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JANUARY 2016
Informed and in-depth editorial on the world mining industry
www.im-mining.com
SOUTH AFRICANTECHNOLOGY
CONSULTANTS
MAINTENANCE
FATIGUE & AWARENESS
OPERATION FOCUS: Weatherly Tschudi
PROCESSMONITORING
& DESIGN
IM COVER JANUARY 2016_proof 17/12/2015 13:46 Page 1
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IM_Trust_1-2015.indd 1 12/8/2015 10:59:22 AM
CONTENTSJANUARY 2016
AROUND THE WORLD 3 The Leader 4 World Prospects 64 Forthcoming events IBC Classifieds
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 1
8 OPERATION FOCUS: TschudiGraeme Miller, Director Miller MetallurgicalServices Pty Ltd in South Africa discussesadvances in heap leaching, SX/EW plantdesign and operations in relation to thisproject in Namibia
16 PROCESS MONITORING & DESIGNPaul Moore looks at the latestdevelopments in plant automation andprocess control systems as well as somenews on new process technology
27 SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGYJohn Chadwick provides IM’s annualreview of the state of South African miningand its suppliers
40 MAINTENANCEKeeping equipment running properly withthe longest possible service intervalsrequires the right approach to fluids andlubricants and the right planning forscheduled maintenance, reports Paul Moore
48 FATIGUE AND AWARENESSPaul Moore looks at some developments inthe fatigue management and collisionavoidance technology areas of mine safety,where there has been a lot of activity
56 HIGH PROFILE – RIMEXThe global supplier of wheels and rims tothe mining industry is looking back at 40years of business growth and diversification
58 BLOCK CAVINGDr Tony Diering, Vice President CavingBusiness Unit at GEOVIA, looks at howPalabora’s block cave operation achievedits plan with the help of GEMS and PCBCand now produces 60,000 t/y
60 CONSULTANTSConsultants often hold the expertise thatunlocks project value in the form ofexploration strategy, prefeasibility andfeasibility studies but also process andmining method technical reviews, and intoproduction in areas such as tailingsmanagement. Paul Moore contacted someof the key players
88
1166 2277
6600
COVER: RIMEXThe cover this month shows the state of the art, 188,000 ft2 RIMEX manufacturingfacility in Agassiz. The company celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2016, havingstarted in 1976 when Founder Chris Weston began selling industrial wheels in BritishColumbia, later to be succeeded by his son, current CEO Derek Weston. Thecompany has gone on to become a global leader in the supply of rims and wheelsto the mining industry; as well as leading supplier of tyre pressure monitoringsystems (TPMS) with its TyreSense system. Through the years key technologyadvances have been made by RIMEX, such as with its MES (Machine ExtremeService) and TSR (Taper Secure Radial) Series. These products stand out withtheir true roundness, reinforced steel across the rims and robust specs thatmeet the demands of modern mining tyres. www.rimex.com
JANUARY 2016
Informed and in-depth editorial on the world mining industry
www.im-mining.com
SOUTH AFRICANTECHNOLOGYCONSULTANTS
MAINTENANCE
FATIGUE & AWARENESSOPERATION FOCUS: Weatherly Tschudi
PROCESSMONITORING& DESIGN
4400
44885566
CONTENTS _proof 16/12/2015 08:42 Page 1
Vangold is one company (Canadian) with exploration
properties in Uganda. As that company sates, the
country “is strategically positioned between
Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC);
two countries well -endowed in gold, nickel, PGMs, copper
and cobalt. Large geological belts of major economic
importance trend from Tanzania and the DRC directly into
Uganda, where favourable and efficient licensing regimes
exist.”
Vangold currently holds 24 exploration licenses through
two wholly owned subsidiaries, Rwenzori Cu & Ni and
Dome Mines. Its total land package of exploration licenses
in Uganda exceeds 2,200 km2, or 1.4% of Uganda's land.
“Uganda offers a welcoming environment for foreign
investment in the mineral exploration sector,” says
Vangold. The licenses cover Uganda's prime areas of high
mineral potential. Vangold explored Uganda from 1994 to
1998 and then resumed active exploration in 2007.
Uganda, with government aid, and funding from the World
Bank and the African Development Bank, completed
airborne electromagnetic geophysical surveys in 2009,
which were released and acquired by Vangold.
The properties include the famous Kilembe, located in
the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains of Western
Uganda, a few kilometres north of the equator. Vangold
holds five contiguous licenses which extend southwest from
the formerly productive Kilembe Mines (Falconbridge)
copper-cobalt mine which operated from 1956 - 1972. The
main reason the mines closed down was the drop in
copper prices. The area covered by the Vangold licenses
includes the favourably mineralised horizon.
Exploration by Kilembe Mining from 1956 to 1961
identified several copper-cobalt occurrences on which
several confirmatory holes were drilled. While the mine
was in operation from 1956 to 1972, a total of 16.2 Mt
grading 1.98% Cu and 0.17% Co were mined and some
270,000 t of blister copper were produced. Over this span,
mining was focused on the eastern deposits and those of
the southwest were regarded as future developments.
Kasese Cobalt Co Ltd produces high grade cobalt
(99.9%) by biochemically treating stockpiles of pyrite
deposited as tailings of Kilembe mine. The operation
consists of a process plant in Kasese, a 9.9 MW hydro
power station at Mubuku and a limestone quarry at Hima.
Another company of this small mining industry of
Uganda is Krone Uganda Ltd – the largest miner and
exporter of tungsten in Uganda. The mine is located in
Western Uganda - about 435 km southwest of Kampala.
Krone has the capacity to supply 20 t/month but plans to
modernise the present wolfram mining facilities to increase
capacity to over 50 t/month. It says it guarantees “one of
the finest tungsten ores in the world with a percentage of
65 to 70%.”
Murchison Minerals has seven exploration licences that
cover a total of 1,200 km2 in north central Uganda referred
to as the Murchison project (polymetallic – Ni-Cu- Co-Cr-
PGM-Au. Murchison Minerals
has identified several
exploration targets through
various methods of geochemical
and geophysical testing.
Oryx Mining & Exploration has several wholly-owned
land packages in Uganda and northwest Tanzania.
Much of the focus of the Uganda Chamber of Mines and
Petroleum has recently been on the country’s oil potential,
but the mining potential is also under the spotlight. For
instance, back in October 2015, speaking at the closing
ceremony of the Mineral Wealth Conference on October 2
in Kampala, Prime Minister, Ruhakana Rugunda, lauded
the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) for conducting a
capacity-building training program to equip government
officials with the skills needed to negotiate favourable
mining agreements. He reiterated the need for
strengthened human capacity that is critical to facilitate
Government’s efforts to maximise benefits from the
extraction of natural resources in the mining sector.
The ALSF’s five-day training included understanding
mineral rights, land access and mine development;
environmental and social issues; regulatory impact
assessments; the anatomy of mining agreements; and the
negotiation of mining agreements.
Elly Karuhanga, Chairman of the Uganda Chamber of
Mines and Petroleum, emphasised that agreements in the
extractive sector require competence in negotiating
concessions that are of benefit to African Governments.
“We need a win-win situation where Government and the
private sector benefit from their investment,” he said.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development states
that “in order for Uganda to attract investment in the mineral
sector, the following interventions have been put in place”:
n Capacity building of human resources to handle
geoscientific data
n Good policies and legal framework
n More geoscientific data acquisition of geology,
geochemistry and geophysics (new data covers 80% of
the country)
n Mining Cadastre System
n Geological Mineral Information System
n Environmental Management Capacity.
Power outages are common and the extremely poor
road infrastructure is one of the big problems in Uganda.
Many of the important road routes are unpaved and have
not seen a grader for many a long time, making progress
very slow and painful. Kampala itself is a nightmare –
driving through, in or around the city is a very slow
process. Walking would often be a faster option, but is
often dangerous due to the inevitable hundreds of minibus
taxis that stop anywhere, ride the pavement and are
generally a threat to all road users.
John Chadwick
Founder
Founder and PublisherJohn Chadwick B.Sc. Min EngEmail: [email protected]
EditorPaul Moore B.Sc (Hons), M.Sc.Email: [email protected]
Editorial BoardProfessor Malcolm ScobleRobert E. Hallbauer Chair in Mining Engineering., University of BC, Vancouver
Peter KnightsBMA Chair & Prof. of Mining Engineering University of Queensland
Stephen StoneWest One ManagementPerth, Western Australia
Dr. Andrew M. RobertsonPresident, Robertson GeoConsultants Vancouver, Canada.
Ed McCordProject ConsultantCaterpillar Global Mining, USA
Jason NitzFleet Management & DispatchSuperintendentNewmont Mining Corporation, USA
Dr Terry MudderManaging Director, TIMES Ltd, USA
Simon TarbuttConsultant, Santiago, Chile
Dr. Mike DanielComminution Process Consultant CMD Consulting Pty Ltd
Editorial Enquiries:Tel: +44 (0)1442 870 829Fax +44 (0)1442 870 617
Advertising Sales:Phil PlayleEmail: [email protected]+44 1442 87 77 77
Advertising ProductionLynne LaneEmail: [email protected]
Design & ProductionTrevor SheldonEmail: [email protected]
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Website:www.im-mining.com
Annual Subscription Enquiries:Emma SmithEmail: [email protected]
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International Mining (ISSN No: 1747-146X) ispublished monthly by Team Publishing Ltd, GBRand is distributed in the USA by Asendia USA,17B South Middlesex Avenue, Monroe NJ 08831and additional mailing offices. Periodicalspostage paid at New Brunswick NJ.POSTMASTER: send address changes toInternational Mining, 17B South MiddlesexAvenue, Monroe NJ 08831
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ISSN 1747 -146X
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 3
IM uses, as preference, SI units throughout, so, for example, all
tonnes are metric unless otherwise stated.All dollars are US unless otherwise stated
THE LEADER VOLU M E 12 • N U M B E R 1
Ugandan safari
LEADER JANUARY 2016_final 16/12/2015 12:46 Page 1
WORLD PROSPECTS
4 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
Sempertrans, the conveyor belt businesssegment of Austrian based Semperit Group,recently announced an exclusive distribution
agreement with Australia’s ConvaTech. The exclusivesales and distribution agreement for Sempertransconveyor belts for the massive Australian market wassigned in Newcastle, Australia. Thomas Fahnemann,Semperit’s CEO and Peter Slattery, ConvaTech’sChairman expressed their excitement about their newbusiness partnership, combining Sempertrans’ firsttier conveyor belt technology and extensive productportfolio with ConvaTech’s premium service offeringto Australian mining sites.
By teaming up with Sempertrans, ConvaTech,which is the leading Australian conveyor maintenanceservices provider, is able to complement its existingrange of quality products with Sempertrans’ heavyduty textile and steel cord conveyor belts. In recentyears, Sempertrans says it has continuouslyextended its global market footprint by winning newcustomers. Boris Illetschko, Sempertrans GeneralManager, “is thrilled the company is now able to offerin Australia its conveyor belt products through such acapable and reputable partner like ConvaTech.” Headds that the Sempertrans reputation in conveyorbelt design and materials research and development,“leads the global market with the highest qualityconveyor belt products, standards and customerservice.” The Sempertrans product range offering forthe Australian market will include the completepackage of steel cord, textile and solid woven heavy
duty belt constructions for surface and underground,fire resistant and anti-static FRAS applications, acrossall market sectors. This package will be pricecompetitive and a high quality alternative forcustomers in the Australian market.
Due to the large Australian mining industry, thecontinent is one of the biggest and mostdemanding conveyor belt markets worldwide. Thenumerous mining sites as well as the portfacilities, which rank among the largest and
busiest bulk handling facilities in the world, drivethe market growth. Sempertrans will supply theAustralian market from selected sites across itsfour production plants in Poland, France, India andChina. Out of its nine locations across Australia,ConvaTech will supply Sempertrans conveyorbelts and “continue to provide its exceptionalservice to the Australian mining and industrialcompanies with bulk conveying needs.”www.sempertrans.com
Sempertrans mining conveyor moves
Deep Learning at heart of LoaderMetrics 2.0
Motion Metrics says it has dedicated thelast year to developing LoaderMetrics2.0. “Our LoaderMetrics team have
gathered customer feedback worldwide, studiedthe latest in artificial intelligence and machinelearning, and got their hands on the mostrugged and durable components to launch ourhighest performing system to date.”LoaderMetrics is comprised of Missing ToothDetection and Blind Spot Reduction capabilities.The Missing Tooth Detection componentmonitors bucket teeth conditions. When a toothis detected missing, the system alerts theoperator and prevents the tooth from reachingand jamming downstream crushers. Blind SpotReduction features a series of cameras on theloaders’ exterior providing real-time surveillanceviews of their surroundings. In doing so, safetyis paramount and dangerous collisions can beavoided.
Thermal Camera Imaging is an important partof the new offering. “Our decision to utilisethermal cameras was made for a myriad ofreasons, most importantly to improve systemaccuracy and precision. “Given the short amountof time – less than one second – the system hasto capture a clear image of the bucket teeth asthe bucket dumps to the truck, a thermal
camera focuses solely on bucket teeth and isunaffected by differing backgrounds and thebuckets contents. Additionally, the systemoperates accurately at night without the needfor a light and through dirt and debris on thecamera lens and bucket.”
The company has also incorporated ArtificialIntelligence and Deep Learning. LoaderMetricscan already detect missing teeth with highaccuracy – but it could do much more if it couldperceive, learn and think like a human. “Toachieve this, we built a deep neural network byinputting hundreds of thousands of real bucketimages from mines worldwide. The images areanalysed pixel by pixel detecting patterns andmore accurately predicting behaviour. Using ournew patent-pending deep learning algorithm,system calibration is no longer needed. Users
simply enter the total number of bucket teethand the algorithm takes care of the rest. As aresult, our systems can detect whether a toothis missing with more accuracy than ever before.”
Lastly, the inclusion of a Lens CleaningSystem is cited as being essential. “Whencompared to our ShovelMetrics cameras,LoaderMetrics cameras are exposed tosignificantly more debris given their positionsbeneath the bucket looking upward. The LensCleaning system is integrated into our MotionMetrics embedded systems and uses anti-freezewash fluid and pressurized air to remove dirt,mud, snow, grime and mist. The Lens CleaningSystem is capable of connecting to a local LANor any embedded systems through an Ethernetport to be operated remotely.”www.motionmetrics.com
WORLD PROSPECTS_visuals 16/12/2015 08:27 Page 1
WORLD PROSPECTS
6 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
In 2015, 3D-P was awarded the contract for thedeployment of the wireless network at the LasBambas Copper project near Cusco, Peru.
When operational, Las Bambas is expected tobecome one of the top three copper producingmines in the world and shipment of the firstconcentrate is expected in the first quarter of2016.
3D-P commenced installation of the wirelessnetwork in August 2015. The newest 3D-Ptechnology in the form of the e200 IntelligentEndPoint™with integrated Rajant kinetic meshwireless networktechnology (802.11nradio) will be used forthe on-boardcomputing andintegration of thevarious applications.The wirelessinfrastructure solutionincludes RajantInstaMesh™networking protocol,which enables wirelessaccess for all of the
mobile fleet as well as a redundant meshbackhaul. The wireless network is alsocomplemented by Cambium backhaul technologyto provide the resiliency and high speeddeterministic throughputs required to support thescope of applications anticipated for the life of thenetwork.
When completed, the network will providemine-wide wireless coverage for communicationof data and video from the mobile equipment. Thehighly efficient Rajant InstaMesh technology willallow each radio to participate in the mesh,
helping maximise wireless performancethroughout the mine. “We are very pleased withthe confidence that MMG, the mine operator, hasshown in 3D-P. We look forward to partnering withthem for installation of the Las Bambas minewireless network to provide criticalcommunications with the production fleet.Deployment of the 3D-P Intelligent EndPoints andRajant technology is expected to meet LasBambas needs well into the future” said EvanHansen, CEO of 3D-P. www.3d-p.com
F
Las Bambas deploys 3D-P network
In mining, sensor data is critical for safetyand automation systems and plays aparamount role in the efficiency of mining
and material handling. The rapid expansion ofthe use of sensors and wireless technologiesin the mine environment is seeing minesevolve to become interconnected WirelessSensor Networks (WSN), where data fromhundreds of nodes are processed centrallythen made available to different teams forcorrect management. nanotron Technology hascreated a range of modules based on its Chirpradio technology that combine bi-directionalwireless data with precision location. Theyprovide a modular approach to systemdeployment with simple software interfacesand according to nanotron allow miningsystem integrators to rapidly constructpowerful mining applications that bring bothsafety and return on investment productivityrewards to their mining customers.
Small radio modules are deployed withsensors to report data and location to theserver in real time, using the same wirelessnetwork. These radios transmit to fixedreaders spaced every 300 to 500 m alongtunnels and use the existing networkinginfrastructure as the data backbone.
Inside the control room a server is used torun the nanotron location engine software(nanoLES) which allows the tags and sensornodes to be located. In addition it provides astandard interface for all sensor data to be
received and for data and messages to bepushed back to the tags.
The central Mine Safety and ProductivityApplication is created by the system integratorand is customised according to thefunctionality requirements of the minelocation. An application programming interfaceprovides system integrators with access toboth the tag location data and sensor datafrom wireless nodes. It allows the user to alsoreceive and push data to the nodes or tags.
The data gathered by the Central MineSafety and Productivity Application is madeavailable to all the different teams involved inrunning the mine via 2D or 3D graphical userinterfaces. There are several emergingapplications for wireless sensor data to becombined with precise location information.Tying the physical location of the data sourceautomatically to the dataprovides radical newinsights with regard tomanaging the safetyplan, automation and theproduction work-flow.Any problems can beidentified immediatelytogether with theirphysical location.Support staff locatedclosest to a particularproblem can be easilyidentified and paged
using the nanotron radio technology toinvestigate the problem and fix it.
Temperature or gas sensors can beconnected to the wireless network in the sameway if they are fixed or mobile, and theirlocation data is calculated and displayedalong with the real time data stream, providingseamless sensor data with location data.
nanotron states that it “provides a series oflow-power modules ready and supportingsoftware for the purposes of embeddedlocation and two-way data transmission. Itprovides a modular approach to systemdevelopment with software interfaces.nanotron’s embedded location platformconsists of chips, modules and software thatenable precise real-time positioning andconcurrent wireless communication. Theubiquitous proliferation of interoperablelocation platforms is creating the location-aware Internet of Things.” www.nanotron.com
Mines as sensor networks
WORLD PROSPECTS_visuals 16/12/2015 08:27 Page 2
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The simple heap leach-SX-EW project has
progressed significantly in the last five
years,” he says, “from the use of rules of
thumb to more scientific bases for plant and
heap designs. Miller Metallurgical International
(MMI) and its partners have been at the forefront
of these developments; with a significant
number of successful projects and plant
operations.”
Weatherly Mining’s Tschudi operation is based
on JORC resources of 50.1 Mt @ 0.86% Cu (0.3%
cutoff) – an open-pit JORC reserve of 22.7 Mt @
0.95% Cu (0.3% cutoff). The average life-of-mine
mining strip ratio is 7.45:1 and over a mine life of
11 years 183,300 t of copper will be recovered
(recovery 85%). The plant design capacity is
17,000 t/y copper cathode.
For the Tschudi project extensive use was
made of the geomechanical testing protocols
developed by HydroGeoSense. These allow
characterisation of the full range of unsaturated
liquid and gas flows in an as-placed heap. The
surface oxide ore (XOX) at Tschudi had been too
difficult for the previous owners to consider as
feed to the heap leach. By testing this material in
mixtures with other deeper ores it was possible
to select appropriate mix ratios, lift heights and
irrigation rates to sustain the leaching. This was
proven in commercial practice with one panel of
high XOX proportion showing adverse irrigation
acceptance and slow leach kinetics. Subsequent
panels adhered to a modified ore type mixing
ratio and leached as planned.
It was identified early in the test program that
agglomeration was a necessity; and that best
agglomeration practice would need to be
applied. This consisted of both changes to the
design of the agglomerator and much improved
control algorithms for the agglomeration plant
management. The agglomerator was supplied by
Senet (South Africa) while the improved control
algorithms were developed by MMI using
existing instrumentation; but which had not
previously been used in a heap leach
agglomeration plant.The plant had the basic
controls of: feed weigher and control loops on
raffinate and acid addition. Over-belt moisture
meters – (Thermo-Fisher) were installed on both
the feed and agglomerated ore conveyors. An
image capture system is also installed on the
agglomerated ore conveyor using the Split-
Online system. This system includes the
complete range of software for particle size
distribution measurement, and a module for
agglomeration that can interpret the surface
‘texture’. The ‘texture’ or reflectance is a good
measure of the surface moisture and thus the
degree of agglomeration. This texture module
can be “taught” to recognise ideal texture in
different ore types, and can therefore be adapted
for different material feeds as the ore changes.
The level of agglomeration is a key parameter
that HydroGeoSense has identified as critical to
achieving good percolation characteristics and
fast leaching kinetics. Field and laboratory
calibration measurements are currently being
done to confidently bring the high level fuzzy logic
auto control loops for moisture addition on line.
To determine the best characteristics for each
ore type, and the ideal texture to be recognised
by the Split-Online system, a number of sampling
campaigns were required. Each time a new ore
type is introduced to the circuit, the moisture
settings are modified to obtain the ideal
agglomerate. The quality of the agglomerate is
determined by the plant metallurgist, based on
the standard agglomeration physical tests (i.e.
squeeze test, drop test, etc.) as well as by the
PSD of the sample taken from the discharge end
of the agglomerator drum. Once the “ideal”
agglomerate has been obtained, a sample of this
material is taken, and the time logged from the
Spilt-Online system.
The moisture is then modified in 0.5%
increments, and a sample of the material taken
as soon as stability has been obtained (roughly
15-20 minutes after change to the moisture
addition). The time at which this sample is taken
is also logged. This process is repeated for both
increasing and decreasing moisture set points
and all this data is logged. The samples taken
are then submitted for both PSD and moisture
analysis. “Ultimately, once the moisture
analysers are up and running, we will be able to
use these for the moisture determination, as we
aim to build them into the final control loop as
well,” explains Catherine Lottering, Senior Plant
Metallurgist.
The sample analyses are compared to the
Split-Online PSD analyses obtained during
sampling, against the data collected for the time
at which the sample was taken. The PSD results
are compiled for reference, in an attempt to
establish a reference database in which the
agglomerate quality can be related to the Split-
Online PSD analysis.
The moisture results from the samples
collected are used as reference when analysing
the Split-Online data. The images from each time
8 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
Tschudi Cu heap leach
Graeme Miller, DirectorMiller MetallurgicalServices Pty Ltd in SouthAfrica discusses advancesin heap leaching, SX/EWplant design andoperations in relation tothis project in Namibia
OPERATION FOCUS
“
Stacker and truck dump hopper(parted for re-location)
OPERATION FOCUS- TSCHUDI_proof 16/12/2015 08:25 Page 1
period logged during the sampling are uploaded
to the Split-Online texture model, for each
agglomerate quality type, defined based on the
plant metallurgists assessments during the test
run (i.e. all the images for the material which the
metallurgist classified as “ideal” are uploaded
into the texture model together, followed by all
the “dry” agglomerated images and then “very
dry”, etc.).
Each of these categories is defined by the
metallurgist, and as many categories as is
desired can be defined. At this stage, five main
categories have been identified: very dry, dry,
ideal, wet and very wet. However, to provide finer
changes to the moisture controller in the end, we
aim to define more in-between categories.
However, the number of categories will
ultimately be limited by the Split-Online system’s
ability to recognise differences in the texture of
the material. When the moisture difference is
small, or when the composition of the feed
material changes (i.e. lots of fines versus lots of
coarse rock), the system’s ability to identify
small changes is affected.
The texture model in the Split-Online system
uses a number of pre-defined models to identify
similarities within a group of images. It can then
establish a set of parameters which it will use to
classify each image that it receives from the
camera into one of the pre-defined categories.
There are a number of different texture models
built in by the Split-Online software developers.
The model that best defines and groups similar
parameters must be selected from these. This is
done by using a “test image” – an image that
had not been previously uploaded into the
system, but which is of a known quality. The
model that best sorts this image into the correct
group can be selected as the model of choice
from the variety of models.
The texture model for the specific ore type can
then be saved to the system. Whenever the same
ore type is then fed in the future, the Split-Online
system can be told to use this specified model
for classifying the agglomerate quality based on
the texture model. Thus the system will provide a
output to the computer
(currently located in the
SCADA office), which will
read “dry”, “ideal”, “wet”,
etc.
Currently, when there is a
predefined texture model
defined for the specific ore
type, the SCADA operator can
use this output to make
adjustments to the moisture
addition at the agglomerator
manually. However, the plan
is to use fuzzy logic to
establish a moisture
adjustment that should be made using this
output. For example, if the output reads “ideal”
no adjustment will be made. On the other hand,
if the output reads “dry”, the moisture will be
increased by, for example 0.5%. This adjustment
amount will however differ based on both
material composition and PSD (finer material will
require more of an increase than coarse, for
instance). This determination is the current hold-
up in the fuzzy logic development.
Innovations were also made on the internals
of the agglomerator and the agglomerate
handling and placement systems. The feed end
of the agglomerator was fitted with ceramic tile
liners – supplied by Multotec – to resist the high
wear at this end. The low friction tiles needed
the fitting of a series of 15o offset ‘lifters’ to help
clear the feed further into the drum. Throughout
the crushing plant the wetted agglomerates used
the ceramic tile liners. The agglomerated ore bin
was tile lined to help promote mass flow.
Agglomerates are trucked to the truck dump
hopper and slewing stacker– supplied by
Telestack. The stacker has a longer than normal
stinger conveyor, that combined with the truck
transportation, allows fewer pull backs,
eliminates ‘grasshopper’ conveyor removal and
higher productivity. The use of ceramics as low
friction wear liners together with well-designed
steep angle chutes and bins has been successful
in increasing operating time for the stacking
system.
The leaching economic evaluation in the field
uses the marginal acid:copper ratio as the KPI to
determine when leaching should stop. Any ore
that has an on-going acid consumption will have
an economic limit at some point. By looking at
the actual copper produced and the acid consumed
on a daily basis, it is easy to see when the marginal
economic limit is reached. For an acid cost of
$150/t and a marginal copper net income of
$4,200/t the limit to the economic acid:copper ratio
is 28:1. Once the limit is reached that particular lift
can be shut down and sealed from irrigation from
any lift placed on top of it. This simple tool can
improve the real understanding of the leach
economics to maximise operating cash flow.
Reduction in acid consumption can come from
using alternate lower acid concentrations later in
the leach cycle. MMI and its partner R E Scheffel
have developed a split-leach-SX arrangement
that can produce two different SX raffinates from
two different grades of PLS. When added to a
conventional ILS system, the arrangement has
the potential to generate three alternate acid
concentrations during the leach cycle. With the
increased level of control of the leach feed acid,
significant reductions in acid consumption can
be made.
Solvent extractionThe SX plants designed by MMI use its
SideFeed™ mixer-settler design; 28 SX plans
using this design have been constructed
worldwide since 2004. The total number of
SideFeed mixer-settlers designed is now 183
units.
The settlers have a full length adjustable weir
that allows millimetre setting of the
organic/aqueous interface level in the settler
body. This depth is critical in optimising the
settler performance – especially with a layer of
crud present.
A recent innovation has been the development
of a piping arrangement that allows one unit to
OPERATION FOCUS
10 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
Stacked heap leach panels
Typical isolation layout of theSX, crud plant and EW
OPERATION FOCUS- TSCHUDI_proof 16/12/2015 08:25 Page 2
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INNOVATION THROUGH EXPERIENCE
MMD_January 2016 PROOF_Layout 1 15/12/2015 10:15 Page 1
be bypassed; or its duty changed. All this can be
accomplished without any changes except
opening and closing of valves.
Modelling of iron and manganese transfer has
shown that it is not always possible to achieve
an Fe:Mn ratio of > 10:1 in the electrolyte.
This ratio is needed to suppress the
manganese oxidation by ferric⇔ ferrous
couple within the EW cells. Often a less iron
selective reagent can be beneficial in managing
the Fe:Mn electrolyte ratio. If a wash stage is
used, low acid and low copper concentration are
needed to allow some of the chemically bound
Fe to be transferred to the electrolyte. If the
wash stage has a high advance water flow then
there is another driver for lower Cu:Fe selectivity
to keep the iron in electrolyte above 0.5 g/litre to
limit the spent electrolyte Eh.
The modelling of these conditions has shown
the synergy and interaction that exists between
the SX and EW plant operations. Upsets in one can
cause subsequent upsets in the other; that in turn
reinforce the original upset condition. The closed
loops can cause fast and
catastrophic collapse of the SX
operation in particular.
Fire safety issuesFire plume analysis
� 4.7 kW/m2 = response team access
� 9 kW/m2 = diluent auto ignites
� 12 kW/m2 – damage to other assets.
There are a number of issues that need to be
addressed in considering the layout of the SX
plant with the rest of the site; and the internal
fire safety design. The layout requires a fire
plume analysis. General spacing allowances for
the layout will be: 30 m at the ends and 50 m
from the centre of the SX plant. The crud
treatment plant will also be isolated by at least
30 m from other assets – especially the SX
plant.
Fire safety in the MMI SX design includes a
number of broad headings each having a
significant set of elements to be considered.
� Plant siting to minimise damage to other
assets in case of an SX fire. This aspect is
modelled with a fire plume analysis that
shows the fire radiation contours
� Control of initiation and propagation risk
elements
o Static electricity generation
o Aerosol and foam formation
o Corporate risk assessment outcomes
(facilitated by MMI)
o Access Control
o Control of external risk
o Fire detection and alarms
o Firefighting
This latter item needs both the risk
assessment outcome to include a system; and a
good understanding of
the requirements of a system
that can provide “overwhelming
force” to quickly extinguish any size of
fire. A conventional system of a sufficient size
can require as much
as 1,500 m3/h of fire water
pumping and reticulation. An
alternate has recently been
developed that has a pre-pressurised foam
system. The MMI partner Protect-o-Burn in
South Africa has developed this system, which
is considerably lower cost than a conventional
foam system.
ElectrowinningThe control of contaminants coming from SX has
been the subject of a number of papers by MMI
and its partners. The most critical are iron,
manganese and chloride. Particularly in Africa,
there is often nascent silica in the SX PLS, and
electrolyte manganese contamination can be
severe. However, with high concentrations of
cobalt in the leach solution, associated cobalt
carryover can provide the necessary Eh
protection that would otherwise be missing.
Chloride is one of the necessary grain modifiers
and needs to be kept at 25 ppm to
30 ppm in the electrolyte. Some
chloride is reduced at the cathode
called ‘chloride burn off’. The rate
of ‘burn off’ depends on the
chloride concentration and the
electrolyte Eh. Close chloride
monitoring is required;
as well as
implementing
the modified
method of ‘burn
off’ calculation
developed by the MMI
partner at Tschudi.
Chloride addition is
calculated based on the burn-off rates.
The general aim is to control
chlorides between 25-28 ppm in
electrolyte. Redox potential
values in the cell house are
generally in the region of 400-450
mV/SCE. This means that the graph
above is not entirely applicable, as
chloride burn-off is related to the Eh. As an
estimate, we use the 500 mV/SCE data. This
means that we should burn off 1.2-1.5 ppm Cl in
an hour. Relating this to the total flow through
the cell house:
Cl burnt off = (Advance flow to polishing cells +
Circulation flow to commercial cells) x 1 ppm
Cl burnt off = (140+520) x 1.2 /1000
Cl burnt off = 0.72 kg/h
However, our water already contains roughly
19 ppm. With washing during stripping and guar
makeup, it is estimated that roughly 1 m3/h of
water is added to the cell house. Thus, about
0.019 kg/h of chloride is added with the water.
This means that 0.7 kg/h of chlorides (650 g
salt/h) need to be made up, if the Eh is at 500
mV/SCE. To compensate for the lower Eh,
Tschudi generally starts at 500 g/h salt addition.
OPERATION FOCUS
12 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
MMI SideFeed™ planttypical layout: 2E+1W+1S
On-line bypass arrangement for sevenSideFeed™ mixer-settlers
Illustrating the effect of chloride concentrationin the electrolyte on chlorine evolution for 500and 800 mV vs SCE redox potential is decresedas CI” concentration is decreased
OPERATION FOCUS- TSCHUDI_proof 16/12/2015 08:25 Page 3
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Chloride levels in the spent electrolyte are then
monitored and the salt addition adjusted based
on the chloride analyses. In general, salt
addition varies between 200-500 g/h, depending
on the quality of the water being added and the
amount of water makeup.
In recent plant operations a non-ionic
polyacrylamide (flocculant) has been shown to
be superior to guar in creating flat dense
deposits with minimal nodulation in the lowest
third of the cathode. The typical guar is of
variable quality and can be difficult to source,
with demand from the food industry. The
polyacrylamide has consistent quality and has
no adverse effects on the SX plant operation.
Two plants have started up using the
polyacrylamide with excellent product quality
resulting from day one.
MMI and partner experiences in different
harvesting methods have shown the significant
effect of harvesting on EW product quality. The
difference in harvesting methods can be the
difference between 100% LME A grade product or
100% non-compliant. The worst copper product is
generated by using the old starter sheet method
of fully harvesting each cell at a time. The best
overall quality is by using the ISA/Kidd method;
which harvests every third cathode with three
complete rounds of the tankhouse – harvesting
the A, the B and finally the C cathodes. Other
harvesting methods produce product of
intermediate quality between these two.
Current efficiency can be attributed to a
number of factors. In terms of the electrolyte
quality – very low impurity levels were initially
maintained in the electrolyte (Fe <2,000 ppm, Mn
<40 ppm). The Atlantis Metals anodes may also
have a contribution to the current efficiency. In
addition, there is significant focus on housekeeping
in the plant. Contacts and header bars are washed
down at least twice a shift, but generally up to
four times a shift is more common. Cathode
contacts are brushed before the cathodes are
returned to the cells. In addition, both cell
overflow solution temperature and contact
temperature are monitored on a regular basis
(every two to four hours). Any high temperatures
are noted and immediately investigated, so that
any potential shorts between electrodes can be
rectified immediately. Electrode alignment is also
a key parameter for the Tschudi operational staff,
and inspections are performed daily by the
production and technical metallurgical teams to
ensure that the electrodes are properly aligned.
Using this intense scheme of monitoring and
management, current efficiencies of over 90%
are being consistently achieved. IM
OPERATION FOCUS
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Modern mineral processing plants rely
on advanced automation and control
systems to ensure operations can
respond to changes in ore inputs, changing
conditions within the plant, and changing
finished product requirements. Process plants
produce a plethora of data not only from the
control system but also from office and enterprise
systems. In this complex environment, turning
data into actions often requires specialised
knowledge and understanding of what the
information actually reveals. A few select
individuals may hold this specialised knowledge
across the facility. The goal is to make the data
available and obtain talented personnel from the
various disciplines to work together to interpret it
and make timely correct decisions.
Process data accessibilityNeil Freeman, Principal Consultant Mining and
Metals at Honeywell Process Solutions told IM:
“There are many technologies in everyday use
that are used for social collaboration; for
example, the use of touch screens in mobile
phones and tablet computers is well developed
and accepted by users. Large-format touch
screen monitors offer display capabilities such
as pan and zoom, plus the ability to show
multiple windows of related information
concurrently. Similarly, the use of video for
business and operational purposes is
increasingly common. Video streaming and
video calling are now common methods of
communication. In a business environment,
desktop sharing is a routine technique covering
voice and visualisation. The challenge within the
mining industry is to seamlessly utilise these
technologies safely and securely.”
Honeywell experts spent nearly a year
studying control rooms around the world,
working directly with operators in multiple
regions, different vertical markets, and in new
and old plants. Considerable time was spent
observing operator behaviour and collecting
insights on console design during process
startup, when facilities were in abnormal modes
of operation, when plant trips had occurred, and
when consoles were used by multiple operators.
Freeman states: “Observations revealed the
need to reduce operator fatigue, improve
situational awareness, increase speed of
response, and ease installation. In addition, a
prototype console was built to capture user
feedback and validate the approach. Insights
from observations and prototype have resulted
in the release of the award winning Experion®
Orion Console and the Experion Collaboration
Station which are the first deliverables from the
Control Room of the Future development program.”
Technology suppliers like Honeywell have
powerful HMI solutions expanding the visibility
of enterprise information, with a common view
for all those collaborating. “Through complete
visual integration with process control and
information systems plant, business and support
personnel have ready access to information.
Collaboration and decision making are enhanced
through interactive displays, embedded video and
other telecommunications capabilities regardless
of location. This ability to collaborate and convert
data to information can have a significant impact
on the profitability of an operation.”
New combined platformsWith the acquisition of Alstom, GE said in
November 2015 that it has “strategically paired
its rich legacy in technology leadership with
Alstom’s 40 years of domain expertise to form
its new Automation & Controls solution platform.”
GE’s Automation & Controls solutions “enable
customers to connect their machines, data and
people for better, faster, safer and more reliable
performance. The comprehensive portfolio of
automation and controls solutions provides the
foundation to enable the collection of data from
assets and processes and helps customers
leverage that data to derive actionable insights.”
“Our single focus is to connect our customers’
data to amazing analytics, helping them solve
their most complicated business challenges,”
explained Jim Walsh, General Manager, GE’s
Automation & Controls solutions. “The
deployment of our automation and controls
solutions has helped our industrial customers
achieve significant results, such as 98% online
availability, 25% increased fleet efficiency and
$5 million to $10 million in savings every year.
With these levels of productivity and efficiency
gains, they are able to provide more accessible,
affordable and sustainable power and services
to consumers worldwide.”
The products included in GE's Automation &
Controls solution platform – industrial software,
distributed control systems and process safety
systems – control, automate and optimise
processes in mining and mineral processing,
power generation and oil production.
“In addition to high-performance products,
GE’s Automation & Controls solutions provide
customers with best-in-class support services
including a global network of professionals with
application and industry-specific expertise, 24/7
emergency support, online case management
and more. Customers can tap into the collective
expertise of GE engineers, solution architects,
consultants, domain experts and third-party
partners to seamlessly integrate, deploy and
maintain advanced technology solutions in their
business environment.”
“By combining our technologies, services and
domain expertise, we are able to provide a total
plant solution to deliver an integrated system
experience,” said Walsh. “As such, customers
can leverage a complete, modular solution from
a single partner — something we know they are
clamouring for in today’s operational environment.”
Electrical integration to automatedprocessesIndustrial automation systems have evolved
significantly over the past few decades, but they
Paul Moore looks at thelatest developments in plantautomation and processcontrol systems as well assome news on new processtechnology
PROCESS MONITORING AND DESIGN
16 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
ABB offers a complete integrated platform withExtended Automation System 800xA, whichuses electrical integration based on the IEC61850 standard for substation automationsystems. This solution manages the productionrates of complete industrial plants bycombining the benefits of different systems andlocations into a single platform
The plant environment
PROCESS DESIGN_proof 16/12/2015 10:55 Page 1
now face new challenges, especially concerning
integration, according to ABB. In particular this
concern focuses on how different locations and
systems can be integrated in a way that reduces
costs and increases overall efficiency and safety
for the operation. ABB offers a complete
integrated platform with Extended Automation
System 800xA, which uses electrical integration
based on the IEC 61850 standard for substation
automation systems. “This solution manages
the production rates of complete industrial
plants – by combining the benefits of different
systems and locations into a single platform –
as well as the energy consumption for each part
of each process. In other words, ABB provides a
high-tech solution that helps customers optimise
production while increasing energy efficiency.”
In an industrial environment the demand for
higher profitability and process efficiency
requires solutions that increase productivity
using fewer resources. Included under the
umbrella of resources is the need to reduce
energy costs while, at the same time, optimising
production rates.
“To achieve this, industrial automation
system solutions need to focus on four main
challenges: providing safety for personnel;
reducing capital expenditure for new plants;
connecting in remote and harsh locations; and
dealing with the lack of integration between
several systems.”
To address these challenges, ABB has
combined its Extended Automation System
800xA with the IEC 61850 standard for
substation automation systems so that the
benefits of different systems andlocations are
integrated into a single platform. “This platform
not only decreases installation and maintenance
costs but also increases plant availability by
reducing downtime. Moreover, it provides added
intelligence based on the smart combination of
process and electrical data, thus allowing
energy efficiency schemes.”
A key focus is reducing the exposure of a
maintenance team to electrical danger to ensure
a safer working environment. The
communication protocols usually applied in
electrical installations (eg PROFIBUS and
Modbus) already allow remote supervision and
operation of a substation inside industrial
plants. However, some activities, such as
configuration and parameterisation as well as
access to disturbance record files (needed for
analysing electrical occurrences, such as voltage
drops and overcurrent protection trips) require
the physical presence of a maintenance team.
ABB told IM: “For a majority of the protocols
currently used, these two procedures can only
be executed by connecting laptops locally to the
intelligent electronic devices (IEDs). One of the
main benefits of using IEC-61850-compliant
devices and systems is that the protocols
proposed by the standard enable these two
procedures to be carried out remotely once the
IEDs are connected to an Ethernet network and
all files can be transmitted using this
infrastructure. The presence of a maintenance
team is therefore only required in cases where
there is a mechanical problem.”
One of the main concerns for a greenfield
implementation is CAPEX. ABB states: “The
amount of hardwired connections inside
switchgear is one of the factors that make
installation expensive. But it is possible to
identify a pattern of how the cubicles (ie IEDs)
are connected to each other, and this pattern
usually repeats several times inside a
substation (or in several substations of a plant).
If the connections between cubicles of the same
type could somehow be made by creating a
communication protocol between the cubicles,
installation costs would be reduced
considerably. To achieve this, the IEC 61850
standard proposes the generic object-oriented
substation event (GOOSE) 2 protocol. Therefore,
for each typical cubicle there is a typical IED
configuration that can be reused throughout the
whole plant-optimising engineering effort.
Moreover, due to the digital protocol used by
the IEDs, optical fibres take over from
communication cables, and because they are
immune to electromagnetic interferences, they
can be placed closer to the busbars. Another
advantage is that given a common (software-
based) configuration, only one IED needs to be
PROCESS MONITORING AND DESIGN
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tested, and any configuration adjustment
required in the IED is easily replicated in all the
other IEDs. Testing and commissioning are also
made easier if a prefabricated E-house solution is
used. Prefabrication allows for the cubicles to be
tested while they are still in the E-house factory.”
In addition, many mines are being established
far from economical centres, they are getting
deeper and ore bodies are becoming more
complex. These factors, combined with a
shortage of skilled workers, mean the plants
need to become more automated. Regarding
substation systems, different substations
situated in various locations need to be
connected to the same supervision system so
that remote control and maintenance is carried
out from a central location. “Applying the IEC
61850 standard to ABB’s System 800xA
establishes a digital communication link between
the IEDs and the servers in the system to create
such a connection. This in turn provides
maintenance personnel with the information
needed to quickly identify the problem and the
solution remotely. This means that hardware
problems are fixed in the shortest possible time,
which has the advantage of increasing plant
availability and consequently productivity.”
Finally, with the evolution of digital computing
in industrial applications, several information
systems were developed to provide a more
complete database for the layers inside plants.
Nowadays it is almost
common to find many
different systems in a
plant for different
applications
(supervision,
maintenance and
production schedule
systems), all of which
rely on the same
information (eg a circuit
breaker position).
However, if all
applications rely on the
same information, one
of two scenarios could be playing out, neither of
which will lead to good plant management: the
same information is input several times into
these different systems, or the “communication”
between the systems is actually communication
between the people operating those systems.
ABB says that System 800xA’s integrated
platform completely eliminates this problem.
“Usually in industrial plants, management of
high- and medium-voltage substations is handled
by two completely different systems and teams.
By applying IEC 61850 to both levels, it is
possible to integrate all the substations into the
same System 800xA system, thereby simplifying
the operation and the communication between
high- and medium voltage switchgear, for
example. Besides integrating different voltage
level substations into the same system, System
800xA also allows the plants to integrate its
process control system. Therefore, using IEC
61850 compliant devices inside the same 800xA
system that oversees process control, it is
possible to have a combined database for both
process and electrical parts, enabling the
identification of relevant key performance
indicators (KPIs) for the operation. One of the
most important KPIs is process efficiency, ie, the
18 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
PROCESS MONITORING AND DESIGN
Volcan Mining in Peru uses a Rockwell PlantPAxmodern DCS from Rockwell Automation, whichprovides integrated control across the newfacility, from crushing the raw ore to pouringsilver ingots
PROCESS DESIGN_proof 17/12/2015 11:45 Page 3
relationship between energy consumption and production rates. This
indicator enables comparisons to be made between different process lines
and even different equipment in the same process step. This helps to
identify problems or discrepancies more quickly.”
Modernisation and productivityThe latest release of the PlantPAx modern distributed control system (DCS)
from Rockwell Automation helps industrial producers across multiple
industries such as mining to modernise their plants and reduce time-to-
market. New system capabilities include a more productive design
environment to enhance automation productivity; easier adoption of new
enabling technologies to improve user experience; and enhanced control
capabilities to help meet operational goals.
“The latest release of our modern DCS platform focuses heavily on
improving automation productivity,” said Jason Wright, PlantPAx System
Marketing Manager, Rockwell Automation. “The system now includes pre-
built process control strategies to help users greatly reduce the effort and
risk to deploy new applications, which helps improve their time-to-market.”
To provide operators with reliable and accurate system configuration, the
PlantPAx system now includes expanded estimation, design and
development guides. The updated documentation and design capabilities
help dramatically increase automation productivity; decrease the time
required to deploy a maintainable and modern system; and reduce life-cycle
costs. New pre-built control strategies developed within the Rockwell
Automation library of process objects “provide a consistent user and
maintenance experience.”
“Leveraging network improvements and built-in mobility, the PlantPAx
system delivers an improved, reliable user experience. Expanded industrial
Ethernet switches support Layer 3 topologies, enhancing scalability for a
variety of applications. Smaller control systems can now be integrated into
larger enterprise networks with a common, fully supported network
infrastructure. The network switches include embedded Cisco technology to
integrate and translate operations technology (OT) and information
technology (IT). This makes it easier for process operators to configure and
manage system networks.”
The PlantPAx system also now includes a mobile component that enables
users to create displays and interact with process data across any HTML5-
compliant mobile platform. The software is responsive to the user’s specific
device, allowing operators and plant managers to access and view
performance metrics and data analytics in their preferred format. New built-in
control features – such as integrated PlantPAx model predictive control (MPC),
alarm management and batch management – now operate in a common
environment, helping to improve plant efficiencies and operational
performance. “Control-based PlantPAx MPC provides the ability to predictably
manage external and complex process disturbances, and maximise process
performance up to process constraints. This allows continuous improvements
within the process while reducing waste and variability.”
The updated system also leverages the recently introduced batch
application toolkit to help reduce the risk, time and cost of implementing
batch control systems. Containing documentation, application examples
and sample code, the toolkit gives engineers a starting point to build and
maintain a consistent batch control system. It also provides flexibility to
customise system elements for increased functionality.
Networking and plant automationSchneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and
automation, recently announced a partnership with worldwide leader in
networking, Cisco, “to bring advanced networking and control system
technologies to its customers.” Cisco is focused on helping transform
industrial customers by connecting people, processes, data and things.
Schneider Electric says it will leverage the proven technologies from Cisco
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 19
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to help deliver its enhanced industrial
automation solutions to mining and other
industries.
“Welcoming Cisco to the Schneider Electric
Collaborative Automation Partner Program
(CAPP) provides the platform needed to offer the
company’s state-of-the-art industrial networking
technology to Schneider Electric customers in
more than 200 countries. Schneider Electric and
Cisco both share the philosophy of driving
technological solutions to address specific
customer challenges, and both companies
welcome the benefits of this partnership.”
The “superior value delivered to common
industrial customers” by this partnership was
highlighted in a mining case study. “A major
metallurgical coal miner located in the Bowen
Basin in Queensland, Australia, selected
Schneider Electric to supply an advanced
technology solution for a new operation that
produces metallurgical coal for the steel industry.
Commissioned in late 2014, and constructed to
be one of the most productive, sustainable and
highly performing metallurgical coal mines in the
world, the company’s operation relies on a
substantial foundation of technologies from
Cisco and Schneider Electric – control of the fixed
plant is entrusted to Schneider Electric systems,
while the process control network depends on
proven technologies from Cisco.”
The Schneider Electric CAPProgram
Deployment Director, Loic Regnier, said
“Superlative technology partner companies like
Cisco, recognised in the industry by analysts and
customers alike, bring advanced capabilities to
our customers and contribute to helping us build
complete and robust solutions for those
customers.”
Many Schneider Electric customers already
use Cisco technology. “In fact, some IT
departments require the implementation of Cisco
technology as a standard across the enterprise,
including the industrial network. Companies who
rely on Cisco for industrial network connectivity
can achieve network resiliency using Cisco
technologies including rapid ring recovery, link
redundancy, link aggregation and rapid failover.”
“Complementing our advanced core offer with
best-in-class partners like Cisco is the next step
in our commitment to helping our customers
operate high performance networks and
systems,” said Fabrice Jadot, Senior Vice
President, Innovation & Technology and CTO,
Industry Business, Schneider Electric.
“Cisco is pleased to join the Schneider Electric
Collaborative Automation Partner Program to
develop and validate joint industrial solutions for
our customers,” said Sébastien Collignon,
Business Development Director, Industry
Solutions Group, EMEAR, Cisco. “The program
will enable us to help customers in a variety of
industries minimise risk and reduce
implementation time at operational sites, thereby
improving business value.”
Bulk process designSimulation is often the key to getting it right in
process design, allowing mines to know in
advance how their material will behave before
committing to steel fabrication. Coal handling
and preparation plants often require these
studies, both for new plants and expansions of
existing ones. Longking is a large engineering
and manufacturing company in China, and
subsidiary Longking Bulk Materials Science &
Engineering Division is a specialised group that
designs and supplies bulk handling and storage
equipment to clients around the world.
At a power plant in China, mined thermal coal
is processed in a tall building to screen and crush
oversized material. Several chutes connect the
feed conveyor to the screen and crusher where
sub 30 mm is fed to the outgoing conveyor. The
main issues that needed to be addressed in this
project were to significantly control and reduce
dust emissions; reduce the likelihood of
blockages occurring when handling wet coal; and
improving loading on the outgoing conveyor
EDEM BulkSim software was used to run
simulations of the existing design and identify
the flow problems with dry and wet coal. Post
processing modelling and analysis was
conducted to evaluate coal velocity at various
PROCESS MONITORING AND DESIGN
20 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
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PROCESS DESIGN_proof 16/12/2015 10:55 Page 5
locations; impact velocity on the lower chute and out-going conveyor;
presentation of coal on the out-going conveyor (side loading); and slip
velocity between the coal discharging the lower chute and out-going
conveyor ie to assess if the coal is softly loading the belt.
The data and observations from the EDEM BulkSim simulations were
utilised to commence re-designing the lower section of the chute. Several
design concepts were developed. To determine which design was optimal,
EDEM BulkSim simulations were conducted to evaluate the performance of
each design.
Improvements brought by the final design showed controlled flow in the
spoon chute; soft loading on out-going conveyor to reduce dust emissions;
an improved velocity profile on the out-going conveyor; and improved
central loading on the out-going conveyor.
In addition, a relative wear analysis was conducted in EDEM BulkSim to
examine the normal (impact wear) and tangential (abrasive wear) on the
new lower chute. This analysis assisted the Longking engineers to design
the wear liner package.
EDEM BulkSim told IM that its ability to accurately simulate the coal flow
through a crushing and screening station provided a number of benefits to
Longking. The client gained greater insight than using traditional design
methods; and the simulation provided confidence that the design would
perform well with low probability of blockages while reducing dust
emissions. In addition EDEM BulkSim visualisation helped Longking
demonstrate the design solution to the client and increase their confidence
that the solution would work to solve the issues.
Alternative process technologyUsing a different technology approach to the norm can yield impressive
results. TOMRA Sorting Mining recently congratulated Lucara Diamond Corp
on its widely publicised recovery of a record 1,111 ct type IIa diamond using
TOMRA XRT (X-ray transmission) technology at their Karowe mine in
Botswana. The diamond, which is the second largest gem quality diamond
in history and the largest ever to be recovered through a modern processing
facility was recovered by a TOMRA LDR (large diamond recovery) machine
utilising X-ray transmission sensors which was commissioned at Karowe
earlier this year.
Paul Day, Chief Operating Officer at Lucara Diamond Corp. said: “We
selected TOMRA XRT following an extensive suite of test work which
demonstrated TOMRA XRT technology as a superior technological solution
having the highest efficiency of diamond recovery and lowest concentrate
yield compared to their competitors. TOMRA’s technology detects all types
of diamonds with the same efficiency and has a remarkably small footprint
in terms of power and water consumption. “
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 21
PROCESS MONITORING
Six TOMRA XRT sorters are in operation at the Karowe diamond minewhere they replaced dense media separation (DMS)
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PROCESS DESIGN_proof 16/12/2015 10:55 Page 6
Dr Volker Rehrmann, Head of TOMRA Sorting
Solutions: “It’s an honour for us to be part of
setting new benchmarks in the diamond mining
industry. We are very proud that Lucara showed
confidence in our innovative sensor-based
sorting technology which was rewarded with this
outstanding recovery.”
Six TOMRA XRT sorters have been in operation
at the Karowe diamond mine since May 2015
replacing conventional Dense Media Separation
(DMS) technology in the -60+8 mm size range.
Each sorter can treat up to 150 t/h at over 8,000
h/y. Advantages of the XRT technology include its
compact footprint, low operating costs, high
recovery rates and extremely low concentrate
yields. There is no need to further process the
sorter’s concentrate before final hand sorting.
TOMRA launched at the beginning of 2014 a
new range of diamond recovery solutions which
out-perform traditional technologies, providing
the highest diamond recovery rates at the lowest
yields. This allows the overall complexity of
recovery plants to be reduced, resulting in lower
running costs.
Processing portabilityPortability along with modularisation is a key
trend in the process industry as machines
become more efficient and with a smaller
footprint, enabling them to adapt to smaller
projects in remote regions. Metso in November
2015 received an order for a Metso NW220GPD
portable crushing and screening plant to be
delivered to Saburkhan Technologies in Aktas,
Saran City, Kazakhstan. This order is among the
first containerised wheel-mounted crushing
plants to be transported overseas. The innovative
mobile features of the Metso NW220GPD allow
the equipment to be dismantled and packed into
standard sea containers for easier, faster and
more cost-efficient transportation.
The delivery will take place by January 2016.
The revolutionary Metso NW Series crushing and
screening plant “allows customers to improve
profitability at even the most challenging
crushing sites and to move to the next site more
easily than ever.” The combination of the Metso
NW106 primary jaw crushing plant and the
NW220GPD secondary cone crushing plant with a
large dual-slope screen has been optimised to be
relocated regularly. Adequate features, like the
hydraulically fine-adjustable support legs, hopper
walls and screen lifting, will further facilitate fast
installation and dismantling for frequent
relocations. The associated conveyor in the rapid
range has also been designed for easy and quick
set up. The complete portable plant is very easy
and safe to operate and maintain on site.
The Metso NW Series is the first and only
wheel-mounted crushing plant on the market
that fits compactly into standard 40 ft (12 m)
containers so that it can be shipped quickly and
cost efficiently overseas or by railway
transportation. Therefore, in addition to helping
customers achieve a rapid plant set up as well as
easy and safe operations and maintenance on
site, this innovative solution helps customers
reduce the delivery time and the cost associated
with ocean freight.
Saburkhan Technologies was established more
than 50 years ago and is now one of the major
suppliers of Fe and Fe-Mn concentrates in
Kazakhstan. The extraction of Fe-Mn ores on Big
and Middle Ktay deposits project, which includes
solid minerals waste processing, is among the
economic and social growth projects in which it is
participating in the Karagandy region.
New era of process optimisationGekko Systems is well known to IM readers as
the Ballarat-based, but globally active mineral
processing company that designs and
implements new and innovative process flow
sheets for minerals projects. A recent focus on
coarse liberation to become more energy efficient
has seen Gekko develop their Python plant, a low
height modular plant utilising gravity, flotation
and intensive cyanidation. For deposits suited to
his metallurgical approach the project benefits
can be significant.
Gekko says it has an integrated approach to
process selection and implementation. “The
process engineering team is central to this
process as it selects and analyses metallurgical
testwork and integrates the results into a
PROCESS MONITORING AND DESIGN
22 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
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PROCESS DESIGN_proof 16/12/2015 10:55 Page 7
suitable flowsheet utilising pre-designed
modules which can be arranged to form the
optimal arrangement for the project. By
coordinating the testwork and design early
decisions can be made regarding process
selection and design. Utilising pre-designed
modules allows the engineering and design effort
to be targeted and manufacturing and supply can
begin earlier than otherwise possible.”
Gekko’s state of art, purpose built, modern,
metallurgical laboratory is the first step of the
process. Clients are able to send their ores to the
lab to perform testwork to determine the
amenability of their ore to Gekko’s processes.
Originally focused on gravity and intensive
cyanidation circuits, Gekko has quickly expanded
its capabilities to include liberation and
comminution, pre-concentration and gangue
rejection, flotation and electrowinning, resin and
detoxification. This wide suite of tests enables
Gekko to design and develop complete process
plants for their clients. Gekko utilises its own in-
house process design engineering team to select
and analyse testwork and develop innovative
process routes. On the electrical and automation
engineering side, a dedicated Gekko department
provides state of the art process controls that go
well beyond core interlocking, sequencing and
regulatory functions. In terms of industry trends,
Gekko states: “The long-standing tension
between site operator and OEM standards is
being resolved by the appearance of vendor-
driven standard packages. Increasingly site
operators, OEMs and vendors are partnering with
each other to deliver tight integration built to
recognised industry standards. Also, the
boundaries of the automation system now
encompass instrumentation, motor and smart
actuator controls. Asset management databases
and smart device web pages give access to real-
time configuration and diagnostics.”
Increasingly the bulk of control system
graphics and code are built using CAE tools.
When the customer inputs the FDS details, the
output will represent 80-90% of the system.
“Engineers are moving their focus from control
system building, towards process optimisation.
While the operator interface tools we have are
more than capable; screen design and improved
operator interaction remain a fertile area for
improvement. Again the focus is moving from
basic plant operation, towards abnormal
situation management, productivity and quality
control.”
In addition, life-cycle maintenance and
upgrade paths at the hardware, firmware and
application levels have become routine. Tools
such as Internal Model Control, Model Predictive
Control, Soft-Sensors and various high level
PROCESS MONITORING AND DESIGN
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 23
Originally focused on gravity and intensivecyanidation circuits, Gekko has quicklyexpanded its capabilities to include liberationand comminution, pre-concentration andgangue rejection, flotation and electrowinning,resin and detoxification
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PROCESS DESIGN_proof 16/12/2015 10:55 Page 8
optimisation packages have become more
affordable and accessible. Once the domain of
major process plants only, these tools will soon
routinely reach down to process units such as
crushing and milling circuits, flotation and
leaching.
Gekko concludes: “Process design, modelling
and simulation tools will soon become an
integrated component of all significant projects.”
Integrated and modularOne of the major advantages of the FLSmidth
Modular REFLUX™ Classifier Plant, which is
suitable for fines gravity separation applications,
is that it can be configured for specific
requirements and is quick to install and
commission on site within a relatively short
period of time. This integrated engineered
modular solution has at its heart the well proven
REFLUX Classifier (RC™) from FLSmidth. Already
well proven in the mineral beneficiation of fines
in Asia, Australia, Africa and North America, use
of this technology effectively improves the
performance of gravity separation circuits over
existing technologies such as spirals and hydrosizers.
Ricus van Reenen, Senior Account Manager at
FLSmidth, says the modular RC plant enables
customers to take advantage of the benefits of
RC technology as well as to leverage the
flexibility that modularity gives to an operation.
Each section of the modular plant is contained
within the dimensions of a 20 ft shipping
container and the combination of these sections
or containers allows the plant to be configured
according to process requirements. The
configuration is easily adjustable to
accommodate the changing process or ore
conditions within given parameters, and this
offers even greater flexibility. The plant can also
be easily relocated to where needed; such as
from one site to another.
Rapid on-site installation is possible as the
frames of each modular section are easily
assembled and locked together. All that is
required is an 80 t mobile crane and a rigging
team. Assembly is done under supervision of
FLSmidth technical personnel who will hot
commission the plant.
The equipment technologies selected for the
modular plant are all FLSmidth and interface
optimally with the RC. This ensures the feed
material is correctly prepared prior to it reporting
to the RC so that it operates correctly and to
specification. In addition to the operational
advantages that come with using technologies
from one source, customers can leverage this
single point of contact from an on-site support
perspective as well.
Typically the modular fines separation plant
would include pumps, screens, dewatering
equipment, cyclones and conveyors. The entire
modular RC plant is automated using advanced
instrumentation and control. All process
parameters are monitored to ensure optimum
performance. This allows for more consistent
operation and therefore better recoveries. The
modular RC plant can also be integrated into a
brownfields plant where the RC is retrofitted to
replace less efficient technology.
Addressing ore sortingIMA has successfully made evaluation of bulk
copper ore sorting from laboratory scale with
crushed and sieved material (100% -25 mm) and
at full scale ROM analysis (100% -400 mm). Both
the laboratory and pilot size BOSS Ore Sorting
systems can be used for Bulk Ore Sorting
dimensioning. The laboratory scale system can
be used to verify analysis accuracy and speed
and capacity of sorting, while the bulk ore
sorting dimensioning can be made with KPIs for a
full scale system.
Sorting ore rock-by-rock requires
particles/lumps to be separated individually, and
small particle sizes and/or fine ore material can’t
be sorted. Bulk ore sorting with IMA BOSS when
applicable is more economic as it can operate
with high capacity, reducing waste rock dilution,
reducing ore transportation costs, and reducing
energy in crushing and grinding. It also increases
plant throughput, reduces ore losses and the
amount of non-inert waste, while improving
recovery and reducing chemical consumption at
the concentrator. IMA says its BOSS System
“improves the total mine economy.” IM
PROCESS MONITORING AND DESIGN
24 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
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NMA-447_InternationalMining_General_FNL.indd 1 12/2/15 12:06 PM
Gary Daines, group energy systems director at
Zest WEG Group Africa, says the latest group
acquisition of Heidelberg-based TSS
Transformers has facilitated immediate access to
additional facilities as well as best-in-class technical
skills. “Upskilling ourselves in this critical market
sector and increasing our local manufacturing base
was a strategic move that will see greater
involvement from Zest WEG in this industry,” Daines
says.
Zest WEG Group is owned by Brazil-based WEG
and this significant investment in local
manufacturing highlights WEG’s financial
commitment to its local operations. Daines says the
acquisition is in line with the international player’s
intention to expand its global network of businesses
and manufacturing plants.
The WEG Group aims to
increase its sales year-on-
year by a minimum of 17%
until it reaches an annual
turnover of US$ 10 billion in
2020.
WEG Transformer Africa
(WTA) operates two major
facilities and is poised to
reinforce its position as a
leading African
manufacturer of electrical
equipment. The last two
years has seen the
recapitalisation of the WTA
Wadeville operation. Andre
Mans, COO of WTA, says that this extensive
investment programme has seen the facility undergo
a complete makeover with the upgrading of
equipment and streamlining of processes. “Today,
WTA Wadeville is a modern operation that boasts
best-in-class production and manufacturing
capabilities,” he says.
WTA Wadeville produces standard distribution,
power and special application transformers ranging
from 50 kVA to 10 MVA in voltages up to 66 kV with
off-load tap switch or on-load tap-changers. Known
for its responsiveness to customer specific needs,
the facility also has the engineering expertise and
capability to manufacture special transformers for
mining, industrial, rectifier/traction, converter and
thyristor drive applications. WTA also manufactures a
range of mini substations. Mans says that, where
applicable, the transformers carry SABS certification.
The Heidelberg facility, which was previously TSS
Transformers, was acquired in the third quarter of
2015 and boasts an impressive 45 000 m² footprint.
The modern facility is capable of locally
manufacturing power transformers up to 40 MVA in
voltages up to 132 kV
as well as mini
substations and
moulded circuit
breakers.
This modern facility
houses what is
considered to be the
best privately
operated oil sampling
laboratory in South
Africa. Mans says this
is a crucial
differentiator in the
market as it gives
customers access to
skilled technicians
who analyse samples on state-of-the-art equipment
to world class standards.
An important value-added service offering from
WTA is its suite of structured transformer
maintenance programmes that allow customers to
protect these assets from degradation.
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WEBSITE: www.zest.co.za
26 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
WEG Transformers Africa, a division of Zest WEG Manufacturing, isdetermined to continue growing its share in both the SouthAfrican and African transformer markets
The new vacuum drying oveninstalled at the WTA facility inWadeville.
Above:A WEG mini-substation for local utilitysupplier. Left: A 6.5 MVA 2211 kV transformer atWTA's facility.
ZEST WEG JAN 16_proof 16/12/2015 08:29 Page 2
The 2015 financial year was extremely
challenging for South Africa’s mining
industry. Local cost pressures, labour
action, and a continuing downswing in
commodity prices resulted in shrinking margins
and impairment provisions. Mining companies
are grappling to improve productivity in order to
address the demanding global and local mining
environment. These are some of the findings from
PwC’s seventh edition of SA Mine, a series of
publications that highlights trends in the South
African mining industry.
The mining industry continues to be marred by
labour unrest. Michal Kotze, PwC African Mining
Industry Leader, said late last year: “The message
to miners is clear: ‘Continue to focus on costs,
refocus on your core business and carefully
evaluate growth opportunities.’ It certainly will
make for some interesting planning and
forecasting discussions in the coming year.”
The 2015 financial year saw the declining trend
in market capitalisation continue with few, if any,
companies left unscathed. Market capitalisation
for the top 35 companies declined to R414 billion
as at 30 June 2015 (compared to R675 billion as
at 30 June 2014). The decline continued when
compared to market capitalisation as at 30
September 2015 of R304 billion, resulting in an
aggregate decline of R371 billion when compared
to 30 June 2014.
Although iron ore and coal prices were the
most severely impacted, platinum and gold
mining companies have not escaped the
continuing downward slide in commodity prices.
SA’s main revenue generating commodities
haven’t experienced real prices as low as those
experienced in 2015 in ten years, and it is not
certain yet when the prices will start to recover.
Despite a continued reduction in prices, coal
remains the highest earning commodity in South
Africa. Coal had a solid performance over the last
decade, with marginal increases in production in
the last few years. The long-term decline in gold
production was temporarily halted in the last two
years. This decline is indicative of the ever-
increasing depths of existing mines, technical
difficulties experienced by start-up operations
and a continually growing cost base. Platinum
group metal (PGMs) production has been
severely impacted by industrial action since 2012
and by mine closures in the low-price
environment. In the absence of a meaningful
price increase, it is unlikely that platinum
production levels will increase from the current
lower base.
In this scenario, South Africa suppliers are
looking to raise their international sales of
equipment and services.
Bateman Projects is a name synonymous with
pioneering mining projects in the African interior
using South African engineering expertise. It has
been sold by Tenova to SGS. Bateman Projects
specialises in providing process plant design and
engineering, project management and
commissioning and optimisations services for
mineral processing plants and over a variety of
minerals including gold, iron ore, copper, uranium
and coal. The Bateman Modular Process Plant
business and expertise is part of this transaction.
Based in Johannesburg and active throughout
South Africa, Sub Saharan Africa as well as
providing specialised project services in many
other parts of the world, the business employs
250 experts and staff.
“This acquisition will significantly expand and
improve our Mine and Plant Services activities,
providing SGS with a team of highly qualified
staff with extensive project experience in key
commodities. The group is recognised, well
known and very respected within the industry.
SGS will continue to build the valuable service
portfolio and offering that has existed since the
early 1960s,” said Frankie Ng, CEO of SGS.
More recently, in November 2015, SGS entered
into exclusive negotiations to acquire Matrolab
Group, based in Pretoria. Matrolab is a leading
engineering and construction materials testing
company with a network of over 30 offices and
laboratories in South Africa. It also has registered
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 27
The export push
John Chadwick providesIM’s annual review of thestate of South Africanmining and its suppliers
Among the recent contracts won by DRA, anddemonstrating the company’s versatility, is thedetailed design of the ship-mounted processplant for the Solwara 1 project by NautilusMinerals. Located off the coast of Papua NewGuinea, this project aims to extract high-gradeSeafloor Massive Sulphide (SMS) systems fromthe sea floor. The scope awarded to DRAinvolves the detail design of the ship-mountedmaterial processing facilities. With a designcapacity of 400 t/h, the plant will includescreening the SMS into a number of sizefractions, followed by dewatering usingcentrifuges and filter presses. The combineddewatered product will then be temporarilystored in the ship’s hold, prior to transhipmentto bulk carriers. DRA’s Regional Director,Donald Holley, commented: “Our Brisbaneoffice has been working closely with thecompany for several years on studies and earlyengineering, and now to be carrying outdetailed design for the ship-mounted plantbrings the project an important step nearer toits realisation.” He noted DRA’s experiencegained from off-shore diamond recoveryprojects off the coast of southwest Africa.“Itincludes overcoming the challenges indesigning and operating process plantsmounted on ships resulting particularly fromthe impact of the dynamic environment fromwave movement, and the need for modularconstruction.”
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY_proof 16/12/2015 09:19 Page 1
28 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
offices in Mozambique and Botswana. It serves
consulting engineers and construction
companies, as well as public authorities.
“This acquisition fits with our strategy as a
one-stop shop for testing and inspection services
for industries including power and construction,”
said Ng. “Combined with the acquisition of
Metlab in 2012, Matrolab strengthens our
footprint and service offerings in southern
Africa.”
DRA Global had some good project awards in
2015. One of the latest was the award of the
feasibility study of Ivanplats’ Platreef project in
August 2015. Ivanplats is the South African
subsidiary of TSX-listed Ivanhoe Mines. The
Platreef project includes the underground Flatreef
deposit of PGMs, together with gold, nickel and
copper, and is located in the Northern Limb of the
Bushveld Complex, some 280 km northeast of
Johannesburg. Award of the feasibility study
follows the completion of the prefeasibility study
of the project in January 2015, which was also
carried out by DRA and successfully
demonstrated a sound business case for further
investigation of the project.
DRA’s role will be the management and
coordination of the all-encompassing feasibility
study of the greenfield project, in addition to
providing a wide range of engineering services in
its own right. The scope to be covered by DRA
includes the highly mechanised underground
mine design, processing facilities and associated
project infrastructure. Among the external
consultants being managed by DRA are
specialists covering geology, life of mine
planning, geotechnical, ground water,
environmental aspects and tailings storage
facility.
Mining will be conducted by a large, state-of-
the-art mechanised underground operation,
about 700 to 1,100 m below surface via a vertical
production shaft which will be 10 m in diameter.
The process plant is initially planned to consist of
two parallel streams, each of 2 Mt/y capacity,
with comminution, flotation, concentrate
dewatering and tailings disposal. A full suite of
infrastructure will be covered in the feasibility
study, including bulk power supply, bulk water
supply, internal and external roads, and on-site
buildings and systems.
DRA’s CEO, Paul Thomson, comments: “We are
extremely pleased to have been awarded the
feasibility study of the Platreef project. This is a
world-class PGM project and we are very proud to
have had the opportunity of completing the earlier
prefeasibility study. Its award is a testament to the
good work already carried out by the DRA team,
and to the sound relationship developed between
our company and Ivanplats. The scope of the
project being managed by DRA is also a clear
demonstration of our “Pit-to-Port” capability. Our
in-house engineers and project services personnel
will be responsible for all major aspects of the
project – for the mining engineering, the
processing facilities and the associated
infrastructure, in addition to coordinating the
input of a number of external specialists.”
Key features of the Platreef PFS include:
n Development of a large, mechanised,
underground mine with an initial 4 Mt/y
concentrator and associated infrastructure
n Planned initial average annual production rate
of 433,000 oz of platinum, palladium, rhodium
and gold (3PE+Au), plus 19 Mlb nickel and 12
Mlb of copper
n Estimated pre-production capital requirement
of approximately $1.2 billion, including $114
million in contingencies
n Platreef would rank at the bottom of the cash-
cost curve, at an estimated $322/oz of
3PE+Au, net of byproducts
n After-tax NPV of $972 million, at an 8%
discount rate and after-tax IRR of 13%.
DRA has also announced that it has been
awarded the feasibility study of the Darwendale
PGM project in Zimbabwe by Great Dyke
Investments (Pvt) Ltd (GDI), which is a Russian-
Zimbabwean joint venture company. The
Darwendale project is located in northern
Zimbabwe and is part of the Great Dyke ore
reserve. The deposit is recognised as one of the
largest PGM resources in the world, with the
mineral resource potential estimated at 45 Moz
(1,400 t) of PGMs and its development will be a
major step forward in Zimbabwe’s mining
industry.
The study will cover a wide range of
components of the project, including mining,
processing and associated infrastructure. It is
planned that the long life project will be
implemented over three phases, with Phase 1
involving a 3.25 Mt/y open pit mine and
concentrator. In future phases, and as the project
progresses, it is expected that mining will be by
underground methods and more concentrator
facilities will be added. Paul Thomson, CEO of the
DRA Group, comments: “We are extremely
pleased and proud to have been awarded the
study of this major project by GDI. Discussions
and negotiations have been taking place over the
last few months and during that time a strong
relationship has been established between our
respective project teams. It is especially pleasing
that the Darwendale study will apply a full range
of DRA’s in-house expertise in mining, processing
and infrastructure development.”
The feasibility study of the Darwendale project
is already underway in DRA’s Johannesburg office
with initial trade-off and optimisation studies,
and is expected to be completed by late 2016.
Murray & Roberts Cementation has
demonstrated its high quality design and drawing
capabilities having recently completed the design
of Ivanplats’ mechanised, high tonnage Platreef
No. 2 shaft headframe. The design of a
headframe of this magnitude is a first for the
company and marks a huge achievement says
Theo Genis, Murray & Roberts Cementation Study
Manager.
Design of the No. 2 Shaft headframe for the
first phase of Ivanplats’ Mokopane project
commenced in 2014. The project, designed to
produce 433,000 oz/y PGMs, will ultimately be a
12 Mt/y operation.
It will be the main production shaft, capable of
hoisting 6 Mt/y of ore and will also transport
large mechanised equipment between surface
and underground. By comparison with most steel
frame PGM headgears in South Africa, it will be a
considerable concrete structure – 100.5 m in
height. The lined shaft will be 10 m in diameter.
The headframe will house all equipment
necessary for sinking and operating the shaft
thereby reducing the surface footprint.
The No. 2 shaft will be sunk to a depth of 1,080
m and will accommodate two “high mass, high
speed” 40 t skips running at 18 m/s, Genis
emphasises. It will also be capable of conveying
225 persons in a single deck using a cage and
counter weight arrangement.
“Our Platreef project team, dedicated
themselves to delivering a functional quality
design,” says Genis. He believes that Murray &
Roberts Cementation’s shaft sinking and mining
expertise contributed towards securing the
contract.
Ivanplats expects to start early works for the
No. 2 shaft in 2015, including the box cut and
hitch foundation civil works. The box cut designs
are complete and the contract for the early
engineering works for the winding equipment has
been awarded to FLSmidth in South Africa.
The tall headframe will be located in close
proximity to a number of communities, Genis
notes. “As a result, we have incorporated
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY
The Platreef headframe
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY_proof 16/12/2015 09:21 Page 2
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unobtrusive lighting and have also implemented
design initiatives to reduce noise and dust levels.
The overall aesthetic look also had to be
considered and subsequently we have designed a
simple headframe with fluted features using
concrete throughout.”
Limited space necessitated that the two tower-
mounted Koepe winding systems be positioned
about 82 m above ground. Additionally, a single
drum auxiliary winder is mounted at a lower
elevation in the headframe.
“Working at these heights with heavy concrete
and steel loads presents significant
constructability challenges,” Principal Engineer
Charles Bethel admits. To compensate for
potential obstacles in this regard, Murray &
Roberts Cementation worked closely with its
infrastructure sister company and spent a
significant portion of its time reviewing handling
equipment and crane lifting arrangements.
Time was allocated to power supply, cabling
and piping layouts to ensure circuits which will be
easy to install and maintain. Chiller plants located
on the headframe roof will form a HVAC (heating,
ventilating and air conditioning) system to cool the
winding equipment and pressurise the upper three
levels.
“Our headframe design provides Ivanplats with
pre-sinking flexibility from either the collar or
lower level, enabling a fast transition into actual
shaft sinking,” says Jan Vermaak, Murray &
Roberts Cementation Mine Engineering Manager.
A purpose designed sinking headgear is not
required for the initial sinking phases. “We have
incorporated start-up sinking arrangements into
the main headframe. By mass, approximately 93%
of the steel required for the headframe will be
permanent at the start of sinking, meaning the
changeover from sinking to permanent will be
minimised,” says Bethel. This equates to cost and
time savings for the project.
Designing complex structures such as the
Platreef headframe are generally considered
challenging but thanks to Murray & Roberts
Cementation’s use of Bentley software – the task
was simplified and the risks associated with
design drawings across multiple in-house
disciplines reduced.
The software features assisted Murray &
Roberts in performing thorough risk assessments
and drastically reducing the number of drawings
generated, minimising the potential for error.
Murray & Roberts says “the Bentley
ProStructures software easily allows structural
engineers, detailers and fabricators to create 3D
models for both concrete and steel and
automatically creates documentation, details, and
schedules. The open working environment and
programming interface supports standardisation
within a single model which ensures cohesive
interconnectivity and interfacing between
mechanical, electrical and piping designers while
still working independently of each other.”
APT offers small process plants that can be put
into operation very fast. For example, a 20 t/h gold
plant was recently designed and built in just 14
weeks. It was then shipped to site and once there
was erected, commissioned and in production in
just four days. In another case a larger 40 t/h
gravity tower for gold recovery was erected on site
in just six days. Through rigorous R&D, designs
have been evolved to allow for a single plant that
can treat the softer upper oxide material and then
accommodate more competent rock from the
transition and deeper levels. Called Combo Plants,
these units can accept up to 50% of the feed
tonnage as hard competent rock and are ideal for
a startup. Modules can be added as necessary to
tailor the plant progressively to a deep level unit,
for example by the addition of flotation and
cyanidation.
The breakthrough for junior mining companies
is that APT has progressively expanded this tried
and proven capability to a larger plant size. One of
the latest plants, at 120 t/h capacity is in fact a
Combo Plant and demonstrates APT’s specialist
knowledge in this field. The company says “large
engineering companies frequently encounter
difficulty designing their products downwards, it is
not as easy as it sounds. APT on the other hand
has had no trouble engineering upwards and we
come from a broad base of experience of over 80
plants to grow from.
“The ability now exists for a junior mining
house to bring a project on line at reasonable cost
ahead of schedule whilst reserves are expanded to
justify further investment. APT would be involved
throughout the entire process from test work
through to implementation of the final modules as
the project matures. This can all be designed from
the outset for ease of forecasting and financial
planning.”
Underground innovationLast year JCHX Mining Management, one of the top
mining construction companies in China, received
high-fidelity, training simulators for its Atlas Copco
282 drill rig and Normet 1050 shotcrete sprayer
operators, at its training facility in Miyun County,
Beijing. The simulators are examples of
ThoroughTec Simulation’s latest CYBERMINE
system.
Larin Allison, Regional Vice President of Asia
Pacific at ThoroughTec explained: “The two
simulators have been customised for JCHX to
include Mandarin language localisation.”
“We are committed to achieving our goal of zero
injuries in our operations and one of the ways to
achieve this is with highly trained personnel,” says
30 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY
APT 40 t/h gravity tower and CIL plant
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY_proof 16/12/2015 09:22 Page 3
Wang Xian Cheng, Chairman and Founder of JCHX.
“Training simulators are just another way to help
us achieve this. We want to provide our clients
with the best operators possible.”
“Advanced high-fidelity training simulators play
a vital role in training operators to be safe and
productive,” says Allison. “Besides training and
evaluating novices in the safe and proficient
operation of heavy equipment, these simulators
can provide a new recruit screening system,
effective refresher training for experienced
operators and training in emergency situations,
not possible on the real mining equipment, all of
which entrench safety awareness and
procedures.”
The drill rig simulator features a drill pattern
editor and scaling, meshing and bolting functions;
whilst the shotcrete sprayer features a unique
training tool that uses colours to show whether or
not the operator is spraying to the correct
thickness. Training operators to apply the correct
thickness limits wastage, promotes a better bind
to the rock surface and ultimately ensures a more
secure rock face for improved safety.
Bell Equipment is of course a major supplier to
both the underground and surface mine markets
with its ADTs and wheel loaders in particular.
During the inauguration of the company's new
Customer Service Centre in Rustenburg, North West
Province, Bell Equipment Director: Sales and
Marketing, Terry Gillham said, “Despite the low
commodity prices and the negative effect they have
had on the mining community and town of
Rustenburg, Bell Equipment is committed to
investing in new, modern facilities like the one the
company has just officially unveiled here.” He
added that the company believed that when
commodity prices returned to sustainable levels
Bell Equipment would be ready to continue serving
its loyal customer base in the Rustenburg area.
“This shows the company is in it for the long haul.”
The Rustenburg facility is the fourth such
modern facility to be officially opened in the last 15
months or so after similar openings in Middelburg,
Kitwe in Zambia and Nelspruit.
MechCaL is now selling its fans in the Zambian
mining market. This marks a key point in the
company’s on-going geographic expansion strategy
which is aimed at increasing its presence in key
growth markets. “MechCaL has for quite some time
had a policy of diversifying products and markets.
The product diversification has progressed well but
penetrating the smaller auxiliary fan market space
outside of South Africa has been a challenge,” says
MechCaL Managing Director, Professor Jan du
Plessis. “We have started supplying products to
mines in the Zambian market and we are positive
that, in future, the quality and energy efficiency of
our products will be valued as the premium fan
product in the rest of Africa.”
In Kitwe in April 2015, a demonstration of
MechCaL’s energy efficient 45 kW fan using an ISO
test column to analyse the velocity, flow and
pressure of the fan was carried out to showcase the
power saving capabilities of MechCaLs’ products.
Gavin Ratner, Head of Marketing at MechCaL, led
the demonstration and said that the results of the
demonstration made an impression on the
Zambian delegates. “We conducted the test in the
presence of mining representatives from the
surrounding areas and I believe that their reaction
to our products was very positive. This definitely
opened the door for MechCaL to begin exporting
products to service the Zambian market,” said
Ratner.
Best Line Mining Supplies is now MechCal’s
partner in both Zambia and the DRC. That company
is “currently supplying the range of 15, 37, 45 and
75 kW MechCaL fans,” says du Plessis. To date,
MechCaL fans have been installed for Glencore’s
Mopani Copper Mines. The preliminary order
included 17 fans from across the MechCaL product
range, including five of MechCaL’s new Jet Fans.
Mining today allows the extraction of ores with
far lower grades, at greater depths than ever
before, and all of this is achieved with the aid of
considerable technological advancements.
OREtraK™ is one of those important and
significant advances enabling mining companies to
ensure that the grade delivered to the plant is in
accordance to mine planning and that losses of
valuable material being discarded are minimised.
RF Tags’ OREtraK™ is a system that monitors
material flow on belts, chutes and rail tramming
systems and was introduced in 2006. It brings an
end to the laborious process of trying to control
underground mining activities using washers,
wooden blocks and metal balls. Instead, ore
tracking is achieved by means of RFID tags ‘seeded’
in the material to be tracked.
The OREtraK system uses cutting edge RFID
(Radio Frequency Identification) technology
combined with sophisticated software to enable
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 31
Celebrating the official opening of the new andimproved Bell Rustenburg Customer Service Centreare (from left): Gerald Lottering (Bell RustenburgTeam Leader), Bokkie Coertze (Managing Directorof Bell Equipment Sales Africa), Terry Gillham(Sales and Marketing Director of Bell EquipmentSales Africa), Gerard Rokebrand (CommercialDirector of Bell Equipment Sales Africa) and Izakvan Niekerk (General Manager: Central Region,Bell Equipment Sales Africa)
Thoroughtec’s CYBERMINE training simulatorfeatures a simulated cab, a highly realisticreplica of the actual mining equipment, with fullyfunctional simulated instruments and controls.The replicated cab is mounted on a motionplatform capable of imparting up to threedegrees of freedom, ideal for undergroundmining equipment
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY_proof 16/12/2015 09:22 Page 4
Language barriers. 9.8 million injury free man-hours.Minimal infrastructure.Political instability. A 7.2 Mtpa gold plant delivered 3 months ahead of schedule.
Impossible?Not for DRA. Kibali Gold in the DRC produces 600 000 oz of gold every year. Acknowledging the community, 4000 homes were saved and relocated. Started in 2012, completed in 2014, three months ahead of schedule with exceptional safety statistics, under budget for our client.
DRAglobal.com
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mine personnel to gain a clear understanding of
the makeup of the conveyed ore and waste flows.
The information is initially gathered by a tag reader
system and can be accessed off a centralised
database by all officials with access rights over the
mines intranet or internet.
The system has contributed to the mining
process in each mine by providing survey
departments with the following information:
n Identifies the source of material, whether ore or
waste or even the types of ore
n Reduces material interchange (cross tramming)
n Enables an assessment of time-to-surface
n Reports on measured grade vs. estimated grade
returns
n Measures team performance
n It can produce a dramatic and direct increase in
a mine's profitability
n Localises the origin of incorrectly trammed
material.
This information gives the mine a
recording/tracking system that has an ROI in a
matter of months and dramatically increases the
efficiency of the survey department resulting in a
raised recovered grade and an accurate report on
ore flow problems, leading to the extended life of
marginal mines.
The first installation—Massimong gold mine—
claimed a saving of ZAR1 million ($138,000) in a
month against a capital cost [of the system] of
under ZAR100,000 ($13,800). Massimong, part of
the Harmony Group, has been using the OREtraK
system since February 2006. Today it is used in
virtually every gold mine in South
Africa, many platinum mines as well as
copper mines in Zambia.
Other key elements of the system
include:
n Manufactured using plastic that is
very tough and the unit survives
moving through ore passes and the
like
n Economical
n No batteries (passive tag
technology) and will therefore
survive many years underground
n Standard and stealth (low visibility)
versions available
n Reads at normal belt speed
n Readable on chutes
n Typical read range over 2 m
n Single use under normal circumstances.
Comminution and sizingPilot Crushtec International says the DynamiTrac
TDH6118 is one of its “most exciting
developments. Designed and built entirely in-
house, it represents a new generation of high
output screen technology.”
The sales development team had identified the
pressing need for a robust and reliable mobile
screen that would deliver high volumes of fines
at the lowest possible cost per tonne. The
DynamiTrac project has culminated in the
creation of a track-mounted, self-driven, triple
shaft, triple deck horizontal screen capable of
combining high volume output with multi-product
versatility.
It is a very capable machine, highly productive
and also easy to operate. One user says “one of
the standout features is its good engineering,
especially the design of the engine bay. The room
available allows for easy access to the power plant
for inspections and routine maintenance which is a
major benefit when working on site.”
Major features:
n Output in excess of 350 t/h
n Ease of access to all major components and
working parts
n Simple electronics incorporating safety alarm
before each function starts
n Four product conveyors, each with a stockpile
height of 3.9 m
n Track mounted with hand held remote control
n Volvo TAD542VE Tier 3 power unit 160 kW@
2,300 rpm, 1,500 litre capacity tank
n Hydraulic systems include failsafe interlocks
and variable product conveyor speeds
n 24v DC electrical engine system with failsafe
emergency stop control
n 10 second delay start and siren for all
functions.
Screening technologyAs the demand for enhanced efficiencies and
throughput increases, the market is seeking out
solutions that have a proven track record, yet can
be customised to suit specific applications. The
screen panel is the most critical aspect of the
screening application as it defines
what the mining customer will receive
from the process.
According to Rhodes Nelson,
Managing Director of Multotec
Manufacturing, one of the driving
forces in screening at the moment is
the ability to determine wear of screen
panels and to plan for their
maintenance and replacement. “By
being able to establish wear patterns
before they cause a shutdown,
process plants save substantial
amounts of labour and money on
downtime. As a result, we have seen
an increasing demand for our online monitoring
system Hawkeye as well as for enhancements in
recording processes.”
Visual wear indicators is another technology
that is seeing an increased demand as it provides
a major advantage in terms of monitoring screen
panels. This is a system with a visual indicator that
shows the incremental wear rates that occur on
screening media. As the aperture wears, the visual
dots become clearly visible and the changeout
criteria cannot be misinterpreted. The end result is
far more accurate determination of screen panel
changeouts.
34 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY
Pilot Crushtec's DynamiTrac TDH6118.
An OREtraK reader mounted over a conveyor belt
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY_proof 16/12/2015 09:23 Page 5
Nelson cautions that the use of visual wear
indicators does, however, require active field
service participation, with attention to visual
observation and monitoring of screen panels to
provide feedback. If correctly implemented,
however, visual wear indicators can further
optimise screen performance.
Multotec says it is seeing a significant change in
the end users’ expectation of product quality and
adherence to product specification. Nelson
believes that this is predominantly because of the
oversupply situation and applies specifically to
coal and iron ore. “This has led to the reality that
sampling of product is now far more critical than
previously exhibited and there is a need for the
feed envelopes to the various processes or for the
final product to be more accurate.”
Multotec R&D investment has resulted in the
development of a number of products and
solutions that are geared towards increased return
on investment. “Another development we have
seen is where three dimensional screening is
optimising open area for screen panels. An
example is the Multotec TeePee™ panel that is
used in dewatering applications,” says Nelson. In
addition, Multotec’s O-slot™ aperture is being
successfully used in iron ore applications where
panel life needs to be optimised, while still
retaining non blinding characteristics. Added to
this product development is the availability of
multiple screen material options that include
various polyurethane grades, rubber grades and
steel grades, which would be applied as a solution
depending on the customers’ process application
requirement.
Ongoing market analysis has resulted in
Multotec increasing the variety of options and the
configuration of its Saddle Top™ runner system to
protect both the sub frame and improve meantime
between failures. Coupled with this is accessibility
to a wide range of fit for purpose attachment
systems which gives customers additional
flexibility without having to change the screen sub
frame.
Identifying new opportunitiesDuring 2015, Paterson & Cooke says it continued
to expand its international and South African
operations to include complete in-house expertise
and comprehensive laboratory services for the
detail design and engineering of slurry pipelines,
mine backfill process plants and distribution
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY
The Multotec TeePee™ three dimensional screenpanel optimises open area in dewateringapplications
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY_proof 16/12/2015 09:23 Page 6
systems, tailings de-watering systems and the
turnkey supply of modular plants and products, as
well as on-site construction and installation
capabilities. Dr Angus Paterson, Managing Director
of Paterson & Cooke South Africa, says being pro-
active in identifying opportunities in the current
commodity cycle and adding real value to mining
operations, has been key to sustaining growth and
developing new markets for the business. “We are
acutely aware of the pressures the mining industry
is facing and are always looking for better
engineering solutions for our clients. This year we
began a Field Services Division to focus
specifically on improving brownfields operations,
and formalised a Plant and Products division that
provides turnkey pilot plants for specialised
metallurgical operations and also develops and
commercialises special slurry handling
equipment. The response to these initiatives has
been excellent and has extended our reach into
new markets.”
Paterson & Cooke is completing the design and
supply of a highly specialised metallurgical
process pilot plant to improve the recovery of
base metals and precious metals from tailings.
The plant footprint is in excess of 780 m2 and is
fully modular and transportable in containers.
Fritz van Sittert, Paterson & Cooke’s Plant and
Product Manager says: “Being able to offer the
turnkey supply of such a complex plant, from the
early flow sheet development in conjunction with
the client to the final supply, has resulted in an
extremely versatile solution that would not have
been possible without having access to our in-
house laboratories to continually evaluate
impacts on changes in the flow sheet and being
able to evaluate the performance of different unit
processes.”
Paterson & Cooke Field Services’ goal is to
enhance existing operational efficiency through
optimising the performance of the flotation circuits,
tailings dewatering and disposal systems. This
includes operational audits and test work and the
installation and upgrade of equipment. The response
to being able to offer mining operations an
independent assessment of their process plant
performance has exceeded expectations and Field
Services is currently busy on several mine sites in
Southern Africa overseeing the installation of new
thickener feedwells, flocculant injection and feed
dilution systems, and underflow pump and
pipeline systems.
Finally, the company cemented its reputation as
a leading long distance slurry pipeline engineering
company, when it received the 2015 award from
the South African Institution of Civil Engineers for
the best International Project by a South African
company for its role in the detailed design and
engineering of the Khourigba to Jorf Lasfar
phosphate slurry pipeline in Morocco, one of the
world’s largest slurry pipelines.
Blasting leader pioneers verticalemulsion pipelinePumping emulsion vertically from surface to
underground has saved costs for a South
African narrow-reef gold mine, as well as
relieved congestion in its decline shaft, and
streamlined the safe passage of emulsion to
stopes and development ends. In a ground-
breaking project, South African explosives
major, BME, is working with a gold mine near
Johannesburg to pump its highly stable BME
Megapump double-salt emulsion 318 m
vertically down into the mine.
This will be the first time that emulsions have
been pumped to this depth, according to BME
Senior Operations Manager Selwyn Pearton.
“Having pioneered cold emulsions in SA over 30
years ago, BME is now not only a market leader in
high-quality explosives for various applications,
but has also developed a range of fit-for-purpose
equipment and services that optimise the value
our clients extract from emulsions in a range of
mining environments.” In this application,
emulsion is delivered in bulk to a feed-point on
surface located at a remote point away from the
mine’s shaft complex, and transferred down a
dedicated pipeline to a central storage facility
underground comprising two 40 t tanks.
“This is possible because the emulsion remains in
a non-explosive state until it is pumped into
blastholes and sensitised,” said Pearton. “Its
classification as a 5.1 oxidiser in terms of the United
Nations transport classifications allows it to be
transported without the stringent safety requirements
applied to alternative forms of explosives.”
He says the other crucial factor was the high
level of stability in BME’s emulsions, enabling
them to be pumped numerous times and stored
for extended periods if necessary – qualities he
says are unmatched by competitor products. The
underground storage tanks then feed BME’s
emulsion charging units, which deliver emulsion to
the development ends where it is pumped into
holes drilled by drifter rigs.
To charge holes in a narrow reef horizon –
common conditions in South African gold and
platinum mining – BME has developed hand-held
portable charging units (PCUs) which draw
emulsion from 20 kg re-usable bags. The
proprietary Closed Emulsion System™ developed
by BME transfers emulsion from bag-filling
stations underground to the blast face while
eliminating the contamination of emulsion and the
generation of waste during transfer.
“Once again, it is the non-explosive
classification of Megapump emulsion that allows it
to be transported to the work place early in the
shift allowing for vital savings in cycle time that
may be the deciding factor in achieving a daily
blast or not,” he said.
Added to the emulsion during the final
blasthole charging phase, the sensitiser comprises
only a fraction of the volume of the total
explosives used – so can be carried by hand from
surface or from secure underground loading
stations. Only once the sensitiser has been added
does the emulsion become an explosive and
capable of detonation.
To enhance efficiency and cost-saving, the flow
and usage of emulsion underground is constantly
monitored. Loadcells weigh the tanks and
cassettes at various points in the supply chain,
and transmit the data via fibre-optic cable to
management information systems on surface for
checking.
Pearton said recent SA mining regulations
aimed at improving safety at the workface now
required that all drilling be completed before any
explosives be brought into the working area. “This
will slow down the work rate as the delivery of
explosives will have to wait until drilling has
stopped,” he said. “As emulsions are not classified
as explosives until they are sensitised in the
drillhole, they will not be affected by these
regulations – so now offer mines an added
efficiency benefit.”
In another recent development, BME has also
developed a shaft-sinking pod for charging drill-
36 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY
Illustration of storage tankswhere the emulsion has beenpumped underground throughthe vertical pipeline
SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY_proof 16/12/2015 09:24 Page 7
holes where a shaft is being sunk. The units make use of air-driven power
packs and can charge a development end faster than cartridges.
Mali mine coolingBBE Projects has been awarded a mine cooling project for the complete
turnkey design and build of two refrigeration and air-cooling installations in
Mali. This was BBE Project’s third refrigeration installation in 2015 in Africa,
the first being the second phase of the air-cooling programme at Acacia
Mining’s Bulyanhulu gold mine in Tanzania, comprising two 3.5 MWr York
ammonia screw compressor refrigeration machines producing chilled water
for a surface bulk air-cooling tower straddling a 1,000 m deep dedicated
ventilation hole for the west section of the mine. The second installation
wasan underground plant comprising three Trane 1.5 MWr three-stage
centrifugal refrigeration machines providing chilled water through a closed-
circuit network of cooling cars at a depth of almost 3,000 m at Sibanye’s
Driefontein gold mine.
The mine cooling project in Mali is for coolers that will be located on
surface at the top of two new dedicated downcast ventilation holes at a gold
mine. The coolers will each provide more than 14 MWr of air-conditioning for
the deeper levels of the underground workings. Each installation will
comprise two 7 MWr dual-compressor York YD R134a refrigeration machines
producing chilled water for a horizontal spray chamber.
“A particular feature of these installations is that the air will be drawn
through the ventilation holes by underground fans, so that the surface air
coolers will be under a slight negative pressure from the induced ventilation,”
says Richard Gundersen, Managing Director of BBE Projects. “This has
allowed the selection of lightweight building materials for the shell of the air
coolers which offers savings in terms of cost and also speed of erection.
Likewise, the condenser cooling towers for heat rejection will be constructed
from lightweight FRP components with similar cost and time benefits.”
The shell of the bulk air cooler will be assembled from 1,200 mm wide
steel-clad insulated panels fitting together in a tongue-and-groove manner,
coupled with a light aluminium structure and attached directly alongside the
main plant room. The use of this material and the resulting compact layout
also contribute to a high thermal efficiency as the chilled water from the
refrigeration machine is sprayed directly into the intake air stream, with no
losses from interconnecting pipework. The entire plant occupies a footprint of
just 50 m2.
With all power for the mine coming from on-site generators, Gundersen
says that special attention has been paid to overall system efficiency and low
power consumption of the cooling system. “This affects several design
parameters such as the number of tubes in the heat exchangers, water
flowrates in the two circuits and the size (and therefore thermal approach) of
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the condenser cooling towers. The generators
have also required careful consideration of
electrical start-up demands and the selection of
the dual compressor machines has halved the
maximum instantaneous start-up current.
Nevertheless, starting the plant will require a
handshake protocol with the power station to
acknowledge and prepare for the build-up of an
additional 3 MW electrical load onto the system,”
says Gundersen.
The remoteness of the location has
necessitated that the cooling system be designed
to be simple to operate with a minimum of control
elements. Consequently, there is only one
temperature-controlled valve on the water circuits
in the entire plant and load control of the
compressors is achieved with conventional inlet
guide vanes.
Being vital to mining operations, the
specifications place particular emphasis on overall
system availability which has been designed with
generous modularity and is well-equipped with
stand-by equipment and components. All water
circuits have permanently installed stand-by
pumps.
Gundersen says that civil construction activities
have already started at the first of the two sites
and the first plant will be operational by mid-2016.
The construction and commissioning of the second
plant runs in parallel to the first plant with a
stagger of about two months. BBE Projects will
engage local contractors for the on-site
construction, erection and installation works.
Reimagining pit radarWith the new MSR range, Reutech says that it set out
to do the “impossible”: to design a state of the art
strategic monitoring radar and a cutting edge tactical
monitoring radar in one. “That meant reimagining the
way in which we combine high performance radar
hardware with our innovative software.” The result is
the new MSR Series powered by ScatterX. Alex
Pienaar – Regional Marketing and Sales Manager at
Reutech said: “the current mining industry does not
require more solutions, it requires smarter solutions.
This is a product so revolutionary that it has changed
the perception on the capabilities of Real Aperture
Radars.
“ScatterX is the reason that there’s nothing
quite like the MSR. Because Reutech engineered
both the hardware and the software, everything is
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SOUTH AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY_proof 16/12/2015 09:25 Page 9
designed to work together seamlessly. It brings
together cutting edge radar hardware with
powerful software to offer a game changing slope
monitoring radar that is at the forefront of what is
technologically possible. ScatterX improves the
MSR offering in four key areas, namely resolution,
scan speed, atmospherics and range.”
The MSR Series powered by ScatterX offers
highly accurate 3D-Dimensional radar data “with
unrivalled quality and detail of movement,”
making it possible to track and alarm on very
small movement mechanisms. That means that
the MSR can be used for permanent stability
monitoring as well as the ad hoc monitoring or
surveying of other areas of interest such as waste
dumps or tailings dams. With fast scan speeds,
the MSR Series is now able to track faster moving
failures over extremely broad areas.
Optimised onboard data handling and high
speed wireless communication capabilities,
delivers geotechnical data and alarming
functionality in real time. “This translates to a
comprehensive understanding of slope stability
performance in an environment where dynamic
decision making ensures improved safety and
increased productivity.” Advanced digital signal
processing algorithms improve flexibility by
eliminating the need for Known Stable regions.
The ability to operate at reach distances of up to
4,000 m is a direct result of the improvement in
the this area.
Technical advancementsProject delivery company WorleyParsons states
that in the current climate it is focusing on
“implementing technical solutions that will bring
projects to fruition quicker, with reduced costs to
the customer.”
Henry Jonker, General Manager – Minerals,
Metals & Chemicals for WorleyParsons RSA,
explains that the company is continuously
evolving with technology and that it is becoming
the norm for all new projects to utilise technical
advancements in order to work more efficiently
and cost effectively. “We want to demonstrate to
our customers that we can add value by doing
things differently through technology, and we
encourage them to take a more of an intellectual
design view which will ensure that a project will be
executed in a more effective and quicker way. For
example, we are deploying integrated and
intelligent design engineering systems such as
SmartPlant on a number of projects, which uses
3D technology to gain intelligence that will
streamline efficiencies,” explains Jonker.
Mushir Khan, Manager of Engineering at
WorleyParsons RSA, comments: “There are very
few companies implementing the full intelligent
design suite and WorleyParsons is leading the
field in the mining industry with an integrated
application of this technology. Its power lies in the
fact that it delivers myriad downstream benefits,
including meeting budgets, coming in on
schedule, reducing rework, minimising
contractors’ standing time, implementing JIT
procurement strategies and implementing
logistics.”
“The rapid development and application of
digital technologies, automation and
mechanisation is fundamental to meeting the
challenge of safety in future capital intensive
mining projects such as shaft development,” adds
Murray Macnab, Global Director, Mining & Mine
Development at WorleyParsons RSA.
Through data integrity alone, Macnab says it
is possible to achieve significant capital costs
reduction through reduced leakage at the
interfaces and removal of rework, and increased
speed to market through reduced project cycle
times as a result of the re-use of data and
design.
In executing the detailed engineering design for
the permanent surface and underground
infrastructure at De Beers’ Venetia diamond mine
underground project, WorleyParsons harnessed a
methodology to create an intelligent 3D model of
the vertical shaft that incorporates the historic and
technical information of every component. In using
3D modelling to design the vertical shaft from
scratch, the customer has been able to review the
designs and have any changes incorporated and
represented in the model well before fabrication
even commences, which has effectively shortened
and de-risked the design process. IM
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 39
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Lubricants are critically important to keep
mining equipment running and minimise
maintenance; with a number of specialist
products available developed specifically for the
mining industry. At an anthracite coal open pit
mine in remote Siberia, extreme weather
conditions are common with temperatures
reaching as low as -50°C. A mining customer
invested in the modernisation of equipment, and
purchased new Liebherr hydraulic mining
excavators and mining crawler dozers. A
temperature of -51°C was established as the
critical temperature limit for the equipment
service. The customer requested a hydraulic oil
that could reliably perform down to this limiting
value.
The regional ExxonMobil Lubrication Field
Engineer recommended Mobil UnivisTM HVI 26,
a premium performance anti-wear hydraulic oil
with an unusually high viscosity index and very
low pour point, “giving this product excellent
viscosity control characteristics” and an ability
to maintain excellent fluidity conditions at low
temperatures. Its excellent rust and corrosion
protection properties, combined with an equally
effective oxidation resistance guarantee
equipment protection and a long service life.
ExxonMobil, following the implementation of
Mobil Univis HVI 26, reported recently that no
unscheduled downtime has been recorded, even
when the surrounding temperatures reached -
50°C. Furthermore the hydraulic oil retained its
fluidity and its lubricating properties at critical
temperature levels. Inspection of internal
components of the hydraulic system confirmed
absence of deposits or
wear, “demonstrating the great cleaning and
protective abilities of the oil.”
Anderol Specialty Lubricants, a division of
Chemtura Corporation, has announced that the
ANDEROL® 5000 PLUS EP Synthetic Gear Oil
product series, which is designed for gear
applications requiring high micro pitting
resistance and protection under extreme
conditions, is the first product to receive
approval from General Electric (GE) for use in
off-highway vehicle motorised wheel gearbox
applications under GE’s new gear oil
specification D50E35. The approvals are for ISO
VG 220, 320, 460, and 680. The new
specification goes into effect on January 1, 2016
and requires high micro pitting resistance and
superior performance in other demanding bench
tests. The off-highway vehicle industry is a
growing market that includes heavy-duty
equipment such as mining haul trucks. These
gearboxes are subjected to high loads and low
speeds, which highly stress the lubricant. These
operating conditions can result in micro pitting
damage, a precursor to pitting and gear failure.
“On January 1, the current GE OHV Gearbox oil
specification D50E27 will become obsolete, and
any future maintenance for existing and new
equipment under warranty must use the
lubricants approved under the new specification
D50E35,” says Salvatore Rea, Chemtura OEM
Liaison. “We’re proud that ANDEROL® 5000
PLUS EP meets the new, rigorous standards set
by GE and the growing performance demands of
all industrial gearbox manufacturers.”
The PAO/ester-based ANDEROL® 5000 PLUS
EP gear oils are formulated using a specific
balance of advanced synthetic base stocks and
additives “to provide performance greatly
superior to conventional petroleum oils,
including significantly improved load carrying
ability, excellent wear and rust protection,
higher viscosity indices, higher flash points, low
pour points, cleaner running systems and
improved thermal and oxidative stability. This
helps promote higher gearbox reliability,
extended lubricant life and reduced
maintenance costs for the end user.”
Being central to effective production in the
mining industry, crushers need to work 24/7
preferably with no unscheduled maintenance as
when crushers do not run, the entire production
chain stops. Keeping crushers running depends
upon a series of factors but it is well
documented that 80% of machinery repairs,
unplanned stops and maintenance costs are
caused by contaminated oil. So to keep the
crusher running, a key factor is to keep the oil
clean.
With over 60 years of working with oil
filtration in the harshest working mine
environments from the Arctic to the Chilean
Atacama, C.C.JENSEN says that “changing the oil
because it is dirty, is a waste of money and work
time. If the lubricating facilities are intact and
the oil is contaminated by particles, varnish and
water, it is by far a better solution to clean the
oil; and keep it clean during operation. Actually,
a quite simple continuous offline oil filtration
system can be installed. This will potentially
increase uptime to 80% and always keep the oil
clean.”
Customers often state that they already have
an Inline Filter. C.C.JENSEN states: “We often
hear this as one of the opening remarks when
we talk to maintenance crews about clean oil. It
is true that most hydraulic and lubricating
systems are fitted with an inline pressure filter
by the manufacturer. However, most inline filters
are limited to a rating of 10–30 microns. Since
the tolerances between the moving parts in
most mining equipment are much lower, filtering
down to 10 microns is insufficient. The ideal
solution is to filter down to 3 microns or
possibly lower.”
C.C.JENSEN delivers offline solutions that
remove practically all metal, dust and sand
particles as well as water from the oil, often
returning the oil with ISO cleanliness exceeding
the machinery manufacturers’ requirements.
“The very large dirt holding capacity of the filter
inserts makes it possible to clean the oil
continuously and when the filter inserts are
saturated with contamination, they can be
changed easily, even without stopping
production.”
There are several advantages of not having to
change the oil but clean it instead. First, it
ensures more uptime, as oil changes are time-
consuming and require production to be
stopped. It has become an industry perception
that you have to shut down your crushers every
four to six months to change oil. “The truth is
that three out of four oil changes can be
eliminated if the oil is properly maintained. An
Keeping equipment runningproperly with the longestpossible service intervalsrequires the right approachto fluids and lubricants andthe right planning forscheduled maintenance,reports Paul Moore
Lubrication Engineers Pty Ltd has developed arange of purpose built lubrication storage anddispensing systems. Designed as drop-in, plugand play solutions, the isoPOD Storage &Dispensing Systems come complete, housedwithin their own structure
Fluid maintenance
MAINTENANCE
40 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
MAINTENANCE_proof 17/12/2015 12:06 Page 1
oil change can easily cost $100,000 in downtime
per month. Second, it reduces wear, prolongs
equipment life up to 3.5 times according to
studies, and prevents unexpected breakdowns
and shutdowns with costly downtime as a
consequence.” Similar benefits can be seen on
SAG and ball mills and other critical mining
equipment.
BHPB majority-owned Minera Escondida saw
savings of €393,000, as the number of annual
shutdowns was reduced from four lasting 12
hours to one lasting
six hours. Another site
experienced
reductions in oil
consumption – a
Chilean mine reduced
the annual oil
consumption from
5,800 litres to 800
litres and another site
had similar reductions
in replacements of
worn parts. Kumba
Iron Ore’s Sishen mine
in South Africa saw
savings of €70,000
per year, because instead of exchanging three
bushings they only had to replace one.
Global mining companies, well-known mining
sites but also some of the leading mining
equipment OEMs include CJC™ Offline Oil
Filters on their hydraulic, lube and diesel
systems. The company states: “The solutions
guarantee cleaner oil, less wear, longer lifetime
of equipment, more uptime and financial
benefits, not to mention the positive effects on
not only the environment but also the working
environment. Maintenance and repair crews will
be much less exposed to the always potentially
hazardous consequences and tasks of any
breakdown and unplanned stop.”
CJC™ Offline Fine Filters and CJC™ Filter
Separators can be installed in most mining
applications, such as crushers, mills, diesel fuel
farms, hydraulic systems, dump trucks and
excavators (differentials, engine lube oil,
transmissions, wheel motors), and drilling rigs.
The company cites the benefits of clean oil as
an up to 50% reduction in use of bushings in
crushers; up to 80% reduction in oil
consumption; up to 80% reduction in
shutdowns; up to 70% reduction in use of inline
filters.
The storage and dispensing of lubricants
within the mining industry can often be
challenging for a variety of reasons yet because
lubricants remain a key link in the reliability
chain, it is important that they are dispensed
both cleanly and efficiently into machines if
order to maintain supreme reliability and
operational effectiveness.
Typically the solution to the storage and
dispensing lubricants has been to build
permanent structures within the various
facilities around to mine to support both mobile
equipment and fixed plant, however they are not
always the best solution. Such structures can be
high in capital cost; time consuming to design,
manage and build; and require significant civil
works. They may also need to meet strict
government, environmental or safety regulations
and can be inflexible when it comes time for the
MAINTENANCE
Kumba Iron Ore’s Sishen mine in South Africasaw savings of €70,000 per year using CJC oilfilters on its crushers
MAINTENANCE_proof 16/12/2015 10:19 Page 2
mine to either expand or change due to
operational requirements.
Lubrication Engineers Pty Ltd told IM it has
been able to solve many of these issues with a
range of purpose built lubrication storage and
dispensing systems. Designed as drop-in, plug
and play solutions, the isoPOD™ Storage &
Dispensing Systems come complete, housed
within their own structure and come in a variety
of sizes and designs to suit almost any
requirement. Design variations for the service of
equipment using hose reels are available as are
systems for internal dispensing via lube bays for
smaller volume lubes. The systems are designed
and built in Australia to Australian standard
AS1940-2004 – the storage and handling of
flammable and combustible liquids.
Finally is the issue of lubricant production and
blending in major mining regions. As part of its
continued growth strategy, Shell recently opened
its latest lubricant blending plant in Asia and the
largest internationally operated lubricant plant in
Indonesia. The facility is located at the Marunda
Centre, north of Jakarta and sits on 75,000 m2 of
land. The plant is capable of producing 120,000 t
(136 million litres) of finished lubricants a year.
“This plant is testament to our confidence in
the strength of the lubricants market in the
country. Indonesia is the largest lubricants
market in Southeast Asia and is one of the
growth engines for the industry in the region,
alongside China and India. This plant brings our
world-class lubricant production capability to
Indonesia, strengthening our global supply chain.
It enables us to meet the lubricant needs of our
Indonesian customers, with our high quality and
premium lubricants, made at this new facility.
Indonesia’s economy has grown rapidly in recent
years and lubricants are an essential enabler for
this country’s growth ambitions in almost every
sector,” said Mark Gainsborough, Executive Vice
President of Shell Lubricants.
The plant will produce Shell’s leading
lubricants brand which in mining include Shell
Rimula (heavy duty engine oil), Shell Spirax
(transmission oil), as well as other industrial
lubricants. These products will support
Indonesia’s growing
demand for vehicle
motor oils and other
lubricants for
applications in sectors
like mining.
“The plant has
world-class,
automated lubricant
blending, filling and
packaging technology.
It is equipped with a
stringent quality
control system that
tests lubricants at all stages of production to
ensure products meet the high quality
specifications associated with Shell’s brands.”
Shell owns 100% and operates this plant, thus
ensuring full control over product quality. This
new Indonesia blending plant is also designed to
meet high environmental standards including
measures to reduce waste and carefully control
waste disposal to ensure no harm to the
environment. “All processes at the plant are fully
automated and controlled at all stages by
operators based at the control room. A plant
management system will be installed and control
all stages of production.”
Shell Lubricants is active both in the consumer
and industrial markets in Indonesia. Aside from
direct sales, Shell is also supported by over 30
authorised distributors throughout Indonesia. To
date, Shell has imported lubricants to Indonesia.
With this new lubricant plant, Shell is able to
manufacture and supply a full range of locally
produced, high-quality motor oils, transmission
oils and industrial lubricants to the Indonesian
mining market. Shell operates close to 50
lubricant blending plants in 32 countries, 18 of
which are in located in Asia, specifically, in China,
India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore,
South Korea and Vietnam.
Powering maintenanceMatthew Fredericks, Aggreko’s Head of Mining in
Africa told IM: “Depending on size and location,
an estimated 30-50% of a mine’s costs are spent
on maintaining equipment. Add to this the cost of
lost profits resulting from a halt in production,
and maintenance can have a detrimental impact
on a mine’s finances. The flexibility, improved
efficiency and scalability of modular power,
providing the right amount of power when
needed and thus reducing costs, is key to
minimising the economic impact of these
necessary processes. This is particularly true for
mines in remote locations. Isolated in remote
areas, operational downtime caused by
unplanned maintenance can be increased
considerably if adequate power is not available
to facilitate this. Transport of generators can take
weeks depending on the environment and so a
contingency energy strategy, specifically
addressing both planned and unplanned
maintenance needs, should be incorporated into
the initial planning process in partnership with
modular power specialists.”
Ensuring adequate power is available when
needed is key to mitigating the risk of further
delays and lost profits. This demand should be
reassessed regularly, particularly where seasonal
changes and aging infrastructure is likely to have
an impact.
“Of course, energy infrastructure also needs to
be maintained. Adopting smaller engine units, 20
1 MW engines rather that one 20 MW engine for
example, carries less risk of total blackout during
maintenance or breakdown and reduces costs
associated with uneconomical redundancy.
Allowing for more regular maintenance, this
approach also helps to prevent disruptions and
protects high operational and production levels.”
Drive system maintenancePower management company Eaton recently
announced a new Airflex® Torque Limiting
Coupling, which increases torque by 25% and
provides an automatic slip detection system to
help decrease maintenance costs and downtime
during operation. Designed to withstand high
torque spikes found in grinding mills and heavy
duty variable frequency drive applications, the
Airflex Torque Limiting Coupling utilises
automatic reset and re-engage and automatic
wear compensation to help safeguard expensive
driveline components. The new coupling features
adjustable slip detection control, which
automatically disengages the torque limiting
coupling if slip is detected between the motor
and the pinion. The required overload torque can
be easily set and adjusted by varying the applied
air pressure. Re-applying the predetermined air
pressure quickly and automatically resets the
coupling. “As grinding mill drivelines are
migrating from clutch-based drivelines to variable
frequency drive (VFD) systems, Eaton’s new
generation of Torque Limiting Couplings are
answering the call to protect equipment from
damage during unexpected torque overloads,”
said Mike Williams, Product Line Manager, Eaton.
“The advanced Airflex Torque Limiting Coupling
solution is designed to reset and restart nearly
instantaneously, striving to achieve maximum
uptime for mill operations.”
The torque settings of the Airflex Torque
Limiting Coupling remain constant throughout
the service life, requiring no periodic
adjustments, lubrication, calibration or other
preventative maintenance.
Eaton’s Airflex Torque Limiting Couplings are
available in a wide range of sizes, from 51 to 76
in, with a torque range capacity of 2.5 million
42 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
MAINTENANCE
Shell’s new lubricant blending plant inIndonesia is capable of producing120,000 t (136 million litres) of finishedlubricants a year
MAINTENANCE_proof 16/12/2015 10:20 Page 3
inch-pounds to 12.1 million inch-pounds on
grinding mill applications of 4,000 hp and above.
Maintenance service contractsMajor plant wide service contracts are becoming
more important as mines entrust this work to the
key players, allowing them to focus on the
mining and mineral processing itself. FLSmidth
has signed a five-year maintenance contract with
the Chilean copper producer Minera Doña Ines de
Collahuasi for the supply of maintenance services
for their copper plant in Chile. The plant is
located in the Andes mountains, 3,500 to 4,000
m above sea level, close to the Chilean-Bolivian
border. The plant has a capacity of more than
140,000 t of processed rock per day.
The order covers supply of maintenance
services of three production lines of the
concentrator plant as well as of the tailings and
pipeline areas. The staff required for the
maintenance services is approximately 190
people. “Service is a strategic growth lever for
FLSmidth. We build long-term partnerships with
key customers by bringing best in class knowhow
and world leading expertise to maximise their
productivity and return on assets, while
maintaining the highest safety standards,” says
Group Executive Vice President, Customer
Services Division Brian Day.
In May 2015, FLSmidth was awarded four
prizes by the Chilean National Safety Council for
outstanding safety achievements in several
contracts. A significant award was for 15 years
without lost time injuries achieved in the Puerto
Punta Chungo contract with Minera Los
Pelambres.
The order will be booked gradually by the
Customer Services Division and contribute
beneficially to FLSmidth's order intake, revenue
and earnings until mid-2020.
Outotec has agreed to acquire the business of
Sinter Plant Services CC in South Africa from the
founders of the company to complement its
service offering to South African ferrochrome
plants. The transaction was expected to be
closed by the end of 2015. Sinter Plant Services
provides spare parts and services to South
African ferrochrome plants from its service centre
and manufacturing facility close to Johannesburg.
Metso announced in October 2015 that it had
won a service contract for the maintenance and
wear parts supply of FQM Kevitsa mine's primary
gyratory crusher. The Kevitsa copper-nickel mine
is located in Sodankylä, Finland.
The contract for the primary gyratory crusher is
yet another step in the successful service
collaboration between the two companies. Earlier
this year, Kevitsa entrusted the wear parts supply
and installation as well as wear parts
optimisation of its grinding mills to Metso. “So
far, the results have been impressive and the
duration of service shutdowns has decreased.
Now the aim is to achieve similar improvements
with the primary gyratory crusher, with longer
lifetime of wear parts being the most important
goal.”
“When we made the decision to update our
mill linings and switch from traditional liners to
Metso's innovative Megaliner, it became obvious
that the primary gyratory crusher would be the
next obstacle on our way to full capacity," says
Timo Ikäheimonen, Maintenance Planning
Manager at FQM Kevitsa.
“At Kevitsa, we find it important to improve the
entire plant in a balanced way instead of just
optimising individual process parts. Therefore,
we began negotiations with Metso well in
advance to ensure that the lifetime and change-
out of the primary gyratory crusher's wear parts
would correspond to the higher availability
requirements for the crusher as well as to the
needs of the process. Metso’s ability to
simultaneously optimise the wear parts and their
installation as an integrated process played a key
role in our decision to collaborate with them on
the non-Metso crusher,” Ikäheimonen continues.
Metso says its ability to offer a customised,
long-term optimisation plan played a key role in
Kevitsa's decision. “Metso was able to offer us
the best total solution. They had convincing test
results of our ore already in the proposal phase
and a clear development plan for the particular
needs of our process and installation,” says
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 43
MAINTENANCE
C.C.JENSEN A/STlf. +45 6321 2014 | [email protected] | www.cjc.dk
Introducing New Standards
80% of all breakdowns are caused by contaminated oil!Fact is, oil can be cleaned and
Same oil20 min. later
Clean Oil - with CJC™ Oil Filters• Eliminate 3 out of 4 oil changes on crushers and mills• Go from 250 to 1,000 hours on engine lube oil•• Achieve 18,000 running hours on high-pressure
common rail diesel injectors Oil without
MAINTENANCE_proof 16/12/2015 10:20 Page 4
Heikki Kamula, Maintenance Engineer, FQM
Kevitsa. "Metso has a clear, integrated view, and
a well-defined path for the long run,” he
continues.
The primary gyratory crusher and the grinding
mills are manufactured by other, non-Metso
suppliers. However, careful selection and state-
of-the-art design of the wear parts for these
machines are crucial to the operation. Longer
lifetime of wear parts translates to more
production hours and better profitability.
“The fact that Kevitsa is entrusting new parts
of their process, whether Metso equipment or
not, to us is a clear demonstration of Metso’s
deep minerals processing knowledge and of the
big difference our expert services can make in
their business,” says
Jouko Tolonen, Regional
Sales Manager, Metso.
In addition to crusher
wear parts optimisation,
Metso will also apply its
expertise to improving
the safety of service
actions by designing
new accessories for the installation of the wear parts. The first crusher wear parts were supplied
to the Finnish mine in Q4 2015, and Metso will
effectively take over the maintenance from the
beginning of 2016.
Screening maintenanceMines use different programs and services to
increase equipment productivity and extend
lifecycle, because implementing innovative
technology and tools helps to minimise
downtime and increase ROI.
In screening, Haver & Boecker recommends
looking for a vibration analysis system designed
specifically for vibrating screens. Karen
Thompson, President of Haver & Boecker Canada
told IM: “This offers mining operations a way to
safely monitor their screens’ performance in real
time. The vibration analysis system should have
eight triaxial sensors, which attach to key places
on the equipment. From there, the sensors
transmit 24 channels of data to a heavy-duty
tablet, which then illustrates the machine’s orbit,
acceleration and deviations. An advanced
vibration analysis system transfers data
wirelessly to a certified engineering team, where
they evaluate the machine’s performance, alert
the user to any issues, and suggest
recommendations for improvement.”
The company also advises operators to partner
with a manufacturer to ensure heightened
equipment functionality through programs such
as screen installation, commissioning and
operator training. Thompson adds: “Although
producers might take the time to perform
preventative maintenance themselves, larger
problems can occur and cause extended
downtime if it’s not done correctly. That’s where a
manufacturer comes in. A thorough, trained
technician should walk through a detailed
checklist to evaluate screening equipment, train
personnel on proper operation and screen
installation, and work with the customer to
develop a preventative maintenance plan.”
Screen operators can also take the guesswork
out of installation by working closely with a
screen media expert. “Even with the best
MAINTENANCE
44 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
Haver & Boeckeradvises mine screenoperators to look for avibration analysissystem designedspecifically forvibrating screens
http://im-projectnews.com/
MAINTENANCE_proof 16/12/2015 10:20 Page 5
maintenance plans, issues occur if screen
media isn’t properly selected and installed.
Sometimes producers struggle with blinding as
clay-heavy materials clog the screen openings,
or pegging, where near-sized stones get
trapped in screen media openings. Working
with a manufacturer proficient in screen media
takes the guesswork out of screen selection
and installation as well as ensuring extended
life of the screen.”
Finally, Haver & Boecker says operators should
optimise production with trained technicians.
“Some manufacturers include programs — such
as onsite maintenance, screen installation,
training and analyses of operational safety and
performance — in a single plan. These programs
might even offer complete machine refurbishment,
machine monitoring and servicing, as well as
related services to maximise uptime.”
The company concludes: “Overall, maintaining
equipment increases the longevity and efficiency
of machines. And, as with any business, profits
are the key measure of success. A good
maintenance program focused on preventing
downtime pulls together vibration analysis,
proper screen selection and installation, as well
as implementing in-house training and
preventative maintenance schedules. Also,
partnering with the right manufacturer ensures
peak equipment performance and reliability for
years to come.”
Maintenance toolsEnerpac has introduced the SL400 hydraulic
gantry, the company’s highest capacity bare
cylinder gantry with numerous mining
applications particularly for workshop service
and heavy maintenance of large open pit
machines. Equipped with three stage lifting
cylinders, the SL400 lifts up to 30 ft at the top of
the third stage and can handle up to 450 t at the
top of the second stage. Designed to meet
stringent safety requirements, the SL400
complies with the safety standards set by ASME
B30.1-2015. To ensure quality performance, each
gantry is tested to 120% of capacity at full
extension and witness tested by a qualified third
party organisation. The SL400 is also CE
compliant.
“Providing a more advanced solution than
standard lifting systems, the SL400 hydraulic
gantry offers unique features such as a wireless
control system and integrated self-propelled
drive system," said Peter Crisci, Enerpac. "These
features, combined with safe, reliable
performance, allow our customers to satisfy their
complicated lifting applications.”
Featuring a unique Intellilift wireless control
system, the SL400 provides optimum
performance and allows for unobstructed views
of the load. The control system allows users to
operate the lift locally at each leg or use the
Intellilift remote control. The wireless system
ensures automatic synchronisation of lifting with
accuracy of 1 in and automatic synchronisation
of travel with accuracy of 0.60 in. For enhanced
durability, the SL400 offers a sturdy, proven base
frame that can withstand a variety of
environmental conditions. It can also be
equipped with a powered side shift for easy
operation.
MAINTENANCE
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Enerpac has introduced the SL400 hydraulicgantry, the company’s highest capacity barecylinder gantry with numerous miningapplications particularly for workshop serviceand heavy maintenance of large open pitmachines
MAINTENANCE_proof 16/12/2015 10:20 Page 6
Reduced wash time savingsThe Vestergaard Hi-Lift Pressure Cleaner is a
brand new washer solution aimed to help the
mining industry reduce the massive amount of
time spent on cleaning heavy mining equipment.
Typically equipment is cleaned for maintenance
at fixed intervals, but also the cleaning time
needed during breakdowns is a huge cost factor.
With a possible work height of up to 15.5 m
the Hi-Lift Pressure Cleaner allows “easy access
to even the most difficult reachable parts of the
heavy mining equipment.” The Hi-Lift Pressure
Cleaner has 7,600 litre tanks for water and
detergent. Cleaning of mining equipment is done
with a very efficient hi-pressure spray gun by an
operator in a liftable basket. The unit is one-man
operated, meaning it can be driven from the
basket and is easily manoeuverable, but two
operators can work from the unit using different
guns. Safety for both users and surrounding has
been a top priority in the development of the
unit.
“The unique boom system – rotating at its
base – provides a very wide operating area with
smooth and proportional movements as well as
great versatility. The advanced boom suspension
system provides an almost vertical lifting
movement improving stability and a horizontal
reach at all work heights. Compared to the
traditional washing methods currently used for
mining equipment the Vestergaard Hi-Lift
Pressure Cleaner requires very little setup time
and no outriggers are required. As it comes on its
own chassis, the unit is simply driven to the site
of the mine equipment in question, and is ready
to clean right away. This all contributes to
reducing the time the equipment is out of
operation due to cleaning.”
Using the components and systems from de-
icing systems that have already proven
themselves over the years, the Vestergaard Hi-Lift
Pressure Cleaner is a unique, purpose-built truck,
providing customers with reliable and efficient
mining equipment washing capability. The unit
provides both high pressure and low pressure
guns, has fluid flows of up
to 240 litres/min, a
designated tank for
detergent, and is built on a
chassis from well-known
suppliers. It is specially
modified for the extreme
conditions in the mining
environment, and the unit
is very durable. It is built
in stainless steel; and all
surfaces are metallised or
painted using high quality priming and painting.
“With efficient cleaning using the Vestergaard
Hi-Lift Pressure Cleaner companies will reduce
both cleaning time, water used and down time
for equipment out of operation for cleaning. Less
water and detergent used reduce the impact on
the environment…an additional advantage is the
possibility to get a close detailed look at the
equipment while cleaning and thus being able to
locate parts that need maintenance and get them
repaired before they break and send the
equipment out of operation for a longer period.”
The Vestergaard Hi-Lift Pressure Cleaner has
Australian road approval and conforms to every
safety rule in the Australian mining industry, a
huge advantage being that it can be driven from
site to site and quickly put into the pit where it is
needed. It has been developed in a cooperation
between Denmark-based Vestergaard and Giraffe
Equipment in Australia.
Power of performance dashboardsThe right goals and metrics can help drive
desired behaviour and improve operational
performance. However, well-defined goals and
metrics are only half the battle. Dingo told IM:
“When we engage with a mine site, we often find
that the various departments operate in silos and
have different, sometimes competing, objectives.
When reliability, maintenance, and operations
teams have independent initiatives that don’t roll
up to the overarching goals of the mine, it can
create a disjointed, inefficient operating
environment. Moreover, people tend to focus on
functional task-completion versus goal
attainment. To help get everyone on the same
page and focused on the right goals and
activities to maximise productivity, Dingo created
a web-based, universally accessible Trakka®
Asset Health Dashboard.”
By spanning functions and levels, the
dashboard not only encourages teams to develop
goals and metrics that tie to the mine’s
overarching objectives, but it also creates
transparency and consistency. When everyone is
looking at the same information in the same
system, they are getting the necessary context to
prioritise and perform the most important work
for the mine, versus the most important work for
their department. “And the right work typically
gets completed quickly and correctly, because
what gets measured, gets done. By providing
clear, universal goals, and visibly measuring
them, the new Asset Health Dashboard from
Dingo has helped break down cross-functional
barriers, increase accountability, and dramatically
improve operational efficiency.”
The Trakka Asset Health Dashboard provides a
view into live Asset Health data that allows users
to quickly and easily track performance, while
alerting team members to potential issues. This
functionality is available from any web enabled
device. The dashboard presents data at a mine
site level and can be filtered down to Location
specific information.
The dashboard provides increased visibility to
“at risk” components; a streamlined view of all
components in abnormal condition ranked by
dollar value; enhanced planning capabilities; and
a snapshot of high-hour components along with
a view of all components replaced in the last 30
days to aid with the planning of future
component replacements. With improved action
tracking it provides a list of all overdue actions to
help the team prioritise critical work while
advanced KPI Tracking keeps the financial
impacts and component life achievements of the
Asset Health program visible. IM
MAINTENANCE
46 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
Dingo’s Trakka Asset Health Dashboard
The Vestergaard Hi-Lift Pressure Cleaner is abrand new washer solution aimed to help themining industry reduce the massive amount oftime spent on cleaning heavy mining equipment
MAINTENANCE_proof 17/12/2015 12:07 Page 7
www.smenet.org#societyformining
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MINING IN A DATA-DRIVEN WORLD
THE FUTURE FOR
MINING IN A DATA-DRIVEN WORLD
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SME3533 ACE ProfDev-IM-FullPg.indd 1 12/7/15 10:34 AM
Anumber of different strategies have been
developed to monitor and manage fatigue
in mining, while in the area of collision
avoidance, a lot of progress has also been
made, thanks in part to the work done on semi-
autonomous and autonomous mining operation.
Perhaps the most significant progress in both
areas of the industry is real industry take-up
and a move from trials and pilot programs to
meaningful integration of these technologies in
working mines. Major equipment OEMs are also
moving to incorporate technologies less as add
ons and more as integrated parts of their
offering. Again this is a recognition of industry
acceptance that these technologies are needed
across all operations, both in the developed and
developing world and in both surface and
underground mining, to keep operators safe and
avoid unnecessary incidents.
Fatigue management and cost savingOpGuard from Guardvant is a non-intrusive
sensor network that continuously monitors
operator behaviour to detect and alert operators
and supervisors to fatigue. Key fatigue
indicators include percentage eyelid closure
(PERCLOS), facial and 3D head movements.
Monitoring can be extended to other unsafe
behaviour including texting and mobile phone
use, reading and improper seat belt use. A GPS
receiver provides data on location and speed of
the equipment. Sophisticated algorithms are
applied to these observations to identify fatigue.
Once detected, fatigue events are reported in
real time with audible and visual alarms to the
operator and email or SMS alarms to the
supervisor and fleet management system (if
integrated). Video recording can be included
with alarms.
Fatigue event recordings and data logs
provide an objective source for statistical
analysis to correlate shift times, productivity,
and even equipment maintenance to operator
behaviour. Using this information the system
can help the user develop alertness
management programs to combat fatigue,
educate operators and improve safety programs
as a long-term strategy for reducing fatigue-
related risk in mining operations.
The system has been used for example on the
Caterpillar 785 truck fleet at the Gold Fields
Tarkwa mine in Ghana where it was the subject
of a cost-benefit analysis. In a recent
presentation, Isaac Tandoh at the mining
company stated that studies have shown that
fatigue causes approximately 60-70% of mining
accidents involving haul trucks. The health and
safety benefits of mitigating fatigue risk are
obvious and incident reports often don’t identify
fatigue as the cause; while financial costs of
fatigue are often not fully analysed or
understood.
The mine did a ROI study to justify the
investment including the analysis of three years
of fatigue related incidents – two years pre-
deployment, and one year post-deployment. The
cost analysis included detailed direct equipment
repair cost data and estimated indirect costs.
From January 2011 to December 2012 there were
over 32 recorded safety incidents involving the
785C dump trucks of which 19 were classed as
fatigue related incidents, all of which
represented a serious potential fatality (SPI).
The direct costs of the fatigue incidents were
calculated as $488,539 in 2011 and $202,877 in
2012. This included an incident where the
operator dozed off and climbed a windrow.
Damage was caused to the steering rod costing
over $250,000 in direct and indirect costs.
The other 19 incidents were related to poor
judgment, non-compliance with standards and
procedures and inexperience.
The total indirect costs were estimated in
2011 to be $1,954,155 and in 2012, $811,508. So,
combined direct and indirect costs were in 2011
$2,442,693 and in 2012 $1,014,385. Guardvant’s
OpGuard Fatigue Management System was fully
deployed in all 70 Cat 785C dump trucks by
December 2012. Moving forward to the year Jan
to Dec 2013 following the installation of the
OpGuard system, there were only eight recorded
incidents and only one fatigue related. Direct
costs fell to $105,600 and indirect to $22,400
with total costs falling to $128,000.
Overall there was a 90% reduction in fatigue
related accidents from 2012 to 2013 with an
estimated saving of $1,581,539 in 2013 in
fatigue related accidents prevention followed by
an estimated saving of $1,579,539 in the
following year 2014 in fatigue related accident
prevention and projected savings for the full
year 2015 of $1,579,539 in fatigue related
accident prevention. This makes for an overall
return on investment of over $6,700,000 over
five years with an initial investment of
$1,190,000.
Also from Guardvant, the ProxGuard GPS
system launched in June 2015 provides 360°
collision avoidance protection around vehicles
(light vehicles and heavy equipment) by using
GNSS and peer-to-peer communications to
provide bi-directional notification of each
vehicle’s presence.
ASTiD success in PeruA large open pit mine in the high Andes of Peru,
where mining operations are undertaken with
STRACON GyM as a strategic partner, has recently
installed a complete haul truck operator anti-
fatigue system. Using FMI’s ASTiD as the base
fatigue technology, WOMBATT Peru SAC provided a
complete solution including local language fatigue
education within the mine and regional 24/7
monitoring for signs of fatigue in haul truck
operators. The company said that the results
speak for themselves. “After only six months of
Active Intervention mine management experienced
not only a significant reduction in the incidence of
fatigue, but also a reduction in the repair costs of
the haul truck fleet, due to resulting changes in
driver behaviour.”
With the support of the European Space Agency
Look smartPaul Moore looks at some developments in the fatiguemanagement and collision avoidance technology areas ofmine safety, where there has been a lot of activity
Caterpillar states that with fatigue detectiontechnology continuing to make a huge impactacross mining and transport, the uptake infatigue monitoring services to deliver un-biasedreporting is increasing
FATIGUE AND AWARENESS
48 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
FATIGUE AND AWARENESS_proof 16/12/2015 10:05 Page 1
– Business Incubation Initiative, WOMBATT has
developed innovative, patented fatigue
management solutions for mining haul truck
operators and long distance road transport drivers,
using two way communications via mobile data
satellites, in mine Wi-Fi and local mobile phone
networks. Emma Verhardt at WOMBATT told IM:
“Our unique way of using satellite means that
every single open pit mine, and the most remote
and dangerous roads on the planet, are always
within immediate reach of our local language
monitors around the clock, 365 days of the year.
Monitors interact with operational management
via our cloud network to get tired drivers out from
behind the wheel of their trucks and buses before
they become dangerously fatigued.
Comprehensive reports, individually designed for
each client, are provided weekly and monthly both
to local operational management and to central
headquarters as required.”
She adds: “Driver and operator fatigue is as
much a behavioural as a physiological problem,
so WOMBATT teaches local language trainers to
continuously train client staff in fatigue
avoidance, all the way from top management to
operational management, supervisors,
operators/drivers and families out in the local
communities. Our objective is zero incidents due
to fatigue.”
WOMBATT has offices in Singapore, Peru, the
Netherlands and Botswana, providing a worldwide,
local anti-fatigue solution to global miners.
Microsleep brainwavesThe SmartCap is a wearable technology that is
being used by mining operations and on-road
fleets around the world to eliminate microsleeps
from their business. Developer SmartCap
Technologies states: “Being the world’s only fit-
for-mining wearable device that uses the gold
standard in sleep science, SmartCap is seeing
significant demand for its alertness monitoring
solution for haul truck fleets as well as ancillary
equipment and light vehicles.”
Dush Wimal, CEO of SmartCap Technologies
says he has observed a rapid change in the
mining industry throughout 2015. “As the
industry matures, we’re seeing a big shift away
from merely counting microsleeps towards the
proactive approach of alertness monitoring.”
In August 2015, SmartCap reached a
significant milestone with more than 1,000,000
hours of SmartCap use by an Australian coal
mining operator in the Hunter Valley. To date,
the figure is well over double that when
including the South American, US and South
African mines using it. “Even more significant is
the unparalleled results enjoyed by SmartCap
sites that have achieved target zero fatigue
incidents for consecutive operational years”
says Wimal. “Our aim is to help all operators get
home safely to their families.”
SmartCap says its solution is the only tool
that measures an individual’s ability to resist
sleep by utilising electroencephalograph or EEG
technology. This represents the risk of a
microsleep, and supports operators and
management to make informed decisions
throughout the shift. Coupled with sophisticated
analytics, SmartCap adds fact-based business
intelligence to any fatigue risk management
system and allows a mine to measure the
effectiveness of any fatigue management
program. Moreover, by identifying the
individuals, groups or work areas most at risk,
operations are able to target their safety
initiatives for maximum benefit.
“Using proven science founded in over a
decade of research, SmartCap has been
repeatedly validated to provide the most
accurate fatigue measurements”, said Dr Daniel
Bongers, SmartCap creator and CTO.
SmartCap allows individual reporting to help
every employee understand their unique
alertness profile. Regular reports reinforce
personal responsibility, and allow progress
tracking to support wellness initiatives. The
system has shown workers are most fatigued
between 2am to 5am. The company is also
starting to see patterns based on rosters where
it has been noticed that the first nightshift after
a break period is the most difficult to deal with;
which is the transition from day shifts to night
shifts.
Integrating fatigue and machine analysisIn September 2015, Seeing Machines
announced that it had signed a global product
development, licensing and distribution
agreement with Caterpillar Inc, as the final
phase of the alliance between the two
companies announced in May 2013. Under this
new agreement, Caterpillar took over
responsibility for manufacturing, marketing and
sales of Seeing Machines’ existing DSS rugged
off-road product. In addition, Seeing Machines
and Caterpillar now work together to develop
FATIGUE AND AWARENESS
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 49
Fatigue prediction zones Baseline Week 34 Week 47
Green Zone (Safe) % 35.21 43.74 45.06
Yellow Zone (Risk) % 32.93 35.86 38.17
Orange Zone (Danger) % 23.31 19.39 16.67
Red Zone (Fatigue) % 8.55 1.01 0.10
WOMBATT anti-fatigue program results, Andean mine in Peru
®
RICHWOOD
FATIGUE AND AWARENESS_proof 16/12/2015 10:05 Page 2
new innovative products. Caterpillar now markets
DSS and Seeing Machines Fleet products for in-
cab operator fatigue and distraction monitoring
solutions in the agreed Caterpillar industries.
Finally, Caterpillar also has distribution rights for
Seeing Machines Fleet product, exclusive within
agreed Caterpillar industries and nonexclusive
outside these industries. Seeing Machines’ DSS
rugged off-road product, under license to
Caterpillar, is now available exclusively through
Cat dealers across Caterpillar’s broader
industries; including mining, construction,
quarry, aggregates, cement, and forestry.
Caterpillar has purchased the existing inventory
of DSS units from Seeing Machines while current
DSS customer agreements are being transitioned
to Caterpillar and supported by Caterpillar
dealers. Additional consulting services, system
monitoring and data analysis will be offered by
Caterpillar Safety Services. Seeing Machines
CEO, Ken Kroeger said: “This is a pivotal
moment in the history of Seeing Machines; the
realisation of several years of hard work for both
companies. Caterpillar is capable of maximising
the return on the DSS technology; their
reputation, reach, capability and commitment
will deliver great outcomes for both companies
and for the world’s mining and construction
related companies.”
IM spoke to Todd Dawson and Sal Angelone,
who are heading up the rollout of the DSS
system in the mining market for Caterpillar.
There was already a sizeable population of
machines using it, and this figure is increasing
rapidly – to date there are over 2,500 DSS units
at over 50 mines, both at the large
coal/copper/iron ore/gold mines as might be
expected but also at quarries as well as potash,
gypsum and other mines. It is also being
trialled underground on LHDs and trucks.
Seeing Machines continues to work on
improving the algorithms behind the
technology and is still working with Caterpillar
on the R&D side. In addition, as the technology
is rapidly improving, it has been possible to
upgrade older versions so every operator has
the highest level of fatigue and distraction
protection available. But much of the work is
also about change management – helping
operators understand what it is and the safety
benefits to them. They added that one major
differentiator between the DSS and other
systems is its non-invasive nature, as it does
not require operators to wear or physically
interact with hardware.
Simone Smyth at Caterpillar Safety Services
Asia Pacific states: “For the first time, we can
measure the impact of driver fatigue and
distraction events against property damage,
fuel burn and tyre abuse. We can pinpoint
where events occur using GPS tracking to
understand high-
risk locations and
find solutions. We
have the ability to
create a safety
culture shift and
drive independent
and accurate
reporting of fit-for-
work and team
safety
accountability.”
Caterpillar
believes that as an integrated solution, safety
technology is creating a global shift in safe
working practices. It tailors shift schedules to
increase productivity and efficiency; uses real-
time data to understand unique employee
circadian rhythms; takes out the guesswork and
allows for highly accurate modelling; provides
sleep data that is 93% accurate to
polysomnography to capture unparalleled, non-
invasive sleep quality analysis for meaningful
reporting; and enables real-time in-cab
intervention for fatigued and distracted drivers
with personal monitoring and fatigue
intervention plans.
Hexagon’s comprehensive offerHexagon Mining’s SAFEmine Collision Avoidance
System (CAS) is used in more than 20,000
vehicles in over 50 mines worldwide. “It’s the
global standard, providing vehicle and equipment
operators with 360° information about the
location of nearby vehicles and sounding an
alarm if an approaching vehicle is on a collision
course. Using satellite positioning technology
(GNSS), the system determines the location,
speed, and direction of the vehicle in which it is
installed, and transmits this information to other
nearby vehicles, along with vehicle ID, using a
peer-to-peer radio network. Information is
presented on either an LED display or a graphical
video display.”
Sales of CAS are gaining momentum worldwide
with new contracts signed at mines in South
Africa, Botswana, Australia, Colombia, and
Sweden in 2015.
“Productive mines recognise that SAFEmine
CAS is a sound investment in the health and
security of both people and machines,” said
Hexagon Mining President, Hélio Samora. “The
financial cost of collisions illustrates the potential
return on investment of avoiding just one major
incident. The cost of a serious injury or fatality is
more difficult to quantify, but the benefits of
prevention are beyond doubt.”
Optional TrackingRadar can now be installed on
heavy equipment to supplement CAS. The
TrackingRadar can track multiple objects and
determine if they are on a collision course with
the vehicle. Tracked objects do not have to have
SAFEmine installed, making the detection of
people, buildings, lighting plants, and other
objects possible.
On the fatigue management side, the
SAFEmine FatigueMonitor is also proving popular
with deployment to mines in Australia, Chile, and
Brazil in 2015. As stated, about two thirds of
traffic accidents in surface mines are because of
driver fatigue or exhaustion, according to industry
statistics for open-pit mining. Hexagon Mining
developed FatigueMonitor, an innovative solution
that integrates data from fatigue detection and
collision avoidance to minimise accidents
involving mining vehicles.
FatigueMonitor is mining’s first multi-technology
fatigue detection system for monitoring driver
alertness. “It’s an easy upgrade to CAS, thus
protecting earlier investments. It’s a solution
specially designed for surface mining that
integrates operator specific, physiological, and
traffic related data - both real-time and historical
- to prevent vehicle collisions, thus improving
mine safety and efficiency.” Additional
FatigueMonitor highlights include that it is
situation-based, with predictive alarms for
operators, using multiple information sources. It
offers black-box recording, including pictures and
with video now being added. It is also operator
friendly, non-intrusive, and can respect privacy. It
is a mining specific, scientifically proven
solution, connected to a live web platform for
analysis and reporting in control room.
“FatigueMonitor helps operators maintain the
necessary levels of attention. It also provides
management with driver fatigue profiles and
traffic-related data. Based on scientific research
by the University Hospital of Berne and
University of Zurich, intelligent fatigue
assessment algorithms are used to estimate
driver fatigue levels and to predict fatigue
development. The black-box recording
technology is a reliable tool for analysing
incidents. FatigueMonitor is operator friendly and
does not require drivers to wear additional
equipment, such as glasses or caps. Its main
applications are haul trucks, personnel carriers,
and fuel, water and service trucks.”
50 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
FATIGUE AND AWARENESS
Hexagon Mining’s SAFEmine CollisionAvoidance System (CAS) is used in
more than 20,000 vehicles in over 50mines worldwide
FATIGUE AND AWARENESS_proof 16/12/2015 10:05 Page 3
Radar and camera based detectionRadarEye is the new active view system from
Orlaco that combines radar and camera
technology. RadarEye is an integrated active view
system, designed to detect and see objects in
zones obscured from the operator’s view. “When
an object or person enters the danger zone, the
system sounds an audible alarm and selects the
required camera. The monitor shows the radar
zones of green, yellow, orange and red.
Everything that appears within the zones is
brought into sight to prevent personal injury or
material damage. The audible urgency increases
as the person or object moves through to the red
zone. Detected are stationary as well as moving
objects in a designated coverage area. The radar
units have a ruggedised design and are shock-
and waterproof. The system is not influenced by
the environment, such as snow, rain, mud and/or
temperature changes which can be expected at
mining sites around the globe.”
Orlaco states that RadarEye is easy to
implement on existing equipment and works as a
stand-alone system on any type of machine. The
system can be adjusted easily to personal
settings, for example the detection range and the
sensitivity. An advantage is that it only detects in
the dangerous zone and not outside the vehicle
width to prevent unnecessary alarms. RadarEye
can be extended with multiple radar and camera
units for all-round detection and visibility.
“Demand in the aftermarket for RadarEye is
increasing in construction, quarrying as well as in
mining. Orlaco RadarEye has been successfully
implemented on all large machine OEMs in the
mining industry, including Caterpillar, Komatsu
and BELAZ dump trucks, P&H and IZ-Kartex
mining shovels, and Bucyrus drills. RadarEye can
also be mounted on underground equipment,
together with an infra-red camera for optimal
sight in dark circumstances.” Mining customers
include Codelco and Antofagasta Minerals in
Chile; SUEK and Polyus Gold in Russia; Vale and
Southern Copper in Peru; and Sibelco in Europe.
Another new product in 2015 was the Orlaco
CornerEye, a new vision solution that includes a
HD camera with a 270° angle and a specialised
high resolution monitor. CornerEye provides truck
and heavy machine drivers with a maximised
overview of the situation, eliminating the blind
spots of their vehicle or machine.
Autonomy and detectionIM has previously covered the Autonomous
Solutions Inc (ASI) OEM independent mining
vehicle automation solution in detail. But an
important part of the offering is obstacle
detection and avoidance, including Forecast®,
which was primarily developed by ASI as an
obstacle detection solution for unmanned
vehicles. Forecast's unique vertical spinning
function grants a planar LiDAR sensor the ability
to map a three-dimensional space surrounding a
vehicle. Software within the unit creates cost
map or point cloud outputs and may perform
rudimentary obstacle detection tasks. Forecast is
a major part of ASI's Vantage obstacle detection
and avoidance system and improves safety and
precision in the mining environment. “Vantage
improves safety for robotic vehicles, initiating
see-and-stop or see-and-avoid behaviour to react
safely to potential hazards in the environment.
Vantage equipped vehicles use an advanced suite
of software and sensors to create a 3
dimensional model of the world around it,
scanning 100s of times a second for obstacles.”
It converts native data streams from nearly any
sensor type, such as LiDAR, laser or radar, into
usable information within the command and
control system. “As its most basic obstacle
handling functionality, Vantage slows vehicles to
a safe stopping point when an obstacle is
detected and awaits operator intervention.
Vantage dynamically plans the safest and most
efficient pathway around an obstacle identified
through sensor data. No operator approval is
necessary.”
Averting hazardsThe PDS HazardAvert from Strata Worldwide,
which was first launched in 2009, remains one of
the company’s best-selling products, and has
been newly upgraded in 2015 to incorporate
more rugged and robust designs as well as
upgraded software along with software system
protection.
HazardAvert is a proximity detection and
collision avoidance safety system designed to
prevent accidents and injuries by detecting when
a person or vehicle enters a specifically marked
area, or zone, around an operating piece of
machinery. When a zone is breached, the system
emits an audible and visual warning alert and can
be programmed to slow or stop the machine
automatically.
With over 1,000 systems currently operating in
the global market, HazardAvert has a proven
track record for operating in working sections
with multiple pieces of machinery and multiple
miners. Every person in the working area is
detected by every piece of operating machinery.
HazardAvert can be used in underground coal
and hard-rock mines, as well as surface mines.
While the core technology is consistent across all
types of mining, the system is specifically tailored
according to the application and mining type.
HazardAvert creates an electromagnetic
marker zone around machinery using field
generators. Generators, or Proximity Modules,
are fitted onto machinery and create zones
designated as the Warning Zone and Hazard
Zone. These marker zones can encompass the
entire machine and its turning radius or be
specific to certain areas.
Strata Worldwide recently highlighted the fact
that 58% of serious incidents and fatalities at
surface operations occurred when machinery
moved at less than 10 km/h, while in
underground operations, 87% of incidents
occurred when machinery was moving at less
than 10 km/h. So if mines can address the low-
speed incidents, a significant segment of the risk
is addressed.
Workers wear Personal Alarm Devices (PADs)
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 51
FATIGUE AND AWARENESS
ASI’s Forecast has a unique vertical spinningfunction that grants a planar LiDAR sensor theability to map a three-dimensional spacesurrounding a vehicle
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which detect and measure these magnetic zones
and determine their proximity from the machine.
When the miner breaches the zones, the PADs
emit audible and visual warning alarms. For
underground coal mining, the PAD attaches to
the miners belt and has a bright red LED warning
light and audible alarm. For underground hard-
rock and surface mining applications, the PADs
have the addition of a Warning Module that
attached to the miner’s hard hat.
Zone shaping is accomplished with the use of
two or more generators on the same machine.
Multiple generators can be used to create
tailored zone shapes according to mine
management preference. Zones are then
standardised for the mine and repeatable across
all machinery in that mine. This increases the
ease of use and simplifies training.
Silent Zones can be created inside the marker
field to allow operators to function in specified
areas, operator’s cab and close to the machine
without activating the alarm or disabling the
machine. As soon as an operator exits this silent
zone however, they will automatically trigger the
system.
Collisions between machinery above and
below ground can be prevented with the use of a
Vehicle Alarm Device (VAD), integrated into the
Proximity Module housing. The VAD detects
electromagnetic fields of other machinery and
emits warning alarms to the machine operators.
Where necessary, the system can be programmed
to allow vehicles to interact without nuisance
alarms.
All system activities are recorded on the
HazardAvert Display POD. This data can be
retrieved directly off the machine via Bluetooth®
or with the inclusion of Strata CommTrac
communication nodes, can be streamed to the
surface in real time. The Strata developed
HazardLink™ technology used for this data
transfer is standard on all HazardAvert systems.
High integrity accuracyGE says its CAS offering “represents a highly
cost-effective way of avoiding disruptions and
productivity losses. In addition to being a market
leading safety system, CAS is also a valuable
reporting tool. The system allows mine site
personnel to monitor key statistics regarding
vehicle interactions and near misses, providing
site and corporate management with valuable
insights into on-site safety as well as data that
may be used to improve individual operator
behaviour.”
GE’s CAS is also an Original Equipment
Manufacturer (OEM) independent system
allowing for easy site integration. “It is
adaptable, meaning that mine site employees
only need to learn one system for use across a
variety of applications and environments. The
company adds that its technicians and software
engineers work behind the scenes “ensuring that
the system is upgraded as necessary and are
available for site call outs. The GE Mining CAS
service offering includes help-desk support, on-
site maintenance, service level agreements, end-
user training, remote equipment monitoring and
data analytics.”
There are two surface options: CAS-CAM/RF
and CAS-GPS. CAS-CAM RF combines wide angle
blind spot cameras in addition to proximity units
that utilise state-of-the-art high accuracy ranging
technology. “The Proximity Units installed on
vehicles, equipment and personnel continuously
transmit between each other, alerting operators
as soon as a safety zone has been breached.
Additionally, operator’s benefit through the
enhanced visibility afforded by the system’s
robust cameras that are strategically placed in
high risk blind spots.”
The CAS-GPS system is a market entry safety
aid that offers 360° situational awareness of
other tagged objects in proximity to the
operator’s vehicle. Effective at high and slow
speed and featuring real time predictive context
based proximity alarming, the CAS-GPS system
employs GPS technology and vehicle-to-vehicle
radio links to alert drivers to the presence of
other vehicles within range. CAS-GPS can be
integrated with CAS-CAM/RF and CAS-WEB reporting.
CAS-UNDERGROUND has been specifically
designed for underground conditions and allows
personnel and vehicle detection around corners
and through strata.
Cat updates on Detect“I think site managers and equipment owners are
looking to do anything they can just to make the
site safer and prevent vehicle accidents and
worse, injuries,” says Gary Cook, Marketing
Consultant at Caterpillar. “With the advances of
the automotive industry and what it is doing now
with safe following distance tracking, lane
departure notifications, etc. we are getting a lot
of interest over the last few years in having our
machines be able to do that. That’s how
customers are driving this technology,” says
Cook.
The Cat MineStar System includes the Detect
capability set, which offers different levels of
object detection and collision avoidance
technology. “We can start with cameras, and we
can add radar and GPS capabilities for proximity
awareness and keep the technology scalable,”
says Cook. “A scalable approach allows us to give
a customer the level of collision avoidance
detection they need. If they just want vision with
cameras to display on an in-cab monitor, we can
do that. Then we add radar to detect objects and
provide the next level of avoidance with visual
and audible warnings.”
The next step is Proximity Awareness, a GNSS-
based product system that allows the machine to
see the location of the other vehicles on the in-
cab display. If a machine’s path of travel
intersects with another machine’s path, the
operator is notified with a quick audible alert and
visual information. This is especially beneficial
for large mining trucks that have longer stopping
distances as it allows operators to get a good
look at their surroundings before moving in any
direction. Speed zones and limits can be set for
specific areas on the jobsite for a more advanced
form of the detection system. Of course the
system requires a wireless network infrastructure
to function.
Object detection was launched by Caterpillar
back in 2010, and it has evolved based on
customer feedback. “We’ve made some hardware
improvements such as reducing the number of
radars while retaining the same amount of
coverage, but mainly we’ve improved
functionalities such as eliminating a physical
acknowledgement of a detected object,” says
Cook. “The original system required the operator
to interact with the screen by pressing to see
what was detected. The feedback was negative
on that feature, so we removed it. Another
feature change was to enlarge the cameral view
to occupy 90% of the screen. We’ve also added
proximity bars to let the operator know the
approximate distance of the detected object. The
original detection product only indicated a
general zone location – front, left or right side, or
back.”
Recent software upgrades provide No Alarm
Zones where a designated area on a map will not
alarm when an object is detected. For example,
when a truck is backing into a covered hopper,
radar is going to pick it up as an object and
alarm, but with Caterpillar’s zoning capability,
that can be avoided.
Responding to new South Africanlegislationnanotron Technology, a leader in solutions for
location awareness, has appointed Arrow Altech
Distribution Pty as its distributor for South Africa.
“We are very excited to have been selected as a
distributor for nanotron and see huge
opportunities for nanotron's unique and
innovative products, especially in the collision
avoidance space,” said Gyula Wendler, Manager
of the Wireless Department at Arrow Altech.
The move is partly in response to new laws
passed by the South Africa Department of
Mineral Resources calling upon surface mines to
enhance safety by the addition of Collision
Avoidance Systems (CAS). “To meet this exciting
new business opportunity for growth in our CAS
business segment, we are very pleased to
announce Arrow as our partner for design-in and
FATIGUE AND AWARENESS
52 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
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supply chain.” said Thomas Foerste VP Sales and
Marketing at nanotron and adds, “safety and
productivity solutions are nanotron’s business
focus.”
nanotron designs and manufactures innovative
radio modules that measure distances using
Ranging or Time of Flight (TOF). Radio packets
travel at the speed of light. Hence the time for
travelling - time of flight - multiplied by the speed
of light equals distance.
The product family is called swarm bee and
has been designed specifically to meet CAS
requirements in terms of range, latency,
scalability and very low power consumption.
Swarm bee radio modules serve vehicle to
vehicle and vehicle to people use-cases. They
have an on-board Application Programming
Interface (API). Instead of debugging radio
hardware and low level driver code the API
permits product developers and system
integrators to very rapidly develop their
application software. Collision Avoidance
Solutions get to market much faster and with
better performance than ever before.
There have also been important changes to
South African requirements for Pedestrian
Detection Systems (PDS). The legislation
mandating the use of PDS systems came into
being in South Africa in 2015, and Anton Lourens,
Managing Director of Booyco Electronics, says
there are varying levels of involvement in the
South African mining market when it comes to
the deployment of high-end technology for PDS.
He explains that where the development of PDS
does not form part of a TMM organisation’s
global strategy, that company is less likely to
develop systems that will comply specifically and
only with South African legislation.
Booyco Electronics has been at the
forefront of the PDS technology development
since the company was established in 2006.
From the first basic collision warning system
to the Booyco Electronics PDS solution of
today, the product has gone through three
technology improvements. “It is this
embracing of newly available technology that
has allowed Booyco Electronics to remain
best-in-class,” he says.
Booyco Electronics’ fully integrated PDS
represents the latest generation of this
technology and offers a supply of information,
which allows the safety intervention capability
with a data hub that enables integration with
TMM OEM’s underground vehicles and
equipment. Each PDS is deployed based on
application specific risk assessments ensuring
that it is fit-for-purpose, and according to Lourens
this same PDS technology’s deployment could
vary between different types of vehicles on a
single site.
Typically, the Booyco Electronics PDS
incorporates VLF technology for pedestrian
detection either on surface or underground
together with GPS technology for vehicle
detection on surface. It delivers specific warning,
controlled slow-down and stopping zone alerts
around a vehicle when detecting pedestrians or
other vehicles. This is unique in that it is able to
achieve zone shaping and create narrow band
zones in close proximity on the side of the
vehicles. In the event of an emergency, an
“emergency call” signal transmitted via the
miners’ personal communication tags can bring
all vehicles in the area to an immediate stop if
installed.
The PDS is manufactured with full self-
diagnostics, and is visual and voice display
activated in the case of a PDS warning or a
system failure. It incorporates various
downloading options for recorded data including
wireless when at an access point. It is supplied
complete with testing equipment for both the
surface and underground areas to ensure
maximum functionality. The system is also IS-
compliant meeting the safety requirements of
fiery mines.
He adds that often the barrier to embracing
technology is cost related and this cannot always
be overcome as high-end technology is
expensive. “High-end technology development
takes time and verification testing outside of
laboratory conditions is part of this process,”
Lourens explains. “This type of development
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 53
FATIGUE AND AWARENESS
International Mining Editor Paul Moore and Publisher John Chadwick go the extra mileto report on real mines and mining projects globally, in addition to the major tradeshowsand exhibitions. So far from 2011 to early 2015, visits have included the following:COUNTRY OPERATIONS REPORTED ONAUSTRALIA FMG Christmas Creek (iron ore)
Xstrata Coal Mt Owen (coal)BOTSWANA Gem Diamonds Ghagoo
Debswana Jwaneng (diamonds)BRAZIL Samarco (iron ore)
Anglo American Barro Alto (nickel)BULGARIA Chelopech (gold)CANADA IAMGOLD Westwood (gold)
Cameco McArthur River (uranium)Vale Orebody 114 (nickel)
CHILE Anglo American Los Bronces (copper)Codelco Radomiro Tomic (copper)
CHINA SD-Mining Sanshandao (gold)SD-Mining Xincheng (gold)Xinjulong Jonggu (coal)
CZECH REPUBLIC OKD CSA (coal)FINLAND Northland Resources Kaunisvaara (iron ore)
Dragon Mining Orivesi (gold)Endomines Pampalo (gold)Altona Kylylahti (copper-gold-zinc)Agnico Eagle Kittila (gold)First Quantum Kevitsa (nickel-copper-PGM)
GERMANY GEOMIN Erzgebirgische Kalkwerke (marble)RWE Garzweiler (lignite)
INDIA Kayad/Rampura Agucha (zinc)
COUNTRY OPERATIONS REPORTED ONIRELAND Boliden Tara (zinc)MOROCCO Maya Zgounder (gold-silver)NAMIBIA Diamond CoastNORWAY Store Norske Svea Nord (coal)POLAND NWR Debiensko (coal)
PG Silesia (coal)JSW Zofiowka (coal)LW Bogdanka (coal)KWSA Bobrek-Centrum (coal)
RUSSIA KRU Taldinski (coal)SLOVENIA Premogovnik Velenje (coal)SOUTH AFRICA Frontier Zandkopsdrift (rare earths)
De Beers Venetia (diamonds)Assmang Black Rock (manganese)
SWEDEN LKAB Malmberget (iron ore)SPAIN Iberpotash Cabanasas (potash)UKRAINE Ferrexpo Yeristovo (iron ore)UK Galantas (gold)
Compass Minerals Winsford (salt)USA Duluth Complex (copper and nickel)
Stillwater Mining (platinum/palladium)Peabody Energy NARM (coal)Peabody Energy Rawhide (coal)
ZAMBIA ARM/Vale Lubambe (copper)
FATIGUE AND AWARENESS_proof 16/12/2015 10:05 Page 6
requires a close working relationship with
customers as well as realistic expectations from
all.”
Finally, Lourens is emphatic when he says that
South African companies have the ability to
develop and manufacture high-end technology.
“We have exceptionally capable developers and
engineers and you just need to look across
industry sectors to see the depth of knowledge
and intellect that resides in this country; it spans
all the way from physical mechanical
engineering to software and specialist mobile
applications.
As an example, Lourens points to the Booyco
Controller Interface which is essentially a
processing gateway through which all sensing
technologies and informational data is
channelled to create the requisite artificial
intelligence which is fed to the control systems of
the various TMM trackless mobile machinery.
“Although our use of the latest and high-end
technology may be viewed as being ahead of the
pack, we believe this will form the base necessity
in the future,” he says.
Fourth generation CASOver the last ten years, the mining industry has
become increasingly focused on operator safety;
according to the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health, 41% of all severe
mining accidents between 2000 and 2007 were
equipment-related. This increased emphasis on
safety prompted Modular to release its suite of
Safety Management Tools, including its first-
generation proximity detection system, in 2006.
Today, as regulatory agencies and mine
organisations continue to strive for a zero-
incident workplace, mines everywhere are
placing even more emphasis on both standalone
and FMS-integrated safety solutions.
Modular Mining Systems says its Safety
Management tools, known collectively as
MineAlert™, meet this demand head-on by
addressing mines’ most common safety-related
issues: vehicle-to-vehicle collisions, operator
fatigue, hazard awareness, and speed violations.
The MineAlert suite includes Modular’s fourth-
generation Collision Avoidance System (CAS),
which monitors and notifies operators of
potential vehicle-to-vehicle collisions based on
intelligent path-prediction algorithms, thus
increasing operator awareness while helping to
prevent equipment damage.
Modular’s CAS, which will be commercially
available early next year, focuses on vehicle to
vehicle collision prevention through the use of a
redundant, multi-layered sensing approach that
utilises ranging sensors and GPS receivers. These
work together to determine a vehicle’s collision
risk based on the travel speed, instantaneous
direction, predicted path, and other factors. The
critical communications between vehicles is
based on a high-speed, low-latency peer-to-peer
communications standard which allows for timely
warning and information messages to reach
operators without delay. This peer to peer
technology also means this system can operate
in an environment with no wireless network
infrastructure.
The system addresses more than 100 of the
most common vehicle collision scenarios,
including forward path (front-to-rear and head-
on), take-off, speed limit violations, overtaking,
and intersections. Multiple levels of alarms notify
operators of potential hazards; if an operator
doesn’t take corrective action after the first
notification, more urgent, audible warnings will
sound.
Unlike systems that focus solely on proximity,
Modular’s CAS differentiates between actual and
artificial collision threats by utilising an
intelligent filtering system to drastically eliminate
false alarms (alarms that alert the driver when no
collision danger exists; for example, a normal
manoeuvere such as passing along separate
lanes). These artificial alarms not only provide a
constant source of distraction; they also reduce
the effectiveness of the warning system by
desensitising the operator to true dangerous
situations.
“Compared with other Collision Avoidance
Systems on the market today, we believe that our
approach significantly reduces nuisance alarms,”
said Lucas Van Latum, Manager of Technology
and Innovation at Modular. “Our fourth-
generation collision avoidance system is
designed to predict potentially hazardous
situations while reducing the false alarm
incidences, helping the operator react
appropriately to real alarms when they happen.”
This latest generation of Modular’s CAS has
already earned praise by a large global mining
conglomerate, which installed the system at an
iron ore mine in Brazil. “[The system] fully
answered the purpose,” said the organisation’s
Director of Operations. “[It] identified very well
the presence of medium vehicles and showed no
false alarms. In addition, it is resistant to
vibrations, high temperature, dust, and rain. The
system is really an innovation with regards to the
prevention of collisions in mines.”
As a fully-functioning standalone application,
Modular’s Collision Avoidance System has no
reliance or dependencies on external
applications or central servers. A dedicated in-
vehicle CPU stores sensor data, which can be
downloaded for use in analysis, reporting, and
training. When integrated with Modular’s
DISPATCH® Fleet Management System, data is
transmitted directly to the DISPATCH central
server for immediate and future use.
As part of the MineAlert safety suite, Modular
also offers OEM interfaces to leading,
commercially-available fatigue management
systems to help combat the effects of operator
fatigue. When integrated with Modular’s
DISPATCH FMS, the MineAlert system sends the
OEM data directly to the central server, to
support reporting or integrate with other systems
in real time.
Full radar coverageiTruck™ is a full range collision avoidance
solution from indurad for mining trucks, haul
trucks, light cars and other mining vehicles.
Based on a thorough radar coverage all around
the truck, consisting of indurad's iDRR™ sensor
technology, “this solution manages to reach
highest safety levels without annoying drivers by
false alarms.” Several indurad DualRangeRadar
(iDRR) sensors are mounted around the truck so
as to achieve full surround coverage. The primary
aim is to scan for oncoming traffic, persons or
passive collision objects, such as stones, berms
or infrastructure. The indurad State Measurement
Unit (iSMU™) takes the driving conditions into
account and calculates the size and shape of the
collision zones. The iSMU is based on GPS,
gyroscope, inclinometer and accelerometer
technologies. It is additionally supported by the
indurad DopplerVelocityRadar iDVR™ for
slippage-free speed control. The system also
provides automatic mapping of the mine for
route planning and can be combined with GPS
tracking.
In underground solutions, indurad has just
launched, along with its new joint venture
company known as inmine, its iRoadheader
solution to the market, at the STUVA Tunnelling
Expo in December 2015. The company inmine is
a joint venture with Schmitt Werke and features
radar solutions developed as part of the
exclusive collaboration. Schmitt Werke is a
family-owned group of engineering companies in
the fourth generation based in Bischofsheim in
Northern Bavaria. Based on its own in-house
machining and fabrication expertise, the
company designs, develops and distributes a
wide range of innovative products for general
plant engineering, mining and tunnelling and the
bulk materials handling industries. Its member
company, IBS Industrie-maschinen-Bergbau-
Service GmbH, has over 40 years’ experience in
roadheaders for mining and tunnelling. The new
inmine technology allows full teleremote
roadheader control, positioning and collision
avoidance between the machine and the
roadway walls. It is retrofittable to any
roadheader and indurad is also developing a
package for continuous miners. There are
already six roadheaders equipped with
iRoadheader at the MIMOSA coal operations in
Mexico. IM
FATIGUE AND AWARENESS
54 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
FATIGUE AND AWARENESS_proof 16/12/2015 10:05 Page 7
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Forty years ago, Founder Chris Weston started
global mining wheels major, RIMEX, with an
old pickup truck, a stack of wheels in the
back, and a desire to make a difference in the
industry with a mission “to give his customers what
they wanted and needed.” At first, he sold
industrial wheels in British Columbia, Canada, for a
US manufacturer, but it became clear that the
wheels weren’t meeting the specialised
requirements of his customers.
“Soon after opening the company, Weston
decided it would be better to make his own wheels
rather than rely on suppliers who did not
understand the needs of his customers,” says
Derek Weston, CEO of RIMEX and Chris’s son. Chris
was attuned to the changing marketplace – as
mining trucks got bigger, the wheels had to be
larger and stronger. “The wheel designs had to
change in order to meet the new stresses being put
on them. And new tyre technology demanded a
stronger rim.”
After 12 years immersed in the business,
building a reputation and relationships with mining
companies, Weston was able to open a rim
manufacturing facility in Surrey, British Columbia
and as demand and the size of vehicles continued
to grow, so did RIMEX and its product offerings.
The company engineered wheels to fit up to a 63 in
tyre, designed to easily traverse challenging terrain,
as well as accommodate pressure and temperature
fluctuations within the tyres. In 1986, Weston
expanded the RIMEX manufacturing facility to
30,000 ft2, and in 1988 he opened two distribution
offices in the US to expand into that market. By
1990, Weston realised the company could grow
even further into Indonesia, Chile, South Africa and
Australia, and he capitalised on those new markets.
“Market diversification and the ability to create
custom wheels based on the individual
requirements of customers has always been the
key to RIMEX’s success,” affirms Derek Weston.
With continued mining industry success, annual
revenues continued to rise along with market
share. In 1995, RIMEX entered China while
undergoing a major expansion at home, both with a
new warehouse and corporate offices in Surrey and
a new 40,000 ft2 manufacturing plant in Agassiz.
Deals with truck manufacturers and new sales
outlets across the Canadian Prairie Provinces
followed.
RIMEX told IM that in its quest for innovation
and improvement, the company established new
standards for wheels and rims with their MES
(Machine Extreme Service) and TSR (Taper Secure
Radial) Series. “These products stand alone with
their true roundness, reinforced steel across the
rims and robust specs that meet the demands of
modern industrial tyres. Another RIMEX advantage
is that the company custom designs rims for their
customers’ particular applications and tyre
specifications.”
However, one of the challenges confronting
RIMEX has been a declining market for large
wheels. Even though mining continues globally for
everything from coal to precious metals, the reality
is that as trucks have become bigger, their numbers
have decreased. It has more economical to operate
a mine with 25 400 t capacity trucks than with 200
100 t trucks. “Technology has actually downsized
the industry,” remarks Chris Weston. “So we are
motivated to capture more of the market.”
A key area the company began to explore was on
the inside of tyres in motion, leading to the
development of the TyreSense temperature and
pressure monitoring system (TPMS) designed to
protect and preserve a safe, stable internal wheel
environment. “RIMEX came into the TPMS market
because there was a need for a system that
worked,” says Dave Laird, one of the founders of
TyreSense. “Mining companies needed a TPMS
option that wasn’t tied to a tyre company –
something that gave them options.” TyreSense
would be an objective, unbiased approach to
monitoring tyres and managing the productivity
and safety of entire fleets of moving vehicles.
“The industry was going through growing
pains,” says Pawel Miskiewicz, a Founding
Engineer of TyreSense. “But RIMEX saw the
demand for a TPMS – something that would save
tyres and money – was increasing.” So in 2002,
RIMEX allocated R&D funds for a core group of
engineers to develop a TPMS for the mining
industry.
TyreSense systems were tested on large mining
trucks, then refined and improved through
extensive customer input and collaboration. “In a
span of 14 years, TyreSense has become the most
sophisticated TPMS in the industry, with state-of-
the-art internal wheel sensors, comprehensive data
monitoring and recording capabilities, and the
promise of optimising real-time data for wider fleet
applications. Every system comes with the highest
standard of durability, strength and reliability, as
well as a long list of optional and customisable
components.”
As TyreSense continues to evolve, the aim is not
just to perfect tyre monitoring, but to enhance
overall fleet management. “We’re moving into asset
management with tyres,” says Laird. “Our vision is
one where all information is tracked – such as cost
per hour and operational efficiency – so sites can
make comparisons between tyres. We want to give
our clients the most advanced tyre management
system possible.”
Today, RIMEX continues to expand, with 188,000
ft2 of manufacturing space in Agassiz and 500,000
ft2 worldwide, along with 450 employees
worldwide. The company also places high value on
integrating and contributing to the communities in
which it operates, promoting philanthropic and
charitable activities throughout its locations around
the globe. IM
HIGH PROFILE
56 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
RIMEX celebrates 40 yearsThe global supplier of wheelsand rims to the miningindustry is looking back at 40years of business growth anddiversification
The state of the art 188,000 ft2 RIMEXmanufacturing facility in Agassiz, BritishColumbia
HIGH PROFILE-RIMEX_proof 16/12/2015 12:49 Page 1
Looking to develop copper
resource output, Palabora
Copper’s now underground
mine in South Africa needed to
manage draw control and
increase resource development
and exploration.
Palabora began using GEMS
in the early 2000s for their open
pit geological modeling. Prior to
2010, all geological modeling
was completed offsite; with the
help of GEOVIA, Palabora
brought the resource modeling
in-house. As a result, onsite staff now develop
their own models that show different rock
patterns in different domains. From there, staff
create wireframes to complete their
calculations.
Palabora has a geologist dedicated to
updating the geological models to conform to
the latest drilling, all of which is stored in the
GEMS SQL database. Palabora appreciates the
built-in variogram functionality found in GEMS,
as data is directly reviewed, which reduces
errors. The ability to complete complex domain
modeling using indicator kriging has also been
beneficial. They use the ordinary kriging
functionality for their resource calculations and
block modeling. The advanced kriging
functionality helps them to assess reserves and
resource categories.
Palabora appreciates the ease of use and
cross functionality between GEMS and PCBC.
GEOVIA GEMS™ SQL provides collaborative
geology and mine planning capabilities that
support cross-functional teams involved in
exploration, modeling, mine design, long-term
planning, and production scheduling. GEOVIA
PCBC™ improves profits through better block
cave mine plans, schedules and production
management.
Hans-Dieter Paetzold, Palabora’s
Geotechnical Superintendent
says: “We update the
geological block model inside
GEMS, and it is immediately
available for work within
PCBC, as opposed to previous
methods that required us to
build the models separately,
export them and complete
several other checks.”
GEMS and PCBC benefits at
Palabora can be summarised
as follows:
n Evaluate multiple different
scenarios and conduct
realistic sensitivity analyses. Smooth
integration between reconciliation and
forecasting data.
n Sound cave management increases
profitability and promotes a safer mining
environment.
n Annual time savings equivalent to one man
year.
Re-evaluation of mine plansIn the mid 2000’s, a major collapse of the open
pit required Palabora to undergo re-evaluations
of their underground mine due to the changes in
the configuration of the cave. Palabora relied on
GEMS to create a surface plan of the open pit,
by incorporating the fly-over survey results into
the software. Using their wireframing, they
could see how the pit failure evolved.
Cave management was originally very
difficult. As the rock was strong, it required
secondary breakage, which meant the draw
points for mining the rock were not available for
production. To mitigate the waste that
gravitated throughout the mine, much work was
completed with PCBC to focus on obtaining the
best possible grade of copper.
Improved cave managementWhen moving to a Block Cave operation,
Palabora’s initial goal was to deploy a user-
BLOCK CAVING
58 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
Dr Tony Diering, Vice President Caving Business Unit atGEOVIA, looks at how Palabora’s block cave operationachieved its plan with the help of GEMS and PCBC and now produces 60,000 t/y
Palabora’s cave managementfrom modelling to operations
The shaft head gear atPalabora’s minesite
A 3D view of Palabora’s open pit and two blockcaves
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Live stock prices for gold, platinum and silver
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BLOCK CAVING_proof 16/12/2015 08:43 Page 1
friendly system to improve cave management,
where they could manipulate data at any time.
After several years of struggling with an in-
house software package that proved difficult
and inefficient for their long-term work,
Palabora wanted a system that could be easily
integrated with their existing production system
to send data back and forth. They selected PCBC
to monitor and communicate job activity on a
day-to-day basis, and especially value the Cave
Management System (CMS), which they have
been using daily for draw control and management.
Palabora has worked extensively with GEOVIA
Services since 2004 to enhance their use of
PCBC. GEOVIA Services provided software
configuration, which included changing from a
daily tonnage order to shift tonnage to match
their draw point availability. They now have an
automated system that generates a call three
times over a 24 hour period. This keeps their
day-to-day operations working without
interruption through a shift-based draw order,
which automates the system and eliminates the
need for shift personnel to manually start the
system several times a day. Palabora estimates
that this new automated system saves two
hours per shift. With three shifts daily, annual
time savings equate to over 2,100 hours
annually, or the equivalent of one man year.
Palabora has been pleased with the success
of the CMS over the last decade. When the
occasional staff turnover challenged production,
GEOVIA Services was quick to
work with Palabora to find a
solution.
GEOVIA Services staff worked
collaboratively with Palabora to
create a solid plan for the next 10
–15 years of mining.
Using PCBC’s Footprint Finder,
in combination with capital
estimates, data and working
costs, Palabora can locate the
footprint at the right place, to
identify the draw points for
profitable mining. They can further increase this
profit by targeting slightly higher-grade draw
points and footprint shape, which helps
Palabora to concentrate primarily on the higher-
grade areas.
Transition to new liftPalabora is gearing up for the End of Life of Lift 1
in their block caving operation within the next
few years. They have currently completed
70,000 m of drilling from the base of Lift 1 down
into Lift 2 to gather all the geological
information, and use GEMS SQL to store all of
that data.
“GEMS forms the backbone to calculate the
resources data to generate the block model,”
says Paetzold. “All of the data of the resource
then determines how the mine is designed.”
With GEMS, Palabora has created a resource
block model between Lift 1 and Lift 2 to
determine its viability for mining.
Once their geological data is in the database,
Palabora uses GEMS to provide section views
and plan sections. “GEMS allows us to step
through the block model,” says Paetzold. “When
drilling down from Lift 1 to Lift 2, GEMS identifies
areas where more drilling is required for in-fill
drilling.” Palabora appreciates that GEMS captures
distances between holes as it shows when they
are in a low density of drilling, when spacing is
very far apart, and directs them to plan more
holes into that area to increase coverage.
Palabora has undergone extensive planning
for the transition from Lift 1 to Lift 2 to
understand the quality of the remaining reserve
tonnage. Because of the unique situation of a
cave on top of a cave (Lift 2 is directly below Lift
1), Palabora developed a unique transition
strategy between the two lifts to help minimise
reserve losses. The end result capitalises on the
mining of Lift 1 without compromising Lift 2
reserve production, or reserve depletion as they
now run both lifts simultaneously, in a multi-
level/multi-lift run.
Palabora sees much benefit to partnering with
GEOVIA for their CMS, especially in terms of shift
and tonnage generation. “PCBC is the best system
out there to estimate reserves for block caves”,
says Sam Ngidi, Pabalora’s Mine Study Manager.
“We generate monthly plans on PCBC, which are
interlinked with the CMS, to receive daily
reconciliations within the system. We don’t plan to
try anything different, as we have not come across
any system that is better than PCBC.”
Palabora engaged GEOVIA Services for onsite
training and services to further enhance their
understanding of resource modeling and to
optimise their use of GEMS. GEOVIA staff worked
directly with Palabora’s data to establish better
methods of calculating the available resource.
With GEOVIA’s help, in-house staff can now
generate wireframes and resource models, and
link the data directly to PCBC. They are more
self-sufficient and no longer spend capital on
external resources or other software.
As Palabora phases out Lift 1, they have
completed between 500 to 1,000 runs looking at
different options, block heights and footprint
sizes. Since reserve estimation work is done
with PCBC, they also need to continue ongoing
work on the reserve side – specifically, the
shape of the resource changes or when higher
grade is found to determine the best design
layout for Lift 2. They are looking at a smaller
footprint that will help reduce capital costs that
will not compromise the overall output. The goal
is to reduce its size at a higher grade to help
maximise the overall copper output. Palabora
plans to continue with PCBC training so they can
track the underground sampling in the block
cave. IM
BLOCK CAVING
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 59
Underground production at Palabora Copper
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BLOCK CAVING_proof 16/12/2015 08:43 Page 2
Despite their vital importance in the
industry, as the junior sector has been
hit hard with low commodity prices, it
has been a difficult time for consultants. But
through focussing on their strengths and on
areas such as existing mine optimisation there
are still a lot of opportunities.
Paterson & Cooke told IM it recognises that in
the current commodity cycle it is increasingly
important for mining companies to focus on the
core ‘stay in business’ needs of the operation
and ensure that efficiencies are maximised and
systems are operating optimally. “To
complement our current capability we have
further extended our services to offer
brownfields optimisation and upgrades to
improve performance. As an example, de-
watering and transport of mine tailings is an
integral part of many mining operations and
there are continual opportunities to improve
integration of the de-watering system and
disposal pipeline to enhance water recovery.”
Identifying and understanding the reasons for
poor performance, supported by test work, has
resulted in the mechanical upgrade of several
thickening operations in the US and South
Africa. These included overseeing the
installation of new thickener feedwells, bridges,
and underflow pump and pipeline systems.
Good design and engineering in the mining
industry is based on understanding the process
environment, and Paterson & Cooke’s process
engineering expertise covers a wide range of
mineral processing technologies including
comminution, classification, beneficiation and
solid/liquid separation. “This, coupled with our
in-depth knowledge of rheology, clay chemistry
and slurry flow behaviour, provides our clients
with unique process skills and experience that
provide the foundation for our engineering and
design services.” These include mine backfill
systems, including hydraulic fill and paste fill
preparation plants and underground distribution
systems. “We understand that each backfill
system is unique and that systems need to be
properly engineered and integrated with the
mining operation.”
It includes tailings disposal systems,
including conventional, high density paste
pipelines and filtered dry stack systems; and
long distance concentrate pipelines, such as the
187 km Khourigba to Jorf Lasfar Phosphate
Slurry Pipeline in Morocco that was designed by
Paterson & Cooke. It also includes tailings
dewatering systems including cyclone,
thickening and filtration plants; and turnkey
modular plants and on-site containerised
process plants as the company has supplied
turnkey modular plants for base metal and
precious metal processes.
“Our work is supported by a number of in-
house laboratories where we offer a range of
services including material, slurry and
rheological characterisation, clay behaviour
mapping, bench and pilot scale thickening and
filtration, bench scale flotation, pilot scale
hydro-cyclone processing and filtered tailings
conveyability investigations. Our laboratory
capability is complemented with computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) and scaled model
validation capabilities. Paterson & Cooke
provides a comprehensive suite of skills and
expertise from its offices in Australia, Canada,
Chile, England, South Africa and the US.”
Greg Gillian, Vice President, Processing and
Design Engineering at Norwest told IM:
“Stressed commodity markets require that
existing operations and proposed projects
thoroughly and independently review
stakeholder assumptions. Norwest provides
experience-tested expertise on project
development, continuous improvement of mine
site operations, and development of new
solutions for project delivery to continue serving
the mining and associated industries.”
Current markets also require a high priority
be placed on utilising labour and equipment as
efficiently as possible to deliver lowest cost
production. Norwest says it is working with
clients to optimise equipment productivities and
eliminate hidden costs to enhance profitability.
Recently, Norwest completed a business review
of an operation to provide a current status and
recommendations for improvements in all areas
from organisation, business process, safety,
quality, cost and productivity. This was provided
for the client to understand competitive
standing in the region and how to improve.
Gillian adds: “The Norwest team recently
assisted a client in implementing a challenging
brownfield project for a potash process. Norwest
and the client developed process modifications
to increase yield and allow additional
throughput under future mining conditions. The
project is currently in fabrication and
construction, with Norwest involvement on the
engineering side.” Other ongoing projects in the
industrial mineral sector include a mining
optimisation study for an underground potash
client. The study includes tradeoffs between
mining methods, capital expenditures, and
labour costs in an effort to enhance quality.
Another recently awarded project is for a pre-
feasibility study for a brine extraction project in
Australia. The project involves a
multidisciplinary team for the geohydrology,
modelling and resources, crystallisation and
pond design, and the processing group. Key to
the project is Norwest’s expertise in aqueous
brine resource and crystallisation pond
modelling.
Mergers and acquisitions are also a reality of
the current commodity cycle. Norwest teams
perform assignments for environmental
assessments, mining/processing/financial due
diligence, asset and retirement obligation and
purchase accounting.
An expert ear
Increasingly, the demands ofregulators, NGOs, shareholders and a
desire to minimise risk has put pressureon mining companies to adopt best
available practices, and GolderAssociates offers a full range of
disposal options assessments
Consultants often hold the expertise that unlocks projectvalue in the form of exploration strategy, prefeasibility andfeasibility studies but also process and mining method technicalreviews, and into production in areas such as tailingsmanagement. Paul Moore contacted some of the key players
CONSULTANTS
60 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
CONSULTANTS_proof 16/12/2015 08:33 Page 1
Finally he adds: “Norwest’s traditional core
strengths of geology, mining and process
engineering expertise are enhanced by the
industry knowledge of our professionals. The
regional centres of excellence in the US and
Canada, as well as overseas, are well positioned
to continue to engage the mineral industries
future development in many commodities.”
Modelling softwareBeak Consultants GmbH from Freiberg in
Germany continues to successfully provide
services for creation of value-added products to
the mining sector with mineral predictive
mapping, geo-hazard prediction and
geodatabase development using its advangeo®
software solutions.
Since 2010, Beak has been working on a
project for the Federal Institute for Geosciences
and Natural Resources of Germany (BGR) to
predict the manganese nodule coverage density
within the German licence areas in the Pacific
Ocean. By using the artificial neural network
(ANN) based advangeo Prediction Software,
Beak was able to compile predictive maps and
to estimate the mineral resources in the working
area of 79,400 km².Andreas Knobloch at the company told IM
that between 2013 and 2015, the Geological
Survey of Tanzania (GST) and Beak have
implemented a modern Geological and Mineral
Information System in the frame of a World-
Bank-financed project to host the primary geo-
scientific information about Tanzania. This
system is based on Beak’s advangeo
Geodatabase, which has been developed since
2005. An important part of the system is to
provide non-confidential data through a public
website. Low-resolution data have been made
publically available at www.gmis-tanzania.com.
Currently, Beak is implementing a web store for
purchase of high-resolution digital datasets.
Since 2014, Beak together with the Lausitzer und
Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft
mbH (LMBV) have been implementing an IT-
system for analysing and predicting ground
liquefaction processes in large lignite mining
waste rock piles. Using advangeo Prediction
Software, the dependencies between the
occurrence of geo-hazards, the rising ground
water table and the composition of waste
rockpiles have been identified. Currently, Beak is
implementing high-resolution geo-hazard
predictive maps as an important document for
waste rock pile rehabilitation planning.
Deep mine predictive analysisMira Geoscience told IM that it has years of
experience in 4D-GIS based geotechnical hazard
assessment for open pit and underground
mining projects. The Mira team has the skills
and technologies to forecast geotechnical
hazards quantitatively for design and real-time
monitoring applications by integrating all
relevant geological and geotechnical
observations.
Mira Geoscience was recently awarded a
major R&D project from the Ultra Deep Mining
Network (UDMN) called “4D Real-Time
Geotechnical Hazard Assessment and
Reporting”. Ultra-deep mining under high stress
carries severe rockbursting and other
geotechnical risks that endanger personnel,
equipment, and production. Mitigation of
geotechnical risk requires rapid assessment of
hazards as they are evolving and practical
decision support tools for their management.
For this project, Mira Geoscience is developing
a system that builds directly upon a number of
recent advances in data management, modelling,
and risk computation – the three key technologies
that must come together in a single system for
real-time geotechnical hazard assessment.
“Through the UDMN project, Mira Geoscience
will bring the power of predictive analytics to
geotechnical hazard assessment. They will also
develop the capability of maintaining
continuously updated ‘living’ rock mass and
mine models. Hazard assessments will be
automatically updated as the underlying model
of the mine evolves, providing real-time
calibration and hazard estimation.” The
continuously updated mine and hazard models,
and their underlying primary data, will be
managed by Geoscience INTEGRATOR, Mira’s 4D
geoscientific data management system.
A project deliverable is an operational real-
time hazard monitoring and reporting system for
Glencore’s Nickel Rim South Mine in Sudbury,
Ontario. This nickel-copper deposit is mined
between 1,100 and 2,000 m below surface and is
the largest mining operation in the Sudbury
mining district, Canada. The mine has
challenging ground conditions due to the
complex geological structure, depth of the
orebody, and background stress conditions.
CONSULTANTS
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 61
Predictive map of manganese nodule coveragedensity by using advangeo® PredictionSoftware (Source BGR 2015)
Left: Image from Geoscience INTEGRATOR Right: Rockburst hazard model shown on undergroundmodel
CONSULTANTS_proof 16/12/2015 08:33 Page 2
The resulting system will form an important
part of Mira Geoscience’s commercial offering of
geotechnical hazard assessment solutions
starting mid-2016.
Advisory assistanceTa Li, Vice President, Business Development at
TetraTech Inc said the company provides full
mining lifecycle services from environmental
consulting to engineering, project execution,
operations support, mine closure and reclamation.
Its worldwide staff numbers over 13,000
employees at 300 offices in more than 120
countries on six continents. Expertise covers over
75 related technical fields. “Because of our
substantial global presence, we help our clients
conceptualise and executive innovative solutions
for their most difficult problems. The five principal
areas include; water, environments, infrastructure,
resource management and energy.” The
complement of Engineering Services for project
development includes completion of pre-feasibility
and feasibility studies; development of capital cost
estimates in accordance with the Association for
the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE)
Standards and Guidelines; detailed Engineering,
Procurement and Construction Management
(EPCM); permitting and Environmental
Assessments; mine planning and operational
support; NI 43-101 Resource Estimation, due
diligence, equity and debt financing support.
“Tetra Tech has long term working
relationships with major and emerging junior
mining companies. Its resume of successful third-
party reviews and due diligences has resulted in
an excellent reputation among the finance and
investing communities. From a strong core of
mining practice offices in Golden, Vancouver,
Santiago, London and Perth, a leading and
sustainable mining practice has emerged for the
benefit of the global mining community.”
SRK Consulting is well known globally as an
independent, multi-specialist consultancy serving
the exploration and mining industries worldwide.
The company told IM: ”We advise clients at each
stage of the project life-cycle from exploration to
closure. Clients include mining and engineering
companies, financial institutions, and public
sector organisations. Strong working
relationships with regulators and the financing
community allow us to help reduce project
financing and permitting risks. When supporting
clients in buying or selling properties, we deliver
balanced, independent valuations and reviews
focused on identifying opportunities and risks.
For clients at the development stage, we focus on
understanding the critical issues to ensure we
get the concepts right. And for clients with
operating assets, we assist with optimising
performance and solving technical challenges.”
Recent project examples in terms of
independent project reviews include producing
competent person reports and valuations for
selected assets involved in South32’s demerger
and providing advisory services to the Senior
Lenders team for the Roy Hill project. Recent
feasibility studies include for Brazil’s 3 Mt/y
Tucano gold mine while technical reviews have
included a regional structural geology mapping
and geophysical interpretation for Coeur Mining’s
exploration targets in Mexico. In permitting, SRK
advises clients in various jurisdictions on
modifying permitting for delayed or reduced
expansions while maintaining flexibility,
complying with environmental and social
requirements for closure, and preparing for
market improvements. The company has
collaborated with operators to improve the
performance of their assets, such as for a major
private copper mine in Mexico.
Finally moving to mine closure, work includes
aiding decision-making on continuing,
temporarily suspending, or closing operations in
diverse locations and preparing detailed plans for
these and restarting activities. As an example,
SRK conducted a post-closure groundwater
impact assessment for the Olympic Dam
underground mining operation.
Water expertiseMWH’s services to the mining sector revolve
around water, which is a key enabler but a prime
culprit when things go wrong and the nexus for
interaction with the communities supporting
mining. Resa Furey, Market Analyst at MWH
states: “New mining projects and on-going
operations require regulatory and community
approval, a reliable water supply along with
dependable measures to manage mine waste and
control discharges to the environment. Our most
interesting assignments include sharing a limited
water supply with a city and neighboring
agricultural community; applying multiple
accounts analysis and stakeholder dialogue to
secure regulatory and community approvals;
safety audits for tailings and waste management;
program management for closure and
relinquishment of mines; and providing solutions
to deal with long-term liabilities at mines.”
MWH says its professionals contribute to the
development of the industry’s know-how in each
of these areas through knowledge sharing –
short courses and lectures – that it offers each
year. “Because the MWH mining group is backed
by a much broader water engineering service, we
are known for bringing ideas and experience from
other sectors. This has been beneficial, for
example, when we brought mining companies
together with other industries from
manufacturing to food and beverage and oil and
gas, to share approaches to water efficiency and
re-use.”
MWH says it takes pride in adding value at
each phase of the mining lifecycle by providing
thoughtful and long-term solutions that promote
shared value, improve community acceptance
and contribute to the sustainability of clients.
Tackling tailingsTypical tailings disposal options assessments
carried out by Golder Associates include working
within regulatory requirements and standard
practices to identify the most economical option
while considering intangible items such as long
term stability and closure costs. Increasingly, the
demands of regulators, NGO’s, shareholders and
a desire to minimise risk has put pressure on
mining companies to adopt best available
practices. At the same time, the decline in
commodity prices has put increased economic
pressure on mining companies.
Chris Lee, Principal - Paste Engineering and
Design told IM: “The number of assessments for
new mining projects has declined. However,
these types of assessments are still taking place
with the request frequently originating from
operating mines. These assessments evaluate
different levels of tailings dewatering; slurry,
thickened tailings/paste and filter cake and
different disposal methods including
underground backfill, co-disposal and into
depleted open pits. What is different is that the
alternatives that may have been considered too
costly in the past are being re-examined due to
significant pressure to adopt best available
practices.”
This requires greater creativity and integration
with mining companies to find cost effective
solutions that allow mines to address their
technical challenges while minimising or
reducing tailings management capital and
operating costs. “While it may seem impossible
to have a better technical solution that also has a
lower cost there are a number of ways in which
this can be done. Frequently this can be
accomplished by broadening the scope of the
study to include all areas that have synergies
with the tailings management option selection
such as the link between tailings disposal and
mine backfill. Golder, a global company that
provides a comprehensive suite of integrated
mining services and which has a wealth of
experience in mine waste management, is well
positioned to provide these detailed assessments
that mining companies can utilise to make the
best decision possible when it comes to
considering tailings disposal options.”
Unbiased client supportWatts, Griffis and McOuat Ltd (WGM) is Canada's
longest running independent firm of geological
and mining consultants. Headquartered in
Toronto, Ontario, with regional representatives in
62 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
CONSULTANTS
CONSULTANTS_proof 16/12/2015 08:33 Page 3
China, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia, the company
says its expertise in project management,
property valuations, Mineral Resource and
Reserve estimates, NI 43-101 and JORC technical
reports, and due diligence reviews “has
distinguished WGM as the most trusted name in
exploration and mining since 1962.”
In spite of the waning mineral resource sector,
WGM told IM it is helping its clients to evaluate
new business opportunities. Kurt Breede, Vice
President, Marketing and Senior Resource
Engineer comments: “The company's due
diligence practice spans over 50 years, and with
that experience comes the ability to systematically
and quickly evaluate mineral projects on their
technical merits. Whether conducting a fatal flaw
review to evaluate a potential project acquisition,
or a more in depth due diligence study to support
public and private project financings, WGM can
ensure full compliance with NI 43-101, JORC and
other standards in its reviews and reporting.
WGM's expertise and reputation in geoscience and
engineering allows it to provide balanced fairness
opinions for situations such as mergers and
acquisitions involving companies that deal in
mineral resources. The firm's professional
opinions in these matters are supported by
extensive research and assessment into the
situation at hand, and result in effective
documentation to support entities as they move
through the negotiation process. As independent
advisors, WGM does not hold equity or interest in
any project on which it work, allowing its
professionals to provide objective, unbiased
support to its clients.”
Snapshot studySGS is well known as the leading global
inspection, verification, testing and certification
company; however it also has a network of
geological, geometallurgical, mining and process
engineering consulting services which has
evolved to meet the changing needs of
exploration and mining companies globally
during the current market
downturn.
A specific service offering that
has been designed to meet this
demand is a standardised
“Desktop Study” which provides
a snapshot of the current state of
a given mineral project. It
outlines the main risks and
provides specific
recommendations to increase the
value of the project. Guy
Desharnais, SGS Minerals
Division Technical Manager –
Geological Services told IM: “The Desktop Study
provides our clients critical information with a
rapid turnaround, allowing them to take timely
and informed decisions to purchase, improve or
divest a given mineral project. In the risk
assessment graph, the position of the shaded bar
over the scale indicates the probability that each
factor will have a significant negative impact on
the project. The width of the bar represents the
total range of possible outcomes, so in cases
where the risk is well understood the bar is
shorter, and where it is as yet unmeasured, it is
very wide. This ‘risk dashboard’ provides an easy
to understand and quick reference to enable
comparison between projects.”
SGS has also developed a geostatistical tool
(kriging of irregular solids) to enable rapid risk
evaluation on a grade estimation with individual
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n Vale — Prefeasibility (FEL1) Study of the Capre
and Victor mine sites, The Copper Strategy
Project, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
n Xstrata Nickel — Nickel Rim South Mine
Project, EPCM services, Skead, Ontario,
Canada. IM
JANUARY 2016 | International Mining 63
CONSULTANTS
WGM is Canada's longest running independentfirm of geological and mining consultants
In an SGS Desktop Study risk assessment graph,the position of the shaded bar over the scaleindicates the probability that each factor willhave a significant negative impact on the project
CONSULTANTS_proof 16/12/2015 08:33 Page 4
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64 International Mining | JANUARY 2016
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Published every two weeks, IM ProjectNews is crammed with valuableinformation incorporating the latest newson projects within that fortnight.
It is specifically about projects (not speculative exploration reports)featuring operations embarking on scopingstudies or those further advanced toprefeasibility and feasibility.
Beyond that, we look at projects indevelopment, publishing regular updatesas they get closer to production. We also detail expansion projects atexisting mines.
At any one time there can be 8,000drilling projects underway, 1,500 reserve-definition studies, 800 feasibility studiesand 400 mines under construction.
So, to keep up with projects getting close to completion and learn about key project personnel, subscribe now to IM Project News.
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content is copyright. IM Project News should not be passed on to others, either as forwarded emails, as photocopies, or copies in any
other form. Intranet subscription details are available from [email protected]
Contact [email protected] NEWS
Project News (21) June 10, 2007
News from those projects making progress towards production – more every two weeks
A collection of recent starts and progress reports from around the world - updates on
projects around the globe likely to be in the market for equipment and services.
A collection of recent starts and progress reports from around the world - updates on projects around the globe
likely to be in the market for equipment and services. .... . .. .. ...... . ... . ... .. .... ... ...1
PREFEASIBILITY
. ..... ... ... .. .2
MEXICO - Tyler Resources - COPPER/GOLD.. . .. .... .... . .. . .. . .... . ....2
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Harmony Gold - COPPER/GOLD. . . . ... ... .. ..... . .. .. . .. ...3
PERU - Strike Resources - IRON ORE..... . ... . . ...... ... .. .......... .. .. .. . ... .. ..... ..3
SLOVAKIA - Tournigan Gold - GOLD.. .......... . . . ... .. . . . .. ......... ........
.4
ZAMBIA - African Eagle Resources - COPPER . ... .. . .. .... .. . . .. . .... . . ..... 4
COLUMBIA - Greystar Resources - GOLD/SILVER ... .... . . ... ............ ...... ... . .... .. .. . .4
USA - Galway Resources - MOLYBDENUM/TUNGSTEN... .. ... . .. ..... . ... . . . . . .. ...5
CANADA - Geodex Minerals - TUNGSTEN/MOLYBDENUM/COPPER .. . .... .. . . . .... .. . 5
AUSTRALIA - Heron Resources - NICKEL .. . .. . ... ........ ......... .. . . ... . .... ..6
ARGENTINA - Minera Andes - COPPER.. . . ... .. . . .. . .. .. . . .... . .. . ....... .... 6
AUSTRALIA - Independence Group - GOLD.... . .... ....... . . .... ..... . .. ... . .6
RUSSIA – Polymetal - GOLD
.6
FEASIBILITY STAGE
.. .. . 7
BURKINA FASO - Goldbelt Resources - GOLD ...... ... . ...... ...... . ... . .... ..... ............... ...7
USA - Great Basin Gold - GOLD/SILVER. . .. ...... ... . .... .... .. ..... . ..... .... . ......7
AUSTRALIA - Moly Mines - MOLYBDENUM .... . ... . . .. ..
... ... . ... .. .. ...8
CHINA - Golden China Resources - GOLD.... . . . .... ....... . . . ..
. ...... . .8
AUSTRALIA - Goldstar Resources - GOLD ........ .. . ... ... .. ... . . .. ..... .. ..... .. .8
CANADA - Western Copper Corp’s - GOLD/SILVER ..... ..... . ..... ...... ...... .. ...... .. 9
AUSTRALIA - Minotaur Exploration/ Helix Resources - GOLD/SILVER.. . .. . ... . ... ..... ...... ... .9
SOUTH AFRICA - Eastern Platinum - PGMs ..... ...... . . . .. . ... . .... ......... .. . . . ....9
USA - American Lignite Energy/ Headwaters Energy Services/ Great River Energy/ The North American Coal
Corp – LIGNITE…………………………………………………………………………………………….10
CHILE - Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold / Codelco - COPPER.. ...... . . ... . . . . . . . .. ... 10
USA - FutureGen Alliance - COAL. ... . . .. . ..... ...... ......... ... .... . . . .. . . ... . ... ..10
CANADA - Atlantic Gold - GOLD .. .. .......... ... . . .... .. ..... . . .. . . .. . .. .. 10
MEXICO - Baja Mining - COPPER/COBALT/ZINC/MANGANESE.. . . ... . . .. . .. . .... ......11
GREENLAND - True North Gems - RUBY .. ..... .... . . .. . . . .. . ..... .. .. . ..... . ........12
CANADA - North American Tungsten Corp - TUNGSTEN .. .. .... . . .. . ... . . . . ... ...... . . 12
MONGOLIA - Western Prospector Group - URANIUM . .. .. .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . . .12
ALGERIA - Terramin Australia - ZINC/LEAD. . .... .. .. .... ..... . ... . . . . ...... . . .. .13
INDONESIA - Finders Resources - GOLD/COPPER.......... ... .. .... . .... . .... . . ... . .13
COTE D’IVOIRE - Etruscan Resources - GOLD . . ......... ..... .... .. . .... ..... ....... . . . ..13
SAUDI ARABIA - ADV Group/ Bariq Mining - GOLD/COPPER .... ... ... ...... .. .. .. ..13
BRAZIL - Mirabela Nickel - NICKEL ..... . .. .. . . .. ... . ..... ...... .. ... ....... .. .........14
PERU - Monterrico Metals - COPPER/MOLYBDENUM . ... .. . ... .... ..... ....... . . . . ..14
AUSTRALIA - Gindalbie Metals/ Anshan Iron & Steel Group - IRON ORE...... ....... . ....... .. ...... 15
CANADA - Canadian Royalties - NICKEL/COPPER/PGM.... .. ..... ..... .. . .. .. . . .. .. .. 16
INVEST IN PROJECT NEWS
ALL dollars are US unless otherwise stated, and all units are metric. The subscription to IM Project News is personal and the
content is copyright. IM Project News should not be passed on to others, either as forwarded emails, as photocopies, or copies in any
other form. Intranet subscription details are available from [email protected]
Contact [email protected] NEWS
Project News (21) June 10, 2007
News from those projects making progress towards production – more every two weeks
A collection of recent starts and progress reports from around the world - updates on
projects around the globe likely to be in the market for equipment and services.
A collection of recent starts and progress reports from around the world - updates on projects around the globe
likely to be in the market for equipment and services. ...... .. . .. . . .. ... . .... . .... ..... .. .. ... 1
PREFEASIBILITY
. .. .. ...... .2
MEXICO - Tyler Resources - COPPER/GOLD ... .. . . ....... .. .... .... .. .. . . .........2
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Harmony Gold - COPPER/GOLD . ... . ....... ...... ........ .. . . . .3
PERU - Strike Resources - IRON ORE . . . . ... . ...... . . .... ...... ......... . .. . ..3
SLOVAKIA - Tournigan Gold - GOLD.. . .... . .. .... . . .. . . .. ... .... . . . .. . ... .......4
ZAMBIA - African Eagle Resources - COPPER . .... .. ... . ...... . .. . . .. ... . .. .... .. .... . .... 4
COLUMBIA - Greystar Resources - GOLD/SILVER.. ......... ..... . . ... . ...... .. .. . .. . .4
USA - Galway Resources - MOLYBDENUM/TUNGSTEN...... ...... ..... . . . ... ..... ...... .5
CANADA - Geodex Minerals - TUNGSTEN/MOLYBDENUM/COPPER .. ... .... .. ... . . ..... 5
AUSTRALIA - Heron Resources - NICKEL ........ ........ .... . . ... . .. . . .. .... . ... ...6
ARGENTINA - Minera Andes - COPPER ... . ... ... ....... . ..... .... . . .... .... ...6
AUSTRALIA - Independence Group - GOLD ... ... ...... ....... .... . . . . ....... . .. ...... .6
RUSSIA – Polymetal - GOLD
.6
FEASIBILITY STAGE
. ...7
BURKINA FASO - Goldbelt Resources - GOLD .. . .. . . ... . . . ....... .. ... . . . ... . .. ....7
USA - Great Basin Gold - GOLD/SILVER. ..... .. .. .. . ......
.................. .. . . . .7
AUSTRALIA - Moly Mines - MOLYBDENUM.. ... ... ...... ..... . . ... . . . ......... .... ... .. . ..8
CHINA - Golden China Resources - GOLD ........ . ... . . ..... ...... . ..... . ...... . ... .8
AUSTRALIA - Goldstar Resources - GOLD . . ... .. . . .... . ... . . ... .. .. .... . . ....8
CANADA - Western Copper Corp’s - GOLD/SILVER .. ... .... .... . .. .... .. . .... . . .. . ....9
AUSTRALIA - Minotaur Exploration/ Helix Resources - GOLD/SILVER . ... . ..... . .. . . . ....... 9
SOUTH AFRICA - Eastern Platinum - PGMs .. . ... ... .. .. . . .. . . ....... . . ... . 9
USA - American Lignite Energy/ Headwaters Energy Services/ Great River Energy/ The North American Coal
Corp – LIGNITE…………………………………………………………………………………………….10
CHILE - Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold / Codelco - COPPER.... .... ... .. . ....... .... .. . ... . ......10
USA - FutureGen Alliance - COAL ... . ...... .. .. ..... .. .... ...... ...... . . . . .... . .. .....10
CANADA - Atlantic Gold - GOLD .. .... . . . .. .... . .. . . .. ......
... . . . 10
MEXICO - Baja Mining - COPPER/COBALT/ZINC/MANGANESE.. ... .. ... . . ... ... .. . . 11
GREENLAND - True North Gems - RUBY .. .. . . . ..... ....... . .
. .....12
CANADA - North American Tungsten Corp - TUNGSTEN ... ... . ... . ........ ..... ... .... . ....12
MONGOLIA - Western Prospector Group - URANIUM..... .. .... .... .. . .. .... ... .......12
ALGERIA - Terramin Australia - ZINC/LEAD. . ...... . . . .... ...... ........ . . . . ...... ..13
INDONESIA - Finders Resources - GOLD/COPPER.. . .... .. . . .. .. ... . .. . 13
COTE D’IVOIRE - Etruscan Resources - GOLD . .... .... .. .. ... . ... . .. ... .. . .. .13
SAUDI ARABIA - ADV Group/ Bariq Mining - GOLD/COPPER.. .. ........ .. .. . . ... . 13
BRAZIL - Mirabela Nickel - NICKEL . . ................... ........ .. ..... . ....... . .. .. . 14
PERU - Monterrico Metals - COPPER/MOLYBDENUM . ..... ... . .. . . ..... . ... . ... .. .14
AUSTRALIA - Gindalbie Metals/ Anshan Iron & Steel Group - IRON ORE.. .. ... .... . . . . . .15
CANADA - Canadian Royalties - NICKEL/COPPER/PGM. .. . .. ....... . ..... ... ........... . .16
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Published every two weeks, IM ProjectNews is crammed with valuableinformation incorporating the latest newson projects within that fortnight.
It is specifically about projects (not speculative exploration reports)featuring operations embarking on scopingstudies or those further advanced toprefeasibility and feasibility.
Beyond that, we look at projects indevelopment, publishing regular updatesas they get closer to production. We also detail expansion projects atexisting mines.
At any one time there can be 8,000drilling projects underway, 1,500 reserve-definition studies, 800 feasibility studiesand 400 mines under construction.
So, to keep up with projects getting close to completion and learn about key project personnel, subscribe now to IM Project News.
Contact: [email protected]+44 1442 87 08 29Annual subscription is only £260, $410 or € 315
ALL dollars are US unless otherwise stated, and all units are metric. The subscription to IM Project News is personal and the
content is copyright. IM Project News should not be passed on to others, either as forwarded emails, as photocopies, or copies in any
other form. Intranet subscription details are available from [email protected]
Contact [email protected] NEWS
Project News (21) June 10, 2007
News from those projects making progress towards production – more every two weeks
A collection of recent starts and progress reports from around the world - updates on
projects around the globe likely to be in the market for equipment and services.
A collection of recent starts and progress reports from around the world - updates on projects around the globe
likely to be in the market for equipment and services. . . ....... . . . ... ... . . . .1
PREFEASIBILITY
. .. ..... . 2
MEXICO - Tyler Resources - COPPER/GOLD .. . .... . . . .. ..... ... . . .... . ... .......2
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Harmony Gold - COPPER/GOLD . .... . . . ... . .... .. .. . 3
PERU - Strike Resources - IRON ORE. ....... . .... ........ .. ...... ...... ..... ..... ... .................3
SLOVAKIA - Tournigan Gold - GOLD..... . . . . ..... .. . . . ..... ........ . .. .. . .. ...4
ZAMBIA - African Eagle Resources - COPPER ..... .. . . .... . ..... . ... ............ ..4
COLUMBIA - Greystar Resources - GOLD/SILVER.. . . ... . .... . . . ....... ... .. . ..4
USA - Galway Resources - MOLYBDENUM/TUNGSTEN ... . . ...... ..... . . .. .. ... . .5
CANADA - Geodex Minerals - TUNGSTEN/MOLYBDENUM/COPPER .. . . .. . . .. ... . ... . ..5
AUSTRALIA - Heron Resources - NICKEL ....... ... . . .... . . .... . .. ... .. . .... ...... 6
ARGENTINA - Minera Andes - COPPER. .. .... . . ...... ...... . .. . . . . .... .. ...... ... . . 6
AUSTRALIA - Independence Group - GOLD..... ..... .. . ... ..... . ...... . .. .. . .... ....... . . . ....6
RUSSIA – Polymetal - GOLD
.6
FEASIBILITY STAGE
. . . 7
BURKINA FASO - Goldbelt Resources - GOLD .. . .. .. . .. . . .. .. . .. ..... ... . .7
USA - Great Basin Gold - GOLD/SILVER.. . . . . . . ... ... ....... .. . . . .. ... ..7
AUSTRALIA - Moly Mines - MOLYBDENUM.. ...... .. .....
. . ......... .... . .. .....8
CHINA - Golden China Resources - GOLD. ...... . ... ....... . ...... . .... .. .......... ... 8
AUSTRALIA - Goldstar Resources - GOLD.. . ... . . ........ ... . .... ..... . . .. . . .. ...8
CANADA - Western Copper Corp’s - GOLD/SILVER . .. .. ... . ... . . . . . . .... ... ... . .9
AUSTRALIA - Minotaur Exploration/ Helix Resources - GOLD/SILVER.... . . ... .. . .... .. . . .9
SOUTH AFRICA - Eastern Platinum - PGMs .. ....... . ...... ... ..... . .. . . . ..9
USA - American Lignite Energy/ Headwaters Energy Services/ Great River Energy/ The North American Coal
Corp – LIGNITE…………………………………………………………………………………………….10
CHILE - Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold / Codelco - COPPER. . . . ... ....... . ... . . .. . . 10
USA - FutureGen Alliance - COAL... . ........ . .... .. . .. . .......... . . .. . .... ... ....10
CANADA - Atlantic Gold - GOLD .. . ... .. .. . ... . . .. ... . .... . . . .... . .........10
MEXICO - Baja Mining - COPPER/COBALT/ZINC/MANGANESE. ..... ...... ... .. .... . .11
GREENLAND - True North Gems - RUBY ... ..... . . .. . .... . . . ... ... . . .. ...12
CANADA - North American Tungsten Corp - TUNGSTEN ...... .. . .. ... ........... . ... ...12
MONGOLIA - Western Prospector Group - URANIUM .. . . . . ... . .. .... . ........ ..12
ALGERIA - Terramin Australia - ZINC/LEAD ..... . . .... . . .... .... .. ... . ..13
INDONESIA - Finders Resources - GOLD/COPPER....... .. .. .. ... .......... . .... .. ..... ...13
COTE D’IVOIRE - Etruscan Resources - GOLD . . .. ......... . . ... ...... . . . .. ... ... ... .... 13
SAUDI ARABIA - ADV Group/ Bariq Mining - GOLD/COPPER. .. ........ . . . .... ..... . .. .. ..13
BRAZIL - Mirabela Nickel - NICKEL . .. ... ... . ...... . . . ... . ..... . .... ............14
PERU - Monterrico Metals - COPPER/MOLYBDENUM ...... .. .... .... .... .. ...... . . . . .. . ... ..14
AUSTRALIA - Gindalbie Metals/ Anshan Iron & Steel Group - IRON ORE...... . . .... ... ... . .. . .... .15
CANADA - Canadian Royalties - NICKEL/COPPER/PGM. . ...... .......... .... .... .. .. . .. ...16
INVEST IN PROJECT NEWS
ALL dollars are US unless otherwise stated, and all units are metric. The subscription to IM Project News is personal and the
content is copyright. IM Project News should not be passed on to others, either as forwarded emails, as photocopies, or copies in any
other form. Intranet subscription details are available from [email protected]
Contact [email protected] NEWS
Project News (21) June 10, 2007
News from those projects making progress towards production – more every two weeks
A collection of recent starts and progress reports from around the world - updates on
projects around the globe likely to be in the market for equipment and services.
A collection of recent starts and progress reports from around the world - updates on projects around the globe
likely to be in the market for equipment and services. .. . ....... .. . . ... ... . ..... .. ..... . . . . .1
PREFEASIBILITY
. .... ..2
MEXICO - Tyler Resources - COPPER/GOLD.... ......... .. ...... .. . ..... . ....... .. ... .....2
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Harmony Gold - COPPER/GOLD .......... .. .. ......... .
. ... . .. ...3
PERU - Strike Resources - IRON ORE .. .... .... .. . . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ... . . . .. ..3
SLOVAKIA - Tournigan Gold - GOLD. . . .. . . ... ... ........... ... . ..... .. . .. .. ..4
ZAMBIA - African Eagle Resources - COPPER .. . . . . ... . . . .. . ... . . .... .. . ..4
COLUMBIA - Greystar Resources - GOLD/SILVER. ... . ... . . ... . ... .... .. .... . .. ....... .... 4
USA - Galway Resources - MOLYBDENUM/TUNGSTEN.. . .. . ... .. . ....... . .. . ..... .....5
CANADA - Geodex Minerals - TUNGSTEN/MOLYBDENUM/COPPER ............. . .. .. ......... .. .5
AUSTRALIA - Heron Resources - NICKEL ....... ...... . .. ..... .. .. ... . ... . . ... 6
ARGENTINA - Minera Andes - COPPER. . ... ...... . ....... .... . ... ....... . ..... ..... . . . . ...6
AUSTRALIA - Independence Group - GOLD . ........ . . .. . . . .. .. .... . ...... . .. . .6
RUSSIA – Polymetal - GOLD
.6
FEASIBILITY STAGE
... ..... .. ..7
BURKINA FASO - Goldbelt Resources - GOLD .. .. ... ...... . . .... .. .. ..... .. . . . .7
USA - Great Basin Gold - GOLD/SILVER.. . ...... . . . . ... . .......... .... .. .. .. .7
AUSTRALIA - Moly Mines - MOLYBDENUM.... ... . ....... ....... .... . .. . ... 8
CHINA - Golden China Resources - GOLD.. . . . . . . ... .. . .... ... . . . . .. . .8
AUSTRALIA - Goldstar Resources - GOLD.. . ... ..... . ...... . ... ..... . ....... .. ... .. . ... .. .8
CANADA - Western Copper Corp’s - GOLD/SILVER .... . ....
. .. ........ ..... .......9
AUSTRALIA - Minotaur Exploration/ Helix Resources - GOLD/SILVER ........ .. ........ . .... ... .9
SOUTH AFRICA - Eastern Platinum - PGMs ... .... ......... ....... .. . .. .. .. . .....9
USA - American Lignite Energy/ Headwaters Energy Services/ Great River Energy/ The North American Coal
Corp – LIGNITE…………………………………………………………………………………………….10
CHILE - Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold / Codelco - COPPER. . . . .... ...
..... ...10
USA - FutureGen Alliance - COAL.. .... .. . ...... . . . . . .... ... .. . . .... . 10
CANADA - Atlantic Gold - GOLD . .... . .. ... . ... .... ...... ..... .. ......... . ... . . 10
MEXICO - Baja Mining - COPPER/COBALT/ZINC/MANGANESE..... ..... . .... . . . .. . .. 11
GREENLAND - True North Gems - RUBY . . .. . .. .. .... . . ... .. .. . .. .. ..... . .. .....12
CANADA - North American Tungsten Corp - TUNGSTEN ... ... . . . . .. . ...... . . . . . .... . . 12
MONGOLIA - Western Prospector Group - URANIUM.. .. .... .... ..... . .. . .... .. . 12
ALGERIA - Terramin Australia - ZINC/LEAD .... . ... ....... ......... . ..... .... ....... . .....13
INDONESIA - Finders Resources - GOLD/COPPER... .. . . . . . ...... . .. ...... .. .. . . 13
COTE D’IVOIRE - Etruscan Resources - GOLD . . .. . . ... . ..... .... . . .... ..... ..13
SAUDI ARABIA - ADV Group/ Bariq Mining - GOLD/COPPER.. .... ..... ..... . . ..... .. .. .. ..... 13
BRAZIL - Mirabela Nickel - NICKEL. ... . ... . . . .. . . ..... ........ . .. ........ ..... 14
PERU - Monterrico Metals - COPPER/MOLYBDENUM ... . .... .. . .. ... ..... . .. ..... .14
AUSTRALIA - Gindalbie Metals/ Anshan Iron & Steel Group - IRON ORE.. ... ... . .... . ... ...... . ..15
CANADA - Canadian Royalties - NICKEL/COPPER/PGM..... . . .. .. . .. . ...... . .. 16
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IPCC 2012 REPORTOPERATION FOCUS:Copper Cliff 114PROJECT FOCUS - Ontario’s Ring of Fire
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APRIL 2014
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