Environmental consultancy, SLR Consulting, has acquired Metago, a South African firm providing environmental consulting services to the mining industry throughout sub-Saharan Africa and Australia.
The deal is SLR Consulting’s third international acquisition in 13 months and follows the purchase of Australian environmental consultancy Heggies and Alaskan firm Hoefler Consulting Group last year.
Metago, founded in 1994, is an employee owned company and has 63 staff based in four offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Swakopmund in Namibia and Perth.
It consults on all phases of mine life, with particular specialisations in environmental impact assessment, mine waste and water management assessment and design, and works across virtually all commodities; it is particularly active in gold, platinum, coal, chrome, iron ore and uranium. Clients include Xstrata, Rio Tinto, Lonmin and Goldfields.
Strengthening demand in recent years for Metago’s services has come from major mining firms seeking to develop operations in more environmentally challenging and remote locations and from financial institutions seeking to uphold the Equator Principles when investing in the developing world.
David Richards, Chief Executive of SLR, said: “This acquisition is in line with SLR Consulting’s continued strategy to expand its international environmental consultancy footprint. With Metago joining SLR Consulting, we become a leading consultancy in the international mining sector.
"Metago’s complementary technical expertise and strong reputation also provides a great platform for us to extend our offering in sub-Saharan Africa as well as considerably strengthening our current Western Australian operations. In conjunction with SLR Consulting’s existing strengths in resources and waste management, this acquisition will provide accelerated growth in the African and Australian markets.”
In Australia, Metago has worked on Rio Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine tailing dams and rock dump facilities for many years. Metago has also designed high volume tailing designs for the St Barbara gold mine.
Metago has been involved with Osborne Mine for many years and has designed most of the tailings facilities. At Newmont’s Boddington Mine, Metago has been involved in mine closure plans and surface water management plans.
Key areas of SLR Consulting’s business are the energy and mining sector where it is involved with both the oil and gas industry, renewable power including wind, energy from waste, hydropower and biomass, and advises mining companies and funding organisations throughout the world.
SLR Consulting is an employee controlled consultancy, with over 250 employee share and option holders, and also has the backing of 3i as a minority shareholder.
[Image above Rio Tinto Argyle Mine (courtesy Rio Tinto).]