Sphere Investments Limited started its association with Global Resource Solutions (GRS) in 2005, engaging GRS to support our company in developing the US$2.0 billion Guelb el Aouj Iron Ore Project in Mauritania, West Africa.
GRS worked closely with Sphere in progressing this business opportunity from Scoping Study stage, through the Project Roadmap, Opportunity Framing and Pre Feasibility Study (PFS) stages, to the final deliverable, a world class bankable Detailed Feasibility Study (DFS).
The scope of work managed by GRS included: resource definition drilling, resource modelling, mine planning, water exploration and modelling, metallurgical testing, preliminary and basic engineering and environmental/social assessment. The scope of services provided by GRS included study management, cost and schedule control, engineering and estimate review.
GRS provided personnel for several senior management positions including the overall Study Manager. In addition, GRS managed a global team of technical personnel and sub consultants from South Africa, UK, Germany, France, Mauritania, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
GRS provided Sphere with the project study management expertise at a time when the global engineering industry was experiencing extreme manpower shortages, and securing consultants and contractors with core competencies was a major challenge. It was also at a time when Sphere had limited financial and human resources. Despite these constraints, GRS was able to supply people, processes and systems that allowed Sphere to achieve an outstanding world class bankable DFS on time and within budget.
I found the GRS personnel to be highly competent, professional, reliable and trustworthy. More importantly, they were able to blend into our existing organisation seamlessly, and were able to represent our company in foreign countries as though they were our own employees.
I would have no hesitation in recommending the services of GRS for any client with limited internal resources and similar business needs to ours.
Mr John Bylsma
Executive Director
Sphere Investments Limited