First Mining Drc-Zambia March-April 2022

CENTRAL AFRICA'S PREMIER BUSINESS TO BUSINESS MINING MAGAZINE

VOL 14 | ISSUE 2 | March - April 2022

Enhancing mining operation with proper OTR tyres

In this issue...

Why specialists recommend synthetic lubricants in modern engineering Pg 12

The Role of Mining Vehicle Automation in the Mine of the Future Pg 29

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TOMRA celebrates 50th anniversary by announcing world without waste mission Pg 45

The Evolution of African Mining has begun Unprecedented line-up of Pan-African Ministers, mining CEOs and global investors

HEADS OF STATE CONFIRMED

H.E. Mokgweetsi Masisi

H.E. Hakainde Hichilema

President Botswana

President Republic of Zambia

HEADLINERS TAKING THE AGENDA BY STORM

Hon. Gwede Mantashe

Duncan Wanbald

Sinead Kaufman

Mark Bristow

Minister of Mineral Resources & Energy South Africa

Chief Executive Anglo American Group

Chief Executive – Minerals Rio Tinto

CEO Barrick Gold

Mxolisi Mgojo

Roger Baxter

Clive Johnson

Alberto Calderon

CEO Exxaro Resources

CEO Minerals Council South Africa

President & CEO B2Gold

CEO AngloGold Ashanti

S E C U R E Y O U R P L A C E T O D AY | M I N I N G I N D A B A . C O M Join the conversation | #MI2022

CONTENTS NEWS

PRODUCTS

MMG approves Kinsevere expansion in DRC

Opportunity for Africa to fill the commodity gap

Quarries move with technology as better times beckon

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EVENTS

TECHNOLOGY

Guinea to expand role in mining sector

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FEATURE

Underground survey work is critical in the mining sector

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Expanding and developing Botswana’s natural resources

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Metso Outotec launches Geminex™

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How to choose the right OTR tyre and reduce on costs

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KAMOA Copper to increase processing capacity

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ADVERTISER’S INDEX 4N Corporation.......................................................................................................................47 Agru..........................................................................................................................................IBC BMG............................................................................................................................................17 DRC Mining Week...............................................................................................................25 Elecmetal..................................................................................................................................36 Elgi Equipments ..................................................................................................................42 HCV Africa................................................................................................................................22 Junior Mining Indaba..........................................................................................................23

Magna Tyres.............................................................................................................................41 Mega Mining Sales...............................................................................................................20 Mining Indaba......................................................................................................................IFC Morning Star...........................................................................................................................15 NHR Timber..............................................................................................................................48 OTR Worldwide......................................................................................................................43 Towhaul................................................................................................................................OBC

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

CENTRAL AFRICA'S PREMIER BUSINESS TO BUSINESS MINING MAGAZINE

VOL 14 | ISSUE 2 | March - April 2022

TEAM

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Editor Bertha M. bertham@fmdrc-zambia

Africa mining policies still wanting

Sub-Editor Anthony Kiganda Enhancing mining operation with proper OTR tyres

In this issue...

Why specialists recommend synthetic lubricants in modern engineering Pg 12

The Role of Mining Vehicle Automation in the Mine of the Future Pg 29

TOMRA celebrates 50th anniversary by announcing world without waste mission Pg 45

www.fmdrc-zambia.com

Cover Image: Magna Tyres

COVER STORY: PG 38 Enhancing mining operation with proper OTR tyres OTR tires are built to support large amounts of weight to guide vehicles through challenging conditions that would leave most other trucks dead in their tracks. Simply put: OTR tyres are designed for vehicles that frequently travel on difficult terrain.

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Contributing Writer Oscar Nkala, Mfuneko Jack Lindani Mkhize Caroline Thomas Anthony Kiganda Anita Anyango 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 Advertising Consultants Meshack Ndzendevu Polite Mkhize Gladmore Ndhlovu Leslie Nyembe Production Coordinator Kholwani Dube kholwani@fmdrc-zambia.com Art Director/Layout Augustine Ombwa Arobia Creative Consultancy austin@arobia.co.ke

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recent report ranking Africa poorly in a major mining survey is worrying. The Fraser Institute’s Annual Survey of Mining now ranks Zimbabwe as the least attractive jurisdiction in the world for investment. Zimbabwe was once a mining hub in Africa.

Other African countries scoring low on the survey’s Investment Attractiveness Index (IAI) are the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mali and South Africa.

This report is sent to more than 2 000 exploration, development and other mining-related companies around the world. It then follows that it will be difficult to rally international mining investors to put their money in Africa given the poor ranking.

The net effect is that foreign investment towards Africa might reduce significantly and thus deny the continent the much-needed capital to create employment and spur economic growth.

Top reason for this poor ranking according to the report is government policy. This includes the issues to do with protected areas, political stability, labour regulations and employment conditions as well as tax regimes.

It is imperative that all African governments work on their mining policies if they are to benefit from their natural resources. Clearly, from the report having vast amount of resources does not guarantee great investment.

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

Anthony Kiganda

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

MMG approves Kinsevere expansion in DRC, new Chalcobamba pit in Peru gets green light

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MG Ltd has announced progress with two major expansions at its mining operations. The firm has approved extending the life of its Kinsevere copper operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for at least 13 years; while in Peru, the Ministry of Energy and Mines has released the regulatory approval for the development of the Chalcobamba pit and associated infrastructure. The Kinsevere Expansion Project was approved by the Board of Directors and will mine and process the copper sulphide and cobalt resource at the Kinsevere mine.

“We are committed to growing our presence in Africa and following today’s comittment, we are excited to start our next phase of growth in this highly prospective region. The project adds a significant amount of cobalt production to our portfolio, at a time when demand from electric vehicles and energy storage systems will accelerate and we transition towards a low carbon future,” MMG CEO Liangang Li said.

In addition to extending the life of the Kinsevere mine by at least 13 years from 2022, once fully ramped up, the Kinsevere Expansion Project will bring the annual production of copper cathode up to 80,000 t and 4,000-6,000 t of cobalt in cobalt hydroxide. Construction will commence in 2022 with first cobalt production expected in 2023. First copper cathode production from the sulphide orebody is expected in 2024 with the mine to continue production of copper cathode from the remaining oxide orebody during the construction phase.

This project will mine and process the copper sulphide and cobalt resource located at the Kinsevere mine and includes the installation of new facilities and associated processing methodology involving a new flotation plant, roaster system and cobalt processing circuit into which the existing SX-EW plant will be integrated.

Total capital expenditure for the project is expected to range between US$550$600 million and will be funded through

a combination of available cash reserves and debt facilities. The Board has authorised MMG Kinsevere SARL to enter into certain major contracts including for the construction of plant, development of infrastructure and purchase of equipment to progress the Kinsevere Expansion Project.

“Securing the future of Kinsevere will importantly allow us to continue our contribution to nearby communities as well as providing employment and development opportunities for our many valued MMG team members in the DRC. As a first mover in copper production from sulphide ores in the DRC, we are excited about the opportunities,” Li said.

As a result of the completion of the Feasibility Study and Board approval of the Kinsevere Expansion Project, MMG has also released an updated Mineral Resource and Ore Reserves for Kinsevere to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The key changes are that Kinsevere’s copper Ore Reserves (contained metal) have increased by 600%, (and approximately 33 Mt of

ore) and adding cobalt ore Reserves of approximately 29,000 t (contained metal).

In Peru, the Chalcobamba pit is located approximately 4 km northwest from the Las Bambas process plant near the community of Huancuire. The operation will be developed by open pit mining with associated waste dumps, to be commissioned progressively over the next five months. Ore will be transported by haul truck for approximately 13 km downhill to the existing crushing and conveying plant located near the Ferrobamba pit. The development of the Chalcobamba deposit is expected to underpin a production increase at Las Bambas to around 380,000 to 400,000 t of copper in concentrate per annum for the medium term. Las Bambas stated it “looks forward to working together with the community of Huancuire to begin development in coming months, with first production from Chalcobamba expected during the second half 2022. Production guidance for 2022 remains unchanged.”

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NEWS

South African white diamond set for auction

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he largest white diamond ever to come to auction will hit the block at Christie’s in Geneva on May 11. The 228-carat, pear-shaped diamond carries a presale estimate of $20 million to $30 million. The stone, which is about the size of a chicken’s egg, was mined about 20 years ago in South Africa but is only now coming up for public sale.

price per carat just shy of $88,000 makes the gem an attractive investment. “It’s quite appealing to collectors from all areas of the market, ranging from pure investors who just want to buy a big portable asset and put it away to someone who wants to buy it to enjoy it as a set piece of jewelry and, at the same time, put their money into something quite portable,” he said.

“Right now there is a great appetite in the market for diamonds. The firm also brokered the gem’s initial private sale to a collector, who held on to it for most of the past two decades. With the market the way it is—in 2021 there was a huge resurgence both in the art market and the jewelry market—the second owner approached us and said, ‘How would you feel about marketing this for us at public auction?,” says Rahul Kadakia,

Diamond prices have risen precipitously in recent months. De Beers yanked prices up by nearly 10% at its sale in January, with cheaper diamonds jumping as much as 20%. Kadakia anticipates strong interest from the Middle East and is accordingly commencing the diamond’s world tour in Dubai. After that, the stone will visit Taipei and New York, and then it goes to Switzerland for auction.

the international head of jewellery at Christie’s. Should the stone sell for its high estimate, it would immediately become one of the most expensive white diamonds in the world. However, Kadakia said the estimate’s comparatively modest

Barrick to accelerate Kibali mine investment

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road to Watsa and begun resettling the Kalimva-Ilamvu and Pamao villages, with the first group of people moving into their new homes.

arrick Gold Corporation has announced plans to accelerate its investment in the Kibali gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The company made the announcement after it successfully replaced previously depleted orebody reserves, which it said continues to deliver opportunities for underground and open-pit growth. Barrick chief executive Mark Bristow said Kibali had notched up several other critical deliverables during the current quarter.

Since the project that became Kibali was acquired in 2009, its probable mineral reserves were doubled to more than 10 million ounces of gold in 2010. Construction then started the following year, three hydropower plants were built and the infrastructure - including the road to the Ugandan border - was developed.

These include signing a cahier de charge with surrounding communities to formalise their role in identifying and overseeing the mine’s investment in social development projects. Additionally, it has completed a section of the Durba

The mine went into production in 2013 and still has more than 10 years of mine life ahead, with 2021 total proven and probable mineral reserves of 83Mt at 3.60g/t for 9.6Moz of gold, before considering extensions to known orebodies

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and discoveries. Since 2009, Kibali has invested almost US$4 billion in the DRC in royalties, taxes and permits; infrastructure and community development; salaries; and payments to local suppliers and contractors, which have created a thriving regional economy. “Barrick is continuing to invest in the DRC, not only by developing the many new growth opportunities extending Kibali’s life but also through pursuing greenfields exploration and other opportunities across the country as we search for our next world-class discovery,” Bristow said.

Earlier in March, Barrick said it had reached an agreement with the governments of Pakistan and Balochistan to restart the stalled Reko Diq gold project.

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NEWS

Resource estimate at Ewoyaa deposit in Ghana increases six rigs active over the portfolio, while a contract for undertaking a detailed airborne geophysical survey has been awarded. A soil sampling survey is also underway over a newly granted Cape Coast licence.

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tlantic Lithium has announced an increase of resource estimate on the Ewoyaa deposit in Ghana. The London-quoted equity said the estimate has expanded the compliant resource base by 42%. The West Africa asset now sports a Joint Ore Reserves Committeecompliant indicated and inferred resource of 30.1 million tonnes grading at 1.26% lithium oxide. The company reports that additional resources come at essentially the same overall grade, which attests to the project’s “robust geological fundamentals.”

This includes a 294% increase to 20.5 million tonnes at 1.29% lithium oxide in the indicated category and 9.6 million tonnes at 1.19% lithium oxide in the inferred category. Mineralization remains open depth and along strike with additional untested pegmatites within the immediate deposit area, providing confidence for future resource upgrades.

The company is currently engaged in resource expansion and exploration reverse-circulation drilling with one drill rig active on site. On the regional front, auger drilling is underway with

Atlantic believes significant exploration upside remains within the broader 560 sq. km. Cape Coast lithium portfolio, which includes a historical resource estimate of 1.48 million tonnes at 1.67% lithium oxide at the Egyasimanku Hill deposit.

The firm also believes the resource update can significantly improve existing project economics. A December 2021 scoping study, based on 21.3 million tonnes grading 1.31% lithium oxide, delivered robust financial outcomes for a two million tonnes per annum operation, producing an average of 300,000 tonnes of 6% spodumene concentrate over an 11.4-year mine life.

Over this period, the operation is expected to deliver revenues exceeding $3.43 billion, with an after-tax net present value (8% discount) of $789 million and an internal rate of return of 194%. Early estimates peg the pre-production capital at $70 million with a payback period of fewer than 12 months.

Simandou iron ore development in Guinea to resume

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he Simandou iron ore project in Guinea is set to resume. This follows a reached agreement between Guinea’s ruling junta with Rio Tinto and a Chinese-backed consortium.

Works on the site was earlier this month halted as the parties sought clarification on how Guinea’s interests would be preserved. The government’s move was seen as a way to put pressure on Rio and Winning Consortium Simandou to find a way to collaborate on the costly infrastructure needed to transport ore from Simandou to the port.

Mines Minister Moussa Magassouba announced the report and said Simandou holds more 4 billion tonnes of ore according to the counntry’s government, making it the largest known deposit of its kind, but despite the ore being very high-grade, it remains untapped decades after its discovery,

largely due to legal disputes and political instability. Mr. Magassouba said that a framework agreement had been signed between the government and companies involved in the project: Rio Tinto, the Aluminium Corp of China (Chinalco) and the Chinese-backed SMB-Winning consortium.

He also noted that infrastructure projects must be completed by December 2024 and commercial production must start

by March 31, 2025, a timeline analysts say is ambitious given the scale of the infrastructure that needs to be built.

The agreement primarily concerned developing a 670 km (419 mile) railway from the Simandou site to a new deep water port, a plan that Magassouba said would cost about $15 billion.

The government had negotiated and obtained 15% stakes in the rail, port and mines, while the new infrastructure

would become Guinean state property upon completion.

“This framework agreement will allow the joint development of this gigantic project … and allow the acceleration of the process and a resumption of work.

The framework clearly outlines the key principles for all parties to work together on the co-development of infrastructure and sets out how the project will be built to international Environmental, Social, and Governance standards,” said Fadi Wazni, chairman of SMB-Winning consortium board.

Once it is fully up and running, Simandou is expected to produce 100 million tonnes of iron ore a year – with blocks 1 and 2 producing 60 million tonnes a year and Rio’s blocks producing 40 million a year, JP Morgan analysts said earlier this month.

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NEWS

Zimplats to plough US $80M into Bimha mine in Zimbabwe

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mpala Platinum’s Zimbabwe unit Zimplats is set to plough more than US $80 million into Bimha mine. This follows completion of a US $100million reconstruction works done after the mine collapsed eight years ago. The Bimha mine, which accounted for about half of Zimplats’ production, collapsed in July 2014, forcing the company to close and reconstruct it. The mine is one of the largest in the country. It had to additionally invest in replacement production projects.

“The redevelopment of Bimha Mine was completed within budget at $99.8 million. The upgrading of Bimha Mine is progressing well, targeting achievement of 3.1 million tonnes per annum in the first quarter of FY2024,” chief executive officer, Alex Mhembere said.

Zimplats is also upgrading the Mupani mine, which is targeted to produce 2.2 million tonnes per annum on completion in 2025, ramping up to 3.6 million tonnes per annum in 2027. Zimplats had invested as much as $166.9 million on the project as at the end of December from an approved project budget of $388 million.

Revenue generation for Zimplats during the half year period to the end of December 2021 declined 13% to $585 million due to “negative revenue from movements in commodity prices arising on pipeline sales following the decrease

in average metal prices” comparative to the previous year’s contrasting period.

Gross revenue per six element (6E) ounce for the half year at $1 813 was 19% lower than the $2 241 attained for the same period in 2020. Zimplats said the gross revenue was however, “was partly offset by an 8% increase in 6E ounces sold from 301 225 ounces in the prior period to 322 752 ounces because of the sale of matte stockpiled due to

Algerian, Chinese firms ink US $7bn JV deal for phosphate mining

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our Algerian and Chinese firms have signed a deal, worth nearly US $7bn, to develop an integrated phosphates project (PPI) in Algeria.

The agreement was signed by Algerian firms Manal and Asmidal, a subsidiary of Algerian energy firm Sonatrach, with Chinese firms Wuhuan Engineering and Tian’An Chemical, a nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers production company. The deal will lead

to the creation of an Algerian-Chinese company, named Algerian Chinese Fertilizers Company (ACFC), for the integrated phosphates project. The Algerian firms will own 56% of the new company while the Chinese companies will own the remaining 44% stake.

Said to be the country’s first integrated project in the field of mining and fertiliser production, the PPI will see the development and exploitation of the

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an administrative delay in the export” of production. Ore mined by Zimplats for the period also reduced by 5% to 3.5 million tonnes mainly as a result of production disruptions at Mupfuti Mine. The cost of sales of around $294.9 million marginally declined compared to the previous year’s costs of $297.4 million. As a result of this, gross profit margins for the period amounted to 50%, representing a 6% reduction from the 56% margins achieved in the same period last year.

phosphate deposit of Bled El Hadba, Djebel Onk, Tebessa. It will also include the transformation of phosphates into fertiliser, as well as the construction of port facilities at the port of Annaba. The project is expected to have 5.4Mtpa of fertiliser production capacity and will create around 12,000 construction jobs, 6,000 direct jobs and 24,000 indirect jobs in the operating phase.

Fertilisers and phytosanitary products industrial group Asmidal was launched following the reorganisation of Sonatrach Group. The deal comes more than three years after Sonatrach and Chinese state-owned conglomerate Citic signed a $6bn deal to mine the phosphate plant in Tebessa.

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NEWS

Carats in situ at Lulo mine records an 11% increase

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holes and about 1 500 hole pitting

SX-listed Lucapa Diamond Company has reported an 11% increase in diamond resource in situ carats from Lulo mine. This follows alluvial exploration activities undertaken in 2021. Lucapa, along with its partners 40% Lucapa-owned mine operator Sociedade Mineira Do Lulo (SML), Angolan national mining company Empresa Nacional de Diamantes (Endiama) and private Angolan company Rosas & Petalas announced the exploration results and said the increase is from 135 900 ct as at December 31, 2020, to 151 040 ct at December 31, 2021, after accounting for mining depletion of 24 595 ct during the 2021 calendar year.

“Notwithstanding the increase in mining capacities over the last seven years

by SML, this is the fourth consecutive year in which the resource carats have increased,” the company said in a statement. The updated Joint Ore Reserve Committee classified inferred alluvial diamond resource was independently estimated and reconciled on a depletion and addition basis to December 31, 2021, by external consultants Z Star Mineral Resource Consultants of Cape Town.

programmes. The sales of diamonds produced during 2021 was also taken into account, totalling $78.1-million at an average diamond price of about $2 808/ct. Lucapa said diamond valuations had been significantly affected by the steep recovery in the diamond market during 2021 and early this year. The modelled diamond value model has, therefore, been escalated using a global rough diamond price index provided by

independent

diamond

valuation

consultancy GTD Consultants up to December 31, 2021.

The company further stated that, since 2020, modelled diamond values have increased by about 34% from $1 440/ct to $1 930/ct on average. The total diluted The updated Lulo diamond resource was estimated after taking into account the delineation of new or additional resources and improved knowledge of existing resource areas through extensive auger drilling of about 7 000

volume of gravel available for mining in the updated Lulo diamond resource also increased to 2.2-million cubic metres.

This equated to a minimum of four years of resource at SML’s expanded mining and processing capacities, Lucapa said.

Mining sector in Zimbabwe generates US $5.3bn

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ining sector in Zimbabwe has generated US $5.3bn last year.

Mines and Mining Development Minister, Winston Chitando made the announcement and said half the US$12 billion mining industry target set for next year with output rising and new mines opening or re-opening.

Besides exports there is growing local consumption of minerals, particularly coal for power stations and phosphates for fertiliser with iron ore and the metals used in alloying this about to see far more. Minister Chitando said the vision of a US $12bn a year required the active participation of all stakeholders.

Diamonds are expected to contribute US$1 billion towards the country’s vision of a US$12 billion mining industry by next year.

“The vision of a US$12 billion mining sector economy requires the working together of all stakeholders involved in the mining sector. The target is attainable as witnessed by the growth of the mining sector during the Second Republic. Last year’s annual mining sector performance stood at US$5,3 billion against a baseline of US$2,7 billion in 2017,” said Minister Chitando.

The US $12 billion target would be achieved through a number of measures including enhanced mineral exploration, opening of new and closed mines, projects expansion, increased capacity utilisation, and value addition and beneficiation.

“The value addition of diamonds through cutting and polishing will play a key part in the growth of the diamond sector. With

10 percent of rough diamonds being set aside for local cutting and polishing, there are opportunities for growth in the sector as we move towards the attainment of the US$12 billion mining economy by the year 2023,” said Minister Chitando.

Turning to the Kimberley Process assessment, Minister Chitando said the workshop was a platform to discuss the country’s state of readiness for the KP review visit, at the same time celebrating the successes made in the diamond sector. Ahead of the review process, Zimbabwe has already embarked on a self-assessment and will also host the African Diamond Producers Association meeting next month.

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NEWS

Guinea to expand role in mining sector

international best practices,” he said without specifying how logistics would be handled.

Guinea has been expanding government control over its mining sector since President Mamadi Doumbouya seized power in a Sept. 5 coup. Friday’s announcement comes after Doumbouya suspended mining operations at Simandou, one of the world’s largest untapped iron ore deposits, to force miners to agree on an infrastructure financing plan and provide clarification on how Guinea would benefit.

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he government of Guinea has announced plans to export half of miners’ output in a push to exert more control over the lifeblood of its economy. Government spokesman Ousmane Gaoual Diallo made the announcement and said the country which is a top bauxite exporter has a

law that gives it the right to ship 50% of mining companies’ exports, but it hadn’t put it into effect until now.

This will now be exercised directly or through an entity acting on behalf of the state, Diallo said. “The implementation will be done in accordance with

PDAC 2022 Convention returns to Toronto in person and online

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he international mineral exploration and mining industry is once again gearing up for the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada’s (PDAC) Convention in Toronto, following its first virtual convention in 2021. This year signifies the return of the in person event from June 13-15, as well as an online portion from June 28-29. This is the first time in the PDAC Convention’s 90 years that it will be offered as a hybrid event, and a fitting way to honour the milestone.

obstacles, while conversations turned to the security of precious metals and the industry’s role in the transition to a low carbon future. “We have watched precious metals and gold prices soar to record highs, applaud conversations recognizing the industry’s critical role in the clean energy transition, and throughout the pandemic have watched companies offer support to Indigenous and remote communities where it may otherwise have not existed,” added Mr. Christopher.

“The pandemic has had us on a rollercoaster over the past couple of years and the feedback we are consistently hearing from our stakeholders is that they want to get back to doing business in person, and for anyone connected to the mineral exploration and mining industry, that means getting together face to face for the PDAC 2022 Convention” said Alex Christopher, PDAC President.

“This is just a small glimpse into the importance of the minerals industry, and as the world reopens, professionals— including analysts, executives, geologists, prospectors, investors, students and government officials— need timely and relevant programming and short courses that can be tailored to their needs, and the PDAC 2022 Convention offers exactly that.”

While the pandemic created challenges, it also demonstrated the resilience of the sector as it navigated health and safety, accessibility and supply chain

The PDAC Convention provides a platform for experts to connect and talk, learn and collaborate about the opportunities and challenges faced by

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Despite endemic levels of poverty, the West African nation vies with Australia as China’s largest supplier of bauxite, a reddish ore used to make aluminum.

Ismael Diakite, president of Guinea’s mining chamber, which brings together the country’s miners, including a Rio Tinto Plc unit, China-backed Societe Miniere de Boke, didn’t immediately answer calls requesting comment.

the industry. Highly-acclaimed topics— such as Capital Markets, Indigenous, Student & Early Career, Sustainability and Technical—will return to in person and online programming, along with Short Courses, the seventh annual International Mines Ministers’ Summit (IMMS), Events & Networking, and a newly expanded Keynote Program for experts to present on commodities, the mineral outlook, innovation and new discoveries.

More than 800 exhibitors will display their expertise and latest core samples in Core Shack, Investors Exchange, Prospectors Tent and Trade Show. But the excitement is not limited to only in person with an outstanding lineup of programming scheduled for the online portion. “It is important that we can offer the online portion of PDAC 2022 for a very important group of stakeholders across the world who want access to information directly from their home or office, and we are excited to be able to give them that,” said Lisa McDonald, PDAC Executive Director.

“But it is the in person element that is being craved this year and we can’t wait to welcome the world’s mineral exploration and mining industry to PDAC 2022 after all this time, we’ve certainly missed everyone.”

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IN THE SPOT LIGHT

Life of Mine Plan for Sissingué Gold Mine & Satellite Deposits updated

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erseus Mining Limited has updated its Life of Mine Plan (“LOMP”) for its Sissingué Gold Mine (“SGM”) and satellite deposits, Fimbiasso and Bagoé, in Côte d’Ivoire (collectively “Sissingué”). “The Sissingué Gold Mine has been an important part of Perseus’s geopolitically diversified asset portfolio since commencing commercial production in 2018 with an estimated 4.5year mine life. Since then, the mine has consistently produced gold in excess of forecasts and importantly, generated significant amounts of free cashflow.

is structurally controlled and mainly hosted within a granitic stock associated with a network of quartz-carbonate veins and veinlets with associated pyrite and arsenopyrite dissemination. Goldbearing veins have a dominant NNW to NS trend and are steeply dipping.

Disseminated mineralisation is also located in the alternation envelops of the mineralised quartz veins.

This updated LOMP incorporates the processing of ore from satellite deposits at Fimbiasso and Bagoé as well as the Sissingué Gold Mine, and results in the life of the Sissingué operation being extended out till at least March 2026 which enables Perseus to continue generating material benefits for all of our stakeholders, including the residents of our host communities at Fimbiasso and Bagoé,” said Perseus’s Managing Director and CEO Jeff Quartermaine.

Life of mine plan Based on detailed mining and processing schedules recently prepared as part of the life of mine planning process, the key forecast operating parameters for Sissingué are summarised in Table 4.

To illustrate the changes to the FY23 LOMP from the previous FY22 LOMP published in August 2021, equivalent data is tabulated below. It should be noted that the FY23 LOMP commences 1 July 2022 and accounts for actual depletion of Ore Reserves between July 2021 to December 2021 and forecast depletion between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2022.

Sissingué is located in northern Cote d’Ivoire in the West African Craton where gold is mined in Paleoproterozoic (Birimian) rocks of the southern extension of the Syama Greenstone Belt and the western margin of the Senoufo Greenstone Belt. Gold deposits at Sissingué are orogenic, greenstone hosted. The SGM main pit mineralisation

Mining cost estimates in the updated LOMP are based on projected costs using the current contract with mining contractors, SFTP, who have been conducting mining activities on site since mining operations started. SFTP is expected to perform the full mining, drilling and grade control service required at Sissingué. Explosive costs are based

on the projection of current contract prices provided by contractor, Maxam, a leading explosives manufacturer and distributor.

Gold recovery rates and processing costs are based on actual results achieved in the last 12 months and combined with forward projections based on a comprehensive metallurgical test work program for areas with no experiential data. Processing costs include costs associated with all consumables including maintenance, electricity, fuel, labour, and other processing overheads.

G&A and other costs are based on actuals and budget projections. G&A operating costs include all labour costs, Abidjan regional office costs, HR administration costs as well as all costs associated with the management of the environment, OH&S, security, government and community relations, general administration including insurances and other contracts.

Sustaining capital costs include stage lifting of the tailings storage facility (TSF), closure costs, progressive clearing, contractor demobilisation, and plant modifications. The total estimate of sustaining capital is US$7.6M million which over the current life of mine equates to US$30/oz of gold produced.

Sustaining capital does not include any capital costs estimated for the delineation of additional Mineral Reserves and Ore Reserves or the establishment of new open pit or underground mining operations. Any such developments will be regarded as development capital and disclosed accordingly.

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PRODUCT

Cutting Mills: Fast, safe, simple - the right solution for every application!

Size-reduction of different materials due to variable cutting speed adjustment

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he Universal Cutting Mills PULVERISETTE 19 from FRITSCH are ideal for comminution of dry, soft to hard, tough to brittle, fibrous as well as temperature-sensitive materials.

Due to the variable speed adjustment between 300-3000 rpm, a fast and effective fine comminution is possible.

With the slow-speed Universal Cutting Mill with 50-700 rpm, on the other hand, extremely powerful comminution is achieved even for smaller sample quantities.

The Top 3 Advantages of the Universal Cutting Mills.

• Variable adjustable rotor speed - for fine as well as powerful comminution • Residue-free cleaning – unbeatable fast, simple and efficient • Available as stainless-steel versions for the analytical sector, food and pharmaceutical industry

A particularly effective comminution is achieved by combining the Universal Cutting Mill with a FRITSCH Cyclone separator for sample exhaustion. Your advantages: easier sample feeding, significantly higher throughput, minimised thermal load, enables higher final finenesses - even with materials that are difficult to grind.

Clean Design for unmatched ease of cleaning Available only from FRITSCH: For residue-free cleaning all grinding parts of

Different rotors with various knife geometries, replaceable blades, practical sieve cassettes and a multitude of patented ideas make daily use simple and your work easier.

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our Cutting Mills can be removed within seconds without tools – unbeatable fast, simple and efficient.

The result: a completely open, empty grinding chamber with minimised dead space and smooth interior walls for quick and easy cleaning and reliable protection against cross-contamination.

Convince yourself of the unmatched ease of cleaning: www.youtube.com/ embed/Nlk5B2c-jhM?rel=0 Experience the FRITSCH Cutting Mills virtually directly at your workplace and discuss your specific application with our application consultants. Just arrange your virtual consultation appointment now with our application consultant.

Make your appointment now!

Test the FRITSCH CUTTING MILLS! Send us your most difficult sample – we will carry out an individual sample grinding for you. Compare for yourself!

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Opinion

Africa can adopt renewable energy on a massive scale and save billions along the way Oped by Kenneth Engblom Vice President, Wartsila Energy, Europe and Africa “Africa’s energy future at a crossroad When it comes to building the future of energy in Africa, the decisions facing the continent’s leaders today are nothing less than of historical importance. More than anything else, energy systems are the very fabric of business and society.

Countries across Africa want to make good on their objective of building huge amounts of new generation capacity to anticipate on vast increases in energy demand and set the continent on the path of growth and development it deserves.

Africa knows where it needs to go. The big question is how. And more specifically: what is the most cost-effective energy mix that can be built to deliver all the new electricity capacity that is needed? Wind, solar, gas turbines, coal, gas engines… numerous options are available, but there is only one sweet spot.

For the past decade and more, worldclass engineers and analysts at Wärtsilä have tapped into their deep bench of experience in the African energy sector to answer these very questions, country by country. We have mobilized state-ofthe-science, technology-neutral energy modelling techniques, and took all local technical constraints, all technologies, and natural resources into account.

Multiple energy mix scenarios have been developed and compared. We ran the models rigorously and the numbers have spoken. They reveal cost differences of mind-boggling magnitude between the various energy strategies possible.

Billions of dollars are at stake When it comes to the choice of energy technologies, keeping an open mind, free from preconceptions, is paramount.

Technologies that can be right for Europe considering its existing infrastructure, population density, or natural resources, can be wrong for others. Each country, each region, must find its own optimal way to building its energy system.

Many African countries have however one important point in common: maybe more than anywhere else, the models indicate that the best path to building the

guarantee the stability of the grid and save billions of dollars along the way.

The intermittency of renewables: an issue we can cope with It would be misguided to consider the intermittency of renewables as a showstopper. It is not, provided they are paired up with highly flexible forms of electricity generation like gas engine power plants. To maintain a balanced system, flexible back-up and peak power must be available to ramp up production at the same rate that wind or solar production fluctuates, but also to match the fluctuating energy demand within the day. The systems must be able to respond to huge daily variations in a matter of seconds or minutes.

most cost-optimal energy system is to maximize the use of renewable energy.

One fact must be established once and for all. The cost of renewable energy equipment has decreased very rapidly in recent years, and when this equipment runs on Africa’s massive solar and wind resources, what you have is a cost per KW/h produced that beats all other electricity technologies hands down.

If you add to this the fact that most electricity grids on the continent are relatively underdeveloped, favouring renewable energy over traditional power generation like coal or gas turbine power plants becomes a no-brainer.

Although relatively ambitious renewable energy targets have been set by governments across the continent, it does not always go far enough. Contrary to what some industry and political leaders may believe, maximizing the amount of renewable energy that can be built in the system is by far the cheapest strategy available, while at the same time ensuring a stable, reliable network.

In Africa, renewables must become the new baseload. And yes, renewables are intermittent. But combining them to flexible power generation capacities will

Gas engine power plants are the only source of backup generation that is designed to do just that. They will keep the system safe, while allowing the grid to accommodate huge amounts of cheap renewable energy. For Senegal alone, to take only one example, the studies reveal a $480 Million difference in total system cost over the next 15 years between a system incorporating lots of renewables combined to flexible gas engines, and a system built around inflexible thermal generation and minimal renewable capacity.

Renewables and flexible gas: the two pillars of a winning energy strategy Renewables and flexible gas are the two pillars of a winning energy strategy for Africa. Similar studies conducted on other African countries indicate that this energy mix strategy will provide efficiencies worth billions of dollars continent-wide over the next few decades.

Highly ambitious renewable energy objectives in Africa are not only achievable, but they are also the soundest and cheapest strategy for the successful electrification of the continent.

Making the smart strategy decisions will lead to more resilient electricity systems and offer vastly superior whole-system efficiencies.

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INSIGHT

Why specialists recommend synthetic lubricants in modern engineering

Image 1: Operating Temperatures of various types of Lubricant base oils. Source: Noria Corporation

“

The use of synthetic lubricants as a viable alternative to traditional hydrocarbon lubricants is gaining momentum in the industrial sector.

Previously, the use of synthetic lubricants was only an option when mineral or conventional lubricants had reached their performance limit and could no longer meet specific application requirements,” says Willie Lamprecht, Business Unit Manager, Fluid Technology Low Pressure, BMG. “Today, Original Equipment

Manufacturers (OEMs) consider the use of synthetic lubricants as an integral part of the development of various types of machinery.

impact on the reduction of emissions. If industries and vehicles consume less energy, less fossil fuel is consumed and emissions are reduced.”

“Synthetic lubricants are critical in enhancing fuel economy and improving energy efficiency. Independent research in the industrial sector indicates that the use of synthetic lubricants results in energy savings of between 2% and 5%. And energy savings have a direct

There are various types of synthetic lubricants available, each serving a specific purpose in modern engineering.

Temperature and temperature-related characteristics are considered as the most common. The use of synthetic lubricants is known to improve thermal and oxidation resistance, enhance viscosity-temperature behaviour and properties, lower evaporation losses, reduce the formation of residues and provide greater resistance to ambient media.

Traction coefficient is another lubricant property that improves a machine’s efficiency and reduces energy and fuel consumption. Synthetic lubricants by design have a lower traction coefficient than mineral-based lubricants.

Image 2: Energy equation. This image is a depiction of how society has evolved and how quickly the demand for energy has increased. To ensure energy security, the use of synthetic lubricants should be encouraged Source: ExxonMobil Chemicals

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For these reasons, BMG specialists recommend the use of synthetic lubricants as part of a company’s commitment to improving operational efficiencies, extending service life of equipment and enhancing environmental protection.

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INSIGHT

Underground survey work is critical in the mining sector Bosch Munitech also offers 3D laser scanning, to enhance engineering projects. The company has made a substantial investment in a laser scanner with the latest technology for detailed measurement purposes, to create topographic maps, meshes, point clouds or drawings, based on the real-world.

The team utilises the scanner to provide quick, accurate and relevant data.

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osch Munitech provides specialist utility services that includes Underground Utility Detection (UUD) which is essential for providing accurate information of underground infrastructure for many sectors, including the mining industry.

“Our service offering comprises the survey of underground utilities at mines and then transferring the data to a 3D format for the client. Underground surveys - which require expert skills, using non-intrusive methods to locate the exact type, size, position and depth of buried utilities – are important for maintaining an accurate plan of the mining operation,” explains Keshan Moodley, Director, Bosch Munitech.

Clients are able to view 3D-illustrations virtually and problems can be identified before construction commences, without having to physically visit the site, which is an advantage during the Covid-19 pandemic. water and sewerage drains, as well as electrical, telecommunications and fibre optic cables.

Key benefits of utility detection include accurate utility drawings for design purposes, less damage caused to essential services during excavation, reduction of costs caused by services damage, re-designs, interruptions and a safer working environment.

Bosch Munitech’s other management utility service includes leak detection.

This service is custom designed to suit the specific client requirement, whether it be a specific leak issue on a single main or an entire network. Key clients include consulting engineers, environmental specialists, construction and mining companies, municipalities, petroleum and industrial plants.

“Our highly-skilled survey technicians use a ground penetrating radar and two different pipe locators - one for metallic and the other for non-metallic pipes.

Underground surveys are critical for reducing risk and ensuring efficiency and safety in every excavation or construction project.”

The Bosch Munitech team uses advanced equipment for underground surveys, which includes electromagnetic locators, ground penetrating radars and sonde equipment. This technology is highly effective in locating buried services, like water pipes, storm

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INSIGHT

Mines’ move to lower carbon future is complex

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ining companies are taking a leading role in rolling out renewable energy generation in South Africa; this positive contribution – and others that will follow – nonetheless come with many complexities. Recent months have seen a number of the country’s mining majors announce ambitious solar energy projects, for instance, showing that they are putting their weight behind their sustainability policies. Projects include a 100 MW solar photovoltaic plant by Anglo American Platinum, and a renewable power project pipeline announced by Sibanye-Stillwater that aims to generate 557 MW. Anglo American has also recently signed a memorandum of understanding with global renewable energy company EDF Renewables to work together towards developing a regional renewable energy ecosystem in South Africa, aimed at meeting Anglo’s operational electricity requirements in South Africa through the supply of 100% renewable electricity by 2030. Andrew van Zyl, director and principal consultant at SRK Consulting, said mineral customers are increasingly looking at the carbon footprint of their supply chain.

“The commodities that mines supply are clearly accompanied by a footprint of carbon emissions,” said Van Zyl. “Mining companies are well aware of the expectations of customers and regulators, and have been building their response into corporate sustainability policies and plans – which range from solar farms to hydrogen-powered

ore reserve with an acceptable level of confidence,” he said. “This applies to all modifying factors which affect the cost and rate at which the ore can be extracted.”

vehicles.” Among the initiatives emerging on the international stage – and in which SRK Consulting is involved – has been Europe’s RE-SOURCING project, he noted. Funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, the project works towards ensuring responsible and sustainable sourcing of minerals for Europe’s lowcarbon future.

“As countries and customers look to reduce their carbon footprint, they will prefer suppliers with lower emissions – a factor which then becomes a competitive advantage,” he said.

“Mines have engaged actively with this approach, and are practically investigating and testing technologies that can reduce emissions.” He pointed out, however, that the mining process is built on a complex supply chain of expertise, equipment and products that will take time to adapt. Indeed, replacing traditional fossil fuel-based technology holds a range of challenges for mining companies.

“Every viable mining project is underpinned by the ability to declare an

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As mines take steps toward achieving lower-carbon operations, they must consider many useful inventions that could contribute in this direction – but not all have been fully proven. This makes it difficult for the responsible professional to sign off on an innovation’s application – even if it could make a valuable contribution toward carbon neutrality.

Such an innovation could effectively increase the uncertainty associated with estimating the project’s feasibility.

“When reviewing a client’s plan for a mine, independent consulting firms like SRK must carefully investigate any change to a proven method or strategy – to establish their reliability and performance,” said Van Zyl. “This is not to say that nothing must change; on the contrary, part of our role is to ensure that clients benefit from continuous improvement in all mine-related processes.”

He emphasised that what is essential in this process is high-quality technical input from experienced advisors, capable of developing and assessing new approaches using a multidisciplinary approach. This will ensure that technology-related risks are fully appreciated and mitigated, at the same time as leveraging opportunities to their fullest.

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The Digital Oilfield is Going Solar...

Morningstar’s line of ProStar™ and SunSaver ™ charge controllers, UL/CSA and IECEx/ATEX rated for use in hazardous locations (ProStar HazLoc models available September)

From wellhead to pipeline, operators are using solar to power a range of applications: injection pumping, security monitoring, data and communications, RTUs and PLCs, Þeld instrumentation (temperature, pressure, ßow, level), actuated valves, cathodic protection, and much more.

With no moving parts, no fuel

needed, and little maintenance required, solar works out to be a reliable, cost-effective solution for upstream and midstream systems.

...and the solar brand it’s going with is Morningstar Used in over 100 countries and with over four million sold, Morningstar’s reliability and technology has been tested and proven in missioncritical installations for nearly 30 years. Now with comprehensive hazardous location certiÞcations— UL/CSA (North America) and IECEx/ATEX (International/Europe)—Morningstar has the widest, most dependable line of HazLoc solar controllers in the industry.

“…We standardised on using Morningstar MPPT solar controllers in our Hazardous Area Zone-certiÞed solar power systems for use in safety critical power systems for offshore oil and gas assets. Their highefÞciency is uniquely suited for our needs… Most important, with

Morningstar, we know we won’t have to go back for expensive service calls in the Þeld.”

--Remco Vonk, General Manager Asia & PaciÞc, Orga BV, a global provider of offshore power, helideck lighting, and marine & aviation navigation marking systems for safety critical infrastructure assets

“Morningstar’s high-quality, reliable controllers make them JCE’s No. 1 partner when supplying power to many of the world’s most remote, harshest environments.”

-Lukas Geider, Business Development Assistant, JCE Group, provider of (Ex) electrical control systems for hazardous and safe area environments

“We have chosen Morningstar products for our off-grid solar photovoltaic solutions deployed at about 2000 sites in the Middle East… [they have] proved to be a reliable source of power supply even in the harsh desert conditions” -- Agile Europe, provider of system solutions for oil & gas projects throughout the Middle East

Morningstar SunKeeper™ UL/CSA rated controller, for single-module systems

Get the free guide to Solar Powered Industrial Systems and see how operators around the globe achieve solar success with Morningstar HERE:https://www.morningstarcorp.com/getindustrialguide

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EVENT - MINING INDABA

Restoring confidence in Zambia as a premier mining destination

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nvesting in African Mining Indaba is pleased to announce that the President of the Republic of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema has confirmed his attendance at the Investing in African Mining Indaba, taking place in Cape Town from 9 - 12 May 2022.

Newly elected President Hichilema, who was inaugurated in August 2021, has been hailed as an inspiration after he reversed his fortunes – having been imprisoned for 127 days after the 2016 elections he went on to secure a landslide victory in the 2021 polls.

Now the seventh president of Zambia, President Hichilema has pledged to foster a better democracy through respect for the rule of law, restoring order and protecting human rights. He also hopes to restore confidence in the country as a mining investment destination.

Zambia’s mining investment climate deteriorated in recent years as the previous administration pursued resource nationalism, leading to damaged relationships with investors and lower levels of investment. According to the the Zambia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, mining accounted for 79.5% of Zambia’s total exports and nearly 31.4% of government revenues in 2020.

President Hichilema is expected to share his vision of a new dawn for Zambia, in which macroeconomic stability is restored and sustainable, inclusive economic growth is promoted. Believing that the mining sector can be an important catalyst for national development, his government is looking to significantly increase the production of copper and other minerals so that Zambia can reclaim its place as a leading miner on the continent.

To support these ambitions President Hichilema has already introduced a friendlier mining tax regime and made clear his intention to bring stability to the sector, as well as ensuring regulatory

Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema

fairness and the elimination of obstacles that stand in the way of new investment.

the future direction of the African mining industry.

The President believes that stronger relationships – between the government, miners and local communities – will improve equitable growth and help the country to deliver for its citizens.

The overarching theme: ‘Evolution of African Mining: Investing in the Energy Transition, ESG and the Economies’ is set to inspire new approaches, spark conversations and encourage partnerships that will truly transform mining on the continent.

The Mining Indaba is back in person this year and we are looking at the future, at moving forward. The programme content for 2022 is geared towards exploring the key drivers of investment decisions within the African mining market and forging

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Be sure not to miss out on His Excellency’s address to industry this May - Mining Indaba

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EVENT - MINING INDABA

Opportunity for Africa to fill the commodity gap F

orecasts suggest that the global economy is facing a ‘commodity gap’ in the near future as the demand for battery minerals could outstrip supply; could Africa be the continent to fill that gap?

Andrew van Zyl director and principal consultant SRK Consulting22

Darryll Kilian partner and principal environmental consultant SRK Consulting

There is certainly good reason to see Africa making a valuable contribution to future supplies of mined commodities from lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite to manganese, iron, copper, chrome, uranium and aluminium, according to SRK director and principal consultant Andrew van Zyl. While there are considerable resources of these minerals available in Africa and even currently being mined, there remain challenges which prevent their economic extraction – and which are regularly raised and discussed at the Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town.

“One of the reasons why the gold sector thrives in many parts of Africa, for example, is because it needs relatively little in the way of national or statemanaged infrastructure,” said Van Zyl. “For better or worse, a gold mine can operate quite effectively as an ‘island’ of activity and prosperity – providing most of its own inputs to mine and process ore, and to transport the very compact end-product.”

By contrast, many of the commodities that are now growing in demand are bulk minerals that need extensive road, rail and harbour infrastructure – so they can be transported efficiently and shipped to customers from functioning ports.

Wouter Jordaan

Planning and developing such facilities require more than capital, he argued.

They rely on far-sighted government policies being implemented by wellresourced state bodies – combined with collaboration from the private sector and international funding agencies. They also call for close working relationships between neighbouring countries,

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with the necessary shared vision and practical protocols to allow railways, powerlines and goods of all descriptions to pass over borders with minimal effort and at the lowest possible cost.

Further, with the African Free Trade Agreement having come into effect, this should also expedite matters. “The start of trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement on 1 January 2021 marks the dawn of a new era in Africa’s development journey.

Over time, the AfCFTA will eliminate import tariffs on 97% of goods traded on the continent, as well as address nontariff barriers,” says SRK Consulting ESG Partner Darryll Kilian.

There is little question that the minerals of the future are to be abundantly found in Africa, said Ivan Doku, principal resource geologist at SRK Consulting and country manager for SRK Ghana.

“There is still plenty of opportunity for exploration and mining of battery minerals in West Africa, as we have recently been discovering in Ghana,” said Doku. “The country is becoming a very interesting place to explore right now, having not been historically associated with battery minerals. A significant lithium deposit is currently being investigated – the only one so far in West Africa.”

He said deposits like these had attracted considerable foreign interest, and it was likely that more prospective investors would be looking at the region as more data on this project was published.

Van Zyl highlighted that the condition for – and impacts from – large, bulk mineral projects extended not just to physical infrastructure but to communities. Mines with larger footprints and longer supply chains upstream and downstream also affected a wider natural and human environment.

www.fmdrc-Zambia.com

“For these projects to be sustainable in terms of environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations, developers need to navigate complex terrain related to regulatory compliance and social licence to operate,” he said.

“This assumes a level of certainty in the expectations of the host country, as well as a high level of scientific and engineering skill being available to help mines identify and mitigate the related risks.”

He said Africa was gradually developing the capacity to deliver on these requirements, and the continent needed to share the professional expertise that was available across its borders and from the global community.

“It is important to remember that Africa has made great strides in a range of facets, and we are successfully producing a large range of minerals, including bulk commodities,” said Van Zyl. “This is something that few developed economies have achieved and, while SRK is focusing on further improvement in Africa, it is also contributing its expertise to other developed economies

that are struggling to establish mining industries.”

SRK Consulting environmental scientist Wouter Jordaan further noted that SRK’s business model is set around collaboration between its global consulting practices to ensure that the needs of its clients are met. As an example, SRK has embarked on a strategic approach of servicing its Chinese clients in Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, from its offices in Lubumbashi, Beijing and Johannesburg.

SRK Consulting’s longer-term vision is aimed at establishing a dedicated resource from China in its Lubumbashi office. This provides the opportunity to engage with clients at head office and mine level, thereby providing the relevant expertise required at each level. To strengthen these links, the SRK South Africa, DRC and China team will be attending the Mining Indaba in May and DRC Mining Week in June.

The collaborative effort will also look at infrastructure projects within the region.

Ivan Doku

Following 3 months of gruelling underground testing, SKF MUDBLOCK seals the deal

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KF recently secured an order for 600 MUDBLOCK cassette seals after these reliable products delivered excellent results during a punishing underground mining field test over a three-month period. SKF was asked by a long-standing customer, who is a leading supplier of braking systems for off-highway, industrial and underground mining equipment to end-users, to identify particular seals.

“Having identified the products as cassette seals, we referenced them to our newly developed SKF MUDBLOCK (MUD11) cassette seals and received a quote from our customer for 300 pieces in Q3 2021,” says Andre Weyers, SKF Product Manager: Seals.

Weyers explains that the name MUDBLOCK is derived from the fact that SKF originally designed these cassette seals for tractor applications in rice planting fields where the seals are submerged in water and mud.

Presenting the perfect multi-lip cassette

wet, muddy, dry and dusty conditions so typical of the underground mining environment proved to be no match for the four 165x190MUD11 sample seals and SKF received an order in March 2022 to supply 600 cassette seal units scheduled for delivery during April 2022.

sealing solution, these seals have been specially engineered for heavy-duty jobs and to ensure reliable market-leading performance even in the most stringent and demanding environments.

“Highly confident of the quality and reliability of our MUD11 seals, we managed, after a six-month journey, to convince the end-user to test our cassette seals in their mining application,” continues Weyers. SKF supplied four 165x190MUD11 sample units suited for a specific hub design on mining machines. The punishing

Weyers points to the fact that for endusers, superior performance, improved reliability, and prolonged service life deliver reduced maintenance and extended uptime for a more productive and profitable operation. “Subsequently, the excellent performance of our MUD11 seals during the field test cemented a solid relationship between our customer and the end-user. SKF’s reputation as a seal system specialist and quality products supplier once again came to the fore. In addition to benefitting from a quality, competitively priced product supplied by a renowned OEM, our customer now conveniently has access to SKF technical support and spare seals in stock,” concludes Weyers.

www.fmdrc-Zambia.com

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EVENT - MINING INDABA

Expanding and developing Botswana’s natural resources sector – the President is is expected share his insights on Botswana’s progress and his ambition to develop a vibrant and diversified mineral sector that contributes to the sustainable development of the Botswana economy in an inclusive manner that allows for the participation of local indigenous business. The government of Botswana wants to ensure that investments in its economy offer mutually beneficial upside to both the investor and local partners.

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he President of the Botswana, Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, is confirmed to attend the 2022 Investing in African Mining Indaba, taking place in Cape Town from 9 - 12 May 2022, where he will share his insights on the diversification of the mining industry and his push for greater innovation in the sector.

Mining remains Botswana’s biggest revenue earner, accounting for about 85% of national foreign exchange earnings, one-third of government revenue, and one-fifth of GDP. In recent years the government has actively sought

to diversify its economy from its reliance on mining, particularly diamonds.

While Botswana continues to be one of the world’s largest diamond producers by volume, President Masisi has been actively advocating for expansion and development of the country’s diamond, coal, copper, silver and gold resources.

He is also encouraging greater investment in a knowledge-based economy and the adoption of innovation in mining.

Building on the Mining Indaba 2022’s theme – Evolution of African Mining

Facilitating greater local participation in the economy led to the launch of the government’s Middle Income Strategy in December 2021. The objective the strategy is to facilitate the middle class to effectively participate in the economy through the creation of globally competitive sustainable businesses and by boosting employment opportunities.

After the virtual event in 2021, the May 2022 Mining Indaba is back in person. A significant platform for over 27 years, the Indaba will this year expand its industryleading content to include a Green Metals Day, a Host Buyer Programme and an Infrastructure & Supply Chain content stream.

The investment battlefield has also been reimagined as the Innovation & Research Battlefield to encourage collaboration between the mining industry and academia.

HCV AFRICA is a group of African based environmental and social specialists with a current footprint spanning 20 African countries.

www.hcvafrica.com / nelius@hcvafrica.com / phil@hcvafrica.com

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8TH ANNUAL EDITION

1 - 2 JUNE 2022 www.juniorindaba.com

FOR EXPLORERS, DEVELOPERS & INVESTORS IN JUNIOR MINING Resources 4 Africa is pleased to announce the 8th edition of its annual Junior Indaba taking place on 1st and 2nd June 2022 as both an in-person and an online event.

A popular meeting place for junior miners, the Junior Indaba is enjoyed by all for its incisive, informative and frank discussions tackling the challenges and opportunities for exploration and junior mining companies in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa.

Topics that will be discussed include: •

Global economic and geopolitical environment and impact on junior mining

•

Outlook for commodities: how are commodity prices faring in 2022 and what will this mean for juniors?

•

What sources of finance are available and how can juniors access these?

•

How do we revive exploration in South Africa and reach the 5% target of global exploration spend in 5 years?

•

How can government policy and regulation be reformed to promote junior mining and exploration?

•

What lessons can be learned from successful junior miners who are already operating in SA and beyond?

•

What are the opportunities for juniors in the energy transition and demand for strategic metals?

Mining Industry Partners:

Sponsor:

Contact us about sponsorship opportunities: sponsorship@resources4africa.com

For more information please contact, Carina Willemse: Tel: +27 (0) 61 421 9492 Email: carina@resources4africa.com or Stuart Alderson-Smith: Email: stuart@resources4africa.com The 2022 Junior Indaba, for explorers, developers and investors in junior mining, is brought to you by Resources 4 Africa, the organisers of the Joburg Indaba.

EVENT

Africa’s energy community is at war

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s the world debates climate change and whether we should be utilizing/monetizing gas and other natural resources, we must not lose sight that by 2050 nearly quarter of the world’s population (two and half billion people) will be living on the continent of Africa.

In particular, the population of subSaharan Africa is projected to double by 2050 (that constitutes a 99% increase) with 60% of the population being under the age of 25.

The statistics are worrying and suggest a war raging between energy access and population growth - the solutions however lie in advanced technology adoption and the proliferation of free wifi to bolster learning and access to already available resources - but critically in the framework with which projects are developed. This is not beyond the capabilities of the current market players, however the number of IPPs reaching financial close is woefully low and painfully slow and runs the risk of being outpaced by population growth within ten years – yes, Africa’s energy sector is at war against population growth and if the investment community cannot compete, it runs the risk of becoming obsolete.

As always the Africa Energy Forum will focus on project development, bringing stakeholders together to have explicit private sector anchored discussions.

However, the framework in which the private sector operates needs to evolve to promote greater stability from the perspective of governmental elections and further changes as political climates evolve and ministerial roles change.

Egypt’s sectoral framework has liberated 28GW in only 8yrs and is a model which can be replicated across the continent at varying scales. South Africa’s IPP Office model was widely agreed to be the most successful (and aggressive) renewable energy programme anywhere in the world and again can be replicated across the continent…

Yes, there are many examples that decision makers and stakeholders can

draw from and time is running out, but the battle is not yet lost.

Joining us at aef to make your voice heard and with less 11 weeks to go and nearly 60% of the agenda already closed, over 150 speakers including 8 Ministers of Energy, 10 utilities, 21 development financial institution and over 70 private sector investors, the stage is set for another impactful #aef22 like never before. Sign up and take part in, Interactive discussions that will focus on crucial topics such as: • Project preparation – How can stakeholders work better together to increase the number of projects coming to a financial close? What are recent successful and failed examples?

• Implementing practical solutions for Africa’s utilities – What are the realistic solutions to tackle the financing and modernisation challenges?

• COP26 to COP27 – how is the conversation changing - Africa’s voice in the global fight against climate change, and what does Africa want from COP27?

• How are commitments made by the development finance community at COP26 being channelled through - what does energy transition funding mean and how is it being deployed?

• Gas - Africa’s fuel here to stay - Is there a disconnect between policy and reality? Where will financing come from? Building • Africa as a green hydrogen power house - How much will African countries actually score economically from investing in hydrogen • Integrating Solar and Wind into the Grid – Putting in place distribution infrastructure needed to soak up generation • Industrial and Corporate DeCarbonisation - How are industries and mining sector playing their part in de-carbonising?

Country Spotlights will also bring

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Ministers and Heads of Utilities from, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Tanzania, Botswana, Morocco, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique and more to announce real time projects and opportunities for stakeholders to get involved.

“After the Country Project Spotlight: Ghana session we were inundated with investors wanting to meet with us for further discussions. I want to say a big thank you for giving us the opportunity.

Since the meeting, six investors have travelled to Ghana for further discussions on development opportunities in RE development.” Anthony Boye OsafoKissi, Deputy CEO, Engineering, Bui Power Authority, Ghana.

Recent leading experts confirmed for the event include: • Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (MP), Minister of Energy, Ghana • H.E. Honourable Fafa Sanyang, Minister of Petroleum & Energy, The Gambia • Christopher Kirigua, Director General, Public Private Partnerships, The National Treasury, Government of Kenya • Ngozi Beckley-Lines, Director of Projects, Ministry of Energy, Sierra Leone • Marcelino Gildo Alberto, Chairman & CEO, Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), Mozambique • Mandy Rambharos, General Manager: Just Energy Transition, Eskom, South Africa • Daniel Bargoria, Director General, Energy & Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), Kenya • Hizkyas Dufera, Special Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Water, Irrigation & Energy (MoWIE), Ethiopia Make sure you join us at this year’s 24th annual Africa Energy Forum on 21-24 June at Tour & Taxis in Brussels, as we return to our full scale event, catering for all your business development needs.

Save 40% on the full delegate price when you register by Friday 8th April.

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1 - 3 June 2022 The Pullman Lubumbashi Grand Karavia Hotel, DRC

THE MEETING PLACE FOR MINING STAKEHOLDERS DOING BUSINESS IN THE DRC AND THE COPPERBELT CONFIRMED PAVILIONS

What to expect in 2022 60+

Mining houses and operators

230+

PARTNERS

Sponsors and exhibitors Official support:

500+

Mining executives

Official partner:

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Days of strategic content

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FOR MORE INFO ABOUT YOUR TAILOR-MADE OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT jeantite.oloumoussie@wearevuka.com T: +27 (0) 21 700 3508

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TECHNOLOGY

ORICA expands its fragmentation monitoring solution with fragtrack™ crusher Orica (ASX: ORI), has announced the release of its latest fragmentation monitoring solution enabled

by FRAGTrack™ Crusher, an automated pre-crusher fragmentation measurement tool delivering operational continuity in a safe and reliable way.

FRAGTrack™ Crusher camera view. Measurements are captured and processed in real-time during the tipping operation.

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The Orica FRAGTrack™ system (Front) F60 camera houses various measurement sensors used in the determination of PSD samples. (Back) F50 processing unit houses the edge computer processing and communication technologies used by the system.

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ased on the success of the existing suite of automated post-blast fragmentation monitoring solutions, Orica has developed FRAGTrack™ Crusher to meet growing demand from customers for downstream monitoring and optimisation solutions at every stage of the mining value chain. The technology leverages the latest deep neural network artificial intelligence (AI) framework along with the industry-proven hybrid 2D and 3D particle size distribution (PSD) processing methods to deliver a fully autonomous adaptive fragmentation monitoring solution at the crusher dump pocket, enabling customers to measure material on the truck during the tipping operations.

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FRAGTrack™ Crusher provides truck by truck PSD analysis of rock fragments during the dumping operation with unmatched accuracy and without impacting operations or productivity.

The technology delivers constant performance tracking for both the drill and blast operations and the downstream processing functions, driving continuous improvements end-to-end in the mining value chain. When bundled with Orica’s FRAGTrack™ Conveyor technology in a fragmentation monitoring solution, it enables further analysis of the crusher’s performance and the impact of blasting parameters in a production workflow in real-time.

Orica Vice President - Digital Solutions, Raj Mathiravedu, said: ”The full adoption of AI technology into our architecture, coupled with our strategic partnership with Microsoft, allows us to expedite the delivery of capabilities that were not previously possible, and FRAGTrack™ Crusher is an example of how we leverage AI to help deliver intelligence and value to our customers.”

PSD data is provided via a real-time application programming interface (API) and industrial open platform communication unified architecture (OPC UA) protocol to drill and blast software and crusher distributed control systems (DCS), allowing seamless integration into the existing site operation workflows.

FRAGTrack™ Crusher installation

FRAGTrack™ Crusher has already been gaining traction globally in the mining and quarry markets, where it is being utilised as a critical enabler of blasting optimisation and mine to mill initiatives.

Australia, it successfully delivered an automated blasting optimisation workflow on site leveraging PSD as a primary KPI to throughput and overall mill performance.

This signals a significant transformation from the subjective nature of existing manual PSD analysis methods while eliminating the safety concerns of onbench photography and the extensive time required to manually process and correlate to relevant data sets, including fleet management data to determine the material’s blast of origin. In the most recent application of FRAGTrack™ Crusher in a Tier I low-cost gold operation in Western

The project included installation of a FRAGTrack™ Conveyor system post crusher, allowing pre and post crusher PSD to be monitored. When combined with a fragmentation improvement process, the FRAGTrack™ solution enabled a continuous feedback loop that enabled the operation to rapidly optimise blast designs that drive overall project profitability.

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TECHNOLOGY

Metso Outotec launches Geminex™, a digital twin for efficient management of variability in mining and metallurgical operations

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etso Outotec is launching a science-based digital twin, Metso Outotec Geminex™, for managing variability and optimizing resources.

The unique solution simulates and optimizes seamless sustainable operations in minerals, pyro- and hydrometallurgical processes by combining operational data from both internal and external data sources.

“Metso Outotec’s digital twin provides unparalleled benefits to the mining and metallurgical industry. The increasing complexity of ores, the shorter global economic cycles and the faster changes in commodities demand, combined with strict sustainability targets, form an equation that requires a new toolbox to solve these challenges. The innovative GeminexTM digital twin supports our customers in designing and adjusting their processes in an agile manner,” explains Professor Emeritus Kari Heiskanen, Technology Director at Metso Outotec.

With GeminexTM, alternative operational scenarios and parameters can be

efficiently simulated and tested based on accurate process models and real data.

It provides invaluable information for short- and long-term decision-making and allows operations to use resources in an optimal way while considering both impacts and constraints.

than 20,000 users worldwide. These process models have been successfully implemented in hundreds of minerals and metals processing flowsheet development cases, and the same models are utilized in plant run-time optimization.

“When the GeminexTM capability is combined with our leading global service, Metso Outotec is able to further support local operators in turning the desired scenarios into real plant performance by offering precisely the right support – from process to technology – to help achieve the results needed today and long into the future. This makes us truly unique,” says Terry Galvin, Vice President, Expert services at Metso Outotec.

“In brief, the Metso Outotec Geminex™ provides a true end-to-end digital solution by enabling enriched decisions leading to optimized performance and resulting in tangible benefits for the customers’ operations,” explains Jari Moilanen, Director for minerals processing digital solutions.

The GeminexTM digital twin is part of Metso Outotec’s Planet Positive portfolio.

Market-leading sizing and simulation tools at the core For simulation and production, Geminex™ utilizes the unique HSC process models that have already more

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Benefits of the Metso Outotec Geminex™: • Minimizes carbon footprint • Maximizes efficient use of resources • Simulates the process safely without environmental or financial risks • Enables material traceability • Increases profitability • Quick and easy to implement More information about GeminexTM is available on our website.

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TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY

The Role of Mining Vehicle Automation in the Mine of the Future

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ick Holland, CEO of Gold Fields, one of the world’s largest gold mining firms, recently outlined many of the challenges faced by gold producers —as well as by miners of most other resources—and discussed the roadmap Gold Fields intends to take to thrive in today’s mining environment. His address took place at the Future Mining Conference 2015 in Sydney Australia, November 4, 2015.

Holland shared that due to challenges in the recent years such as lower grade of ore deposits, significant global price drops, and cost inflation, “shareholder

value [has slumped] by 50-80% since 2007.” With pressures on global commodities, today’s mining industry at large mirrors this trend, though Holland’s presentation provided a dramatic window into just how piercing these pressures have been. “The gold mine of the future has to be set up, structured, and managed differently from how it is today if it is to remain relevant and valueadding to all its stakeholders,” Holland concluded.

Of the solutions to the gold mine of the future posed by Holland, three are of particular interest to the automation

industry. In his presentation, Holland suggested that in order to remain competitive the mining industry should improve in the following areas: • Embracing digital mining, advanced analytics, and new software technologies • Converting conventional mining practices to mechanization and automation • Cooperating more closely with OEMs that develop and operate best-of-class technologies and equipment at various levels of automation

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TECHNOLOGY

Mining automation technologies are becoming more available and affordable for nearly every area of operation, such as: exploration, extraction, transportation of materials, processes automation, software/analytics, etc. In one of these areas, extraction and transportation, automation technology focuses primarily on further mechanizing and introducing remotely controlled vehicles to enhance production and safety. Despite this primary purpose, the software used to direct the efforts of robotic vehicles can also provide a variety of analytic and process benefits.

monitor equipment utilization, locate bottlenecks in the production process, and receive notification of maintenance or safety issues.

For example, Mobius command and control software developed by Autonomous Solutions, Inc. (ASI) allows a single operator to control multiple unmanned vehicles. However, as a secondary benefit, Mobius tracks all manned and unmanned vehicles in the mining network, which gives mine administrators access to real-time vehicle locations and enables them to

In addition, automation improves safety and enhances the ability to operate equipment at OEM recommended parameters thus facilitating predictable maintenance schedules and decreasing unscheduled maintenance. Remote operators can control more than one vehicle allowing mines to benefit from economies of scale in their labor force.

Mining companies can further combat inflating costs by shifting to unmanned vehicle technologies. Recent numbers released by global mining major Rio Tinto suggest that vehicle automation technologies outperform manned fleets by an average of 12% and can save as much as 500 man hours per year per vehicle by eliminating downtime for shift changes, breaks, and absenteeism.

While Holland suggests a closer relationship with technology and vehicle OEMs that provide automation, mining companies may find this course expensive and restrictive. Closer relationships may involve replacing existing equipment with automationenabled equipment or signing restrictive single-source fleet contracts.

Third party automation companies may be the most affordable and least restrictive option. Third party companies, like ASI, provide aftermarket automation technologies that retrofit to existing equipment, allowing miners to automate their existing fleet, integrate with existing software and infrastructure, and maintain their flexibility to purchase and automate the right vehicle regardless of the manufacturer.

Talk to an automation specialist today, and explore the benefits your mine could experience with ASI’s vehicle automation technologies.

Metso Outotec wins major order for a large iron ore pellet plant in India

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etso Outotec has signed an agreement for the delivery of engineering and key equipment for an iron ore grate kiln pellet plant to Jindal Steel Odisha Limited (JSOL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Jindal Steel & Power Limited (JSPL). The plant is located in the industrial city of Angul, in eastern India. The value of the order is approximately EUR 30 million, and it has been booked in Metals’ Q1/2022 orders received.

Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery consists of engineering and the supply of major equipment, including the traveling grate, rotary kiln, and annular cooler.

The plant will produce six million tons of high-quality iron ore pellets per year.

This is Metso Outotec’s second pellet plant order from JSOL in the past 12 months. The first grate kiln pellet plant

is currently being installed at the same location by Metso Outotec and JSOL. “Metso Outotec and JSPL have a strong history of working together in the field of iron ore pelletizing. We have previously worked with JSPL in 2006 and 2012 for the deliveries of two traveling grate pelletizing plants to Barbil, India. We’re very pleased to be able to supply JSOL with two grate kiln pelletizing plants for their Angul location.

Metso Outotec is the only equipment manufacturer to offer both the traveling grate and grate kiln technologies for indurating iron ore pellets; each technology offers unique advantages.

With these technologies, JSPL will be a global leader in their ability to efficiently produce of a variety of world-class pellet products,” says Chris Urban, Vice President, Heat Transfer Products at Metso Outotec.

Metso Outotec is the world’s leading supplier of grate kiln pellet plants, with more than 50 installations globally totaling over 130 mtpa of production.

The Metso Outotec technology produces superior-quality pellets while minimizing overall plant operational expenses.

Discover more about our pelletizing technologies and the grate kiln system on our website.

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FEATURE

SKF West Africa’s lubrication and condition monitoring solutions boost uptime, delivering significant savings for Guinean ore mine on critical equipment, we recommended our efficient SKF Automatic Lubrication System, some system 24 TLSD and progressive lubrication system.” These automatics lubrication systems are being fitted to a wide range of equipment on the mine site including a badge loader, a stacker, conveyors, car dumpers, motors and gearboxes.

Preventative maintenance is fundamental to maximising production levels as early detection of potential component issues can prevent catastrophic and costly machine failure and unplanned downtime to allow for repair work. SKF therefore suggested an automated machine monitoring system.

Fatou confirms that the SKF West African team has already completed vibration analysis on critical equipment.

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KF West Africa identified a number of lubrication issues while conducting a paid lubrication audit for a long-standing mining customer in the Republic of Guinea. “Our objective with the audit process was to gain a better understanding of our customer’s existing lubrication and maintenance strategy, their lubricant purchasing and Automatic Lubrication System (ALS) management process as well as their environment protection plan,” explains , Lubrication and CoMo Champion for SKF West Africa, Ouattara Yelli Fatou.

The comprehensive audit done by Hassan Missaoui and Yelli Ouattara was conducted on lubrication management as well as on all lubrication products including lubricant and tools.

“We also looked at the mine’s maintenance

and condition monitoring (COMO) products and strategies,” affirms Fatou.

“In addition to the failure of large slew bearings, gearbox oil was overheating.

We also noticed a lack of equipment monitoring devices and recognised that our customer needed assistance with lubrication management in terms of best practices and skills.”

The all-inclusive lubrication solution proposed by SKF included an oil storage room, twelve oil conditioning units (OCUs) and 200 System 24 TLSD series lubricators. According to Fatou the oil storage room will improve oil storage, conditioning, dispersing and oil cleanness levels. The OCUs will help to cool and filter gearbox oil to prevent overheating. “To significantly improve bearing lubrication reliability

Bi-annual shaft alignment services will also be conducted which will include the alignment of more than twelve conveyors and command equipment (motors, gear boxes, conveyor pulleys). SKF West Africa will offer once-off training on ALS understanding and maintenance to assist their customer in applying best practices for optimum results. “We are also in the process of signing a contract with our local SKF Authorised Distributor, SAREF INTERNATIONAL, for consignment stock of bearings for the mine,” confirms Fatou.

“Our turnkey solutions enable us to assist our customer in minimising equipment breakdowns and increasing machine performance, ultimately delivering significant cost savings. We have further helped the mine to decrease operating expenses by reducing oil and grease consumption. The SKF West Africa team is extremely proud of this project as this was the first lubrication audit to be performed in West Africa and we secured a great outcome! This is also a result of successfull team work with our lubrication management team around SKF,” concludes Fatou.

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FEATURE

Thickener Optimisation in mineral processing

Increasing thickener profitability through integrated online monitoring Integrated online monitoring simplifies the convoluted process of monitoring data, which is central to precise process control in thickeners, in key measuring points. This results in reduction in costs (mainly of energy and flocculants), reduction in waste volumes sent to tailings dam, as well as increase in safety. Ultimately, improved recovery translates into high profitability. and installed. There has been growing evidence in the effectiveness of Endress + Hauser’s online integrated system enabling mine operators achieve precise process control in thickeners.

By examining the common shortcomings or challenges experienced with conventional measurement techniques, one would appreciate better the relevance of online integrated online monitoring as an alternative.

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Process optimisation’ has become a buzzword in contemporary mineral refining processes, as mine operators are continuously seeking ways of increasing ore recovery as costly effectively, safely and environmentally friendly as possible. Process optimisation is universally regarded as one the established ways of improving physical separation of process water from useful extract or tailings. With reference to thickeners, it has been demonstrated that process optimisation can be attained through accurate measurement of key parameters which enable precise thickener process control.

Ultimately, through process control the following objectives can be met: a continuous and adequate feed, that the overflow is as clean as possible, and that

the thickened product has the density required at the time of discharge.

However, for process control to be effective, a number of critical process parameters, which enable the optimisation of thickener efficiency, have to be accurately and reliably monitored.

In particular, the following measurements are critical: Rake torque & lift, Bed level, bed mass, Underflow density, underflow rate, Overflow Clarity and Dry solids feed rate.

Integrated online monitoring system However, the biggest challenge for mine operators is to have all data monitored and controlled to gain an efficient thickening process in plant conditions that are dirty. Hence, suitable monitoring equipment has to be selected

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Common challenges with conventional measurement techniques Wrong measurement of the parameters using conventional techniques can be very costly. Commonly, this surfaces through problems encountered in bed level and bed mass.

In the ‘bed level’, which is the interface between the aggregated solid material and process water, incorrect measurements can cause three scenarios - water being drawn out through the underflow, sludge spilling over in the overflow, in addition to incorrect flocculation. These events result in unnecessary expense due to wasted flocculent or reprocessing costs.

Lower mass of the bed mass or density of the settled sludge can result in more process water being pumped out of the thickener’s underflow.

Key aspects of the parameters Key aspects of the six parameters to be measured for process control to be optimised have to be identified.

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Hydraulic rake drives In hydraulic rake drives, through measure hydraulic pressure, common process problems like insufficient underflow pump rate or blocked discharge outlets can be monitored.

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• Bed level The “bed level”’ is the interface between the aggregated solid material and the process water, which indicates the position of the settled bed. Incorrect measurements in the bed level can lead to water being drawn out through the underflow, sludge spilling over in the overflow or incorrect flocculation.

There is unnecessary expense involved in all cases due to wasted flocculent or reprocessing costs. This necessitates monitoring data from all critical measuring points at a concentrator.

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Bed mass Bed mass is the density of the settled sludge. The rule of the thumb is: The higher the density, the less process water is pumped out of the thickener’s underflow.

Thus, through the optimisation of water content in the underflow, recycling of process water can be maximised, while ensuring that the underflow slurry is sufficiently liquid to be managed by the underflow pump.

In cases where the underflow is to be sent to a tailing dam, negative environmental impact through leaching is reduced.

That is why, it is important to report the inventory of settled solids inside the thickener.

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Underflow density Monitoring underflow density is vital to control the final percentage of solids. Underflow density is central to maintaining operational stability and it prevents tailings from blocking in the thickener discharge outlet.

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Underflow rate Another aspect that should be monitored is the dry solids mass flow rate of the total tailings slurry is destined for disposal.

Furthermore, constant outflow density and volumetric flow measurements can be fed back to the variable speed drive controlling the outflow pump. The data gathered can be used to optimise pump speeds, reduce wasted energy and improve efficiency. Thus, the combination of density and volumetric flow rate provides an integrated mass flow rate which is useful for accounting of mineral recovery as well as waste.

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Overflow Clarity To ensure clarity of the recovered process water, accurate volumetric measurement of the thickener’s inflow is

vital. Essentially, the in-feed flow rate can be controlled based on high clarity of the overflow. So, the clearer the outflow, the faster the inflow feed rate which leads to optimised thickener throughput. When this is combined with the mass flow measurement of the flocculent, precise ratio control of the flocculent dosing is achieved.

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•

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Dry solids feed rate Through accurate measurement of flocculent mass flow in thickeners, precise dosing pump control is realised. From the measurement, concentrations of overflow solids can be obtained, which allow water to be reused or comply with government regulations if the overflow is to be discharged. For instance, in South Africa, recycled water containing 200 mg/L to 1% solids is generally acceptable. In the end, together with other parameters, measurement reduces flocculant usage, which optimises process costs.

Thus, the combination of density and volumetric flow rate provides an integrated mass flow rate which is useful for accounting of mineral recovery as well as waste.

Endress+Hauser’s integrated online integrated as an alternative Endress+Hauser’s integrated online package has proved to optimise concentrator efficiency in demanding conditions. The instrumentation for level, pressure and flow comprises: • Prosonic T FMU30 ultrasonic level sensor measures and controls the rake height • Cerabar M monitors the rake torque • Promass F 200 or Dosimass coriolis flow meter doses flocculant in relation to bed mass • Cerabar M PMC51 with retractable cleaning assembly monitors bed mass • Promag 55S and Gammapilot M measures the underflow, slurry density and solids concentration These instruments allow the measurement of the parameters in the following ways: • Rake torque & lift: generates either a shutdown or the rake lift to lower the torque.

• Bed Height: reports the position of the settled bed. This feedback is analyzed and sent back to alter the flocculant gram/tonne solid feed set point.

• Bed Mass: Reporting the inventory

•

•

of settled solids inside the thickener is done with a pressure transmitter that senses the rising bed mass.

Underflow Density: To control the final percentage of solids, a noninvasive nucleonic density meter is mounted along the underflow outlet pipe work.

Underflow rate: A volumetric in-line flow meter can interact with a density meter and the flow meter presents a dry solids mass flow rate of the total tailings slurry volume that goes to disposal.

Overflow Clarity: For quality assurance and final confirmation of the water clarity, a turbidity sensor monitors the solid particle carry over.

Dry solids feed rate: a pair of nucleonic density and inline flow meter can be installed. This predicts the flocculant dosing based on what dry solids feed is expected to enter as well as reacting to what happens with the bed level and bed mass.

Enormous benefits Mine operators that have used Endress+Hauser’s integrated online monitoring package bear testament have confirmed benefiting in the following ways: • Underflow density increase from 55% to 60 -66% • Improved compliance with environmental regulations • Better water utilisation • Reduced cyanide to tailings • CTD beach angles increased from zero to ~2 • Significantly enhanced tailings storage capacity • Reduced risk of tank overflow • Cost reduction in flocculent dosing • Precise measurements of slurry underflow rates • Accurate online calculation of solids content • Better water utilisation Accurate measurement, increased profitability From the foregoing, accurate measurement of all of these important parameters using an online integrated monitoring allows precise thickener process control which results in significant increases in thickener efficiency. These efficiency gains translate directly into overall refining process cost reductions and increased profitability.

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FEATURE

Quarries move with technology as better times beckon

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positive tone at the recent Institute of Quarrying Southern Africa (IQSA) conference is giving hope that the region’s economy is recovering, according to Tinus Brits, BME’s Global Product Manager – AXXIS™. At the event, Omnia group company BME was showcasing its new AXXIS Silver™ digital initiation system, which was specifically developed with quarrying in mind. Over time, electronic detonation technology has become steadily more popular in the quarrying sector, said Brits. He noted said the presentations at the IQSA event provided an encouraging picture of emerging economic opportunities – especially in road construction, which relies on quarries for aggregate and other building material.

As plans were implemented to repair national infrastructure and roll out new projects, contractors were expected to become much busier this year.

“There are definitely improvements in the performance of a range of sectors, and it was exciting to hear that organisation like the South African Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) had a strong pipeline of projects,” he said. “As quarries position themselves for the growing demand, they are also looking at the efficiencies

rising electricity prices are incentivising energy-efficiency.

“Quarries want their primary blasted rock to be optimally fragmented, so that their crushers operate as productively and efficiently as possible,” he said. “A presentation at the IQSA conference estimated that the added cost of secondary blasting or breaking of large boulders could reach four times the cost of the initial blast.”

of their operations – which is where BME makes an important contribution.”

He sees more quarry managers moving toward newer blasting technology, for a couple of key reasons. As quarries age, areas to be blasted can become more challenging, requiring that blasting techniques and equipment become more accurate, flexible and controlled. There is also a cost factor related to energy consumption, where

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This is where electronic detonators – and the suite of digital tools that accompany this technology – allow quarries to achieve a higher quality of blasts, with better results. Conference visitors showed considerable interest in AXXIS Silver™, he said, which is a slimmeddown version of BME’s flagship initiation system AXXIS Titanium™.

According to Bennie van Nieuwenhuizen, BME’s AXXIS™ quality manager, AXXIS Titanium™ allowed large blasts of up to 20,000 detonators, while AXXIS Silver™ boasted the same high levels of safety but are aimed at smaller operations.

“Our existing customers operating our AXXIS GII™ system are enthusiastic

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about moving up to AXXIS Silver™ – and we also received considerable interest from potential customers who would like to see the new system demonstrated and tested on their sites,” said Van Nieuwenhuizen. For those quarries still using non-electric detonation methods, the step to take them to AXXIS Silver™ was easily manageable. “There has been a steady annual conversion rate of quarries from non-electric detonators to electronic detonators, of about 12-14%,” he said. “Within the next five years, it is likely that most quarries will have moved over to electronics.”

AXXIS Silver™ retains all the stringent safety features that has made AXXIS Titanium™ so popular, including an

application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip in the BME detonators.

Among the added benefits of the ASIC is more internal safety gates against stray current and lightning – which enhances safety levels and allows for inherently safe logging and testing.

“The new system speeds up the blasting process, as the logging, testing and programming is done with one unit and requires only one visit to the blast hole,” he says.

The AXXIS Silver™ initiation system integrates with BME’s Blast Alliance suite of digital tools, including its BLASTMAP blast planning software, XPLOLOG data logger and online dashboard, and the

Blasting Guide App for Android devices.

This allows customised solutions that can be implemented with speed, accuracy and safety, he said.

“There are also specific advantages for quarries that we have built into AXXIS Silver™, such as the thinner wire which we’ve developed to suit small-diameter waterlogged blastholes,” he said. “This results in a perfectly straight wire down the hole, so you know exactly where the booster is – without compromising on the line strength.”

In addition to being fit for purpose and quick to install, the reduced thickness also translates into a cost benefit for the customer.

Rosond appoints new Operations Director to lead its expansion

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evaluate existing mineral resources that are being mined. This is where drilling comes into play as a technique to define these mineral resources,” explains Clement.

rilling technology solutions provider Rosond of Midrand has appointed Clement Rikhotso as its new Operations Director. This follows Clement initially joining as a project consultant in 2019 to assist Rosond with the onboarding of 27 state-of-theart drill rigs and crew at the Kolomela and Sishen mines of Anglo American’s Kumba Iron Ore in the Northern Cape, as well as its entry into Botswana, where three rigs are currently in operation at Debswana’s Jwaneng diamond mine.

In his new role, Clement is accountable for all the company’s surface exploration drilling activities, in addition to consolidating the company’s mission as the leading mining and geoscientific solutions provider in Southern Africa.

Clement’s mining industry career spans 27 years, most of it with the Anglo American and De Beers Group, reflecting his consummate technical and leadership experience in applied project management, drilling, mineral processing, analytical laboratory, mineral resources management (MRM) and engineering geosciences.

He previously served as Executive Director on the boards of four De Beers companies in South Africa, Botswana, and Angola. Clement has been involved with multidisciplinary capital projects across the mining value chain throughout

“Both disciplines are a keen passion of mine, and I look forward to realising the synergy between the two and application thereof in my new role to ensure our clients’ objectives are met.”

Clement Rikhotso new Operations Director at Rosond

Southern Africa, and as far afield as Canada and Russia, some of which have become profitable mines. He holds a Technical and Financial Appraisal of Mineral Projects Certificate from Imperial College London, a Programme for Management Development (PMD) certificate from GIBS (University of Pretoria), and a BSc Geology Honours (UCT) degree.

“The disciplines of geology and drilling are interrelated. Drilling is carried out to discover new mineral deposits or to

Clement adds that Rosond’s newgeneration automated drill rigs are assisting the mining industry to eliminate injuries and transform to Industry 4.0 as their advanced telemetry systems provide a rich source of data for further machine learning analytics and better business decision-making.

“Although our services are underpinned by traditional drilling, we see ourselves more as an advanced solutions provider to the minerals industry.”

Rosond MD Ricardo Ribeiro says that Clement will play a key role in consolidating the company’s future expansion plans. “We welcome Clement to the Rosond family, and look forward to tapping into his experience and expertise as we continue along our growth path.

We have a clear strategy in place that Clement will help us realise as we adapt and evolve.”

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Innovative Grinding Solutions

ME Elecmetal . . . Always here when you need us

ME Elecmetal offers more than mill liners — We offer innovation, support, custom designs and valuable tools to develop a total grinding solution specific to your needs. We are your trusted partner at every stage of the optimization process to provide valuable insight based on over 100 years of experience and advanced technologies. We will help you optimize your process, reduce downtime and increase productivity, resulting in higher profits. One more thing you can count on with ME Elecmetal . . . We will ALWAYS be here when you need us!

ME Elecmetal’s products and services include:

- Grinding mill liners (castings, rubber and composite) - Grinding media (SAG, ball and grinding rods) - Crusher wear parts - Smelter ladles and slag pots - 3D laser scanning for wear analysis - Reline simulation services - 2D/3D simulation services (DEM and FEM)

ME Elecmetal Minneapolis, MN • Tempe, AZ 763-788-1651 • 480-730-7500 Email: sdevos@meglobal.com www.me-elecmetal.com

Ask Us About ME FIT Solutions

ME FIT SYSTEM | ME FIT CRUSHING | GRINDING MILL LINERS | GRIND

At ME Elecmetal, our goal is for our customers to meet their goals With inin mining and metallurgy, ME Elecmetal is Withover over100 100years yearsofofexperience experience mining and metallurgy, known forfor itsits excellence and leadership in providing ME Elecmetal isaacompany companyvery verywell well known excellence and leadership in providing solutions that add to value to its customers’ mining processes. integralintegral solutions that add value its customers’ mining processes.

ME Elecmetal’s History Historically, ME Elecmetal has been a visionary company. Founded in 1917, it truly revolutionized the industry and market by utilizing the latest technology innovation — the electric arc furnace. This was clearly a technological change that shaped the way we tackled the market, seeking constant, ongoing renewal, which is how we continue to approach the business today. In the 1960s, the company started selling steel castings to manufacturers of railroad machinery, trucks, pressure valves and mining companies.

Seven years later, the company successfully manufactured the first mining mill liner, catapulting the company in a new strategic direction where it began to focus and specialize in the production of impact- and abrasion-resistant wear parts for ore processing, specifically mill liners and crusher liners.

Today, ME Elecmetal has five foundries in the United States, Chile and China, with a combined annual production in excess of 134,500 metric tons. With our joint-venture facilities (including a ball plant in Zambia), ME Elecmetal has an annual grinding media installed manufacturing capacity exceeding 590,000 metric tons of forged grinding balls for SAG and ball mill grinding, in addition to steel rods for secondary grinding.

Premier Product Lines

Integral Solutions Add Value

Mill Liners: ME Elecmetal is the world leader in designing and supplying highly engineered mill liners and total liner solutions for SAG, AG, ball and rod mills.

ME FIT System® is a program designed to deliver ME Elecmetal’s integral solutions for grinding and crushing applications. FIT stands for Fully Integrated Technology.

Through the ME FIT System programs, we help our customers achieve their goals by combining wear parts with technology tools, advice, training and monitoring — all of which allow us to develop

Grinding Media: ME Elecmetal designs, manufactures and supplies the highest quality forged steel grinding media for SAG, ball and rod mills.

Crusher Wear Parts: ME Elecmetal offers wear parts for all makes and models of primary, secondary, tertiary and pebble crushers.

Technology: ME Elecmetal also offers 3D laser scanning, liner design and engineering services, discrete and finite element modeling and mill and crusher optimization services as part of our extensive service portfolio.

customized solutions to address specific challenges and add value to our customers’ operations.

We become a partner to our customers by understanding their needs. To accomplish this, we collect operational data including processed tonnage, available power, down time, load levels and all other relevant information about how their mills operate. We measure how long media and liners last, what production levels they are achieving and what opportunities there are for improvement in the comminution process.

The system takes advantage of ME Elecmetal’s highest standards in quality, manufacturing, service and logistics — along with the multifaceted team who bring it all together.

DING MEDIA | CRUSHER COMPONENTS | LINER FASTENER SYSTEMS

COVERSTORY

Enhancing mining operation with proper OTR tyres

I

n mining operation, proper tire selection can mean the difference between unnecessary roadside breakdown and increased profitability.

OTR tires, also known as Off-the-road tyres may be the best choice for fleets with frequent or continuous off-road applications to avoid the cost of repairs and maintenance.

The tires are built to support large amounts of weight to guide vehicles through challenging conditions that would leave most other trucks dead in their tracks. Simply put: OTR tyres are designed for vehicles that frequently travel on difficult terrain.

OTR tyres construction

come

in

three

basic

Cross-ply Cross-ply tyres refer to the construction whereby nylon cords are crossed diagonally over each other. These are then layered with thick rubber piles providing tough, rigid sidewalls. Whilst cross-ply tyres are tough and provide a higher resistance against sidewall damage, they also have a higher rolling resistance which can cause the tyres to heat up quickly increasing the air pressure within the tyres.

Radial As car designs evolved so did tyre technology and a more flexible tyre was developed known as radial tyres. Radial tyres are constructed from cords which have been rubber bonded and placed so they run across the circumference of the

38

tyre. The radial piles are then covered by a casing belt made up of cord or steel which is then covered by the rubber tread. Radial tyres offer greater comfort, water and heat resistance and improved fuel economy.

Bias and belted bias OTR tires are best used for vehicles traveling at slower speeds while radial tires are great for trucks traveling at higher speeds. While these three constructions are the most commonly seen among OTR tires, and used in such as road grading quarry work, construction, and all types of hauling.

Now, let’s look at the individual elements that are added to make up these two tyre construction types.

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Inner liner Found in tubeless tyres, the liner prevents air leaking by covering the inner surface of the tyre.

Bead The bead is a strong, steel cable loop coated in rubber which sits on the rim of the tyre and keeps the tyre in position.

Ply The ply is composed of either nylon piles or steel cord and works to confine the pressure within the tyres. The ply absorbs any braking and steering shocks while driving to provide the motorist with a comfortable ride.

Breaker or belt Breaker or belt refers to the layer of the tyre between the carcass and the tread.

In a cross-ply tyre these are referred to as breakers in a radial tyre this layer is referred to as a belt.

Breakers are constructed of steel wire or nylon while belts can be made up of any number of materials although generally they are also made of steel cord wires.

The wires are layered between the tread and the ply.

Tread The tread is the rubber compound which overlays the tyre construction. The tread covers the circumference of the tyre and is the part that makes contact with the road. As such tread patterns are developed for performance in varying driving conditions.

So you see not all tyres are the same, the research design and technology involved in the manufacturing process is what distinguishes one tyre from another.

When buying an OTR Tyre. Keep the following in mind: 1. Pattern. It guarantees the good grip on the road and durability. OTR tires with an asymmetric pattern mostly have the good performance. Pay an attention to the tire tread depth, the deeper it is, the better. This would help to make the handling process of the machine easier.

2. Type and size. You should take into account the recommendations of your vehicle producer. Before the purchase make sure you make the right choice and all technical recommendations have been followed. Otherwise you can ask your tire dealer for a professional advice.

3. Material. According to all standards the higher percentage of the natural rubber in the tire is the better its performance. It’s up to natural rubber to guarantee the elasticity and strength of the tires.

4. Brand. The best choice would be an A-brand that has already proved its quality in the field of OTR tires, for example: Yokohama, Michelin, Bridgestone, GoodYear.

5. Tread depth of the used OTR tires. If you want to save some money and purchase the used OTR tires, pay an attention to the rest tread depth of the pattern and also inspect the tire, there shouldn’t be any damages, few cosmetic damages won’t do any harm.

Sidewall The sidewall is the outer side of the tyre which protects the cord piles. It is made up of rubber compound designed to resist cracking and scuffing. The sidewalls feature information about the tyre such as size, type and brand.

Chafer The chafer in cross-ply tyres is a lining between the body and the bead (tyre and rim) which prevents them from chafing. In radial tyres the chafer works as added reinforcement strengthening the tyre and converting the forces from the torque.

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39

FEATURE

How to choose the right OTR tyre and reduce on operating costs

T

yres plays an essential role in keeping your vehicles on the move, no matter what kind of industry you operate in. No matter if you transport raw materials in mining & earthmoving, hauling freight across the country or you handle containers at terminal sites and ports, keeping your fleet up and running is crucial. Downtime is incredibly expensive and, in most cases, easily avoidable. Paying attention to how you use and choose your OTR tyres is one of those easily applicable steps to significantly increase efficiency and reduce your total operation costs.

Choose the right OTR tyre for the application The most important way of reducing tyre degradation and unnecessary wear is choosing the right OTR tyre for the job, to determine which tyre suits your application best, we need to look at the various construction methods.

All tyres are predominantly made of multiple rubber components. The biggest differences among the various

OTR tyres is the way the internal steel reinforcements are placed within the tyre. Radial tyres are constructed with a series of steel cords that run across the tread. Radial tyres are mainly developed to be more shock absorbing for uneven surfaces.

Another construction method that also uses steed beads is the bias / diagonal tyre. The beads are placed at an angle of 30 to 40 degrees instead of in a straight manner. For additional strength, plies of nylon are placed at opposing angles to create a crisscross pattern that provides additional strength. The bias / diagonal tyre offers a smoother ride on rough surfaces and can handle heavier loads.

That is why the bias / diagonal tyre is commonly used in industries such as mining and earthmoving.

If your machinery operates on smooth surfaces or on sites with a high risk of punctures, the third option is a solid tyre.

The solid tyre is, as the name suggest, a tyre made of solid materials so is

40

unaffected by sharp materials that would cause damage to pneumatic tyres.

These tyres are perfect for dozers on scrapyards or forklifts.

Calculate tonne kilometer per hour for the perfect fit The best way to determine which tyre is the perfect fit for your machinery is to calculate it. Of course, rim size is the most important factor to actually choose a tyre that fits, but rim size doesn’t tell you much more than that. The tonne kilometer per hour index indicates what loads your tyre can handle and is determined by the tyre compound and materials used.

OTR Tyre manufacturer Magna Tyres Group has recently published* an article explaining how to use the formula in easy steps, so even those without a degree in mathematics can use it. For your convenience, we will try to summarize it.

The main formula is as follows: TKPH = (mean tyre-load) x (average work-shift speed)

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Visit our website

It’s not just a tyre, it’s a Magna!

Magna Tyres optimize cost per hour without yielding on quality.

It’s that simple. We embrace every opportunity to keep you going and get the job done. No matter where in the world, our customers know they can rely on our superior service and knowledge.

Find out how you can improve your operations with our OTR tyre solutions at magnatyres.com magnatyres.com

FEATURE

The ‘mean tyre-load’ means the average between two extreme values. In this case, it means the weight of a vehicle without a load and the weight of a fully loaded vehicle. If you divide those two numbers by two, you know what weight your vehicle carries on average.

The ‘average work-shift speed’ aims to calculate the actual covered kilometers.

This means is calculates the distance a tyre has to travel to haul a load from point A to point B and back. This so called ‘round trip’ takes a certain amount of time, so in a single work-shift this round trip can be done a certain number of times. If you multiply the round-trip distance with the amount of times a round trip is done, you know the number of kilometers a tyre travels in a shift.

The last step to take is to divide the outcome by the total hours of operation and you know the average workshift speed. We know this sounds complicated, but if you follow the formula

step-by-step, it’s less mind-blowing than you might think. Like we stated earlier, the article Magna Tyres Group wrote on their website is your best bet for a better explanation.

Extend tyre life If you finally have chosen the right OTR tyre for your purpose, you want them to last as long as possible. Although most ‘tips’ might be quite logical, you’d be surprised how often this basic knowledge is overlooked. First and foremost, check your tyre pressure regularly. It is proven there’s a direct connection between tyre life and tyre pressure. While overinflating makes a tyre more vulnerable to cuts, underinflating will put more stress on the tyres than necessary and result in a heavier wear and a shorter tyre life. It might seem like a given, but the correct tyre pressure is the most important factor in tyre life.

Another important factor to keep in mind is not to overload your vehicle.

42

Consistently overloading your vehicle allows to make fewer trips while carrying the same amount of freight, but will damage the tyres in the long run.

Frequent overloading causes major deformation at the edges of the tyre, which leads to a faster decline of tyre health.

Get the most out of your OTR tyres with Magna Tyres These tips might seem like open doors, but consistently paying attention will pay out in the long run. If you’re looking for more tips and tricks** to extend your OTR tyre life, make sure you visit the Magna Tyres Group website. Magna Tyres is not only the biggest supplier of second tier OTR tyres, they also offer market insights and general help to get the most out of your OTR tyres. Magna Tyres keeps you on the move with the best tyre solutions, so if you have questions regarding which tyre suits your OTR machinery best or how to use them, make sure to contact them.

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TYRE RIM WHEEL SA (PTY) LTD TREAD

STAR

SIZE

PATTERN

CODE

TYPE

DEPTH

PLY RATING

LOAD INDEX

Q/40'

11.00R20

CM126 CM126A CM126 CM126A CMA2 CMB3 CMB7 CMB5 CM169 CM169 CMB8 CMB2 CMB2 CMA5 CMB3 CMB5 CME919 CMB9 CMD1 CMA5 CMB5 CME919 CMB9 CMD1 CMB2 CMB1 CMA5 CMB5 CMA1 CMB5 CMB5 CMB5 CMB7 CMA8 CMAS+ CMA6 CMB5 CMB3 CMB7 CMA2 CMA9 CMA9 CMA1 CMB5 CMB5 CMAS+ CMA7 CMA8 CMA2 CMA9 CMA1 CMA1A CMB5 CMB5 CMB5 CMA7 CMA8 CMA2 CMA9 CMA9 CMA1 CMA3 CMB5 CMB5 CMB5 CMA7 CMA7 CMA8 CMA1 CMA3 CMB5 CMA7 CMA8 CMA1 CMA7 CMB5 CMB5 CMA7 CMA7 CMA7 CMA8

E4 IND5 L5-S E3 MINING HIGHWAY G2 G2 E2 IND-5 E3 E3 E4 E4 E2 E3 E3 E4 E4 G2 E2 E2 E4 E3/L3 L3 E3/L3 E4/L4 L5-S L5 G3/L3 E2 E4 IND-4 L5-S E4 E4 E4 E3/L3 E3/L3 L3 G3/L3 L5 L5 E3 E4 E3/L3 E3/L3 E3/L3 L3 E4/L4 L5 L5 E4 E4 E4 E3/L3 E3/L3 E3/L3 L3 E4/L4 E4 L5 L5 E3/L3 E3/L3 E4/L4 E4 L5 E3/L3 E4 E3/L3 E3/L3 E4 E4 L4 L5

TT TT TT TT TT TT/TL TT/TL TT TT/TL TT/TL TT/TL TL TL TL TT/TL TT/TL TT TT/TL TT/TL TL TT/TL TT TT TT/TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TT/TL TL TL TL TT/TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TT TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL

32 30 32 30 31.5 40 56 28 21 21 20 26 26 23 63 30 30 36 40 23 30 30 36 40 28 25 23 45 28 26.5 26.5 36 60 64 28 30 47 63 83 54 49 49 26 28.5 28.5 31 68 68 32 53 31.5 41.5 32 32 48 76 78 57 58 58 36 38.5 35 35 54 58 86 88 43 43 57 60 95 43 60 38 43 62.5 62.5 62.5 95

22PR 22PR 22PR 22PR ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ 20PR 20PR 20PR ★ ★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★★ ★★ ★★★ ★★ ★★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★★★ ★★ ★★

160/156B 160/156B 162/158B 162/158B 158/155F 180A8 177A2 163B 164/161F 164/161F 164/161F 153A8 153A8 170E 170B 170B 170B 170B 170B 170E 170B 170B 170B 170B 161A8 177E 177E 182B/196A2 167B/182A2 167B/182A2 167B/182A2 167B/182A2 182A2 193A2 153A8/182A2 186E 204A2 214A5 204A2 191B 191B 196B 177B/193A2 177B/193A2 177B/193A2 161A8/193A2 193A2 193A2 200B 201B 185B 185B 185B/201A2 185B/201A2 185B/201A2 201A2 201A2 209B 209B 214B 209B 209B 209A2/193B 209A2/193B 209A2/193B 193B 209A2 209A2 216B 216B 200B/216A2 200B 216A2 218B 202B 180B/193A2 190B/202A2 207B 225A2 224A2

220 220 200 200 170 170 170

12.00R20 12.00R24

13.00R25 14.00R20

14.00R24 (385/95R24)

14.00R25(385/95R25)

16.00R24(445/95R24) 16.00R25(445/95R25)

17.5R25(445/80R25)

18.00R25(505/95R25)

18.00R33

20.5R25(525/80R25)

21.00R33 21.00R35 23.5R25

24.00R35

26.5R25

29.5R25

29.5R29 650/65R25 750/65R25 35/65R33

144 144 146 114 114 100 95 95 97 86 86 95 95 97 86 86 80 76 76 74 90 90 90 90 88 80 90 44 44 40 35 36 36 36 57 57 57 57 57 56 24 24 43 43 43 43 43 42 42 22 22 22 36 36 36 36 36 35 35 35 25 25 25 25 24 22 22 35 28 17 17 17 17

CMA1

CMA5

CMA2

CMA6

CMA3

CMA7

CMA8

CMA9

CMB1

CMB2

CMB3

CMB5

CMB6

CMB7

CMB8

CMB9

CMD1

CME919

CMAS+

CM126

CME169

3 YEAR WARRANTY No S.A. SALES ON OTR COACH MASTER TBR AVAILABLE

South Africa: Phone: +27 71 100 7675 WhatsApp:+1 587 334 2246 | Skype: hendri.swanepoel1 PLEASE CONTACT US FOR PRICES Email: info@tyrerimwheel.com www.fmdrc-Zambia.com

43

PARTNERSHIP

GED Africa et le gouvernement de la RDC ont signé un important accord de développement des infrastructures à long terme GED Africa, le Ministère des Infrastructures de la RDC et l’Agence Congolaise des Grands Travaux (ACGT) finalisent la Convention de Concession de 25 ans décrivant les besoins de développement des infrastructures du segment RDC de la Route GED Africa.

L

a signature de cette Convention de Concession marque une étape critique du projet, et ouvre la voie à la construction d’une nouvelle route entre Kasomeno, en République démocratique du Congo (RDC) et Mwenda, en Zambie.

Les principales caractéristiques de ce projet d’infrastructure multilatéral comprennent un pont moderne à haubans de 345 mètres sur la rivière Luapula et un poste frontalier unique dans chaque pays.

La route GED vers l’Afrique aura un impact positif et durable sur l’économie locale grâce à des opportunités d’emploi à long terme. Les avantages pour les personnes vivant le long de la route GED Afrique comprendront un meilleur accès aux soins de santé et à l’éducation, ainsi que la facilitation du commerce local.

The agreement includes a commitment to 30% of the contracting work to be awarded to local companies. The complex information technology systems required to enable the OSBP approach

offers additional capacity-building and employment opportunities.

L’accord comprend un engagement selon lequel 30 % des travaux contractuels soient attribués à des entreprises locales. Les systèmes informatiques complexes requis pour permettre le principe de poste frontière unique offrent des possibilités supplémentaires de renforcement des capacités et d’emploi.

“Ce contrat répond aux principaux besoins des opérateurs économiques à grande échelle (les mineurs), des soustraitants, et enfin des communautés locales qui seront positivement impactées par les emplois qui seront générés “, a commenté Son Excellence, le Ministre des Infrastructures de la RDC, M. Gizaro Muvuni Alexis.

La création de liens commerciaux avec la Zambie et le port international de Dar es Salaam soutiendra le développement sectoriel de l’exploitation minière et de l’agriculture, et fera de Kasenga le

44

prochain grand centre commercial de la RDC. “ Aujourd’hui, nous avons signé la Convention de Concession entre GED Congo et la République démocratique du Congo ; dans un mois, nous signerons un accord parallèle avec la République de Zambie. Ensemble, ces deux concessions formeront un corridor de transport offrant de multiples avantages économiques aux populations de la région, et au-delà”, a ajouté Klaus Findt, PDG de GED Afrique.

La collaboration entre toutes les parties à ce partenariat public-privé est une étude de cas qui illustre les opportunités qui peuvent être créées lorsque vous appliquez un modèle commercial durable aux besoins des communautés locales et de leurs économies. Des progrès significatifs ont déjà été réalisés avec les premiers travaux sur la route GED Afrique, et la signature de ces accords de concession signifie que la voie à suivre est désormais claire.

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FEATURE

TOMRA celebrates 50th anniversary by announcing world without waste mission Tore Planke. After seeing a local grocer struggle with the manual collection of empty bottles in their store, the brothers developed the first fully-automated reverse vending machine (RVM) in their family’s garage.

This invention was quickly embraced by retailers and spawned an entire industry for efficiently handling the return and recycling of deposit beverage containers.

TOMRA’s pioneering and transformative approach led to its continuing development over the years, from designing and manufacturing RVMs to providing advanced sorting systems for the food, recycling, and mining industries.

TOMRA founders Petter and Tore Planke standing in front of bottle collection machine

T

OMRA, the global provider of advanced collection and sorting systems, celebrates its 50th anniversary today. Each of the group’s four divisions - Collection, Food, Recycling and Mining – marked the milestone by declaring a collective mission for the future to “transform how we all obtain, use and reuse the planet’s resources to enable a world without waste.”

Tove Andersen, TOMRA’s president and chief executive officer, explained: “We live in a world that needs big transformation. We urgently need to improve sustainability, develop the circular economy, and make more efficient use of resources - challenges which TOMRA’s solutions can help address.

“Fifty years after its humble beginnings, TOMRA can be proud of the fact that it is a highly respected global market leader.

This is living proof of our ability to adapt, innovate, and provide the solutions our customers really need. This is also a time to look forward because we are now opening the chapter in TOMRA’s story where we step up our role leading the resource revolution.”

TOMRA was founded in Norway on April 1, 1972 by brothers Petter and

These technology-led, customer-tailored solutions optimize resource recovery and minimize waste – benefits which are in ever-greater demand as sustainability gains importance with businesses, governments and consumers.

Tove added: “Transformation is at the heart of everything TOMRA does.

TOMRA transforms ideas and technology to create intelligent and pioneering tools.

We transform companies into more profitable, sustainable businesses and transform how the world’s resources are obtained, used, and reused, which also helps transform people’s everyday lives.”

Today, TOMRA employs more than 4,600 people around the world and has annual sales of €1bn. 20 per cent of the group’s workforce and eight per cent of its revenues are dedicated to research and development.

Albert du Preez, Senior Vice President and Head of TOMRA Mining, said: “We are grateful that our customers have embraced sensor-based sorting, contributing to better business and a better environment, thereby enabling our long-term success. Looking to the future, TOMRA Mining will continue to lead the resource revolution by enabling sustainable mineral beneficiation for a circular economy. Sensor-based sorting can reduce the environmental impact of mining and ensure that a circular economy approach has a mineral supply that minimizes the negative impact on the environment.”

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PROJECT

KAMOA Copper va augmenter sa capacite de traitement de 21% Les concentrateurs des phases 1 et 2 devraient produire un total combiné de 9,2 millions de tonnes de minerai par an.

La construction de l’usine de concentration de la phase 2, d’une capacité de 3,8 Mtpa, est presque terminée, et les premières activités de mise en service sont en cours. La production initiale de concentré de cuivre et la mise en service à chaud du concentrateur avec le premier minerai sont toutes deux prévues pour avril 2022.

K

amoa Copper a approuvé un plan de désengorgement dans le but d’augmenter la capacité de traitement combinée des concentrateurs de la phase 1 et de la phase 2 d’environ 21 %, passant de 7,6 à 9,2 millions de tonnes de minerai par an (Mtpa), une fois que la production en régime permanent sera atteinte dans les deux concentrateurs.

L’initiative de désengorgement devrait permettre de porter la production annuelle de cuivre de la phase 1 et la phase 2 de Kamoa à plus de 450 000 tonnes d’ici le deuxième trimestre 2023, ce qui permettra à la société de devenir le quatrième producteur mondial de cuivre.

Mark Farren, DG de Kamoa Copper, a déclaré ce qui suit : “Le complexe minier de Kamoa Copper est doté d’une incroyable quantité de ressources de cuivre à haute teneur. Étant donné que le développement de nos mines souterraines et la production de minerai progressent plus vite que prévu, l’expansion de l’usine permettra à l’équipe d’exploitation de traiter beaucoup plus de minerai de cuivre à haute teneur directement à partir de la mine Kakula dans les années à venir.”

“Notre gisement présente un énorme avantage qui nous permet d’adapter notre coupure minière pour exploiter de plus grands tonnages de manière très efficace, tout en maintenant des teneurs supérieures à un niveau souhaité.

L’expansion offre également à l’équipe la flexibilité d’utiliser nos stocks de surface, pour lesquels les frais d’extraction ont déjà été payés, qui totalisaient plus de 4,4 millions de tonnes titrant 4,61% de cuivre à la fin du mois de janvier.”

Steve Amos, responsable des projets à Kamoa Copper, a commenté : “Après avoir exploité avec succès le concentrateur de la phase 1 pendant plus de huit mois, nous avons identifié des modifications relativement mineures sur le concentrateur qui devraient augmenter le débit de minerai de la conception actuelle de 475 tonnes par heure à 580 tonnes par heure.”

“Nous prévoyons que le projet de désengorgement coûtera environ 50 millions de dollars US et que sa réalisation prendra environ 12 mois.

Ces modifications permettront à l’équipe d’exploiter l’usine de concentration à un débit accru permanent sans compromettre la disponibilité de l’usine, la récupération du cuivre ou la teneur du concentré de cuivre”, a déclaré M. Amos.

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L’ingénierie et les premiers travaux de la phase 3 de l’expansion, y compris un nouveau portail et des inclinés jumelés pour accéder à de nouvelles zones minières, progressent rapidement. Un troisième concentrateur, nettement plus grand, est en cours de conception et devrait être mis en service au quatrième trimestre 2024. Une étude de préfaisabilité actualisée, incluant la phase 3 de l’expansion, est attendue au troisième trimestre 2022.

Les travaux préliminaires d’une fonderie flash de type “ direct-to-blister “ sont également en cours dans le complexe minier de Kamoa Copper, et la fonderie aura une capacité nominale de 500 000 tonnes par an de cuivre blister pur à environ 99 %.

Nouvelles nominations de cadres supérieurs Suite à l’annonce de la retraite du directeur général de Kamoa Copper, Mark Farren, après la mise en service de la phase 2 du projet d’expansion, la société nommera Riaan Vermeulen au poste de directeur général de Kamoa Copper, au courant du mois de juin 2022.

Mr. Vermeulen travaillera avec Mr Farren pendant une période de transition afin d’assurer une transition en douceur avant la retraite de ce dernier.

Zhang “Frank” Xingxun rejoindra Vermeulen au sein de l’équipe de gestion de Kamoa Copper.

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Weight

Height

PROFILE

Kg/m

Lb/Ft

mm

820

2.68

1.80

840

4.19

2.82

850

5.66

3.81

Width

inches

mm

inches

25.4

1

15.9

5/8"

35.1

1-3/8"

19.1

3/4"

41.3

1-5/8"

22.2

7/8"

845

7.24

4.87

38.1

1-1/2"

28.6

1-1/8"

870

8.34

5.61

50.8

2"

25.4

1"

890

10.44

7.02

50.0

1.969"

32.0

1-1/4"

905

12.09

8.126

65.0

2-9/16"

30.0

1-3/16"

910

15.70

10.56

63.5

2-1/2"

38.1

1-1/2"

912

18.83

12.67

71.1

2-3/4"

41.3

1-5/8"

911

21.18

14.24

82.6

3-1/4"

41.3

1-5/8"

913

26.16

17.59

88.9

3-1/2"

44.5

1-3/4"

800

1.98

1.33

15.9

5/8"

15.9

5/8"

855

2.84

1.91

19.1

3/4"

19.1

3/4"

875

5.06

3.40

25.4

1"

25.4

1"

825 Hex

2.47

1.66

19.1

3/4"

19.1

3/4"

835 Hex

4.39

2.95

25.4

1"

25.4

1"

MINING TIMBER (Pty) Ltd OUR SERVICES We maintain a consistent and reliable supply of mine support elements to the mines. We do this through having control over all the inputs which makes this possible.

Our steel products are manufactured by NHR Manufacturing at our factory in Ga-Rankuwa at the highest quality standard. Our timber products are overseen from plantation, harvesting ,sawmill and transport of the end product to the mines.

At the mines we can provide mine yard management including stock control. We supervise the logistics of the mine support products from surface to underground.

This ensures that mines never lose blasts due to a shortage of the support materials that we supply Our after sales service includes support installation training underground and support effectiveness monitoring. A daily report is generated by each instructor which is circulated to the relevant officials for information and comment.

Research and Development forms part of our strategy. We are committed to continuously improve mine support products and systems striving to improve safety, costs, and productivity.

To summarise: Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Mine Yard Management Support Installation Training Support Installation Effectiveness Monitoring and Data reporting Rock Engineering Services Research and Development Quality Assurance and Regular Testing of our products at accredited testing facilities

OUR PRODUCTS STEEL

TIMBER

OUR TEAM

- Pre-stress Pack plates - Cluster plates - Pre-stress pots (with or without hooks) - Pre-stress pump and hose assembly - Headboards complete with pre-stress units - Split sets – mild steel, galvanised or 3CR12 - Temporary support – Seiza Jacks

- Mats: Solid, end-grain, space etc.

- Pencil props, engineered props etc.

- Chocks, slabs, trims, squares - Dunnage, laggings - Gumplanks, Gate stalls, wedges - Hardwood sleepers - Charging sticks

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Raymond Botha – Chief Executive Officer -082 045 2095 Correll Kritzinger – Administration – 083 235 5997 Eric Scholtz – Rock Engineering - 083 455 9651 Tony Davidson – Sales – 072 785 3669 Shaun McConnachie – Sales – 082 553 4228 Kgomotso Mfulwane – Sales - 082 055 8125

MINING TIMBER (Pty) Ltd Combi - Plates

Spiral resin Bolt

Back Anchor Split Set

Sieza Jack

Expansion Friction Bolts

Headboard

Pre-Stressed Pack Plate

Safety Net

AGRULINE

PE 100-RC piping system for outstanding crack resistance

HIGHER SERVICE LIFE under extreme conditions COST-EFFICIENT INSTALLATION without sand embedding LASTING CONNECTIONS with electro-socket or heated tool butt welding of PE 100-RC ONE-STOP SHOPPING complete piping system for gas, water, waste water and chemical media

agru Kunststofftechnik Gesellschaft m.b.H. | Ing.-Pesendorfer-Strasse 31 | 4540 Bad Hall, Austria T. +43 7258 7900 | office@agru.at | www.agru.at | @agruworld |