GMSI implements CADSMine for Gold Fields

Issued by AST Group for GijimaAst
Johannesburg, 10 Sep 2001

GMSI, a subsidiary of AST Mining, has been contracted by Gold Fields (GFL) to implement the GMSI CADSMine system. This will enable Gold Fields to perform 3D digital mine planning, designing and scheduling.

CADSMine is a mineral resource management tool providing graphical interfaces for mining applications, using MicroStation as the platform.

The GFL CADSMine implementation project has been redefined as a "Strategic initiative" for Gold Fields as a group. The project supports a totally integrated approach to the short-, medium- and long-term planning protocols, the mine design and scheduling (MD&S) and the digitising and scanning activities, not only for Driefontein and Kloof, but also for the Free State operations.

The Gold Fields CADSMine project commenced in April 2001 at Gold Fields` Kloof and Driefontein operations with the aim to define and standardise, enable and equip the GFL Mine planning process from short- to long-term in a digital format.

"Electronic planning is being used extensively in the mining industry and gives production and service departments the opportunity to look at scenario planning in a completely different light," explains Dolf Prinsloo, MD of GMSI. "We are all aware of the rapidly changing environment in which we live and certainly within the mining working environment - digital plans and electronic planning gives the flexibility to react quicker to these changes and will therefore give us all much needed information to make better informed decisions within this changing environment."

"Within this situation we can also ensure coherent information flow between our various electronic systems which will hopefully assist all of us by preventing repetitive data capture," adds Dave Mourant, Gold Fields Project Manager.

An integrated implementation of the new system will be based on standardised planning and draughting procedures or protocols supported and executed by trained operational staff from the planning, production and draughting offices.

The project teams from GMSI commenced in April 2001 with digitising, scanning and editing all plans at Kloof and Driefontein. Pegs are either imported from the current Pegs systems or identified and read in by hand. At the same time as the digitising is taking place, the operational planning protocol is being defined and it will be aligned with the GFL group requirements. The final protocol will then be implemented throughout GFL as a group.

AST Group

In just three years the AST Group has established itself as one of the leading information and communication technology companies on the JSE Securities Exchange.

Its consistent creation of value for shareholders, clients and employees has resulted in a steady increase in monthly revenue to the R100 million plus mark. AST is now the fourth largest South African IT company by market capitalisation, and is one of the top three in terms of physical infrastructure (mainframes, servers, desktops, and networks under management) and geographical footprint with over 62 physical locations.

Counting almost 90% of the top 100 JSE-listed companies among its clients, the AST Group services mostly large corporate and government clients, but is increasingly offering services to rapidly evolving small and medium enterprises.

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