Catching up with Mongolia

It’s been a big year in Mongolia, with the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine starting underground production in March and is expected to produce an average of 500,000 tonnes of copper annually from 2028 to 2036.  

This marks a significant milestone for the mine, which previously extracted ore solely from an open pit. 

Recently, Executive General Manager Adam Cook and General Manager for Electrical & Instrumentation and International Projects Damien Johnson visited the site and commended the team's dedication. The project is now over 75% complete, with a push to achieve major milestones by year-end.  

With more than 600 workers on site, the team has worked over 707,000 hours to make this possible with a crystal-clear safety record, so we’re thrilled that our team has been recognised with the prestigious Managing Directors' Innovation Commendation.  

Moreover, we're delighted to see our team members, Enkhmunkh and Khuvituguldur, celebrate their well-deserved Tinny Time Awards. 

As we move forward with the construction phase of the project, we've encountered a new challenge: the arrival of winter. With daily temperatures below freezing, we face significant challenges installing the large conveyor sections at a height of 40 metres onto the steel support structures. The harsh weather conditions also pose a risk for the cranes and elevated work platforms, which require special oils and steel to prevent freezing and cracking during these months. We're working hard to overcome these obstacles and ensure the project stays on track. 

As part of our social responsibility initiatives, Monadelphous employees participated in the President of Mongolia’s “1 billion Tree” movement in part with the Oyu Tolgoi tree planting program. This involved some of our employees going to plant seedlings and help better understand the environment in the Gobi Desert; the employees then held a personal share at pre-starts with all the teams on what they had learned during the day. 

Recently, to help with information sharing, we have implemented a QR code system for our personnel returning from R&R in Mongolia. This system ensures that they are up to date with any relevant information and changes that may have occurred during their absence and is updated every two weeks. 

Our priority now is to maintain a strong focus on looking after for one another, whilst delivering the rest of the project with an outstanding safety record. Additionally, we aim to enhance our national capabilities and skills to ensure the success of future projects in Mongolia. 

Look out for our next update when we will be well advanced in completing and pre-commissioning our work. 

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas with family and friends and all good health for 2024. 

From all the Monadelphous team in Mongolia.