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EDITORIAL
Head of Editorial: Jack Salter jack.salter@outpb.com
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ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD
Welcome to our sixth edition of Mining Outlook.
From the tombs of ancient pharaohs to prestigious Olympic medals, gold is a precious metal prized for its beauty and value that has long mesmerised humans.
The colour of luxury, success, achievement, and triumph illuminates this issue’s front cover courtesy of RG Gold, a Kazakh gold mining company that is developing the Raygorodok deposit.
Since its foundation, RG Gold has invested significantly in exploration at Raygorodok, where gold reserves total 100 tonnes, making it one of the largest mono-gold fields in Kazakhstan.
We discover how RG Gold is achieving and surpassing its ambitious goals with CEO, Lawrence Rossouw, who believes it is a very exciting time within the nation’s industry.
“I think Kazakhstan is still fairly new in terms of being a mining investment hub for large international corporations,” Rossouw states.
Elsewhere, in Australia, Brisbane proudly stands as the largest mining city in the country’s second-biggest state, Queensland.
It is also home to Mining Pro, whose tailored services add value to its clients’ mine site operations. The company provides mining production and maintenance personnel, operational supervision, and management to execute projects from a single production fleet to a whole-of-mine solution.
“We are involved at every stage of the mining lifecycle, whether it’s an owner’s team or a set scope of work on the mine site,” outlines Executive Director, Grant Wechsel.
Pushing the boundaries of excellence in Europe and the Mediterranean, meanwhile, is EPC Groupe, a world leader in explosives that has primarily served the global mining sector for over 130 years.
Luis Calvo, Area Manager for Europe and the Mediterranean, shares his insights into the company’s burgeoning success in the region.
“We play a key role in the mining chain, and we enact this responsibility with passion in order to continue contributing positively to our industry,” Calvo affirms.
This issue also delves into the rock solid prospects in Ivory Coast with the Professional Group of Miners of Côte d’Ivoire, community and consistency in Canadian mining with Manroc Developments, dynamic mining practices with BUMA Australia, and more.
We hope that you enjoy your read.
Jack Salter Head of Editorial, Outlook Publishing
FEATURES
32 SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES
Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world
ASIA PACIFIC
34 RG Gold
Forging Golden Prospects
Kazakh innovation, exploration, and excavation
50 Mining Pro
Capabilities and Commodities
Adding value to mine site operations
66 MASPRO
Safety, Reliability, Productivity
Forward-thinking engineering solutions for the toughest mining challenges
Mining success and innovation in the EuroMediterranean area
126 EPC Asia Pacific
Blasting Towards Greatness
Leading the way in explosives technology
134 Tesmec Group
Entrenched in Excellence
Innovating evolution for the future
144 NAZ Industries LLC
Delivering Energy, Driving Progress
A beacon of success in trailer manufacturing
NORTH AMERICA
152 Manroc Developments
Carving Out a Legacy Community and consistency in Canadian mining
160 GMS Mine Repair and Maintenance
North America’s Premier Mining and Tunnelling Contractor
Embracing the next generation of underground and surface mining
AFRICA
166 Walkabout Resources
Greatness in Tanzanian Graphite African focus, Australian know-how
174 EPC Groupe
Having a Blast
A vital link in Africa’s mining chain
Around
LAUNCHING A CRITICAL MINERALS DIALOGUE
SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT
Yoon Suk Yeol, the African Union (AU), and its member nations have agreed to forge deeper trade and business cooperation, launching a critical minerals dialogue with the goal of sustainably developing the continent’s resources.
At the first ever summit where the leaders of 48 African nations were present, President Yeol stated that South Korea would increase development aid for Africa to USD$10 billion over the course of the next six years, alongside pledging USD$14 billion in export financing to promote trade and investment for South Korean companies in Africa.
GIBRALTAR MINE, CANADA’S second largest open-pit copper operation, suspended mining and milling operations at the site due to more than 500 workers going on strike. The facility is owned by Taseko Mines, who only recently became the sole owner of the site in March 2024.
The strike was organised because Taseko Mines allegedly refused to negotiate the basic terms of a new collective agreement with the workers union, Unifor. The mining company has publicly stated that it remains dedicated to the bargaining process and reaching a fair and equitable agreement.
OFF TO A ROCKY START WORK HALTS AS MINERS STRIKE
AFTER BEING FORCED to make savage job cuts 12 months ago, Tungsten West has announced that Neil Gawthorpe has resigned as CEO with immediate effect.
Alistair Stobie, Tungsten West’s Chief Financial Officer, will assume the position of Interim CEO whilst
the company looks to appoint a permanent replacement to help direct its collective efforts.
The mining company is focused on restarting production at the Hemerdon mine
in Devon, which ceased production in 2018 after the previous owner collapsed into administration. The mine is estimated to be the world’s second-largest resource for tungsten.
South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol
AN IRON-CLAD INVESTMENT
MINING GIANT RIO Tinto has announced a USD$143 million investment into a low-emissions ironmaking R&D facility in Western Australia.
With the plant’s commissioning set for 2026, the company’s goal with this grand investment is to advance
BREACHING THE WALLS
AUSTRALIAN RARE EARTHS miner, Northern Minerals, has been hit by a cybersecurity breach. Having become aware that some of the stolen information is now present on the dark web, the firm has stated that it has informed Australian authorities about the theft.
Northern Minerals has confirmed that the exfiltrated data includes corporate, operational, and financial information, alongside details relating to current and former personnel and shareholder information.
This statement comes after the recent announcement that Australia’s
its BioIron process for low-carbon iron manufacturing. This innovative ironmaking process utilises biomass and microwave energy to convert iron ore into metallic iron during steel production. Furthermore, it has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to 95 percent compared to traditional blast furnace techniques, offering a promising, sustainable future for the mining industry.
government has ordered Chinaaffiliated investors to sell their shares in Northern Minerals, claiming that these actions are necessary in order to protect the national interest.
HILLGROVE, AUSTRALIA’S NEWEST copper producer, has officially loaded its first shipment of 10,099 wet metric tonnes of copper concentrate from the Kanmantoo underground mine. This achievement comes after only 12 months of operations at the South Australian mine.
The copper concentrate is setting sail from Australia to Liamyungang, China, and Hillgrove has stated that the frequency of shipments will increase as Kanmantoo ramps up to the planned production rate. CEO and Managing Director, Lachlan Wallace, has announced that the timing could not be better, with copper prices recently hitting an alltime high.
EXPECTED JOB LOSSES AT WOODSMITH MINE COPPER CONCENTRATES TO SET SAIL
WOODSMITH MINE, ONE of the largest mining projects undertaken in decades, has announced spending cutbacks that are expected to result in significant job losses.
The mine, located near Whitby, UK, is owned by Anglo American and extracts polyhalite for the production of fertiliser. The deposits of polyhalite, a naturally occurring mineral, are believed to be the largest in the world.
Currently, approximately 2,000 people are employed at the site, which costs £2 million a day to run. The majority of the staff are contractors, with only 375 directly employed by Anglo American.
Tin – A Critical Metal for the Future
As a crucial yet often forgotten metal, tin is essential for a sustainable world. Bill Scotting, CEO of First Tin, examines the mineral’s supply and demand, which is driving the need for new mines
Writer: Bill Scotting, CEO, First Tin
Tin prices have rallied this year, positioning it as one of the topperforming metals and shining a light on an often overlooked but essential commodity. Long-term structural changes are driving tin’s growing importance as a critical mineral for the future. Strong demand across multiple sectors and constrained supply have resulted in global shortages, underscored by the necessity for new tin mines.
A DIVERSITY OF USES WITH SIGNIFICANT GROWTH
One of the oldest metals used, tin remains present in modern life. Its softness and relatively low melting point enable easy processing and forming. Around 50 percent of tin is used in solder today as a connector for electrical components. It is integral to many technologies,
such as electronics, printed circuit boards (PCBs), semiconductors, and renewable energy systems. Small but critical amounts of tin can be found in many everyday items that we take for granted, such as mobile phones, iPads, and laptops, as well as in larger household appliances such as televisions, washing machines, and refrigerators.
Chemical stabilisers, which contain up to 20 percent tin, protect against heat damage in the manufacturing process for PVC and plastics, and are the second largest use of tin. Tinplate is the third largest application, with tin commonly used in packaging for the food and beverage sector.
Smaller but important quantities of tin are used in batteries, copper alloys, and glass manufacturing. Tin is used in both lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries, where its properties provide
corrosion resistance and improve battery performance and charging capacity. Copper tin alloys or bronzes are well known for their corrosion resistance, strength, and ductility and are used in springs, bolts, valves, and fittings. Flat glass, widely used in buildings and cars, is made from floating molten glass on a molten tin bed during float glass production.
TIN TRANSITION
More recently, tin demand has surged due to the explosive growth in solar energy deployment, where it is used in the solar ribbons to connect solar cells, junction boxes, and photovoltaic (PV) electronics. The growing electric vehicle (EV) market also boosts tin demand because EVs require more power electronics, wiring, and connectors than traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, as well as the infrastructure for charging stations.
Tin is increasingly recognised as pivotal in the energy transition and digital revolution, making it a critical metal for the future. Advancements in electronic devices, robotics, 5G,
data warehouses, and artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to further drive the heightened demand for tin. Additionally, the anticipated rapid growth in energy demand from data centres will necessitate more renewable energy and expanded distribution infrastructure, further boosting tin demand.
The International Tin Association forecasts refined tin use to be close to 500,000 tonnes by 2030, an increase of over 30 percent. Looking further ahead, researchers continue to identify new applications such as microchiplets for quantum computing and sodium-ion batteries.
Tin’s characteristics and applications have rightly seen it referred to as the “hidden gem” and the “glue in electronics”.
FACING MAJOR SUPPLY CONSTRAINTS
While the demand outlook is increasingly robust, primary supply has stagnated, with major producers facing various challenges, including diminishing reserves and operational disruptions. A looming supply deficit
and supply chain vulnerabilities have seen tin classified as a critical or strategic mineral in numerous jurisdictions around the world.
Primary tin supply is highly concentrated, with approximately 65 percent coming from just three countries – China, Indonesia, and Myanmar, and a further 28 percent from South America and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In 2023, several disruptions impacted supply, including declining feedstocks and grades in China, delayed licenses, operational issues with offshore dredging in Indonesia, conflict in Myanmar leading to suspensions of mining activities in Wa state, and civil disruptions in Peru. More recently, the DRC has seen renewed unrest.
With the existing supply not expanding and stocks declining long-term, growing demand will lead to a deficit unless a new, sustainable supply becomes available. However, the pipeline of new tin projects is thin due to subdued prices and a lack of exploration and development over the past couple of decades. In the short term, the major new supply source is Alphamin in the DRC, which is ramping up a major expansion at Mpama South.
FUTURE FIRST
First Tin has recently published a Definitive Feasibility Study for our Taronga development in Australia, which will be in production in late 2026 at the earliest. Beyond this are several projects at conceptual and pre-feasibility stages of development, which may enter production later this decade. Therefore, as demand cyclically recovers and structurally grows, the forecast is for an increasing supply deficit with resultant higher prices to enable new supply.
Billions of dollars and euros of investment have been announced for the energy transition and new digital technology in the US, the EU, and other regions. This highlights the need for conflict-free, sustainable supply chains for critical and strategic minerals, including tin.
First Tin is committed to the environmentally sensitive development of our 100 percentowned advanced hard rock tin projects in the low-risk jurisdictions of Australia and Germany. With our strategic approach and business model, we are poised to unlock the significant value within our tin assets as we deliver an answer to the chronic supply chain issues facing many industrial tin users.
ABOUT THE EXPERT
Bill Scotting has over 35 years of experience in the metals and mining sector. He is currently CEO of First Tin, a London-listed company developing two tin projects in Australia and Germany.
Scotting’s previous roles include Head of Corporate Development at copper producer Aurubis, CEO of zinc producer Nyrstar, CEO of ArcelorMittal’s Mining division, Head of Strategy and Head of Performance Enhancement at ArcelorMittal, Metallurgist at BHP, and Consultant at McKinsey & Company and CRU International.
Scotting has an MBA from Warwick Business School in the UK and a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgy from the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia.
Mining Outlook (MO): Please introduce us to Eastport Ventures, the six mineral projects it has strategically acquired over the past seven years, and the company’s multi-million-dollar investment arm.
SUITE OF MINERAL INTERESTS
Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi, Founder and Executive Chairman (BSTB): Eastport Ventures (Eastport) was founded with the objective of building an innovative and creative mining house that would stand out in a sector devoid of access to capital and suffering from depressed sentiment, which has led to many companies capitalising for their survival as opposed to the development of their mineral assets.
Since its inception, Eastport has evolved to be a well-structured Canadian mining house with exposure to material mineral assets in Botswana.
These licences have benefited from around CAD$18 million in historic and
Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi, Founder and Executive Chairman, outlines Eastport Ventures’ principal mineral assets and plans to achieve a public market listing
Writer: Jack Salter
current exploration and development expenditures, which provide the company and its shareholders with exposure to a suite of commodities including copper, rare earth elements, uranium, nickel, and diamonds.
These commodities are critical to international efforts to rebalance the impact of deglobalising economies and trade, whilst concurrently aiding in the electrification of the world in what is the most ambitious energy transition our planet has seen in the last century.
In addition to generating direct exposure to these sought-after commodities, the company has quietly built a venture arm that has to date generated a return, at peak, in
excess of 100 times the capital invested.
Core to Eastport’s strategy has been patience and sacrifice. Over the past five years, our co-Founder, Rick Bonner, and I have instilled a lean operating model with a solid corporate ethos that ensures all capital raised is applied to the development and growth of the company.
One of our core principles is that whilst Eastport has remained a private company, none of our directors have taken any form of compensation, nor have they received any free equity as we gear up to our public listing. This is a rare and unique approach, but one which has galvanised a group of
directors and senior managers who collectively have over a century of experience operating in this industry.
Our board have complementary skillsets that cover all key areas necessary for operating a company of this nature. During the preceding challenging years, we have remained focused on our present objective, which is to drive our assets through the value chain to a point of materiality that we feel is befitting of greater and broader capital markets participation.
For a long while, I have been disillusioned with the conventional approach adopted by the sector for exploration and development companies to rely disproportionately on capital markets to finance the highest degree of risk, which sees dilution through equity and a reliance
on market sentiment take effect long before investors are exposed to a drill bit.
At Eastport, we have worked diligently to advance one or more of our assets to a drill-defined status, and by meeting this objective, a key criterion has been achieved in order to proceed with listing on a recognised investment exchange.
Now, with all permits in hand, we can provide market participants with immediate exposure to years of work that has mitigated associated risk, and in turn ensures investors gain immediate exposure to operational execution and results. Even prior to listing, we have undertaken drilling on our projects, whilst others are either drill-ready or await the conclusion of geophysical interpretation or final drill/environmental permitting.
We believe that achieving this status across our projects represents a powerful and compelling proposition for investors and demonstrates how we want to differentiate Eastport from its peers by driving aggressive optionality across the portfolio. We are proud to have achieved this objective to derisk the proposition for investors prior to a public offering.
MO: Eastport has a suite of mineral interests. What, in your opinion, are the principal mineral assets within the business?
BSTB: The most advanced project in the portfolio is the Matsitama copper project, which is comprised of three known targets – Nakalakwana, Phudulooga, and Lepashe.
Nakalakwana is an advanced-stage target with an indicated and inferred copper resource of 9.9 million tonnes at 0.464 percent.
“SINCE ITS INCEPTION, EASTPORT HAS EVOLVED TO BE A WELL-STRUCTURED CANADIAN MINING HOUSE WITH EXPOSURE TO MATERIAL MINERAL ASSETS IN BOTSWANA”
– BURNS SINGH TENNENT-BHOHI, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, EASTPORT VENTURES
“OUR KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF OUR PROJECTS WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE COMING MONTHS, AND THESE RESULTS WILL GUIDE US IN TERMS OF THE BEST STRATEGY TO CONTINUE BUILDING VALUE FOR THE COMPANY AND OUR SHAREHOLDERS”
– BURNS SINGH TENNENT-BHOHI, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, EASTPORT VENTURES
Eastport’s objective is to increase the known resource of Nakalakwana, bring it up to a code-compliant resource, and to explore for additional resources in proximity.
Phudulooga, meanwhile, is located in close proximity to the Kopano Copper Mine. It has a copper zone that is known to be at least 1,600 metres (m) long by 30m wide and is characterised by high-grade chalcopyrite up to 13 percent.
Eastport’s objective is to better define the extent of the copper zone through a combination of drilling and infill geophysics.
The Lepashe area features widespread anomalous copper mineralisation, with numerous bedrock samples having assayed up to one to two percent copper. Post-listing, Eastport will undertake geochemical and geophysical exploration work.
Aside from the Matsitama project, another key asset is the Foley uranium project, which is located directly to the north of the Letlhakane uranium deposit, which is one of the largest undeveloped uranium projects in the world, now owned by Lotus Resources.
Foley has been derisked through recent historic drilling, which has confirmed the existence and presence of uranium, with elevated grades observed in the assay results.
Importantly, the favourable geologic unit that hosts the Letlhakane uranium deposit extends throughout the Foley project, and the favourable stratigraphic similarities give confidence to our belief that it could host a significant high-grade resource. We look forward to commencing drilling activities at Foley post-listing.
The third project in our portfolio that we have high hopes for is Semarule, which is prospective for
rare earth elements. The project hosts an outcropping mineral-rich multiphase syenite with carbonatite dykes over a three square kilometre (sqkm) area reaching an elevation of 75m above regional cover.
To date, surface rock sampling has reported up to 5,097 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxides (TREOs), which compares favourably with other rare earth projects worldwide.
A subset of key light and heavy rare earths including neodymium, praseodymium, and terbium has assayed up to 1,270 ppm. Infrastructure is excellent at the project, and we are excited about its potential.
MO: How does Eastport plan to achieve a public market listing and advance up to three drill programmes across three of its development-ready projects?
BSTB: There are a number of routes open to Eastport to achieve a public market listing in Canada, including a direct listing, a qualifying transaction with a capital pool company (CPC), a reverse takeover (RTO), or an initial public offering (IPO).
My board and I have discussed and considered all options open to the company and look forward to sharing our strategy with the market in the coming weeks.
We have waited patiently for the
right market conditions to take Eastport public and believe that the appreciation in the commodity prices of our key metals over recent months, specifically copper, nickel, and uranium, will ensure that market sentiment and investor interest will be supportive of the mining house we have built and the intrinsic value waiting to be unlocked from the point of listing.
Indeed, we have been delighted with the interest shown by leading brokers in Canada, the support they anticipate from investors, and the work programmes we have in place to advance our project portfolio.
MO: What clear vision do you have of how you will work to augment future value for the company and its shareholders?
BSTB: Commodity prices are inherently volatile, influenced by a range of global economic factors, market sentiment, and geopolitical events.
One advantage of having a focused portfolio of projects, along with a highly experienced board and management team in mining, exploration, and capital markets, is the option open to Eastport to explore different scenarios that can best augment value on a project-byproject basis.
Our knowledge and understanding of our projects will increase significantly over the coming months, and these results will guide us in terms of the best strategy to continue building value for the company and our shareholders.
SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A LAB-GROWN DIAMOND SAAD KASSIS MOHAMED’S WECARE:
Driven by principles of ecological guardianship and societal accountability, WeCare is a charitable organisation that has recently raised significant funds for innovations within the lab-grown diamond sector. Chairman, Saad Kassis Mohamed, explains how he hopes the industry will emerge as a sustainable and ethical alternative to traditionally mined, natural-grown diamonds
Writer: Lily Sawyer
Saad Kassis Mohamed, Chairman, WeCare
As an organisation committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical responsibility within the diamond industry, WeCare’s mission revolves around fostering transparency, sustainability, and ethical practices throughout the diamond supply chain.
“We strive to ensure that all stakeholders, from miners to consumers, benefit from responsible mining practices,” introduces Chairman, Saad Kassis Mohamed.
Having recently raised over USD$350,000 to accelerate innovation within the lab-grown diamond sector, WeCare aims to drive R&D efforts to bolster market growth.
In addition, it is hoped that the company’s investment in cuttingedge technology and its collaboration with industry partners will further advance the sustainable and ethical standards of the sector.
ETHICALLY ALIGNED
In recent years, lab-grown diamonds have emerged as a more responsible
alternative for several reasons.
“Firstly, they are created in controlled environments using advanced technology, which significantly reduces the environmental impacts associated with traditional diamond mining,” Mohamed reveals.
Pollution, soil erosion, increased carbon emissions, as well as deforestation and habitat destruction from waste are just a few of the many negative consequences associated with traditional diamond mining.
Lab-grown diamonds, which are cultivated in controlled lab environments that dispose of waste safely and use significantly less of the Earth’s resources in their production, could therefore offer a feasible and sustainable alternative.
In addition, lab-grown production is free from the ethical concerns often associated with natural diamond mining.
“Uncertainties around human rights within traditional mining, alongside environmental degradation, are a
cause for concern,” he outlines.
In comparison, lab-grown diamond manufacturing companies are expected to follow strict labour and human rights rules that are enacted to prevent harm to human life.
In this way, by raising funds to support lab-grown diamonds, WeCare hopes to offer a sustainable and ethical alternative to natural diamond mining.
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS
In order to foster the ongoing development of lab-grown diamonds, WeCare actively promotes innovation in the industry by sponsoring various R&D initiatives.
“R&D and innovation are paramount to the ongoing development of labgrown diamonds,” Mohamed notes.
“We recognise the importance of continuous improvement and technological advancement in enhancing the quality, scalability, and environmental sustainability of labgrown diamond production.”
Recent technological developments in the industry include techniques such as chemical vapour deposition (CVD) and high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT).
CVD is a controlled method resulting in significant clarity and purity, whilst HPHT mimics the natural conditions in which diamonds are formed by subjecting carbon materials to high pressures and temperatures.
These techniques have increased the quality, size, colour, and brilliance of lab-grown diamonds in comparison to those naturally mined, essentially enabling higher-quality products from a lower-risk environment and, in turn, providing greater affordability as these methods are refined.
“Through our focus on R&D and innovation, we strive to push the boundaries of what is possible in the lab-grown diamond industry,” he adds.
FUNDING AND VALUATION METHODS
WeCare’s recent innovation funding initiative garnered participation from investors such as Red Capital Plc, alongside other financial backers.
“As a result of our strategic planning and collaborative efforts, we engaged in targeted fundraising activities and leveraged our network of investors and industry experts by articulating a compelling vision for the future of lab-grown diamonds,” Mohamed tells us.
The success of WeCare’s funding drive underscores the widespread, growing interest in the potential of the lab-grown sector as a sustainable and ethical alternative to naturally mined diamonds.
In addition to its funding of R&D
“OUR VISION IS TO CREATE A MORE TRANSPARENT, EQUITABLE, AND ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS DIAMOND INDUSTRY THAT BENEFITS ALL STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED”
–
SAAD KASSIS MOHAMED, CHAIRMAN, WECARE
and innovation, WeCare also provides propriety valuation methods in which it meticulously assesses lab-grown diamonds for market potential and quality.
“We take pride in our proprietary valuation methods, which involve our accredited experts providing accurate and comprehensive valuations of lab-grown diamonds using scientific analysis, market research, and industry expertise,” he informs.
By offering transparent and reliable valuation services, WeCare empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions that enable them to navigate the lab-grown diamond industry with confidence.
FUTURE PROSPECTS
As it looks forward, WeCare
anticipates changes within the diamond industry and hopes that labgrown products will be viewed with increasing favourability in the future.
“Our overall goals encompass driving positive change within the diamond industry and beyond,” Mohamed explains.
As it aims to continue leading the charge in promoting ethical and sustainable practices within diamond production, as well as fostering innovation and collaboration, WeCare hopes to advance the adoption of lab-grown diamonds as a viable and responsible choice for consumers.
“Ultimately, our vision is to create a more transparent, equitable, and environmentally conscious diamond industry that benefits all stakeholders involved,” he concludes.
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GRAVITY FOR A GREEN
GREEN FUTURE
As the world generates more electricity from intermittent renewable energy sources, there is a growing need for technologies that can capture and store energy during periods of low demand and release it rapidly when required.
Gravity energy storage offers a powerful green opportunity for operators looking to extend a mine’s life beyond the extraction of materials.
The idea of using gravity to store energy is not new, however, as Great Britain already relies on a number of pumped storage hydro schemes, such as Cruachan Power Station, where water is pumped uphill to be released when required.
Based in Edinburgh, Gravitricity has developed a new, innovative gravity energy storage system known as GraviStore.
Using the force of gravity, this unique technology raises and lowers heavy weights suspended by cables attached to winches in underground mine shafts, offering some of the best characteristics of pumped hydro storage and lithiumion batteries without any reduction in performance.
When there is excess electricity, for example on a windy day, the weight is winched to the top of the shaft ready to generate power.
It can then be quickly released when required in less than a second, producing a large burst of electricity, or more slowly depending on what is needed.
VIABLE ALTERNATIVE
GraviStore therefore presents a viable alternative future to end-of-life mine shafts, which otherwise require steep infilling and decommissioning expenses. Indeed, the decommissioning process is costly and can be time-consuming for mining companies.
Disused mine shafts repurposed for energy storage, however, can fill a productive function for up to half a
KEY
• 50+ year life
• Fast response time
• Versatile operation
• Lower costs
• Efficient
• Modular
century beyond their original lifespan and eliminate decommissioning costs, while creating new job opportunities and contributing to the green energy transition.
Gravitricity has an expanding portfolio of intellectual property in underground energy storage, including eight granted patents and a further two pending, and is exploring the potential to deploy its groundbreaking technology in decommissioned mines worldwide.
To commercialise the technology for mine operators, the Scottish company has teamed up with energy multinational, ABB, and lifting specialist, Huisman.
Ideally suited to recently decommissioned mines where existing shafts and winches can be repurposed, the GraviStore technology is now generating interest amongst mine operators who are seeking sustainable alternatives to decommissioning.
EUROPEAN PROJECTS
Active deep mine operators in Europe are examining how underground gravity energy storage could present green opportunities to mining communities.
Current Gravitricity projects include the Velenje mine in the northeast of Slovenia, where a feasibility study has been commissioned to explore how underground gravity energy storage could offer a low-carbon future as operations wind down in the 2030s.
At Velenje, Gravitricity engineers have already visited the site to assess the technical feasibility of installing systems in two specific shafts.
Studies are also ongoing at the Pyhäsalmi, Darvok, and Grube Teutschenthal mines, with the potential to advance pilot projects in the near future.
At Pyhäsalmi, Europe’s deepest zinc and copper mine located in Northern Finland, the company is also aiming to demonstrate its GraviStore system.
Decommissioned in 2022, many of the Pyhäsalmi mine’s operations have now ended, but by repurposing the disused mine shaft for underground energy storage using the company’s technology, new opportunities could be offered for this remote Finnish community.
Should GraviStore be deployed at the mine, it would deliver up to two megawatts (MW) of storage capacity,
Studies are also ongoing at the Pyhäsalmi mine with the potential to advance pilot projects in the near future
tying straight into the local electricity grid and providing balancing services to the Finnish network.
Gravitricity has also committed to work on green energy storage at the Darkov mine in Czechia and investigated the potential of storing energy at the decommissioned Grube Teutschenthal mine in Germany.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
In addition to being a genuine alternative to decommissioning, new underground energy storage schemes can provide employment in communities where traditional jobs are in decline.
Gravitricity’s work with mine operators underlines the interest in
its technology, and the company is in dialogue with both mine owners and public sector organisations to turn these studies into operational plans.
The company has already proven its GraviStore technology with an above-ground 250 kilowatt (kW) demonstrator, where it successfully raised and lowered two 25-tonne weights to generate full power and verify the system’s speed of response.
Impressively, the test rig proved the system can reach full capacity in less than a second, which can be extremely valuable in the frequency response and back-up power markets along with its ability to continuously vary power output dependent on demand.
Darkov mine, Czechia
Grube Teutschenthal mine, Germany
IVORIAN MINING INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT
Mining companies recognise the vast opportunities of Ivory Coast’s natural resources. As the economic powerhouse of Western Africa, the country is embracing its new-found potential
Writer: Rachel Carr | Project Manager: Alfie Wilson
Geologically blessed by Archaean and Paleoproterozoic terrains, the coastal regions of Ivory Coast are largely covered by a Mezozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary basin, with the rest of the country underlain by the Birimian Baoulé-Mossi domain.
Consequently, the country is renowned for its diverse mineral resources, which include gold, diamonds, manganese, bauxite, nickel, copper, cobalt, and iron ore.
Ivory Coast’s mining potential is exceptional, and the industry is increasing as a result. Moreover, the country is generally underexplored as it has not seen the same level of development as its neighbours. However, the number of
explorations and mines under construction or in operation is increasing yearly.
As one of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world, promoting gold and other mineral exploitation is part of the Ivorian government’s strategic plan. Mining currently accounts for almost five percent of the country’s GDP and is set to become the second-most significant driver of economic growth after agriculture.
Over the last decade, the Ivorian mining industry has quadrupled its gold production and increased its manganese production 24-fold. The trend is still on an upward trajectory, as evidenced by the number of mining leviathans
currently operating in Ivory Coast. Indeed, Allied Gold, Endeavor, Barrick, and Fortuna Silver Mines now have substantial real estate positions in the country.
Gold is now a major industry, and the Tongon mine, for example, employs thousands of workers. The country is sitting on vast deposits of the precious metal, with the Yaouré mine alone estimated to contain at least 200 tonnes of gold.
Undeniably, Ivory Coast will reap the economic benefits of mining for decades. Thanks to a stable political climate, strong overall governance, and many untapped resource sites, the forecast for the country’s burgeoning mining industry is impressive.
INTERVIEW:
Striving to make mining an essential pillar of the Ivorian economy, the Professional Group of Miners of Côte d’Ivoire (GPMCI) is responsible for promoting the industry, advocating towards the government on behalf of its membership and ensuring proper community development plans and actions, as well as environmental rehabilitation plans, are implemented. We speak to its President, JeanClaude Diplo, about stakeholder engagement, government regulation, and prospects
Mining Outlook (MO): Firstly, could you talk us through the origins of GPMCI?
Jean-Claude Diplo, President (JCD): GPMCI was established in 2008 and became effective in 2011 with the primary goal of representing the mining body and advocating on behalf of the industry, which is still in its infancy. Not only does having a voice benefit the industry, but it is also good for the government and stakeholders to align from the beginning and ensure that we learn from others’ experiences and mistakes. We contribute to setting proper industry standards with regulations and legal frameworks that can
PROFESSIONAL GROUP OF MINERS OF CÔTE D’IVOIRE
provide a conducive environment for business.
MO: What do you find most exciting and challenging about the mining industry in Ivory Coast?
JCD: As a new country entering the industry, mining was a minor national priority a decade ago. Everybody was looking at the Western Africa platform, which was becoming the new Californian gold rush industry, so we saw an influx of cash coming into the region for exploration and Ivory Coast needed to take its share of such a dynamic sector.
It was critical during that time to set up appropriate rules and ensure that we captured and attracted real investment. Thus, we could suitably launch the industry and unlock its potential. From this perspective, it was an exciting time, but not without its challenges. When I recall 2010 and the subsequent years, it was a period of sociopolitical upheaval in Ivory Coast. The country
experienced a post-electoral crisis, and mining companies could not access the northern region.
It was necessary to cultivate a smart relationship with the government to facilitate mining operations. For example, during that tumultuous time, Randgold Resources was exploring its Tongon mine in the northern part of the country, and resources had to be moved across. Therefore, you need a smart and meaningful partnership with the government and other stakeholders, including communities and local authorities. We must be creative and imaginative to make it work while obeying industry standards and rules.
The second challenge was that Ivory Coast did not have proper mining legislation; therefore, we ran on codes established in 1995, which were set mainly for exploration purposes. However, the industry was moving from exploration into production, so proper regulations were essential. We came together with the government, and the Mines and Money Conference in London praised
the country for developing the best dialogue platform between the private and public sectors. Ivory Coast was also mentioned in the Financial Times as having reached the best mining codes in Africa.
Now, we’ve had the last decade to appreciate the impact of those codes as they have attracted a lot of mining investment into the country, and several mines were opened within that timeframe due to their quality.
The third challenge was building a human capital basis to endorse development and growth in the mining industry when Ivory Coast had limited mining engineers and technicians. Over the last decade, expatriates comprised up to 20 percent of the Ivorian mining workforce; today, it stands at around five percent, which tells you what we have achieved on this journey.
MO: Does GPMCI have any projects or events to highlight?
JCD: As the mining industry grows, there is increased awareness among communities and other stakeholders. Therefore, there is pressure that accompanies it, namely pressure from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) around the mining community worldwide, that forces mining companies to work with the best transparency
“WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON EXTENDING LEARNING PLATFORMS TO DEVELOP HUMAN CAPABILITIES AND SKILLS TO SUPPORT THE MINING INDUSTRY’S GROWTH FOR THE NEXT GENERATION”
– JEAN-CLAUDE DIPLO, PRESIDENT, PROFESSIONAL GROUP OF MINERS OF CÔTE D’IVOIRE
principles. We are currently going through a new round of negotiations with the government to revise the mining codes and develop new legal frameworks.
We must assist the next generation with mining development in Ivory Coast, and this work has already started. Fortunately, the government has been listening and understanding enough to allow us to be involved in revising the mining codes and associated regulations.
The attractive tax regime we agreed with the government in 2014 has been slowly dismantled. High capital incentives are crucial, but international financial institutions have been pushing the government to impose
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JCW has been assisting several mining companies in the exploration and exploitation phases for several years.
In addition to mining companies, JCW also assists mining subcontracting companies.
We are based in Côte d’Ivoire. However, we also operate in Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea Conakry, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of Congo through our local partners.
For the past 10 years, JCW has been an active member of the Groupement Professionnel des Miniers de Côte d’Ivoire (GPMCI).
We provide advice and support in the areas of business law, taxation and customs.
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OBJECTIVES OF GPMCI
• Defending the interests of members.
• Promoting research and exploitation of Ivory Coast’s mineral resources.
• Developing cooperative relations between members and organisations.
• Raising public awareness of the importance of the mining industry.
• Promoting best current management practices.
• Facilitating an industry that respects the health and safety of people and communities.
restrictions on these incentives. We lost some fundamental items that are essential for financial model stability when running mining companies that are long-term and high-risk investments, but we are alerting the government that we are in danger of erasing the appeal of being among the best global mining investment destinations.
We have seen some issues emerge from government departments and communities; therefore, as part of revising the mining codes, we’ve agreed to set up a sizeable national constitution platform around the industry and address some of these problems with a few stakeholders. However, we will ensure that we remain on top of our game as one of the best industries in Africa in terms of balancing the interests of all key parties. We want communities to become permanent partners in our operations.
The challenge of responding to critical environmental issues, which are also of global concern, and keeping the government on board so Ivory Coast becomes the investment destination of choice are endorsed by GPMCI. We need to engage key stakeholders, so they understand how we influence public opinions and perceptions of the mining industry.
Addressing the challenges that come with specific and effective mining operations is imperative. There is minimal geological knowledge of the country’s potential because there hasn’t been much investment in exploration and underground potential to help investors make quick decisions, so we must take on that task ourselves, but we are also trying to get the government to accept the challenge.
We have been working on extending learning platforms to develop human capabilities and skills to support the mining industry’s growth for the next generation. GPMCI is involved with many universities in Ivory Coast, and we are also working with vocational training institutions. We contribute to providing assistance and equipment, and a few people support this around the country, including the Minister of Vocational and Technical Training.
Most developed countries have a geological platform with advanced knowledge of mining potential, which helps investors make quick decisions and cut exploration costs, so that is another issue we need the government to work on. Artisan mining is affecting the industry, and there is an ongoing discussion about how we can have a smarter approach that allows for collaboration between small-scale and large-scale mining operations and how we can align regulations accordingly.
MO: How significant is the mining industry’s contribution to Ivory Coast’s socioeconomic development and growth?
JCD: We have been trying to assess the impact mining has on the country, and recently engaged with a firm to assist us in this. We’ve gone from contributing less than 1.5 percent to GDP to around 4.5 percent, but the goal is to reach six percent by 2030.
GDP is one way to look at the macroaggregates of the economy; we are more interested in the micro details. This is where we assess the impact of mining on people’s living conditions. Currently, around 10 gold mines are operating in the country, with only a few manganese mines in operation, so we are talking about less than 15 effective operations in every region where the mining industry is ongoing.
Over the last 10 years, we have created around 20,000 jobs in Ivory Coast, accounting for significant economic
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“NOT ONLY DOES HAVING A VOICE BENEFIT THE INDUSTRY, BUT IT IS ALSO GOOD FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND STAKEHOLDERS TO ALIGN FROM THE BEGINNING AND ENSURE THAT WE LEARN FROM OTHERS’ EXPERIENCES AND MISTAKES”
–
JEAN-CLAUDE DIPLO, PRESIDENT, PROFESSIONAL GROUP OF MINERS OF CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Indaba conference in Cape Town earlier this year. It was a sign from the industry because it was the first time we had a mining minister dedicating all their time to the conference. Mining Indaba is the industry’s largest fair on the continent, so the government’s message was one of optimism – Ivory Coast is here to become a key player.
Looking at the geological potential, everyone will tell you that Birimian rocks cover most countries in Western Africa, so the sky is the limit for the margin to grow.
My message to the government is the more serious they are about setting up the legal framework, the more incentive we must improve the mining industry.
growth. A decade ago, the only mining-dedicated university in the country was producing around 20 to 25 engineers per year, against roughly 60 engineers per year as of 2022. A few other universities dedicated to mining have now opened because of the opportunity that has developed.
MO: How do you see Ivorian mining developing over the next five years, and are you optimistic about its future?
JCD: I am highly optimistic, going by the latest Mining
MO: What goals and priorities does GPMCI have for the upcoming years?
JCD: We are prioritising setting up an investment fund that will belong to the mining industry workforce, as part of the local content regulation trend underway by the government. A feasibility study is underway in this regard. The idea is to enable the workforce to become part of the investment base supporting the development of the industry.
Additionally, we would like to improve the participation of women in mining, which is currently a challenge. One
•
•
Since
of the drivers of my actions during this mandate is a focus on gender. I am personally concerned about gender orientation as I am a member of the HeForShe Mines Association Côte d’Ivoire – a United Nations (UN) global solidarity movement for gender promotion. We are in a position to influence laws, regulations, contracts, and working conditions for women.
Less than 10 percent of Ivory Coast’s mining industry is comprised of women, whereas they represent half of our national community. We are losing a massive opportunity as the potential of women isn’t being utilised, so my point is, why wouldn’t we bring them into the mining industry? GPMCI has a group of female employees that act as ambassadors, touring grammar schools and colleges, spreading the word to young girls, and encouraging them to embrace a career in mining.
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As mining organisations worldwide confront unprecedented change, embracing technological innovations and incorporating critical environmental sustainability agendas, now more than ever is the time to showcase the strides being taken in this dynamic sector.
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Through this compelling venture, we intend to foreground the movers and shakers of the industry. To participate as a featured company and join us in this exciting endeavour, contact one of our Project Managers or our Managing Director, James Mitchell, today.
FORGING GOLDEN PROSPECTS
RG Gold’s primary target in terms of procurement is to create a stable and timely supply of goods, works, and services with the highest possible economic efficiency. We discover how the gold mining company is achieving and surpassing these ambitious goals with CEO, Lawrence Rossouw
Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton
Kazakhstan has worked meticulously to position itself as a global leader in the mining and processing of gold; the country produces around 70 to 80 tonnes (t) of refined product each year.
The success of its domestic refined gold industry, along with the investment characteristics that gold has demonstrated throughout the last decade, have positioned the precious metal as fundamental to the reserves of the Central Bank of Kazakhstan. Within this monumental industry, a crucial national resource is the impressive Raygorodok gold mine.
The history of Kazakhstan’s Raygorodok gold deposit dates back to 1996; it was in this year that the first geological exploration work was carried out at the Novodneprovskoye contract area, which consists of two quarries – Northern and Southern Raygorodok, forming the overall gold deposit located in Burabay District
in the Akmola Region, combining to create one of the nation’s largest and most profitable sites.
RG Gold is a gold mining company that develops the Raygorodok deposit field, where, according to Joint Ore Reserve Committee (JORC) classification, gold reserves total 100 t, which also makes it one of the largest mono-gold fields in the country. In future, the company’s plan is to potentially develop Novodneprovskoye and the Sharyk deposits.
The Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources, and Ore Reserves, produced by JORC, provides a mandatory system for the classification of exploration results, mineral resources, and ore reserves according to the levels of confidence in geological knowledge and technical and economic considerations in public reports.
MINING OUTLOOK:
COULD YOU DESCRIBE TO US HOW YOU FIRST BECAME INTERESTED IN THE MINING INDUSTRY?
LAWRENCE ROSSOUW, CEO:
“I grew up in the 1970s and 80s in South Africa. During this time, there was a massive boom in the mining industry across the country, and gold mining specifically.
“South Africa was the biggest gold producer in the world up until the late 90s, when gold mining companies were aggressively promoting the mining industry. Platinum group metals (PGM) miners soon followed suit. They used to come into schools and offer bursaries to top performers in mathematics and science; this is where the prospect of a very bright and exciting future in mining and engineering lured me to the industry.”
Lawrence Rossouw, CEO of RG Gold, believes it is a very exciting time within the industry in Kazakhstan, as the country is busy attracting foreign investment which will undoubtedly prove critical for the development of the mining landscape.
“I think Kazakhstan is still fairly new in terms of being a mining investment hub for large international corporations. However, more and more of the bigger mining companies are looking for opportunities here, alongside a boom of junior businesses that are searching and doing extensive exploration,” he introduces.
“At present, there also seems to be a drive from the Kazakh government to support foreign investment into this space and remove obstacles that traditionally made it challenging for foreign investors to bring their money to the nation.”
RAYGORODOK SUCCESS STORY
Since its foundation, RG Gold has invested over USD$20 million in exploration at Raygorodok.
Just a decade after operations began, 18,000 kilogrammes (kg) of gold reserves from the Northern Raygorodok site, as well as 19,000kg from the Southern Raygorodok facility, were successfully verified by RG Gold, and incremental mining was then initiated at both pits. Interestingly, the deposit was once considered small, with a development period of only five years.
In 2014, Verny Capital received the rights to develop the contract area. From this moment on, a new stage began in the history of the field with the purchase of modern equipment,
expansion of the crushing and screening complex capacity, development of a professional team, investment in geological exploration, and increase in the resource potential of the field.
A new core storage facility was built to store ore samples obtained during exploration drilling, while active development of the South Raygorodok deposit had simultaneously begun. By heap leaching oxidised ores, more than 1 t of gold in the Doré alloy was produced immediately in 2015, which increased production volume by 75 percent.
In addition to new production processes, the lives of workers and engineers gradually improved with the introduction of a new rotation camp complete with dormitories, a canteen, and a sports ground. Alongside this, active social work began to improve the villages adjacent to the deposit.
Next, airborne geophysical, groundbased areal, and geophysical profile work was carried out. More than 3,000 exploratory and specialised wells with a total length of 350 kilometres (km) were drilled to study the geological conditions of the field, and 232,000 samples were taken for detailed assay analysis. In addition, the technological properties of gold ore were studied and, through metallurgical tests, regulations were drawn up on the most effective processing method.
Based on RG Gold’s exploration results, ore reserves in Raygorodok increased threefold according to the standards of the State Reserves Commission, from 34 t in 2014 to 108 t in 2018.
“AT RG GOLD, WE AIM TO PROVIDE NOT JUST A JOB, BUT A PLACE THAT PEOPLE FEEL PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH”
– LAWRENCE ROSSOUW, CEO, RG GOLD
RG GOLD, a gold mining company, has implemented an ambitious project in Kazakhstan having applied the complex solutions of engineering company, Silumin-Vostok, in power supply and process automation of the plants.
KAZAKHSTAN. RAYGORODOK
DEPOSIT
The history of the deposit dates back to 1996, when the first geological exploration work was carried out at the Novodneprovskoye contract area consisting of the two open pits –Northern and Southern Raygorodok. However, the gold reserves were confirmed only 10 years later. At that time, the potential of Raygorodok was not completely studied.
The Raygorodok deposit is located in the Burabay district of Kazakhstan’s Akmola region and is considered one of the biggest deposits in the republic. The gold resources were assessed according to the international JORK classification as 100 tonnes, which makes it one of the largest gold monodeposits in the country, and the third largest gold deposit in Kazakhstan. The confirmed resources extended the term of the deposit mining from five to 20 years.
In 2014, the Verny Capital group of companies received the right to develop the contract area, and the company RG Gold was founded.
In March 2021, construction of a large mining and metallurgical complex for primary gold ore processing commenced. In a year and a half, the plant carried out smelting, and the first gold bar was produced. By the end of 2022, the full output capacity was reached which amounted to five million tonnes of ore per year.
The mining and metallurgical complex of RG Gold at the Raygorodok deposit was constructed in a record 18 months. For implementation, the RG Processing project team was created and succeeded in reaching incredible results in the short term.
It became a great challenge for RG Gold to find contractors in Kazakhstan capable of implementing such a largescale project in reduced terms.
The design and construction firm, ААЕngineering Group, undertook preparedness to fulfil all the tasks within the established deadline having become the general contractor. Silumin-Vostok, who came forward as one of the main contractors, implemented its engineering solutions in turnkey electric power supply and
process automation of the plant using the equipment of its own production, assembled with the components of world leading manufacturers.
The advantage of Silumin-Vostok became its solid experience in mining projects for the large subsurface users on the territory of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. From 2010 to 2022, the company successfully delivered 14 projects in power supply and the automation of gold recovery plants under construction.
THE COMPLEX SOLUTION OF SILUMIN-VOSTOK
The initial stage of the project implementation was the design engineering, comprising development of the design documentation for the plant power supply and process automation. The design-engineers of the design and engineering department developed a customised solution according to the technical specification, selected the necessary equipment with consideration of the characteristics, loads, and operating conditions, and performed calculations and drawings.
The next stage consisted of the production and supply of electrotechnical equipment for the complete electric power supply of the plant. The following equipment was installed: transformer substations КТПБ – 2 pcs, and КТПН – 2 pcs, switchgears НКУ-SVМСС – 17 pcs, containing 640 draw-out modules, complete switchgear 10 kV of 14 cells, switching cabinets ЩРВ, power take-off cabinets, contactor cabinets, mills blocking cabinets, and push-button control stations.
For automated monitoring and control of the production cycles, Schneider Electric Modicon 580 redundant controllers and Schneider Electric
Modicon 340 local controllers were installed. Raygorodok is a digital mine where the control and analysis of the exploration and the further ore processing are highly automated. This reduces the risk of making a mistake and excludes the human factor. The equipment of Endress+Hauser, a constant partner of Silumin-Vostok, provided the basis for the field instruments. The following equipment was installed: 50 flowmetres, 41 level metres, 111 pressure measuring devices, and about 20 devices for density, pH, ORP metering, and gas analysers. Since it was a new-built plant, it was necessary to create a process automation system greenfield, using up-to-date corporate practices and standards. New ore monitoring technologies have been introduced with the application of
leading developments in the field of software. During open-pit mining, a threefold control is performed by means of the automation systems. A special mention was made to the data collection from the electric power distribution systems. The total number of the process flow parameters and data from the switchgears was about 11,000! The availability of such an extensive data assets allows the process engineers to make reasoned decisions.
To ensure control, Danfoss MD-202 and MD-302 frequency converters in the amount of 106 pcs, and MСD-600 soft starters in the amount of 11 pcs, have been installed.
To increase the production capability in all process areas, the AVEVA System Platform 2020 R2 software
has been introduced. The software is a flexible scalable solution for dispatch control applications, which integrates the production and the plant management. It provides the basis for a multi-user operation based on standards, and integrates people, processes, and assets on all sites for continuous operation, improving and supporting decision making on a realtime basis.
Installation and commissioning work included setting up the electrical equipment, instruments, and all process machines with minimum overloads and the possibility of regulating the production capacity of the plant process equipment. For ease of operation, the process equipment was selected in such a way to ensure further fault-free operation of the plant, and resist intensive overloads and severe operating conditions.
RESULTS
The difficulty of the project itself was in the very limited delivery terms, and the restrictions imposed during the СOVID-19 pandemic conditions made the work more complicated since they were affecting the material logistics and the work of the personnel.
Being a part of the RG GOLD project, the specialists of Silumin-Vostok successfully performed all the work on supply, installation, set-up, and programming, having proved their expertise once again. The project of the Raygorodok GRP became one of the key projects in the portfolio of Silumin-Vostok.
Silumin-Vostok is a leading Kazakh industrial equipment manufacturer, complex engineering solutions developer, and software system integrator.
The company was founded in 1996 and is located in the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk in the east of Kazakhstan.
It is a leader in the market of the country in process automation and power supply, complex development of projects, and supply of high-quality equipment for various industries including mining, metallurgical, petrochemical, electric power engineering, construction, and heat power engineering.
The personnel of the company totals more than 400 specialists. There is a 12,000 square metre (sqm) production complex housing complete cycle production, and a 3,000 sqm warehouse.
The design and engineering department performs the development of customised engineering solutions for each specific project. The logistics department and the truck fleet, comprising about 40 vehicle units, deliver products to the customer’s site.
Throughout its existence, SiluminVostok has proven itself as a reliable partner, responsible contractor, and qualitative producer.
Having extensive experience in implementing the projects of subsurface users, and participating in large construction projects of new ore processing plants and mining
complexes, Silumin-Vostok is able to offer solutions in the following areas:
COMPLEX DESIGN ENGINEERING of the electrotechnical and automation parts of a project adapted for a specific customer:
• Low-voltage (0,4kV) and high-voltage (6-220kV) electrical switchgears, transformer substations
• Process automation systems
• Software development for automation and dispatch control systems
ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION of low and medium voltage, which is customised and able to fully correspond to the design concept:
• Switchgear units of normal miningtype execution КРУ-РН-SV (6 kV)
• Switchgear units with a middle draw-out circuit breaker КРУ-Уба SV (6,10 kV)
• Substation relay protection cabinets
• Low-voltage switchgears НКУИртыш (0,4-0,69 kV)
• Operating current control cabinets
ШУОТ-SV
• Complete transformer substations КТП-SV
• Substations in packaged modular buildings
INDUSTRIAL PROCESS AUTOMATION in production process automation, direct digital control systems, data collection, control and monitoring:
• Process automation systems
• MES-system
• Software and hardware suites
• Automatic control systems
• Power distribution monitoring and control systems
ELECTRONIC AND MECHANICAL SYSTEMS OF DRIVE EQUIPMENT according to the customer requirements, technical specifications, and operating conditions:
• Variable frequency drives and soft starters of low (0,4-0,69kVВ) and medium voltage (6-10kV)
• Asynchronous and synchronous electric motors
• High-voltage power factor compensation systems and harmonic filtering systems
• Control cabinets for process installations with frequency converters or soft starters
• Liquid resistance starters up to 3000А
• Uninterruptible power supply systems of frequency converters
INDUSTRIAL COOLING SYSTEMS for the industrial cooling of production facilities in order to ensure the necessary indoor temperature conditions:
• Industrial chillers (64 kW - 860 kW) PUMP EQUIPMENT for pump stations in packaged modular buildings
• Borehole pump units
• Horizontal centrifugal pumps
• Double-ended suction pumps
• Vertical multistage pumps
• Slurry pump units for abrasive media
• Sewage and drainage pumps
• Container-type complex pump stations
VALVES
ball valves of stainless steel with diameter range up to 1,000mm
COMPRESSOR EQUIPMENT AND AIR SUPPLY SYSTEMS for providing compressed air of any grade of treatment and of any capacity:
CONSTRUCTION, INSTALLATION, START-UP AND COMMISSIONING SERVICE MAINTENANCE
+7 777 226 73 54 info@silumin.kz www.silumin.kz
For the first time in the history of the field, an assessment was carried out according to the international JORC classification. The total resources were estimated at 185 t, of which economically viable reserves for processing amounted to 100 t. Subsequently, confirmed reserves then extended the development period of the field from five years to two decades.
When studying the mineral composition of ore samples, it was established by the company that gold in oxidised and primary ores is found mainly in free form and large intergrowths with pyrite, galena, and quartz, or in microcracks of pyrite and quartz. 1 t of ore from Southern Raygorodok contains about 1.3 grams (g) of gold on average, compared to 1g from Northern Raygorodok. Furthermore, continued geological exploration confirmed that
RG GOLD MISSION AND VISION
MISSION
RG Gold’s mission is to efficiently extract and process gold from its lowgrade, open-pit mines, continually expand its reserves through geological exploration, and provide a safe and inspiring workplace for its people. The company remains committed to responsible mining practices that benefit shareholders, employees, and the environment.
VISION
To be recognised globally as a leader in sustainable and responsible gold mining, delivering prosperity to shareholders, employees, and the communities in which it operates, while setting the standard for excellence and environmental stewardship in the industry.
Raygorodok is a large gold ore object of the zonal stockwork type.
ENHANCING SOCIAL WELL-BEING
Responsibility is a crucial principle of RG Gold.
This foundational value means being responsible towards not only the company’s own resources and employees, but also the people who live near the Raygorodok mine.
“Our company implements social projects worth about KZT100 million every year, and we regularly meet with local residents and representatives where we discuss potential directions for future investments that would help improve the socioeconomic quality of life in the area,” Rossouw affirms.
“Meanwhile, our sponsorship portfolio is continuously growing; new projects arise based on residents’ requests as well as the projects initiated by RG Gold. Infrastructure in the nearby villages is being improved, and schools are being repaired and fitted
out systematically with materials and equipment,” he continues.
To supplement this, local residents are prioritised for employment, regional small businesses receive support, the best regional graduates are given educational grants to go to colleges or universities, and cultural, sports, and entertainment events are organised for the community by the company.
In this way, RG Gold adheres to its own carefully established principles of sustainable development and aspires to implement social projects locally.
PLANTING SEEDS FOR SUCCESS
In September 2022, a brand new five million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) primary gold ore processing plant was brought into operation by RG Gold, capable of reaching greatly enhanced production levels.
The new carbon-in-pulp (CIP) plant’s design is unique as it allows ore processing with the lowest operating costs and presents an opportunity
to implement global environment protection standards.
“Our new CIP plant was designed by international engineering companies with a focus on automated production and the implementation of advanced metallurgy technologies. Incredibly, the plant was erected in an astonishing 18 months,” details Rossouw.
A jewel in the RG Gold crown, the game-changing plant features state-of-the-art equipment made by leading manufacturers, such as Metso Outotec, ThyssenKrupp, FLSmidth, Weir Minerals, Roytec, and Kemix. This high-tech equipment not only ensures the safety of staff, but has notably increased the efficiency of production and led to lower operating costs across the board.
“The launch of the new processing plant was a key milestone for RG Gold. It is underpinned by the highest global industry standards using the latest innovation and technical expertise from Resource Capital Funds, our strategic partner,” he adds.
Leaders in RC Drilling
AK-NIET BURGA is a drilling company that focuses on the production of geological prospecting and drilling of wells, as well as the trenchless laying of oil and gas pipelines, urban utility service communications, and much more.
These areas are focused on by AK-NIET BURGA both within Kazakhstan and further afield in Russia and Uzbekistan.
A powerful production base, along with a talented team of highly qualified professionals, allows the company to successfully solve tasks of any complexity and ensure the high-quality performance of operations for its customers.
AK-NIET BURGA was founded in February 2005, and during those 19 years, it has become a leader in the field of reverse circulation (RC) drilling, and has drilled more than 3,000,000 meters. This is one of three services provided by the company along with diamond drilling and horizontal directional drilling (HDD).
RC DRILLING
The RC drilling offered by AK-NIET BURGA is similar to air core drilling, in that the drill cuttings are returned to surface inside the rods.
The drilling mechanism is a pneumatic reciprocating piston, which drives a tungsten steel drill bit. By utilising much larger rigs and machinery, RC drilling routinely achieves depths of up to 500 metres.
RC drilling ideally produces dry rock chips, as large air compressors dry the rock out ahead of the advancing drill bit.
As it is cheaper than diamond coring, RC drilling is therefore preferred for most mineral exploration work.
DIAMOND DRILLING
In the diamond drilling services offered by AK-NIET BURGA, a diamond encrusted drill bit is used to penetrate the rock. The bit is mounted onto a drill stem, which is connected to a rotary drill.
The drill produces a core, which is split longitudinally.
Half of the split core is assayed, while the other half is permanently stored for future use and re-assaying if necessary.
HDD
AK-NIET BURGA uses HDD in the construction of water and wastewater mains, cables and casing, and gas and oil pipeline areas.
Before commencement of operations, the properties and composition of the soil, and the dislocation of existing underground utilities, are carefully studied. Appropriate permits and approvals for the performance of underground work are executed.
Selective penetration tests are also carried out, along with probing of the most complex intersections of the drilling route with existing utilities if required.
LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS
Long-term partnerships with leading subsoil users in Kazakhstan’s mining industry testify to the high professionalism of AK-NIET BURGA’s team. KazMinerals, Polymetal, RG Gold, AltynAlmas, Caravan Resources Group are the main companies we work with.
Honesty, integrity, and dedication serve as key values in the company’s internal corporate culture, whilst competitive salaries, opportunities for career growth, and regular training are evidence of AK-NIET BURGA’s high standards.
What services does AK-NIET BURGA provide?
The main focus is RC drilling, followed by core drilling and horizontal directional drilling.
What makes AK-NIET BURGA a leader in the field of RC drilling?
In 2005, we saw the great potential of RC drilling in the Kazakhstan market and were one of the first to launch this type of drilling. 19 years of practical experience, high quality of work, annual performance records and successful implementation of more than 40 projects for the leading subsoil users of Kazakhstan have consolidated our position as a leader in RC drilling.
How do your powerful production base and team of highly qualified professionals allow you to successfully solve tasks of any complexity and ensure high-quality operational performance for customers?
Our priority is to ensure quality work performed in accordance with the client’s deadlines. Our team of 200 qualified specialists, drilling equipment park of 10 drilling rigs and 10 compressors for RC drilling, four drilling rigs for core drilling and one drilling rig for horizontal directional drilling, production base in Almaty, warehouse, repair box, and about 50 pieces of auxiliary equipment allow us to successfully realise tasks of any complexity.
How much experience does AK-NIET BURGA have in implementing complex projects in various fields?
Prolonged cold winters with a lot of precipitation and very hot summers create additional difficulties in drilling operations. In our experience we have realised projects where drilling was carried out in mountainous terrain, as well as drilling works carried out on dumps using drilling technology with simultaneous casing (symmetrix). Exploration drilling works were carried out for gold, copper, tin, molybdenum, zinc, vanadium, etc.
In designing and erecting the CIP plant, RG Gold pursued a zeroemission environment policy, and the site’s cyanide will continue to be neutralised in line with international standards. Furthermore, after preliminary treatment and destruction, all waste is pumped into a vast storage facility constructed for this specific purpose and supervised by international experts.
The launch of this groundbreaking new production hub promises to have a beneficial and multifaceted effect on regional development; new jobs will be created, and small businesses will grow through supplying services and goods to this major industrial plant.
Additionally, as part of the project, RG Gold has built a brand new accommodation camp where over 300 additional people have been employed, mostly made up of local residents.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
“At RG Gold, we aim to provide not just a job, but a place that people feel proud to be associated with.”
Expanding on this bold statement from Rossouw, the company maintains a keen focus on employee development and implements international best practices in the technologies it deploys, as well as the systems and business processes it uses.
“Our international shareholder owns multiple projects across the world, and we tap into this opportunity to ensure we stay ahead. The implementation of modern engineering and digital tools provides our people with skills and qualifications that give us an edge over other mines. We also strive to be the safest mine not just in Kazakhstan, but the whole region,” he voices.
Elsewhere, RG Gold systematically contributes to the development of the region.
When hiring new personnel, the company gives preference to local specialists, allocates educational grants for local youth, purchases
RG GOLD STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS
EXCELLENCE IN WORK:
EFFICIENT MINING – Implement the latest technology and advanced mining methods.
CONTINUOUS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT – Focus on mill efficiency and throughput.
DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING – Use data analytics to make informed decisions.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE:
TRANSPARENCY AND ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR – Maintain high standards of corporate governance, ethics, and compliance.
BE THE CHANGE
BE SG S
SGS, the paragon of excellence in testing, inspection, and certification, stands as a luminary across the globe. In any domain, within any industry, our distinguished experts offer bespoke solutions, enhancing your enterprise’s speed, simplicity, and efficiency.
Our seasoned connoisseurs deliver services of unparalleled international stature, embodying both strategic partnership and sage advisory roles. Our vast network unfurls a tapestry of independent, quality, and quantity services, including meticulous inspection, revered laboratory testing, sovereign laboratory management, and esteemed quality certifications by neutral arbiters.
In the intricate web of natural resources - vital to economic vibrancy and daily life - the sectors of agriculture, mining, and energy are in flux, driven by global trade, market dynamics, and a deepened commitment to environmental and social governance. SGS stands at the forefront, offering an unrivalled spectrum of services powered by cutting-edge technology. Our global experts assist with laboratory outsourcing, commodities logistics, geochemistry, metallurgy, and sustainability, enabling risk reduction, informed decision-making, and integrity maintenance.
Our services are designed to foster sustainable practices and compliance, boosting productivity, quality, and consumer confidence.
A landmark collaboration with RG Gold led to the inauguration of a major SGS laboratory in the Caspian region in May 2023, part of RG Gold’s ambitious project at Kazakhstan’s Raygorodok deposit. Staffed by highly qualified
Phone: +7 (727) 2 58 82 50/51
Email: kz.enquires@sgs.com
https://www.sgs.com/ru-kz
Kazakhstani nationals, the team benefits from continuous development through our SGS Caspian University programme
Equipped with top-tier international instruments, the laboratory epitomises reliability and precision. We champion sustainable development and a green global economy, with our labs utilising energy-efficient lighting and advanced air purification systems.
SGS’s commitment to accuracy, reliability, transparency, and professional growth cements our status as a global leader in laboratory management. The opening of this complex underscores our dedication to quality and our capability to offer superior services. We remain steadfast in providing toptier analytical services to our clients.
Facebook: SGSCaspian
household goods and services from local entrepreneurs, and invests in the improvement of villages near the deposit.
Today, alongside its monumental growth, 1,100 people are employed by RG Gold to work at the Raygorodok mine and the company headquarters.
“Employees play a key role in any production, and despite the importance of material and technical resources, the human factor remains a priority and is the main asset which requires attention and support, as well as safe labour conditions,” Rossouw acclaims.
RG Gold has an effective staff incentive system in place in addition to an advantageous employee rewards programme. Staff salaries are revised annually and depend on the planned production targets achieved, as well as key performance indicators (KPIs).
“Our main priority in terms of
“THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW PROCESSING PLANT WAS A KEY MILESTONE FOR RG GOLD. IT IS UNDERPINNED BY THE HIGHEST GLOBAL INDUSTRY STANDARDS USING THE LATEST INNOVATION AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE”
– LAWRENCE ROSSOUW, CEO, RG GOLD
employees is to enhance labour conditions with a resolute focus on safety. We strive for a zero-harm culture where every employee is responsible not just for their own safety, but also the safety of their fellow colleagues,” he insights.
PROTECTING PERSONNEL AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Protecting personnel and ensuring safe work is one of the company’s fundamental values.
RG Gold invests heavily in
improving its safety culture and maintains the highest standards of management control in the field of occupational health and safety. Additionally, RG Gold pays special attention to sustainability issues and environmental protection. The principle that the company follows is ‘zero emissions released into the environment’; all processes are therefore carried out in accordance with the requirements of local and international standards.
Accounting for public opinion,
Specialist equipment providers
Eurasian Machinery is the official distributor in Kazakhstan and Central Asia of Hitachi Construction Machinery Co.Ltd, a leading global Japanese manufacturer of mining equipment, employing more than 1,000 people, and having 20 branches in Central Asia. Eurasian Machinery is renowned for providing high quality technical services to its customers through 10 centres, including a high-tech component repair centre in Karaganda City, Kazakhstan.
“To date, three units of Hitachi EH11005 dump trucks, one unit of a Hitachi ZX470LC-5G hydraulic excavator, and one unit of a Manitou MT-X 1440 telehandler are in operation at RG Gold’s mine site. We believe that our cooperation with RG Gold will become even stronger in the future,” says Sergey GREKHOV, Managing Director of the Mining Division at Eurasian Machinery.
“There is no doubt that the mining sector in the region continues to grow. Having an OEM partner such as Hitachi Construction Machinery Co.Ltd, a leading manufacturer of high-performance, high-quality mining equipment for a wide range of applications, will enable us to remain strong in this growing market.” +7 (727)
RG Gold creates conditions for open cooperation in the field of environmental protection with government agencies, interested organisations, and the public.
It does this through an open demonstration of environmental responsibility, fulfilment of target indicators of information, and communication technologies in the field of environmental protection.
As such, public hearings on planning issues for the construction of new facilities are periodically held in the form of open meetings.
Equally concerned with the protection of its people, RG Gold also rewards exceptional attitudes towards safety and has created a fund to reward employees who prevent serious production and safety incidents.
Elsewhere, the company offers support for employees affected by natural disasters or emergencies resulting in
considerable financial damage or a threat to either health or life.
As well as improved labour conditions provided by the company, RG Gold’s employees are entitled to a special social support package which includes medical insurance for staff and their family members, mobile communication services, languages training, transportation, and discounts as part of partner programmes.
Additionally, the company hosts various corporate events, including training, sporting events, and festivals, and provides opportunities for further education and training.
When employees face major events in their lives, RG Gold also offers bonus social leave. For example, in case of the birth of a child or a wedding ceremony, an additional holiday is given; employees are likewise given free time to attend important family and school-related events.
On top of this, the company provides financial aid to employees who retire, give birth to a child, or get married. Staff who have three or more school-aged children are also given financial support to prepare for the new academic year.
No doubt, it is the company’s unmatched dedication to social development, alongside the technical enhancement of its mines, that will continue to distinguish RG Gold within such a competitive and constantly expanding field.
Tel: +7 (7172) 739-780
info@rggold.kz www.rggold.kz
CAPABILITIES AND COMMODITIES
AMining Pro provides tailored services that add value to its clients’ mine site operations. Executive Director, Grant Wechsel, unearths the elements that enable the company’s success
Writer: Rachel Carr | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton
s the capital of Queensland (QLD), Brisbane proudly boasts the title of being the largest mining city in Australia’s second-biggest state.
It is also home to the headquarters of Mining Pro, who provides mining production and maintenance personnel, operational supervision, and management to execute mining projects from a single production fleet to a whole-of-mine solution.
Grant Wechsel, Executive Director
of Mining Pro, is also the Founder and Executive Chairman of parent company, MWG Mining. With a passion for mining that spans over two decades, he brings vast expertise to the industry.
The MWG Mining group was formed by Wechsel with the support of former Australian Rugby League captain Darren Lockyer as a long-term business partner. Fellow Executive Director, Grant Arnold, later joined the Mining Pro business in 2021.
“IN ADDITION TO MINING PRO’S ORGANIC GROWTH OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE ARE ALSO CONSIDERING A NUMBER OF ACQUISITIONS TO FURTHER BOLSTER OUR SERVICE OFFERING FOR OUR CLIENTS”
– GRANT WECHSEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MINING PRO
Mining Pro likewise benefits from Wechsel’s wealth of global experience in the industry and years of providing services to the world’s largest mining companies. He now has broader experience in junior
mining, exploration, and capital finance markets, which has given him a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of the mining industry.
“Four years ago, I returned to Australia after living in Singapore and
saw an opportunity in the market to provide a specific range of mining services run professionally by experienced industry executives,” reveals Wechsel.
Despite only being established in 2020, Mining Pro is a rapidly growing mining services company that has proven itself on various projects across QLD, New South Wales (NSW), and Western Australia (WA).
The company operates throughout the country and partners with key mining clients in the coal and iron ore industry. With over 700 fulltime employees, it is committed to providing diversified mining services to its clients that add value and improve the overall operation.
OPERATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Wechsel introduces Mining Pro as a concept built on a true partnership with clients, allowing its capability to continue to expand.
“We are involved at every stage of the mining lifecycle, whether it’s an owner’s team or a set scope of work on the mine site,” he clarifies.
Mining Pro specialises in providing a range of services, including site services and maintenance, as well as operating production fleets or entire mine sites. The company is primarily focused on serving the coal industry on the east coast of Australia, but it is also expanding its services to the WA iron ore industry.
Iron ore mining in WA is increasing, with the bulk of production coming from the Pilbara region. However, mines are also located in the Mid West, Kimberly, and Wheatbelt regions.
To capitalise on the opportunity, Mining Pro ensures it has the best team on board with significant experience.
“Operationally, we are led by specialist directors and senior management who have long careers in the areas in which they work,
Grant Wechsel, Executive Director, Mining Pro
including mining production, services, contracting, employee relations, and health and safety,” Wechsel outlines.
The success of Mining Pro is buoyed by the fact that coal mining is expected to be the fastest-growing industry by 2030.
“As we have grown at such a quick rate, I am currently focused on delivering unique operating solutions for clients and investment partners across various commodities with a strong focus on coal.
“We partner with the mine owner or incoming investors to operate the asset as safely, efficiently, and costeffectively as possible, with flexibility and choice in the model we agree on,” divulges Wechsel.
Indeed, strategic alliances help to facilitate operational excellence and sustainability, which are ever-present issues within the mining industry.
AN INDUSTRY OF IMPORTANCE
The mining industry is as critical as ever to Australia. It is the backbone of the economy, and bulk mining commodities such as coal and iron ore play a crucial role in socioeconomic development.
“It is an exciting industry to be involved in, and I am happy to support it however I can. I host an annual coal industry event in Brisbane each year, presented by Mining Pro. The idea behind the event is a simple one – to get the whole sector together and openly discuss current trends and
THE MINING INDUSTRY IN AUSTRALIA
Australia remains one of the most important countries for the mining industry, hosting significant mineral resources and playing a key role in the production of most commodities. It has long been a cornerstone of the Australian economy, and today, it remains one of the country’s most established sectors.
WA accounts for the majority of total iron ore production in Australia, which is also one of the world’s leading exporters of coal. Indeed, there are over 350 operating mine sites across
topics in the coal industry,” Wechsel enthuses.
As a privately owned and founded company, it was easier for Mining Pro to step up to the plate and host the event on behalf of the industry without any restrictions from shareholders, funders, or third parties.
the country, one-third of which are located in WA; the other two major mining sites are in QLD and NSW.
Mining became more mainstream in Australia in the 1850s with the discovery of gold. Previously, European settlement saw minerals being produced on a large scale following the discovery of coal. Lead became the first metal to be mined, with copper following soon after. Australia is the world’s largest producer of lithium and amongst the top five globally for gold, iron ore, zinc, lead, and nickel production.
largest uranium stores and the fourth-largest black coal
DURACK OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE
The beginning
Dr Doug Morison undertook his basic and advanced medical training in the beautiful south-west of England, before fulfilling a childhood dream of moving to Australia after becoming a GP and working for several years in the UK.
Dr Doug Morison
He arrived here in Brisbane in 2015 and immediately felt like it was home. Initially working as a GP he took an interest in Occupational Medicine and over the course of the last eight years has built and led the Durack Occupational Medicine team.
He has achieved further training and qualifications in Occupational Medicine, which is now his main focus.
He still does some general GP work to keep his skills up, but his passion is OccMed and especially now, in Mining related medicine. He is an AMA and very proud to provide an end-to-end service that is second to none.
Who we are
Durack Occupational Medicine is a medical service providing a wide range of high quality workplace and pre-employment medicals across a wide range of industries. We are conveniently located in South-West Brisbane at the crossroads of several main arterial road networks.
We pride ourselves in a swift and excellent service, with quality, safety and great communication at our heart.
What do we do?
• Pre-employment medicals across all industries.
• QLD CMWHS (including AMA service)
• We are an accredited Spirometry practice.
• QLD Respiratory Health Surveillance MMQ.
• NSW Order 43 coal services.
• Transport and Heavy haulage.
• AHP Rail medicals
• DAME for Aviation medicals
• Q fever
• And more!
Testimonial
“Dr Morison and the staff at Durack Occupational Medicine have been the most caring and helpful medical team our company have used. Our company has been working with Durack for around 10 months as we needed extra support with having Q fever vaccinations and extra medical onboarding done as a part of our internal recruitment process. The Durack team went above and beyond to ensure that we had smooth processes and took the extra steps necessary to ensure that we had the right administration support to take the stress off our business. We would make bookings of up to 30 patients in one day, nothing we have ever asked for has been too hard and the support they give to our business never goes unnoticed. The whole team at Durack are second to none. I would highly recommend the Durack medical centre to any business that has any medical requirements. “
• Most medicals can be booked and seen within 72 hours.
Did you know?
Dr Morison is our lead Doctor and a qualified AMA. He is building relationships with some of the best Mining companies in Australia.
• Convenience - we carry out all aspects of the medical from Examination, audio, spirometry to functional under one roof, clients and workers alike find this very smooth. (The only short trip is to X-ray which is 5 minutes away by car).
• Communication is paramount to us, we will always keep you updated on the status of any medicals outstanding and our staff will never keep you waiting.
• Our turnaround times are fast.
• Our prices are extremely competitive.
• We focus on high quality and always have safety in mind.
• Highly experienced staff from reception through to the Doctors led by Dr Doug Morison.
• Drug and alcohol testing
Testimonial
“My company has utilised the services of Dr Doug and his team at Durack Occupational Medicine for over 10 years. In the field of Oc Medicine, Dr Doug not only knows his subject, supports our team with great service and a willingness to support our growing demand. Highly recommend”
- Gavin Dunwoodie, CEO, Products
“At Durack Occupational Medicine , booking appointments is a breeze! Their exceptional customer service and swift booking times made organizing our employees and mining medicals a seamless experience from start to finish. Highly recommended!”
Dr Doug went above and beyond to understand our business and have provided us with tailored medical service to meet our needs. Dr Doug’s knowledge and level of communication make him a valuable assest to our health and safety strategy. He is always available to talk through any medical result or workplace injury. I cannot recommend Dr Doug and his team at Durack Occupational Medicine high enough!’’
MINING PRO SERVICES
CONTRACTOR MANAGEMENT
• A structured engagement, mobilisation, and invoicing process for all subcontractors.
• Leading technology platforms to manage employees, processes, compliance, and reports on services.
• Central account management and monthly reporting.
• Optimal efficiency and effectiveness of site manning requirements.
SITE SUPPORT
• Open-cut site services teams for civil infrastructure and road maintenance, pumps and dewatering, minor works, and rehabilitation projects.
• Underground support services, including secondary support and outbye services.
• Wet and dry hire of ancillary, transport, and light vehicles.
The company is also an active member of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) and supports several regional mining events and initiatives throughout Australia.
To the general public, however, coal has negative connotations and hasn’t been promoted broadly enough across QLD.
“The absence of knowledge is due to a lack of understanding, as the state’s premium metallurgical coal is the best in the world and a key component of the global demand for steel,” Wechsel points out.
This is evidenced by QLD accounting for around 90 percent of Australia’s metallurgical coal production from 2021 to 2022. The demand for the commodity is set to continue into 2024 and beyond as it is an essential ingredient for steel production, one of the most widely used building materials on the planet.
The mining industry’s contribution to QLD is impactful, supporting one in six jobs in the state’s economy. Furthermore, QRC works in close collaboration with member
companies to ensure a positive outcome for all.
APPROACHING ACQUISITIONS
To ensure Mining Pro’s future, the company is continually pursuing new ventures, and naturally, more projects require a larger workforce.
“In addition to Mining Pro’s organic growth over the last three years, we are also considering a number of acquisitions to further bolster our key service offering for our clients.
“The acquisitions are focused on
equipment hire, maintenance, and other mining service offerings that complement our current scope of work and further round out our capabilities to manage the whole-ofmine site operations for our clients,” imparts Wechsel.
Mining Pro is proud to have fostered an environment where strong performance and direct communication with its employees provide the best outcome for clients.
“Our approach to recruiting and retaining employees is focused on creating a culture of development and engagement,” explains Wechsel.
Empowering Businesses to Embrace Risk
We speak to Emjay Insurance Brokers about its enviable history and growth to provide industry-leading insurance solutions, expert risk advice, and first-class claims management to a vast range of high-risk industries. We were joined by one of Emjay’s directors, Christian Cuenca, to delve a bit deeper...
Firstly, could you introduce us to Emjay Insurance Brokers (Emjay) and provide an overview of its main products and services, locations, and client base?
Christian Cuenca, Senior Account Manager (CC): Emjay is one of Australia’s most respected privately and fully family-owned insurance brokers. We have been providing comprehensive insurance and risk management solutions to a variety of companies for more than 35 years.
Our team represents thousands of private and public businesses across a range of high-risk industries such as mining, construction, energy, manufacturing, and life sciences.
At Emjay, we pride ourselves on our comprehensive array of commercial insurance solutions, which can be tailored specifically to the mining industry. Whether you’re involved in surface or underground mining operations in either hard or soft rock mines, we have experience in providing a wide range of essential insurance products designed to safeguard your business and mitigate your exposures.
Whether you require insurance for your property assets or plant and equipment/motor fleet, or be it your public and products liability coverage, directors’ and officers’ insurance, statutory liability, cyber liability, or even workers’ compensation services, our mining industry expertise allows us to offer the best possible solutions from the widest range of underwriting markets to meet your unique challenges.
Ultimately, it is our four decades of experience that we leverage to enable our clients and partners to embrace risk.
Could you outline Emjay’s mission, values, and ethos that underline the company’s insurance services? Does the same apply to its risk management solutions?
CC: Through our values of accountability, authenticity, empathy, and curiosity, our mission is to empower ambitious businesses to embrace risk, smart risk, informed risk, the risk to grow.
At the end of the day, insurance is nothing more than a promise, therefore, when it comes to promises, trust is everything. That’s why, rather than talking about the trust in our services, we guarantee it.
If for any reason our promises are not met after following our written advice, Emjay will refund its clients’ fees at the next renewal and continue to support them to find the resolution of any outstanding matters.
As a company that prides itself on helping its clients understand risk, how does Emjay empower them to grow and evolve?
CC: We fundamentally believe risk is good and that it should be embraced, not avoided; taking risks is the only way to grow and evolve for the future.
Therefore, understanding risk is key to having the best insurance possible. To support clients in this manner, we provide the Emjay 360° Risk Audit, a comprehensive assessment conducted to evaluate the critical risk areas within a business. This involves examining the potential issues associated with the key elements of a client’s operations, from people and contractor risks to processes and operational exposures, to a review of contractual and
statutory obligations, as well as analysis of the dynamic landscape of cybersecurity threats.
Our Emjay 360° Risk Audit can be broken down into the following four areas:
People – Examining risks associated with a client’s workforce, including contractor management and induction protocols, adherence to safety requirements and frameworks, and review of the potential hazards inherent in mining activities. The audit focuses on mitigating risks of accidents, injuries, and health hazards faced by mining contractors, operators, and mine owners.
Processes – Analysing the efficiency, effectiveness, and resilience of operational processes within an organisation. It includes identifying bottlenecks, vulnerabilities, and points of failure that could lead to disruptions or financial losses.
Contractual and statutory obligations – Ensuring compliance with legal requirements, industry standards, and contractual agreements. It involves assessing the business’s adherence to regulations, contractual terms, and obligations to stakeholders, suppliers, and customers.
Cybersecurity landscape – Given the increasing prevalence of cyber threats, this component examines an organisation’s susceptibility to cyberattacks, data breaches, and information security infringements. It also involves evaluating the effectiveness of cybersecurity measures, data protection protocols, and incident response plans.
As the first step we take with each client, the Emjay 360° Risk Audit is a process that captures decades of experience and puts it to work for your business. It means we know and protect clients more efficiently from the very beginning.
Finally, could you tell us more about Emjay’s workers’ compensation team, and the important role that it plays within the company?
CC: Our specialty workers’ compensation team plays a vital role in ensuring the well-being of our clients employees and the sustainability of their operations in the mining industry.
For example, one of our clients is a major service provider to the underground mining industry in Australia. During their proud 30-year history, they have worked on projects across the country, requiring them to operate under the different workers’ compensation frameworks of the various states.
For over a decade, Emjay has provided professional advice and support for all their workers’ compensation insurance matters and the management of injured employees.
In a recent testimonial given by the client, one of our Senior Workers’ Compensation Account Managers was quoted as “being a constant source of invaluable assistance and industry expertise throughout our time of service, working closely with the client’s Return to Work Coordinator and Safety Manager to manage claims proactively and provide advice regarding complex cases, where required.”
See further commentary direct from the client below: “Craig’s thorough understanding of our business and the challenges inherent to the underground mining industry ensure that PYBAR gains the maximum benefit from the relevant workers’ compensation insurance scheme and the associated processes.
“He assists with policy renewal negotiations to obtain the best premiums for our business and participates in monthly claim reviews with each of our insurers, as well as a fortnightly internal review. Craig shares his knowledge and experience to coach and mentor new employees and is always available when required.
“We consider Craig and Emjay an integral part of our injury management team and have grown a strong partnership with the company over the years. We have no hesitation in recommending Emjay to prospective clients and look forward to continuing our relationship into the future.”
Mining Industry Specialists
Emjay is one of Australia’s most respected privately and fully family-owned insurance brokers. We have been providing comprehensive insurance and risk management solutions to a variety of businesses for more than 35 years.
From day one, our mission has been to partner with our clients to protect their businesses by providing smart insurance solutions, expert risk advice and first-class claims management.
Our team represents thousands of private and public businesses across a range of high-risk industries. We leverage our local and global strategic partnerships to access the best insurance products on the market to tailor a solution to suit your needs.
Fundamentally, at Emjay we believe that risk isn’t a bad thing. Without risk, there’s no room for your business to grow and evolve. So we’re here to empower you to embrace risk. Smart risk. Informed risk. The risk to grow.
www.emjayib.com.au
Level 19, 227 Elizabeth Street Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia
Tel: 02 9796 0400
Fax: 02 9790 7017
Email: info@emjayib.com.au
How We Can Help
The key to being properly insured is understanding risk. Our Emjay 360º Risk Audit assesses the critical risk areas across your business, from people to processes, contractual and statutory obligations right through to the ever-evolving cyber landscape.
It’s a process that captures decades of experience and puts it to work for your business; it’s where we start with every client. It means we know you better and protect you better, right from the start.
We’re offering our Mining Outlook/APAC Outlook partners a complementary audit – simply mention the fact you saw our piece in these publications, and we will provide you with a comprehensive review of your current programme at no upfront cost.
Risk Management Services
The company is committed to developing careers in teams managed by experienced leaders, from whom they receive regular guidance and support.
Drawing upon its solid reputation and well-established presence in the industry, Mining Pro consistently attracts top-tier individuals who are seeking long-term careers in a workplace where they feel supported, motivated, and valued.
“Our commitment lies in providing long-term permanent employment opportunities and providing operational training and development programmes to assist in advancing our employees’ mining careers,” he expands.
Many people find the prospect of being part of a dynamic force shaping the future of mining appealing, and Mining Pro certainly values longterm employment and workforce investment.
“Our employees work with
“WE PARTNER WITH THE MINE OWNER OR INCOMING INVESTORS TO OPERATE THE ASSET AS SAFELY, EFFICIENTLY, AND COST-EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE, WITH FLEXIBILITY AND CHOICE IN THE MODEL WE AGREE ON”
– GRANT WECHSEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MINING PRO
management to ensure they are treated as valued team members. We have worked to create a safe, productive environment for our employees,” states Wechsel.
“A key component of our performance culture has been implementing appropriate incentive schemes for our teams that focus on people and production performance metrics to ensure that our employees are recognised and rewarded for their contribution to our company’s on-site performance,” Wechsel announces.
CONTINUING THE JOURNEY
Mining Pro holds key supplier relationships across Australia which supports the company and its teams to operate on-site.
From logistics, medical, and human resources (HR) service providers to key equipment and vehicle suppliers, Mining Pro engages with a range of companies, from small, local providers to large-scale international original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
“We have a majority Indigenousowned supplier that also provides
mine-spec vehicles and other services to the rest of the MWG Mining group,” shares Wechsel.
Mining is the lifeblood of many of the communities in which the company operates, as well as the wider Australian landscape.
“The industry offers real jobs with good salaries and conditions, but it also has a range of other economic benefits at a federal, state, and local level.
“Furthermore, the company contributes to local communities by sponsoring mining industry and
THE MINING PRO MODEL
BUILT ON:
EXPERIENCE – A detailed understanding and first-hand experience of operations in the mining industry.
RESPONSIBILITY – Taking responsibility for the operational leadership, safety, and management of its teams.
CERTAINTY – Delivery of agreed outcomes for clients that add value to their businesses.
CAN INCLUDE:
SUPERVISED CREWS – The company’s crews include highly skilled operators and operational leaders.
WHOLE-OF-MINE PROJECT TEAMS – Mining Pro engages the mine’s operation teams, support personnel, logistics, and other site services.
PARTNERING WITH EQUIPMENT
SUPPLIERS – To provide ultra-class and ancillary equipment for mining operations.
Indigenous engagement initiatives annually. We also attend a range of local events and collaborate with our clients on sponsored events.”
Whether for an existing operating mine or a new greenfield operation coming into production, Mining Pro partners with mine owners to deliver on the day-to-day operations of the mine site.
“Working specifically with coal mining companies to manage operations on-site, our leadership and site teams execute operational mining plans that allow our client partners to focus on running safe, productive, and profitable mines,” Wechsel prides.
Mining Pro’s work scope at current projects includes supervised production crews with supporting project management teams, wholeof-mine site services to manage production, maintenance, logistics, and much more.
The company is currently working with a number of key mining clients, including Coronado Global Resources, Stanmore Resources, and Peabody Energy.
“Our priorities for 2024 are to continue to grow our teams and expand the quality services we are providing to the mining industry. We have already been ramping up several new projects and expect to add over 300 more permanent jobs throughout the year across our businesses.
“If we continue to provide safe and productive services to our clients, I have no doubt it will be a successful year,” Wechsel concludes.
Tel: (07) 3063 1414
info@miningpro.com.au miningpro.com.au
SAFETY, RELIABILITY, PRODUCTIVITY
Serving both underground and surface mining entities, MASPRO provides unmatched engineering and design solutions that surpass industry standards. We learn more about the company with CEO and Founder, Greg Kennard Writer: Lucy Pilgrim | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton
The Australian mining industry has faced continuous fluctuation in recent years due to the alternating prices of nickel and other base metals.
This has encouraged organisations across the country to pay closer attention to the changes in mining demands and adjust their operations accordingly.
“The mining industry is very dynamic. We might win a contract with a new company, and then suddenly, the price of nickel drops and the mine is put into a status of maintenance and repair,” introduces Greg Kennard, CEO and Founder of MASPRO, an engineering specialist business based in New South Wales (NSW).
“On the flip side, we see other commodities increase in price, which means there’s a growing demand for mining sites that will produce lots of a particular base metal.”
MASPRO’s perseverance and expertise in tackling these challenges have resulted in it becoming the
go-to problem solver for any mining equipment needs across Australia and beyond, providing solutions and upgraded parts for both underground and surface mining.
“A key part of our offering is to be able to take a problem, engineer a solution, manufacture the product, control the quality, then strategically deliver the solution to our whole client base,” surmises Kennard.
AN ENGINEER IN THE MAKING
The dedication to finding a solution was instilled into Kennard from a young age as he worked with his father in his machine shop business.
“My father had a machine shop and tool room that did maintenance repairs and a small amount of subcontractor work. Once I left school, I became interested in expanding what the shop was already doing,” Kennard recalls.
With this in mind, Kennard and his father reached out to the regional market to garner a greater
MINING OUTLOOK: HOW DO YOU TRY TO EMPOWER YOUR STAFF AND RECOGNISE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS?
GREG KENNARD, CEO AND FOUNDER: “Without people, you don’t have a business, so it’s important that you bring them along for the journey. One of our key focuses last year and going into 2024 is to build a solid culture that people want to work in.
“We really want to instil an owner’s mindset into our employees and have a high-performing team. Therefore, we need to understand what our key values are and live and breathe them, so we are a close-knit unit.
“We also recognise the individual efforts of our staff throughout the company. I personally go and speak to our employees about what’s working and what’s not, and formulate solutions from their feedback to show that they are valued.
“As such, building a high-performance culture is not easy, but it’s necessary in today’s world.”
understanding of local operations. Subsequently, MASPRO realised there was an opportunity with a mining company located only 60 kilometres (km) from the company’s location in Condobolin, NSW.
The project required the reverse engineering of the rotation equipment in an Atlas Copco Cop 1238 drifter, as well as the re-manufacturing and improvement of various other parts. To achieve this, MASPRO spent some time investigating the equipment and discussing it with neighbouring organisations to devise the best way to recreate the required components.
“In the end, we eventually came up with a design and sent it back to the mine site, where it performed very well.
“At this point, we realised that the mining industry was a great opportunity for us to explore what else was out there in terms of spare parts supply. Subsequently, MASPRO grew out of that experience,” adds Kennard.
“A KEY PART OF OUR OFFERING IS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A PROBLEM, ENGINEER A SOLUTION, MANUFACTURE THE PRODUCT, CONTROL THE QUALITY, THEN STRATEGICALLY DELIVER THE SOLUTION TO OUR WHOLE CLIENT BASE”
– GREG KENNARD, CEO AND FOUNDER, MASPRO
After bringing on board his two brothers, the company has steadily increased to over 100 people and now has a developing presence across Western Australia (WA).
IN-HOUSE PROBLEM SOLVERS
Alongside MASPRO’s offices in Condobolin, it also has a significant manufacturing site at Wetherill Park in Sydney, sitting at 2,200 square metres (sqm).
Meanwhile, the company also possesses warehouses, as well as a
sales and marketing office in Perth.
Each state-of-the-art manufacturing facility produces re-engineered parts for an extensive list of clients across Australia, Africa, Canada, the US, and Asia.
“Despite their high quality, a lot of machines used in the industry are not specifically designed to mine harsh environments like that of Australia.
“We understand the pain points and offer an engineered solution,” divulges Kennard.
Additionally, the company’s
in-house engineering, design, manufacturing, and quality control capabilities place it a cut above the rest, as unlike other organisations that exclusively design and produce prototypes, MASPRO goes the extra mile by manufacturing high-quality products on time.
Moreover, the business strives to keep ahead of technological trends with the most up-to-date parts, components, and assemblies. MASPRO also works closely with suppliers to understand mining trends in any given space, which can subsequently be applied to its manufacturing strategy.
Thirdly, being able to produce an exceptional product at the lowest cost of ownership is essential to the company’s differentiation.
AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH
MASPRO has undertaken a range of upgrading projects across Australia, including the creation of a redesigned development drill.
“A lot of mining equipment is leveraged outside the scope of what it was originally designed for. In this particular case, these underground development drills were made for tunnelling, however, in the harsh environments of
MASPRO AT A GLANCE
16+ years serving critical mining and underground operations worldwide.
80+ full-time engineering and production experts with decades of experience.
FIVE locations across Australia in both metropolitan and regional centres.
300+ satisfied clients.
26,000 orders manufactured and delivered.
Australia, they are often used for bolting, thus exceeding the machinery’s capabilities,” Kennard explains.
As this causes major wear and tear on the components, MASPRO therefore completely redesigned the equipment, from the carrier to the fleet rail, whilst also offering an upgraded version of the drill’s SB60 boom.
This allows machine operators to conduct work in a safer manner whilst increasing the reliability and productivity of its equipment.
The company also recently redesigned a drilling rotating head so that it could operate in very rough and broken ground.
The standard machinery from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) only had a service life of 200 hours, a major decrease from the expected time of 6,000 hours. This, in turn, caused many operator problems due to difficult ground conditions.
“After experimenting with different
Val Serrano, Production Supervisor
versions, the engineers got together to eventually design a simple solution in the form of an accessible kit that can be used to stop operations failing catastrophically,” Kennard tells us.
As a result of the devised kit, the client’s equipment service hours increased from 200 to 12,000.
We began by distributing carbon steel and steadily widened our portfolio to include plate processing, coil processing, stainless steels, engineering steels and aluminium.
Today the diversity of products we offer, and the geographic spread of our operations means Vulcan has become a key supplier to the Australasian economy. We have 69 warehousing, manufacturing, and processing facilities throughout Australia and New Zealand. Our sustained growth is the product of superior service and dedication to continuously improving every facet of our business.
Engineering Steels Capabilities:
“We were so proud of the solution we provided that we now offer this kit across the industry to all our clients,” adds Kennard.
Looking at other areas of MASPRO, the company’s sales team assesses mining projects on-site, whether it be travelling to a rock or coal face, to understand the pain points of a particular project.
This hands-on approach means that the business consistently has project redesigns and upgrades in the pipeline, providing opportunities for the engineering team to come up with increasingly innovative solutions.
STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE
With two major manufacturing facilities, MASPRO has heavily invested in newer technology, state-of-the-art equipment, and the upskilling of its people.
Therefore, its next phase of growth is to have a polished sales team.
“We are restructuring the
“BUILDING A HIGH-PERFORMANCE CULTURE IS NOT EASY, BUT IT’S NECESSARY IN TODAY’S WORLD”
– GREG KENNARD, CEO AND FOUNDER, MASPRO
department to inject fresh talent, such as business development managers and product support specialists.”
Alongside a comprehensive internal strategy, MASPRO’s suppliers are also key to its upward trajectory, working with partners across Europe.
“We partner with our customers; it’s important to understand their needs and work closely with them so that we can respond to any challenges accordingly.”
On the other hand, its purpose-built distribution centre in Condobolin, NSW moves products quickly and efficiently to strategic locations across the country in Sydney, Perth, and Mount Isa.
“The expectation in the mining industry is that parts are delivered on-site within a week, so we’ve worked closely with suppliers and transport companies to ensure that we can deliver on that promise,” Kennard adds.
So much so, that one of MASPRO’s core key performance indicators (KPIs) is shipped in-full, on-time (SIFOT), which is something the company monitors closely.
Furthermore, when considering corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, MASPRO looks to its suppliers to ensure they are sourcing products sustainably.
In this way, the company places
great efforts towards reducing its carbon footprint where it can. For instance, the business has made alterations to its operations by introducing solar panels, whilst a number of other initiatives are in the pipeline, including local community support work.
“We understand our community’s needs, so being able to support them where we can is important to us, such as creating job opportunities and supporting local charities and industry organisations.”
GOING GLOBAL
MASPRO has significant growth targets in its reach, such as becoming a supplier of critical and upgraded parts for the mining industry.
“We’ve done a lot in the previous years to get us into a position where we can really execute our strategic goals. Part of that is our new product development, which will contribute to revenue growth.”
When partnering with clients, MASPRO’s brand awareness and marketing strategy going forward will be to increase the number of Tier 1 miners that it works with, both onshore and offshore.
These activities are supported by the NSW government’s Going Global
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Program, which has introduced an initiative that supports the global expansion of mining companies.
Particularly MASPRO is currently looking to expand into the Canadian market, in particular.
“The NSW government is supporting us to understand how the Canadian market operates, and we’ll be attending the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM) tradeshow in Vancouver in May, where we will showcase who we are and what we do,” concludes Kennard.
Further afield, MASPRO is also seeking other growth opportunities in Southeast Asia and Africa, operating across a number of different fronts.
Since the beginning of civilisation, earth’s resources have been mined and subsequently used to make energy, manufacture, and create wealth and trade. Contract Mining has been a part of this in some form or another.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and the global mining industry is booming, as a multitude of elements and rare minerals are in high demand as a direct result of the introduction of new technologies, energy solutions, and goods that are required across
the world. Today, contract mining services play a major role in mine site development, the extraction of ore, and mine site rehabilitation – through to mine closure works.
Mining in Australia is a vast industry that remains famous worldwide due
UNEARTHING AUSTRALIA’S MINING POTENTIAL
BUMA Australia has a vision to build a modern mining and rehabilitation company, that drives growth, sustainability, and prosperity. We dig deeper into the company’s story with COO, Russell Taylor, and General Manager –Rehabilitation, Ngaire Tranter
Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton
to its fascinating history, power in the export market, and its role as a trendsetter in ‘futureproofing’ the wider mining sector.
Furthermore, the high quantity of mining sites in the country means that the industry provides a sizable
prospective job market for Australian citizens, as well as for the number of foreign workers who want to work in the field due to its esteemed global standing.
The Australian mining industry has become more efficient at extracting
maximum product but in a more sustainable way. No longer is mine site rehabilitation an afterthought to mine development, it is planned for at the pre-feasibility stage of the mine life cycle. New technologies are being embraced in rehabilitating mined
Back to The Future in Transportation
Acompany with old-fashioned values is delivering modern and innovative approaches to BIBO services and mine fleet hire with environmental standards at the forefront.
L&F Transfers are in the business of getting people where they need to be, safely, in comfort, and on time.
At a time when the safety and wellbeing of staff is at the forefront of every procurement manager’s mind, choosing a company that prides itself on safety, reliability and professionalism is essential.
L&F provides not only this, but a flexible and dynamic approach to transport solutions and a focus on building strong relationships with clients.
L&F offers total passenger solutions and management.
Currently servicing Queensland and South Wales, with a strong presence in Central Queensland.
Our depots and workshops
• Yeppoon
• Blackwater
• Emerald
• Charters Towers
• Gin Gin
Founder and CEO Lindsey Ward’s foundation partnership was with the John Holland Group at the Jellinbah Plains mine, owned by the Jellinbah Group. Today the partnership is stronger than ever with an ongoing commitment that will see them through to 20 years of collaboration. Thanks to continued partnerships with industry leading companies such as Jellinbah, BUMA, Sojitz, NQM and Evolution to name a few, the Yeppoon based business continues to thrive and grow.
General Manager, Nathan Turner, has been with the company for five years and in that time, he’s overseen rapid growth and the expansion from bus services exclusively into mine fleet hire. L&F Fleet Hire has grown to more than 80 fleet hire vehicles from five to 57 seaters.
“We have focused on providing highly adaptable and reliable workforce transport solutions to support the mining and resources industry and local communities,” Nathan said.
“We do not keep coaches older than five years in our fleet. In fact, we aim to turn our fleet over at three years. We do this to ensure reliability, safety, and lower emissions. This year we’ve taken ownership of six Yutong C12 Clean Euro 6 emission compliant engine coaches.
“These coaches are equipped with state-ofthe-art technology including advanced safety systems and the best fuel efficiency on the market resulting in a minimum of 20 percent reduction in emissions. In every new bus we also install a Guardian driver monitoring system, a driver fatigue, distraction and accident prevention solution. We also have the ability to access live stream CCTV.
“It is undeniable that our partnership with our customers is our strength and superpower.”
“We take the view that every person on every seat is our client and it’s our responsibility to get them home safely” Nathan said.
L&F Transfers gives back to the communities in which it works, providing thousands of kilometres of bus and coach transfers every year.
VALUES:
• Safety is our number one priority: we ensure everyone makes it to their destination safely.
• We’re on time, every time – 15 minutes leeway is our limit, or it’s free
• We’re available around the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• We’re professional - you can expect honesty, integrity and transparency when dealing with us.
• We provide good old-fashioned service that is personal, courteous, genuine, and friendly.
SAFE, RELIABLE, AVAILABLE, PROFESSIONAL AND GREAT SERVICE
L&F Fleet Hire’s main operation is in Central Queensland, but it offers services right across Queensland and New South Wales, providing:
• Mine-compliant light vehicles
o 4WD Wagons
o 4WD Utes
o 4WD and 2WD HiAce’s
• Buses and coaches
• Tailored fleet solutions
• Network of mechanical workshops
• Highest standards for safety, reliability, and functionality
• 4WD bus conversion kits – they are the Central Queensland dealer for EnduroCo.
L&F Fleet Hire provides safe, efficient and adaptable fleet hire to support the mining and resources industry and local communities.
MINING OUTLOOK: HOW DO YOU EMPOWER YOUR STAFF AND RECOGNISE THE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT THEY MAKE?
Ngaire Tranter, General Manager
– Rehabilitation: “People are our greatest strength at BUMA and remain central to our ongoing success. We provide meaningful career development opportunities for our employees so that they feel both challenged and fulfilled at work.
“We are a beliefs-driven organisation, and we believe that our commitment to our core values of safety, integrity, progress, collaboration, and people further facilitate the process of creating a positive work experience for all of
areas and also in the monitoring and maintenance of the rehabilitated land.
The mining industry currently finds itself in a dynamic period of change, as the collective focus has turned to developing efficient mechanisms to manage environmental and social considerations, whilst maximising resource extraction.
Additionally, the industry as a whole is striving for an enhanced quality of rehabilitation as opposed to a focus simply on obtaining quantity.
BUMA Australia (BUMA) is well placed to provide this high-quality rehabilitation delivery and practices, which is demonstrated by the work it has conducted for clients in the past, and present and will continue to do so in the future.
“With the increase in prescriptive compliance in environmental licensing, we’re currently working closely with our clients in the implementation space to essentially operationalise planning documentation that is designed for
seeking environmental approvals and associated licensing,” introduces Ngaire Tranter, General ManagerRehabilitation of BUMA.
AUSTRALIA: A HISTORICAL MINING GIANT
At present, approximately 1.2 million people are employed in the Australian mining industry, with the sector’s net worth of exported resources totalling an estimated AUD$160 billion.
Existing as a nation with an abundant supply of metals and materials, the country has naturally enjoyed a long and successful mining history, dating back to its first human habitation around 60,000 years ago.
The First Nations people initiated Australia’s first-ever mining operations, which included fossicking for stones suitable for weapons and tools and digging for ochre. This was then used for making pigments for the paint used in rock art and body painting, forming an integral part of their culture and distinctly unique heritage.
AUSTRALIA’S TOP MINING RESOURCES
As seen throughout its past, Australia is home to a wealth of materials that the nation has mined and exported to help drive its economy. Historically, the top four mining resources have been:
IRON ORE – Australia has been exporting iron ore, its most significant source of export revenue, since the 1960s, first helping to support Japan’s post-war redevelopment.
COAL – Australia is the biggest coal exporter in the world. As well as being vitally important to the export market, coal helps fuel the country and is primarily used to produce around 80 percent of the nation’s electricity needs.
Australia’s biggest coal mine is Peak Downs, located in the Bowen Basin in Queensland.
GOLD – With a history of gold rushes and an abundance of gold resources, it is no surprise that Australia continues to be a prominent focus in the world’s growing demand for gold. In 2021 alone, the country’s gold exports totalled 257 tonnes.
Its biggest gold mines are in Western Australia (WA), including the Boddington Gold Mine, and the Kalgoorlie Super Pit. As the country holds the title of the largest gold mine reserve in the world, there is no sign of Australia’s gold mine industry slowing down any time soon.
URANIUM – Australia is the world’s fourth largest producer of uranium, behind Canada, Namibia, and Kazakhstan, and holds 28 percent of the world’s known recoverable uranium resources. Due to the potential uses of the material, Australia exports it worldwide to countries that have agreed to use uranium for peaceful purposes only.
Later, upon the arrival of European settlers to Australia, the process of large-scale mining truly began. The first reported discovery of coal occurred in 1791 and was found by a family of escaped convicts, William and Mary Bryant, and their children.
This defining discovery was unearthed just three years after the arrival of the first fleet of settlers. The exact location of the find is unknown, but it is believed to have been located in Glenrock Lagoon in the Newcastle and Hunter regions of New South Wales (NSW).
Eight years later in 1799, coal was being exported with shipments that were sent regularly to India, thus initiating a long and prosperous history of exporting mined materials.
Lead mining began in 1841, which was shortly followed by copper in 1842. Both resources were regarded as monumental developments for the Australian economy, with the subsequent gold rush era in the 1850s catapulting the nation firmly onto the global map.
Finding the Right Mining Solution for You
Over the past six years, Ostwald Steele Electrical Pty Ltd (OSE) has operated heavily across the East Coast of Australia as one of BUMA Australia’s key partners through delivering high-quality professional trade labour, developing safety improvement products, efficiency solutions, and being utilised as the leading electrical contractor on various infrastructure projects within its operations.
Having developed and continually growing a solid team of value-driven professionals, OSE covers much more than just mining equipment maintenance. The company is known for its ability to resolve complex issues through ‘Expanding Solutions’ paired with the belief that anything is possible.
OSE’s mission to provide elite maintenance trade services and industry solutions for mining, commercial, industrial, and residential operations and contractors is achieved alongside BUMA Australia and has played a huge part in the growth and diversification of OSE’s services offered to BUMA and the wider industry.
Having diversified teams specialising in their own unique fields - mining maintenance, electrical contracting, and product R&D, OSE’s team comprises multiple trades and industryrelated talent, i.e., electricians, HD fitters and mechanics, auto electricians, refrigeration mechanics, servicemen, and apprentices. Externally, OSE partners with quality and valuealigning companies as a strength in its product development and infrastructure fields.
Having a permanent workforce allows OSE to invest in its people and their careers, resulting in a team of professionally developed tradespeople who remain consistent in innovation, quality, and efficiency while greatly assisting with closing the trade shortage gap by cross-training and upskilling its workforce in overlapping trade and industry fields.
MINING MAINTENANCE
OSE prides itself on machine availability and increasing companies’ overall productivity.
What sets the company apart is knowing and understanding the value and importance attached to having a wellmaintained and readily available fleet of equipment operating at maximum capacity on a consistent basis. Having internal targets clearly communicated to both the team and clients, OSE delivers results from the ground up, maintaining a smooth mining and production operation for every client.
Specifically, the company has a professional focus on electrical technology and equipment advancements across various industries and a solution focus on upskilling its workforce to align with the evolving needs of its clients. OSE invests heavily in cross-training electrical and mechanical fields, offering dual trade apprenticeships to ensure its people are as technically skilled and knowledgeable as possible on heavy equipment electrical adaptation. OSE is known for providing extra value to its client’s maintenance operations and always maintaining a positive company culture.
With a deep understanding of defect management, machine
With a deep understanding of defect management, machine schedules, and thorough preventative maintenance, OSE reliably ensures the highest level of maintenance for every mining fleet. With continuous advancement and innovation, the OSE team operates with the utmost attention to detail to achieve fast diagnosis and repair of any and all breakdowns, ensuring minimal downtime and protecting operational yield. With values that include the promotion of integrity and transparency, solutions and success, risk management and a safe environment, and the professional development of the people who encompass OSE, the company is set to be the leading global resource for professional trade skills and industry solutions within the energy sector.
PROTECTING PEOPLE WITH pLEV™
With silicosis currently playing a dominant role in mine workers’ health deterioration, professional bodies, including the QLD mines inspectorate and regulatory bodies, identified an area of high exposure to hazardous respirable substancesthe practice of cleaning fine dust from electrical components. After this discovery, OSE went searching for a solution to ensure the protection of its team and industry professionals.
Co-developed with Australia’s leading air quality engineers Synergetics, the pLEV™ system (portable Local Exhaust Ventilation) is an air-operated cleaning system used to effectively clean electrical cabinets and components on electro-mechanical mobile plant and mining equipment. pLEV™ can be adapted to most mining air cleaning tasks where dust exposure is a concern, including:
• Electrical cabinets
• Switchboards
• Electric motors
• Alternators
• MG sets
• Drive motors
• Grids
The pLEV™ system works by creating negative pressurecontrolled environments in electrical cabinets. Dust is disturbed using the pLEV™ SmartLance and extracted safely and effectively using the pLEV™ Extractor.
pLEV™ Extractor is responsible for creating the negative pressure environment and the safe extraction of airborne dust. It has a dual-stage extraction fan that directs airflow through a HEPA-13-rated filtration system before then being released into the atmosphere as clean air. The portable extraction unit weighs under 14kg, is easy to work with and light to wear.
pLEV™ SmartLance HP (high pressure) enables the use of compressed air in the extraction environment. It features illumination, multivariable sensors for failsafe operation and optional cloud-based reporting. The SmartLance monitors particle exposure through air quality sensors with failsafe shutdown technology at the ready if an unlikely exposure event occurs. Negative pressure sensors are fitted to the SmartLances to prevent use outside the operational environment and to avoid accidental exposures.
pLEV™ SmartLance EX (exhaust) houses all the same safety and failsafe technology as the SmartLance HP but uses exhaust air directly from the Extractor to dislodge dust. Intended for use as a field unit, this air supply option allows for easier transportation due to the elimination of the need for compressed air.
pLEV™ Covers are lightweight, durable, and tailored to most common electrical cabinets and components. The covers are used to seal the cabinet to create a negative pressure extraction environment and minimising the risk of potential dust exposure. pLEV™ Covers are designed to give the operator a clear view of inside the cabinet so that they can see what they are cleaning.
The pLEV™ system improves the health and safety of all those who work daily in mining maintenance by preventing hazardous dust exposures that occur through traditional cleaning practices on electrical cabinets and components.
EXPANDING SOLUTIONS
At its core, OSE is driven by the purpose of expanding solutions, dedicating itself daily to the growth of skills, safety, and technical expertise among its team. With a forwardlooking approach, OSE has evolved its services to align with the global shift towards cleaner living, emerging as a leader in comprehending, maintaining, and repairing electro-drive equipment and technology across various industry sectors.
The company’s commitment to sustainability is complemented by its investment in a permanent workforce.
This strategic choice not only fosters a team of consistently innovative and skilled tradespeople but also positions OSE at the cutting edge of technology. Through continuous research and development, OSE tackles challenges with a solution focused mindset, producing new technology and equipment that expands solutions and delivers optimal outcomes for clients.
The heart of OSE’s success lies in its unparalleled expertise in maintaining operational fleets and enhancing machine availability through defect management, machine schedules, and preventative maintenance, thus boosting overall
OSTWALD STEELE ELECTRICAL PTY LTD SERVICES
MINING AND INDUSTRIAL
• OSE offers a comprehensive range of services to industrial and mining companies, including electrical infrastructure projects and electrical contracting to specialised mining equipment maintenance contracts.
• With nearly a decade of experience in mining and remote electrical work, the company confidently offers everything from basic electrical installations to complex electrical repairs and system upgrades including renewable energy options and standalone power gen systems.
COMMERCIAL
• OSE is a trusted provider of commercial electrical services, offering quality electrical installations, repairs, and maintenance for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
• With experienced and certified electricians on staff, OSE provides comprehensive and reliable electrical solutions to meet any commercial need.
RESIDENTIAL
• With expertise in lighting, power, maintenance, and smart home systems, OSE offers comprehensive solutions tailored for homes, sheds, and outdoor areas.
• Whether it’s a new build, renovation, landscaping, or electrical upgrade, the team has the knowledge to bring any idea to life.
productivity for its clients. Internal targets, transparently communicated, serve as guiding lights, ensuring seamless mining and production operations. OSE’s unique focus on electrical technology advancements, workforce upskilling, and cross-training amplifies the company’s commitment to staying ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of technology and safety standards.
In response to the industry-wide challenge of silicosis and OSE’s commitment to protecting people, OSE collaborated with partners, including Synergetics, to pioneer the groundbreaking pLEV™ system. This portable Local Exhaust Ventilation system redefines safety standards, offering a meticulous solution for cleaning electrical cabinets and components, vastly minimising the risk of hazardous mining dust exposure from these tasks. Components like the pLEV™ Extractor, SmartLance HP, SmartLance EX, and Covers truly showcase OSE’s dedication to health and safety advancement.
OSE’s journey is marked by the cultivation of a team of value-driven professionals, a testament to its commitment to ‘Expanding Solutions’ and fostering a positive company culture. This ethos propels the company beyond the confines
of mere mining equipment maintenance, positioning it as a leader in resolving intricate challenges with an unwavering belief in the attainability of anything. OSE’s scope now spans mining, commercial, industrial, and residential sectors, made possible by a permanent workforce committed to unwavering innovation, quality, and efficiency.
BUMA COMPANY VALUES
BUMA’s vision is to build a modern mining and rehabilitation company, that drives growth, sustainability, and prosperity. The basis of this vision is the core values of safety, integrity, collaboration, people, and progress.
PEOPLE – BUMA’s greatest strength is its people, and the company recognises their history and values how they shape its future.
SAFETY – BUMA is dedicated to working safely and believes this is a mindset, a way of thinking, and a commitment to the well-being of its people, communities, and the environment.
INTEGRITY – The company is founded on good people doing good things. “We do what we say we are going to do” isn’t just a tagline for BUMA, as the company always deliver on its promises.
COLLABORATION – BUMA actively seeks collaboration with all stakeholders to find common solutions and positive outcomes.
PROGRESS – The company pursues growth and sees change as an essential part of its journey.
Gold was first discovered in NSW in 1823, and in the decades following, more and more influential finds were dug up across Australia.
The exciting news of the discovery of gold spread worldwide, and as people began emigrating to the country in huge numbers, population growth increased exponentially alongside fresh agricultural and industrial development. The transformations of the 1850s saw Australia producing approximately a staggering 40 percent of the world’s gold supply.
However, during the first half of the 20th century, the nation witnessed
a steady decline in mining activity, with new mineral finds becoming more and more scarce. Subsequently, during the second half of the century, Australia once again witnessed a resource boom, with discoveries including nickel, oil, natural gas, and uranium. These prominent discoveries prompted a resurrection of global interest in the country’s mineral resources.
AUSTRALIA: KEY MINING LOCATIONS
With abundant resources, it is no surprise that mining is so prevalent throughout Australia.
Specifically, Western Australia (WA) is widely considered the epicentre of Australian mining and a major force in the industry worldwide. It is home to a vast number of natural resources and some of the country’s largest mines
WA currently plays host to 98 percent of Australia’s iron ore and 60 percent of the country’s gold reserves. These plentiful resources mean that at present, more than 20,000 people in WA work in the mining industry.
These are particularly exciting times for the Queensland mining sector, as growing demand has meant that explorations for new mines have begun in the north and east of the state, with the potential to create even more jobs in the future.
In the 2021/22 financial year, the Queensland mining industry contributed a record AUD$94.6 billion to the Australian economy.
Staggeringly, despite its large number of mines and impressive economic contribution, the industry only takes up 0.1 percent of the state’s surface area.
Victoria, meanwhile, continues to play a significant part in the country’s mining history. In 1851, gold was discovered in Ballarat, which triggered the gold rush that gripped the country and the wider world. It is still a key location for the production of gold, brown coal, mineral sands and antimony today, and is filled with great potential for future mineral exploration.
Mineral projects play an important role in regional development within Victoria, whilst mining creates lucrative employment for regional Australians and supports a broad supply chain of businesses.
The state is additionally home to the Fosterville Gold Mine, the largest gold mine in Victoria. Exploration also proceeds elsewhere, such as in Glen Wills, an isolated mountain area near Mitta Mitta in north-east Victoria.
Recently, a spotlight has been placed on the growing demand for
green energy alternatives and battery technologies. Therefore, mineral exploration is widely underway with a particular focus on vanadium and lithium.
AN EXPLOSIVE START FOR BUMA
BUMA was established in 2021, to acquire the Open Cut Mining Business of Downer. This acquisition included the transition of all people, mining services contracts, assets, systems, and IP from a business that successfully provided mining services in diverse locations across many commodities since 1922.
In only two years of operating as BUMA, 750 new employees have joined the business, the number of operations has increased by 57 percent, and the size of the business has doubled. BUMA has exploded onto the Australian market and further strategic growth is planned.
BUMA’s rapid growth has been based on the quality of services that it provides its clients and its strict adherence to the company’s core values. BUMA pursues a relationship-based long-term approach and willingness to work with clients to ensure the mutual success of all projects.
“Ensuring we provide value to our clients through all stages of mining, including rehabilitation, is a mainstay of our business,” Taylor informs us.
With a strong focus on delivering optimal outcomes for our clients and a strong commitment to safety, innovation, and technology BUMA Australia has quickly become one of Australia’s leading mining contractors.
BUMA AUSTRALIA: DELIVERY AND COMMITMENT
BUMA is an established mining services provider currently operating several long-term contracts within Queensland. The company has been providing mining services for 75 years and has established, numerous longterm relationships within the industry.
“THE KEY TO OUR CONTINUED CONTRACT SUCCESS COMES FROM OUR FOCUS ON DELIVERING SERVICES TO MEET EVOLVING CLIENT NEEDS USING A FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE APPROACH”
– RUSSELL TAYLOR, COO, BUMA AUSTRALIA
BUMA’s current contracts are diverse, tailored to suit client requirements, encompassing a range of services from full mine operation, pre-strip, coal mining, processing plant maintenance and operation, and statutory management, as well as incorporating activities from greenfield development to closure and rehabilitation services.
With a strong commitment to safety, systems and technology, BUMA pursues a relationship-based, long-term approach to ensure the mutual success of all its projects.
“The key to our continued contract success comes from our focus on delivering services to meet evolving client needs, using a flexible and adaptable approach,” Taylor remarks.
“Our strength lies in our people,
with an experienced and diverse workforce of over 1,500 individuals, who conduct new-to-industry training programmes.”
Further to this, BUMA’s operational capabilities and technical services include mine planning, dozer push, dragline operation, load and haul operations, wash plants, and drill and blast across seven different sites.
BUMA also provides full mining services, including statutory roles, at both the Broadmeadow East and Burton mines. In addition to the Bowen Basin, the company has also provided full mining services, which include statutory roles and coal delivery to power stations at the Meandu mine for the last 10 years, as well as the Commodore mine for over two decades.
Underpinning every facet of the business, BUMA has established a set of core values that are applied daily throughout the business, and with a well-established history of successfully completing rehabilitation and environmental projects, BUMA now offers a full suite of services from mine development through to closure, including progressive rehabilitation as the mine advances.
“We have key operational sites that are actively working under Progressive Rehabilitation and Closure Plan (PRCP), which provides us with first-hand knowledge of rehabilitation delivery requirements under this new regime.”
BLACKWATER MINING PROJECT
One of the operations that BUMA is most proud of is the Blackwater Mine, which is situated in the Central Highlands of Queensland, known for its mining heritage and substantial coal deposits.
Blackwater is one of BUMA’s most established and successful projects, showcasing efficient operational practices, along with a steadfast commitment to safety, community, and our team.
As such, BUMA has been conducting truck and excavator pre-strip operations at Blackwater since 2012. Each year, the company’s fleets mine over 44 million banked cubic meters of material. To facilitate the efficient movement of this material, BUMA operates and maintains a substantial equipment fleet, which includes a Hitachi EX8000 excavator, three Caterpillar 6060 excavators, and a Hitachi EX3600 excavator. These are further supported by 28 Komatsu 930E and CAT 789 haul trucks.
Led by Project Manager, Freya Perrins, Blackwater’s success is a testament to the collective strength and expertise of its diverse and
seasoned workforce. The Blackwater project’s established training department oversees the site’s newto-industry programmes such as the First Nations work readiness initiative that has been operating since 2016.
The purpose of the work readiness initiative is to provide an introduction to mining life and offer helpful advice on potential career pathways in the industry. The programme covers topics that employees will face on a day-to-day basis to help assist those who are new to the mining sector or even the BUMA workforce.
Overall, this has had great success in preparing new-to-industry operators to be successful in securing full-time positions in the company.
“Diversity is a valued part of BUMA’s
employment approach, and we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace that facilitates opportunity and respect,” Perrins tells us.
“Our focus on cultural inclusiveness is active and ongoing, and we are continually working to build our organisational culture with a focus on enhancing workforce diversity,” he establishes.
BUMA’s relationship with the community is a significant component of its business and the company’s reputation as a valued corporate citizen and community-conscious organisation has been achieved by consistently working closely with its neighbours. Subsequently, BUMA is committed to continuously
implementing this across all its projects.
The future of the company will depend on its ability to maintain its social license to develop, operate, and close mines consistently alongside its stakeholders’ expectations.
“At Blackwater, we highly value our community and continuously seek opportunities to assist both individuals and local businesses. This support extends to local goods and services procurement, as well as offering ongoing financial assistance to various local initiatives, including the Tiny Tots Kindergarten Centre, local youth football teams, and the Blackwater Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) Braking the Cycle (BTC) programme,” she adds.
DRILLING INTO THE FUTURE
A trusted, family-owned company for over 45 years, built on honesty, integrity, and safety. Led by Gayle Coldwell and her son Brendan, our experienced team operates in Australia and the Asia Pacific region, delivering top-quality drilling services tailored to your needs. Safety, expertise, and commitment are our priorities.
Conclusively, the Blackwater Mine has consistently maintained a high level of operational efficiency and a strong commitment to safety standards. This achievement has been made possible through BUMA’s people, technology, and thorough safety measures.
BUMA OBJECTIVES
REHABILITATION PROJECTS
It has become a significant focus for BUMA to carry on delivering exceptional service in collaboration with its clients, BUMA recognises that there has been a significant investment into technical resources to develop rehabilitation and closure
To achieve the company’s vision, BUMA’s senior leadership and management:
• Take accountability for the effectiveness of quality management.
• Guarantee that all quality objectives have been set and are maintained adjacent to internal auditing and monitoring in order to enhance customer satisfaction.
• Promote the use of a process approach and risk-based thinking.
• Engage, direct, and support people to contribute to the effectiveness of the quality management system, encourage improvement and professionalism, and motivate employees
This list of policies is communicated to all employees, subcontractors, and organisations working for BUMA.
plans across the Australian mining industry. As such, the delivery of works in accordance with these requirements is paramount.
“We aim for long-term stable and sustainable landforms, with our focus firmly set upon efficiency in earth movements right from bulk earthworks through to the ongoing management and maintenance of completed areas,” Taylor comments.
“This, supported by our quality control and evidence-based monitoring processes, ensures that we support our clients in equally meeting their scheduled physical delivery and statutory reporting outcomes,” he furthers.
Today, rehabilitation activities at Stanwell’s Meandu Mine commence as soon as areas become available,
with over 930 hectares (ha) of native vegetation rehabilitation already completed across the site.
This year, the Meandu site is aiming to achieve an additional 41.5 ha of native vegetation rehabilitation. Significant work has already occurred, with the land profiled, topsoiled, and seeded earlier this year. Previously, during 2022, BUMA successfully completed 28.7 ha of native vegetation rehabilitation across the Meandu Mine.
“Our native vegetation rehabilitation areas, designed to meet the final post-mining landform, exemplify our commitment to safety, stability, sustainability, and adherence to environmental regulations,” Tranter shares.
“To ensure the project’s success, we thoroughly follow government
“OUR STRENGTH LIES IN OUR PEOPLE, WITH AN EXPERIENCED AND DIVERSE WORKFORCE OF OVER 1,500 INDIVIDUALS”
– RUSSELL TAYLOR, COO, BUMA AUSTRALIA
regulations, incorporating specific design elements such as gradients, cover materials, and drainage systems.”
Similarly, BUMA also designed and constructed a network of rock-lined drains, utilising basalt rock sourced from the mine, to manage the overland flow and mitigate the risk of erosion.
“We place topsoil across the entire rehabilitation surface, drawing from on-site topsoil stockpiles that are assessed for quality, ensuring optimal performance for native vegetation
rehabilitation. To reduce the compaction of the cover material, we employ a single-pass method, which included the processes of fertilisation, ripping, and seeding,” he continues.
BUMA is committed to restoring the environment to its natural state, a promise that extends to its choice of seeds. Over 600 kilograms (kg) of seeds, comprising a diverse mix of species of trees, shrubs and grasses mirroring the local regional ecosystem, are spread across the rehabilitation site.
Culleton Contracting Pty Ltd (Culleton Contracting) is an all-encompassing and comprehensive bulk excavation and earthworks company, permeating many industries across Queensland and Western Australia.
With over three decades of experience, the company has progressed to become highly respected as a reliable source of excavation operations, regardless of the size and complexity of the project in hand.
Mining Outlook (MO): Please could you briefly introduce us to Culleton Contracting and tell us more about the company?
Kristy Presnell, Office Manager (KP): Culleton Contracting is a privately-owned, proprietary limited, Australian company based in South-East and Central Queensland. Established in 2020, we provide services for clients operating in mining, local and state government infrastructure, and land development sectors throughout the state.
Our continued and steady growth has been revolved around developing close, long-term working relationships with our clients. This is achieved by providing experienced people a variety of modern equipment using our internal expertise and knowledge, to deliver a wide range of contracts in a timely and cost-effective manner, whilst upholding the highest safety standards.
Culleton Contracting’s staff – consisting of approximately 40 employees - have extensive experience in projects, operations, and maintenance activities in a variety of heavy industries. These include coal and metalliferous mining, upstream and downstream gas transmission and facilities, marine services utilities including water and sewer lines, bridge and
dam construction, windfarms, solar plants, and the farming industry, including organic farms.
MO: What differentiates Culleton Contracting from the competition?
KP: Culleton Contracting is large enough to respond to our clients’ needs while being small enough to develop and maintain personal business relationships.
The company’s reputation is built on the commitment and dedication of all its employees, delivering outcomes that meet our clients’ specific requirements.
Our business supports the community and local groups by way of donations, attendance at community events, and supply of Culleton Contracting merchandise.
MO: Please could you elaborate on the company’s partnership with BUMA Australia? How long have you worked together and what is the nature of your interaction?
KP: Culleton Contracting, known as ‘Downer’ previously, has had a strong relationship with BUMA Australia for the past four years. We believe to be key partners to its operations, providing services and equipment for the client as requested. We have current agreements in place which are regularly reviewed by both parties for ongoing works on multiple BUMA Australia sites. We have also recently been given the opportunity to be a part of the company’s major editorial and marketing project.
MO: How do Culleton Contracting and BUMA Australia mutually benefit each other and what complementary strengths do you bring?
KP:
- Establishing clear goals and expectations: Building trust and communication through regular interactions, whilst seeking mutually beneficial opportunities for growth and innovation, whilst ensuring minimal impact on the environment.
- Prioritising open communication: Developing and maintaining the relationship with regular check-ins, sharing feedback, and establishing clear goals and expectations.
- Effective communication: Fostering transparency and nurturing mutual understanding by continuously exchanging knowledge, challenges, solutions, success stories, and needs.
- Identifying how Culleton’s strengths complement BUMA and how their strengths complement us: Working together as much as possible to bolster each other’s complementary strengths.
- Sharing media opportunities: Creating a mutually beneficial relationship where both companies will gain advantages from the exposure given by the press hit.
- Schedule regular meetings: Discuss new initiatives, products and services, promotional campaigns, and other growth activities.
MO: Could you tell us more about the company’s current projects?
KP:
- Supply of provision and open-cut mining equipment and services in accordance with good industry practice for BUMA Australia at Burton and Commodore Mines.
- Supply of material and rehabilitation works for the local power station.
- Works at Coolmunda Dam consisting of trenching, diversion, and pipe laying.
- Multiple civil jobs including farm works, road works, and fire protection methods for local properties.
- Windfarm project consisting of the construction of new pads, roadways, and drainage.
MO: Similarly, are there any projects in the pipeline Culleton Contracting is excited about?
KP: We have multiple tender applications in the pipeline for next year. The company is also excited to continue our strong relationship with BUMA Australia in the mining space, as well as focusing on civil works around our local area and beyond.
MO: How does the company try to empower its staff and recognise the contributions that they make?
KP: Culleton Contracting strives to foster an environment of trust and safety. We build employees confidence with recognition and incentives, offering flexibility in work arrangements, and asking employees for feedback and actioning it.
The company supports professional growth with coaching and delegation, showing appreciation and recognition, and supporting a balanced family/work lifestyle.
Furthermore, we have an excellent safety and industrial relations track record, being five years lost-time injury (LTI) free at our operations, and have enjoyed a harmonious, collaborative, and co-operative relationship with our workforce.
MO: Looking ahead, what are Culleton Contracting’s key priorities?
KP: Core Values
- Safety is our core focus and an integral part of all activities.
- Quality is an essential element of our business. Do it once, do it right.
- Minimising the environmental impacts from our activities. Our Commitment
- Continuous improvement, innovation, and repeat business development.
- The utilisation and implementation of safe and responsible work practices.
- A can-do approach whilst also working hard to understand our clients’ business needs and provide them with excellent service. This is demonstrated by our return client business.
- Conducting our business ethically, honestly, and with diligence always.
- Providing a work environment where our people are motivated and satisfied.
- Working under a self-performing model and delivering on our commitments.
BUMA CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Strong corporate governance is an essential driver of BUMA’s operations and performance, and underpins the culture of its workforce.
The company’s governance framework is overseen by the BUMA’s board and executive leadership team. This framework enables BUMA to make sustainably responsible decisions and maintain strong relationships with employees, clients, and other stakeholders.
BUMA operates under a robust and transparent governance framework that applies across all operations and functions of the company. This framework provides a structure that ensures:
• Transparency
• Accountability
• Responsibility
• Independence
• Fairness
Each of BUMA’s employees has committed to a code of conduct that instils the high importance of compliance in everything the company does. The code also includes commitments in relation to:
• Individual behaviour
• Use of communication platforms
• Conflicts of interest
• Confidentiality of information
As such, BUMA source 25 different native seeds from a local supplier, further enhancing the project’s authenticity. In addition, the seed mix incorporated grasses, serving as a cover crop to facilitate the establishment of native vegetation.
“Among the species we have reintroduced to the Meandu Mine area is the Yarraman Ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra), a native variety indigenous to the region, as well as the Native Apricot (Pittosporum angustifolium), and the Brisbane Golden Wattle (Acacia fimbriata).”
BUMA’s unwavering commitment to conducting high-quality and progressive rehabilitation projects remains at the core of its central values.
“We are dedicated to ensuring the sustainable and responsible transformation of mining areas back to their natural state, embodying our commitment to the environment and community,” finishes Taylor.
COMMODORE BACK CREEK DIVERSION
BUMA’s Commodore Mine is located in a sensitive agricultural region close to the farms and township of Millmerran.
At this site, BUMA works closely with the local community to operate a safe and environmentally-responsible mining operation. Dust, excessive noise, and blasting restrictions are managed to ensure minimal impact, while special attention is also placed on the rehabilitation of the post-mine landform.
The post mine landform must be capable of supporting long-term primary industries, such as grazing. Furthermore, the site’s water management is achieved through the use of contour banks, sediment traps, and dams, separating mine run-off water from clean water in accordance with the Site Water Management Plan.
“Environmental sustainability solutions have been applied to all
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OUR SERVICES
All machine upgrades/improvements consider machine design and target low maintenance solutions.
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aspects of the mine’s operations, including water recycling, waste management, and rehabilitation. The project is self-sufficient in its water use and prioritises best practice rehabilitation practices that minimise disturbance and protect rare grass species,” Taylor shares.
Additionally, the Commodore Back Creek Diversion Project is an earthworks civil construction operation designed as a meandering creek bed, comprising floodplains, terraces, and a clay-lined, low-flow channel. It has been constructed within the overburden and backfilled for rehabilitation of previously minedout coal seams.
The work involved the excavation and the localised placement of 30 ha of floodplain and terraces. The primary activity for BUMA was
NORTH END BOX CUT WASTE DUMP REHABILITATION
BUMA has completed the rehabilitation of the North End Box Cut waste dump rehabilitation in the Pilbara region of WA for Rio Tinto in 2022.
The project involved reshaping waste material and encapsulating it with waste cover. The slopes were then sheeted with rock armour before the final surfaces were topsoiled. In total, 80 ha were then reseeded using a dozer and the process of cross-ripping.
The project involved two load and haul fleets using excavators and articulated dump trucks. Larger off-road dump trucks were unsuitable due to the required gradients for the operations and because of the limited workspace. Additionally, a significant amount of dozer push was also required to assist in the reshaping and spreading of the encapsulated cover and subsequent topsoiling.
The client was satisfied that the work was finished to a high standard and exceeded their expectations in regard to First Nations engagement. The project was operated on-site with technical and management services provided by BUMA’s Brisbane office.
• Hydraulic service
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the excavation and placement of a thick liner to form the low-flow channel. This was required to be placed, compacted, and tested to a highly intricate level of accuracy. The project scope also required topsoiling, vegetation, installation of timber habitat, and embankment construction for interim flood levees.
The project required a complete quality assurance programme to ensure all statutory regulations and environmental requirements were achieved to the highest standard.
The Commodore Back Creek Diversion Project attracted attention from a range of stakeholders, including heritage considerations, local community members, and multiple government departments.
Finally, the project was selfsufficient in its water use and
“OUR WELL-ESTABLISHED SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES COVER EACH PHASE OF A MINING OPERATION, FROM START-UP THROUGH TO OPERATIONS, AND EVENTUALLY CLOSURE”
– RUSSELL TAYLOR, COO, BUMA AUSTRALIA
innovative rehabilitation practices were prioritised throughout to restore disturbed areas, recreate the original landform, and ensure strict adherence to reinstating original tree and grass species for the area.
SECURING A POSITIVE LEGACY
BUMA is resolutely focused on leaving a positive legacy through delivering high-quality rehabilitation and closure outcomes.
“We aim to contribute towards the establishment of thriving local communities during and after mining, through initiatives such as our Rural Seed Collective programme, which is focused upon delivering high quality, localised seed stock to mine rehabilitation and broader land regeneration projects within the regions we operate,” Tranter sets out. This initiative sees qualified environmental practitioners work
with landholders and community participants to harvest, and in some instances propagate, native plants via a certified programme that provides them with income, qualifications, and access to support for broader natural resource management initiatives.
“We believe that investing in this type of programme is mutually beneficial for the industry and regional communities, in that it reduces the risk of limited native seed supply, which is a common issue during intensive periods of rehabilitation on a region wide scale and provides additional income streams for landholders,” he affirms.
This programme also facilitates
access to new vocational pathways for a diverse range of individuals across BUMA’s communities.
Looking ahead, BUMA is now focusing on growing its rehabilitation services from bulk earthworks right through to ongoing maintenance and monitoring requirements. The company is also committed to contributing to adding long-term value for regional communities through the restoration of previously mined terrain, which allows for beneficial land uses well into the future.
“We know that here in Queensland, PRCP requirements are a primary focus along with the connection to
miner’s surety obligations under the Financial Provisioning Scheme,” Taylor sets out.
“We’re focused on ensuring that mining organisations can confidently plan on achieving compliant outcomes in accordance with their PRCP and internal rehabilitation delivery schedules in a way that makes commercial sense,” he culminates.
In summary, BUMA also understands how progressive rehabilitation feeds into broader closure planning considerations, and in this way, the company will continue to support its clients with rehabilitation trials which will contribute to positive closure outcomes.
KEEP YOUR WHEELS TURNING
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CONTRIBUTING TO COMMUNITY
Since 2016, BUMA’s Blackwater Mine has proudly supported local community organisations, including organisations such as the PCYC with financial assistance to help run youth programmes in the local community. These initiatives focus on various community needs, aiming to make a positive impact on the lives of young people and promote social cohesion through inclusive programmes. The mine is located adjacent to the town of Blackwater, where BUMA’s workforce is accommodated and integrated. The company endeavours to exist as a proud supporter of local community groups in the area.
The Blackwater site is also proud of its First Nations work readiness initiative that has also been operating
“AT BUMA, OUR COMMITMENT TO HEALTH, SAFETY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT MEANS PROVIDING A WORKPLACE THAT SUPPORTS THE WELL-BEING OF OUR PEOPLE AND CONDUCTING OUR OPERATIONS IN A MANNER THAT IS ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE”
– RUSSELL TAYLOR, COO, BUMA AUSTRALIA
since 2016. The programme has been triumphant in preparing new-toindustry operators to be successful team members of the broader BUMA team at Blackwater.
Elsewhere this year, BUMA Blackwater has proudly sponsored the BTC programme.
“The BTC programme gives our
local young people the ability to drive legally and safely on the road and accumulate their 100 log-book hours alongside a dedicated volunteer to help mentor good driving habits,” Perrins explains.
“Additionally, this programme improves employability and opportunities for young people as
MINE DEWATERING EXPERTS
lack of transport is a major barrier to attaining employment in Central Queensland.”
BUMA Blackwater’s investment in BTC is also an investment in each young participant and their future as they are empowered through road education to be safe and responsible drivers.
Meanwhile, BUMA also presently possesses a dedicated team of sustainability professionals as well as a broader corporate ESG framework which allows the company to develop initiatives that meaningfully empower its employees and present them with exciting opportunities, as well as facilitating the opportunity to contribute to the communities in which BUMA operates.
“We believe in transparency across the entire business, so
BUMA currently undertakes annual sustainability reporting on its own ESG impacts in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Reporting Index (GRI),” Taylor elaborates.
HEALTH, SAFETY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT
The health and safety of BUMA’s
people and the protection of the environment for future generations are of paramount importance to the ongoing success of the company.
“At BUMA, our commitment to health, safety, and the environment means providing a workplace that supports the well-being of our people and conducting our operations in a manner that is environmentally responsible and sustainable.
NITRO CRUSHING
As one of Australia’s largest and most reputable contract crushing companies, Nitro Crushing is a leading provider of contract crushing services and solutions. We are dedicated to meeting our clients needs through a determined focus on delivering outcomes with efficiencies while not compromising on safety, environment and personnel. We pride ourselves on being first adopters of innovative and technology advanced solutions to build efficiency for us and our clients. We have an extensive low hour, fully maintained fleet of crushing equipment.
BUMA Broad Meadow East Case Study
Nitro is proud to be a working partner with BUMA mining solutions, in Australia. BUMA approached Nitro to crush at the Broad Meadow East Coal Mine while the wash plant was under construction. Nitro slipped in effortlessly meeting the highest of standards with their machinery, systems and staff and hit the ground running to produce to target from the first instance. “We really enjoy working with a company like BUMA who has the same focus on outcomes and safety as we do” said managing director Trent Marino. “The staff at BUMA head office were great at letting us know what was required, the SSE and her team set the standards early and let us get on with our job without incident, hitting 100kt target per month in production.”
More than just crushing
Nitro Crushing owns and supplies fully equipped service vehicles with capabilities of oxy cutting, welding, conveyor belt repair, manganese replacement, breakdown repair and general servicing, thereby reducing any downtime which could impact the supply chain. We constantly keep a full range of parts in stock. Nitro Crushing has qualified diesel fitters trained in this industry, specialising in looking after quarrying and mining machinery. We also have a highly skilled team of boilermakers to assist in major repairs and maintenance.
The Go to in Crushing
Trent Marino – Managing Director of Nitro Crushing has over 15 years’ experience in the mining and quarrying industry, with a dedication and understanding to supply quality cost effective solutions to our clients.
In 2004 Trent started his Diesel Fitting apprenticeship in Cairns with the reputable Hastings Deering Pty Ltd QLD, working on all aspects of mining plant equipment and operations, completing his apprenticeship in 2008. In 2007 Trent expanded his career in the industry, starting works with local Quarries. Trent purchased crushers leading to the creation of Nitro Crushing.
Over the past 15 years Trent has devoted himself to creating an honest and reliable service with a high quality of workmanship, easy to work with, friendly, loyal, and approachable staff. Trent has the philosophy of buying new machines and keeping them in great conditions so he can be proud of his fleet.
We pride ourselves on our crushing and screening expertise. Our crews are led by experienced crushing professionals who have multiple years experience, and formal qualifications. Employees of Nitro Crushing have detailed knowledge and understanding of quarry material, specifications, and making big rocks into small rocks allowing us to crush anything anywhere in almost any conditions. Experience that ensures we achieve compliance. We operate under a fully integrated management system, delivering a quality and consistent finished product every time.
Managing Director - Trent Marino: 0439 712 867
General Manager - Hamish Jenkins: 0412 575 373 | manager@nitrocrushing.com.au
Therefore, all projects strive to exceed our client, stakeholder, and industry expectations,” shares Taylor.
Safety requires strong leadership and commitment. To ensure this, BUMA’s leadership teams set clear, positive expectations, actively involving its people to identify improvements, be accountable, and uphold industry-leading safety standards.
“We believe that everyone at the company has a responsibility for improving and maintaining health, safety, and environmental performance. Therefore, BUMA has an organisational structure to support the achievement of its targets and strategy in this area,” he adds. Underpinning this safety
“THE BTC PROGRAMME GIVES OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO DRIVE LEGALLY AND SAFELY ON THE ROAD AND ACCUMULATE THEIR 100
LOG-BOOK
HOURS ALONGSIDE A DEDICATED VOLUNTEER TO HELP MENTOR GOOD DRIVING HABITS”
–
FREYA PERRINS, PROJECT MANAGER, BUMA AUSTRALIA
commitment is a carefully constructed framework structured around leadership, risk, controls, planning, improvement, monitoring and enables BUMA to meet the correct legislative certifications.
The company uses various reporting and performance systems and controls to support its ongoing
commitment to the safety of its people and the environment, ensuring that it remains proactive in its approach to the mitigation of risks on each of BUMA’s sites.
Furthermore, BUMA recognises that a stable, educated, and focused workforce is essential for delivering a safe and productive project.
Transforming Tyre Management
Otraco International is the leading provider of off the road tyre management solutions in Australia.
Our team of highly skilled and qualified tyre technicians have been assisting clients lower their total cost of ownership in the tyre space for over 50 years.
From our humble beginnings at Mt Newman in 1972, we have grown into a 1000 strong workforce operating in six countries, and we continue to grow, performing over 50,000 EM tyre changes per annum across 55 separate mining operations.
Through the creation of our bespoke and industry-unique, dedicated training facility, we have the capacity to meet the resource sectors’ never-ending demand for tyre management expertise.
Otraco, keeping the big wheels turning since 1972
“Across BUMA, our training system is designed to ensure that our employees and contractors are suitably trained and competent enough to conduct their activities in a safe, productive, and environmentally sustainable manner,” Taylor elaborates.
Through a process of continuous improvement, the company has implemented formalised practical skills training that utilise alternative forms of education, including e-learning through video and interactive programmes.
MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT
Earlier this year, BUMA proudly announced the publication of its Modern Slavery Statement, confirming its commitment to addressing modern slavery and supporting ethical practices in its business operations. The statement outlines BUMA’s approach to mitigating modern slavery risks, which includes implementing relevant policies and procedures, and conducting regular due diligence, aligning with the company’s core values
Modern slavery is a significant human rights issue impacting many individuals worldwide, and BUMA acknowledges the important part it has in tackling this problem. The company is focused on making sure its operations and supply chains do not involve any forced labour, human trafficking, or exploitation.
BUMA’s strategy to addressing modern slavery ensures its employees, contractors, and suppliers maintain high ethical standards, including awareness of the importance of identifying and reporting potential modern slavery incidents.
As part of its risk assessment and due diligence processes, BUMA identifies high-risk areas within its supply chain to enable focused interventions and ongoing improvement.
Frontline Equipment Maintenancekeep your wheels turning
Frontline Equipment Maintenance has a reputation for supplying highquality, skilled tradespeople to any sized business for any sized job.
We specialise in supplying a quality workforce with experience in all facets of hydraulic excavators, off-highway trucks, blast hole drills, and all other earthmoving and ancillary equipment repairs and maintenance. This includes fault diagnosis and repair, servicing, midlife overhauls, machine relocations, as well as major and minor shutdowns.
Our tradespeople have high levels of experience with all original equipment manufacturer (OEM) brands of earthmoving and ancillary equipment, used in both the mining, civil, and construction industries.
Frontline’s mackay-based maintenance workshop has the capability to work on a wide range of light to heavy vehicles and machinery, air conditioning service and repairs, roadworthy inspections, and able to cater to any fabrication requirements.
Contact Steve Green on: +61 417 600964
sgreen@horizonrental.com.au
Horizon Rental is proud to be a preferred supplier of off- highway service trucks to BUMA Australia. All trucks are fully mine compliant and include high pressure cabin filtration and monitoring. Our dry hire agreements include three monthly module servicing, carried out by qualified BARD Technicians, irrespective of location.
In terms of training and awareness, BUMA understands the crucial role of education in tackling modern slavery risks. The company provides training to its employees, educating them to identify, prevent, and report any potential exploitation.
“By publishing our Modern Slavery Statement, we aim to uphold transparency and accountability within our business. We are dedicated to continuously improving our practices and we welcome feedback and suggestions from all stakeholders,” he adds.
Beyond the Modern Slavery Statement, BUMA’s commitment to ethical practices is an integral
part of its broader corporate social responsibility strategy, underscoring its dedication to making a positive societal impact.
SPECIALISTS IN SUSTAINABILITY
The ensured sustainability of the Australian resources sector relies on the efficient planning, management and operation of mining activities.
As specialist operators of mines, contract mining service providers have an important role to play in the future sustainable development of the Australian mining industry. As one of Australia’s leading contract mining service
providers, BUMA’s environmental strategy is progressive, adaptive, and responsive, with a strong focus on continually improving its management systems and performance.
“Our well-established systems and processes cover each phase of a mining operation, from start-up through to operations and eventually closure. Central to upholding our systems and processes is our ISO 14001 certified Environmental Management System (EMS),” Taylor informs us.
Alongside this, BUMA has developed a sustainable procurement framework which it strives to
continuously improve upon via regular communication with its suppliers, allowing the company to ensure that it is supporting these businesses in meeting the sustainability objectives of mining organisations wherever possible.
“Suppliers are integral to our business, because without them, we can’t deliver for our clients or continue to grow our market share. We look to partner with quality suppliers who we know can deliver and, just as importantly, expand as we expand,” Taylor shares.
“We also rely upon their expertise in terms of supply and logistics, and technical matters in relation to their relevant areas of our business.”
All BUMA’s sites have detailed and specific environmental management plans in place to ensure that the company meets compliance requirements and hits its environmental targets and objectives.
“The environmental processes
“OUR FOCUS ON CULTURAL INCLUSIVENESS IS ACTIVE AND ONGOING AND WE ARE CONTINUALLY WORKING TO BUILD OUR ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE, WITH A FOCUS ON ENHANCING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY”
– RUSSELL TAYLOR, COO, BUMA AUSTRALIA
and systems focus on the areas in which we have the greatest potential to make a difference, such as reducing GHG and energy emissions, minimising water use and waste, and responsibly managing the land on which we conduct our activities,” she continues.
“We also work to minimise disruptions to the surrounding communities, neighbours, and other stakeholders.”
Similarly, BUMA has implemented continuous improvement measures to reduce fuel usage across its numerous
sites and support its sustainability goals. The company remains resolutely committed to setting and reporting targets for CO2 intensity.
With these plans in place, the mining industry in Australia has a rich history and an exciting future ahead of it, a future within which BUMA is firmly entrenched and thriving.
BUMA AUSTRALIA info@buma.com.au www.buma.com.au
PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF EXCELLENCE
EPC Groupe, a world leader in explosives, has primarily served the global mining sector for over 130 years. Luis Calvo, Area Manager for Europe and the Mediterranean, shares his insights into the company’s burgeoning success in the region
Writer: Lily Sawyer | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton
With locations across Asia Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and Europe, supported by a 2,600-strong global employee base, EPC Groupe has established itself at the forefront of explosives manufacturing, storage, and distribution over the years, with a specialism in drilling and blasting.
In 2023, EPC Groupe’s collective turnover totalled €548 million, including joint ventures (JVs). Boasting 800 employees, five factories, and 35 storage magazines, EPC Groupe’s activity in the EuroMediterranean area is responsible for around a third of this total.
“Counting all our EuroMediterranean plants, EPC Groupe produces a wide range of bulk and cartridge explosives, boosters, and detonators. Regarding on-site production, mobile explosives mixing units (MEMUs) deliver bulk products directly into the boreholes of blasts,” opens Luis Calvo, Area Manager for Europe and the Mediterranean.
This area serves customers from its subsidiaries in Belgium, France, Italy, Morocco, and Spain, and boasts the first ever facility of the group, located in Saint-Martin-de-Crau, France.
Historically, EPC Groupe has served the Euro-Mediterranean quarry industry, a mature and well-established market in France. Whilst remaining focused on these key markets, the area is also keen to expand further into the global mining sector by participating more avidly in local mines through exports.
“We are looking at these markets with increasing interest, and we have identified opportunities in Spain and Morocco, for instance,” Calvo insights.
“We intend to do this by optimising our existing operations, whilst looking for growth opportunities from the exports and sales generated by our legacy site in France and our brandnew facility in Morocco,” he explains.
For example, a business continuity plant (BCP) that provides back-ups in the case of supply issues has proven vital in recent years, especially as the Euro-Mediterranean area has faced raw material shortages and COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
“Our setup has allowed us to continue our operations and dedication to customers unaffected during these situations,” Calvo prides.
“Our customers consistently return to us for major opportunities globally due to our expertise.”
In this way, EPC Groupe works together with all its stakeholders in the area to provide the best technical and operational solutions.
“We play a key role in the mining chain, and we enact this responsibility with passion in order to continue contributing positively to our industry,” he affirms.
STANDING OUT FROM THE COMPETITION
As a technology-driven organisation, EPC Groupe has noted a clear, industry-wide evolution towards advancements in data management, particularly in bulk explosives supply and blast optimisation.
EPC Groupe’s commitment to technological innovation is reflected in its recent acquisition of Vibraquipo and Vibratesting, two Spanishbased companies that specialise in advanced vibration measurement
“WE PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THE MINING CHAIN, AND WE ENACT THIS RESPONSIBILITY WITH PASSION IN ORDER TO CONTINUE CONTRIBUTING POSITIVELY TO OUR INDUSTRY”
– LUIS CALVO, AREA MANAGER FOR EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN, EPC GROUPE
solutions for the mining and construction industries.
“These acquisitions are a great contribution to our digitalisation and data management strategy, and align seamlessly with EPC Groupe’s overall mission to push the boundaries of excellence,” he acclaims.
The region has also experienced an increasing demand for full rock-on-ground (ROG) services, in which the company manages all the parts of the blast, including design, implementation, drilling, delivery, and charging.
Expertab™, meanwhile, is a digital platform that enables drilling reports and loading plans to be seamlessly generated and uploaded by operators live from the field.
When used in conjunction with Expertab™, the Explore™ database enables EPC Groupe to improve both its blast capabilities and the acceptability of its quarries.
In addition, the company’s endless dedication to customers, combined with its provision of advanced solutions, help it to stand out from the crowd.
EPC GROUPE’S REGIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN
The company manages its procurement and distribution internally.
“Our relationship with suppliers is key, and we try to cultivate a real bond with them to maintain a robust business model,” Calvo explains.
To maintain value for customers, EPC Groupe strives to provide quality products and services in complicated circumstances without impacting its own operations.
“In this instance, our BCP has represented a breakthrough for us by assuring our reliability as a supplier,” he comments.
For its outwards logistics, EPC Groupe has very active export activities in the region, mainly within the maritime sector.
“Our exports are also managed in-house, which has created strong expertise for our teams and allowed us to respond to global demands,” Calvo concludes.
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PROJECTS, PROGRESSION, AND ADVANCEMENTS
Having been established two years ago, EPC Groupe’s Morocco factory has been heralded as a game-changer for the region.
The new facility has contributed significantly to storage capacity, whilst increasing logistics capabilities to supply key markets.
“We have implemented state-ofthe-art production lines for watergel cartridges, ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO), and detonators. We plan to implement additional capabilities and technologies on this site to adapt to our customers’ demands and the growing mining market,” Calvo expands.
Catering to international demand for the African market is one of the key focus areas for the Moroccan factory, which EPC Groupe anticipates becoming a major hub.
Since its inauguration, the business
“THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IS AN AXIS IN WHICH WE CONTINUE TO ADVANCE”
– LUIS CALVO, AREA MANAGER FOR EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN, EPC GROUPE
has proudly been part of many major technological revolutions. Today, it is unquestionably a key player in the global extractive industry.
awarded sought-after contracts with Tunnel Euralpin Lyon Turin (TELT), a cross-border freight and passenger railway line between Lyon, France, and Turin, Italy, which is scheduled for completion in 2030.
With construction work already underway, the new line will feature a 67 kilometre (km) section across the border of Italy and France, including a 57.5km tunnel between Saint-Jeande-Maurienne, France, and Susa, Italy, which represents an investment of around €8.6billion – jointly funded by the EU, French, and Italian governments.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN EPC GROUPE
2022/2023:
• EPC France and EPC Serafina staff participated in various sponsored races to raise funds for Cancer Research, women’s rights charities, and ONG Manos Unidas – a non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to alleviating the effects of poverty, hunger, and forced displacement.
• In response to the earthquake in Morocco in 2023, EPC Maroc and EPC Marodyn delivered food, mattresses, blankets, and tents to the Moktar Souci site.
• EPC Serafina encouraged sustainable activities around its depot, including recycling, raising livestock for organic eggs, and wildlife preservation activities to support the area’s ecological balance.
• To more effectively accommodate the 7.5 percent of EPC Groupe employees who identify as disabled, EPC France made inclusive adaptations to the workplace to cultivate a professional environment where all staff can excel.
• EPC España and EPC France participated in a climate initiative that included workshops aimed at minimising carbon footprints.
• EPC France took part in a training day dedicated to safety, which included road safety lessons.
Annually:
• EPC France sponsors its employees’ local sports teams.
• EPC Belgique, EPC France, and EPC España implement the use of sheep to organically control vegetation.
• EPC France promotes the presence of beehives on its land, which are run by a local beekeeper.
“EPC France, a key player for EPC Groupe, has so far been awarded contracts for the supply and on-site production of explosives for two of the main sections of this tunnel, which is a huge development for us within the Euro-Mediterranean area,” Calvo excites.
Further to this, a contract for two tunnel boring machines (TBS) to continue to excavate the TELT tunnel a further 18km towards Italy has been awarded with European consortiums
such as VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Webuild.
“Being selected to manage all the currently awarded works for this major European infrastructure project shows the combined capability and commitment of all our teams,” he notes.
Going forward, the company’s priorities in the Euro-Mediterranean market are to maintain its current positive perspectives in terms of rentability, continue to focus on
technological tools and digitalisation to increase value for all customers, and accompany the growth of the mining sectors in Morocco and Spain.
SHAPING THE PRESENT, INNOVATING FOR THE FUTURE
Industrial innovation is an undeniable hallmark of the group’s strategy, which is reflected in its new R&D centre – a fundamental tool for EPC Groupe’s growing R&D activities.
“Representing an investment of
over €2million, this facility boasts three warehouses including a control and command laboratory, three mobile equipment assembly workshops, four pyrotechnic control and qualification stations, and a test production area,” Calvo informs us.
As such, the R&D centre is ideal for testing new processes and chemical products, allowing EPC Groupe to gain production and logistics capabilities that will have a major impact for both local and global exports.
Therefore, the company will be able to supply key mining markets that were not previously accessible, as well as products to international customers within the region.
“Our development of logistics lines will be key for this expansion,” he concludes.
This brand new facility broadens the horizons for EPC Groupe, enabling it to develop tomorrow’s products and services that will effectively meet the expectations of customers.
contact@epc-groupe.com www.epc-groupe.com
BLASTING TOWARDS GREATNESS
As a global leader in explosives manufacturing, storage, and distribution, EPC Groupe has prided itself on serving customers for over 130 years. We speak to Pascal Lacourie, CEO of EPC Asia Pacific, to learn more about the company’s history and plans for an explosive future in the region
Writer: Lauren Kania | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton
As one of the world’s figureheads in explosives manufacturing, storage, and distribution, EPC Groupe has a proud history of effective solutions, technological innovation, and highquality customer service forged by dedication, hard work, and neverending perseverance.
Exploding onto the scene over 130 years ago, EPC Groupe established its first factory in Saint-Martin-de-Crau in the south of France before quickly expanding its operations across the globe, with production that spans all the way from Canada to Saudi Arabia and every continent in between.
Today, the company focuses on manufacturing and supplying a range of commercial explosives and
tailor-made services, with a customer base that includes a variety of leading names in mining, cement, aggregates, civil engineering, and tunnelling industries.
Specifically, EPC Asia Pacific, headed by CEO Pascal Lacourie, has an established physical presence across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia.
Lacourie is passionate about the industry and the vast potential it holds, proving himself to be an accomplished leader known for inspiring teams, driving innovation, and delivering exceptional results.
“I have been lucky to find inspiring people who have made me passionate
Pascal Lacourie, CEO
about this industry, and it is certainly one of the few sectors where people choose to stay for the duration of their career,” he opens.
With the company’s extensive history and unabashed mindset towards progress, it has proudly become a defining voice within the industry, helping to evolve the sector one step at a time.
“It is truly an industry in full expansion and dedicated to a bright future, particularly with the growing demand for metals driven by the energy transition. The mines we operate in are at the forefront to meet this rising demand,” Lacourie divulges.
UNIQUE SOLUTIONS TO SPECIAL PROBLEMS
Having a company find continuous success for more than a century is no easy task. EPC Asia Pacific has not
EPC ASIA PACIFIC CURRENT PROJECTS:
THE LINE
Saudi Arabia’s mega project, The Line, is the future of urban living. Stretching 170 kilometres (km) across the mountains of Neom to the Red Sea, this cognitive city redefines the concept of urban development and what the future of city life will look like.
Modern Chemical and Services Company (MCS), a joint venture between EPC Groupe and Modern Chemicals Company, has been contracted to supply the prestigious construction project.
Specifically, this mega project will construct 31km of twin tube tunnels as part of the 170km belt of hyper-connected future communities, which is projected to accommodate nine million people and be built on a footprint of just 34 square kilometres (sqkm).
only found this unstoppable growth but has become a pioneer in the mining industry along the way.
In the Asia Pacific region alone, the company produced 70,000 tonnes of explosives and four million detonators in 2023, alongside services that include rock-onground, blasting engineering, and digital solutions.
The company requires precision, care, and the highest standards of quality and safety, whether it be carrying out controlled blasting for quarrying, mining,
and infrastructure operations and tunnelling activities.
Above all, EPC Asia Pacific’s spirit aligns with EPC Groupe’s values and has allowed the company to maintain its high levels of safety, expertise, control, and independence.
Rapidly becoming a leading player in the global phosphate trade, the Ma’aden Phosphate Mine produces close to 11.6 million tonnes of ore per year.
EPC Groupe’s subsidiary, MCS, initially partnered with Ma’aden in 2021 and subsequently signed a contract to supply materials, including bulk explosive boosters and detonators.
Recently, the MCS team broke the record for daily blasting with 173.8 tonnes at the Al Jalamind site in Saudi Arabia, a testimony to the company’s expertise and commitment to excellence.
In addition to this company-wide mindset and established culture, EPC Asia Pacific has differentiated itself from the competition over the years due to its agility, customer orientation, and understanding of needs.
“Given the nature of the fields we operate in, we recognise the paramount importance of providing
solutions that not only deliver outstanding performance but also prioritise safety, sustainability, and ethical standards. Our commitment to meeting these criteria ensures that our customers achieve the optimal efficiency they demand,” prides Lacourie.
With close proximity to customers,
Ma’aden Phosphate Mine workers
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coupled with value-added services, EPC Asia Pacific sets itself apart from the competition.
“While others may provide generic solutions, we prioritise a service-oriented approach, offering reassurance to our customers through our commitment to delivering high performance, quality, and tangible results,” affirms Lacourie.
SERVICE WITH NO BOUNDARIES
With a proven track record as a trailblazer in both mining products and services, EPC Groupe consistently demonstrates its capacity to adapt and innovate in an ever-evolving global landscape.
The integration of drilling and blasting, advanced expertise in blast engineering and specialised works, continuous investment in R&D for products tailored to market needs, and proficient logistical solutions are all key assets empowering the
www.apacoutlookmag.com/work-with-us
“EPC GROUPE HAS DEVELOPED GLOBALLY OVER THE YEARS WHILE MAINTAINING REAL PROXIMITY TO ITS CUSTOMERS WITH TEAMS AND FACILITIES TO RESPOND TO THEIR PROBLEMS WITH TAILOR-MADE SOLUTIONS”
– PASCAL LACOURIE, CEO, EPC ASIA PACIFIC
company to deliver products and solutions that enhance overall performance for its clients.
This success has not been captured alone, however, as strong, loyal relationships with partners and suppliers have enabled EPC Asia Pacific to expand and reach
EPC GROUPE AT A GLANCE
• Founded in 1893 by EugeneJean Barbier
• More than 2,800 employees
• €550 MILLION in revenue
• €3 MILLION of R&D investment
• 44 subsidiaries in 24 countries
thousands of consumers.
“Effective supply chain management and logistics play a pivotal role in both our upstream and downstream operations. With robust business continuity plans in place, we assure our customers of alternative solutions without disrupting their production processes,” explains Lacourie.
Hand-in-hand with these crucial partner and supplier relationships is the company’s focus on constant advancement and innovation in order to ensure its customers always have the latest technology at their disposal.
“We invest a lot of time and financial resources towards developing cutting-edge technologies and equipment to meet the ever-evolving requirements of the extraction industry,” expands Lacourie.
This admirable consistency in
the quality and progressive nature of EPC Asia Pacific’s products and services demonstrates the company’s dedication towards evolution and adaptation.
With problem-solving in its DNA, all of EPC Asia Pacific’s technologies are developed in-house and provide a concrete solution in the form of products, equipment, or even expert software.
BOOMING TOWARDS THE FUTURE
Beginning as a dynamic production and commercialisation company at the end of the 19th century, EPC Groupe has evolved to become a worldwide business, providing clients with high-performance products and services specifically tailored to their needs, no matter how complex.
“EPC Groupe has successfully
“WE ARE VERY CUSTOMER-ORIENTED WITH A GLOBAL SERVICE THAT REASSURES OUR CUSTOMERS THROUGH A HIGH LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE, QUALITY, AND COMMITMENT TO RESULTS”
– PASCAL LACOURIE, CEO, EPC ASIA PACIFIC
expanded its global presence over the years while maintaining close proximity to customers, with teams and facilities able to swiftly address any challenges with customised solutions,” reflects Lacourie.
This success could not have been achieved without the diligent and consistent effort of the employees who comprise the company, and EPC Asia Pacific fully recognises its crucial importance to the future of the business in the region and industry at large.
“Our teams are made up of incredible talent full of expertise and specific skills. We encourage internal promotion whenever possible and are attentive in supporting our employees’ career aspirations,” details Lacourie.
The individuals who work daily to help advance EPC Groupe have been at its heart for more than a century and are dedicated to the values of safety and respect.
Of equal importance to the future are the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
Since its inception, EPC Groupe has placed respect at the heart of its actions and development strategies, continued to grow in harmony with local communities, and sought to protect nature.
This vision is also embodied by EPC Asia Pacific, whose actions in the field go beyond normal regulatory expectations.
“We are committed to a CSR
approach, which involves integrating local resources and providing training opportunities to people in the communities, enabling them to grow within our organisation,” concludes Lacourie.
As EPC Asia Pacific looks ahead to the future, it is prioritising continuing to do what the group has done best for over 130 years – providing the highest standards of professionalism and care to its valued customers as it expands further across the region and beyond.
Tel: +971 42226674
contact.asiapacific@epc-groupe.com en.epc-groupe.com/asia_pacifica/ EPC ASIA PACIFIC
ENTRENCHED IN EXCELLENCE
In an era where technological advancements and sustainable practices play pivotal roles in shaping the future of construction, Tesmec Group stands out as a leader committed to providing innovative excavation solutions. Flavio Villa, Technical Director of the Trenching and Surface Mining Division, tells us more
Writer: Lily Sawyer | Project Manager: Nicholas Kernan
Tesmec Group (Tesmec) is an innovative company motivated by a desire to grow.
As a supplier of integrated solutions for energy and data transport, rail infrastructure, trenching, and surface mining, it leverages strategic market trends, a vast portfolio of products, and state-of-the art machinery to cement its place as a multi-sector leader.
Amidst an industry boom caused by a recent push towards
digitalisation and sustainability, Tesmec has benefitted from an influx of advantageous partnerships across a range of industries. As such, its business model is focused on integration between key players.
“Working in this sector is exciting. There are so many opportunities arising, and we have what it takes to seize them all,” opens Flavio Villa, Technical Director of Tesmec’s Trenching and Surface Mining Division.
Advanced trenching and continuous surface mining (CSM) solutions are provided by the company’s Trenching and Surface Mining Division, offering clients a more efficient and sustainable alternative to traditional drill and blast methods.
“Tesmec trenchers and surface miners are recognised worldwide as the undisputed leaders in both soft and hard rock excavation,” Villa divulges.
Driven by a ‘glocal’ growth strategy that fuses globalisation with a local presence in the most strategic areas of the world, Temsec is able to reach out, identify, and meet its markets’ needs in the most effective way.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
The acceptance and use of CSM across the mining and construction industries has increased of late and continues to grow, yet the technology is still considered niche.
Typically, CSM enables materials to be extracted one layer at a time, producing a consistently sized product that does not necessarily need to be run
through a crusher.
Tesmec’s Trenching and Surface Mining Division is poised as a leader in advanced trenching solutions such as CSM, backed by specialised equipment, a global presence, and comprehensive after-sales support.
Mining and manufacturing stand out as two key markets for the Trenching and Surface Mining Division, and as the demand for raw mined materials rises, the provision of reliable services to mining companies becomes increasingly crucial.
“Understanding the issues of every business and region, whilst being focused on safety and productivity to provide the best solution, is our mission,” Villa enthuses.
As a market leader in manufacturing specialised machinery for CSM,
Tesmec is at the forefront of an industry undergoing significant expansion.
Anticipated growth in coming years is propelling the company’s evolution and driving its vision for future developments, such as the Dynamic Drive range, which is able to maximise productivity whilst minimising operation costs and is distinctive due to its unique drum design.
“I AM PROUD TO BE PART OF AN ORGANISATION THAT IS NOT ONLY SHAPING THE PRESENT, BUT ACTIVELY INFLUENCING THE FUTURE OF CONSTRUCTION THROUGH ITS COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY, AND UNPARALLELED EXPERTISE”
– FLAVIO VILLA, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR - TRENCHING AND SURFACE MINING DIVISION, TESMEC GROUP
“Tesmec’s substantial investment in product development underscores its commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the mining industry,” Villa adds.
The advantages of Dynamic Drive include selective mining through improved stripping ratios, the elimination of several crushing steps, and reduced processing requirements, all of which streamline the overall process. In
addition, the technology provides increased safety, as it avoids the use of explosives.
Beyond machinery, Tesmec aims to deliver integrated value chain solutions, ensuring that its technology not only enhances operations but also transforms the entire mining process. The company’s three key pillars for future development are central to these efforts.
“Firstly, we’re spearheading digitalisation and smart mining technology to revolutionise operations. Secondly, by leveraging data analytics, we can enact a predictive approach to ensure minimal downtime and maximise uptime. Finally, we’re affirming our commitment to sustainability through electrification,” he outlines.
These ambitious targets epitomise Tesmec’s unwavering dedication to innovation, meaning the company is well-placed to shape the future of the construction industry.
PROJECTS AND PROGRESSION
Keen to highlight several noteworthy projects and investments within the organisation, Villa explains how a range of technological innovations have enabled Tesmec to address the evolving needs of the construction industry.
“Projects that emphasise digitalisation, data analytics, and electrification are key pillars of our technological advancement,” he details.
As such, Tesmec is currently engaged in a revolutionary project focused on smart trenching and smart mining, which involves the development of a fully autonomous trencher/surface miner, teleoperated to offer enhanced flexibility during the transportation phases.
“This project showcases our commitment to pushing the boundaries of automation in the construction industry,” Villa shares.
In the realm of data analytics, Tesmec is working on predictive maintenance through the development of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, which enable optimised performance and enhance reliability and efficiency.
Furthermore, Tesmec’s electrification plan encompasses various models tailored for specific applications, from battery electric machines for urban projects to
SMART MINING
Tesmec’s smart mining concept monitors and controls all operations from a central command room, seamlessly integrating the technology with the machine system. Autonomous operations enhance job site safety by eliminating the need for operators on board.
Tesmec’s smart mining approach unfolds in three steps:
TELEOPERATION – The operator in the control room readies the machines for job site work, taking control of one machine at a time for tramming and moving to the working location. The first miner machine is manually teleoperated to the mining site.
AUTONOMOUS OPERATION – The first miner machine then transitions into autonomous mode, before the second surface miner machine is readied for manual teleoperation to the mining site.
MONITORING AND AUTONOMY – Both surface miner machines operate autonomously, guided by GPS and smart sensors with embedded edge computing capabilities that continuously monitor all the critical functions of the machines. A smart obstacle-detection system ensures safe operation while the operator diligently monitors the job site from the control room.
THE PERFECT FIT.
ENGINES DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUR MACHINES
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hybrid electric equipment for other applications such as cross-country pipelines.
“Hard rock excavation is wired into Tesmec’s DNA. The key differentiators between us and our direct competitors arise from the technical solutions we work hard to develop,” Villa summarises.
A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODEL
Tesmec places significant emphasis on sustainability across all its operations, including its Trenching and Surface Mining Division.
In terms of environmental responsibility, the company is well known for its low emissions and reduced noise levels compared to traditional excavation methods.
This is, in part, achieved through its e-Sidecut technology, which represents a significant breakthrough in excavation technology.
“Powered entirely by electricity, e-Sidecut offers not only unparalleled performance, but a more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative for excavation operations. With zero emissions and low noise levels, e-Sidecut is the epitome of green innovation,” Villa tells us.
Tesmec is continuously exploring ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce resource consumption throughout the lifecycle of its products, from manufacturing to operation and maintenance.
TESMEC’S TRENCHING AND SURFACE MINING DIVISION - AT A GLANCE
Tesmec’s Trenching and Surface Mining Division boasts a comprehensive range of specialised equipment, including:
CHAINSAW TRENCHERS – Capable of excavating trenches up to 7.5 metres (m) deep or over 2m wide in a single pass.
ROCK HAWGS – Utilised for precise surface excavation, offering high productivity and minimal environmental impact.
MICRO-TRENCHERS – Offering precise and efficient trenching capabilities in confined spaces.
MECHANICAL LAYING SYSTEMS – A fully integrated solution for mechanised underground cable installation.
Also available in Tesmec’s standard trenchers and CSM range are:
TRENCHTRONIC – A proprietary machine control system designed to enhance trencher usability, increase productivity, and reduce dependence on operator skills.
RE.M – A remote monitoring platform that empowers customers to optimise fleet usage, improve diagnostics, and plan preventive maintenance effectively.
TRENCHINTEL – A satellite guidance system based on differential GPS technology for trenchers and surface miners, offering automatic machine steering and excavation depth control.
SMARTTRACKER – Automatically collects as-built data during trenching, eliminating the need for survey stakeouts.
TRENCHERS RADIO CONTROL (TRC) – A full radio control system enabling lineof-sight operation, replicating cabin functions and information.
TRCM – A radio control system that safely streamlines digging tool maintenance.
DETECTION AND MAPPING SOLUTIONS – Enabling 3D mapping of both below and above-ground environments.
COMELF SA, member of the UZINSIDER SA group, manufacturer of earthmoving equipment, railway equipment and equipment for the energy industry, is a company listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange since 1995.
COMELF is a supplier for TESMEC SpA Italy of Chassis and Bogies for railway equipment and Components for earthmoving machines (chainsaw trenchers).
We are strategic suppliers in various fields:
• Earthmoving equipment, for which we have been producing components for over 25 years, for various companies.
• Complex products in the energy field, Components for gas power plants and Housings for engines and generators, in collaboration with the most important companies in the field.
• Complex stainless steel products in the field of Energy, Rail and Food.
We hold the main Certifications in the field in which we operate:
ISO 9001:2015; ISO 14001:2015; ISO 45001:2015; EN 15085; EN 3834-2; EN 1090-2; EN 1090-3 and Quality Certificate AQAP 2110 in accordance with NATO requirements.
Comelf continuously invests in staff training, digitalization, high-performance technology and renewable energy.
In addition, Tesmec invests in continuous R&D to advance sustainable technologies and collaborates with industry partners, research institutions, and government agencies to drive innovation and promote sustainability within the value chain.
Regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR), Tesmec adheres to ethical standards and promotes community well-being wherever it operates by actively engaging in community development projects, education, and partnerships with local organisations.
“Our commitment to responsible business practices and sustainable development is exemplified by our
“TESMEC’S SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT UNDERSCORES ITS COMMITMENT TO MEETING THE EVOLVING NEEDS OF THE MINING INDUSTRY”
– FLAVIO VILLA, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR - TRENCHING AND SURFACE MINING DIVISION, TESMEC GROUP
compliance with international standards and regulations,” he continues.
The company maintains certifications such as ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 9001 for quality management. Last year, the company was awarded with the Sustainability Award as one of the
100 most sustainable companies in Italy.
In essence, Tesmec’s commitment to sustainability permeates its corporate culture, guiding its innovation, operations, and relationships with stakeholders.
solutions, and CSR initiatives, Tesmec aims to contribute positively to the planet and society while delivering value to customers and shareholders,” Villa enthuses.
SHAPING THE PRESENT, INFLUENCING THE FUTURE
Tesmec’s dedication to revolutionising trenching and surface mining has positioned it as a beacon of efficiency, safety, and environmental stewardship.
The company takes pride in the fact that its solutions not only meet industry standards, but exceed them, reflecting its unwavering commitment to quality.
“The ethos of Tesmec is embedded
in our solutions, which go beyond mere functionality. Our legacy in redefining rock trenching and surface mining speaks volumes of our ability to adapt and excel in an ever-evolving construction landscape,” Villa reflects.
As Tesmec continues to make significant strides globally and across various industries, its focus remains on pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
“Whilst Tesmec remains at the forefront of innovation, consistently contributing to the advancement of excavation technologies, we look forward to continuing this journey and creating a lasting impact on the industry.”
than just a provider of machinery, but as an architect of progress, driving positive change and setting new standards for excellence in excavation.
“I am proud to be part of an organisation that is not only shaping the present, but actively influencing the future of construction through its commitment to innovation, sustainability, and unparalleled expertise,” Villa concludes.
Thus, Tesmec emerges as more Tel: +39 035 42
DELIVERING DRIVING PROGRESS
Celebrating 29 years of excellence, innovation, and growth, NAZ Industries LLC stands as a beacon of success in the trailer manufacturing industry. We speak to CEO, Adel Mir, about his passion for the sector and the company’s proud journey to becoming a recognised, international name
Writer: Lauren Kania | Project Manager: Ben Weaver
ENERGY, PROGRESS
Trailer drivers are often the unsung heroes of the road, navigating vast distances with the utmost skill and dedication and ensuring goods reach their destination safely and on time.
Braving long hours and
unpredictable conditions, they are more than just drivers; they are the embodiment of resilience and adaptability, displaying the spirit of perseverance that keeps industries moving forward.
Nowhere is this more recognised
and celebrated than at NAZ Industries LLC (NAZ Industries), who has worked for nearly 30 years to make a name for itself in the trailers manufacturing sector as a highly professional industrial entity.
“Formerly known as Mammut
“COMPETITION IS THE CATALYST FOR INNOVATION. AT NAZ INDUSTRIES, WE PRIORITISE FAIR COMPETITION, EMPHASISING QUALITY, ON-TIME DELIVERY, AND FAIR PRICING”
– ADEL MIR, CEO, NAZ INDUSTRIES LLC
Industries LLC, we were established in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 1995 during Dubai’s major development before changing ownership in 2021 and adopting the NAZ Industries name to signify our new beginnings,” introduces CEO, Adel Mir.
Currently, the company produces over 45 body-mounted products and trailers, including tippers, flatbeds, lowbeds, tankers, reefers, and more, with its main location in Dubai Investment Park 2.
Since its inception, NAZ Industries has proudly been at the forefront of designing, engineering, and manufacturing over 100,000 highquality products shipped to more
than 28 countries worldwide.
It has become one of the largest manufacturers of trailers and transport equipment in the region, using internationally recognised engineering software and advanced production machinery.
Despite the vast growth and innovation the company has witnessed over the past three decades, it continues to highlight the core mission and goals embedded in its DNA.
“Our mission extends beyond being a mere trailer manufacturer; we aim to serve industries by providing innovative solutions. Our dedicated engineers work tirelessly to deliver optimal and cost-effective solutions
across various industries and applications,” prides Mir.
This mission and subsequent commitment from the team have manifested significant, tangible results for the company.
Specifically, from 2020 to 2023, NAZ Industries increased its annual production almost tenfold, demonstrating that anything can be achieved with ambition and strategic planning.
INNOVATE, COLLABORATE, SUCCEED
Mir has been enamoured with mechanical objects, specifically cars, since his early childhood, even working in his father’s workshop for
MINING OUTLOOK: HOW IMPORTANT ARE PARTNER AND SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS TO YOUR SUCCESS?
ADEL MIR, CEO: We have cultivated robust and supportive relationships with our suppliers both in Europe and the local market.
“In the Middle East, operational planning necessitates foresight and resilience to navigate unforeseen crises that can negatively impact businesses.
“As part of our strategy, we conduct supply chain planning for a two-year period to ensure the seamless and timely supply of components and deliveries, mitigating any potential delays. This proactive approach allows us to maintain efficiency and reliability in our operations.”
“Despite my deep passion, I pursued higher education in finance,” he expands.
“However, I never lost my love for cars and mechanics, and my heart remained in the workshop environment, surrounded by parts, oils, and fuels.”
Over the course of the next 38 years, Mir worked in finance, cost accounting, and auditing in multinational companies until 2021, when he became General Manager of Operations at NAZ Industries in an effort to steer the business jointly with his colleague, Hussein Al Share, who was appointed as General Commercial Manager. In this way, Mir was finally returning to his childhood passion.
“In 2023, I was further promoted to CEO and, alongside the exceptional team at NAZ Industries, we have achieved remarkable results. This journey has brought me full circle, allowing me to merge my passions with professional success,” he excites.
Mir’s excitement continues to grow, as currently, the trailer manufacturing industry is experiencing a dynamic phase of innovation and growth,
space to work in.
With advancements in technology, e-car concepts, automation, and sustainability driving significant transformations and opening new opportunities for business, the possibilities are endless, and innovation is front and centre.
“Being part of this industry allows me, and the entire NAZ Industries team, to witness and contribute to these exciting developments firsthand, which is truly inspirational and fulfilling,” details Mir.
NAZ Industries is spearheading these never-ending developments, having become a recognised symbol of quality and reliability led by a CEO whose spirit is embedded in the trailer manufacturing industry.
ROLLING AMBASSADORS
As a result of NAZ Industries’ commitment to providing outstanding service, quality workmanship, and innovative intuition that pre-empts industrial needs and caters to market demands, the company has become a reputed and valuable brand by both local and international standards.
“THE WORD ‘IMPOSSIBLE’ DOESN’T EXIST IN OUR VOCABULARY; EVERY CHALLENGE WE ENCOUNTER IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GROW”
– ADEL MIR, CEO, NAZ INDUSTRIES LLC
Part of this reputation is due to the company’s philosophy that views every future business endeavour as an outcome of continued after-sales support.
“Our products are renowned for their high quality and can last for over a decade with proper use and regular maintenance. While our industry standard warranty is for one year, our products typically exceed this timeframe,” insights Mir.
NAZ Industries’ track record boasts a call back and claim rate of less than one percent, instances of which are promptly addressed by its dedicated service team in the UAE or its authorised service centres in the region.
“Our rigorous quality control measures ensure that the number of defects is significantly lower than that of our competitors.”
This ability to provide a smooth
operation of manufactured products can be attributed to NAZ Industries’ unwavering commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction, a dedication maintained by its highly adept and experienced workforce.
Comprising diligent professionals at every level, the company boasts a team that brings unique skills, perspectives, and experiences to the table to allow for seamless collaboration and the ability to tackle
challenges head-on by leveraging these diverse talents.
Whether it’s brainstorming ideas, working together on projects, or supporting each other, NAZ Industries’ culture fosters an environment where each voice is valued and every contribution matters.
“Our dedicated team is paramount
to achieving our objectives. Without a strong and committed team, our business goals cannot be realised,” insights Mir.
Together, those at the company are not just colleagues, but a united force dedicated to pushing boundaries, exceeding expectations, and driving success for decades to come.
TRUCKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE
The demand for NAZ Industries’ exceptional products continues to grow each day, and with the company’s extensive experience in the industry, it is confident in its ability to meet client requirements better than anyone else.
NAZ INDUSTRIES
– PRODUCTS AND SECTORS SERVED
PRODUCTS
• Special semi-trailers
• Truck bodies
• Tippers
• Lowbeds
• Flatbeds
• Container carriers
• Reefer bodies and trailers
• Fuel tanks
• Water tanks
• Jetting tanks
• Vacuum tanks
• Mud tanks
• Shale shakers
SECTORS
• Transport
• Construction
• Logistics
• Process and storage
• Oil and gas/offshore
• Special equipment
Currently, the company is involved in a variety of projects across the trailer manufacturing industry.
Specifically, recent flooding in the UAE has spurred a high demand for vacuum tanker trailers, and NAZ Industries has prepared for any public and private sector demands for such products.
“Additionally, we’re actively working on a major project to supply
region. These trailers have a capacity of 60 tonnes, are built on five axles, and feature a highly specialised and intricate electronic braking system (EBS),” details Mir.
Throughout these projects and future endeavours, the company always ensures that it stays true to its mission, which is rooted in establishing sustainable growth and development within the organisation
ø150mm)
Compatible with drum
Straight hanger brackets for greater resistance
Simple axle alignment in the hanger brackets (eccentric bush)
A wide range of ride heights and
“Our goal for the future is to organically expand in line with market demand, aiming for a production and delivery capacity of 12,000 units annually,” notes Mir. Alongside this, the company is looking to expand its production facilities in and outside the UAE to meet the growing demand for its products.
With a diverse portfolio that caters to the evolving needs of customers, the company embraces the challenges of developing solutions
that go beyond conventional approaches, always pushing boundaries and seeking new possibilities.
Sae-Smb Middle East Dwc LLC, Business Centre, Dubai World Central +971 56 442 6163 | kmurali@sae-smb-asia.com | www.sae-smb.asia
By empowering individuals to embrace best practices as a lifelong process, NAZ Industries aims to deliver innovative solutions that set industry trends. It is committed to leading the way in its field and inspiring others to follow, driven by a passion for exceeding customer expectations and delivering outstanding products.
Northern Ontario is home to a wealth of natural resources, world-class deposits, and unexplored remote regions of high mineral potential.
Headquartered in Manitouwadge, Ontario is Manroc Developments (Manroc), a mining contractor specializing in underground operations.
With offices, Alimak, mobile shops, and a welding facility in Manitouwadge, alongside a satellite office in Thunder Bay, Manroc offers unique services, and innovative techniques, methods, and equipment.
“We provide lateral development,
Alimak development and stoping services, underground construction, and labor rental, which has become a large part of our business with the industry boom in the last five years,” opens Katie Simoneau, Vice President of Manroc.
“With the rental labor, we hire the employees, but they go to work for our clients,” she continues.
As a unique mining company, Manroc has developed areas of expertise, offering Alimak specialties while ensuring the miner’s safety when operating equipment underground.
“We are one of the only few contractors in the world who works with the Alimak stoping method, with 80 percent of Alimak equipment either fabricated in-house or modified. Therefore, it is very specialized, and Manroc’s Alimak and stoping equipment is one-of-a-kind; over the years, we have completed lots of R&D to find out what works best for this mining method,” highlights Simoneau.
The Alimak stoping system is truly unique, and unfortunately, the specialized equipment is not available for purchase. Manroc is revolutionizing the mining process with game-changing technologies and innovative methods that enable the extraction of previously uneconomic or inaccessible ore reserves, consistently resulting
in lowered production costs and increased productivity.
The company also specializes in Alimak raise development, long-hole stope production drilling, blasting, equipment rental, and workforce development, alongside occasionally undertaking international projects.
Working on home soil in Canada takes up a significant portion of Manroc’s time. Although there are no overseas projects at present, the company has worked all over the world, including in Africa, Uruguay, Honduras, and Kazakhstan, to name a few.
“It has been very interesting to have the opportunity to teach a new mining method and safety mindset in other countries. Those projects can be an extremely rewarding experience as you immerse yourself in different cultures,” acknowledges Simoneau.
SUCCESS IS STRUCTURED IN THE DNA
A few factors have contributed to Manroc becoming a global leader in the mining industry. One of them is the company’s reputation, which has helped it grow from a team of nine to its current size of 250, which Manroc is content to preserve.
“It is a happy medium for us; we choose to maintain our modest size because it allows us to continue to provide a family culture and nurture one-to-one relationships with our clients,” Simoneau discusses.
Manroc prides itself on building personal relationships with both suppliers and clients to maintain a personal touch.
“My business partner and I prioritize sustaining a family-oriented company culture. We have had established
“WE CHOOSE TO MAINTAIN OUR MODEST SIZE BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A FAMILY CULTURE AND NURTURE ONE-TO-ONE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR CLIENTS”
relationships with our suppliers for over 35 years, and they provide us with essential equipment, parts, benefits, and insurance. Moreover, we have built long-standing partnerships with our banking team that we value greatly,” she divulges.
Simoneau’s father bought Manroc in 1989 and was the owner until 2014, when she and her business partner,
Chris
Sproule, took over the company.
“Although my father has retired, he still wants to know what is going on at Manroc and attends mining shows; it’s in his blood. He also returns for our fun company events, which are on-brand for our family culture.
“Everyone flocks to him – he garners a lot of respect, and they love sharing ideas and family updates and
getting personal and business advice from him. He is happy that we have been able to carry on the company and culture he started, which makes us proud.”
As this year marks a decade since Simoneau and Sproule took ownership, it is also Manroc’s 35th anniversary, a milestone that the company looks forward to celebrating.
When Simoneau joined the company full-time in 2010, she accumulated experience in payroll, accounts payable, HR, warehousing, and traveling to mine sites on clerical duties before undertaking contract administration, contract negotiations, getting involved in the bidding process, and handling the financial aspects of the company.
“It all just evolved, which was my father’s goal, getting me into each department and setting me up for success. Chris and I were afforded the opportunity of a lifetime, and now we have a great partnership, team, and 10 years of prosperity; we are looking forward to many more,” emphasizes Simoneau.
COMMITTING TO COMMUNITIES
As a family-based company, every employee is more than just a number; Manroc’s management team prides itself on knowing them all personally.
“It has fared well for us to cultivate those values as we haven’t experienced any huge difficulties filling our roles and meeting our clients’
needs. Safety is always at the forefront of what we do so our people can go home safely at the end of the day.
“We also have good benefits packages, including Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) matching, excellent safety and attendance award programs, and a fair pay structure,” Simoneau notes.
MINING OUTLOOK: HOW AND WHY HAS THE ROLE OF WOMEN PROGRESSED IN THE INDUSTRY?
KATIE SIMONEAU, VICE PRESIDENT: “I am proud to state that around eight percent of our workforce is female, and I look forward to seeing that number grow in the months and years ahead.
“However, when I first entered the industry 17 years ago, it was significantly male-dominated. In fact, it was an alien concept for women to be on a mine site; today, it has become more normalized, and I am very proud of that. There is still progress and changes to be made, but it is heading in the right direction.
“It is a very welcoming and fun industry, which women can be part of and succeed in. I think female roles, particularly at high levels, will continue to grow as more women realize they can be a part of the mining industry and people see the value women can bring to the table.”
As a smaller mining contractor, Manroc is able to take care of and retain its employees. Moreover, the company also believes in supporting the communities both in and around where it operates.
“We are invested in the community’s success, as it means a favorable outcome for us if we can attract local talent.”
Manroc’s involvement in events, such as the Christmas parade and Frosty Days, as well as sponsoring public activities also strengthens the sense of community. Indeed, the company is pivotal in bringing people together.
“One of my father’s sayings is that we work together and play together. Although we separate work issues and friendships, as we are in a small town, we respect and help each other while getting work done,” outlines Simoneau.
Furthermore, the communities know they can rely on Manroc for any needs that may arise – from sports teams needing funding for new equipment to provide high school co-ops to lending a hand with volunteer groups.
“If people want to make an event happen, we try to support them as much as possible. We take great pride
in helping out whenever we can,” she enthuses.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Already recognized as a world leader in the application of Alimak stope mining, which solves complex narrow vein issues, Manroc will continue to work hand-in-hand with clients and invest in employees and communities.
“Their success is our success; therefore, keeping people happy is definitely a key investment and essential for a positive result,” Simoneau observes.
With the industry in a boom period, it would be easy for Manroc to carry
“OUR COMMITMENT TO MAINTAINING SAFETY STANDARDS AND OUR ABILITY TO CONSISTENTLY PROVIDE EFFICIENT SERVICES TO OUR CLIENTS IS A TESTAMENT TO THE COHESIVENESS OF OUR TEAM”
out expansion plans, but it is essential for the company to retain its core values and stay on the same path.
“I am lucky because my business partner and I have the same views regarding family culture, looking after our clients, and safety. This means repeat business for us as we often work with clients who have been with us throughout our 35-year history, which is uncommon in the mining industry as contractors get changed out,” she observes.
Furthermore, Manroc is renowned for its unwavering dedication to providing high-quality and dependable services. The company firmly believes in staying ahead of the curve by continuously upgrading its equipment with cutting-edge technologies. This approach guarantees that product efficiency levels are maintained at optimal levels.
“Our commitment to maintaining safety standards and our ability to consistently provide efficient services
to our clients is a testament to the cohesiveness of our team. It is always beneficial for a company to foster long-term relationships within the team as it encourages members to exceed expectations and go the extra mile. These values are what Manroc represents,” concludes Simoneau.
NORTH AMERICA’S PREMIER MINING AND TUNNELING CONTRACTOR
GMS Mine Repair and Maintenance is dedicated to providing forward-thinking solutions to the mining and tunnelling sectors. Tom Rannelli, Director of Canadian Operations, highlights how the company is embracing the next generation of underground and surface mining
The Canadian mining industry has significantly evolved over the last decade as it begins to embrace innovation and advanced technology.
Additionally, health and safety standards are also viewed with high importance across the entire mining landscape, from civil settings to construction and steel erection.
Tom Rannelli, Director of Canadian Operations for GMS Mine Repair and Maintenance (GMS), is passionate about ensuring that the latest innovations in this realm are more widely understood, alongside the rest of the industry’s most recent developments, as these are often overlooked.
Therefore, between the engineering performed and the equipment used
in a project, the industry has certainly evolved over the last 20 years.
SERVING MINING SUPPORT
Currently, the company is working on three projects across Canada that include the provision of services and vital mining support.
Firstly, GMS is providing specialty grouting operations for a project in Saskatchewan to stop any potential inflows of water in its underground operation.
The company is also supplying labor for a large open pit project across two mines sites in Western Canada. The support comes in the form of large haul trucks, drillers, blasters, and grader and dozer operators.
FINDING VALUE IN INTERNATIONAL SUPPLIERS
GMS highly values its supplier relationships as it harnesses support from an international network of businesses. By leveraging these global partnerships, the company encourages the North American mining industry to think outside the box in terms of its supply chain.
“I HAVE THE TAGLINE OF ‘EMPOWER RATHER THAN ENGAGE’- WHETHER OUR EMPLOYEES LEARN FROM THEIR PREVIOUS DECISIONS OR GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, IT’S ALL ABOUT EMPOWERMENT RATHER THAN MOLDING OUR STAFF”
–
TOM RANNELLI, DIRECTOR OF CANADIAN OPERATIONS, GMS MINE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE
GMS is also performing steel erection work in Western Canada by installing an overland conveyor that conducts material handling over a distance of five kilometers. The regenerating conveyor system also has a 300-meter elevation change, making it the ideal equipment for the project’s technical installation on the side of a mountain.
“This year, we were fortunate because the winter season wasn’t too harsh, so we were able to navigate the project’s complex environment well, which isn’t usually the case,”
informs Rannelli.
As the Canadian mining industry experiences another wave of infrastructure and capital advancements, the company anticipates the commencement of new mines towards the end of this year and the beginning of 2025.
“There’s significant development projects within British Columbia, Western Canada, as well as eastern regions, so we have our finger on the pulse and are very excited to partake in the tendering process,” he expresses.
Tom Rannelli, Director of Canadian Operations
BUILDING TRUST
GMS currently has approximately 1,500 employees across its US and Canada sites, with 55 working in the latter who have become experts in their field and are held accountable for their decisions.
“As the Director of Canadian Operations, I have the tagline of ‘empower rather than engage’ –whether our employees learn from their previous decisions or get it right the first time, it’s all about empowerment rather than molding our staff.
“As we build trust and accountability with each other, we let our employees take ownership of their tasks and position in the company.”
This approach allows GMS to
overcome potential silos by leveraging the expertise of its multidisciplinary workforce, who are highly engaged and want to deliver for the company.
Throughout 2024 and beyond, the company aims to grow and put its fingerprint on the Canadian mining industry by showcasing its state-ofthe-art knowledge and capabilities in industry-leading mining services.
“The upcoming months with be focused on building our relationships and network so that we can develop opportunities when they arise,” Rannelli ends.
THE WORK OF PIONEER CONVEYOR
Pioneer Conveyor (Pioneer) has been an affiliate business of GMS for
GMS’ CORE VALUES
INTEGRITY – All stakeholder relationships are built on a foundation of moral and ethical integrity.
FAMILY – GMS finds its strength through the experience, professionalism, and character of its employees.
COMMITMENT – The company is committed to being the safest, most productive, and innovative contractor in the industries it serves.
Christian Boucher
Director, Survey Technologist, Construction logistics (604) 813-0220
“WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON OUR NIMBLENESS AND ABILITY TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH A FAMILY-ORIENTATED STYLE”
– TOM RANNELLI, DIRECTOR OF CANADIAN OPERATIONS, GMS MINE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE
over three decades. Located in West Virginia, it is a leading bulk material conveyor manufacturing firm that designs and manufactures thousands of standard and specialized conveyor systems for a whole host of applications.
The company has a 70,000 square foot facility that employs around 100 people to fabricate, produce, and ship up to 1,500 linear feet of conveyor structures a day, with the ability to double its capacity depending on the requirements of the industry.
In order to stay abreast with the most innovative trends in the conveyor sector, Pioneer exclusively utilizes world-leading and cuttingedge manufacturing technology.
These include 3D computer-aided design (CAD) inventor design capabilities, custom loaded belt simulation testing conveyor systems, alongside highly detailed process quality inspections.
These unmatched abilities ensure all its conveyor products meet the stringent standards of Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) specification requirements. As such, Pioneer has the ardent mission to raise the bar in international conveyor standards and increase the expectations of all conveyor system consumers.
Having Pioneer in the group has enabled GMS to advance its service offering, opening another avenue in
the mining industry. Pioneer provides an additional 25 mechanical engineers that provide design and fabrication capabilities and uses the skilled crews of GMS to install turn-key conveyor solutions.
Tel: 705-702-3875
info@gmsminerepair.com www.gmsminerepair.ca
GREATNESS IN TANZANIAN GRAPHITE
We speak to Andrew Cunningham, Managing Director of Walkabout Resources, about the tremendous graphite mining capabilities of its flagship Lindi Jumbo project, and how the company consistently endeavours to put the local community first
Writer: Lucy Pilgrim | Project Manager: Joshua Mann
The Tanzanian mining industry is currently experiencing an upward trajectory, after a decade-long hiatus saw no major mines opening in the country and little spending in the sector.
However, following a revitalisation of the industry, there has been a renewed interest in Tanzanian mining and exploration activities as the government works hard to actively promote the sector far and wide.
The graphite mining landscape, in particular, has garnered a global reputation as an attractive investment choice in Tanzania.
Poised at the forefront of the sector, Walkabout Resources (Walkabout) is an industry-leading, high-grade graphite mining organisation.
“The company started out as a typical Australian junior mining and exploration business that mainly focused on sought-after commodities in Africa,” introduces Andrew Cunningham, Managing Director.
Walkabout has grown considerably in the past year, to the point where it will soon have approximately 100 employees alongside a further 100 contractors involved in its Australian and African operations.
With a vast pool of knowledge and experience to draw from, Cunningham has a deep passion for mining that has informed his attitude towards the company.
“As a geologist, I have worked in virtually every facet of the industry, from leading global project generation teams through all stages of exploration to mine geology and restarting historical assets,” he details.
LINDI JUMBO PROJECT
Walkabout is currently focused on commencing the production of its flagship project, the Lindi Jumbo Graphite (Lindi Jumbo) mine, which will supply high-quality flake graphite to international markets.
Crucially, the mine is due for first production at the end of Q2 2024 at a time when significant graphite shortfalls are predicted.
Indeed, Benchmark Minerals
Intelligence (BMI) estimates that 97 graphite mines, each producing 50,000 tonnes (t) of flake concentrate, need to be built and enter production in the next decade.
Lindi Jumbo will be a key contributor to alleviate these pressures, as the mine will produce 40,000t of flake concentrate at grades of more than 95 percent total graphite carbon (TGC), with a comprehensive life-of-mine (LOM) expectancy of 24 years.
Furthermore, Lindi Jumbo has the highest reserve grade of any undeveloped graphite project in Africa, as it is not resource bound and has ample growth opportunities.
“No graphite deposit is the same, but Lindi Jumbo is very different to typical graphite deposits in that the vast majority of graphite flakes in-situ are above 300 microns, making them jumbo flakes,” Cunningham explains.
“Additionally, the flakes are easily liberated – a function of their unique geology – and are upgraded through a straightforward mechanical metallurgical process, which produces a high-quality, sought-after flake concentrate.”
Due to these qualities, the Lindi Jumbo mine is in the rare position whereby it can service practically every sector of the graphite industry, from the energy storage and electric vehicle (EV) market to the more specialised expandable graphite sectors, such as foils and graphene.
The staged commissioning of the project’s processing plant has already
WALKABOUT’S DIVERSITY STRATEGIES
The company’s diligent diversity strategies include:
• Recruiting from a diverse pool of candidates for all positions, including senior management and board roles.
• Considering specific factors in the recruitment and selection processes that encourage diversity.
• Developing programmes to facilitate a broader pool of skilled and experienced candidates, including workplace development, mentoring, and targeted training programmes.
• Cultivating a culture which takes employees’ domestic responsibilities into account.
• Reviewing succession plans to ensure an appropriate focus on diversity.
begun, with the majority being cold commissioned so that all motors and pumps can be tested, whilst hot commissioning has also been conducted where possible.
The total capital expenditure for the project was approximately USD$35 million, with the remainder of the funds being generated through equity
raising on the Australian Security Exchange (ASX).
ONE OF A KIND
As an indicator of Lindi Jumbo’s innovative characteristics, the project is the first graphite operation outside of China to attract debt funding in 2023. Walkabout was fortunate
“WE STRIVE TO EXPAND OUR DOWNSTREAM AND UPSTREAM ACTIVITIES, AND BECOME THE SUPPLIER OF CHOICE FOR RESPONSIBLY AND SUSTAINABLY SOURCED NATURAL FLAKE GRAPHITE”
– ANDREW CUNNINGHAM, MANAGING DIRECTOR, WALKABOUT RESOURCES
enough to secure the support in partnership with Gemcorp Capital, a London-based financial institution.
The USD$20 million debt funding allowed the company to complete the project build and construction on time by March 2024.
Further unique factors of the mine can be found in its attention to environmental practices, as the project will have no waste dumps, whilst all excess waste rock will be used to build a tailings storage facility (TSF), and, in turn, increase the effectiveness of the mine.
Moreover, due to the high-grade ore body being produced, Lindi Jumbo and its associated infrastructure emits negligible pollution. This, together with the fact that it is connected to the national power grid, which is predominantly generated through hydro and natural gas-fired power stations, means that the project’s environmental footprint is relatively small.
Therefore, Walkabout is going a long way to ensure that Lindi Jumbo’s end product of natural flake graphite can be considered responsibly sourced. Due to the project’s trailblazing production and environmental attributes, Cunningham is proud to have witnessed the mine come to fruition.
“Being involved in Lindi Jumbo from its conception back in 2015, discovering what is certainly a one-ofa-kind deposit and taking it through to production, has been a highlight of my career,” Cunningham proudly divulges.
Therefore, at a time where graphite has been declared a critical mineral in the world due to its importance in the green revolution and use in so many aspects of modern society, the Lindi Jumbo project has become an industry-leading mine development.
TANZANIA FIRST
Committed to its motto of ‘Tanzania First, Local First’, Walkabout places extreme importance on nearby
WALKABOUT’S VISION – AT A GLANCE
The company’s vision is to create and grow sustainable value for its shareholders through best practices in safe mining, responsibly exploring and producing essential minerals and metals for the benefit of its host and global communities, and minimising its impact on the natural environment.
communities, whose contributions and buy-ins have been vital to the project’s success.
From Lindi Jumbo’s inception, it became clear to Cunningham that local communities were extremely eager to see the mine become a success and be part of the journey. As such, building the mine has
given the company the opportunity to do the right thing from the outset and take into consideration what is important to nearby villages.
Consequently, Walkabout has held regular meetings with locals to understand their needs, which have subsequently been documented and prioritised.
For example, the construction of the mine has led to significant changes in the region, as the government has fast-tracked the development of infrastructure in the form of new roads, hospitals, and schools, as well as the expansion of a power supply into local communities.
“Five years ago, none of this would
“BEING INVOLVED IN LINDI JUMBO FROM ITS CONCEPTION BACK IN 2015, DISCOVERING WHAT IS CERTAINLY A ONEOF-A-KIND DEPOSIT AND TAKING IT THROUGH TO PRODUCTION, HAS BEEN A HIGHLIGHT OF MY CAREER”
–
ANDREW CUNNINGHAM, MANAGING DIRECTOR, WALKABOUT RESOURCES
have been envisaged,” Cunningham highlights.
Meanwhile, the company has also been holding itself financially accountable throughout the entirety of the project.
“Even though our contributions to date have been fairly modest, we have been very transparent throughout the process, and the local village leaders have been understanding of the fact that all our focus has been on getting the necessary funding together,” he adds.
On top of this, Walkabout has been very frugal with its expenditure to ensure that it stays within budget for production, so that the company is able to generate sufficient funds that can be fed back into the community.
LOCALISED SUPPLIERS
As part of its prioritisation of the surrounding region, Walkabout has been working with a local logistics provider for a number of years, who
was responsible for the clearance of tough parts and the transport of all the equipment from the processing plant to the mine site.
“The same company will now be responsible for the export of graphite concentrate out of Tanzania, and has developed state-of-the-art systems to ensure the integrity of this process and security of each bag of concentrate as it travels from the mine to the final destination, wherever it is in the world,” expands Cunningham.
Additionally, the vast majority of the work conducted for the Lindi Jumbo project, such as exploration, drilling, earthworks, construction, and commissioning, was completed by local contractors and workers from nearby villages.
What’s more, many of these employees have subsequently developed the requisite skills to ensure their ongoing employment at the company.
Following the acquisition of a
comprehensive, local workforce, Walkabout’s number one priority going forward is to get the mine up and running and to achieve nameplate capacity as soon as possible.
“Once we have reached this goal, we strive to expand our downstream and upstream activities, and become the supplier of choice for responsibly and sustainably sourced natural flake graphite,” closes Cunningham.
Frontrunners in drilling and blasting services, the African division of EPC Groupe has consolidated the continent as an integral part of the global mining industry. Wilfred Latte, Regional Head of Business Development, tells us more
Writer: Lucy Pilgrim | Project Manager: Joshua Mann
The drilling and blasting sector in Africa has experienced significant pressure in the face of challenges caused by harsh environments, increased energy costs, and land disputes in recent years. Despite this, the industry has prevailed by taking advantage of its vast mineral reserves.
In Africa, EPC Groupe possesses the requisite rich history, extensive global experience, and project ambition to sufficiently navigate the continent’s ever-expanding mining sector.
EPC Groupe was first founded in France in 1893 by Chairman, EugèneJean Barbier. In just a short amount of time, the organisation became a world leader in the manufacturing of explosives, storage and distribution, and drilling and blasting.
“For 130 years, EPC Groupe has enjoyed a reputation for effective solutions, technological innovation, and high-quality customer service,” introduces Wilfried Latte, Regional Head of Business Development.
In the early 2000s, the organisation progressed from its predominantly distribution activities to drilling and blasting services via its African subsidiaries in Guinea – Nitrokemine and Nitrokemfor – who still hold an exclusive contract with Compagnie des Bauxites (CBG) for mine drilling, on-site explosives manufacturing, and blasting operations.
“AFRICA
REMAINS THE PLACE TO BE IF WE WANT TO PLAY OUR PART IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION. ALONGSIDE THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WE OFFER, WE THEREFORE TAKE GREAT CARE TO ENSURE THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT IS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION”
– WILFRED LATTE, REGIONAL HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, EPC GROUPE
This global expansion of capabilities elevated EPC Groupe to become pioneers in explosives manufacturing, as well as drilling and blasting, cementing itself as a leading international player in the fields of mining, civil construction, demolition, and the circular economy.
Today, EPC Groupe has a vast range of divisions to cover the scope of the industry, with more than 40
subsidiaries in over 20 countries worldwide. This can be split into five main regions that handle business across Nothern Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia Pacific, the Americas, and sub-Saharan Africa.
As such, EPC Groupe has been present in Africa for over 60 years, originating in the civil explosives market with the establishment of trading companies initially in
Cameroon in 1953, before expanding further across West Africa.
The group oversaw drilling and blasting operations in Gabon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Benin, Guinea, and Cameroon with its vast customer base comprising leading names in mining, cement, aggregates, civil engineering, and defence.
“Today, we manufacture and supply a range of commercial explosives and tailor-made services, both from our national industrial plant based in Ivory Coast and on-site for our clients in Guinea and Ivory Coast,” Latte highlights.
OPTIMISING OPERATIONS
In 2022, Africa and Asia contributed to 22 percent of EPC Groupe’s turnover, following a considerable 57 percent increase in output over the last two years.
“Africa offers room for EPC Groupe to develop its activities in a very demanding area; we are all in line to strengthen our position in West and Central Africa, and continue our development across the continent,” comments Latte.
This is demonstrated by the company’s industry-leading supply and manufacture of commercial explosives, including cartridge and bulk explosives.
More specifically, EPC Groupe was a frontrunner in the development and use of mobile bulk explosive manufacturing units for both surface and tunnelling work in Africa. This equipment presents a notable advantage for the productivity of its customers’ sites and guarantees a higher level of safety and reliability.
“Our involvement does not stop at making the product available
EPC GROUPE’S SERVICES –AT A GLANCE
• Blast design
• Loading of explosives in the hole
• Priming and shooting services
• Vibration measurement of the complete blasting space
• Data analysis and reporting conducted by an experienced team of technicians, engineers, and operators, equipped with cutting-edge tools and technologies
in such an optimised way; we also offer a range of customised services in accordance with our clients’ needs, organisational structure, and objectives,” he adds.
As a result, EPC Groupe can provide vital solutions to the recurrent challenges of the continent’s mining industry, namely by maximising the fragmentation of rock to allow for more efficient ore extraction, precise drilling patterns, and controlled blasting, which minimises the need for secondary blasting or excessive crushing.
As drilling and blasting is a key part of the mineral extraction process, the company is committed to providing global logistics to secure the end-toend supply chain of raw materials such as ammonium nitrate.
EPC Groupe’s specialist portfolio of products and services ensures that its customers receive both compliant and value-driven solutions to support them in niche markets. These services include:
Currently, the group is leveraging its tools across Africa, present in locations such as Senegal, Gabon, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast.
To add to this, EPC Groupe looks forward to delving into some new mining contracts in the latter
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specifically. This includes the supply of explosives and blasting services for Australian-based company, Perseus Mining Limited, for their Yaouré Gold Mine located near Yamoussoukro, the capital of Ivory Coast.
“We effectively started the contract in January 2021, with the key specification of providing the first emulsion manufacturing plant on-site, named the Euro Modular Plant (EMP), which was designed and built by our R&D department, EPC Innovation and Industry (EPC2I),” recounts Latte.
“The plant is working well and has the capacity to provide up to 20,000 tonnes of emulsion per year, in preparation for the demands of both open-pit operations and upcoming underground projects,” he adds.
EMP provides EPC Groupe with a greater capacity to provide tailored solutions for its clients from a variety of locations.
Furthermore, the company anticipates new developments in Gabon, where it is preparing for the ramp-up phase of the Belinga project, providing explosive and blasting services.
“We are currently in the process of providing on-site solutions to enhance productivity at the Belinga project and match the increased demand forecasted by the mine operators,” Latte informs.
EPC Groupe has a deep understanding of the local regions in Africa and their mining demands. Therefore, it is knowledgeable enough to approach potential customers from a local development perspective.
“All of the General Managers in our subsidiaries are from Africa, so their local understanding, involvement, and commitment are key for our operations. We are a trusted partner in the region,” Latte explains.
“Innovation is part of our DNA. We are investing in R&D for sustainable products and equipment, whilst strengthening our digital solutions to generate value for our customers.”
“INNOVATION IS PART OF OUR DNA. WE ARE INVESTING IN R&D FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS AND EQUIPMENT, WHILST STRENGTHENING OUR DIGITAL SOLUTIONS TO GENERATE VALUE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS”
– WILFRED LATTE, REGIONAL HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT,
ACCELERATING THE ENERGY TRANSITION
EPC Groupe proactively harnesses Africa’s abundance of mineral supplies, comprising platinum group metals (PGM), copper, cobalt, iron ore, chrome, manganese, gold, and lithium.
With the accelerating pace of decarbonisation and the resulting transition to renewable energy, demands for green minerals have
increased exponentially. The continent has already significantly benefitted from the uptake of such minerals, particularly with the increasing need for gold.
This is especially significant in the context of growing demand in the value supply chain for mine to mill and drilling and blasting activities, which forecasts a bright future for the company.
EPC GROUPE
However, new challenges are arising in the mastery of the supply chain and the transportation of raw materials to specified production areas. This enables EPC Groupe to remain competitive and consistently cater for the increasing demands of its customers whilst meeting the needs of renewable energy.
“Africa remains the place to be if we want to play our part in the energy
transition. Alongside the products and services we offer, we take great care to ensure that the environmental aspect is taken into consideration in all our working procedures,” Latte details.
Moreover, the company prides itself on exceeding typical corporate social responsibility (CSR) standards, as EPC Groupe is devoted to the advancements of the local African communities in which it operates.
“Our decisions and activities are planned and conducted to comply with the group’s own broader definition of CSR, which corresponds with our vision of being responsible in front of our own people, the community as a whole, and our stakeholders,” Latte details.
With such a passion for doing right, not only from the company but its surrounding people, EPC Groupe’s
priority for 2024 is to expand its presence across Central and Southern Africa, particularly in the development of emerging subsidiaries that are entering the mining market.
“As an organisation, we strive to strengthen our market share and continuously provide solutions to our customers,” Latte concludes.
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