WSP Global's 10 Top-Valued Projects Show Firm Foothold in Mining, Commuter Rail Markets

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--WSP Global Incorporated (TSX:WSP) (Montreal, Quebec) has grown rather quickly when compared with other engineering and construction companies. Following its acquisition of Parsons Brinckerhoff (New York, New York) a little less than two years ago, it became one of the largest companies of its kind in the world. Industrial Info's project database is tracking about $28 billion in projects involving WSP in some capacity. The lion's share of the total can be attributed to three industries: Metals & Minerals, in which WSP did most of its business before the merger; Industrial Manufacturing, which has been Parsons Brinckerhoff's wheelhouse; and Oil & Gas Pipelines.

But the highest-valued project to feature WSP is mired in the planning phase, and unlikely to budge in the coming years: WISCO-Century Sunny Lake Iron Mines Limited's (Toronto, Ontario) $7.2 billion Rainy Lake taconite iron ore mine in Schefferville, Quebec. WSP is serving as environmental consultant on the project, which would ship its product to shipping port facilities at Sept-Iles for distribution. But crumbling commodity prices have had a deeply detrimental effect on the global mining industry, and like many other such projects in North America, it is not even remotely economical for the project to begin construction for years to come. For more information, including current schedules, projected production and contractor contact information, see Industrial Info's project report.

WISCO-Century Sunny Lake Iron Mines Limited is a joint venture between Wuhan Iron & Steel Group Corporation (Wuhan, China) (60%) and Century Global Commodities Corporation (Toronto, Ontario) (40%).

Parsons Brinckerhoff was a key player in two major transportation projects on opposite coasts: Sound Transit's $3.7 billion East Link Light Rail Transit System extension in Seattle, Washington, and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's $2.78 billion, second-phase Dulles Metrorail Corridor Silver Line expansion in Arlington, Virginia. Parsons, now a subsidiary of WSP, is performing design-engineering services for both projects, which are under construction. Seattle's light rail system recently has seen a record number of riders and is eager to expand, but construction on the Arlington project has slowed a bit and is in danger of falling behind schedule, according to Washington Post. For more information, see Industrial Info's project reports on the Seattle and Arlington rail projects.

In the Oil & Gas Pipelines Industry, the WSP Oil & Gas subsidiary is performing engineering work on TransCanada Corporation's (NYSE:TRP) (Calgary, Alberta) $1.65 billion portion of the Eastern Mainline Pipeline Loop Project in Ontario. The project, still in the permitting stages, would run more than 170 miles from the Canadian Mainline, near Markham, to South Dundas. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

The six other highest-valued projects involving WSP are:

• $1.6 billion: Unit addition at coal-fired plant in Poland
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $1 billion: Major segment of high-speed rail system in California
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $1 billion: SAGD bitumen production plant in Alberta
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $982 million: Phosphate and titanium mine in Quebec
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $905 million: Restart and gold mine and mill in Quebec
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $750 million: Apatite and magnetite mine in Quebec
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.