Mangoola Mine – Stockpile Automation & Integrated Materials Handling Systems
Client: Xstrata Coal NSW
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Project Type: Mining & Industrial Systems Integration
Operational Scale: ~10 Mtpa Mining Operation
Role: Program Leadership – Stockpile Systems, Automation & Safety Integration
Strategic Objective
Mangoola Mine forms part of Xstrata’s large‑scale NSW coal operations, where materials handling reliability directly governs production continuity and commercial performance.
By the time of this engagement, Xstrata had already partnered with Murray on multiple high‑consequence materials‑handling and export‑interface projects. Mangoola represented the fourth deployment in a series, following earlier system‑critical engagements (including Goedgevonden), and reflected a clear strategic intent:
To embed a first‑class, fully automated stockpile management system into a 10 Mtpa operation, tightly integrated with mine‑wide control, enterprise, and safety systems.
The strategic objective was to eliminate manual dependency, reduce interface risk, and elevate operational control across the stockpile environment—without disrupting production.
The Challenge / Need
In high‑throughput coal operations, stockpile systems are not passive buffers. They are dynamic, risk‑dense environments where failures propagate rapidly across mining, processing, and dispatch.
Mangoola required:
- A fully integrated stockpile management system aligned with site operations
- Automation of stockpile functionality across machines and material flows
- Seamless integration into SCADA, SAP, and Link enterprise systems
- Introduction of a collision‑avoidance system across stockpile assets
- Alignment of automation with safety, operational, and human interfaces
- Formal safety integrity governance appropriate to high‑energy machinery
The solution needed to function as a coherent operational system, not a collection of discrete technologies.
Project Scope
The engagement encompassed end‑to‑end system leadership, including:
- Holistic design criteria audit
- Business Needs Assessment
- Safety and operational interface assessment
- Development of Safety Integrity Level (SIL) risk assessments
- Development and executive sign‑off of Functional Design Criteria (FDC)
- Executive Leadership Team briefings and decision support
- Procurement leadership across EOI, RFT, and tender evaluation
- Performance‑based contract execution and management
- Automation, controls, and system integration
- Full handover documentation referencing BIM, integrated into DCM
- Operational handover and workforce training
Our Approach
A systems‑first, safety‑led delivery model was applied—recognising that automation without governance introduces risk rather than removing it.
Key elements included:
- Enterprise‑Level Needs Definition: Translation of production, maintenance, and safety objectives into system requirements
- Functional Design Discipline: Clear definition and sign‑off of FDC to prevent scope drift and interface ambiguity
- Safety‑Critical Engineering: SIL‑based risk assessment embedded into automation and collision‑avoidance logic
- Systems Integration Leadership: Alignment of stockpile automation with SCADA, SAP, and Link systems
- Procurement Control: Structured EOI/RFT processes leading to performance‑based contracting
- Operational Enablement: Training and documentation designed to support real‑world operation, not theoretical capability
The focus throughout was predictable behaviour under operational stress.
Complexity & Risk (Decisions)
The project sat at the intersection of several high‑risk dimensions:
- Live production environment with zero tolerance for unplanned disruption
- High‑energy stockpile machinery operating in shared envelopes
- Integration of automation with legacy operational systems
- Human–machine interaction risk within automated environments
- Enterprise system dependencies spanning operations, maintenance, and planning
These risks were managed through disciplined design governance, formal safety integrity processes, and controlled commissioning.
Outcome
The project delivered:
- A fully automated, integrated stockpile management system
- Seamless integration with mine‑wide SCADA, SAP, and Link platforms
- A collision‑avoidance system aligned with operational and safety interfaces
- Clear functional alignment between automation, safety, and production
- Operational handover supported by structured documentation and training
The system exceeded client expectations in functional integration and operational usability within a 10 Mtpa mining environment.
Importantly, this engagement reinforced client confidence—culminating in a sole‑supplier relationship for subsequent system‑critical projects.
Why This Matters
This project demonstrates a recurring capability across Murray’s work:
- Ownership of operational choke points
- Leadership of automation as a system, not a feature
- Safety‑integrity‑driven design in high‑energy environments
- Enterprise‑level integration across production, planning, and control
- Trust earned through repeat delivery, not claims
Stockpile systems are where mining operations quietly accumulate risk.
This engagement was about removing that risk through disciplined system leadership.
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