capacity.
After taking over operations and maintenance of the plant from
another provider, our specialists concluded that its crusher
equipment was undersized, increasing the likelihood of failure
and preventing the plant from reaching its design capacity.
Ausenco was asked to provide a two part approach to
assess elution circuit performance and yield and to
assess competencies and develop on the job training
for targeted individuals.
We assisted with an upgrade of the sizer, allowing throughput
to be increased to 510 t/h and were able to improve yield through
modifications to the teetered bed separator. As our contract
extended, we were able to introduce longer term strategies
which sustainably cut maintenance costs for the owner by 14%.
Outcomes included:
• improved work practices and safe work execution
• improved batch processes (e.g. reagents handling and mixing)
• elution circuit performance improvement and turnaround.
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To learn more about our experience in continuous improvement, contact us via
email [email protected] or visit our website www.ausenco.com