First Mining Drc-Zambia March/April 2019

NEWS CENTRAL AFRICA'S PREMIER BUSINESS TO BUSINESS MINING MAGAZINE

VOL 12 | ISSUE 2 | March - April 2019

Gold Mining consolidation In this issue...

Condition monitoring services boost business Zambia issues youth with in Zambia, DRC licences to Mitigate illegal mining Pg 30 Pg 15 www.fmdrc-Zambia.com

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NEWS

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CONTENTS NEWS

FEATURE

EVENTS

PRODUCTS

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AVZ Minerals raises Us $9.8M for further Development of Manono

Gold Mining Sector Continues in Africa into 2019

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Invanhoe Mines

Condition monitoring services boost business in Zambia, DRC

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Industry first for Pilot Crushtec and Metso

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Epiroc to digitalize Black Rock Mine Operations

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TEAM

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Editor Bertha M. editor@fmdrc-zambia.com

As the first quarter of 2019 draws, to a close, the mining industry in Africa

Contributing Writer Oscar Nkala Mfuneko Jack Lindani Mkhize Caroline Thomas Nita Karume

respectively, to the projected global investment in DRC’s mining industry and

Sales and Marketing Victor Ndlovu victorn@fmdrc-zambia.com +27 11 044 8986 Isabel Isiziwe isabelsiziwe@gmail.com zambia@fmdrc-zambi.com +260 96 187 4888 Victor Ndlovu victorn@fmdrc-zambia.com Gladmore . N gladmoren@fmdrc-zambia.com Mandla M. mandlam@fmdrc-zambia Meshack N meshackn@fmdrc-zambia.com

continues to show a renewed promise of growth. What, from news of expansion of mines such as Ivanhoe and AVZ’s Kamoa-Kakula and Manono minesan appeal to Africa mining companies to invest in renewable energy. There is thus no doubt that more is to come and even so with it increased investment in Africa’s mining Industry.

This issue is all about efficiency in mining processes. Fmdrc has chosen to take a special focus on underground mining processes. As such, read on for insights on matters borehole seismic technology, mine air conditioning systems as well as seismic monitoring systems for mining applications.

For the miners looking to invest in guaranteed efficiency in condition monitoring, read on for an exclusive feature on how to boost your mining business. Not to forget a one stop avenue for all your mining equipment needs; get in touch with manufacturers and suppliers to get that equipment.

In a world where the world is embracing digitization, the mining industry has not been left behind. Get to learn about one company’s journey in digitizing one of its mines, challenges as well as the advantages of such a venture.

As usual, keep abreast with the goings-on in the mining industry in Africa with a

Kholwani Dube kholwani@fmdrc-zambia.com

collection of the latest news across the Fmdrc scope, from the move of Zambia

Graphic Design and Layout Irene Faith Omudho

community water project in Kalumbila.

Art Director Augustine Ombwa Arobia Creative Consultancy austin@arobia.co.ke

Nita Karume

to mitigate the illegal mining menace in the country to FQM’s resumption of a

Published By Mailing Times Media sales@fmdrc-zambia.com www.fmdrc-zambia.com Circulation/Sales info@fmdrc-zambia.com +27 11 044 8986 sales@fmdrc-zambia.com +27 11 044 8986

www.fmdrc-zambia.com Mailing Times Media (Pty) Ltd makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the contents of its publications, but no warranty is made as to such accuracy and no responsibility will be borne by the publisher for the consequences of actions based on information so published. Further, opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by Mailing Times Media (Pty) Ltd

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NEWS

AVZ MINERALS RAISES US $9.8M FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF MANONO Lithium Inc. – a Canadian mining company currently developing and commissioning an open pit lithium carbonate mine and processing plant near Val d’Or, Quebec.

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VZ Minerals has raised $9.8 million for further development of its Manono project. As stipulated in the SPP Prospectus, the amount, upon combination with the recently completed SPP, will bring the total proceeds from the new share issues to US $15m before costs as contemplated in the SPP Prospectus.

AVZ Managing Director Nigel Ferguson explained that this placement together with the oversubscribed SPP will leave AVZ fully funded to final investment decision. He further thanked Huayou Cobalt Group for its continued support

and welcomed Lithium Plus and a number of new Australian and global institutions to the AVZ register.

According to media reports, the placement has been completed at 3.8¢ per share being the same price as under the SPP. Moreover, 257m new shares will be issued under the company’s 15% placement capacity.

Lithium Plus is a specialist lithium investment company led by Bin Guo who has close links to the battery manufacturing industry in China. Guo is also a director of North American

BOTSWANA

RANKS HIGHEST IN 2018

ANNUAL SURVEY OF MINING AND EXPLORATION COMPANIES

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otswana has, for the second time, ranked highest in the 2018 annual survey of mining and exploration companies. The report is as a result of a survey conducted by the annual Fraser Institute – Survey of Mining Companies 2018. According to the report, Botswana is again the highest ranked jurisdiction in Africa on policy, ranking 12th (of 83) in 2018.

The survey attempted to assess how mineral endowments and public policy factors such as taxation and regulatory uncertainty affect exploration investment. It was reportedly circulated

electronically to approximately 2,600 individuals between August 21st and November 9th, 2018.

Furthermore, survey responses have been tallied to rank provinces, states,

Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, through its group company Huayou International Mining, has continued its support by subscribing for US $1m in the placement to maintain a 9.30% interest in the company.

Huayou Cobalt Group is reportedly one of the world’s largest manufacturers of cobalt chemicals for use in batteries and has extensive incountry experience with a number of established mining operations within the Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to media reports, the placement comes at an exciting time for participants in the lithium industry as interest in electric vehicles in the world’s largest vehicle market surges.

Moreover, AVZ notes that sales of electric cars in China are reported to have increased 188% in January 2019.

and countries according to the extent that public policy factors encourage or discourage mining investment. Of the assessments sent out, the Institute received a total of 291 responses for the survey, providing sufficient data to evaluate 83 jurisdictions.

By way of comparison, 91 jurisdictions were evaluated in 2017, 104 in 2016, 109 in 2015, and 122 in 2014. The number of jurisdictions that can be included in the study is intermittent as the mining sector grows or shrinks due to commodity prices and sectoral factors.

The investment attractiveness index takes both mineral and policy perception into consideration. As such, an overall Investment Attractiveness Index is constructed by combining the Best Practices Mineral Potential index, which rates regions based on their geologic attractiveness, and the Policy Perception Index, a composite index that measures the effects of government policy on attitudes toward exploration investment.

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NEWS

Global interest in DRC mining as France, Germany, South Africa, UK and Zimbabwe confirm pavilions at DRC Mining Week “DRC is a lucrative market”

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he upcoming DRC Mining Week will have more international pavilions than any previous edition. This year’s indoor and outdoor mining expo and conference taking place from 19-21 June in Lubumbashi, will feature specialised sector-focused products, services and technology with country pavilions from France, Germany, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.

More than 3500 international mining experts and local stakeholders from more than 50 countries are expected to attend this long-running, awardwinning and flagship event that this year is celebrating 15 years of bringing the mining community in the DRC together.

ZimTrade: “DRC is a lucrative market” The Zimbabwean trade promotional organisation, ZimTrade, organised the first Zimbabwe country pavilion at DRC Mining Week last year and is returning after a highly lucrative experience in 2018. The media reported that companies on the Zimbabwean pavilion had clinched more than US $3-million worth of deals onsite at the event.

ZimTrade says in a pre-event interview: “The US$3 million reported is an indication that DRC is a lucrative market and that there is potential for business

synergies between Zimbabwean and DRC companies. It is what has spurred us to participate at the show once again in 2019.”

They added: “we were very pleased with the level of interest in Zimbabwean products and our participants generated many business leads some of which they have managed to convert into export sales within a short period of time. The Zimbabwean pavilion will, this year, showcase a variety of locally produced products which includes; jaw crushers, rollers, conveyor belts, electricity transformers and cables, engineering solutions, industrial safety equipment, instrumentation services, boiler serving, irrigation equipment and water management systems among other products.”

French companies known for technical expertise “The French economic presence in the DRC comprises about 40 companies”, says Sophie Olivier, Director General of the French-Congolese Chamber of Commerce (CCIFC) and convenor of the French Pavilion at the upcoming DRC Mining Week. She continues: “this presence includes locally-based SMEs but also subsidiaries of large groups that have really adapted well to the local environment - in various

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fields such as hotels, telecoms, energy.

Also, the French are recognized for their technical expertise, both in subcontracting (maintenance, technical, construction etc.) and in associated services (catering, HR, audit etc.). There are therefore many French services or products - including technical equipment - within local companies, including mining.”

“The French economic community furthermore already has a presence in Lubumbashi via the CCIFC and the CFA (Le Club Français des Affaires). At DRC Mining Week, the following companies will be represented: BRASIMBA, CIS, DISTRITEC, GCS, HTDS, SERVTEC, SOFIBANQUE, SOS INTERNATIONAL, and CCIFC.” Industry support Apart from Standard Bank’s diamond plus sponsorship, as with previous editions of the event, DRC Mining Week has already secured wide and impressive industry support through leading industry giants, including MEF Petroleum and Tenke Fungurume Mining as diamond sponsors and AEL, CATOCA and Engen as platinum sponsors. The gold sponsors are: Africell, Axishouse, Copperbelt Energy, ERG, SEP Congo, Ivanhoe Mines and Barrick.

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NEWS

Ebola Outbreak

Over 35% of DRC’s goldmines at risk

now threatened as the Ebola-infected areas grow, potentially jeopardizing output. The effect on gold producers depends on whether mines are industrial or artisanal, and on how close they are to known cases.

In Ellis’ view, there are two major issues the gold mining industry has to urgently deal with.

One is the risk to mine staff. The analyst goes on to explain that larger industrial mining companies will need to enact strict protocols to reduce the risk of transmission to their sites, which will likely slow down ore extraction and construction efforts.

Secondly, Ebola prevention methods at border checkpoints will almost certainly slow gold exports as the Ugandan government and World Health Organization (WHO) introduce measures to limit the spread.

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ore than 35% of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s goldmines are at risk of being affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the country. The number of people infected with the often fatal virus has now exceeded 1,000 cases, the World Health Organization confirmed, making it the second-worst outbreak in history, with daily rates on the rise as response workers continue to face violence.

In addition to the obvious risks for those working in the country’s gold mines, companies are now facing delays in their exports, as part of Ebola prevention methods being implemented at border checkpoints. This is according to Indigo Ellis, Verisk Maplecroft’s lead DRC Analyst warns.

Meanwhile, Barrick’s Kibali and Vector Resources’ Adidi-Kanga gold mines are

On the other hand, Verisk Maplecroft has detected a growing threat to industrial mines such as Barrick’s Kibali and Vector Resources’ Adidi-Kanga, which increases the likelihood of gold production being affected. This is most especially after the recent confirmation of cases in Bunia, a city of close to 1 million people, closer to the Ugandan border than previous outbreaks.

The DRC generates more than 60% of the world’s cobalt, a key material for making the batteries that power electric cars.

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NEWS

Ivanhoe Mines

mulls over expanding DRC’s Kamoa-Kakula copper mines

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vanhoe Mines is currently mulling over expanding Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s Kamoa-Kakula copper mines. The execution of this move will see the copper mines become the world’s second largest after the giant Escondida mine of BHP and Rio Tinto in Chile.

According to a company statement, the expansion will see Kamoa-Kakula increase its production rate to 18m tonnes a year with peak copper output of 740 000 t/y. The expanded plan for Komoa-Kakula is based on an initial six-million-tonne-a-year mine at Kakula, followed by two 6m-tonne-a-year mines at Kansoko and Kakula West, and a

direct-to-blister smelter.

Ivanhoe, which owns 39.6% of the project together with Zijin Mining (39.6%), Crystal River Global (0.8%) and the DRC government (20%), has started underground development at the planned initial Kakula mine.

According to media reports from the company’s statement, most of the major procurement packages had been ordered and that construction would get under way shortly, with completion scheduled by the end of 2019.

Initial production from the Stage 1 development is scheduled for early 2021. The Stage 1 production is

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projected to have a grade of 6.4% copper over the initial ten years of operations, resulting in an estimated production of 291 000 t.

The Komoa-Kakula project has a total mineral resource of 1.39-billion tonnes, grading 2.64% copper, containing 80.6-billion pounds of copper at a 1% copper cutoff grade and a minimum thickness of 3 m.

Meanwhile, Ivanhoe reported that it had spent more than US $600m to advance its three mine projects in Southern Africa in 2018. Besides Kamoa-Kakula, these include the Kipushi project, in the DRC, and the Platreef project, in South Africa.

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NEWS

First Quantum Minerals (FQM) to resume Kalumbila community water project

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irst Quantum Minerals (FQM) is set to resume the stalled community water project in Kalumbila District.

This is following the long standoff that existed between the mining company and the Community, leading to the suspension of the water project.

described as a taboo. The residents raised concerns that the situation had further led to the contamination of water in the area as mining activities were also too close, a move that left FQM with no option but to abandon the water project.

In August last year, First Quantum Minerals (FQM) announced the suspension of the community water project in Kalumbila District after several complaints from residents on the flooded Musangezhi dam.

However, after several engagements with Chief Musele and Kalumbila Minerals Ltd General Manager Morris Rowe, the matter has been put to rest. This followed a statement from the Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection on the results of investigations by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and the Department

Flooding of the Dam led to an uproar from residents, especially that it affected a nearby graveyard, which they

of Water Resources Development into the quality of water in boreholes around Musele Chiefdom.

This will result in FQM resuming the community water project put on hold last year following attempts by community leaders to blame the mine for natural occurrences that affected the quality of water.

Provincial Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu said: “On behalf of Government, I wish to sincerely thank both parties that have been involved in this process of discussions.�

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NEWS

MINING COMPANIES WITHIN AFRICA ADVISED TO INVEST IN RENEWABLE ENERGY

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ining companies that carry out operations in Sub-Saharan Africa have been advised to invest in renewable energy. In the report published by Fitch Solutions, this move is the way to go considering the prevalence of off-grid remote mineral deposits in Sub-Saharan Africa in addition to the unreliable nature of traditional grid-power.

Furthermore, according to the market research firm, off-grid mines could benefit by taking advantage of the favourable climate conditions in the area and reducing their dependency on diesel.

The report explains that the remote location of many important mineral deposits together with the

underdeveloped state of power and transport infrastructure means that there are a large number of mines not connected to national or regional electrical grids.

As such, many of the mining operations in Sub-Saharan Africa are forced to depend solely on diesel-generated power, which is expensive to transport and subject to significant volatility in terms of pricing.

According to the report, miners’ dependency on the fossil fuel would be significantly reduced if they adopted renewable power. Decentralized power, the report asserts, will go a long way towards ensuring that the mining companies reduce their exposure to expensive fuels, but also make use of

them as back-up power when solar or wind power is unavailable.

Fitch’s experts also suggest that gridconnected mines would also benefit from incorporating renewables to their power mix.

This is because they are able to play a role as potential remedies to the challenges associated with the unreliability of conventional grid power across the region, where power outages and exorbitant electricity prices are common.

Some of the major risks as highlighted in the report include poor corporate governance and financial management.

These two should lead companies to avoid depending on their grids.

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NEWS

Mitigating illegal mining Zambian government issues mining licences to youth

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he Zambian government issued a small-scale mining license to youths in Chingola town on the Copperbelt Province earlier on this week. This, according to Chali Chilombo, a lawmaker for Nchanga constituency in the town, is for purposes of curbing rising illegal mining activities.

reduce cases of illegal mining in the district, which has led to the deaths of many illegal miners. Mr. Chilombo added that all young people working on slag dumps will be trained in safety measures to avoid accidents.

Mr. Chilombo who was presenting the licenses to the youth said that the mover by the government will go a long way towards empowering the young people in the district.

To ensure safety in the working environment for the miners, Mr. Chilombo urged the youth not to fight over this site, and instead work in harmony to ensure all working safety precautions are put in place before operations start.

Furthermore, the decision will help

Kabaso Mulenga, chairperson of the

small-scale miners in the district, commended the government for the commitment to empowering young people.

Speaking to the youth, he urged them to ensure that the operations and distribution of resources are done in a transparent and equitable manner. This, he emphasized, is to avoid cases of selfishness.

Zambia has been grappling with illegal mining activities especially on the Copperbelt province, as youths mine copper on slag dumps and disused pits.

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NEWS

Luber-finer® Launches New Online Filter Search Tool Vindetech is the Heavy Duty Industry’s First Digital Resource thatAllows Users to Find Filters Based on Vehicle Identification Number

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oledo, OH, April 2, 2019 – Luberfiner®, a leading brand in heavy duty filtration since 1936, has announced the latest expansion of the filter company’s Digital Advantage Program. Now accessible on luberfiner. com and available in the future on the Luber-finer mobile app, Vindetech is the first online Vehicle Identification Number search tool in the heavy duty filtration market. Luber-finer’s new digital resource allows users to enter the VIN from an on-road heavy duty truck and find the exact filters they need for that vehicle.

“This project is the culmination of years of hard work and catalog system software development,” said Layne Gobrogge, Director of Heavy Duty

Marketing for Champion Laboratories.

“We knew that once we got the concept to work, it could be a game-changing tool for installers, parts managers and our own sales force. As we continue to grow our brand, we will be leveraging this new tool as another example of how Luber-finer is indeed Built to Do More.”

Users begin the Vindetech filter search by entering all 17 digits of a vehicle’s VIN in the field at the bottom of the left column on the Luber-finer homepage. The tool confirms the VIN, model year, manufacturer and other vehicle details, then produces a list of the specific filters that are required for servicing that exact vehicle.

Additional features include VIN search capability for light and medium duty vehicles as well as the ability to upload multiple VINs at once from an Excel spreadsheet. The tool also generates a PDF packet of all search results that users can download for future reference.

easier for everyone in the heavy duty industry. For more information about Luber-finer heavy duty filtration products or Luber-finer’s Digital Advantage Program, please contact your Luber-finer sales representative, visit luberfiner.com or call (800) 8513641. You can also follow Luber-finer on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Luber-finer® — Built To Do More.® About Luber-finer: For more than 80 years, Luber-finer® has been providing filtration excellence for heavy duty on-highway vehicles, vocational and off-road equipment.

Recognized as a global brand leader of dependable heavy duty filter product lines, Luber-finer combines product value with a commitment to reliable customer service. For more information, visit www.luberfiner.com.

With the release of this new filter search tool, Luber-finer continues its effort to develop digital resources that make filter purchasing and resource planning

Epiroc to digitalize Black Rock Mine Operations Örebro, Sweden: Epiroc has been selected to equip Black Rock Mine in South Africa with Mobilaris Mining Intelligence (MMI), a decision support solution for mine efficiency and safety. MMI enables superior situational awareness and is designed to visualize and support mining operation in all its complexity, in real-time.

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lack Rock Mine, part of Assmang Proprietary Ltd South Africa, ordered MMI, a solution which will support their business improvement processes. This will be the first MMI installation in a mine utilizing room and pillar.

“Epiroc will support Black Rock’s business improvement processes with the MMI solution. The globally acclaimed Situational Awareness together with Short Interval Control package will take their operations to the next level of performance gains”, says Andrew Main, Regional Business Line Manager, Underground Rock

Epiroc and Mobilaris Mining Intelligence

Excavation division for Southern Africa, Epiroc South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Mobilaris Mining Intelligence provides a 3D real-time information model where not only the position of machines, vehicles or personnel but also other vital information sources like shift planning, machine and production data are presented. “MMI will help to increase production and utilization. The solution enables an unprecedented opportunity for mining personnel to make right decisions faster than ever before”, says Pierre Becker, General Manager Black Rock Mine.

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Through MMI, the Black Rock Mine control room will evolve to a source of real-time production data fully integrated with planning, task dispatch, machine telemetry data, mobile operator clients and a layer of analytics to collect and monitor insights and KPI’s for the mine production.

The project is expected to yield significant improvements in employee safety, process efficiency and overall production.

System installation is expected to be operational by June 2019.

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FEATURE

A breath of fresh air - customised compressed air solutions for pole hole drill rigs from Integrated Air Solutions complying with local power utility’s safety standards.”

Integrated Air Solutions customised ELGi high-pressure diesel compressors_ideal air solution for locally manufactured pole hole drill rigs

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ntegrated Air Solutions’ customised ELGi high-pressure diesel compressors provide the ideal air solution for key customer, Smith Capital’s locally manufactured pole hole drill rigs.

Founded in the 1970’s, and offering market leading post and pole-hole, reverse circulation and water well drilling rigs Smith Capital also proudly holds the position as the only company in Africa that designs, fabricates and supports a full range of aerial platforms.

“We are the leaders in aerial platform technology and are one of the largest supplier of this product, comments Smith Capital’s Chairman, Mr. Sipho Mdanda. “With 40 years of experience, we have played an integral part in South African industry supplying our new and innovative technology solutions to the utility, municipal and mining sectors.”

This pioneering majority black womenowned company is ISO 9001:2008 accredited and has earned a sterling reputation for its committed and reliable after-sales service which includes repairs, maintenance, inspection and load testing.

Experts in drill rig design, Smith Capital is contracted by South Africa’s power utility to supply its contractors with drill rigs to take care of a variety of contracting work such as erecting new power lines and maintaining existing lines.

Smith Capital’s ground-breaking ‘Single H’ 6x4 drill rig is specifically designed and manufactured in accordance with the power utility’s specifications and present the perfect drilling solution for the power utility’s contract work; the drill rigs are required to be compact and exceptionally rugged as they travel far distances traversing rough terrain whilst operating in extreme climates. Often operating in remote areas, contractors cannot afford to have reliability issues as there are substantial cost implications around prolonged downtime and repairs.

Providing essential air supply to the drill rigs for DTH (down-the-hole) and auger drilling, the on-board ELGi compressor must also adhere to all necessary specifications. “And it does,” says Graham Russell, Managing Director of Integrated Air Solutions.

“As the only company in South Africa with the unique ability to customise our compressors under OEM warranty, Integrated Air Solutions remains the unrivalled market leader when it comes to providing individually tailored and engineered high-pressure compressor packages. We are therefore perfectly positioned to provide an optimum air solution for Smith Capital with our turnkey compressor package which exceeds expectations for compaction, ruggedness and reliability whilst

“Thanks to our customisation expertise, the compressor perfectly fits Smith Capital’s rigs and meets the legal commercial vehicle width of 2.6m in accordance with the Road Ordinance Act,” explains Russell. Modifications including the repositioning of components such as the oil cooler, radiator, separator tank and air filters, significantly shrink the compressor’s original area space - the compressor is 1762mm shorter, 337mm narrower and also 166kgs lighter. Smith Capital is responsible for the installation of the compressor package onto each rig in their Germiston facility.

Integrated Air Solutions, a GiGi Investments Company, boasts decades of experience with the ELGi brand and holds the title of exclusive regional distributor of this worldleading compressor range. ELGi is a leading global air compressor manufacturer, renowned for designing sustainable solutions that contribute to increased uptime and lowest total cost of ownership whilst supporting endusers in achieving their productivity goals. Every component on ELGi air compressors - from the proprietary air end to leak-free hoses and piping - is of superior quality which is the result of excellence in engineering, design and the use of ‘uptime’ parts. Successfully withstanding over 25 years of gruelling tests in Southern Africa’s harsh climate, ELGi air compressors have solidified their suitability to compressor applications across the region.

Reliable, value adding features such as hassle-free service and maintenance contribute to ELGi compressors being the preference globally for drill rig OEMs. “We are proud of our twelve-year business relationship with Smith Capital and we remain committed to providing turnkey compressor solutions, meeting lead times and ensuring that parts and spares are always readily available. Our highly-trained specialists are on standby to provide professional advice and expert support to our valued customer,” concludes Russell.

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FEATURE

Devico: Directional core drilling services

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evico, the leading provider of directional core drilling services worldwide in mining, tunneling, and geotechnical industry. In addition to higher accuracy, the Devico technology has led to significant cost reduction since the total meters of drilling can be reduced considerably when making several branch holes from one mother hole.

Devico offers free borehole planning to evaluate the cost saving using this method, Save Money and Meters had always been Devico flagship slogan.

In South Africa Devico is working on a new approach to deep reef exploration. The issues with these types of mineralization are at the great

depths leading to high cost of surface exploration, and the limitations with regards to hitting the mineralization in a defined pattern with underground drilling.

Devico and Northam Platinum have found a solution to this by drilling mother holes parallel with the reef and branching it off at given intervals.

One by one the branch holes are bent

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25° to 30° which directs them into the estimated location of the reef.

As core samples are taken also during the steering process there is no risk of losing valuable geological information at any time. After the first months of operation, the drilling technique has proven highly successful and has sparked interest in several other mines in Southern Africa. ‘

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FEATURE

Emergency

Conveyor Shut-down T

he Model PC pull cord, manufactured by Conveyor Components Company, is a rugged safety stop control that provides a quick positive shut off of dangerous equipment in emergencies.

It is actuated by a cable pulled by endangered personnel. The one or two microswitch outputs of the Model PC can control up to two separate circuits, depending on the model chosen.

These outputs can include one for machinery shutdown and one for alarm. The Model PC was developed

to meet the stringent requirements of safety agencies throughout the world.

This control is designed to act as an emergency stop for conveyors and other moving machinery.

This standard housing construction is corrosion resistant cast aluminum, with an optional polyester or black epoxy powder coating. Units are left-ended, right-ended, or double-ended. The flag arm must be manually reset after the problem has been corrected. External red indicating light is available as an option.

If you would like additional information on this or other products that Conveyor Components Company offers please contact their sales department toll free 800-233-3233, fax 810-679-4510, e-mail info@conveyorcomponents.com or visit their website at www.conveyorcomponents.com. An ISO 9001 certified company.

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FEATURE

Mine air

conditioning systems for underground mines

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ith the increase of coal mine exploitation depth and improvement in the coal mining mechanization, the amount of generated natural heat has also risen significantly. Injuries and health problems due to high temperature and humidity and other problems have become more and more notable.

Practice shows that refrigerant air conditioning systems operating in coal mines effectively reduce temperature of a coal face, making miners’ workspace more comfortable and thus improving productivity and general output.

One of the earliest methods of temperature control in underground mines was delivering of naturally produced ice from the surface. Air cooling techniques in mining gained further recognition in the 1930s. As an example, air cooling was applied in gold mines of South Africa and in Kolar Goldfields of India.

Large centralized refrigeration unit located underground, became popular in the South African gold mines in the 1960s. Moreover, factors such as limitations on heat rejection capacity of return air, combined with the development of energy recovery devices for water pipelines in shafts and improved ‘coolth’ distribution systems have ever since led to a renewed

preference for surface units.

Although a traditional role of mine cooling has been to fight geothermal heat and effects of auto compression in deep metal mines, an additional influence has been made by the increasing amount of machinery installed underground.

A special concern is operation of long walls in coal mines that has resulted in smaller size and more local use of air cooling units at depths where, prior to intensive mechanization, heat had not been a limiting natural problem.

Examples of such solutions can be found in the United Kingdom and Germany or Poland.

WICHARY Technologies the Company has been remarkably successful on the Polish market for over 25 years and is associated with modern and highquality products and services.

Company’s experience includes numerous comprehensive projects completed both as the main contractor and as a subcontractor.

WICHARY Technologies made machines are operated in many Polish mines, steel mills, power plants, woodworking plants and petrochemical facilities. For over 15 years WICHARY Technologies has been going global and delivering its products to the following countries: Czech Republic, Ukraine, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Germany, Austria, Turkey USA and Argentina.

Some of the devices designed and manufactured by WICHARY Technologies used in air-conditioning systems for underground mines include but are not limited to: • refrigerating/chilling units that produce chilled water (so-called “ice water”), • air coolers that remove heat from

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• • •

galleries and drifts, re-coolers that are designed to remove heat of condensation of refrigerating units. electrical/hydraulic or pneumatic fans for providing forced air circulation in the coolers.

Electrical devices (power supply, control system, monitoring system, air quality control system).

A complete set of the mentioned devices is referred to as a group or central air-conditioning system.

Depending on a system’s configuration, it’s assumed that the cooling capacity of a complete air-conditioning system varies from 1 to 5 MW. WICHARY Technologies offers different devices and designs for airconditioning systems in underground mines, as well as demineralization and filtration devices.

Special features Low flow resistance design allows to equip air cooler with an axial fan or install it directly into a duct ventilation

system. 100% stainless steel heat exchangers are long life / resistance to underground environment. Thanks to its modular design, a heat exchanger can be used at incomplete power in case of damage.

Automatic self-cleaning spray system and control devices provide a long service lifetime with a high output and power efficiency.

Air coolers with a stainless steel heat exchanger.

These coolers can be equipped with dedicated air fans or be installed directly into air duct systems. Each cooler possesses a special reinforced housing that provides high pressure proofness of a heat exchanger is. Cooling capacity: 200, 300, 400, 600 kW. Re-coolers are designed for operation in a closed circuit of the cooling water of the refrigerating unit condenser. Recoolers collect the heat of condensation and transfer it to the stream of used air from the mine. Cooling capacity: 450, 650, 900 kW.

Coal face coolers are compact heat exchangers to be installed directly in the longwall. The external diameter of the smallest cooler is only 250mm. They can cooperate with electrical, hydraulic or air pressure fans. Cooling capacity: 15, 25, 35, 50 kW. Water chillers with a semi-hermetic screw.

High-tech devices with a very low power consumption. Compared to conventional devices – consume up to two times less power. Moreover, they also require less refrigerant and oil compared to conventional machines.

Thus it makes them more ecological and highly cost-effective.

Overall dimensions of Wichary Technologies chillers are twice as small as conventional ones, allowing easy one-piece transportation. All this helps to reduce maintenance and operating costs significantly. Cooling capacity: 300÷3.000 kW.

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FEATURE

The science of mine lighting L ight towers are towable, mobile equipment equipped with one or more high power electric lamps with telescopic mast assembly. The mast may be fixed or adjustable in its operations, which is attached to a trailer consisting of a generator set to power the light panels.

The lamps used in light towers are usually made of metal halide and the power generator runs through diesel engine. Light towers are very beneficial in road works and other applications particularly where fuel economy and mobility is dominant.

The light towers find its essential importance in various sectors including construction, entertainment, mining, oil and gas, demolition etc. Light towers are also used in various emergency and rescue operations due to its easy portable and mobility features.

Currently light towers are equipped with solar panels with a fuel generator as a backup option. Owing to its various beneficiary features, the light towers are witnessing significant demand from several end use industries.

This in turns is expected to substantially contribute to the global light tower market during the forecast period.

When it comes to lighting up a work area, it’s all about watts, lumens and lux. Here follows a brief note as to how each of these relate to mobile lighting towers: • Watts (W) are a measurement of the electrical power needed to operate each lamp.

• Lumens (Lm) are a measurement of the amount of light which each lamp or cluster of lamps is able to produce at

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the source (ie up in the air in the case of lamps on an extended mast).

• Lux are a measurement of the usable light which reaches your work area on the ground.

The rate at which lamps convert watts into lumens is important, and is expressed as lumens per watt (lm/W).

Increasing requirement of light towers in construction and mining activities is one of the key factor driving the growth of the light tower market. The increasing demand for higher energy generation is leading towards accelerated operations in the oil and gas industry which in turns is expected to propel the demand for light towers in the coming years.

Keeping the lights on- The Generac Tower Light The Generac Tower Light range saves money and increases productivity, efficiency and efficacy on South Africa’s most demanding mining and construction sites.

Tower lighting has been around for many years but, as with all things, technology has spurred improvements and innovations to the products over the years making them more efficient, powerful and reliable than even before.

Case and point is the Generac Tower Light range of products which are distributed by Pilot Crushtec right here in South Africa.

To gain further insight into these Italian designed and manufactured products we sat with Mervyn Moodley, Generac product specialist at Pilot Crushtec. For those not in the know, Moodley boils the fundamentals of the tower light down.

“Essentially, the basic components’ of the tower light are the generator, a 5kva or 8kva unit, an 8 meter mast, and, providing the light are 4, 320 watt LED’s. This produces an illumination area of 4200m2 measuring in the region of 25lux at 100m.”

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Getting down to the nuts and bolts of use, Moodley notes that all the units offer ready to run, versatile lighting towers with instant set-up time. “This ensures customers can generate income immediately.

The use of LED’s came about in 2016 when they replaced metal-halide globes which delivered a raft of advantages for customers. “If we look at the old metal-halide globes, they used significantly more fuel to run.

Some of the tests we have done have shown that the LED’s use 0.5liters of fuel per hour as opposed to the 1.7 litres used by the old lights. Looking at a standard 120 litre tank we can get 240 hours of use before refuelling.”

Additionally, these machines are towbehind which makes transport to and from site a simple process, and moving it around the site is almost effortless.

As is the nature of the industries we serve, there is, more often than not, no electricity ‘on-tap’.

The LED’s are, among others, far more robust then the predecessors.

“People have come to appreciate the rugged and robust LED option. With the old metal-halide globes, regular movement was difficult as the globes had a tendency to blow if moved a lot.

Additionally, the globes required a cool off period prior to switching on again to avoid failure. With the LED’s all these issues have been resolved and the unit can be moved regularly and also be switched on and off at will without fear of losing the globe.”

One of the more apparent savings when using LED’s is the cost of replacing the globes. “When we look at replacing the metal-halide globes, each one costs in the region of R 1700 and needs to be replaced almost once a month. This translates into a just over R 20 000 per annum. The LED units are priced at around R 17 000 per module but can run for 35 000 hours. If

This is not a problem as the tower lights work independently of the electricity grid and require no external power supply. A lighting tower can typically be set up and operating at full capacity within minutes from arrival on site.

This adds to the already inherent costeffective nature of the unit as installation costs are minimised, productivity is increased and reconfiguration is simplified when dealing with changing lighting requirements.

we extrapolate this into a 40 hour work week, 52 weeks a year, the light can run for 4 years making the annual cost in the region of R 4250. Now that is significant.”

Additionally, we have a full support network in place with an after-sales team and service department who will make sure the machine continues performing at its peak. Should you wish to have a demonstration Pilot Crushtec will come out to site and help you choose the right product for your needs.”

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FEATURE

Industry first for Pilot Crushtec and Metso

Lokotrack-LT1213S-mobile-crushing-screening-plant-limestone-cement

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t is with this in mind that Pilot Crushtec and Metso have introduced the first five-year, 10 000 hour extended warranty plan for all Metso products on their crushing, screening and materials handling equipment. This move is unprecedented in the mining and quarrying industry and highlights the absolute confidence Pilot Crushtec and Metso have in the quality and reliability of their products.

Pilot Crushtec International, southern Africa’s leading supplier of quarrying and mining equipment, understands the particular challenges associated with these industries across the continent.

“When looking at standard warranties within the industry at large, we see that it is one year, 2000 hours,” says Francois Marais, sales and marketing director at Pilot Crushtec. “We have effectively taken this and turned it on its head. We have increased the standard factory warranty to two years and 4000 hours, and then we have added another three years and 6000 hours extended protection plan which covers all the critical components of the unit.”

“If we look at the standard factory warranty offered in the market it is essentially irrelevant. Looking specifically at crushing and screening equipment, incidents arising from abuse or high duty cycles, only really starts to set in after several hundred hours of operation. The first year (2000 hours) is really just running the machine in. It is after this that the true test of durability starts and when the customer really needs the reassurance that the OEM is still involved. Our extended warranty is our way of guaranteeing clients that we are committed to ensuring the machinery they have purchased will continue to deliver first-class service and will last a lot longer. We, as Pilot Crushtec, have a vested interest in the machine.”

Jorge Abelho, Technical Director at Pilot Crushtec echoes this sentiment.

“We are getting involved in long-term relationships with our clients and this results in a real mind-set change. Our technicians on site, make sure that the machines are being operated correctly, and that operators are properly trained.

Our aim is to get the machine to last,

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so if we see anything being done wrong, we make sure to highlight this to management so corrective measures may be implemented.”

The extended warranty is now offered as a standard feature on all Metso products and many customers have immediately recognised the inherent value.

“Those customers who have been around the block a few times understand the costs involved when a major component fails on a machine,” says Abelho. “This is not limited to the component itself, which can get costly, but there is downtime to take into consideration. When the machine is not sweating, someone is losing money. At Pilot Crushtec, we understand this and all clients on the extended warranty program receive priority attention if they experience a failure. Should a part breakdown and the customer calls us, Metso will, where possible, immediately put the part on a plane and airfreight it to us.”

“The concept can be compared to servicing and maintaining your car,” says Marais. “To ensure your car retains

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FEATURE NEWS

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FEATURE

as much value as possible, and keeps running properly, you take it to the OEM dealer on a regular basis to be serviced.

Taking it to an unqualified, unauthorised mechanic who uses sub-standard parts will affect both the performance and value of your vehicle. We, unfortunately, are seeing this happen in our industry with an influx of non-OEM repair services and parts. This results in parts not lasting as long as they should and the machine not performing optimally.”

“Additionally, once the one-year warranty has expired, we see so many people in our industry trying to service the machines themselves without Pilot Crushtec there to guide, advise, and assist in the process which can cause all sorts of chaos.

This, hopefully, will become less prevalent among our customers as we are involved throughout the life of the machine. We guide, and offer the best advice possible to management and operators to ensure hassle free operation during the life of the machine.

Essentially, you want to prevent a problem from occurring, as opposed to fixing a broken part.”

By partnering with Pilot Crushtec and Metso, there is inherent peace of mind attached to the purchase. “The reality is that the service technicians we use are certified and trained by Metso,” says Marais.

Abelho concludes by sharing a case study from a client who spent so much on repairing three major failures caused by non-OEM parts and poor servicing that the company could have bought a new crusher that year.

“Metso has over 100 years of experience within the crushing and screening industry as manufacturers and that kind of intellectual capital is not easily picked up. Additionally, when we look at the components’ and spares, they have been designed and developed specifically for their machines.

“There is a reality, in every South African company, that savings must be made on operating expenses. It must, however, be better interpreted as to where the savings are coming from.

As a business you will never be able to save yourself into profit. A big focus is always on operating expenses, but not enough attention is given to operating efficiencies.

There are no discrepancies on angles, tools required, etc. - they fit, work perfectly, and last longer. We hope that we can change the mind-set of the operators who are only concerned with short-term operating costs as opposed to what the long-term benefits will be when it comes to efficiency, efficacy and productivity.

Almost every single day we get call outs from clients who are having issues with non-OEM parts or un-authorised service and repair jobs that were not done properly.”

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A 5% improvement in production will yield much bigger profits than a 5% reduction in operating expenses. One needs to look at the reality of what the production output of the machine is, and what the cost of using non-OEM parts is. So an alternative part may be cheaper, but at what cost in production?

With us, there is a guarantee on the parts, without any compromise in performance of the machine, we are available 24/7, 365, and we will make sure you keep running.”

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FEATURE

Pinch Flow

Valves for mining applications

P

inch valves control the volume of fluids flowing through pipes for batching processes in mining operations. They are also used to isolate slurry or dirty water from the process. Pinch valves use pinchers to close down on a sleeve, usually a thick rubber with steel or fabric reinforcing, to form a seal and control the flow of material.

The Pinch Valve is made up of three parts: • Body / Housing • Internal rubber sleeve • End connections

The rubber sleeve inside the body of the valve is the part that closes it. When in the open position, the Pinch Valve has a full and true bore. To close the valve, air pressure is supplied into an air nipple on the outer body, which then travels through into the internal part of the valve, pushing down onto the rubber sleeve, which fully collapses and closes tightly.

Correct maintenance and sleeve replacement can significantly impact on the sleeve lifetime.

Flowrox

Flowrox Group, headquartered in Finland, is the leading supplier of high performance pinch valves and other equipment for mineral processing.

Flowrox pinch valves are ideal for shutoff or control applications that involve abrasive or corrosive slurries, powders or granular substances.

The company’s heavy-duty valves and pumps are designed to deliver value throughout their lifetime. This means providing low total cost of ownership meaning heavy-duty structure, long lifetime together with long service intervals, easy serviceability and low

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FEATURE

spare part need. An investment in heavy-duty equipment soon pays for itself by generating savings in terms of all these combined.

Flowrox pinch valves are ideal solutions where shut-off and control applications involve abrasive or corrosive slurries, powders or coarse substances. The advanced flow control solutions meet even the most demanding customer specifications.

One of the market leaders in copper, lead and zinc concentrates trading was expanding its mine in Spain. In 2015, their production of concentrates nearly doubled to 4.4 tons per year. In search of durable, high-quality valves, able to handle various demanding media, Flowrox pinch valves were an obvious choice and they offered the following solutions in this project.

Easy Installation Saves Time The customer needed valves for ore, water treatment and process water supply in copper, zinc and lead mining.

Given the large range of flow control and shut-off duties, Flowrox suggested in total 330 PVE enclosed body pinch valves and PVG shut-off pinch valves.

“When the project was engineered, we constantly had in mind that the choice of appropriate instrumentation for each application is fundamental to the process performance. We decided that all control valves and also some of the shut-off valves would be pinch valves, which finally ended up saving us a lot of time in the start-up of the plant,” says a project team member from the mine.

The Flowrox pinch valves are full bore which not only eases the installation but also improves productivity. Because the flow of the medium is free, less pumping energy is required.

Flowrox Valves Have Extended Lifetime All installed Flowrox pinch valves have an enclosed body and include an SBRT valve sleeve to meet the requirements of various mediums in different process areas and to achieve the longest sleeve lifetime. Flowrox valves improve process efficiency as they are 100 % tight shut-off even if solids have built on the sleeve wall. At the same time, they are self-cleaning; solids accumulated on the sleeve wall break away when the valve is operated.

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This is due to the flexibility of the rubber sleeve, making the valve lifetime longer and extending the service intervals, compared to conventional valves on the market. In Flowrox valves, the sleeve is also the only part in contact with the medium. This makes it the only replaceable part and is easy and fast to change on site.

Long-Term Benefits in Ownership Flowrox pinch valves were chosen to gain long-term benefits based on a low total cost of ownership. The PVE control valves at the plant are actuated by pneumatic double acting actuators with positioners. Also, all of the on/off PVG valves include limit switches for position indication. “In the future, we are definitely expecting cost savings,” states the customer.

Valves are application specific, selecting the wrong valve for the wrong application can have disastrous and expensive ramifications for a mining operation. Using high-quality rubber correctly to line a valve is critically important to the life span of a valve. The life span of a valve depends on many variables, including operating conditions and how well the valve is maintained.

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FEATURE

Seismic monitoring systems for mining applications

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he mining industry has faced the life-threatening risk of mining -induced earthquakes for years.

To make mining safer, one of the goals has been to reduce this threat by predicting the time and place of these earthquakes. However, experts agree that this is not possible at present, nor has research into prediction shown promising results.

front in a seismic hazard management plan (SHMP) and include: Rescue: To detect and locate potentially damaging seismic events, to alert management and to monitor seismic activity during rescue operations.

The main focus of managing the risk should be on controlling rockburst damage through mining designs and rock support systems.

Prevention: To confirm the rock mass stability related assumptions made during the mine design process and to adapt the design while mining so that seismicity can be prevented or better managed. For example, the seismic information can help to delineate geological structures, resolve the direction of principal stresses, determine the expected ground motion produced by large seismic events using a ground motion prediction equation, monitor the propagation of a cave front or measure the levels of ground motion on the surface of excavations for support design.

Seismicity is often observed to occur during underground mining activities.

This happens because the creation of mining voids (tunnels, stopes and excavations) changes the stress conditions in the rock. These stress changes may be large enough to fracture the rock, resulting in seismic evens. Deeper mines generally experience a greater seismic hazard because of higher stresses.

Seismic monitoring systems are becoming widely used in underground mines for monitoring mining-induced seismicity, and in highly stressed ground conditions. In many deep mines, the seismic monitoring system is an integral component in managing ground-related hazards.

Institute of Mine SeismologyMonitoring seismic activity in mines Olaf Goldbach, business development manager at the Institute of Mine Seismology, explains that in order to manage the seismic risk, the relationship between mining and seismic activity needs to be understood.

Seismic monitoring objectives Routine seismic monitoring has become an integral part of assessing the seismic hazard in mines. The monitoring objectives should be formulated up-

Hazard assessment: To quantify the expected exposure to seismicity in terms of the probability of occurrence, within a specific period of time in a given area, of a potentially damaging event. Short term hazard assessment helps determine the re-entry period into the working areas after an increase in seismic activity caused by larger seismic events or after production blasts. Long-term seismic hazard assessment estimates the size of the next record-breaking large seismic event and the probabilities of occurrence in time and in space.

Alerts: To detect sudden and unexpected changes in the spatial and/or temporal behaviour of using short-term activity tracking that may indicate rock mass instability and affect working places in the short-term.

Such unexpected changes in seismic patterns should be accompanied by an appropriate trigger action response plan (TARP).

Back analysis: To improve both the mine design and seismic monitoring processes. All seismic events regardless of size that resulted in a fatality, injury or damage should be back analysed thoroughly.

It is also advisable to back analyse all near misses, i.e. seismic events that did not result in consequences, but had the potential to do so. Results of such forensic back analyses should form the basis for a regular critical review of the applied seismic risk management strategy, guidelines and procedures, included the SHMP and corresponding TARPs.

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occur?

• Where was it located?

• How big was it?

The two quantities that describe the size of a seismic event in a physically meaningful way are seismic energy and seismic potency (or moment); the commonly quoted ‘magnitude’ scale is arbitrary and non-physical.

However, modern digital seismic recording equipment, along with the latest seismological analysis methods, allow one to deduce much more information about the nature of the rock mass.

In addition to its role as a mine safety tool (detecting large seismic events), a seismic monitoring system is often also used as a mine design tool.

Technology A seismic system needs to be sensitive enough to record small seismic events (or cracks in the rock). This information is required to assess the seismic rock mass response to the changing stress conditions caused by mining so that preventative measures can be initiated.

On the other hand, larger seismic events also need to be recorded in order to assess the seismic hazard, i.e. the probability of occurrence, within a given time period in a given area, of potentially damaging events, and to design rock support. Today’s digital data acquisition equipment has a very high dynamic range, allowing it to record a wide range of ground motions resulting from small fractures to large rockbursts.

The general principle is that the denser the seismic array (i.e. greater number of sensors in a given volume of rock), the more sensitive the seismic system, (allowing smaller events to be recorded), and the greater the location accuracy of the recorded seismicity.

Different sensors are used depending on the levels of ground motion to be recorded, e.g. geophones or accelerometers, or a combination of both. In practice, the number and choice of sensors in a seismic system is determined by the size of the mine and its monitoring needs. A tailored solution is offered to each client.

Knowledge is power Most mines start by installing a seismic monitoring system to detect large seismic events, such as rockbursts, as these occurrences impact on the safety of mine workers and can damage mining infrastructure and equipment.

Careful examination of the recorded vibrations, the tracking in space and time of seismicity and sophisticated inversion methods such as moment tensor analysis reveal important details about the changing stress states of the mined rock mass, the levels of ground shaking at various points around a mine and the failure processes leading to rockbursts.

This information is important for mine design, the choice of mining method and layout planning, as well as support design considerations.

These days, in order to achieve the seismic

At its most basic level, a seismic system provides the following information: • When did the seismic event

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LEADERS IN BOREHOLE SEISMIC TECHNOLOGY GeochainTM HostileWell Seismic & Shallow Borehole Strings Ideal for VSP, Microseismic, & Mining surveys.

Multiple Satellites Economic Shallow Borehole Options HT/HP Options (195oC+/ 1700 BAR) High Sensitivity 3-C Sensors Global Customer Support

Why Borehole Seismic?

The domain of borehole seismic

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ce nscie n

The well-established method of downhole Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) thus allows for much higher resolution imaging between lithologies proximal to the well whilst even revealing subtle impedance changes beyond total depth of the exploration well. At its most basic application, ‘check shot’ borehole seismic calibrates for any inferred depth uncertainty of reflectors presented by surface seismic,

lonsc s.com ience s.com

This technology has been dominantly used to complement surface seismic surveying bringing advantages such as noise reduction and immunity from the distorting effects of near-surface rocks, especially sediments.

@ava

Borehole Seismic Technology – A versatile tool Avalon Sciences (ASL) is a manufacture of borehole seismic instrumentation for use with both hostile deep well and shallow-hole environments. This article introduces this technology, including recent an example of its application within the characterization and monitoring of mining fracture networks.

avalonsciences.com

sales

The Institute of Mine Seismology (IMS) has been a leader in mine seismic monitoring for 29 years and with more than 260 seismic systems that are currently operational in 33 countries around the world. In Africa approximately 70 IMS seismic monitoring systems are installed in mines in South Africa, Zambia, DRC, Tanzania, Namibia, Mali, Lesotho and Mozambique. www.imseismology.org

exploration is fast approaching a new era in technological advancement.

Today, the dynamic and challenging requirements for mapping and monitoring are continually broadening to encompass surveys within increasingly complex and hostile well environments, whilst ensuring the technology remains versatile and economic for shallower engineering and mining applications.

The deployment of seismic recording systems downhole to acquire high resolution data has become common practice over the last few decades.

www .avalo

monitoring objectives defined in the SHMP, the recorded seismic data is combined with numerical stress modelling, to obtain a more holistic understanding of the changing stress conditions resulting from mining activities.

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FEATURE

giving an enhanced velocity model around a well.

This technology also provides a unique opportunity within both O&G and mining environments for determining quality and integrity of reservoirs/fracture networks that remain below surface seismic resolution can be achieved if the seismic receiver can be located downhole proximal to the area of interest.

Strong yet Sensitive!

Borehole seismic arrays are deployed as a series of satellites on a wireline string. The current industry standard borehole seismic receiver systems in general provide a downhole pressure housing for the seismic sensor and coupling mechanism (usually in the form of a retractable arm) to the borehole casing or formation. Most modern sensor packs are three-component, allowing for full 3-D particle motion analysis of the seismic wave.

The quality of the geophone receiver plays a fundamental part in how accurately the fracture progression is

mapped. Excellent sensor sensitivity is a vital characteristic when trying to pick low-amplitude microseismic arrivals.

Even when deployed in relatively quiet borehole conditions, sensors featuring significant electronic noise (especially at temperature) can be enough to mask a microseismic arrival.

a priority whilst still delivering high performance with top quality data whilst minimizing rig time.

To improve on this signal to noise ratio, technology has evolved to stack the phones within the sensor pack component of a downhole receiver, with the latest technology achieving four phones on each component, with up to 12 in each receiver satellite.

In recent years, Avalon has worked closely with mining operators to supply and deploy permanent systems with projects involving slick-line wireline installation and then cemented permanently to a depth of up to 1.5km within 15 cased near-vertical wells located around the mine circumference.

Borehole Seismic for Mining ASL has extensive experience in supplying bespoke retrievable, semi/permanent deployment of multicomponent seismic sensors for geotechnical engineering projects and mining stability studies, including fracture network analysis within mining environments.

ASL’s shallow borehole solutions have gained popularity due to ease of use, low maintenance overhead being

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The bespoke installation of a network of geophones is often necessary for the long term monitoring of seismic activity from block cave mining.

Analog cabling was coupled to the wireline slick-line with the sensors pods located within individual pressure housings. The system produced excellent broadband data with very low back ground noise. This, combined with an uncomplicated deployment strategy employing simple but robust analog electronics, delivered a fast and cost effective seismic solution for passive seismological study within a mining environment.

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NEWS

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FEATURE

Consolidation in the Sector Continues in Africa into 2019

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he gold mining industry has gone through some tough times in recent years. One of the main issues have been the weak prices in the gold mining sector. Investment journalist Simon Constable suggests that the other issues lie in the fact that the industry has always been fragmented with a slew of relatively small companies operating. It’s problematic because the more small companies involved, the higher the competition between the firms, which can lead the profits to eroding over time.

But the recent increase in the price of gold this year has triggered a surge in mergers and acquisitions, which could eventually lead to a seismic shift, changing the industry forever. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, as Australian-based Macquarie Bank claims the rush might just be the push that the industry needs to save it from becoming so overly fragmented.

The recently finalised Barrick-Randgold deal, Newmont Mining Corp. announced it was buying Goldcorp, Inc. for more than ÂŁ7 billion ($10 billion) and once completed, it will create a gold

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producer that has the potential to top Barrick’s billion market cap. The deal follows the billiondollar mega-merger between Newmont and Goldcorp, which has become the world’s biggest gold producer on output alone.

In his Kitco Commentaries article, mining sector investor David Erfle said these deals will bring more investors in—for a public market that has massive market caps and high risks of becoming irrelevant, these small movements can create a big impact in the future. The market’s reactions to these mergers have been generally positive, too even if the gold and mining industries have been criticised in the past for making bad decisions. This is evident in the consistent rise of gold’s performance based on the gold trading chart on FXCM, from an extreme low August last year to a favourable increase by the end of January this year.

But what does it mean for gold traders in other parts of the world? In South Africa, miners are struggling with a gold mining industry that is on its knees. Its primary mine, Mponeng cut costs along with other South African peer groups.

This is far from the situation 20 years ago when Anglo American created AngloGold, the world’s number one gold miner.

Now, even after the merger, AngloGold Ashanti has become the third largest producer—still quite big, but now far from other giants like Newmont-Goldcorp producing 7.9m ounces and Barrick-Randgold’s 6.6m ounces. Absa’s Shelley Webber told CNBC Africa that the mergers can cause junior miners to grow bigger in the future. Webber also said there are a lot of things impacting the industry currently like more complex reserves happening, higher import costs, and outdoor factors that impact the mining efficiency.

Webber said it’s up to the mining companies to manage these factors, especially when it comes to managing efficiencies like the costs of productions, labour negotiations, electricity costs, and new mining rules. But one of the most pressing issues Webber said need to be dealt with is the rate the inflation is going—the more expensive everything gets, the more negatively it will impact not only the price of gold but the rest of the industry as well.

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FEATURE

Thyssenkrupp presents revolutionary hard rock crusher and enhanced HPRG at the Africa Mining Indaba

“

Thyssenkrupp has been a trusted supplier of premium quality products and services to the Sub-Sahara African mining industry for decades,” said Philipp Nellessen, CEO of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Sub Sahara Africa during a press conference at the Africa Mining Indaba in Capetown.

The company launched their newest innovation in primary hard rock crushing: the eccentric roll crusher (ERC).

With its particularly compact and robust design, the new ERC delivers a large throughput as well as a small footprint in hard rock and ore mining. Suitable for use in both underground and in surface operations, it offers significantly higher efficiency and flexibility than conventional primary crushers. “We are excited to have sold our first units and we look forward to receiving feedback from our customers,” comments

Wilfred Barkhuizen General Manager of Minerals Processing and Energy & Sugar at thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions South Africa.

Some of the benefits of the ERC • The ERC combines the ability to process hard rock material with a low profile machine design resulting in less installation height and machine weight therefore resulting in smaller underground applications • The integrated pre-screening device allows for bypassing of fines and higher machine capacity • High moment of inertia of roll and flywheels reduce power requirements and improves energy efficiency • Fully hydraulic gap setting/ retraction system allows for automatic adjustment of the gap, compensation of liner wear and release of tramp metal or otherwise uncrushable material content

•

The ERC can be efficiently balanced resulting in less

•

foundation forces and vibrations Biggest process improvement is the reduction ratio between feed and product size

The above benefits of the machine concept apply also for fully mobile/ semi-mobile open pit applications.

Based on over three decades of proven grinding technology, thyssenkrupp has enhanced and modernized its high pressure grinding roll (HPGR). The new machine features an enhanced wear lining concept. The machine’s dry grinding technology assists customers in optimising water consumption and reducing total overall cost of ownership.

The performance of the HPGR can be monitored remotely including continuous wear measurement and notifications of stud breakage.

Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions offers its customers single machines as well as customized turnkey systems and solutions for the extraction, processing, transportation and transshipment of raw materials. The portfolio includes, among others, bucket wheel excavators, crushing and grinding plants, feeders, overland and plant conveyors, stackers, reclaimers, as well as train and ship loading and unloading facilities

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FEATURE

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FEATURE

WearCheck conducts regular training courses for customers who invest in the company’s oil analysis and condition monitoring programmes. Here, diagnostician Quinton Verster visits a mine site in Zambia while conducting training in the country.

Condition monitoring services boost business in Zambia, DRC

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ining and industrial operations in Zambia and the DRC that invested in WearCheck’s oil analysis and condition monitoring programme, have reported that their operations are running at optimum efficiency, which translates into enhanced profitability.

Condition monitoring specialists WearCheck first opened in Durban, South Africa more than 40 years ago.

Today, they process over 750 000 samples a year, in a network of 16 laboratories in nine countries across the African continent and beyond.

WearCheck’s first Zambian laboratory was opened in 2007 at Lumwana, with the lab at Kitwe launching in 2012. The DRC’s WearCheck laboratory opened in 2015 at Kibali Gold Mine.

The WearCheck way is to help customers save money and time, via a convenient “one-stop-shop”, offering the full spectrum of reliability solutions to getting plant to perform at its peak.

As well as traditional used oil analysis, WearCheck Zimbabwe also conducts thermography, vibration analysis, balancing, laser alignment, motor

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current analysis and milling.

Using these preventive maintenance tools substantially reduces the chances of a machine failing without warning, which can often have a catastrophic impact on a production line while repairs are carried out and spare parts are ordered.

The more efficient option is to plan for component down-time using data gathered during condition monitoring, so that remedial work is done when it is needed and before it becomes a disaster. Many Zimbabwean companies have embraced this concept and, as a

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result, improved their efficiency.

WearCheck’s managing director Neil Robinson, who is committed to upholding the company’s analytical standards at world class level by ongoing staff training to keep up-to-date with global condition monitoring trends, also prioritises on-going investment into state-of-the-art laboratory equipment.

In line with this philosophy, WearCheck Zimbabwe recently added an array of new instruments, including a new viscometer.

Says Robinson, “At WearCheck, we take top quality seriously. Our position at the helm of global condition monitoring trends makes us proud.

As does the fact that WearCheck is currently the only condition monitoring company on the African continent with ISO 9001 quality certification and ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management programme, as well as, ISO 17025 accreditation for its

laboratory-centric quality management programme.”

WearCheck is honoured to be a member of the prestigious International WearCheck Group (IWG), which meets annually to share information on global condition monitoring trends.

In addition to Zambia and the DRC, the network of WearCheck laboratories extends into South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Ghana, India and Dubai, with a presence in several other African countries.

WearCheck offers on-site sampling, as well as a 24-hour sample turnaround.

Contact WearCheck via telephone: Zambia - Lumwana +260 (0) 977 622 287 or Kitwe +260 (0) 212 210 161, and WearCheck DRC: +243 (0) 819 595 822.

Please visit www.wearcheck.co.za for further information, or email support@ wearcheck.co.za

Neil Robinson is the managing director of condition monitoring specialists WearCheck.

The company processes more than 750 000 oil analysis samples a year in 16 laboratories

WearCheck Zambia’s labs offer fast sample turnaround time and highly accurate oil analysis results. Here, lab technician Philemon Nyirenda conducts tests at the Kitwe laboratory.

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NEWS ADVERTORIAL

Cure Chem Zambia Ltd

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ure Chem Zambia (Private) Limited is a fast growing company that was established and incorporated as a private company limited by shares according to Section 10 of the Companies Act on 21 October 2004. Since then, the company has grown in leaps and bounds to become a leading supplier of commodity chemicals especially to the industrial and mining sectors in Zambia.

in Harbin, China. We also have associate offices in Malawi, Ghana, Mauritius and Dubai.

The company operates from two sites, Lusaka branch where all operations are managed such as administration, finance, warehousing, recruitment and selection etc. The Copperbelt sub-office is conveniently located for the benefit of mining and industrial clients in the mining region.

The office operations are limited to sales and marketing as well as storage and warehousing to a limited extent.

To ensure compliance with International Standards, Cure Chem Zambia (Private) Limited is registered and certified to the internationally acclaimed ISO 9001: 2015 Quality Management System standard and has a certificate issued by Standards Association of Zimbab

Cure Chem Zambia (Pvt.) Limited is part of the Curechem Group which is a leading supplier of high quality chemicals with head office in Johannesburg, South Africa; an office in Zimbabwe; an office in Mozambique; CURECHEM FPFC.pdf 1 4/4/2019 1:15:26 PM an office in Mwanza, Tanzania, an office in New Delhi, India and an office

Founded in 1998, the Curechem Group has experienced exponential growth within the past decade.

The group has grown since then becoming the undisputed leader in supply of commodity chemicals especially to the industrial and mining sectors.

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Exports are mainly to DRC markets.

The company’s distinctive competencies are premised on efficiency, personalised client service and quality products and service and an international presence of renowned suppliers of chemicals and related products.

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34 FLOCCULANTS

Curechem Zambia has been offering water treatment services to Konkola Copper Mines since 2014. Water treatment services from Raw water clarification, Reverse Osmosis, Demineralization plant (mixed bed), Boiler water treatment, Cooling tower water treatment (both open and closed systems).

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Curechem has been supplying Mining process chemicals such as , PAX, SIPX, SEX, NaHS, SNPX, BaSO4, Flocculants, Caustic soda lye and frothers to Mopani Copper Mines, Lubambe Copper Mines, Konkola copper Mines etc)

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Curechem Has been supplying industrial chemicals such as Caustic soda flakes, phosphoric acid, sodium hypochlorite, HTH, Sodium silicate, HCl, etc to Global industry, Dangote cement, Guorock plastic, Brasimba.

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Curechem supplies TDI, Polyol, MC and silicone to the foam industries such as U-rest, Amaka, Maas mattresses

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YOUR ONE STOP CHEMICAL SOLUTION

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Mining Chemicals • Sodium Cynide (Koerean ) 98% • Borax (Anhydrous) • Caustic Soda Flakes 99% • Lead Nitrate • Copper Sulphate Pentehydrate • Activated carbon (India)

• Hydrogen Peroxide 50% • Nitric Acid 60% • Sulfuric Acid 98% • Hydrated Lime (Browne & White) • Stannous Chloride • Mill Balls • Hydrochloric Acid 33%

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Plot No. 5859, Accra Road, 2nd Class, adjacent to Suban Filling Station, Kitwe.

Phone: 212 226522, Mobile: 0965 887772, 0966 569107, E-mail: miningkitwe@curechem.com www.fmdrc-Zambia.com 35 Web: www.curechem.com

©Arobia Creative Consultancy. info@arobia.co.ke

ESTABLISHED IN 1999, WITH HEADQUARTERS IN SA JOHANNESBURG, ZIMBABWE, ZAMBIA, TANZANIA, MOZAMBIQUE, INDIA. CURECHEM HAS OFFICES IN LUSAKA AND KITWE

ADVERTISER’S INDEX Afrison....................................................................................17 Ansultech..............................................................................IBC Avalon Sciences Ltd................................................................25 Bucandi..................................................................................05 Curechem Zambia Ltd.............................................................34 Devico....................................................................................12 DRC- Mining Week................................................................OBC DWD Drilling............................................................................27 Endess +Hauser......................................................................IFC GeotekSolutions......................................................................31 Gonar......................................................................................22 Pilot Crushtec..........................................................................19 Minrom...................................................................................08 Polyroads................................................................................15 Workforce...............................................................................13

FMDZ is a bi-monthly magazine for mining industry incorporating, exploration, oil, power, drilling and other large scale extraction, storage, transport, Market and utilisation of Africa’s Copper Belt wealth and resources.

First Ming DRC-ZAMBIA is published 6 times per annum: Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug Sept/Oct and Nov/Dec.

TO ADVERTISE CALL: +27 11 044 8986 Email: sales@fmdrc-zambia.com

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NEWS

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NEWS

DRC MINING WEEK IS BACK 19 – 21 June 2019 The Pullman Lubumbashi Grand Karavia Hotel, DRC WWW.DRCMININGWEEK.COM 40

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