NTA helping Australian mining companies refine their present and future fuel needs

Graham Box brings a wealth of executive experience to the NTA business.
Graham Box brings a wealth of executive experience to the NTA business.

The Australian resources sector has a major push across the country to improve its Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) standards.

A key to successfully integrating the industries’ strategies in that direction is ensuring the right fuels, lubricants, technical services and management systems are incorporated into a site’s environmental and operational footprint and a Brisbane-based specialist firm is helping Australian mining companies with a number of key outcomes in that area.

Owned by former Shell downstream business executive Graham Box, NTA is pointing its mining clients in the direction of what fuels lubricants services and systems best fit their needs.

The founder and Managing Director of Now and Tomorrow Advisory (NTA), Mr Box has 35 years of oil industry experience, both in Australia and internationally, culminating with the role of Shell’s Head of Downstream Strategy.

In this role he was directly responsible for assessing and developing Shell’s storage and distribution infrastructure, supply chain capability and B2B markets position throughout Australia to align with current and future cross sector demand requirements.

Graham Box of NTA (right) and former Queensland Government Minister for Mines and Natural Resources, Dr Anthony Lynham, discuss a significant decarbonisation project in the state.
Graham Box of NTA (right) and former Queensland Government Minister for Mines and Natural Resources, Dr Anthony Lynham, discuss a significant decarbonisation project in the state.

Australian Mining Review recently sat down with Mr Box to gain an insight into NTA’s business strategy and the company’s services which are helping provide resource firms with access to the right information to design and consolidate their supply chain and contracting strategies in this critically important category.

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“My expertise and my background in Shell downstream provides me with a unique ability to support mining companies with a high level of expertise in the procurement of the fuels, lubricants and associated systems and technical services,” Mr Box said.

“My role as a head of strategy at Shell was to help position the company in terms of its supply chains, sales and technical capability with the resources sector nationally as the supplier of choice.

“When I launched NTA in 2014, I was easily able to transfer that expertise and create what is a reliable advisory service that supports companies across the country which don’t have the inhouse capacity to keep abreast of the dynamics of this category which is often the largest single operating cost, particularly for an open pit mine site.”

After working with the mining industry to help provide a variety of solutions including using the latest technologies, Mr Box is using his experience and skills towards designing specialist commercial and technical support in the procurement and contracting of current and future fuels, lubricants, associated systems and technical services.

Since its inception, NTA has assisted numerous Australian and International organisations to further enhance their strategic position in this area.

“For me at the current stage of my working life it has become more important to help create a more competitive and relevant supplier base for the sector and the refinement of the sourcing strategy of fuels, lubricants and the future lower emission alternatives for those products.”

While Mr Box is the proud owner-operator at NTA, he also taps into a network of subject matter specialists he can call on to meet specific project objectives.

Utilising this network of trusted ex fuel industry associates situated across Australia, all coming from executive level careers, NTA’s expertise extends to all parts of the value chain for the full range of fuels, lubricants, associated technical services and systems.

“Our expertise covers land, sea and aviation products from refining, manufacture and infrastructure through to import and export supply chains; end-to-end field operations including cradle-to-grave inventory control, product storage, handling, logistics, and dispensing; strategic procurement and contract management; all associated Health, Safety and Environmental matters; “We even have a well known and respected Indigenous Relations (Native Title and land access agreements) expert in the group” Mr Box said.

“We also provide advice to our clients on the development pathways, manufacture and supply chains for future low carbon fuels including biofuels, HVO and GTL fuels, Compressed Methane, Hydrogen, Ammonia etc.

Major projects underway

NTA is currently progressing two major contracts for Queensland mining companies which involves four open pit operations plus an underground with a cumulative contract value of around $2 billion dollars on these critical mine inputs.

“He is also leading a project for a client which will see a fleet of CAT 793F haul trucks converted from conventional diesel to a mix of diesel and compressed natural gas using resident coal bed methane.”

“Given my background and my experience at Shell, I deploy strategies that are a somewhat different to other general procurement consultants and in every case so far it has had a material impact on both the economic and operational performance of the supply contract.

“I am happy to coordinate and run the entire process from developing the strategy with the client through tendering, evaluation, leading the negotiation and contracting or simply doing the strategy piece then sitting in a back room providing guidance.”

“With my extensive oil industry background and understanding of supply chains, and also the way that hydrocarbon molecules are traded, I am confident I can help miners obtain a better result than their traditional pathways.”

For more information, visit https://ntaqld.com/