Australian Mining July 2012

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VOLUME 104/7 – JULY 2012

Australian Mining

SERVING THE MINING INDUSTRY SINCE 1908

www.miningaustralia.com.au

NO.1 FOR MINING TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT

Queensland Coalfields Spotlight

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QME Preview

Australia’s coal future 24-26 July, 2012 Mackay Showgrounds, Mackay, QLD

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COMMENT

Mining Where else but Queensland?

Australian

Copyright Reed Business Information Published 12 issues a year by Reed Business Information (ABN 80 132 719 861) Tower 2, 475 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, NSW 2067 Australia Tel: (02) 9422 2999 Fax: (02) 9422 2966

Queensland seems to be the place to be for mining right now.

W

hat a time to hold the Queensland Editor – Cole Latimer Mining and EngiTel: (02) 9422 2352 Email: ozmining@reedbusiness.com.au neering Exhibition.

Journalist – Andrew Duffy There is no way anyone Tel: (02) 9422 2884 in the industry can say that Email: ozmining@reedbusiness.com.au Key Account Manager – Tim Richards the Bowen, Surat, and GaliTel: (02) 9422 2818 Mob: 0420 550 770 lee Basins are not where it is Email: tim.richards@reedbusiness.com.au QLD and SA Sales Manager – Sharon Amos all happening at the moment.

Tel: (07) 3261 8857 Fax: (07) 3261 8347 From the strikes and growMob: 0417 072 625 Email: sharon.amos@reedbusiness.com.au ing coal production through WA Representative – Jamie Wade to Gina Rinehart and GVK’s Mob: 0435 945 868 Email: jamie@wadebusiness.com.au massive Alpha coal mine and RBI Manufacturing & Electronics Group: the infrastructure boom kickProduction Co-ordinator – Tracy Engle Tel: (02) 9422 2707 Fax: (02) 9422 2966 ing off in the region, Mackay Graphic Designer – Dave Ashley is definitely the perfect place to South Africa – Bob Stephen be right now.

Stephen Marketing PO Box 75, Tarlton, Gauteng 1749, South Africa Clive Palmer is making Tel: 27(011) 952 1721 Fax: 27(011) 952 1607 his mark on the region and USA – Jonathan Sismey RBI Xstrata, Rio Tinto and BHP 24th Floor, 125 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Tel: (1) 212 370 7445 Fax: (1) 212 370 7441 are also extending their reach.

Email: jsismey@ix.netcom.com We tried to go in depth and Larry Arthur cover just what has happened RBI Suite 203, 3700 Campus Drive, Newport Beach, in this region over the last year, CA 92660 Tel: (1) 949 756 1057 Fax: (1) 949 756 2514 and to be honest we’ve barely Email: lharthur@ix.netcom.com scratched the surface.

Printed by GEON 20 Baker Street, Banksmeadow, NSW 2019 It’s a hive of activity and Tel: (02) 8333 6555 QME will definitely be packed out again.

Now it’s only up to the temperamental weather to dictate how successful it will All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be actually be. reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

While we sweltered during SSn 0004-976X the last exhibition, it was a far Reader Services – 1300 360 126 Subscription Rates – sight better than the flooded Australia (surface mail) $140.00 (incl GST) quagmire of the one before.

New Zealand A$148.00 Overseas A$156.00 I’m looking forward to the event and hopefully you’ll be able to drop in on us at Stand 1045.

It will be positively titanic; and some are hoping that Bob A DAverage _ A MNet KDistribution I N J U L _ 1 2 Katter . p d f might P a also g e make 1 7an / 0 Period ending March 2012 appearance and ‘liven’ things 7,996 Associate Publisher – Martin Sinclair Email: martin.sinclair@reedbusiness.com.au

Comment Cole Latimer ozmining@reedbusiness.com.au up – as he is wont to do.

All things Queensland aside for the moment, Janet Holmes à Court’s recent comments on the industry are the height of ridiculousness.

She recently proposed that refugees to Australia are trained up at the country’s expense to work in the mining industry as a stop gap to the current skills shortage.

This is while many Australians remain jobless and trying almost anything to get a foot in to the industry’s door.

The response was unsurprisingly negative to her suggestion, ranging from dismissive to outright apoplectic.

Strangely enough, some also saw this as part of Gina Rinehart’s move to employ 1700 foreign workers at her Roy Hill project.

Soon after her initial statement that the miner would look abroad for workers, Rinehart did an about face and announced that she would offer jobs to the many Illawarra coal and industrial workers who were put out of a job in the region’s cuts and shutdowns.

Yet she was again attacked for only offering jobs to people in the region.

It seems as though the poor woman can’t put a foot right sometimes, and

is damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t.

Just on the mining sideshow, Rinehart has also taken an even greater chunk of Fairfax as the media company slashes its payroll.

How this will affect reporting from them in the future, and the company’s various media outlets, is yet to be seen.

However it is unlikely to dramatically skew the various papers’ leanings.

In the more outlandish news however, Clive Palmer has finally hired an engineering company to build his fabled Titanic II. While many are asking why, most are just shaking their heads at this latest incomprehensible move.

We can only wait and see if Palmer’s project in Queensland, and Western Australia, are able to float, or if they follow his latest project’s namesake.

FRONT COVER

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On the front cover we’ve featured a massive open cut coal mine, like those in Queensland. In this edition we focus on the major happenings in the Bowen, Surat, and Galilee Basins, and how these coalfields are shaping the future of the state of Queensland. As part of our heavy Queensland focus for the July edition, we also give you a QME preview, highlighting some of the technology on show, who is presenting, and provide a map of the area so you can pre-plan your visit. In one of the more unusual stories, we’ve delved into the latest development in mines rescue, which in some ways is a step backwards. We also examine the re-emergence of the tin sector in Australia, and what that means for the world.

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Contents Features QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT Great Barrier grief A recent UNESCO report has raised the stakes for QLD port developments ........ p16-18 The fight we had to have The ongoing BMA coal union battles in the BowenBasin ................................ p20-28 Solving the infrastructure GAP Heavy coal rail haulage plans across Queensland ........................................... p30-34 Southern solution Anglo American’s latest moves underground .............................................. p36 Masterful training Unveiling new coal mining training facilities in Brisbane ................................... p38 A terminal test case The uneven progression of Abbot Point’s expansion ................................................... p40 All eyes on Alpha Rinehart and GVK’s massive coal mine hits hurdles ................................................ p42 MINESITE VEHICLES Shedding light on minesite vehicles Advancing machinery on site ................ p44-46 Tight tyre markets How can the mining industry keep itself rolling? ......................................... p48-49 Scratching the surface Protecting your vehicles’ glass windshields ................................................ p50 Heavy haulage in the Pilbara Roadtrain issues and machinery movement .................................................. p52 Injecting solutions into diesel New developments in diesel engine technology............................................. p54-56 Fuelling change A D _ A MK R C J A N _ 1 0 . p d f Pa ge Is diesel still the lifeblood of mining?.......... p58

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July 2012 issue

QME Preview

Queensland’s show of shows….p116-156

SURFACE MINING Mine a million, make a billion Precision mining on site at Christmas Creek .................................................... p60-62

THE FESTIVAL Upside in a downturn Manitou pulls out all stops.................... p66-68

MAPPING AND SURVEYING Sighting the future Making scanning safer ............................... p72 Eye in the sky Can UAVs make mine mapping safer?..................................................... p74-76 Old technology, new uses Using GIS technology in a different way ....................................................... p78-79 Precise positioning National RTK are set to change networks .................................................... p80

SOCIAL MEDIA Social media, social problems How has mining adapted in the social 1 1 2 / 1 1 / 0 9 , 9 : 5 4 AM media landscape? .................................. p70-71

TIN The time has come The re-emergence of Australia’s tin sector ......................................................... p82

MINING JOBS Forcing unemployed into mining How do we plug the labour shortfall? ........ p64

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AD_AMATLJUL_12.pdf

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Contents

July 2012 issue

Lost and hound

Search and rescue dogs in underground coal mines….p100-102

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MINESITE CONSTRUCTION Family first housing Family friendly housing in remote communities ...................................... p84 Infrastructure innovation Taking processing offshore ..................................................................... p86 DRILL, BLAST & GEOMECHANICS Primed for safety Making blasting more visible .................................................................. p88 Setting the benchmarks Drillers achieving safety records on site .............................................. p90-91 Making a breakthrough in blasting Remotely plugging breakthroughs ........................................................... p92 Dream drilling Drillers bullish on mining’s future ........................................................... p94 Striking out Cutting fatigue and fuel costs on drill rigs ......................................... p96-98 RECRUITMENT The end of recruitment agencies More miners are sourcing workers directly ................................... p104-105

Visit our website or call your nearest ESS Branch to arrange a site inspection

ARGENTINA Taking back what is ours Is Argentina joining in South America’s nationalism push ............ p160-161

Regulars NEWS ...................................................................................................... p8 INDUSTRY COMMENT ..................................................................... p10-12 MINING FAMILY MATTERS ................................................................... p14 PRODUCT FOCUS: Motors & Drives ........................................... p106-112 Q&A: Kelly Vea Vea ..................................................................... p158-159 PROSPECT AWARDS ......................................................................... p162 JOBS ................................................................................................... p164 EVENTS .............................................................................................. p166 6

July 2012

AustralianMining

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AD_AMSANJUL_12.pdf

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NEWS

The latest mining news and safety Australian Mining presents the latest news and safety affecting you from the boardroom to the mine and everywhere in between. Visit www.miningaustralia.com.au to keep up to date with what is happening.

Protestors a bunch of clowns

BMA to de-unionise workforce, union says

More wins for Lynas A Malaysian Parliamentary Committee has recommended Lynas Corporation keeps the temporary operating licence for its processing facility in Kuantan.

The Committee findings are the latest win for the rare earths hopeful, and follow the Malaysian Government’s move to dismiss a different claim against its operations.

Arctic mega mine to dig by 2013 ArcelorMittal’s planned mega mine in the Arctic Circle expects to clear regulatory hurdles and begin construction next year. The company initially announced its plans to build the Mary River iron ore mine, valued at $21 billion, this time last year.The project would include the construction of a 150km railway and two new ports in the region.

At the time the company had already spent $558 million acquiring Baffinland Iron mines in the region, to develop the Mary River deposits in the Canadian arctic.

The project will employ more than 2000 workers to construct 24 bridges, roads, airstrips, ports and infrastructure.

The railway is predicted to take four years to build.

It is now aiming for a five year schedule of construction begining in early 2013,

ai_ait_35.2_en aik

A group of mining protestors have The Construction Forestry Mining dressed as clowns to highlight ‘joke’ and Energy Union have again of Australia’s mining industry. accused BMA of trying to deActivists from the group Friends unionise its coal mine workforce. of the Earth (FoE) dressed up to Earlier this year the miner was protest outside of foreign minister accused of formulating a secret plan Bob Carr’s office and to condemn to restart the Norwich Park coal mine the country’s focus on mining at the with a de-unionised workforce. recent Rio+20 summit.

At the time the CFMEU said it had It also delivered a letter to Carr obtained a document that indicated imploring him to halt Australia’s BMA had a five year plan to restart mining push at the conference. operations at Norwich Park with “Mining’s got no place in a sustainable different employees. and environmental agenda,” CFMEU district president Stephen environmentalist Liz Barrett told AAP. Smyth said BMA needed to “come Australian Mining gets the “We’ve also got an issue with $127 clean” on its plan for the mine and latest news every day, providing million of aid money being poured its staff. up to the minute information into a sustainable mining program.” on safety, news and technology The group went on to attack’s FMG sues Government for the Australian mining and Australia’s aid of mining industries in over mining tax resources industry. other countries.

Fortescue Metals Group has lodged “They should be trying to minimise In a statement FMG CEO Nev a High Court challenge against the mining, not promoting it to the UN,” Federal Government’s mining tax on A D _ A MV O I N O V _ 1 1 . p d f P a g e 1 1 9 / 1Power 0 / said 1 1the , minerals 1 0 :resource 2 3 AM one protester said. rent tax challenge would be based constitutional grounds.

on four key areas: discrimination between the states; depriving state sovereignty; giving preference to other states; and restricting a state’s ability to encourage mining “We believe we have a good case for challenging the MRRT on constitutional grounds and we look forward to the resolution of these important issues by the High Court,” Power said.

The challenge follows FMG’s confirmation earlier this year it would fight the legislation in court.

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INDUSTRY COMMENT

It’s time to

FACE THE FACTS

Fortescue Metals Group deserves its chance to fight the mining tax, but the public deserves to know what it’s really all about, The Dirt writes.

A

fter its move to chal- been millions upon millions lenge the mining tax of dollars in advertising and in the High Court lobbying it’s hard to take seFortescue Metals Group’s riously claims the challenge general council Peter Huston as been depoliticised. told reporters the company That such a claim can be had “tried and succeeded” in made in the first place hints depoliticising the stoush. at a company so caught up While true from a purely in its own rhetoric it’s startlegal perspective the claim ing to lose touch with the meant very little and was public. certainly nothing to brag Or worse still it hints about. at a company that’s simply FMG’s High Court chal- stopped paying attention to lenge is the culmination of public debate. endless posturing and follows But while Huston’s cona very public war of words be- fidence in FMG’s politics tween the company’s manage- came from left field it wasn’t ment and the Government. the most provocative stateAfter such breathless A D _ A M P R O J U L _ 1 2 ment . p d in f the P acompany’s g e 1 me1 5 / criticism and what must have dia briefing.

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Coal and iron ore will be the targets of the new mining tax.

That accolade was instead reserved for FMG’s director of strategy Julian Tapp.

0 6 / 1 2 , 2 : 3 5 PM Explaining the reasons

for the High Court challenge Tapp repeated an often quoted mantra from the company’s top brass.

But in delivering the

statement Tapp overplayed his hand, an error we’re getting used to seeing from the Continued on page 12

www.miningaustralia.com.au

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INDUSTRY COMMENT

Continued from page 10

hyped-up management of FMG. “We are happy and willing to pay the taxes that are correct for us to pay,” he said.

“This is clearly not about trying to reduce our tax liability, this is about tackling a law we fundamentally believe is against the constitution.”

On the surface these comments may seem fairly ordinary, and indeed they align very closely with what FMG has said all along.

But in endlessly repeating the argument one can’t help but feel like FMG is FMG says the tax threatens further expansions in the Pilbara. ignoring the elephant in the room. the real reason it’s waging And in fact there’s This challenge is about the war. nothing wrong with mountmoney.

It’s not spending mil- ing a challenge on these It always has been and it lions on taking the Govern- grounds. always will be. ment to the High Court beMuch of our law exists To pretend that it’s about cause it’s passionate about for exactly this purpose and anything else is naïve. how constitutional law is there’s plenty of evidence But that’s exactly what enacted in our country. to suggest the tax may disFMG wants us to do.

It’s taking Canberra to criminate against the states, While certainly within court because it believes it’s contrary to section 51 of the its Arights toA challenge the1 2 in interests D_ AM ECJ UL _ . pthe d f bestP a g e 1 of 8the / 0 5constitution. / 1 2 , 2 : 3 9 PM tax FMG should front up to company’s bottom line.

For the strength of the

12aust_mining_OL.indd July 2012 AustralianMining 1

industry and its ability to expand FMG deserves to challenge the Government’s tax.

But it doesn’t deserve or need to cloud its movements.

Instead of dancing round the issue FMG should come clean and admit that the overarching reason for its challenge is money.

This wouldn’t steal its mandate, nor would it destroy much of the hard evidence out there that suggests we ought to scrap the tax.

But it would make the argument on our country’s constitution more transparent and the company leading it a more responsible player.

Much of the reason why FMG won’t fess up comes back to politics and public relations.

Exactly the thing Huston says the company has “successfully” avoided.

While fighting over the constitution looks noble admitting it’s about money looks dirty.

Making such an admission would open a new front in the battle and make it easier for the tax’s supporters to dismiss any argument arbitrarily.

In some sense one can understand FMG’s reluctance to this side of the debate.

But if it’s the “good corporate citizen” it keeps proclaiming it is it ought to be straight with the public.

www.miningaustralia.com.au 2/05/12 3:30 PM

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AEST

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MINING FAMILY MATTERS

World first: a SELF-HELP for mining families

BOOK

The world’s first comprehensive self-help book for miners has been launched to help Australian families coping with the pressures of FIFO/DIDO rosters and living in isolated mining communities.

T

he group that released a survival guide for mining families last year has now released a book that touches on all the issues that effect those in the mining industry.

Mining Families Rock is the creation of the awardwinning Mining Family Matters team and features 70 chapters of professional advice and practical strategies to help ensure that lucrative mining jobs don’t jeopardise strong relationships with partners and children.

The 176-page book was written by Mining Family Matters co-creators Alicia Ranford and Lainie Anderson and psychologist Angie Willcocks.

Ranford says the team was prompted to write a wideranging book for miners and their families after the overwhelming success of 32-page Survival Guide for Mining Families, with sales topping 50,000 since March last year.

“The response to the Survival Guide has been fantastic, with dozens of mining companies now including the guide in induction packs or distributing to their existing workforce – these companies should be applauded for investing in the emotional wellbeing of employees and their families.

“From the growing number of visitors to our website www.miningfm.com. au, we also know that miners and their partners are also incredibly proactive in their own right – they want to make mining work financially, without causing problems emotionally.

“That’s why we’ve created this book – to give families simple tools and professional advice in all areas of mining life, from intimate relationships and parenting to settling into a new mining 14

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TOP TEN TIPS FROM MINING FAMILIES ROCK

town or coping with those first few unsettling swings on a remote mine site.”

Ranford says the book is also aimed at the thousands of people keen to tap into Australia’s mining boom, with timely advice on where to start looking for a mining job and everything new miners need to know about things like mining camp etiquette, mining jargon and what to pack for their first shift.

Mining Family Matters psychologist Angie Willcocks says there is a lot of attention in Australia on the negative impacts of FIFO rosters on families, and it’s time to turn the focus onto how to make these couples more resilient.

“Working away from

home is a fact of life for a growing number of Australian families – it can be a positive experience so long as couples are very clear about goals and potential problems up front,” Willcocks says.

“They need to tackle any issues as a united team and regularly reassess how the whole family is coping.”

Ranford says one of the major aims in writing Mining Families Rock was to make mining families feel good about their lifestyle choices, whether they preferred to live residentially in a mining town or do FIFO or DIDO. “The mining boom offers great opportunities for families, but after six moves in a decade and eight

1. Coping in the early days of FIFO/DIDO: We all cope differently when things get tough. Some need more contact; others prefer to withdraw. If your partner seems distant try not to take it personally.

2. Working away – helping children cope: Allow your child to talk about how they feel. Avoid saying things like “be brave” or “don’t be silly” because they might start hiding feelings from you, thinking that they are unacceptable feelings.

3. How to cope when you’re missing your kids: Remember that your children will only worry and panic about dad being away for Christmas or a big birthday if the adults seem to be worried or panicky. Look at this as a great opportunity to model resilience and problem-solving skills.

4. Helping teenagers to cope: some FIFO/DIDO parents feel a little guilty or sorry for their kids, and so expect less of them. Strangely enough, this can be bad for their self esteem. Encouraging and even expecting your teenager to take part in family activities and help around the house is not only good for their confidence; it’s great for setting up opportunities for communication.

5. Mining mums who work away: Make sure guilt doesn’t affect your parenting style. If you do feel guilty about working away or long hours on the job, offload to supportive friends and/or family to get it off your chest, rather than changing how you interact with your kids.

6. Sex and the mining couple: If you have differing libidos, don’t fall into the trap of thinking the ‘problem’ rests with the person who wants less or more sex. Setting the issue up as one person’s problem just makes it harder to tackle and increases the tension, frustration, guilt and blame.

7. Beating the black day blues: black days are a bit like Mondayitis, only on a bigger scale. For some miners, it’s the final day of their time off. For others it’s the actual day of travel back to the mine site. Next time you are having a black day, take the time to think about how you feel and how you are acting.

Sometimes, even just noticing your black day thoughts can help.

8. Marriage breakdowns and infidelity: if you have a strong relationship based on mutual respect, interests and love for each other (and you can openly discuss any worries or issues as they arise) there is no reason the FIFO/DIDO lifestyle should negatively impact your marriage or partnership.

9. Don’t let money make you miserable: Don’t alter your commitments (i.e. new house or bigger loan repayments) until you are sure that mining works for you. FIFO/DIDO families don’t do too well when they feel stuck with the lifestyle.

10. Mine camp etiquette: Get yourself clean and tidy before breakfast and dinner in the mess hall. No-one wants to sit beside someone with half the day’s work still on their overalls.

years of FIFO I know it can also put intense pressure on couples trying to maintain a strong relationship and raise happy, healthy kids.

“Great communication is the absolute key, and hopefully this book will start a lot of conversations on many personal levels,” she says. www.miningaustralia.com.au

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QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT

Great Barrier GRIEF A UNESCO report on mining’s impact on the Great Barrier Reef has raised the stakes in an already heated battle.

L

ast month Queensland Premier Campbell Newman fired a provocative salvo at the state’s coal protestors. “… we are in the coal business,” he said.

“If you want decent hospitals, schools and police on the beat we all need to understand that.”

The frank admission came in response to rising opposition to the expansion of Queensland’s coal and gas sectors.

While environmentalists oppose the industry for a whole host of reasons, the impact of rising resource shipments on the Great Barrier Reef play a central role in the fight.

And it’s not just local conservationists making trouble.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, a serious international player in all things heritage, has 16

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also weighed into the debate.

And it hasn’t mixed its words.

The warning

After already sounding serious concern about the impact the mining industry would have on the future of the Reef, UNESCO visited Queensland earlier this year to take a closer look.

Its findings weren’t what the mining industry or Queensland Government would have liked to hear.

UNESCO said proceeding with the expansions planned for QLD’s coal and gas industries without the right approach would “directly risk irreversible impacts” on the Reef.

It particularly targeted massive coal projects in the Galilee Basin and gas developments further south.

Such projects, it warned, could “provide the basis to consider the inscription of

[The Great Barrier Reef] on the List of World Heritage Places in Danger.

“The outstanding universal value of [the Reef] is threatened and decisive action is required to secure its long-term conservation,” it said.

For a country that prides itself on preserving a rich collection of cultural and environmental heritage, and for a state that profits hugely from the Reef’s tourism, the warning was likely to have left many MPs and industry heavyweights more than a little uncomfortable.

And whether industry and Government will provide the “decisive action” UNESCO deems necessary remains to be seen.

What’s wrong?

The UNESCO report did not just look exclusively at mining, but a whole range of development along the Queensland coastline, in-

cluding agriculture and tourism.

Runoff from agriculture’s fertilisers and pesticides were of particular concern.

Nevertheless coal and gas expansions featured heavily.

The sheer size of the planned expansions and their rate of development was a key point for the regulator.

Currently there are around 35 applications for major new coal industry projects under consideration for the next 18 months.

The new projects will mean port facilities will have to increase six-fold, with some estimates putting the number of coal carriers travelling by the Reef each year at close to 10,000.

“This unprecedented scale of development affecting or potentially affecting the property poses serious concerns over its long-term conservation,” the report said.

Lobby group GetUp, which has joined the fight against the resources industry and its impacts on the Reef, has taken aim at the port developments at Gladstone in particular.

“The largest dredging project ever undertaken in Australia was approved to occur within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, at Gladstone Harbour, and is slated to remove a total of around 50 million cubic metres of soil,” it says.

“In the past six months (during the first stage of dredging) there has been a steep increase in deaths of endangered marine wildlife -- six dolphins, ten dugongs, and 231 turtles have washed up dead near Gladstone on the Great Barrier Reef.”

GetUp says the dredging at Gladstone has also released “toxic chemicals” and contributed to the sickContinued on page 18 www.miningaustralia.com.au

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QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT

Continued from page 16

ness of local fishermen and marine life.

Among the furore the QLD Government’s regula­ tion was also marked a significant concern for UN observers.

A particular sticking point was what it deemed an unsatisfactory policy in regard to environmental off­ sets.

“It does not appear that offsets that were part of the conditions for consenting developments in Gladstone Harbour and on Curtis Is­ land are appropriate and sufficient mitigation of the impact the facilities have on the property,” it said.

“The mission considers that these concerns should be addressed prior to any port development and en­ sure that port facilities and operations throughout the property meet the highest international standards of best practice, commensurate with the status of an iconic World Heritage property.”

A now long­running

The growing coal industry was a key concern for UNESCO.

flashpoint for industry and environmentalists, the Gov­ ernment has commissioned a number of studies to in­ vestigate the situation at Gladstone.

While Government study linked the environmental and health concerns to the QLD floods in 2010­11, there remains a significant amount of research blaming mining for the impact.

Where the truth lies in

these findings is so far un­ clear and for now the con­ flict continues.

The outlook

While UNESCO sounded some firm warnings for the QLD Government and min­ ing industry it maintained the challenges were not in­ surmountable.

It also pointed to the good history in QLD of har­ monising the industry and

environment, particularly with the Great Barrier Reef.

“Since the listing of the Great Barrier Reef as World Heritage, the property has tackled a series of threats ef­ fectively,” it said.

But nevertheless its “ex­ treme concern” over the threat of the expanding min­ ing sector was made clear.

For the future UNESCO said the QLD Government needed to take a “highly

precautionary approach” to approving industry develop­ ments.

It also said concern for the Reef’s outlook had been magnified because it lacked “an overall plan for the fu­ ture sustainable develop­ ment of the reef”.

Yet so far mining’s risk to Reef has not materialised.

UNESCO acknowledged this itself when it concluded: “The property does not cur­ rently meet the requirements for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger.”

While previously com­ mitting to protecting the Reef, the QLD Government has also sent mixed messag­ es by thumbing its nose to some conservationists.

With new industry ex­ pansions on the horizon and new environmental threats lurking behind the cor­ ner the future of this busy stretch of QLD is looking murky.

In this battle between competing interests, each as valuable as the next, the most critical episode is yet to play out.

AustralianMining

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July 2012

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QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT

“The fight we had to have” Has the long running battle in the Bowen been inevtiable, a sign of the times, or just a failure to communicate? Cole Latimer reports.

T

his has never been a David vs. Goliath battle in the coal-

fields.

It has been two equal power butting heads for the right to choose how the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi (BMA) coal mines in the Bowen Basin are run, and who holds power on site.

In one corner we have the operators of the mines, BHP Billiton, the mining giant with a global footprint, but curiously most of its coal mining eggs in a single basket in the Bowen Basin.

In the other corner we have the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), which represents workers on and off site, as all unions should.

In the middle of all of this we have the coal mines of Saraji, Peak Downs, Goonyella Riverside, Blackwater, Gregory Crinum, Broadmeadow, Caval Ridge, and Daunia, and we have the surrounding communi20

July 2012

AustralianMining

ties of Moranbah, Emerald, Dysart, Collinsville, Blackwater, and many more.

We also had the Norwich Park coal mine, which was the first real victim in all this.

It began nearly two years ago, and according to BHP Billiton coal CEO Marcus Randolph, this was “the fight we had to have”.

The previous enterprise agreement between BHP and its workers, signed in the era of John Howard’s Work Choices, was winding down and a new one was due on the table.

At the same time Australia was one of the few countries to making it through the global financial crisis (GFC) relatively unscathed as its mining industry went from strength to strength and looked to start a new mining boom; after the last was interrupted by the GFC. Commodity prices were rising off the back of an un-

stoppable China and Australia had the goods and the industry to ensure that China stayed that way.

The future was looking bright for BHP and its coal division.

Was. When it came time to renegotiate the enterprise agreements the workers demanded a greater share of this future.

BHP declined.

And then the unions stepped in.

Early tension

Relations between BHP and the unions had already been strained before this point as the miner sought to get its new Caval Ridge and Daunia coal mines of the ground.

Previously promising more than half of jobs at the mines would go to workers within the region, BHP later changed its plan and proposed to make both mines 100 per cent fly in fly out (FIFO), building a workers

camp instead of sourcing locals.

Backsliding on its previous promises caused fury within the local communities and the CFMEU; mining union district president Steve Smyth condemned the miner’s actions, labelling it a betrayal of the communities.

BHP amended its plan to include sourcing some local workers, but kept the majority as fly in fly out.

Many locals were angered, with a group of Moranbah coal workers wives sending a letter to BHP Billiton chief executive Marius Kloppers, inviting him to visit the town and see the way that miners were forced to live.

Kloppers did not reply.

It was into this atmosphere of underlying anger and distrust that the enterprise agreements were first negotiated.

Unsurprisingly neither party found the other’s first proposals attractive.

Rolling work stoppages began soon after.

Early on the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), Construction, Forestry, Mining and Engineering Union (CFMEU) and Electrical Trades Union (ETU), which were representing the workers via the single bargaining unit (SBU), rejected BHP’s enterprise agreement, saying that the terms outlined in the agreement “weren’t right for us”.

The EA was voted down by 90 per cent of workers.

“They’ve got to start listening to what we’re putting forward,” CFMEU district vice president Glenn Power said in July last year.

The SBU claimed that BMA was failing to listen to workers concerns, asking for more of a say in rostering, stating that the miner is attempting to change the work place and make it less Continued on page 22 www.miningaustralia.com.au

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Continued from page 20

family friendly by introducing different shifts and employing more fly in fly out workers.

These statements were to come up time and time again.

The miner quickly hit back at the unions, branding their actions ‘irresponsible’.

“The unions’ decision is inexplicable and inconsistent with their statements at the time of employee ballots that ‘protected action is only assessed by members as a last resort’,” a BMA spokesperson said.

“They remain unable to explain to the company the reason for the current action.

“In response to a request from the unions for further paid, report-back meetings, BMA confirmed its agreement to the request, offering an additional set of paid meetings at the end of July (2011),” the spokesperson said.

Since the beginnings of this strike action positions have not changed much.

The negotiations continued throughout the months as rolling strikes at the various coal mines halted production, forcing BHP to eat into its existing stock piles of coal and watch its supplies dwindle.

Each time discussions were held the SBU claimed that BHP failed to take its demands seriously, adding that the miner was stripping workers of their rights, and would even force its employees to work on Christmas and Boxing Day. BHP countered this by saying unions were purposefully slowing down negotiations and had taken to scaremongering, “A couple of weeks ago we reached a point with the unions that they weren’t willing to compromise on some critical issues, and neither were we,” BMA president Stephen Dumble said.

In an email leaked earlier this year it was revealed that Randolph believed that many parts of the agreements were “non-negoti22

July 2012

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BMA coal mines like Saraji have seen rolling work stoppages for more than a year now.

able… not now, not next month, and not next year”.

The CFMEU leaped on this, with president Tony Maher stating that the miner was “never prepared to listen to its workers in Central Queensland.

“This shows the company went in with a strategy to purposely ignore its workforce, to enter negotiations with no intention whatsoever of listening to employee concerns,” he said.

BHP countered this, stating it was committed to negotiating with the union and had already made progress on most of the concerns.

“We have had numerous meetings with the unions over a period of more than a year and have resolved the overwhelming majority of issues during this time,” it said.

The miner said most of the remaining issues in the dispute were not related to workers but to areas where unions wanted to extend their power.

It said it would not negotiate on these matters and this had long been its position.

“The company cannot, and will not, diminish its rights and obligations to manage the business, nor will we accept productivitydestroying arrangements as currently proposed by the unions.

“Strike action will not

change our position, as has been the case for the past eight months.”

In the midst of BMA’s negotiations, Rio Tinto was facing a trial of its own which would have an affect on the coal miner’s future.

High court, high stakes

In July last year the Federal Court ruled that the non-un-

ion collective agreement for Rio Tinto’s Pilbara operations were invalid, and allowed the CMFEU onto the site to bargain for pay and conditions.

Mining unions were ecstatic with the result, CFMEU WA divisional secretary Kevin Reynolds said businesses that refused to bargain with employees

Mining unions were asking for a greater say in staff decisions.

on non-union agreements would now be in trouble.

It was during this time that Australia recorded a rise in the number of industrial disputes.

Sixty-six disputes took place in the September quarter of 2011, ABS figures revealed. This was 13 more than in the June quarter of 2011.

September quarter figures also showed that the number of employees involved in industrial disputes was 66,400, an increase from 14,700 in the June quarter of 2011.

A reported 101,300 working days were lost due to industrial disputation in the September quarter of 2011, which is an increase from 66,200 in the June quarter of 2011.

The coal mining industry had the highest number of working days lost per thousand employees (155.8 days lost) for the quarter.

On the back of this the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) called for legislation to ban strikes that ‘offend public interest or are designed to pressure employers to cave in to union demands’.

The AMMA reportedly called for the law amongst a number of other proposals it submitted for the Federal review of the industrial relations laws in January.

AMMA spokesperson Minna Knight said legislation is needed to ban some strikes as existing laws are too lenient.

Following a survey of more than 700 union applications for industrial action, it was found that Fair Work Australia granted the right to carry out strikes in all but six cases.

At the time Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout said the latest ABS industrial dispute statist should serve as a huge wake up call for the Government.

She said the current industrial scene is deeply worrying, particularly worrying because of its growing Continued on page 24 www.miningaustralia.com.au

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QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT

Continued from page 22

adverse impact on the flexi­ bility and performance of key industrial sectors, especially at a time when we need to be increasing our flexibility and responsiveness.

“We all knew the Fair Work Act would increase union power but there has also been a discernable nega­ tive change in union culture and behaviour. This was something which we warned may happen when the Act came in,” Ridout said.

“When the Act was in­ troduced into Parliament we prepared a list of over 60 ar­ eas where union power had increased. This list would be twice as long if we had prepared it today, given the way that the unions have pressed the boundaries of the Act over the past two and a half years and the interpretations which the Courts have placed on some of the sections, for example, the General Protections.

“It has been several years since we have seen so much industrial action taken against multi­national companies and in the public sector.”

Rio Tinto’s CEO Tom Albanese warned against the rising tide of union action.

He said that militant type relationships’ and ag­ gressive stances by unions threaten mining companies’ performances and future, and his prediction was played out recently with BHP reporting a slow down in its coal production fig­ ures and a threatened future supply as industrial action chokes it output.

In the miner’s produc­ tion report for the March Quarter BHP blamed in­ dustrial action and heavy rainfall for the drop, adding “the extent to which indus­ trial action will continue to affect production, sales and unit costs is difficult to pre­ dict however with invento­ ries now severely depleted the impact on future quar­ ters may be significant.

“Force majeure was de­ clared across all BMA sites in April 2012 and remains in place,” the miner said.

24

July 2012

AustralianMining

Towns such as Blackwater have been the real victims in the ongoing industrial action.

Albanese commented that he thinks “we have a risk in Australia that the aggressive IR (industrial relations) agen­ da against mining companies could further reduce produc­ tivity in an environment of very high wages”.

These comments were echoed by Jacques Nasser who said aggressive indus­ trial action, coupled with a poor industrial relations policy and framework in Australia is damaging for businesses.

“In recent years, it’s hard not to feel as if our industri­ al relations system has been like a pendulum, swinging from one approach to an­ other,” he said at the Aus­ tralian Institute of Company Directors lunch.

“I am not casting blame here, either at management, the government, unions, or the workforce. I basically believe the framework is just not appropriate and doesn’t recognise today’s realities,” Nasser said.

“It is imperative for com­ panies to have the ability to be represented but it also recognises the right of man­ agement to run the business without the constant threat of a veto over operational decision making.

“It has been 17 months of constant issues when re­ ally it should be growing in this time of strength,” he told Australian Mining.

“While BHP respects the roles of unions in the indus­ trial relations landscape…

we do not believe that the influence of unions should be disproportionate to the level of union membership which today accounts four around 15 per cent of em­ ployees in Australia’s pri­ vate sector.”

And the impact of this industrial action was only set to continue.

Strike stagnation?

While all this was happening the rolling strikes at BMA continued, with negotia­ tions reaching a stalemate.

Again the situation re­ mained the same, with roll­ ing work stoppages, failed talks between BHP and the Single Bargaining Unit, and the same accusations flying back and forth.

However a massive change was soon to come in the form of BMA closing its least successful coal mine Norwich Park.

In April the miner made a shock announcement – that it would officially close the Norwich Park coal mine.

Despite many pointing the blame at the ongoing union action across its sites, both the miner and unions denied this was the case.

BHP said the mine clo­ sure was an inevitable event and that poor weather and falling commodity prices were the real culprits behind the shut down rather than industrial strife.

Unions immediately con­ demned the closure, stating

that it was merely bullying action by the miner to force its hand.

The local community of Dysart looked to be the real loser following the clo­ sure of Norwich Park, with many workers’ jobs up in the air and only so many places available at other nearby BMA coal mines.

BMA chief Stephen Dumble said “this deci­ sion was not made lightly.

However, the impact of last year’s floods, combined with lower coal prices and high costs, has resulted in an operation that is just not currently viable”.

This did nothing how­ ever, to move negotiations forward at other coal mines across the Bowen Basin.

One response it did usher in was from those in the community themselves, who urged the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union and the SBU to come to an agreement with the heads of BMA before fur­ ther damage was inflicted upon the local communities around the mines.

The Moranbah Mine Workers’ Support Group’s Megan Austin called for an end to the long running industrial dispute, saying compromise is possible.

“We have worked to­ gether over previous years so it is not like it cannot happen,” Austin said.

“In every [EBA] there

Fly in fly out miners have been a source of anger for many in the community. www.miningaustralia.com.au

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QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT

has always a bit of tit for tat and it happens every time they come to this time in the agreement.”

BHP has also seen strikes at its Port Kembla Coal Terminal and Illawarra coal mine however it was able to negotiate an end to industrial action in these cases.

Austin pointed to instances such as these as proof an end can be reached, saying that the ongoing industrial action in Queensland is taking a heavy toll on the community.

“It is not just about the workers, there are families at home who are sitting behind our guys and our girls who are working out there,” she said.

“Whatever happens BHP has seen its stockpile levels erode slowly as strikes choke its coal production. throughout this [EBA] is going to affect all of us.

BMA CEO Stephen Dumble. ‘runs’ the company...seems Tensions escalated soon “It is not going to just “I attended a meeting he knows a lot about noth- after the closure, when unaffect the union members; it with Mr Dumble, who states ing and even said he hasn’t ions claimed that BMA was is going to affect the whole he’s the man who runs this read the EA agreement so looking to quickly reopen community,” she said, again company, yet when asked he couldn’t say what was or the mine and replace the encalling for end to the stale- any question about the EA wasn’t in it. If people are go- tire unionised workforce. mate. his response was ‘I Can’t ing to believe this man then A job ad for unspecified However she later voiced Answer That! – what a joke! our communities – workers positions at the coal mine herA Dworries wasn’t _ A M Nto O RAustralian F E B _ 1 0 . p “He df P a g e very 1 1in/ 1 5and / 1families 0 , 5– :are 2 0in a Plot M of drew anger, however BHP Mining after meeting with formed for someone who trouble,” Austin added. claimed that it was simply

www.miningaustralia.com.au

a job advertised through a third party which was unaware of the mine’s closure.

The ad was taken down soon after.

Yet this did not stop claims of secret plans to restart the operation.

In May the CFMEU said it had obtained a document that indicated BMA had a five year plan to restart operations at Norwich Park with different employees.

CFMEU district president Stephen Smyth said BMA needed to “come clean” on its plan for the mine and its staff.

BHP said the union’s comments were the “latest attempt to mislead BMA’s employees” and needed to be viewed in the context of other union battles in the Bowen Basin.

Going postal

Another attempt to bring the strikes to a conclusion, another enterprise agreement was put forward, via a Continued on page 26

AustralianMining

July 2012

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QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT

Continued from page 25

postal vote, to BMA workers in April and May. The CFMEU was angered by this, believing that a postal vote was unlikely to reach all of the workers in time.

It approached Fair Work Australia to halt the postal ballot, stating that it was unfair and that it would deny some miners a vote.

“Under Fair Work laws, employees should have the information about a proposed agreement for seven days before a vote begins,” it said.

“Many of our member haven’t received the information pack sent out by BHP, which means they also won’t get the ballot in the post,” CFMEU general secretary Andrew Vickers added.

He went on to say that “postal ballots have a poor track record of participation. Site ballots are the method mine workers are used to participating in. The postal service is notoriously slow and unreliable in central Queensland, for a ballot as important as this one we need to maximise participation – not rush through a hit and miss postal ballot that will leave many employees unable to have their say”.

Fair Work Australia dismissed the claims and gave BHP the go ahead to send out the vote although it did force the company to extend the voting period by a few weeks.

Once more the enterprise agreement was voted down by workers, with the CFMEU claiming a victory.

However the latest enterprise agreement did swing slightly in BHP’s favour this time, with only around 82 per cent of workers voting against it.

CFMEU district president Steve Smyth said “BHP should take a good hard look at these figures and realise that it needs to start working with its employees rather than trying to take things away from them”.

He also criticised the 26

July 2012

AustralianMining

The strikes have also affected downstream players, with haulage companies bearing the brunt.

miner after a number of workers failed to receive their ballots.

“On top of all that we get BHP chairman Jacques Nasser last week saying Australian workers are treated too well,” Smyth said.

“No wonder Jac wants to change workplace laws, his company keeps getting caught out for ignoring them.”

Unsurprisingly, following this enterprise agreement negotiation failure a new series of week long work stoppages were called.

Intervention

In late May it seemed as though the stalemate may have finally been reaching its end as the Federal Government was rumoured to be looking towards its options to end the deadlock.

The Queensland Government was pushing the Federal Government to take a stand after it announced that the ongoing industrial action had already cost the State more than $50 million in revenues from mining royalties.

QLD deputy premier Jeff Seeney called on the Gillard Government to intervene after the new strike action that quickly followed the second failed enterprise agreement vote.

“Every Queenslander should be worried about the prospect of industrial action

in the Bowen Basin coalmines,” Seeny said.

“All of us depend on the money that the coal industry makes, for the schools and the roads and the hospitals that the state government provides.

“Any interruption to that coal industry will affect every Queenslander individually.”

He went on to ask the unions to realise the impact the industrial action was having on the national economy, and said the government is now stepping in by reviewing its options for intervention.

“There are some opportunities under Fair Work

legislation, but at this point in time I don’t want to speculate about how we might use these opportunities,” Seeny said.

According to The Australian the Federal Government had begun approaching Fair Work Australia in late May/ early June regarding its options for ending the industrial action.

However at the time of publication no moves had been made by the Government as yet.

The sideshow

While the main focus has been on the larger battle between the unions and BHP Billiton has a whole, scuf-

fles on the ground have been just as vitriolic.

One of the incidents to come out of the deteriorating relations between the miner and unions happened at the now closed Norwich Park coal mine.

Former miner Walter Meacle was sacked for allegedly calling a non-union employee a “scab c**t” and abusing the man as he attempted to enter the site during strike action.

After investigating the incident BMA terminated Meacle’s employment, but he and the Construction, Forestry, Mining, and Energy Union deny the event took place.

However Meacle claims he was yelling “go home”, a claim that judge Bruce Lander said was “difficult to accept”.

The most surprising aspect of it all was not that Meacle’s lawyer, Warren Friend, denied the allegations of abuse but that coarse language, such as the word scab, was simply part of the picket line and therefore protected from BMA’s code of conduct - which made his dismissal unfair.

However it did go both ways, with BHP threatening to exclude a Blackwater worker who had a union pineapple stick on his car, stating that the stick was ofContinued on page 28

Workers were up in arms over BHP’s proposed EA, with more than 80 per cent voting against it. www.miningaustralia.com.au

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fensive and if he did not remove it then he would not be allowed to park his car in the lot.

This would be a blow for the worker considering that there is no transport such as buses available for the Blackwater mine.

CFMEU district president Steve Smyth quickly slammed the comments.

“By targeting the one, they (BMA) are hoping to make an example for the rest,” Smyth said.

“It’s simply un-Australian....

It is simply outrageous in this country to threaten workers for displaying their beliefs.”

BMA has not denied the worker’s claims, stating that it acted within the Fair Work Act, which allows it the right to remove stickers it deems offensive.

“In accordance with the Act, BMA will ask employees to remove or cover up any offensive stickers such as stickers using the word “scab” attached to vehicles parked in the mine site’s car park,” a BMA spokesperson said.

Towards the endgame

So what will be the outcome across the Queensland coal mines?

Are the unions simply holding a gun to BMA’s head, and using the threat of diminishing returns in what should be, as BHP Billiton chairman Jacques Nasser says, a “time of strength”.

By rejecting an annual five per cent pay raise over three years, as well as a massive bonus and superannuation increase they have shown that it is as they say “not about the money”.

Queensland is unlikely to be the same after these massive mine strikes.

Is it as they claim – an issue of worker rights and worker safety, as the unions continue to fight for housing rights, working hours, and their choice of safety officers on site?

Are unions statements that BHP is out of touch with workers and don’t understand the situation true?

Or is it as BMA claims, simply a ploy to gain more power on site, and to put their cronies in positions of power; influencing and even vetoing management decisions?

Similar union fights at Western Australia’s Griffin Coal mine and on Christmas Island have many outside the industry thinking along the same lines as BHP. In both instances unions were asking for an increase in the average wage of workers of 20 per cent or more, as well as an increase in the district allowance to $9879 in the case of the Christmas Island workers; however the mining companies claimed that to increase wages to these levels across the

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Only time will tell regarding the after affects of the coal strikes.

28

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board would simply send the company broke.

Christmas Island miners were claiming that all they wanted was similar pay to mainland workers, but Phosphate Resources, which operates the Christmas Island mine, said “we’ve produced our books to the employees and to Fair Work Australia.

“Quite clearly it would be beyond the capacity of the operation to provide that sort of return,” Phosphate Resources CEO Kevin Edwards said.

The mining company offered a pay increase of 7.5 per cent, adding that if it rose any higher it may make the operation unviable. These strikes reached a point similar to that of BMA’s industrial action, where Fair Work Australia was forced to step in to solve the issue.

However Griffin differed in one aspect in that it was also fighting against Indian owner Lanco over shift hour expansions, hot seat change overs on site and the associated safety risks that these may bring to workers at the mine site.

One thing is for sure and that is that both State and Federal Governments are fighting back against unions across Australia as scandals amongst the Health Services Unions tarnish the perception of unions across the country in general, and weaken their positions.

Only time will tell, and once the dust finally settles over these ‘negotiations’ and a deal is made, it will be up to history to judge whether the miner or the unions were right.

For now, there are no winners and only losers in a fight that BMA “had to have”. www.miningaustralia.com.au

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QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT

Solving the infrastructure GAP Can Queensland build the rail network it needs to take advantage of this boom or is it too late, writes Cole Latimer.

Q

ueensland has never had a problem with producing coal.

It has a wealth of black gold waiting just below the surface, and miners have not been hesitant in exploiting it.

And despite the wet weather issues and ongoing industrial action that many miners face in the region, mining is likely to go on in the Queensland coalfields for sometime, especially once Hancock Coal’s Kevin’s Corner and Alpha Coal project and Clive Palmer’s China First (both near the town of Alpha) get off the ground.

Coal will keep coming for decades.

But getting it offshore, that has always been an issue.

Infrastructure, or the lack thereof, has held back the development of many a project and even now some projects are shackled in, holding off on ramping up towards production as the coal essentially has nowhere to go and no way of getting off site.

No rail lines reaching into Queensland’s coal heartland, or missing links that add hundreds of unnecessary kilometres on to transport have just been a matter of fact.

It seemed likely it would stay this way – until of course the mining boom intervened.

And for once a government decided to act proactively by building a rail line to support the upcoming boom, rather than reactively and potentially missing out, by giving the go ahead for a massive infrastructure revamp across the state to link its major mining regions with its coal ports.

But first it had to identify where vital infrastructure was missing.

While the state’s Goonyella, Blackwater, Newlands, and Moura Systems all covered large tracts of 30

July 2012

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Queensland’s infrastructure seemed to be woefully unprepared for the speed of the mining boom.

ground and linked many mines to ports, the Newlands System was essentially cut off from the rest, operating as a lone network.

One of the key issues in rectifying this was creating this Northern ‘Missing Link’ which connected the massive Newlands System and the port of Abbot Point to the 924 kilometre long Goonyella System and its corresponding port of Hay Point out of Mackay.

The other is the ‘Central Queensland Integrated Rail Project’ (CQIRP) that aims to link the virtually untapped Galilee and Surat basins, and their massive coal reserves, with the distant ports at Gladstone.

While the aim of both rail lines has been the same, the outcomes and journey have been very different.

Filling the GAP

The Goonyella to Abbot Point (GAP) rail project’s latest push began in 2008 as

the first great mining boom of this century slumped to a halt amidst the global financial crisis.

Despite this formal negotiations had begun to build the network, as well as additional duplication of rail lines.

At the time Queensland Resources Council chief executive Michael Roche said “the GAP project represents a significant opportunity for Queensland to capitalise on the next surge in minerals and energy demand”.

However it wasn’t until the Queensland premier Anna Bligh announced the government’s recommitment to the project in late 2009, after two Bowen Basin coal miners had come to an agreement with QR National, that the ball really began rolling.

The plan, valued at around $1.1 billion, aimed to bridge the 69 kilometre gap between the two rail lines and in turn lift rail haul-

age capacity dramatically.

According to QR National chairman John Prescott, the project created “a capacity increase on the Newlands system of up to 50 million tonnes per year, as well as providing the platform for potential future expansions of 200 million tonnes and more”.

The Northern ‘Missing Link’ will feature three passing loops; ballast sidings; eleven bridges; and importantly it also addresses the safety problem of rail crossings – which have seen a number of dangerous and potentially fatal incidents over the past three years – by including two road over rail bridges.

As part of the wider scope of GAP works, it included the Bogie River to Newlands project that had 14 kilometres of rail duplication, a passing loop, and 17 kilometres of track upgrades.

There was also an Abbot

Point to Bogie River project, which featured 27 kilometres of track upgrades, passing loops, and holding roads and balloon loops.

Taking the capacity and safety considerations on board QR National then spent the next year drafting its plans and access conditions, to ensure that miners ranging from Rio and BHP through to juniors in the region would have admission to the network, as well as usage tariffs.

The project officially began in May 2010, with construction progressing steadily.

In 2011 the project reached a milestone, following a Newlands System shutdown.

An eight day closure of the line saw ten kilometres of track laid, as well as 14 500 sleepers, 22 000 square metres of stone ballast, and around 17 000 tonnes of formation materials.

Continued on page 32 www.miningaustralia.com.au

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QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT

Continued from page 30

QR National’s network services CEO Michael Carter stated that “this was a major achievement for the project; we delivered a major round of works, involving hun­ dreds of personnel complet­ ing more than 21 000 hours of work, with no injuries and no impact on capacity.

“This brought us one step closer to having trains running in January 2012.”

Unfortunately, despite working ahead of schedule the project was nearly de­ railed by excessive rain in 2011, yet it opened on time.

Prescott voiced his ex­ citement over the develop­ ment.

“This line will now pro­ vide an extra 70 million tonnes of rail capacity over the next three years, and will have the ability to move more than 300 million tonnes of coal per annum by 2015.”

Trains began running ahead of time, after the line opened on 19 December 2011.

Soon after QR National began signing contracts with miners in the Bowen Basin.

Rio Tinto quickly came on board, arranging for the line to haul around three million tonnes of coal from its Blair Athol and Clermont mines.

Lake Vermont Resourc­ es, QCoal, Macarthur/Pea­

body, and the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance also came on board.

However BHP was look­ ing to have a rail line all of its own.

Drawing a line in the sand

BHP gave the Queensland Government notice of a rail corridor alignment to the port of Abbot Point in Janu­ ary after stock started rolling, stating that it was “studying the construction of its own dedicated rail line for it and its joint venture partner in the Bowen Basin”.

The miner said it would be part of its expansion in the region and would run to its proposed export terminal at Abbot Point.

BHP’s metallurgical coal chief, Hubie van Dalsen, said the company supports a common corridor for mul­ tiple rail proponents, which would include a dedicated BHP line.

Van Dalsen explained that “some landowners pre­ viously expressed concerns about the effect of multiple proposed rail corridors on landholders; we listened to their concerns and acted on the advice of the Queens­ land Government in pursing a common corridor which would be used by other pro­ ponents”.

BHP has carried out studies on the land in the

Coal is driving QLD’s infrastructure boom, but is it too late for mining?

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July 2012

AustralianMining

corridors take have raised graziers’ fears, the likeli­ hood of the rail corridor be­ ing removed in the near fu­ ture is practically nil, while the operators of the network seek to work closer with the landowners.

The new frontier

The missing link will connect Newlands and Goonyella.

potential rail corridor, with van Dalsen adding that “lo­ cal knowledge is providing a critical perspective on poten­ tial issues like stock crossing, flooding, and environmental issues in determining the pro­ posed corridor”.

But despite this many landowners are still con­ cerned. One grazier told the

local paper, the Daily Mercury, that there are still wor­ ries about BHP’s extra pro­ posed rail corridor and that if the rail project isn’t built properly it may destroy the land.

“Landholders’ biggest concern is the flooding,” he said.

“It will change the hy­ drology of the land”, the grazier claimed, adding that “I think realistically [the rail proponents] will need dual tracks.

“The proposals are that silly that in some places the proposed lines actually cross each other.

“They actually cross twice.”

Mayor of the central Queensland region, Cedric Marshall, also voiced his concern over the path of the rail corridors BHP dismissed the ap­ prehensions, saying it had al­ ready “negotiated access for study purposes with more than 85 per cent of landown­ ers, taking a long term view in developing relationships”.

While worries over wa­ ter and the paths the rail

While the approval and con­ struction of the Northern ‘Missing Link’ was rela­ tively straight forward, the story of the Central Queens­ land Integrated Rail Project is a little more twisted.

The line is proposed as the Southern missing link and was designed to open the Surat and Galilee basins to the coal terminals of the eastern coast.

Currently these under developed coalfields, which are further west from the coast than the historical Bo­ wen Basin region, have very little infrastructure, which has curtailed development of mines the area.

Galilee Basin coal seam gas explorer Comet Ridge’s managing director has previ­ ously told Australian Mining that the major problem facing the area is a lack of roads, as “the Galilee is a new frontier in Australian mining”.

Even QR National says “the Galilee Basin is one of the largest remaining unde­ veloped coal resources in Queensland and is expected to become the largest coal producing region in the state”.

Two of Australia’s most famous, or infamous, min­ ing billionaires, Clive Palm­ er and Gina Rinehart, are also tied to major projects in the region.

Palmer has his enormous China First coal project in the region, near the town.

Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Coal also has its Kevin’s Cor­ ner and Alpha Coal (which is now predominately owned

by GVK) located square in the middle of the Surat Basin.

While these projects have decades of coal pro­ duction ahead of them, both are facing the same issue – how to get it from pit to port.

Continued on page 34 www.miningaustralia.com.au

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QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT

Continued from page 32

Palmer, in his usual bombastic style, has pushed to develop his own rail line from China First, as has Hancock Coal.

QR National also sought to develop its own rail network which would integrate a number of different planned lines into a single corridor.

In 2010 the Queensland Government officially gave the go-ahead for the construction of a $2 billion rail corridor to access the untapped Galilee and Surat regions, with Hancock gaining early approval and recognition of its rail corridor and infrastructure as ‘significant’ (with the mine receiving official approval for its development in late May).

QRN soon after proposed the Central Queensland Integrated Rail Project (CQIRP) to service this area.

It said its “proposal will seek to optimise existing rail infrastructure through upgrades to the Newlands coal system and thereby minimise the extent of new or ‘greenfield’ railway that

The many proposed rail lines actually cross one another, sometimes twice or more.

must be constructed to link the central and south Galilee (and Surat) Basin to the coal chain.

“Our proposal is likely to reduce the extent of new rail line by approximately 200 kilometres compared to other existing proposals,” it added.

In January this year the Queensland Co-Ordinator General declared that QR’s project was ‘significant’, and thus the trouble began.

The Southern network ‘derailed’

More rail crossings are planned.

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AustralianMining

Immediately following the declaration Clive Palmer’s China First launched an $8 billion lawsuit against the rail haulage company for alleged ‘breaches of confidentiality and misleading conduct’.

China First claimed that QR had misled the miner over the proposed rail line and that the Queensland Government had also granted the miner’s network ‘significant’, with Palmer voicing on twitter that it was a conspiracy against his mine and the ruling ignored China First’s significant status.

Palmer’s company had planned to build a 471 kilometre rail line from Alpha

to Abbot Point, reportedly in conjunction with QR. “This is an outrage”, the miner said, “as we had already been in commercial discussions and exchanges with QR National for co-operation in the joint development of rail and port facilities supporting the Galilee Basin.

“We have advised the Co-Ordinator General of the improper use for which the subject’s significant project declaration regarding QR National has been made and reserve our rights against him and the Queensland Government (which is a major shareholder in QRN).”

China First stated that it intended to seek damages of $8 billion and seek an injunction against QR and other parties to stop them from dealing with QR in regards to the Galilee Basin and its corridor and associated port facilities.

Unsurprisingly QR dismissed all of Palmer’s claims.

“QR National strongly rejects these baseless assertions,” a company spokesperson said.

Former Queensland

treasurer Andrew Fraser attacked Palmer’s claims and also dismissed his claims of a conspiracy adding that “significant project status was given to a BHP rail proposal last year, QRN’s chief customer and competitor; it’s hardly a conspiracy”.

Despite the legal threats, QR National has continued with its Central Queensland Integrated Rail Project, undertaking environmental and engineering studies in early May. “These initial field investigations have commenced and are anticipated to continue until late 2012, when EIS documents are expected to be completed and released for public comment,” QR National added.

The future

With stock already rolling on the GAP, and the CQIRP steaming along despite attacks, the Queensland coalfields are opening up to the mining boom.

The only remaining question is – is this infrastructure race too late, or just in time? www.miningaustralia.com.au

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AM.JUL12.PG036.pdf

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QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT

Southern solution Anglo American has taken another step in developing its Bowen Basin projects.

T

he Bowen Basin is where it is all happening in terms of coal in Australia.

Constant development – both in coal mines and infrastructure – is seeing this region dragging the rest of the state along.

All the majors, BHP Billiton, Xstrata, and Rio Tinto, as well as Australia’s mining magnates Clive Palmer and Gina Rinehart, have a finger in the pie that is the Bowen.

So it is no surprise that in the background of this mini mining boom Anglo American is pushing to develop two new underground coal mines, worth around $2.7 billion.

These new mines, the Grosvenor and Moranbah South longwall op­ erations, will target Anglo’s existing Goonyella Middle coal seam.

According to the miner the fully owned Grosvenor project forms a major part of Anglo’s strategy to triple its coking and metallurgical coal production from its Austra­ lian standard A assets D _ A by M A2020 L L Jusing U L _a 1 2 . pd longwall and CHPP design model.

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Commissioning of the Grosvenor coal mine’s longwall is planned for 2016.

In its first phase of develop­ expected in 2013, and full commis­ ment, Grosvenor will consist of a sioning of the longwall in 2016. single underground longwall mine, The head of Anglo American’s processing the coal via the Moran­ metallurgical coal business, Seamus bah North mine’s coal handling French, said the miner is “excited to f preparation P a g e 1plant 1 9and / 0 6infrastruc­ / 1 2 , 1 be : 5developing 3 P M the first growth phase ture, with first development coal of our planned Moranbah hub

which will drive our target of 12 per cent compound annual production growth by 2020”.

Now the miner has taken another step forward following the release of its draft terms of reference for its two coal mines.

The planned longwall mine is currently in the pre­feasibility stage and the next step for the project in­ cludes carrying out a detailed Envi­ ronmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Anglo American stated that has begun meeting with local commu­ nity members and other interested stakeholders throughout the public exhibition period as well as meeting with local government members.

Moranbah South is located di­ rectly south of Moranbah, and Anglo American’s existing Moran­ bah North mine.

The project involves developing a greenfield underground coal mine which will generate around 18 mil­ lion tonnes of ROM coal, which will produce about 12 million tonnes annually of export grade coal.

www.miningaustralia.com.au

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AM.JUL12.PG038.pdf

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QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT

Masterful training Mastermyne’s new Queensland facility aims to up-skill and retrain workers for the expanding coal sector, writes Andrew Duffy.

O

btaining ‘mining experience’ is the Holy Grail for many unskilled workers trying to enter the resources industry.

But Mastermyne’s under­ ground facility in Mackay has been helping people do just that for a number of years.

And with demand for training booming the com­ pany is branching out, opening a new facility in Brisbane to help even more people find new work.

The new facility will continue to guarantee jobs for unskilled and inexpe­ rienced workers once they complete their training.

But unlike the previous operation it will also focus on up­skilling workers from other industries.

Background

Mastermyne managing direc­ tor Tony Caruso told Australian Mining the new Bris­ bane facility would mirror the Mackay centre in providing a practical environment to train new workers.

“It’s a replica under­ ground mine,” he said.

“In the Brisbane facility we have about 500m of un­ derground roadways. Those roadways are set up so that it looks and feels exactly like an underground coal mine.”

After selection by the Mastermyne team appli­ cants enter the facility and learn the basic skills of the mining industry, including how to operate machinery.

Once completed they’re farmed off to one of Master­ myne’s partners, like Anglo American, to fill empty roles in Queensland’s industry.

“Basically it’s like a very hands on four week induc­ tion to underground min­ ing,” Caruso explains.

The difference

One of the biggest differenc­ es between Mastermyne’s 38

July 2012

AustralianMining

Mackay facility and its new centre in Brisbane is the size.

“The first centre in Mackay is much smaller,” Caruso says.

“This one in Brisbane is about four times bigger.”

But the Brisbane facility also represents a change in direction for the company.

While its first centre was focused primarily on train­ ing ‘cleanskins,’ or workers without any mining experi­ ence, its second will focus on up­skilling workers in other heavy industries.

“What we’re looking at is really targeting a lot of the guys coming out of the tun­ neling projects here in Bris­ bane,” Caruso explains.

“Yes we’ll still do clean­ skins, but we’ll also take guys with underground skills in other sectors and train them for underground mines.”

As it stands Caruso said around 75 per cent of the work at the Mackay facil­ ity was spent on cleanskins and 25 per cent on electrical training.

At the new centre Master­ myne will instead look at 50 to 60 per cent up­skilling and 20 to 25 per cent cleanskin training.

Anglo American has donated second-hand equipment for the new facility

As well as the up­skilling Caruso told Australian Mining Mastermyne would be training new tradespeople and supervisors at its Bris­ bane facility.

Electricians from other sectors will be trained for underground mine work, and experienced coal miners will be able to visit the facil­ ity and undertake an inten­ sive course to complete their deputy tickets.

The reason

Caruso told Australian Min-

Caruso with Anglo American head of human resources David Diamond, Queensland Resources Council CEO Michael Roche, and Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Andrew Cripps

ing part of the reason for opening the new centre was sheer demand from the coal mining industry.

Between expansions in the Hunter Valley and the Bowen Basin and a whole new centre developing in QLD’s Galilee Basin the in­ dustry is increasingly crying out for new workers.

“The industry is com­ ing to the realisation that we’re going to have to do things differently in terms of resourcing these projects,” Caruso said.

“There’s a lot of talk out there at the moment about increasing costs of produc­ tion and productivity declin­ ing as well as a lot of the is­ sues around skills shortages and migration agreements.

“This facility is a very credible solution to build on a lot of those issues the big mining companies are fac­ ing.”

An important reason for the change in direction, where Mastermyne has turned to up­skilling and away from cleanskins, cen­ tres on keeping the industry well stocked with highly skilled workers.

“We need to make sure we maintain good ratios

of experienced to inexperi­ enced people,” Caruso ex­ plains.

“We don’t want to flood the market with only inex­ perienced workers.

“We need to balance it so we’re getting guys who have good underground experi­ ence as well as cleanskins.”

Where to now?

One of the driving forces behind Mastermyne’s ex­ pansions is well­established QLD coal miner Anglo American.

The company has been working hand­in­hand with Mastermyne to help guide training strategies and find guaranteed positions for new workers.

“We have been work­ ing very closely with Anglo American,” Caruso ex­ plains.

“The team at Anglo have set about a strategy to resource their projects over the next five years and they’re looking at quite a substantial workforce.

“The training centre in Brisbane has been very much built on the back of the discussions and relation­ ships we have with Anglo, Rio Tinto, and BMA.” www.miningaustralia.com.au

AD_AMGRUJUL_12.pdf

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AM.JUL12.PG040.pdf

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QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT

A terminal test case While Rio Tinto’s decision to pull out of Abbot Point doesn’t sound a death knell for the development industry observers will be closely eyeing its progress.

I

t was touted as the plan to make Abbot Point one of the largest coal ports in the world.

But plans for the ‘super expansion’ are now uncertain following Rio Tinto’s decision to pull out of the project.

While Rio has not ruled out future participation developing Abbot Point, its future growth is now less of a certainty than it was several months ago.

And it’s got a number of key stakeholders worried about what a bottleneck may mean for QLD’s expanding coal industry.

In a strongly worded report following a visit to QLD earlier this year UNESCO told both the State and Federal Governments to take extreme care when approving any port expansion because the developments posed a serious risk to the health of the Great Barrier Reef.

But while the Federal Government seems to have heeded this call the new leaders in QLD are still set on quickly pushing through a number of big expansions for the state.

Those in favour

Uncertain times

Rio blamed much of its decision to pull out of the Abbot Point expansion on the unstable economic climate.

The uncertainty made it part of a chorus of large companies expressing concern about the industry’s future outlook.

While much of this sentiment was tied to the crisis in Europe it was also fueled by concerns much closer to home.

The age-old worry of the carbon tax, as well as the cost and difficulty of sourcing local labour featured heavily, which the company packaged into vague concerns about “upward pressure on costs”.

The regulatory environment was also marked a worry, with Rio blaming the “long timeframes” required for Federal approval as part of the reason for its hesitancy.

Already fighting a number of battles to speed up approvals the QLD Government seized on this comment to put further pressure on Canberra over its environmental policy.

Deputy premier and minister for state development, infrastructure and planning 40

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Future expansions at Abbot Point are already being planned. Photo Courtesy of Port Strategy.

Jeff Seeney said the State Government had “considerable concerns” about the timeframe of many Federal approvals.

“There are 135 projects in Queensland currently awaiting some form of consideration or approval by the Federal Labor Government,” he said.

“I am seeking a meeting with Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to discuss this bottleneck.

“It is very concerning that companies such as Rio Tinto are withdrawing from potential developments in part because of the time they wait for regulatory approval.”

The QLD LNP also went as far as to label Canberra as “deliberately obstructionist”.

It said companies needed strong support or they might risk pulling out of further developments until the uncertainty in global markets calms down.

And by that time it might already be too late.

Pressure’s on

It isn’t only the QLD Government and some parts of the industry criticising Canberra over Abbot Point.

The Greens, an occasional ally of Labor yet fierce critic of the mining industry, have long been opposed to the expansion.

Since the project was first announced the Greens have been firmly opposed to any development at Abbot Point.

Speaking after the initial declaration last year Greens senator Larissa Waters made herself clear.

“Anna Bligh’s Labor Government proclaims that Abbot Point will create jobs, but she never seems to mention that it will destroy tens of thousands more jobs that rely on a healthy Great Barrier Reef – in tourism and fisheries – and on a healthy Murray Darling system,” she said.

Naturally this opposition also extended to the companies leading the expansion.

But fast forward to earlier this year and some sections of the Greens seemed to have changed their approach.

After first criticising Rio for taking part in the port expansion the Greens also criticised the miner for pulling out.

Speaking just after Rio’s announcement Greens candidate for Whitsunday Jonathon Dykyj said the move showed the company had no commitment to the community and was instead driven by greed.

But the list of those opposed to the expansion does not stop there.

Along with droves of local conservationists the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation has expressed alarm at rising development along QLD’s coast.

While all eyes were on Rio Tinto following its change of heart on Abbot Point a number of its peers have quietly reaffirmed commitment to an expansion.

Despite speculation BHP Billiton would follow in Rio’s footsteps so far the company has stuck with it.

The miner has already been awarded preferred developer status for a new terminal and it’s not alone in eyeing Abbot Point as an attractive expansion prospect.

Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Coal and GVK have also named Abbot Point the preferred port location for their massive Alpha mine proposal.

Hancock Coal have canvassed a number of options for Abbot Point, including expansion of the existing facility or construction of a new offshore facility.

With several giants backing the expansion and a number of other companies also keen for development Abbot Point is not dead and buried.

But the furore over how the expansions play out, the delays in Federal Government, and the polarised environmental debate surrounding the issue make it something of a test case for the QLD industry. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AD_AMHEN1JUL_12.pdf

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AM.JUL12.PG042.pdf

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QUEENSLAND COALFIELDS SPOTLIGHT

All eyes on Alpha The joint-owned Alpha mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin is shaping up to be a test case for other projects in the region.

L

ike most projects in Rinehart/ Hancock dominion, the Alpha coal mine in Queensland’s undeveloped Galilee Basin has been building momentum for some time.

And like most projects under such leadership the momentum has at times grown much faster than you’d expect.

But last month most of this drive came to a screeching halt at the feet of Federal environment minister Tony Burke.

Boldly announcing he had ‘stopped the clock’ on the development’s approval process, Burke told both GVK and Hancock Coal to go back to the drawing board and provide more information on the environmental impact of the proposed Alpha mine.

The pronouncement marked a major snag for the developers just as they had cleared what looked to be a key hurdle for the project.

Just weeks before Burke’s announcement GVK and Hancock announced they had won environmental approval from the Queensland Government for Alpha.

The State’s green light was a big step in the right direction toward developing the Galilee Basin.

It also marked Alpha a frontrunner in the race to develop the region, which is also being eyed by fellow magnate Clive Palmer, among others.

But while Rinehart has already proved the Hancock/GVK joint-venture is a force to be reckoned with Burke has also proved his mettle.

And while the negotiations will for the most part occur behind closed doors it’s likely some of the tussle over Alpha’s approval will be waged in the public domain.

Storm brewing

Projects in the Galilee Basin have been slow to win approval and have faced significant opposition from local conservationists.

Global environmental players have also weighed into the debate, with United Nations observers warning the State Government to take a 42

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The Federal Government has demanded more environmental work be done before Alpha proceeds.

“highly precautionary approach” to approving any new projects in the region.

At the heart of the debate are fears over what impact QLD’s huge expansions will have on the World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef.

Periphery concerns about the expansion of the coal industry at a time of growing distress about climate change are also influencing the discussion.

With environmental lobbies upping the ante over recent months, buoyed by support from the UN, political debate over Alpha has grown fiercer.

Pushing back against QLD’s mining enthusiasm, Burke has signalled that while he wants the industry to keep thriving the approval process needs to slow down.

“I want a streamlined approach.

I don’t want a shambolic joke and that is what QLD is wanting me to accept,” he told reporters after putting the brakes on Alpha’s approval.

With QLD’s new conservative leader Campbell Newman keen to get the ball rolling on much of the state’s $51 billion worth of resources projects awaiting approval, Burke’s declaration was indicative of the rising tension in the debate.

But while argument flared between State and Federal Governments the response from GVK and

Hancock remained typically lowkey.

Both companies have preferred to direct observers to an official statement

by Burke instead of providing their own information or commentary.

It’s a tried-and-true approach for the companies and whether it succeeds will hinge on the determination of the proponents and the flexibility of the Government.

The facts

While Burke issued a tough statement on his determination to have Alpha developed under strict environmental regulations he made sure to sound his overall support for QLD’s coal industry.

“Stopping the clock does not mean stopping the process,” he said at the time.

“In fact the process has progressed significantly during this recent period.”

A week after his initial pronouncement Burke outlined what Hancock and GVK needed to work on if they were to receive Federal endorsement.

After meeting with the development’s leaders twice, Burke said his department had outlined four key issues that needed solving.

The first was work on “species habitat modeling and surveys” to ensure the mine did not impact a number of endangered species in the region.

The second was the need to mitigate impacts on the Great Barrier Reef and its associated wildlife, including dugongs, turtles, and dolphins.

This point has been of most concern to conservationists and the draw card for a UN visit earlier this year.

The third point was clarifying how the company’s study on Abbott Point worked with other cumulative research on the location.

The final point was the need for an “enhanced ‘like-for-like’ offsets package” to accompany the entire development.

This issue is of particular concern to the UN, which previously said the offsets package for much of the development threatening the Great Barrier Reef appeared unsatisfactory and virtually non-existent.

Whether the stars can align for the disparate parties in this debate is now up to the key players themselves.

While the Galilee Basin doesn’t have a good track record in getting projects moving Rinehart has a fierce reputation for pushing projects through.

And with $10 billion at stake and the support of two powerhouses, Alpha’s approval looks to be a matter of if, not when, for the Galilee Basin. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AD_AMPIRMAY_12.pdf

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AM.JUL12.PG044.pdf

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21/06/12,

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MINESITE VEHICLES

Shedding LIGHT on minesite vehicles From rental to maintenance and lighting, advances in minesite vehicles have increased safety, reduced downtime and maintenance costs and improved operational efficiencies.

Australian Mining’s WA correspondent Jamie Wade writes.

W

hether it’s moving material or personnel, attitudes to minesite vehicles and how they’re operated and maintained have changed dramatically.

Service intervals for instance, says Flexforce Maintenance Solutions’ Newman mechanical workshop manager Mark Austin, have reduced to lower kilometre intervals than manufacturer recommendations for warranty purposes.

“There is a clear and high emphasis today on safety and reliability,” he said.

“Vehicle safety features have increased dramatically and there is now a formal procedure in place ensuring every vehicle that enters a minesite meets a strict standard and is correctly maintained. Vehicles are checked for minesite safety compliance at least every 12 months as well as random site inspections,” Austin told Australian Mining.

“Safety features are not only for the driver/operator of the vehicle, but also in the event of breakdown to

ensure the driver, the vehicle and surrounding personnel continue to remain in a safe environment.”

More creature comforts in vehicles have been another key change adds Europcar mining-commercial director for Western Australia Rod Zakostelsky.

“Gone are the days driving a vehicle on site with no radio, CD player or air-conditioning,” he said.

Advances in ancillary technology such as lighting have also led to improvements in minesite vehicles, adds PJL Diesel manager Scott Montgomery.

“A fundamental change has been the rapid evolution and adoption of LightEmitting Diode [LED] light technology,” he said.

“Replacing halogen and HID [High Intensity Discharge] lighting, LED delivers greater output and light quality, reduced power consumption, improved durability and much longer life spans.

LED represents a fundamental change in technology as evidenced by typical life spans

Specialised buses such as this 18 seat Isuzu NPS 4WD include a built-in Rollover Protection System. Image courtesy of Able Bus and Coach.

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with halogen lasting about 200 hours, HID at 6000 hours and LED at 50,000 hours.

“Another key change between these light types is seen in the light colour they provide with LED providing a pure white light, eliminating the yellow tinges associated with halogen and to a lesser extent HID. This quality of LED light has practical advantages in terms of improved visibility and reduced operator fatigue.

Trends and innovations

Satellite tracking is perhaps the biggest technological advance in minesite vehicles leading to improvements in fleet tracking and maintenance.

“Remotely monitoring a vehicle fleet makes it easier to manage service intervals and monitor vehicle performance,” said Zakostelsky.

“By automatically reporting engine hour and vehicle use, Global Positioning System [GPS] tracking not only improves productivity and efficiency, but also gives a clear picture of where and how that vehicle is being run.

“The key feature of GPS tracking is the knowledge of tracking any vehicle in an isolated area and responding to an emergency at an exact location. The result is increased productivity, better safety for the operator, security of the fleet and improved reporting and data collection.”

Austin agrees and adds that safety has been the key driver to the adoption of satellite tracking systems to monitor vehicle use and performance.

“Technicians are also integrating components in

Custom worklight mounting systems such as this unit better handle the intense and sustained vibrations common on minesite vehicles.

Image courtesy of PJL Diesel.

vehicles such as battery isolators and tagging systems to improve safety.

“LED lighting technology has dramatically extended light globe life thus reducing maintenance downtime,” Austin told Australian Mining.

Montgomery agrees that LED technology has been a key development and is evolving to an expanding range of innovative options and applications.

“A particular new technology uses Pulse Width Modulation – an established technology used to control power to an electrical device – to ‘overclock’ the light’s performance and increase output. This provides greater durability and longer lifespan,” Montgomery told Australian Mining.

“Heat management has also significantly improved with a series of LEDs that flash at a duty cycle faster than the eye can detect.

Another development, adds Montgomery, is a custom work light mounting system to better handle the intense and sustained vibrations common on mobile minesite vehicles.

Haul truck and machinery identification systems for mine sites have been improved with number boards that have integrated LED with adaptive photo sensor lighting technology.

The embedded photo sensor automatically dims for night use to extend the life of the LEDs and will Continued on page 46 www.miningaustralia.com.au

AD_AMEXPJUL_12.pdf

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EFIC DID MORE THAN FINANCE OUR CONTRACT

THEY ENABLED IT. Cory Stevens, Managing Director, Lean Field Developments

When we won the contract to be part of the supply chain to the massive Queensland Curtis LNG project, we were delighted. This was an opportunity to further establish our track record and reputation within the oil and gas industry in Australia.

However, like other suppliers, we were required to provide performance bonds in support of our contractual obligations. We also needed to ensure that we had access to additional working capital for other contracts. Yet, as a company without a long

trading history in Australia, we couldn’t get sufficient bonding or bank finance for our needs.

Luckily we knew in which direction to turn. With the support of EFIC’s export working capital guarantee and bonds, we were able to meet the financial requirements and demonstrate our company’s ability to take on such challenging projects.

Overcoming financial barriers for exporters Visit efic.gov.au/am

AM.JUL12.PG046.pdf

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MINESITE VEHICLES

assets, has resulted in a purpose-built, safer, smarter brighten when in areas of and more efficient mining strong light such as head- vehicle,” he said. lights and lighting towers.

A major trend in minesite Magnetically activated num- vehicles here is the emergence bers with memory can be of specialised 4WD buses for easily changed by moving the greater safety, efficiency and magnet over the numbers. passenger comfort.

LED number boards are Commutes to site in hot, said to provide more reli- miserable cramped buses able and safer vehicle identi- unsuited to harsh and hazfication and can be operated ardous mine sites are be24/7. coming a thing of the past, according to Kevin De Bruin New demands – owner-operator of PerthWith an increasing empha- based 4WD bus and coach sis on safety and the bot- manufacturer Able Bus & tom line it’s no surprise that Coach. today’s mine operators are “Our buses carry far demanding safer and more more passengers than conefficient mine site vehicles. ventional people movers – The focus in recent years, our 18 seaters, for instance, according to Zakostelsky, has are particularly popular. been on specialised mining Greater seating capacity vehicles, which has resulted means fewer trips – less fuel in a more versatile, safer and and less wear and tear on purpose-built vehicle. vehicles and fewer drivers “The introduction of for operators using fleets of higher standards of legisla- coasters or people movers. tion and technology, along “Having fewer vehicles with the responsibilities of on site also reduces the likelimining companies to pro- hood of accidents,” De Bruin vide A Da _duty A M of V Ocare L J to U Ltheir _ 1 2 told . p dAustralian f P a gMining. e 1 2 0 / employees and protect their “The other key safety ad-

ational efficiency; it’s these broader priorities that are pushed down the line and influence equipment selection criteria.”

Continued from page 44

Challenges

Vehicle rental provides resource industries with a faster and cheaper alternative to purchasing vehicles for project requirements, particularly when vehicles are on backlog orders.

Image courtesy of Europcar.

vantage of specialised 4WD buses is that they have a greater presence; they’re more visible to drivers of larger vehicles such as haul trucks.”

Austin agrees that the emphasis on safety has lifted standards for and increased the reliability of vehicles.

“As the industry expands, mine site vehicles are required to travel large distances to isolated sites.

Downtime from mechanical failure is not acceptable.

0 6 “It’s / 1 2critical , 2 to : have 3 3 highPM ly detailed preventative main-

tenance procedures and service intervals allowing faults to be rectified before they develop or cause downtime,” Austin said.

To understand what’s required from mobile equipment lighting on minesites Montgomery advises that operational Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) be considered and adopted.

“Lighting equipment needs to deliver improvements on at least three fronts: workplace safety; reduced downtime; and oper-

The biggest challenges with minesite vehicles, according to Austin are the isolated distances they travel and the availability of parts in remote areas.

“This requires technicians to be thorough and accurate in the diagnosis of not only existing faults, but preventative maintenance,” he said.

Although lighting equipment performance has improved exponentially over the past decade, adds Montgomery, so have the options and the performance standards required by minesites.

“What follows from this scenario is a classic mix of opportunity and challenge.

The opportunity is to extract improvements in safety and operational performance by leveraging lighting technology. The challenge is doing this effectively,” Montgomery said.

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AustralianMining

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AD_AMBRIJUL_12.pdf

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AM.JUL12.PG048.pdf

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MINESITE VEHICLES

Tight tyre markets With long lead times on brand name tyres, OTR alternatives have to be taken, Abdul Samad* writes.

M

ining OTR tyres are a sore point in the indus­ try – they are very cost intensive and the supply is limited.

The global market is facing a supply crunch from all the major brands of tyre manufacturers. With the cur­ rent demand situation the lead times are as high as three years for some OTR tyres.

The actual demand for OTR tyres exceeded the expected demand by suppliers, by almost six times and hence any ramp up in capacity by global companies is not expected to bridge the gap between demand and supply till 2015.

The mining industry is running with limited supplies of OTR tyres especially from major brands, al­ though demand is somewhat com­ Despite recycling measures new tyres are still a necessity. pensated by lesser known brands and Chinese supplies. branded ones as time lost is oppor­ these tyres have become very pre­ Though the quality of Chinese tunity lost. cious. tyres is an issue, mines often have They are also depending on used It is therefore necessary to make no other choice available. and re­treaded tyres to fill the gap. sure that tyres are maintained prop­ prefer AMines D_ AM D T Hgoing J U L with _ 1 2Chin­ . pdf PBecause a g e 1of these 1 4 / 0supply 6 / 1 2con­ , 1 erly 1 : to 1 8get the A Mmaximum benefit out ese supplies rather than waiting straints and AM the high DT-QME-half page:Layout 1 for 5/6/12 10:43 Page cost 1 involved of them.

The OTR tyre life varies from 1 500­10 000 hours depending on the application, distance travelled and the haul road condition.

Most of the time the tyres are damaged because of overload and poor road conditions, however steps can be taken to minimise tyre dam­ age and maximize lifespan.

Firstly regularly monitoring the tyre pressures, as most of the tyres are damaged prematurely due to im­ proper tyre pressures.

Proper Loading is essential as tyres will not last long under heavy loads even if the tyre pressures are maintained.

Regular monitoring for defor­ mations, abrasive material, tyre piercings and heat levels is also key.

Lastly, right tyre selection plays an important role in tyre life. Ra­ dial tyres can be used when the heat buildup is high, for long haul roads or for high speeds, however bias or cross ply tyres are preferred for low distance and low speed where stabil­ ity and comfort is important.

Come and see us at Stand 3190 at the Queensland Mining & Engineering Expo from 24-26th July 2012

48

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www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM.JUL12.PG049.pdf

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A D _ A MB U D J U L _ 1 2 . p d f

Pa ge

1

1 3 / 0 6 / 1 2 ,

2 1 :2 0 : 2 0 8 PM P

MINESITE VEHICLES

Despite these measures new tyres are still required, and this has seen Chinese tyre manufacturers gain considerable market share in recent years.

China’s tyre industry is set to become more efficient and has already started taking measures to improve quality by obtaining leading certifications like ISO9001, ECE and DOT, and ISO/TS 16949, competing with global players on prices.

Yet contrary to the market reality the Chinese Government feels the unrestricted growth of the tyre industry in China has led to over capacity and aims to make the industry more consolidated.

In the future permission will not be granted for capacity expansion for any projects smaller than 30,000 units per tyre in OTR segment.

This means Chinese players will now be encouraged to set up plants outside China and the focus would be on exceeding the requirements of the destination market.

While the OTR tyre supply short-

age from major global brands is being compensated by Chinese supplies, from BRIC nations, and other less known brands, the major tyre manufacturers who once enjoyed the monopoly in the OTR tyre segment have started losing the market and are trying hard to regain the stature by expanding their facilities and building new manufacturing plants.

Manufacturers are also working together with mining giants to anticipate their demand for OTR tyres in the coming years.

The tight supply and increase in price of OTR tyres has resulted in many grey markets and tyre traders.

Tyre traders are not only dealing in OTR tyres from major brands but also Chinese and lesser known brands.

This means that proper tyre protection, coupled with trust in your dealer, will be the only way to survive this tight tyre market.

To drive your dollar further

*Abdul Samad is a senior research analyst at Beroe Inc.

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AM.JUL12.PG050.pdf

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MINESITE VEHICLES

Scratching the surface A new multi-layer film is making glass protection easier on site.

V

ehicle maintenance is usually fixing the engine, tyres, and the other running parts.

But what about the stable parts of the mining trucks, such as the cab or interior?

Even more importantly, what about windshield and glass maintenance for the truck?

Because if the driver can’t see then they can’t drive – it’s as simple as that.

Unfortunately what isn’t simple is the actual main­ tenance of the windshield, which daily comes under at­ tack from fly rock and grit on the mine site, scratching Cracked windshields present an easily avoidable hazard. up the glass and impeding the driver’s vision. created a new way to pro­ “We developed this as a Add to this daily wear tect windshields and glass. solution to protect glass and and tear and you can end The company has deve­ windows against graffiti and up having to replace wind­ loped the Scotchgard Multi scratches,” he said. shields and glass at a sur­ Layer Protective Film 1004, “But we’ve also found prising rate. which is designed to protect it’s useful for mining vehicles, While you can fix chips glass and other smooth sur­ and it is currently being tested and cracks with a clear resin, if faces from scratching, en­ on heavy machinery at mines it is in the driver’s critical field vironmental contaminants, in the U.S.” of vision it makes the situation and daily wear and tear.

The product itself is a much more unsafe.

Speaking to 3M’s prod­ multi­layer, optically trans­ Also, having to repair uct manager Matthew Rola­ parent pressure sensitive pol­ multiple cracks and chips, Stezycki, he told Australian yester film that can be used which can grow in size due Mining this technology was for both interior and exterior to the vehicle’s vibrations, originally developed for use applications, allowing for can become a costly affair. in public transport, where a defaced or scratched film Seeing this constant is­ graffiti and vandalism is a layer to be quickly removed D _ A ME L T A P R _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 1 9 / 0 3 / 1 2 , 1 0 : 4 1 AM sueAon and off site, 3M has major issue. with no residue left behind.

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Rocks pose a daily threat.

“Importantly, it offers four layers of protection from a single application, so whenever there is damage or scratches you can simply peel off a single layer and then it’s fine again, on top of this, it only takes five minutes to get the job done, rather than having to apply the resin and wait up to half an hour for it to dry in some instances.

“Most single layer prod­ ucts leave behind residue and require three times the number of surface cleaning procedures. It is cost effec­ tive and less labour intensive

than replacing glass, Perspex, or any other original sur­ face,” Rola­Stezycki said.

According to 3M, its recent studies have shown that the film can save up to 40 per cent in overall glass maintenance.

It also keeps transparen­ cy at a high level, removing the danger of poor vision from truck and heavy ma­ chinery operators, and the associated risks of this.

3M says the film is cus­ tom pre­cut and easy to in­ stall, and is currently avail­ able Australia wide.

www.miningaustralia.com.au

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AM.JUL12.PG052.pdf

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MINESITE VEHICLES

Heavy haulage in the Pilbara As Western Australia’s mines expand, they’re demanding more from haulage companies and local infrastructure, writes Andrew Duffy.

W

atching heavy machinery in action on a mine site can be a rather transfixing experience.

Few industries can match the sheer scale of the mining sector and the size of the equipment it demands.

And as production rates grow higher and higher, equipment grows larger and larger.

But while many people are impressed by the scale of equipment few spare a thought for how it made it there in the first place.

Whether it’s machinery, equipment, or buildings, most of the stuff on site needs to slowly and carefully find its way there.

And a lot of this new movement, like everything else in the industry, is starting to centre around the Pilbara region.

Some of the expansions by the iron A ore D companies _ A M S U HinJthis U Nregion _ 1 2 are . p immense, and starting to put heavy

A1 Labour Management moving equipment through the Pilbara.

of traffic control d demands f P a gon e local 1 infrastructure 3 / 0 5 / 1 2and , 1 : 1And 9 aP number M businesses to meet their needs.

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companies specialising in moving heavy equipment are now capitalising on this increase.

A1 Labour Management, which specialises in traffic control and moving equipment for mining companies, has been one business to see a sharp rise in demand from Pilbara miners.

Wayne O’Neil from A1 Labour Management told Australian Mining some of the Pilbara’s biggest players, including BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals Group, had been driving the rise in mining’s heavy haulage.

O’Neil said developments further south had also kept A1 busy.

“With all the different expansion projects happening at the moment, from now until the end of the year we’re going to be very busy with it,” he said.

“There’s definitely a couple of years worth of work happening out here.”

Recently A1 has been managing the movement of several large loads for FMG. “We did a lot of stuff for them with Cloudbreak and Chirstmas Creek,” O’Neil explained.

“But we’ve worked with a lot of different companies. We’ve done stuff for BHP Billiton as well as Citic Pacific.

“In the past we’ve moved equipment for the Yandi and Area C mines, and work for Jimblebar is about to start next month.”

O’Neil said demand would also rise as Hancock Prospecting’s massive Roy Hill project, lead by Gina Rinehart, started construction.

With most of this work the starting point for the equipment is Port Hedland.

O’Neil said after being manufactured in China, Thailand, and other parts of Asia and the world, the equipment was shipped to the Pilbara port.

But because of the size, moving it through the Pilbara’s long narrow roads presents some challenges.

O’Neil said sometimes the gear reached dimensions around 15 metres high and 15 metres wide, and prior to the move crews would need to clear the road to make sure the equipment would fit.

And because of the safety liability, the equipment is only moved at night.

“It’s a safety issue, plus the volume of traffic is quite considerable during the day where as night it’s not,” O’Neil explained.

“We mainly go down the highway at night, and it usually takes two nights to complete the delivery,” he added. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AD_AMJAWJUL_12.pdf

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AM.JUL12.PG054.pdf

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MINESITE VEHICLES

Injecting solutions into diesel Driven by tighter emission control regulations, vehicle designers have developed new technology in diesel engines, Garry Whitfield* explains the key factors in modern diesel injector technology.

D

iesel engine technology has developed rapidly in the past decade.

A major transition is in process with common rail electronic unit injection systems becoming the norm taking over from mechanical injection systems.

The change in technology is marked with advanced electronics controlling every phase of a common rail system compared to the mechanical operation of older systems.

Electronically controlled common rail systems controlling the injection rate to suit the specific engine conditions such as idle or maximum power – and reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

Common rail systems use fuel With the carbon tax to take effect soon, cutting emissions is crucial. pumps to highly pressurise the fuel and timed injection periods and insystem for electronically control- Common rail injection systems led injection into the cylinder while Fully computer controlled, com- tervals to control fuel combustion and fuel conprevious A D _ Ageneration M B R E M Asystems R _ 1 2 .were p d f mon P arail g esystems 1 1have 7 / high-pressure 0 2 / 1 2 , 1 and 2 : reduce 1 1 Pemissions M pumps pressurising the fuel system sumption. mechanically driven.

Common rail systems are extremely sensitive to changes in fuel properties and are susceptible to water, dirt and internal deposits which can create drag on the injector needles.

The systems use phased injection to control emissions at various points of the engine cycle: • A pilot injection introduces a small amount of fuel to reduce emissions and noise at idle and light loads • Normal injection is precisely controlled to minimise emissions during operation • A post injection provides additional fuel to heat the exhaust system and allow regeneration of particulate filters fitted.

The systems come with onboard monitors to alert operators to engine issues including emission warnings which can be intermittent depending on the load.

Common rail system problems Continued on page 56

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MINESITE VEHICLES

Continued from page 54

such as poor idle, noisy idle, white exhaust smoke or the engine warn­ ing light coming on can be a result of internal deposits producing drag on the injector at the pilot injection phase.

The deposits can be associated with residual contaminants from fuel components such as biodiesel or water and fungal contamination in the fuel system.

The solution is to ensure good maintenance and good housekeep­ ing. The regular treatment of fuel with a biocide to prevent fungal growth will help to maintain fuel quality. Using clean filtered fuel from reputable suppliers and keep­ ing fuel clean by using filters on fuel tank breathers to reduce dust will protect injectors and fuel pumps.

A good vehicle fuel filtration system should have a water separa­ tor and filter cartridge that enables regular inspection for the presence of water. A repair to a fuel system can cost up to $20,000 so it makes good sense to have an efficient re­ liable filtration system that can be easily inspected and maintained.

If filter blocking does occur then it is a symptom of a problem in the fuel system and should be inves­ tigated. Treatment with a biocide additive can remove filter problems associated with water and fungus in the fuel system.

Vehicles having problems with injectors usually show symptoms such as: • high fuel consumption • loss of power • black smoke from the exhaust • frequent particulate filter regenera­ tion • poor and noisy idling • hard starting or no start.

Diesel fuel maintenance is important in every minesite vehicle, from trucks down.

This can be the result of the in­ jector needles sticking which can be caused by: • Hard particulate matter getting past the filter and entering the nozzle – an issue associated with poor filtration • A driving pattern which includes a lot of idling time meaning injec­ tors are subjected to a lot of heat at low load which causes internal corrosion and internal fuel depo­ sits.

Common rail engines losing power or showing signs of increased fuel consumption can be due to worn internal components failing to seal which can allow fuel to leak into the return line and reduce the system pressure.

Deposits can also cause seal fail­ ure while excessive post injection used to clean the diesel particulate filter may indicate that too much fuel is being injected at post and

Dust is a major issue, and with fuel systems costing up $20 000, filtration is vital.

56

July 2012

AustralianMining

normal injection phases to be effec­ tively consumed.

The solution is to use clean fuel of a recognised standard from a reputable, reliable supplier and ad­ ditive treatments in order to control internal deposits.

It is worth noting that the intro­ duction of electronic technology and on­board computers will result in the operators becoming more aware of engine issues as the sensors indi­ cate incorrect combustion.

Engine systems can now request operators to manually activate the exhaust particulate filter regenera­ tion phase. This will be triggered by engine alerts indicating that exhaust emission requirements are not being met.

Mechanical injection systems

Older injection systems were mechanically driven by the engine and featured a single injection of a constant volume of fuel through a nozzle featuring multiple holes.

Increasing the fuel volume in­ creased power but at some point not all the fuel could be burnt and the engine would produce exhaust smoke. The fuel volume would then be reduced to remove visible smoke.

While mechanical systems are very efficient, the level of fuel in­ jection control needed to meet new exhaust emission standards with these systems is difficult to achieve, prompting the transition to com­ mon rail technology.

Incomplete combustion can hap­ pen for a number of reasons: • Fuel filters are blocked by fungal growth, water or dirt which re­ sults in reduced fuel flow to the injectors

• Injector nozzles are coked with carbonised fuel and lubricant causing poor fuel atomisation • Injector nozzles are widened as a result of erosion by water and par­ ticulate – again producing poor fuel atomisation • Hard particulate matter (alumin­ ium and silica dust) gets past the filters and causing the injector to stick • Internal erosion of the needle seats by hard particulate matter allows fuel to leak back to the return line.

In extreme conditions these is­ sues can cause engine failure as the injector will not seal and the excess fuel can enter the combustion cham­ ber causing excessive temperatures that may crack piston rings.

Mechanical injection systems require regular maintenance to re­ duce the likelihood of these extreme outcomes. Service and maintenance programs should include: • Regular filter changes and treat­ ment of fuel to remove water and treatment of fuel with a biocide to control fungal growth • Maintaining fuel cleanliness • Maintaining engine cleanliness by use of a detergent additive to clean injector nozzles • Good housekeeping for fuel stor­ age – keep dust out of fuel and use filters on fuel tank breathers.

• Scheduled replacement of injec­ tors. Depending on the engine this can be an expensive exercise, but in some cases there may be no al­ ternative.

Other diesel engine problems

Long periods of idling or running under load can cause a condition called bore glazing where a carbon deposit builds up on the combustion chamber bore, this stops the rings from sealing so that lubricant gets into the combustion chamber pro­ ducing deposits on the injectors and exhaust valves.

Symptoms are loss of power and increased lubricant consumption.

The solution is to vary the engine load or look at ways of maintain­ ing high loads on the engine to stop glazing occurring.

If the engine will not start or runs rough, this can be a result of low air temperatures affecting combustion.

Once the engine warms up there is usually no problem. The issue will normally occur in winter and is also associated with rough or noisy idle.

Adding a cetane improver additive to the fuel can solve the issue. *Garry Whitfield is a Technical Manager with BP Australia. www.miningaustralia.com.au

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AM.JUL12.PG058.pdf

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MINESITE VEHICLES

Fuelling change A new agreement will see the introduction of gas powered mining vehicles.

D

iesel has always been the life blood of the mining industry.

It has always been the fuel of choice for mining’s off road vehicles, but this may soon change.

Caterpillar and Westport Innovations have announced an agreement to develop natural gas technology for off road equipment, with the initial focus on mining vehicles.

The two companies will provide Westport’s High Pressure Direct Injection (HDPI) to the high horsepower off road market.

Caterpillar says that it will fund the development of the program.

With many miners currently up in arms over the rising cost of doing business in Australia this development may now mean they can slash fuel costs, and continue operations in the country.

Still, luckily for Australian operators the Government recently declined to cut the current Diesel Fuel Rebate A D _Scheme, A M N Awhich V J Uprovides L_ 1 2a . tax pd rebate to industries reliant on diesel

The technology will allow high horsepower vehicles to run on natural gas.

fuel, such as mining and transport. global off road equipment industries.

According to Westport CEO “The substantial price difference David Demers “this is a significant between natural gas and diesel fuel is f opportunity P a g e that 1 has 1 5 the / 0 potential 6 / 1 2 ,to 4 resulting : 2 8 PinMa strong financial incentransform important segments of the tive to enable off road applications

Proactive.

Efficient.

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to take advantage of low natural gas energy costs without sacrificing operational performance,” Demers said.

He added that “there is also a clear environmental advantage because of the reduced carbon emissions,” which comes just as the Australian government brings into effect its new Carbon Tax. The tax will see mining companies pay approximately $23 per tonne of carbon emitted.

Steve Fisher, Cat’s vice president for large power systems explained their motive behind the agreement.

“Many of our customers are asking for natural gas powered equipment in order to reap the financial and environmental benefits.

“This program positions Cat to become the first manufacturer to bring high pressure direct injection technology to the high horsepower off road market, to offer the broadest product line of natural gas fueled machines, and to capitalise on the attractiveness of natural gas as an alternate mobile fuel,” Fisher said.

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July 2012

AustralianMining

Australian Mining got the lowdown on Vermeer’s new T1655 surface miner during a recent trip to Fortescue Metals Group’s Christmas Creek mine, writes Andrew Duffy.

M

uch is known about Fortescue Metals Group and its success in the Pilbara.

But much less is known about the equipment that’s helped the company on its journey.

While well on the road to catching rivals BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, the way FMG has gone about its task sets it apart from most other miners.

Instead of the traditional drill and blast model FMG uses surface miners, or precision mining, to capture the ‘red gold’ underneath the Pilbara’s plains.

A technique eyed suspiciously by many, FMG’s surface miners have allowed the company to make use of deposits previously thought unviable.

As the technology widens its reach, more companies are waking up to the viability of precision mining, and previously ingrained attitudes about the dominance of drill and blast are slowly changing.

And as one of the two companies supplying surface miners to FMG, United States-based manufacturer Vermeer are riding this new wave and hoping to capitalise on rising demand from Australia’s mining industry.

On a recent trip to the company’s headquarters in Perth, and FMG’s Christmas Creek mine in the Pilbara, Vermeer gave Aus-

tralian Mining the low-down on its new model T1655 surface miner and how the technology fits with FMG’s plans for the future.

Changing attitudes

Vermeer specialty excavation engineering manager Jeff Flahive told Australian Mining one of the biggest challenges the company faced in manufacturing surface miners had nothing to do with the equipment.

The cultural attitude of companies operating in the Pilbara, and also throughout Australia and the world, he said, was sometimes as big a problem as any technical difficulty.

Viewed commonly as the poorer cousin of drill and blast, many mining companies have been wary to buy into the virtues of surface mining.

And when first embarking on the mission to expand Vermeer’s surface mining division, Flahive said having officials open their mind to the technique was a challenge.

“The cultural resistance was huge, and it still us,” he said.

But while this problem has plagued Vermeer and its competitor Wirtgen since the beginning, the success of the technology on FMG’s mines has provided both companies with a solid base to prove their worth.

Senior director of specialty excavation Mark Cooper told Australian Mining that while Vermeer never marketed surface mining as the “be all and end all” of mining, it did allow the industry to achieve things that weren’t possible with drill and blast.

“When we say precision mine, that means I can go in and extract what I want to extract,” he said.

“It’s precisely cutting where we want to cut.”

“If you contrast that to drill and blast, there’s a lot more control.”

With surface miners a company can mine much thinner seams of ore without mixing it with the surrounding material.

Without the technology many deposits, including FMG’s, would be unviable.

“You can chase seams and you don’t have to blend it with other material,” Cooper explained.

Improve performance

In designing and manufacturing the T1655 Cooper said Vermeer was looking to introduce a boost in mining production.

The goal was to take the T1655 above and beyond the company’s previous models and make it a serious competitor for the Writgen machines already on site.

For Vermeer one of the main www.miningaustralia.com.au

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goals in manufacturing the T1655 was introducing new methods of cutting control. “One of the things we learned early on was that we needed some way to control the grade and manage the cut,� Cooper said. “The reason why that’s important is that it improves machine performance.�

Giving operators more control of the machine’s cutting depth was marked a key development, with two different technologies driving the improvement.

With the T1655 either an onboard laser or GPS system can be used to control depth.

While use of the laser is cheap and widespread, it contains a number of limitations.

A laser can only be used on a relatively flat surface, and the beam risks being obstructed.

While the GPS solution costs significantly more, Cooper said it was “clearly where mining is going�.

With the GPS system the T1655 receives its coordinates from satellites and allows workers to create a 3D map for the machine to follow.

Cooper said the map posed several benefits for mine planning but its Areal with D _potential A M G R was EJ U L _future 1 2 . depd velopments.

Flahive also said when consumers started demanding automation the T1655 would not need major revisions. “We’re well set up for this,� he said. “100 per cent of the controls on the machine are microprocessor based and every function can be controlled remotely or autonomously.� “It’s not something we’re going to have to redevelop to get there, it’s all built into the machines. The backbone is there to build on these technologies.�

The loading problem

The new model includes a host of new features.

New outlook

would be well suited to these adapRio Tinto has already made huge tations. progress in converting much of the “Surface mining is a repeatable machinery on its Pilbara mines to process,� he said. automation. “So what starts getting interestMost other companies are also ing is setting up the stage for remote eyeing plans for automation. control and autonomous machines.

Cooper told Australian Mining “Because it’s a repeatable process Vermeer had kept this trend in mind I can define a plan, send the machine when designing the T1655. out, and let it follow that plan.

He said because of the nature of f Pa ge 1 1 9 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 3 : 4“This 0 PisMnot where we’re at now precision mining future equipment but it’s clearly in front of us.�

From the surface the biggest difference between Vermeer’s surface miners and the Wirtgen machines also used by FMG’s are the ore loading methods.

While Wirtgen miners load ore on to haul trucks traveling beside them, Vermeer’s offerings, including the T1655, leave the ore on the ground to be collected later.

The difference between these methods is only small, but on a mine site running 24/7 every inefficiency counts.

Cooper said while Vermeer had chosen to leave the ore on the Continued on page 62

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things you don’t know or the things that are uncertain and gain some certainty to those things as quick as possible.”

Taking the dummy T1655 to the field was what that was all about.

Placing it with a gypsum miner in the US, Flahive said the company left the machine with the miner to get the low-down on its performance.

After better than expected feedback Flahive said Vermeer felt confident moving into wider scale production on the unit.

“Taking these new concepts to the field gave us the confidence to be able to know we were making the right decisions,” he said.

Continued from page 61

ground the company was not forever sealed in this approach.

“We know our competitors load while they mine,” he said.

“So that’s something we are continuing to evaluate.”

Because the mining surface changes over the course of each line, the speed of the machine also varies.

Cooper said Vermeer had found that instead of trying to match trucks to the varying speed of the miner, it was better to collect ore after the entire pit had been mined.

“What the challenge became was if you’re loading onto a haul truck, every time you change speed, you have the wrong number of trucks,” he said.

“If it got really easy and all of a sudden you can double production sometimes you can’t because there aren’t enough trucks assigned to the pit to take advantage of it.”

“Conversely if it gets much harder and you’re producing significantly less, you have too many trucks and you’re not utilising the fleet.”

Cooper said the best move was always to keep the surface miner running as fast as it could, because the constraint was almost always in the mining, not the transport, of the ore.

“We’ve made the decision that it’s more economical to pick the material up after you cut it than to load it while you’re cutting,” he said.

“But that was a hot topic of debate, and it still is.”

How big is too big

Another improvement immediately noticed on the T1655 is the sheer size.

In creating such a monster, Cooper said Vermeer had real concerns about

The end game The miner in action in the Pilbara.

the size of the machine and where to draw the line on the improvement.

“One thing that we were really wrestling with was how big is big enough,” Cooper explained.

“We started out at a 950 horsepower machine but after a big dose of reality decided it needed to go up to 1200hp.”

But the size improvements weren’t introduced to the machine alone.

Cooper said the T1655 had gone beyond anything Vermeer had previously produced and significant changes needed to be made to the company’s manufacturing facilities before the machine could be produced.

“After the planning stage we started realising we couldn’t build it even if our customers wanted it,” he said.

“The size of this machine was taller, heavier, wider, and longer than anything else.

Cooper said the new machine was the largest Vermeer had made.

62

July 2012

AustralianMining

“In every dimension it was north of our capabilities.”

In order to start building the T1655 an $8 million upgrade of the company’s facilities were undertaken.

“We couldn’t build the first machine without it,” Cooper explained.

Make it work

Before going into full production with the T1655 Flahive said the company built a ‘dummy’ machine to make sure it would work the way they wanted.

In explaining the strategy Flahive gave some unique insight into the thinking of an engineering manager developing a major new project.

“In product development it’s important early on to recognise what you don’t know,” he said.

“The things you know you can bank on, but you better identify the

With new machines now signed, sealed, and delivered for FMG Vermeer said it was looking for the next opportunity for the technology.

The contract with FMG represents a big boon for the company, but it’s already looking towards other applications in the Australian industry.

A company with a long history of innovation and product development, Cooper said Vermeer was prepared and determined to adapt, develop, and change to meet new needs.

“This is the biggest thing specialty excavation has ever been involved in and we want to go with it,” he said.

“If it’s bigger machines we’ll go to bigger machines.”

“We’re prepared to chase new loading techniques and we’re prepared to chase new things we haven’t even thought of yet.” *Australian Mining travelled to Christmas Creek courtesy of Vermeer.

The T1655 leaves material on the ground to be collected later. www.miningaustralia.com.au

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MINING JOBS

Forcing UNEMPLOYED into mining With the skills shortage hurting harder than ever business and government are proposing some daring new plans.

B

etween the furore over foreign workers and the financial pain of the skills shortage some of Australia’s biggest names are trying to find new ways to source workers.

And not to be outdone Federal MP Bob Katter last month weighed into the debate with a provocative plan for Queensland’s jobless. Eyeing new expansions in the Galilee Basin Katter said if he seized power the unemployed would be pushed into jobs on skill starved mines. And if they refused they’d lose welfare. “If we won the election and I was the Premier of Queensland, there’d be 40,000 people in training for those jobs in the Galilee Basin right now,� he told local media. “And if they didn’t want to go there and do their training, they wouldn’t get their dole cheque.�

To Katter’s mind the problem, as many have said before him, is not that it’s difficult to find would-be miners but that there’s no training in place to up-skill job seekers.

While this idea skims many of the debate’s complexities it’s certainly struck a chord with many voters.

And now even companies themselves are takingAnotice.

D _ A MA S S J U L _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge Speaking independently of Katter, Atlas Iron

Even with lucrative work packages many workers are unwilling to relocate.

executive chairman David Flanagan last month canvassed a similar idea in an interview with The Australian.

Posing a tough question Flanagan queried how deserving the unemployed were of their benefits if they passed the buck on the opportunity to work in mining. “Is it fair on those people who are doing the hard yards with fly-in fly-out jobs in the industry to subsidise those people who are choosing not to?� he 1ask, 1“I9reckon / 0 6 it’s / 1a2fair , question 3 : 2 3for PGovernment.�

M While Katter has built a reputation for sen-

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sational statements similar sentiments from the more calculating Flanagan shows just how frustrating it’s becoming for miners sourcing talent.

And though a number of packages exist to help lure workers they’ve failed to bring dividends.

Just how keen the Government is to consider the plan outlined above is unknown, though with the contentious nature of the proposal it’s likely most MPs will steer clear of it.

While this may be yet another plan that fails to materialise the provocative new schemes will surely keep coming.

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AM.JUL12.PG066.pdf

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THE FESTIVAL

Upsides in a DOWNTURN

Instead of going to the market to announce its recent restructure and new growth plans, Manitou brought the market to itself. Cole Latimer writes.

M

ining equipment and maManitou is fairly typical of this was a multi-national affair. chinery companies have standard.

Held in Spain, the event was always been fairly quiet It’s a quiet company, and even designed to discuss the company’s about what they do. the company itself agrees. outlook and its future growth, parThey design the equipment, So it was a definite break of ticularly in the mining, agricultural, watch it at work, and see that it gets form for the crane company in late and industrial space. the job done.

May when it held a massive showHeavy machinery lined the paveWhether it’s moving and case of all its latest equipment, and ment for half a kilometre in front of shifting or heavy lifting, if their brought in more than 1000 dealers, the event’s premises, while confermachines and equipment does bankers, suppliers, analysts, and ences and roundtables were held alwhat it’s supposed to then end of journalists from around the world most continually inside, on the main story. for a few days for “The Festival”. day.

We rarely hear about what else During my time there I ran It was an interesting move for the company is doing, especially in into companies from countries the company considering the mastheAcase and D _ AofMcrane AXI A P Rlifting _ 1 2 com. p d f such P aas g eAustralia, 1 2 3 Russia, / 0 3 / 1 2 , 8 sive : 1 4debtA spiral M Spain, that has engulfed 1 20/03/12 12:19 PM panies. Axiom Mining Ad 02e - 60x210.pdfGermany, and Thailand; it really Europe, and especially holding it in

Spain, a nation that only last month received a massive Euro Zone bailout of more than $126 billion.

It looked like a company that was aiming to buck the Euro trend and highlight its growth amidst the downturn, with CEO Jean-Christophe Giroux stating “after three very difficult years, it’s time to share our convictions and our view of the future … this ‘Festival’ aims to give us a real platform where we can exchange ideas and subscribe to a shared goal”.

So what exactly was The Festival?

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(08) 8118 6151 sales@axiomic.com.au www.axiomic.com.au PO Box 243 Melrose Park SA 5039 Australia Wide AustralianMining

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM.JUL12.PG067.pdf

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THE FESTIVAL

Heavy machinery lined ‘The Festival Lane’.

Face to face

One of the most interesting points were the 21 roundtables, which were designed as way to pick the dealers, suppliers, and operators’ brains and find out what was work­ ing, and importantly what wasn’t.

While the roundtables did focus on brands and environmental issues, the predominant question they all asked was “tell us about our pro­ duct”, asking what the operators liked and disliked.

One of the most blatant exam­ ples of this was the roundtable ‘New product range for industry: Any sug­ gestions?’

It also gave the machinery deal­ ers a chance to air their customers’ complaints or concerns to the peo­

The company announced a greater focus on attachments for the mining space.

ple who design the machines them­ selves.

Sitting in on one of the round­ tables, it became a barrage of state­ ments for the Manitou personnel as to how their machines were used, what would work better, and what should be dropped.

Dan Miller, head of the Ameri­ can operations explained that “all of the input that we get [from the roundtables] will be put back into the business and be utilised to im­ prove applications, maybe develop new products”.

It was a different approach to the usual design process of assuming what the customer’s needs are and creating a machine, and instead may lead to more customer influenced machinery and equipment, particu­ larly attachments.

The conferences gave a more precise view from the company and just how it was changing its struc­ ture.

These mostly dealt with the new divisions; the various markets such as agriculture and materials han­ dling; servicing; attachments; new product lines; and the rental market.

for the mining industry, if that is a custom machine it is being used for one task only, but with a number of attachments you can keep the ma­ chine in constant use, so it is not just sitting idle between tyre handling applications. It’s the same machine, justAchanging D _ A M Lthe A Nattachments.

J UN_ 1 2 . p d “Our ambition is to have multi­

task machines with special attach­ ments.”

Part of The Festival was also an­ nouncing Manitou’s greater focus on mining.

“With this new business we can find out what the customer wants, f

Pa ge

1

1 5 / 0 5 / 1 2 , 3 : 4 8 Continued on page 68

Moving into mining

RTH president Eric Lambert. www.miningaustralia.com.au

Mining is set to become a major component of Manitou’s new struc­ ture.

Speaking to Eric Lambert, the president of the Rough Terrain Handling Division (under which mining falls), he told Australian Mining the focus for the division will be on “developing machines and developing attachments.

“For example our tyre handler AustralianMining

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THE FESTIVAL

Continued from page 67

and learn from their very specific requirements in mining worldwide, so we can continue to improve our presence in mining and safety,” Lambert said.

The release of its flameproof, underground coal mine specific tele­ handler – the MT732 – last year at AIMEX has demonstrated the com­ pany’s early steps.

At the time, Manitou’s export sales manager Francois Piffard told Australian Mining “the develop­ ment of this explosion proof tele­ handler is an Australian first and may even be a world first”.

Managing director for Manitou South Africa, Lindsay Shankland, told Australian Mining at The Fes­ tival that the new focus on mining attachments is seeing new drill­ ing products trialled at AngloGold Ashanti mines in South Africa.

However Shankland was reticent in describing how the drill attach­ ment works and its applications on site.

remains focused on the region and its development.

But as is the case with many companies, it has seen a “huge po­ tential” for its existing operations in Australia, and its mining industry.

The company heads stated that they would “use niche markets [such as Australia, Brazil, and Russia] and try and capitalise on their markets”.

However, geographically around 75 per cent of its business is still focused on Europe.

Speaking to Stuart Walker, Manitou Australia’s managing director, he explained that the handling company is “looking at attachments, skid steers, and really adapting our products to the problems”.

Walker went on to give an ex­ ample of its current work in Austral­ ia, developing solutions to eliminate

Despite the ongoing European financial crisis, the company

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July 2012

AustralianMining

some of the swinging load problems faced by BHP Billiton and Rio Tin­ to, and the increased risk factor they cause on site whenever cranes are used.

Making a mark

Australian focus

AD_ A M Rtelehandlers G N J U L _are 1 a2 world . p dfirst. f Pa ge Explosion proof

Manitou’s unusual movie-themed show capped off the event.

1

2 1 / 0 6 / 1 2 ,

It was an interesting approach to highlight what the company is do­ ing, and how it is working to stay innovative.

One of the most interesting as­ pects in its round up was its movie themed show highlighting its Gehl, Manitou, and Mustang product line of aerial work platforms/elevated work platforms, telehandlers, and skid steers.

Surreal and quite hard to explain, the show mixed famous movies and its products, such as King Kong as­ cending in an AWP; a Wild West showdown; an Apocalypse Now re­ enactment; and as a dénouement – fake U.S. dollar bills with Manitou’s CEO’s face plastered on them.

It was a different end to what may have been expected from such a previously quiet company, and 2 shows : 2 7 a corporation PM that seemed to

have fun making fun of itself while still getting its core message across, and looking to grow despite what has been a catastrophic downturn and shake up for the entire Euro Zone.

It also highlighted a company that “is back to the €1.3 billion mark [following the consolidation of its Chinese acquisitions].

Eric Lambert, Manitou’s presi­ dent of Rough Terrain Handling Division, told Australian Mining that through the event “we feel what we wanted to show and say has been done, as we wanted to create an event to involve everyone in the growth of the company, and make them aware of what we’ve done.

“The Festival has been very suc­ cessful, and paedagogically, it has really shown what we’re doing and the diversity of the range.”

It will be an interesting few years ahead of this company, but with its restructure it has definitely prepared itself to weather the storm. *Australian Mining travelled to Spain courtesy of Manitou.

www.miningaustralia.com.au

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AM.JUL12.PG070.pdf

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SOCIAL MEDIA

SOCIAL MEDIA

social problems S

ocial media is transforming the business world but most mining companies are yet to embrace it.

For an industry that spends millions on advertising and keeping up its public image the absence has gone strangely unnoticed.

While many companies might not readily admit to it, a lack of young talent in management or fear of vengeful feedback from the community are key drivers behind this absence.

A timidity tied to the unknown, with many companies unsure of whether new media is worth the time and money, also pervades much of the industry’s approach.

But sticking to the traditional one-way form of communication is fast becoming old-hat for big business.A D _ A M N I L J U L _ 1 2 . p And already a number of for-

While most mining companies are yet to embrace social media a few innovative organisations are leading the way, writes Andrew Duffy.

The resources industry has so far been wary of using social media.

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AustralianMining

New horizons

Australian Mines and Minerals Association Sarah Mitchell, 2 : 2 6 director PM a new media expert who leads the online team at Mining, Oil and Gas Jobs, told Australian Mining many recruiters targeting the industry were starting to get interested in using social media.

Mining, Oil and Gas Jobs has already made considerable inroads in new media, and have developed a considerable online following.

Mitchell said social media was an attractive prospect for recruiters because it lowered hiring costs and opened up new fields of both active and passive jobseekers.

But she said this enthusiasm did not usually extend to other core mining companies.

“The resources industry in general is slow to come into social media and one of the reasons is because of the perceived risk that it could do some brand damage,” she explained.

Mitchell said one diamond in the rough was Thiess, who did a “fantastic job” of managing and growing their Facebook page.

“They do a really good job of showing what a cool company it is and making it feel like it’s a place you’d want to work,” she said.

Answering questions from their own employees, prospective workers, students, and other curious readers, the Thiess Australian Mining Facebook page is a rare example

of mining companies doing well on social media.

“It’s a fantastic example of how that kind of online presence can help not only their employee value proposition, but also the candidate attraction stream, which is what everybody in Australia right now is really interested in,” Mitchell explained.

Thiess executive general manager Michael Wright told Australian Mining the company’s Facebook page was a good way to capture and promote positive talk about their business.

“There are some really engaged and talented people out there that may not be directly applying to vacancies, but are really involved and championing our brand, and that’s the type of person we want driving our culture,” he said.

Thiess resourcing manager Tania Silva also told Australian Mining the page opened up a new field of potential job candidates.

“Ultimately Facebook allows us to work outside traditional branding and recruitment methods and allows us to be more innovative with a more diverse group of people,” she said.

New risks

But as more companies dive into the world of social media there are bound to be more failures.

Already the stories of companies www.miningaustralia.com.au

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SOCIAL MEDIA

being overrun by negative feedback, or having well-meaning messages turned against them, are starting to proliferate.

An already divisive industry that has plenty of opposition, opening the mining sector to a wider and more fluid audience online can pose some dangers, dangers of which many resources companies are all too aware.

Mitchell told Australian Mining companies needed to think long and hard about this issue prior to developing a presence online.

“Before you do a single thing think about how you’re going to handle negative comments,” she said.

“The environmentalists and activists are really embracing social media and they’re just waiting to attack.”

Mitchell said the best strategies for developing an online community were to develop “rules of engagement” and have a professional monitoring the company’s outlets at all times.

“Creating an online community is really difficult and it takes a lot of time,” she said.

“You can’t put things up there and walk away and expect it to take care of itself you have to have a full time manager or somebody whose responsibility it is to take care of things.”

But just as readily Mitchell said

a company’s presence needed to be authentic and engaging.

She said users needed to be able to vent and provide constructive criticism or the page would become sterile.

Equal power

The ability of activists to use social media in the fight against big business can be seen all over the internet.

But on a local scale with mining relevance it’s hard to go past the Save Malaysia Stop Lynas Campaign.

Lynas protestor Jade Lee, based in Malaysia, told Australian Mining social media had strengthened the fight against Lynas and helped opposition to the mining company gain traction.

“It has propelled a small local campaign into Malaysia’s biggest ever environmental campaign in just a year,” she said.

“When I first joined the Facebook group there were about 7,000 members. It now has over 42,000.

“No environmental campaign in Australia has that many members.

Certainly Lynas’s own Facebook group could not attract that many.”

Just as business can use new media to spread its messages, Lee said industry opposers could capitalise on the same opportunities.

“Social media can help keep the debate and discussion active and alive whilst spreading information far and wide,” she said.

“Without social media the Stop Lynas campaign would remain very small and localised.”

Take control

Silva told Australian Mining Thiess had taken these concepts to heart when building their Facebook community.

“We have some rules around behaviour on social media that we post openly on out ‘About Us’ page,” she said.

“If we do receive any posts from users that defame, abuse, harass, then of course we delete them.”

“But we openly post to our followers what we’re about to do and why.”

While laying down the rules Wright said the company still aimed at developing a genuine presence that wasn’t simply an extension of their marketing department.

“We want our page to be as authentic and transparent as possible, so our policy is to address negative comments openly,” he said.

“The team respond where possible in 24 hours, and ask on the page for the person to contact our HR team so we can address it more effectively offline.”

Wright stressed this credibility lay at the heart of Thiess’s successful presence on social media.

“You have to remember that nothing you do on the internet is really ever deleted, so if you’re try-

ing to delete something to avoid bad press, this can backfire through old screen shots,” he said.

“If you can’t be open and authentic on the page you need to consider why you’re using social media.”

Reap rewards

With such dedication necessary for the development of a community on social media, why should companies do it?

As touched on earlier Thiess told Australian Mining it had seen real benefits to its recruitment drive, an issue with which most mining companies are struggling.

“We have seen a 20 per cent increase in direct applications to our vacancies from Facebook,” she said.

“We post all our jobs on our Facebook page to make it easier to apply, and that has been received really positively.”

Wright said the online presence had also given the company a good idea of what it was doing well and what it could improve on.

And overall the presence encapsulates what dealing with people is all about.

“We get a real insight into what makes us a great company to work for, and what we can do better through the comments and feedback we get, and this is so powerful in driving change internally so we can ensure we meet our people’s needs.”

An increased presence on new media can pay dividends for mining companies www.miningaustralia.com.au

AustralianMining

July 2012

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AM.JUL12.PG072.pdf

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MAPPING & SURVEYING

Sighting

THE FUTURE

Enhanced laser scanning is making mapping safer.

M

apping your ever changing mine site is a critical part of understanding how your operation is evolving.

However the slow nature of much mapping technology such as laser scanners and photogrammery drags out the process and could make data inaccurate by the time it is collated and assessed.

Added to this is the difficulty of taking measurements on the constantly moving beehive that is the mine site.

This problem is only compounded when miners are trying to conglomerate data from a number of different sites.

On top of this, individual sites within a single company may use different technology to measure and map the data.

Canadian mining giant Teck’s coal business recently faced this exact problem.

ASo D _sixA months M D S I ago J U Lit _purchased 1 2 . pd a number of Maptek’s I-Site 8000

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long ranger laser scanners for each of their coal mine operations throughout Alberta and British Colombia in Canada.

“Our vision was that we wanted something that was standard across all of our sites so we could move things across [operations] without having to introduce new systems,” Eric Jensen, Teck coal business unit’s director of engineering, explained.

According to Jensen the miner used the I-Site as it is able to collect cloud point data at up to two Surveyors can capture up two two million points of data for a single area. kilometres, and can also capture 3D data during scanning. tasks such as mapping faces and up- to adjust it, and it also translates “Surveyors can also capture up dating surfaces. really well to the surveyors in the to two million points for an area The scanners were implemented office.” that might have been previously sur- on site earlier this year, and Teck Safety has also been improved. veyed with only ten GPS points.” says improvements have been noNow “no one has to go near the Set up and information capture ticed. highwall”. is straightforward and fast as the “We are loving it for the accuJensen went on to say that “it scanner’s high resolution camera is racy and speed of stockpile model- has been such a change to the workdirectly built in to the equipment. ling,” he said. flow with increased accuracy and Its modelling software, I-Site “The unit is also robust enough an acceptable level of improvement; what is going on in the uncertainty has been eliminated bef Studio, P a g ise also 1 integrated 1 3 / 0 6 /into 1 2 the , 1 to 0 withstand : 1 6 AM hardware, which streamlines the pit and simple enough for the guys cause the volumes are so accurate”.

www.miningaustralia.com.au

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AM.JUL12.PG074.pdf

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MAPPING & SURVEYING

Eye in the sky Unmanned aerial vehicles are taking the difficulties out of site surveying.

T

he mine surveyor is one of the most important, yet under rated engineering professionals at a mine site.

Compared to other engineers on site they tend to be overshadowed, despite being responsible for such important everyday tasks as 3D mapping of stockpiles and mine excavations, and the monitoring of mine extraction processes.

These tasks are not only time consuming, but also dangerous, and if done incorrectly could see the mine suffer from a highwall failure or roof collapse.

Using traditional surveying methods such as scanners to create point clouds is protracted, while photogrammic techniques are nearly impossible in heavy cloud or poor weather.

Another method is needed – and unmanned aerial vehicles are providing it.

To date they have already seen service at mines in Queensland and A DWestern _ A M P Australia.

O S J U L _According 1 2 . pd to Gatewing the demand for faster

data and safer acquisition methods and landing spot on is driving the use of machines such a ground control as its Gatewing X100, which pro- station. vides an alternative to traditional Helicopter surveying methods.

UAVs have also The machine itself is a light, un- been used to manned aircraft with an onboard, map stockpiles high resolution ten megapixel cali- and can cover brated camera that captures over- an area of 25 lapping images to provide a five hectares within centimetre pixel resolution with half an hour, comparable X, Y, and Z accuracy providing a when flying at heights of up to 150 ground pixel metres. size of under Currently most UAVs or ‘drones’ four centimeare operated by a line of sight con- tres as well troller beneath 125 metres. as a height The strength of UAV systems accuracy of over traditional methods is the fact under four that the flights are conducted in a centimetres. fully automated manner from its Planning launch until landing. the area that For vehicles such as the X100, needs to be scanned no piloting skills are needed, and is fairly straightforward, all the worker has to do is simply and a number of companies have facilitate the aircraft’s operation, software designed for the project. includes the/ area f which Pa g e 1 outlining 1 5 / 0 6 1 2 ,to 4 : 2 5 P M Continued on page 76 be mapped and selecting a take-off

UAVs have seen increased use in Australia, with miners such as Newmont using them to map their mine.

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AD_AMKERJUL_12.pdf

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AM.JUL12.PG076.pdf

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MAPPING & SURVEYING

Continued from page 74

Gatewing has scanning software called Quickfield while another Australian company, Adam Technology, has created the 3DM analyst software which has been used successfully in Australia to survey stockpiles.

The mission planning can be carried out either on or off site, or anywhere there is an internet connection.

To actually run the UAV the mission simply has to be opened onsite, a few key parameters such as wind direction and speed, flying height, overlap areas, and the like need to be inputted, then an operator simply launches the aircraft and sits back while it covers the pre-defined area.

According to Gatewing, in the case of the X100 it carries parallel sweeps following a regular shape and takes hi-res photos at a rate of about 40 per minute with a high overlap.

Once the pre-defined area has been covered the UAV descends to about 75 metres in height after which it begins its landing procedures, finally belly landings at a prearranged spot.

“As X100 A D the _ AM S E Mhas J Uno L _landing 1 2 . p gear but is designed to land on its

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UAVs autonomously fly a pre-defined zone, taking hi-res overlapping photos to create 3D maps.

belly it allows the UAV to land in rough dvery f P a g eterrain.”

1 1 3 / 0 6 / 1 2 , However “after around 50 flights

(depending on the roughness of the terrain) wings will start to wear 2 : 2 3its P M out.

“But when buying the X100 it does come with a second set of wings, and importantly these wings are easily replaceable and relatively low cost (coming in at less then five per cent of the cost of the system).”

To ready it for the next flight just replace the pre-loaded eBox – the brain of the system, the camera, and the battery and it’s ready to fly again.

It is mostly autonomous once in the air, with the ground control station only used to monitor the flight, allow an onsite image quality check, and to intervene if necessary.

For example if a helicopter or other flying object is close you can simply circle the UAV at its current location, recall it, or make it land immediately.

Mapping aside, UAVs have also been highlighted for their ability to carry out urgent deliveries of small items.

UAV Australia managing director Aonghus Stevens said “you could use a drone to carry something up to 30 kilograms, and have a critical spare part delivered to an LNG rig or a mine,” he said.

“It reduces cost and has a quicker turnaround (than a helicopter courier).”

Gatewing says its X100 un-

manned aerial vehicles are made from expanded polypropylene and reinforced with a carbon frame, and are designed for the rough conditions found in the industry.

It weighs only 2 kilograms and has a wingspan of one metre.

Because of its lightweight material and built-in failsafe procedures “the X100 is one of the safest unmanned aircrafts on the market,” the company claims.

In addition to these failsafe programs, the systems have been built to ensure that the survey crews no longer have to clamber over stockpiles, around highwalls, or embark on or near hazardous machines as surfaces are remotely sensed by the UAVs and the surveyor can now simply monitor its progress from a safe place nearby.

The company went on to say that the X100 is able to cover several kilometres on a single battery and can operate in a number of different weather conditions.

“The device operates in hot, cold, drizzly, and blustery conditions, working where there are wind speeds of up to 50 kilometres per hour.

“Compared to the traditional photogrammery techniques this is a major benefits because with the traditional methods it’s often not possible to obtain imagery because of cloud weather, whereas with UAVs they can take images below the clouds.” www.miningaustralia.com.au

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MAPPING & SURVEYING

Old technology, new uses Fortescue has used a mining staple technology in a new way.

F

A D _ A MS MA MA Y _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 1 2 / 0 4 / 1 2 , 4 : 1 0 : 1 3 Fortescue is incorporating GIS mapping across all operations as part of its massive expansion plans.

Ground Tents

Canopies

Aerial Tents

Umbrellas

PM

AEST

ortescue Metals Group is recognised in Australia as a forward thinking mining company.

From exploration through to production, it is always looking at the best to way to develop its projects.

And now it has taken another step forward in a new direction.

Earlier this year the iron ore giant implemented an industry leading geospatial mapping system as part of its $8.4 billion plans to triple its operation by next year.

This new cutting edge Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is the result of a landmark partnership between the world’s fourth largest iron ore miner, and geospatial specialists Esri Australia.

Tom Gardner, Esri Australia’s West Australian business manager, explained that this new organisation wide GIS will provide Fortescue with a new geographic view of the business, allowing it to eliminate inefficiencies and maximise mine output.

“More than 80 per cent of Fortescue’s data has a geographical component – their employees, assets and activities are located across multiple sites covering 65,000 square kilometres,” Gardner said.

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Fortescue’s operations cover more than 65 000 kilometres, an larger area than France.

“GIS technology brings together Fortescue’s data and translates it into the visual format of a map – providing a common operating picture or ‘single point of truth’ for decision-makers.

“It enables staff throughout the company to visualise what is occurring across a mine and removes the challenge of accessing multiple and competing technologies or information sources,” he added.

“This will expedite the location and extraction of new resources, the identification of bottlenecks in workflows, as well as guide land management, and risk and safety monitoring.”

Currently Fortescue operates the Christmas Creek and Cloudbreak iron ore mines in its Chichester Hub and an has the Herb Elliot port as well.

It also has operational plans at its Solomon and Western hubs, at Nyidinghu, and infrastructure proposals for the Anketell port as well as more than 300 kilometres of rail networks.

Fortescue GIS superintendent Jen Thomson said she expected the new GIS to deliver a positive impact to operations across the company.

“We intend to improve all aspects

of our business through easy access to data via the GIS’s desktop and webbased interfaces,” Thomson said.

“Esri Australia’s GIS technology enables us to provide better visualisation and distribution of our spatial information to staff.”

A key factor considering the spread out nature of FMG’s operations across the Pilbara.

“Ultimately with this system, we’re aiming for a new, secure and efficient way of operating that will improve our workflow efficiency, enable users to make more informed decisions and broaden the spectrum of users able to make those decisions.”

Gardner added that the miner is ‘spearheading’ the resources industry’s expansion of GIS technology into what are typically considered to be non-traditional areas of mining operations.

“However an increasing number of mines around the world are using the technology in areas such as health and safety, asset management, emergency management and operational mine management, to deliver significant productivity, efficiency and safety gains,” he said.

“ ProTrac measures reliably – even under extreme conditions.”

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GIS is being used to identify bottlenecks in workflows and guide land management. www.miningaustralia.com.au

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AM.JUL12.PG080.pdf

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Precise positioning An Australia-wide national RTK network is making surveying easier on site.

O

ne of the main problems with mapping and surveying remote mine sites using GPS is distance.

This problem is multiplied when actually working in an open cut pit, where the highwalls can block signals and provide inaccurate readings, if you get a reading at all.

To overcome this Position Partners has released its AllDayRTK (Real Time Kinematics), a new national network RTK solution that works right across Australia to provide a more flexible, subscription based positioning service for the surveying, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), construction, and mining industries.

According to Position Partners its new “AllDayRTK is a Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) network”.

It explained that continuously operating reference station networks provide a number of advantages over more base A Dtraditional _ A ML A N J Ustation L _ 1 2opera. pd tions, particularly in open cast min-

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The company has created a portal to download RINEX data as well.

ing operations where the base staCORS reportedly cuts down set tions have to be located at the top of up time, and most importantly prothe pit and create massive black spots vides consistent accuracy regardless of in the bottom of the mine. the person’s distance from a reference This has flow on effects, outside of station (within networked areas). mapping and site surveying, for autoThe company added that it also mated vehicles which rely on GPS trackprovides payment flexibility f Pa ge 1 1 4 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 4 : 4 6 Pmore M ing to keep them on their pre-set paths. for subscription based access.

“In setting up AllDayRTK, Position Partners is collaborating with privately operated and Governmentrun state networks, including Victoria’s GPSnet and New South Wales’s CORSnet,” Position Partners’ global navigation satellite system (GNSS) infrastructure manager Gavin Docherty said.

“Because of this we are able to provide a seamless solution for customers that crosses network borders to deliver a more accurate, reliable GNSS positioning to within 20 millimetres accuracy in network RTK areas,” he said.

In addition, the company has also created its own extensive CORS network bases, to complement existing infrastructure and provide further coverage in regional and metro areas around Australia.

“AllDayRTK is designed to be a complete service solution for anyone needing accurate GNSS positioning in their work,” Docherty explained, “rather than go through different providers depending on your location”.

www.miningaustralia.com.au

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TIN

The time

HAS COME

R

A small group of Australian companies are leading resurgence in the global tin industry, writes Andrew Duffy.

ight now most of Australia, and most of the world, has its sights set on the iron ore and coal industries.

But while we’re leading the world on these fronts we’re also heading up the resurgence of a lesser-known sector.

An industry that’s becoming increasingly vital to modern life, the tin sector is undergoing rapid change and a small group of Australian-based companies are leading the charge.

Backed by new European Union laws banning lead solder in electronic goods, demand for tin has been steadily on the rise and producers are finding it more and more difficult to fill the gap.

A dearth of new mines on the horizon has many manufacturers concerned, and they’re increasingly looking toward Australian companies to help provide a solution.

For an industry that has struggled through some bad days in recent history, the turnaround represents a striking change of fortune for many companies.

Bad rep

Kasbah Resources managing director Wayne Bramwell told Australian Mining much of the tin industry’s previous misfortune had been linked to its bad reputation with investors.

“Tin as a commodity effectively destroyed its reputation in 1984 and basically destroyed the market as a place where people wanted to invest,” he said.

“A group of producers in the 70s and 80s decided to setup an OPEC style cartel in tin.

“They tried to corner the market and it failed dismally and with great fanfare.

“Effectively people who thought tin was a good place to invest vacated that space for almost 30 years.”

Kasbah is currently focused on developing its Achmach mine in Morocco, which is the largest undeveloped tin project in the world.

Bramwell said with electronic manufacturers forced into using tin solder instead of lead, the entire dynamic of the tin industry had changed and most of the market was still playing catch-up.

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Metal X have plans to expand the Renison Bell tin mine in Tasmania.

something which is fundamentally driven by consumer goods and electronic uses,” he said.

With demand on the rise and supply increasingly unstable many smelters, manufacturers, and investors are now taking notice.

Close to home

While most of the world’s new tin projects are being led by Australian companies, the locations of these developments are primarily offshore.

But Australia has its own history in the sector, and these regions are now being eyed for further expansions.

Perth-based Venture Minerals is focused on developing its Mt Lindsay tin-tungsten-magnetite project in Tasmania.

Like Kasbah’s Achmach development Mt Lindsay is one of the largest undeveloped tin projects in the world.

But while Venture’s project is developing a lot of buzz it’s also attracting the ire of conservationists.

The campaign to stop Venture in its tracks has been rising in popularity, and has even attracted the support of the influential lobby group GetUp. Venture managing director Hamish Halliday told Australian

Mining the company was working with locals and determined to make Mt Lindsay co-exist with the sensitive environment in the region.

And Halliday said most of the local population was supportive of the Mt Lindsay development, with opposition mainly coming from the outside.

“Tasmania’s west coast is massively supportive of the mining industry and has a multi-generational workforce in the sector that always wants projects to go ahead,” he said.

“People forget that Australia’s longest running magnetite mine has been in the Tarkine for half a century, and it’s not an isolated case.”

Tin industry veteran and Tin International chief Ron Goodman also told Australian Mining most of the population in Venture’s area was supportive of the industry.

“The whole west coast is a mining area,” he said.

“People work in the mines and understand it generates a lot of wealth for Tasmania.”

Nevertheless many conservationists see an expanding industry presence in the Tarkine as an unacceptable threat to the region’s forests, rivers, and wildlife.

A recent report by former Australian heritage commissioner Pe-

ter Hitchcock said it was likely the Tarkine could qualify for world heritage listing and was home to “outstanding heritage values”.

Bright future

While environmental approvals will remain a challenge for the broader mining industry and not just Venture, the future of the tin industry looks promising.

With the production of consumer electronics constantly on the rise and a lack of companies with plans for new projects, those few with expansions on the cards are in an enviable position.

“The key message is that there’s not a lot of new mine production coming on stream,” Goodman explained.

And with Stellar Resources and Metals X also joining Venture and Kasbah in the fold of new tin producers, Australia sits in a commanding position for the future.

“In the list of potential tin projects in the world, most are either small, fictitious, or just pure flights of fantasy,” Bramwell said.

“The only people doing work in exploration, fundamentally, are Australian.

“And it’s far more important than most people think.” www.miningaustralia.com.au

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MINESITE CONSTRUCTION

Family first

HOUSING

A Perth-based builder is calling for more family-friendly housing in remote WA mining communities. Jamie Wade writes.

D

omenic Sabatino, director of Westkey Modular Housing, believes there should be an emphasis on building more houses and extending suburbs in towns like Karratha and the North West of WA rather than mining accommodation camps built in the town.

“Although FIFO [fly-in fly-out] workers are handsomely rewarded, they do pay a price in terms of lost time with their families and friends, lifestyle and general stresses associated with FIFO including failed relationships, and loneliness,” Sabatino told Australian Mining.

“This can largely be avoided if an option exists where the FIFO worker can return home to a family every night, instead of a donga.

This will not only save relationships and help kids to grow up with both parents, but will also save companies FIFO costs in the long run.”

However, industry group leaders such as Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia (CME) Chief Executive Reg Howard-Smith say it is important to prepare for the reality that FIFO would continue to increase as construction of resources projects ramped up.

“Industry is very supportive of viable, liveable communities and focuses on improving the regions in which they operate. However, construction work is short-term and expecting all workers to take up permanent resident in regional towns is unrealistic,” Howard-Smith said.

performance improvement and cost savings key challenges in the industry.

“Construction companies are also contending with a shortage of skilled workers,” he said.

“Improving safety and reducing the environmental impact will also be ongoing goals for the mining industry.

“Another challenge faced by mining companies is that there are currently not enough manufacturers in Australia to meet mining accommodation demand in coming years, as camps are so big. This challenge allows providers, such as ourselves, to become more specialised and more selective in terms of choosing clients.”

Higher standards

Despite intense demand for accommodation, says Sabatino, the overall conditions and standards in mine site construction have drastically improved in recent years.

“This is evident in the overall higher safety standards required of all mining construction contractors and the need for safer mining camps that are durable and can withstand severe weather conditions,” he said.

“Although FIFO workers are handsomely rewarded, they do pay a price,” Sabatino says.

“For example, portable buildings in mining camps are required to carry a minimum cyclone rating of Region D, Category 2 for single and two-storey structures. There is also a focus on better working conditions in general.

“Another change can be seen in the fact that mining camps start to resemble mini-resorts with an emphasis on improved lifestyle with extras like gym facilities, better fittings and more spacious accommodation to name a few added features.”

The main focus in mine site construction, says Sabatino, is on improved safety with a standard requirement for all aspects of buildings

and camps to meet Australian Buildings Codes.

“In recent years there has also been a renewed focus on insulation via double-glazed windows and the use of specialised quality insulation for improved energy efficiency – a cost effective measure for reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

“The result is remarkable thermal and sound insulation while providing a cool, quiet and pleasant environment for the occupants.

“Close attention is being paid to only installing industrial equipment and appliances with high energy efficiency ratings including air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators,

Demands and challenges

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Many FIFO camps, such as FMG’s Christmas Creek, are virtual villages in the desert.

transformers and computers,” Sabatino said.

“Another feature seen more often on mine sites in recent years is disabled access including wheelchairaccessible offices and ablution facilities.”

Mining companies are also demanding more of construction contractors, adds Sabatino.

“Generally, contractors are required to meet all appropriate mine site safety ratings and regulations including standard cyclone ratings on all buildings and general adherence to all building codes,” he said.

“Contractors should further hold all the appropriate licences, cards – for example White Card in Construction and certificates needed to safely operate on a mining construction site.

“Mining companies also demand the use of superior products from all of their contractors. Projects must be of a high quality including good workmanship, a fair price and completion should always be on time and in budget.”

Westkey specialises in the design, manufacture and supply of portable buildings, mining camps, modular accommodation, kit homes and transportable houses. www.miningaustralia.com.au

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MINESITE CONSTRUCTION

The floating LNG liquefaction unit can convert around 69.5 million scf/d of natural gas into LNG.

Infrastructure innovation A world first floating LNG facility may change how Australia does business.

A

ustralia is about to experience an LNG boom. Speaking previously to BIS Shrapnel senior manager for infrastructure and mining, Adrian Hart, he explained that this liquefied natural gas growth in QLD will actually “be a threat to strong growth in other states such as Western Australia.

“Both states are expected to see civil construction activity surge around 40 per cent in 2011/12 alone, led mainly by LNG and bulk commodities infrastructure,” he told Australian Mining.

There is already around $146 billion worth of LNG projects underway in Queensland alone.

This sector is big business, and the construction industry is set to boom off its growth as well.

But this sector also has to compete with mining, not only for skilled workers but also for precious space.

So a world first development of a floating LNG liquefaction factory is set to change how the natural gas industry operates.

Shanghai, China, based Wison Offshore & Marine, an offshoot of the Wison Group, has won the award for the construction of this innovative technology off South America.

Working with the Exmar Group, it will provide the engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning of this world first Floating LNG Liquefaction, Regasifi-

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cation, and Storage Unit (FLRSU).

According to the company, the facility will be used by Exmar under a Build, Own, and Operate contract with Pacific Rubiales Energy Corporation just off the coast of oil rich Colombia.

The FLRSU itself consists of a non-propelled barge equipped to convert around 69.5 million scf/d of natural gas into LNG that will be temporarily stored in onboard tanks, which have a total capacity of 14 000 m3, and will then be offloaded to either a permanently moored floating storage unit or shuttle tankers.

The floating LNG facility itself will be moored to a jetty, and supplied by a gas pipeline from onshore.

Wison will be responsible for the initial design and engineering of the unit from its Shanghai centre, with construction carried out at its fabrication facility in Nantong China.

Another company, Black & Veatch, has been contracted to execute the engineering and procurement of the topside liquefaction equipment as well as providing the facility’s onsite commissioning and startup.

Exmar CEO Nicolas Saverys stated that “signing the EPCIC contract with Wison is a historic event for the LNG industry, as the world’s first floating liquefaction unit moves from concept development into a firm turnkey contract”. www.miningaustralia.com.au

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AM.JUL12.PG088.pdf

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DRILL, BLAST & GEOMECHANICS

Primed for

SAFETY

New blasting accessories are cutting the risk of premature blasting component contact on the bench.

T

he visibility of blasting systems and devices whenever loading explosives on a bench is critical to safety.

A lack of visibility, particularly of initiating systems on the bench, can increase the likelihood of an accident occurring when working around blastholes.

The danger was demonstrated earlier this year when a worker took a wrong turn and drove onto a bench loaded for shotfiring; completely unaware of where they were.

Contact between initiating components and vehicles on the bench can result in potentially fatal incidents, as well as cutting productivity and increasing costs.

Seeing this contact issue, Orica has developed a blasting accessory to increase safety on site, and especially on the bench.

Orica initially started work on this problem back in 2010, carrying out a review into bench blasting related incidents with the QLD Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI).

One of the main areas it identified for improvement was large hole operations, where there is the potential for physical contact between vehicles, detonators and boosters, prior to priming.

The review resulted in the company not only improving its procedural controls but also developing a holding device to minimise the likelihood of contact.

It carried out a number of assessments to figure out what the key requirements of the product were, and what its design needed to achieve, bringing in design 88

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consultants to assist with the development.

The result was the creation of Orica’s PrimeSafe – a simple safety device which creates greater visibility of the initiating systems on a bench, particularly for large open cut coal and hard rock mines.

“PrimeSafe stores up to three boosters and three detonators at the blast hole collar, thereby reducing the loss of products in drill cuttings,” Orica says.

Matthew Burke, Orica’s operations efficiency manager for Australia Pacific was involved in the early review, product scoping and design of PrimeSafe.

He said that “this new device improves both safety and productivity on site, as it increases the visibility of blasting components, reduces the risk of injury from vehicles running over the components, and is also low cost and reusable”.

Orica Mining Services operations manager – Australia/Pacific, Yogi Schleeman, said since the development of PrimeSafe it has

The blasting accessory provides increased site visibility.

become a part of the company’s internal safety practices on the bench and at sites where Orica operates.

According to the company the blasting accessory has “the flexibility to meet diverse site operating requirements on bench and requires no changes to existing mine blast designs”.

It has also been designed for use with various pegs. “[The device] is not only reusable, but can also limit the loss of blasting components in loose ground conditions.”

Water displaced from a blast hole has the potential to damage adjacent blasting

PrimeSafe lowers the risk of units being mislaid or accidentally buried.

devices, as well as change the chemical composition of the ANFO, putting operators at risk of creating orange nitrous dioxide plumes, which in turn may become nitric acid – a deadly outcome.

Orica explained that PrimeSafe has a resin added to the paper pulp during the manufacturing process which makes the blasting accessory water resistant, allowing it to remain functional despite long periods of wet weather.

It also addresses the main issue of visibility on site by being a distinctive yellow colour, which clearly identifies blasting compo-

nents on the bench, thereby reducing the risk of vehicle contact and also the possibility of units being mislaid or buried accidentally.

Importantly the device is secure and can be placed over the peg in close proximity to the blast hole and is designed to fit over a range of blast hole pegs, with its low centre of gravity and water resistance providing extra stability.

It also provides storage for up to three decks, coming with clearly defined compartments that make it suitable for holding a range of different initiating systems, boosters and spooled products.

PrimeSafe is also ergonomic in design, is lightweight, and easy to stack, store, and carry while also being biodegradable.

Initial trials were carried out late last year, and since then it has seen active usage at Australian mine sites.

More than 100 000 PrimeSafe devices were distributed for trial and about 60 000 have already been used on benches.

The company has recently released smaller units for quarry and construction operations, and says that it is exploring a similar blasting accessory for underground mining operations. www.miningaustralia.com.au

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Davey Bickford Australia Pty Ltd PO Box 298, Osborne Park, WA 6917 T 08 9207 1066 E admin@daveybickford.com.au www.daveybickford.com.au

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DRILL, BLAST & GEOMECHANICS

Setting the benchmarks A drilling crew has set an amazing safety record on site.

T

he mine site is a dangerous place. Constantly moving heavy machinery, high pressured equipment, and toxic and hazardous chemicals are an every day part of the industry.

And despite constant measures to increase safety on site, injuries still happen.

So when a mining crew can go a year without a single injury it’s an impressive feat.

When the same crew goes six years without a single Lost Time Injury it’s amazing.

Boart Longyear’s drilling crew at G-Resources’ Martabe open cut gold mine in Indonesia has done exactly this, celebrating six years Lost Time Injury free in March this year.

What makes it even more impressive is the fact that it was done in a country that is typically known for its lax adherence to safety laws, and in one of its more remote locations.

The Martabe gold mine itself is located along the

Despite primitive conditions the drill team managed to go six years without a single LTI.

Trans-Sumatra fault, on the northwest coast of Sumatra in Indonesia, in a region that combines around four metres of rain annually with hills featuring 30 degree gradients that reach

The team uses heli-transportable rigs.

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nearly a kilometre into the sky.

Taufik Octaviano, Boart Longyear’s environmental health and safety manager for Indonesia, explained that “there are a great number of potential risks every day at the Martabe site; a combination of high risk machinery, a hazardous environment, strong gusting winds and electrical storms creates hundreds of combinations of things that could go wrong – especially considering the challenges that already exist when moving rigs with a helicopter.

“We take these conditions into consideration on a daily basis,” Octaviano said.

Boart Longyear’s workers provide a number of drilling services for the mine, carrying out diamond coring methods to produce high quality readable core samples, as well as geotechnical, and grade control drilling, as its the main tasks, all of which are supported by maintenance, training, logistics, OHS, and human resources teams.

At the site they predominately use five LF70 heli-portable rigs, and were previously using an LF90C rig as well.

So how exactly did a team that labours in such

an inhospitable environment – compared to many Australian operations – manage to work six years without a single Loss Time Injury?

According to Octaviano the Boart Longyear Drilling Services (BLDS) team did it by making “safety part of everyday discussions, both formal and informal.

“The BLDS team realises that no one is perfect, which allowed them to constantly look for ways to improve.”

He explained that in achieving this benchmark the first step in increasing safety measures for the drillers was ensuring that the equipment, procedures, and standards are all user-friendly.

The easier the equipment is to use the less likely it is there will be a mistake.

Octaviano also labelled teamwork a major factor “Everyone on site is encouraged to voice an opinion on safety, no matter how much experience they have, what their qualifications are, or where they rank in seniority.”

Feedback is sought out

The rig The site uses the LF70 Diamond Core fly drill.

The drill is a lightweight, flyable exploration rig for drilling in remote locations. highly mobile, the rig can be delivered via helicopter and assembled in less than an hour.

It has a NQ drill depth capacity of close to 800 metres.

Modular design of the LF70 consists of seven sections, each weighing less than 585 kilograms and are easily transportable by helicopter.

This modular capability reduces downtime when mobilising between sites and also decreases the overall environmental impact to a drill site.

Despite the fact that the rig is comparatively lightweight and mobile, it still packs a punch.

It has a rigid design that provides increased reliability.

The rig houses a 5.4 tonne capacity mainline hoist with a 6.4 tonne pullback rating, and can reach drilling angles between 45 and 90 degrees.

A self contained operator panel allows the driller to easily control the hydraulic system.

According to Boart Longyear its four speed transmission is capable of pulling up to PQ sized walls, while its Nitro-Chuck nitrogen gas spring jaws with hydraulic-open/spring-close functionality provides extra safety. www.miningaustralia.com.au

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DRILL, BLAST & GEOMECHANICS

Constant training was key on site.

from the crew on any new items as well, which provides buy-in from the team and makes implementation of the new machinery or measures a much smoother process.

On top of this is constant training.

“Refresher training on critical areas is done every six months, with a concentrated effort on manual handling, housekeeping and helicopter operations (for its heli-portable drill rigs).

“The crews have gained certification as helicopter

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landing officers (HLOs) and other various specialties through independent certified trainers,” he added.

Additionally “everyone on site is asked to be skilled in multiple tasks – the Martabe crew has a concentration on their main skills while being available to help out with secondary skills when needed.

“For example all environmental health and safety (EHS) managers are trained to do helicopter rig shifts as HLOs. This promotes respect for others’ tasks and increases co-operation between different departments on site.”

Regarding training, the team also gives all new people on site, whether they are first day or long term employees, a green hat (entry level) training before they are allowed to do any work.

Physical copies of previous training certifications are also required and if not provided they simply retrain the worker.

The site also employs experienced fly-in fly-out drilling supervisors, trainers, and EHS managers to oversee the day to day operations.

Octaviano added that by partnering with outside companies for specialised training it has provided more experience for the 0 6 / 1 2 , 4 : 0 0 PM crew, although the partners

The Martabe mine drill team.

were forced to adapt the onsite training for helicopter related issues.

Recruiting from the local community has also played a part in the safety goals.

Of the 18 drillers currently working at the site, only four are FIFO with spe-

cailised training, while the rest are locals.

A combination of all these factors has ensured that this operation reached an impressive milestone of now more than six years without a single Lost Time Injury.

The mine The Martabe project is run by G-Resources and runs along 110km of strike length, adjacent to the Trans-Sumatra fault.

The resource base includes 7.86 million ounces of gold and 73.48 million ounces of silver and there are seven known deposits within a 30 km² area with Purnama the largest so far.

Martabe is expected to commence first commercial gold production from the Purnama pit in July 2012 and is anticipating production of 250,000 ounces per annum of gold and 2-3 million ounces per annum of silver for a minimum of 10 years.

The actual Martabe operation encompasses the Purnama open pit, processing facilities, tailings storage, and related infrastructure.

AustralianMining

July 2012

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AM.JUL12.PG092.pdf

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DRILL, BLAST & GEOMECHANICS

Making a ‘breakthrough’ in blasting Remotely controlled rugged hoses are plugging breakthroughs.

H

oses and blasting don’t automatically go together.

So when a contractor – MTI Group – approached specialist hose reel manufacturer ReCoila for a tricky underground blasting job, it had an unusual challenge on its hands.

MTI is a mining consumables company specialising in products used for blasting, especially to sus­ pend, confine and locate explosive charges using inflatables.

The company was required to plug a ‘breakthrough’ hole, ensuring that drilling could be maintained at depths that could not be reached by direct personnel input.

In order to be able to load the hole for further blasting, the break­ through hole (a down hole drilled between levels that breaks into an The hose inflated breakthrough hole plugs. open tunnel which has limited ac­ cess) needed to be plugged and for Making the issue more diffi­ to withstand conditions that had this MTI tends to use an air inflated cult is the harsh working condi­ forced other brands to fail. plugging device that needs to be tions typically found on mine sites, To solve the problem, ReCoila dropped down holes up to 90 metres so ReCoila also needed to create a created duty steel hand A D _ A MB A U J U L _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 1 3 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 3 : 2 5 aP medium M in depth. solution that was rugged enough crank suited to long hose lengths, to

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which MTI added additional con­ trols to remotely manipulate inflat­ able devices at the end of the hose, which is critical to the whole pro­ cess.

MTI stated that the hose reel supplied was ideal due to its robust construction and design.

“The orientation of the inlet worked well with the control box that was necessary for MTI’s spe­ cific application,” ReCoila said.

“The control box housed a pneumatic circuit, giving it the abili­ ty to inflate and evacuate plugs from above ground.”

According to the hose company “MTI has reported excellent results overall and has indicated that with sufficient scope, ReCoila would be more than capable of designing and supplying additional custom­made hose reels for other projects on the horizon”.

MTI operates through Australia and the U.S.A., and currently has around 30 hose reels in operation at underground mines.

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AM.JUL12.PG094.pdf

Page

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DRILL, BLAST & GEOMECHANICS

Dream drilling Boart Longyear CEO Craig Kipp is bullish on mining’s future, writes Andrew Duffy.

W

hile drilling and mining are intertwined industries they’ve got their own opinions and forecasts on mining’s future.

And on a recent trip to Australia Boart Longyear CEO Craig Kipp certainly made those differences shine.

Speaking soon after BHP Billiton’s rather dismal outlook for the sector, Kipp told Australian Mining he had very little to fear from the future industry.

And he said what very little did worry the world’s largest drilling company had nothing to do with Australia.

Global problems

Like most global CEOs Kipp marked the ongoing crisis in Europe as a concern for Boart Longyear.

The long road to economic recovery for the United States was also earmarked as an issue.

“Europe is going to be an issue for a while, the US has its challenges,” he said.

“You could go right down the list of the potential issues for the next five to ten years.”

But Kipp said as a diversified company with operations all over the globe, Boart had been able to ride out the current instability.

As they were unlikely to go away anytime soon, Kipp told Australian Mining the economic challenges posed

by Europe and the US were something all companies had to deal with.

“This is the world we live in. If you’re a CEO or CFO of a major company today you have to learn to live in this very different world because it is not going to change,” he said.

And Kipp said the problems Boart faced in the drilling sector were not unknowns.

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Boart Longyear are the biggest drilling equipment and services company in the world.

He said the challenges for the wider mining industry were also not new, and fit with the strategy Boart was already working on.

“We haven’t changed our strategy amid the uncertainty,” he said.

“What we’re seeing now in the world economy is what we expected. There is nothing that’s surprising us.”

Hosing down fear from BHP and Rio Tinto, Kipp said on the global scale Boart hadn’t seen a drop in demand from miners for drilling services.

“We haven’t heard from a lot of majors outside of Australia that there’s a change in their plans or change in budget, or that there’s massive realignment or expectations going on.”

But despite the optimism Kipp said not all was well in the industry, particularly for those outside the ranks of BHP and Rio.

Kipp said for second tier juniors there was some trouble finding financing, a problem that stemmed from the lack of confidence in Europe.

But again these problems were of minor concern, and certainly not overshadowing Australia’s strong performance.

“If I was to list where I had my problems, Australia wouldn’t be in my top 10,” he said.

Local issues

Despite Kipp sounding confident he made it clear Australia was not immune from some problems.

And because they take such a large slice of Boart’s global revenue, Kipp said the company was keeping a close eye on developments downunder.

“Twenty per cent of our revenue is from Australia and it’s a big part of our business,” he said.

“It’s a big deal for us and we do a lot of work with BHP and Rio.” For Boart finding staff was its biggest concern in Australia.

But unlike most miners it’s strapped for professional talent rather than blue collar workers.

“The economy is so strong that it’s a challenge to find professional people,” he said.

“It’s not that they’re not there and the money almost isn’t an issue.

“There’s just a shortage of professional talent in such a booming economy.”

Kipp said finding drillers for its projects had been hard, but that wasn’t where is was seeing the biggest shortages.

“We’re having a hard time hiring drillers, but that’s always been difficult.”

He told Australian Mining while it wasn’t ideal, Boart had been bringing

international talent to Australia for around 18 months and the trend looked like continuing.

Kipp said Boart’s international workers were flying in from the US and Canada, and while it always preferred to use local workers, the move toward foreign talent was necessary to keep the company moving.

The future

Kipp’s comments come as welcome news in an increasingly uncertain climate.

They fly in the face of some of the broader comments from our miners.

They’re also a marked change in attitude from some of the other big drillers in the industry.

But at the end of the day this divergence should come as no surprise.

The mining industry has an incredible size and scope, and is big enough to host fortunes and failures alike. www.miningaustralia.com.au

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AM.JUL12.PG096.pdf

Page

96

20/06/12,

1:05

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DRILL, BLAST & GEOMECHANICS

Striking out Cutting costs in drilling means miners pay less.

E

xperience counts on the mine site. And there is no better way to demonstrate how effective a drill is than by using it.

Encountering all that the mine can throw at it and not just operating, but thriving, is exactly what Queensland driller Nigel De Veth’s Atlas Copco Pit Viper PV235 blasthole drill rig has done.

According to De Veth his new drill rig, with its Rig Control System, has also given his client “at least 75 000 reasons to be pleased with the machine as well”.

He explained that the project fuel savings of the PV235 was one reason the blasthole drill rig was appealing to begin with.

To the point where his company, Deveth Drilling Queensland G O L 0 1 5 (DDQ), _ A M . p has df ordered two of the larger

PV275 drill units – which aren’t even available in the country until 2013.

Currently the contractor has in its drill fleet two DM25s, a DML HP, and the Pit Viper PV235, as well as its ordered Atlas Copco Pit Viper Pv275s.

Focusing on his existing Pit Viper 235, De Veth said it has really delivered on fuel savings.

“In the first three months alone we’ve already saved the mine about $75 000 in fuel,” he said.

“And that was through a trial period – so really phasing the machine into the work.

“Yearly the potential savings are more than 1000 litres of fuel every 24 hours, so you are looking around the vicinity of half a milPa ge

1 1 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 1 : 4 3 PM Continued on page 98 The rigs can drill down to depths of more than 70 metres.

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AM.JUL12.PG098.pdf

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NEWS DRILL, BLAST & GEOMECHANICS

Continued from page 96

lion dollars in fuel savings alone,” De Veth said.

“They’re over the moon.”

The ‘they’ De Veth is referring to is massive coal miner New Hope Corporation and management at its New Acland coal mine in Queensland, where DDQ has operated for around four years.

DDQ initially put its Pit Viper PV235 to work at New Acland in February this year, predominantly drilling 229 millimetre blast holes to depths of 50 metres.

Conditions varied across the site, with the usual hard seams making an appearance, as well as plenty of puggy material and clays between to keep the job interesting.

De Veth continued on the reasons behind utilising its Pit Viper.

“A big reason we purchased the [PV235 rig] was the fuel saving, but it was also the Rig Control System,” he said.

“Regarding fuel, we’ve gone from about 100-105 litres with the DML and cut it dramatically so we’re now only chewing between 50 and 55 litres an hour with the Pit Viper PV235; the main contributor to this is Atlas Copco’s wet clutch technology on the compressor,” De Veth said.

This technology is a pat-

The blasthole drill rigs had fuel savings of 1000 litres every 24 hours.

ent pending hydraulically operated wet clutch which is a feature of the crawler mounted, hydraulic tophead drive rig, and can be configured in various ways to perform a range of rotary and down the hole drilling operations.

It can drill down to depths of more than 70 metres with a 40 foot tower (or 64 metres with the 35 foot tower) with the rotary rig ability to accommodate single pass drilling of a 12.2 metre clean also a positive for De Veth.

“It usually takes around 370 horsepower to drive an air end on a drill – just gen-

erally sitting there while it’s not being utilised,” he said.

“An upside is that with the PV235 you don’t get air unless you ask for air, so if you want air for drilling you press the button and the button and the clutch engages and the compressor throws in. Otherwise the compressor is never used – so the compressor is only ever used when you want it.

“They’ve replaced all the rod greasers and air greasers, etc, with electric pumps, so they’re not reliant on air, so there is nothing on that machine that relies on air other than your drill bit.”

He said that the contrac-

The operators feel a lot less fatigued in these rigs compared to DMLs, De Veth said.

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tor in turn passed on its fuel savings to its clients “and they’re ecstatic about that”.

Key to the efficient operation of this compressor and other functions is that Rig Control System.

This system also facilitates wireless remote tramming, auto-levelling, remote monitoring and reporting functions, as well as GPS navigation.

De Veth was positive about the technology.

“It is unbelievable – it’s just brilliant.”

Since bringing its PV235s into operation “the best we’ve drilled so far is close to 1200 metres in ten hours.

“The guys have only just finished getting used to it and things are starting to happen,” he added.

“You’re probably looking at ten metres an hour more with this machine [than a DML] but I think there’s another important factor – the operators now get out of these rigs and they’re fresh, they don’t get tired. When they get out of the DML they feel like they’ve just done ten rounds with Mike Tyson.

“It was always a big effort in those DMLs: you’ve got to stand up every hole; you’ve got to drop pegs out of a door … it’s taxing.

“However in this thing you sit in one seat and do everything from the seat;

everything is easy and accessible, and you come out of the drill fairly fresh.

“That’s a big thing after a long night shift.”

According to Atlas Copco, part of this is also due to “a fingertip joystick control and state of the art work station”.

Safety has also been a concern in the new PV235, which has a cantilevered pod type FOPS designed cab that provides increased visibility.

“An operator can always face the optimal direction for the best drilling and tramming views, with even the low pivot area near the bottom of the tower not only reducing drill table movement but also keeping the table in good view of the operator.”

De Veth added that the single pass drilling capability was also a welcome feature.

“Just the advantage of being able to drill a 12.2 metre clean, single hole with the lead rod, has been very advantageous to us with some of the interburden shots.

“The drill is just a lot quicker and smoother to operate, the auto-levelling is very fast as well, it’s got an auto-level and de-level on it,” he said.

“It’s extremely quick and that’s showing in our production.” www.miningaustralia.com.au

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AM.JUL12.PG100.pdf

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MINES RESCUE

Lost and

HOUND

Mine rescue just got a little hairier, Cole Latimer reports.

D

ogs have always been man’s best friend, but are they now miners’ best friend as well?

Animals have been used for centuries in mining, and until the fairly recent industrial revolution they were a very common sight on site.

From pit ponies and mules through to dogs, all of them were used to pull carts in underground coal mines.

The ponies and mules tended to work in the larger tunnels while dogs were used for haulage in the smaller, narrower shafts.

And while the idea of using a dog to pull a cart full of ore or coal doesn’t make sense now, we have to remember that small children were also historically used for working in small and narrow tunnels. belden.pdf 1 12-6-8 the 下午1:28 Comparing past’s techniques to Athe mass of technology D _ A M B E L J U L _ 1 we 2 . use pd now to not only haul and move coal

How can we continue to improve the safety levels and response of mines rescue teams?

as well as also to find new deposits, issues relating to dogs on the mine and how miners did it centuries ago, site is now baiting feral ones. it appears we’ve come a long way But despite the machine being since then. king on site, it doesn’t mean that f PIna fact g e speaking 1 1 5 to / 0some 6 / 1in2 the , 2animals : 2 7 have P M been booted out of the industry, they said the majority of industry altogether.

One of the more traditional ways dogs have made their way back on site is through mine rescue.

Search and rescue dogs are a Continued on page 102

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AM.JUL12.PG102.pdf

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MINES RESCUE

Continued from page 100

common sight at disasters throughout Australia.

From finding Stuart Diver in the Thredbo landslide to aiding police missing person searches and body recovery, dogs have demonstrated time and time again their ability to find people.

Dogs have also demonstrated their ability to find unique substances such as accelerants and drugs, as well as being a critical part of bomb search squads and the country’s quarantine protection.

Despite this, their use in the mining industry’s rescue teams is almost completely unheard of. In fact, globally you’d be hard pressed to find them them being used, if at all.

Speaking to Queensland Mines Rescue Service CEO Wayne Hartley, he told Australian Mining he’d heard of the idea in the U.S.A. a few years ago but “there is certainly nothing like that in Queensland, and most likely not in Australia either”.

In fact, until a few months ago there was not anything like it at all.

Earlier this year American coal miner Alpha Natural Resources unveiled a world first – Ginny, a Dutch Shepherd that has been specially trained to assist mine rescue teams in locating injured and trapped underground coal miners.

The idea for a mines rescue dog originated back in early 2010 during an Alpha meeting where the company asked employees to recommend ideas to improve its mine site rescue.

By December that year a plan had come together outlining how the dog would work with mining

Gas monitors on the dog warn fellow rescuers of hazards.

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teams and what it could provide.

The dog itself, Ginny, was officially unveiled at the U.S.A. 2012 National Search and Rescue Conference in Nevada.

Bill Dotson, head of Applied K9 Technologies which trained Ginny, said the company used her natural hunting instincts to hunt for missing or trapped miners.

While this part was fairly straightforward, the next part, getting her accustomed to operating in underground and open cut coal mines, dealing with heavy machinery and the general noise of mining operations, was much harder.

Hartley told Australian Mining that training the dog for the mine site; considering how it would be effective on the mine; and the logistics of moving the dog and keeping it, would be the more difficult aspects.

While the dog is based in West Virginia, America’s coal mining heartland, mines are still spread around the state.

To overcome this distance issue the dog has been trained to travel by air to sites, either in aircraft or by a helicopter.

Effectiveness on the mine itself is the major issue, especially considering the dog would be operating solo in a potentially dangerous mine site.

The dog is trained to enter alone and find, then remain, with any injured or trapped miners and bark to draw the rescue teams to the miner.

To overcome many of the issues that the dog would face following an incident, Ginny wears a portable gas detector simulator and is trained to listen for the alarm it sounds when she enters areas with high levels of hazardous gases or low air quality.

She is trained to react to the noise and leave the area immediately, which also acts as an early warning system for any rescue crews following her.

Ginny also wears a protective coat that shields her from scratches and scrapes from debris and broken equipment on the ground.

The dog is also equipped with a lamp and camera that provides visuals back to her handler and the rest of the rescue team.

It is trained to wear safety goggles and a rescue hood, which would be placed over her head in the case of emergency evacuations.

Currently the US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MHSA) is working with the miner on new procedures for the dog’s operation on site as well as her equipment.

According to South African website Mineweb, trainer Bill Dot-

Ginny, the coal mine rescue dog. Inset: Ginny training for underground operations.

son has also had enquiries from unnamed Australian government agencies interested in rescue dogs.

According to Hartley, while the idea is interesting, Australia (fortunately) does not have enough significant events to keep the dog occupied or that would make it necessary during its life time, for example “our last major rescue event in Queens-

land was in 1994,” he told Australian Mining.

That is a gap of nearly 20 years, much longer than the average dog’s lifespan.

He added that “there is no reason a mine rescue dog couldn’t be used, and while it’s not currently being considered in Queensland that is no reason to say it shouldn’t be explored”.

The dog is trained to locate and remain next to any trapped miners, barking to alert rescuers. www.miningaustralia.com.au

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AM.JUL12.PG104.pdf

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RECRUITMENT

The end of RECRUITMENT agencies?

With miners sourcing directly, more recruitment agencies are facing an uncertain future in mining, Vicky Validakis reports.

T

he mining boom has brought with it opportunities to make money in all quarters. With the skills shortage facing the mining industry, finding suitable people for positions is now more important than ever. This is where recruitment agencies have traditionally stepped in to help companies out and find them the right people for the job.

At last count, there were more than 200 mining-specific recruitment agencies operating throughout Australia. IBISWorld estimates that the industry will be worth $2.6 billion annually in the next five years.

With numbers like this, it’s no wonder the recruitment industry is one of the busiest in Australia.

Often regarded as the first-step to locating the right person for the job, recruitment agencies have consistently been the go-to for mining companies. Utilising specialist knowledge and experience in identifying quality candidates for highly skilled positions, the rise of recruitment agencies in conjunction with the mining boom itself, saw mining companies paying an agency to find someone suitable for the job.

This level of expertise and trouble-free recruiting has been especially relevant to companies who might be time-poor and don’t have the resources to scout talent for themselves.

Out-sourcing the often time-consum104

July 2012

AustralianMining

ing work of short-listing, conducting reference checks and finding the candidates suitable for highly skilled positions has seen the growth of agencies boom in recent years.

This is especially the case when there are more job openings than qualified people to fill them. Good recruitment agencies can be great value for money if they are able to bring scarce skills and talent that companies wouldn’t be able to find themselves.

For a long time, it was significantly more difficult to get a mining job without an agency and compa-

nies found they weren’t finding the right people without one. As a result, agencies were all powerful and popping up just about everywhere, promising to find candidates the best role and to find companies the best candidate.

However, it’s not just mining companies using recruitment agencies. Employees working in the industry have been caught in the struggle of wanting a job within the mining industry but having to go through a recruitment agency to get one. As an employer for Xstrata points out: “There’s an attitude out there

More mining companies are doing in-house recruitment drives for workers.

where people say ‘don’t even bother applying for mining jobs if you’re not going through an agency’ ”.

The employer, who doesn’t wish to be named, says he experienced some tough times when he recently found himself out of work. Not coming from a traditional mining background meant that he didn’t have the high level of skill sets required for most jobs and was having no luck, but, persistence paid off in the end. Using social media and word of mouth, he was eventually offered a position.

“Sometimes, persistence and a good resume can really stand out when applying for jobs. Rather than going through an agency, a lot of blokes are going it alone and scoring jobs on their own. I think the perception has shifted in that regard.”

This sentiment and growing angst over not being able to find work is becoming a common theme in the mining industry. Both skilled and unskilled candidates who wish to gain employment in the industry have written to us here at Australian Mining. We have had countless stories from workers who are qualified, but who are unable to find a job, whether going through an agency or otherwise. Accounts have also flooded in from workers who would like to skill-up but don’t know where to begin or exactly what they www.miningaustralia.com.au

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RECRUITMENT

will need to succeed. Many are also feeling frustrated over the lack of training offered by both agencies and companies.

This frustration only grows when agencies are demanding exorbitant fees and people feel they are overpromising and under delivering.

As one disgruntled miner wrote recently: “To date I have not received one actual contact from any of them (six recruitment companies in total, approx 15 positions applied for), nor have I even had an acknowledgement of submission of my application by way of a letter or phone call.”

“It is very disappointing to find that after 15 months in the industry, working as a functional part of a mining company that I am having SO much trouble securing another position,” he stated.

Anastasia Arkouzis from recruitment agency Ivy and Cube says that managing expectations with clients is key in the recruitment process.

“One thing all recruiters have to be aware of is communication. It’s important to manage people’s expectations, be results-orientated and ethical in the recruitment process,” she told Australian Mining.

With accounts like these, recruitment A Dagencies _ A M A are T L starting J U L _ to 1 2be. the pd second choice for workers who are

The push by Rio for 6000 new staff is Australia’s largest ever recruitment drive.

now seeing the benefit of going it ment drive in Australian history. So alone. Furthermore, companies have large in fact, that Rio Tinto set up caught on to the smarts of agencies their own hotline for people interand are using it to their advantage ested in gaining more information. by implementing recruiting proc- This push by Rio Tinto has not gone esses of their own. unnoticed by agencies and employThe recruitment push in April by ees alike.

Rio Tinto is a way in which compaSimilarly, others companies are nies are starting to shift away from following suit by offering grad prothe traditional approach of relying grams, training services, and more on recruitment agencies. The cam- opportunities for minority groups paign, which is still running, is offer- such as indigenous people than ever ing up to 6000 jobs across all fields before. in the industry. Looking to employ With rise of company-dedicated tradespeople, engineers, planners, job boards and the money to push f project P a gprofessionals, e 1 1 4 / geologists 0 6 / 1 2and , 4 jobs : 1 8out PtoMthe masses through adoperators, it is the largest recruit- vertising, branding and social me-

dia, mining companies have been pushing to have roles filled from within rather than approaching an agency to do it for them. Some see this as the start of the end for recruitment agencies while others are more optimistic about the future.

Arkouzis said the need for agencies is still important, but stated only the best will survive the squeeze from companies doing it for themselves.

“Only the best and most innovative recruitment agencies who are pushing out into the community and who continue to find ways to grow will do well in this environment.

They need to deliver on their promises, find the best candidates and be trusted.”

Arkouzis says Ivy and Cube is growing from strength to strength within the mining industry with an impressive list of clients. She attributes this success to the ways her company is innovating within the recruitment space. Using social media engagement, creating ‘talent pools’ and communicating effectively are all ways in which she claims her agency is staying ahead of the game.

“We are out there in the industry helping companies find people who are skilled, are in for the long-term and it all works out like it should.”

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AustralianMining $0 July 2012 105

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PRODUCT FOCUS: MOTORS & DRIVES

Powering the FUTURE A round up of what’s happening in motors and drives.

‘E

nergy efficiency’ is the phrase of the hour for miners, and so too for developers of industrial motors and drives technology.

ABB Australia senior vice president, discrete automation and motion, Jussi Rautee, explained that because motors are the biggest energy users in industrial plants, the company has a strong focus on energy efficiency.

It also focuses heavily on power output, in the design of its motors and drives.

“For example, we recently launched a trailblazing high output synchronous reluctance motor and drive package with a power density up to 40 per cent higher than a conventional induction motor,” Rautee said.

“Power density is coupled with high efficiency, resulting in high output, and A Da_ compact A M D A Tdesign F EB_ 1 2low . p energy consumption.”

The new motor, which combines rotor technology and stator technology, is designed without rotor windings, which means rotor loss is practically eliminated.

Up to 40 per cent higher output at 3,000 rpm is generated compared to conventional motors.

“This powerful yet compact motor and drive package is up to two frame sizes smaller than a corresponding induction motor, and is suitable for a wide range of industrial applications, including with compressors, pumps and fans,” Rautee said.

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SEW-Eurodrive product manager, Darren Klonowski, stated that through improved programbe, dming f Pand a g control, e 1 processes 2 4 / 0 1 can / 1 2 streamlined by overlapping posi-

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July 2012

AustralianMining

Energy efficiency is the new focus.

tioning cycles throughout processes to save time.

“This results in productivity improvement because, rather than waiting for a point-to-point task to finish, the motion of many axis can be overlapped to complete the entire positioning task in up to half the time through the use of programmable motion controllers,” he said.

The company recently-released a Smart Servo Package (SSP) aimed at making a servomotor drive automation and faster to im4 : task 1 8 simpler PM plement.

The SSP is comprised of programmable or purely configurable SEW controllers, flexible servo universal inverters, and highly dynamic servomotors close coupled to optional compact servo gear units.

SEW-Eurodrive has released KES37 and RES37 stainless steel gear units that are designed for use where caustic/high-pressure wash downs are required, or where there is potential for product contamination.

Klonowski says the new units have casings and shafts made from stainless steel so there is no need to paint the surface.

“This overcomes contamination problems from paint flakes and avoids corrosion, ensuring a long service life.

“Both models are available with a range of directly mounted stainless steel motors up to 1.5 kW,” he added.

NORD Drivesystems AU recently announced the introduction of the NORD Severe Duty (NSD) stainless steel corrosion protection coatings as an option for the NORD helical geared motor and electric motor range.

Regional sales manager for VIC, TAS and SA, Tony Sculpher, says that compared to an acrylic paint,

the NSD coatings have 40 percent higher impact resistance and twice the surface hardness and corrosion resistance.

“These coatings are suitable for chemical wash down and corrosive environments. They also offer the protection of stainless steel at a fraction of the cost of a complete stainless steel component,” he said.

Other recent releases from NORD Drivesystems AU include the new Screw Conveyor Product (SCP), an innovative range of helical gearbox and geared motors designed especially to fit screw conveyors.

“This design eliminates the less efficient and more expensive v-belt drive traditionally used in the screw conveyor industry,” Sculpher stated.

The latest development in motors from WEG Australia is the W22 high efficiency motor which the company says exceeds the requirements of AS 1359.5–2004 High Efficiency Levels, and reduces energy losses by 10-40 per cent compared with other typical MEPS motors.

Leandro Mattedi, WEG’s product manager – automation, says the CFW11 variable speed drive makes use of WEG’s extensive experience in motors to develop a matched package.

“When combined with WEG motors, the Optimal Flux feature can be used to produce full torque at low speeds without the need for forced cooling, which is achieved by loss minimisation, resulting in a more efficient package,” he said.

“Also, following huge demand to meet the requirements of an explosion-proof solution for large motors and machines, the company has launched the EX-p certified range of motors, which means that specific and expensive certification is not required for each individual motor.” www.miningaustralia.com.au

AD_AMATHJUL_12.pdf

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PRODUCT FOCUS: MOTORS & DRIVES

AC Drives

Variable speed drives

Rockwell Automation has extended the power range of its PowerFlex 755 Ac drives to 900 kw and added 600/690 volt ratings. The new drives, designed for use in heavy industrial processes, provide users with increased flexibility, advanced diagnostics and a common Dc bus option. The PowerFlex 755 is Has Stop Dwell. designed for applications ranging from simple variable speed and variable torque control to the most demanding systems requiring constant torque control. Applications include fans, pumps, mixers, compressors, conveyors and extruders. like other PowerFlex 755 drives, this latest frame size includes an embedded ethernet port and five option slots so that users can tailor it to their requirements. optional modules include I/o feedback, safety, additional communications and an auxiliary power supply. A roll-out design allows easy access to the drive for fast installation and maintenance. The drive’s converter and control pod can remain in the unit while the inverter is rolled out ensuring that control wiring remains connected. In addition to the extended power range, a firmware upgrade for PowerFlex 755 drives will contain Interior Magnet Motor control, which delivers increased application flexibility and highenergy efficiency. Also, a Stop Dwell feature helps prevent a motor from coasting to a stop.

• Rockwell Automation 03 9757 1111 www.rockwellautomation.com.au A D _ A MS P E J U L _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1

SchneIDeR electric has released new variable speed drives for three phase motors. The Schneider electric’s Altivar series 32 Frequency Inverters have been designed specifically for the speed control of 3-phase asynchronous motors operating in high density applications. According to the company, the Altivar 32 is ideally suited for applications including material handling, packaging, and metal processing, which all require a high level of safety and functionality.

The variable speed drives feature a slim, bookshelf design (of maximum 60mm thick up to 4kw), allowing the Altivar 32 to be mounted either sideways or vertically, enabling multiple controllers to be fitted within the limited confines of a machine cubicle. It has specially designed pancake braking resistors and a removable front panel that optimises the Altivar 32 for low space installations.

Schneider has designed to the variable speed drives with power ratings ranging from 0.18 to 15kw, as well as power supply voltages of single phase 200/240V and 3-phase 380/500V. • Schneider Electric 1300 369 233 www.schneider-electric.com.au

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For 3 phase motors.

High-speed synchronisation MAXon motor Australia has introduced the digital positioning controller ePoS3 70/10 ethercAT, which is said to meet the highest demands in real-time positioning of synchronised multi-axis systems. compact in size, the ePoS3 offers a wide nominal power supply voltage range from 11 to 70 VDc and delivers a continuous output current of 10 A, during acceleration and deceleration even up to 25 A. Designed for Dc and Digital positioning. ec motors with a power range up to 700 watt, it provides uniform running for motors equipped with incremental encoders. The ePoS3 70/10 ethercAT easily integrates as slave into real-time ethercAT protocol-based ethernet networks, and, with the provided device description file and device-specific configuration guide.

• Maxon motor Australia www.maxonmotor.com.au 2 0 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 3 : 3 0 PM

www.miningaustralia.com.au

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PRODUCT FOCUS: MOTORS & DRIVES

Cleaning up harmonics Subodh Bhatia* discusses the problems with harmonics.

E

xcessive fuel consumption and costly and unscheduled breakdowns are caused by harmonics.

Their effects are exacerbated in ‘island’ sites, far from main grids. Active harmonic filtering can be a highly cost-effective measure to restore fuel efficiency – and the bottom line, in addition to enhancing plant reliability.

Once solely considered the province of electrical engineers, is now costing mining and exploration sites serious money, and therefore should be of concern to those charged with profitability and control of capital expenditure.

From a management point of view, the cost of maintenance as well as unplanned capital expenditure that can result from harmonics should, in the first place, be discussed with the plant engineers.

There A D _ is, A M in B Umany R J U Linstances, _ 1 2 . pdf Pa ge 1 1 3 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 1 0 : 3 4 AM good reason to have them carry Underground power supplies can be compromised by harmonics. out an harmonic survey – this is a low cost operation, but with great potential economic benefits as it permits intelligent planning for the future.

The spinoff of such a survey can indicate money-saving mitigation measures that often have very short payback times of perhaps a year in terms of fuel saving and also greatly reduced plant operation interruptions.

Although there are a number of mitigation measures that can be implemented, so-called active harmonic filters are proving to be a highly effective in remote Australian mining sites.

Whether drilling for natural gas or oil, crushing, milling or beneficiating ores, operating reclaimer/stackers, draglines or conveyor belts and ship loaders, the electrical supply for these plants can be adversely affected by harmonics in the electrical current and voltage.

• • • • • • •

What are harmonics

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Harmonics arise as because of the power electronics driving various mechanical loads.

Examples include Ward Leonard drives on a dragline and

alternating-current based, variable-speed drives that are found throughout extractive industry plant as well as in general manufacturing.

They are characterised by ‘switched current’ front ends, In other words the basis for control is by means of admitting current flow for variable but short period of time during the alternating voltage cycle. The result is a rather ‘peaky’ current flow which can play havoc with the wiring, switchboards, transformers and generators.

The peaky current flow is in fact made up of a 50 cycle component supplying the power for the motor (as is the case for a variable speed drive), etc, and higher frequencies, typically including 250, 350, 550, 650, etc cycles.

Other than the 50 cycle component, the higher frequencies do not contribute useful power, instead heating conductors and often causing severe problems in generators and other equipment including UPS systems for computers and servers, and on the very same equipment that gave rise to them.

Continued on page 112 www.miningaustralia.com.au

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PRODUCT FOCUS: MOTORS & DRIVES

nothing disturbs them – voltage and usable power available. Years ago frequency stay constant irrespective when electronic loads were uncomHarmonics cause amongst other of the load. mon, power factors typically were things, excessive fuel consumption Soft systems, on the other hand, around 80%. Thus a 1000 kVA (kilo in motor generator sets, excessive can have large voltage variations as Volt-Amps) generator would deliver heating in generators cutting short a result of excessive current draw, 800 kilowatts of useful power. their planned service life, faulty or in the case of motor-generator The presence of significant haroperation of variable speed drives, sets both voltage and frequency monics as encountered in plant with unpredictable operation of UPS swings. lots of variable speed drives can systems and malfunctions of proHarmonics are bad friends to lower the power factor to 60% or tective gear such as circuit breakers motor-generator systems, and one less. The same 800 kilowatt load and other deleterious effects. rating value way, an expenWith consequences such as sive way, in “Even now concern about load would those listed, one would think that which the probnow require harmonics is spotty – and older harmonics would be taken very lem is resolved as a very minmuch into account in the design of is to over-size designs took no account of imum, a genelectrical plant and the selection of the generator their existence,” Bhatia said. erator with motor generator sets.

1000/0.6 or set.

Even today concern about harDepending on the aggregate approx 1700 kVA generator. monics is spotty – and older designs harmonics load, the over-sizing can took little or no account of their ex- easily be 60% larger. That is a bad Efficiency and fuel cost istence and the costly consequences economic decision – it costs more The example of a 1700 kVA genof not mitigating their effects. to purchase, and it costs more to erator for an 800 kW load is of a We deal here with both eco- run as an over-rated generator runs 50% loaded system. Typically the nomic and technical aspects of har- less efficiently fuelwise. In addition fuel efficiency relative to full load monics. The means of minimising there can be problems with ‘wet would be 7% lower. The saving on their influence in terms of short stacking’ (the coating of cylinder an annual basis can be large. On a payback on capital expenditure in linings with partially combusted full load basis 0.25 litre per kWactive harmonic filters is also dis- fuel). By employing active harmon- hr (kilowatt-hour) would be concussed in some detail. ic filtering, it is possible to appro- sumed. On a 24/7 full year basis and at the wholesale price of 145 cents priately size the generator.

Soft and stiff supply systems per litre, savings could be $180,000 Stiff electrical supplies are generally Power factor annually by correctly sizing the genThe power factor of an electrical large grid-based supply systems.

A A D _ A MA L E J U L _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 1 5 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 1 erator 1 : 1 as 0 a result A M of having mitigated very helpful feature of these is that installation indicates the fraction of the harmonic components.

Continued from page 110

Malfunctions, etc

Harmonics are responsible for nasty problems in island sites. A significant one is ‘flat topping’ – a flattening of the voltage waveform in generator sets resulting from the voltage regulator of the generator trying to keep voltage constant in the presence of harmonic current.

UPS systems and variable speed drives tend to sense a power failure when the waveform flattens out and will activate the bypass switches (UPS), and in the case of the drives allow motors to run down. The latter is particularly hazardous when, power is restored.

The excessive torque is generated by the restored mains decelerating the rotor and then re-accelerating it. Motors are easily wrecked as a result.

Other problems are caused by the excessive heating effects of harmonics causing moulded case circuit breakers to operate when nominal current is not being exceeded.

Residual current devices as used in camp areas are also likely to trip. In general harmonics will shorten the life of conductors, switchboards and transformers. *Subodh Bhatia is the managing director of Westek Electronics.

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COAL

Building automation

BRICK BY BRICK The development of robotic palletisers is providing sustainable solutions to coal mines.

M

iners are always Coal Mine Group, China, to tion, industrial ecology and wondering where’s be used in the Tashan coal life-cycle management. next for automa- mine. Supported by brick The palletising application tion and robotics? machinery components within the coal industry is setFrom massive trucks to from Shandong GONGLI ting an example for China’s minute minerals processing the ABB robots will play a brick production industry in technology equipment, it is key role in producing bricks how to explore alternate susa part of every facet of the primarily for adobe palletis- tainable production models. mine site. Safety and environ- ing from the Chinese coal In the process of coal mental management are two mine’s waste rock. mining the extraction procof the major areas in which This robotic application ess produces an abundance automation and robotics is is one of the first of its kind of essentially useless waste making strides forward. Now and is part of a new sustain- materials and rock. This it has entered new territory. able drive in the country. It technology assists the mines ABB has developed a ties in with China’s National in utilising this waste, which new robot designed to turn Circular Economy initiative. is now reused by coal mines what was previously coal The Chinese ‘Circular to make bricks. Four ABB waste into something use- Economy’ initiative is a Sus- IRB 660 robots have been ful. The company has now tainable Consumption and applied to the brick producannounced that it has deliv- Production program that tion lines of Tashan coal ered A Dfour _ A IRB M WA660 D J palletisU N _ 1 2 strives . p d fto meet P a these g e challeng1 1 8 / 0mine.

5 / 1They 2 , are 1 0responsible : 2 4 AM ing robots to the Datong es through cleaner produc- for palletising the adobe and

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The mines are now able to utilise coal waste.

putting it into the brick kiln, a task that previously had been be handled by manual workers. After introducing the ABB robots, the palletising accuracy has greatly improved. The orderly placement of adobes in the brick kiln has been ensured, increasing product quality.

It allows the flexibility to change the types of

bricks, the production pace, product code and the kiln.

In addition, ABB robots can operate in high temperatures and harsh environments.

The ABB IRB 660 is designed predominately for material handling and palletising.

With a payload of up to 250 kg, this 4-axis robot has a reach of 3.15 meters.

www.miningaustralia.com.au

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PREVIEW

The 2012 Queensland Mining and Engineering Exhibition This year’s QME is set to be bigger, and better than ever before.

T

wo years have flown by and its time again for the Queensland Mining and Engineering (QME) Exhibition.

Every year the show grows larger and larger, and this year is no exception.

The organisers of QME, Reed Mining Events, say this year’s event is looking to be at least 20 per cent larger than it was in 2010, which was previously a record year, and is playing host to more than 650 exhibitors.

The products on show Reed says the event will be at least 20 per cent larger than 2010. will run the gamut from tiny micro-processors to massive miners, and engineers who frontline workers and their pieces of machinery. are working hands on with- families to help them with Following in the vein of in the industry. strategies to survive. the recent massive AIMEX The event has already stat“For the future of the show in September last year, ed that there will be a ‘Wom- industry, it’s essential that QME is looking to do more en in Mining’ day, held on the they have the support of their than just showcase what second day of the exhibition, families, who in turn need acmore than 650 exhibitors Wednesday 25 July. cess to vital information and have on offer, it will also This day will include spe- support services as part of hold theme days, confer- cial presentations and other a FIFO/DIDO workforce,” ences, and panel discussions networking events.

Reed Mining Events exhibito highlight the growing A focus is also on min- tion director Paul Baker said. diversity of Australia’s min- ing families, and how FIFO QME is also hosting a ing industry. A large focus lifestyles affect workers. career centre during the exwill be on the frontliners in Mining Family Matters hibition to help those outD _ A MB A E J U L _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 2 0 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 9 : 5 1 AM theAindustry – those tradies, will be holding a forum for side the industry get a foot

in the door, and to understand what a life in mining is really like.

As the event has always been a draw card for the region, it has created a number of problems; mainly that of accommodation, as there is simply not enough places for everyone that wants to attend.

“That often leaves those who only decide to come along a few weeks or even days before the show having to settle for accommodation quite a way out of town,

or to fly in and out for the day,” Baker explained.

“We’ve also had anecdotal evidence in the past that the lack of accommodation in Mackay during QME week may have discouraged some out-of-town visitors from attending the show, or spending as long as they would have liked,” he added.

Reed Mining Events has now solved this issue by bringing in temporary accommodation.

“This year we have arranged additional accommodation for potentially 700 people on council land right next to the beach at South Mackay.

Tent City Hire will be providing cabin-style tents, as well as beds, mattresses and lighting, for accommodation.

“Now by providing temporary accommodation, conveniently located close to the exhibition as well as Mackay’s other facilities,” Baker said.

The exhibition, held in Mackay, will run from 24 to 26 July.

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FLOORPLAN

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EXHIBITOR LIST

Trading name Stand number 1-11 Pty Ltd 4000-22 3M Australia Pty Ltd 1119 A Noble & Son Ltd 1129 ABB 1047 Able Bus & Coach 9280 Able Instrument Service 1087 Abrasion Resistant Materials Pty Ltd 9020 Acidtek Mining Services QLD 6144 Adapt FMS 7113 Advanced Braking Pty Ltd 3078 Aggreko Pty Ltd 1189 AirEng Industrial Fans & Blowers 9260 Akron Brass Company 7119 Alcoa Fastening Systems 6324 Alemlube Pty Ltd 4000-26 Alfabs Mining Equipment Pty Ltd 8056 Alimak Hek Pty Ltd 7233 All Jack and Paint 1163 Allens Industrial Products 4148 Allied Pickfords 2010 AllightSykes 8052 Alloy Steel International 3098 Alminco Pty Ltd 1171Alpha First Aid Supplies 6128 AME Products & Safety Vision Systems (SVS) 1155 Amercable Australia Pty Ltd 3000 Amiad Water Systems 5322 Ampcontrol 1059 Androck Engineering & Mining Pty Ltd 6012 Ansell Industrial 7065 APB Modular 5136 Apex Tool Group 4000-45 Applied Concrete Solutions (a Division of River Sands Pty Ltd) 7055 Applied Research of Australia 5044 Applied Resolution Technologies 6250 APS Lighting & Safety 1153 ARA Group PTY Ltd 9200 Argo All Terrain Vehicles (Aust) 2000 Artcraft Pty Ltd 7283 Ascent Safety Footwear 5048 Asco Numatics Pty Ltd 7011 ASGCO – Complete Conveyor Solutions 5210 Ashdown-Ingram 1010 ASSA ABLOY Australia Pty Ltd 5234-17 AST Australia Pty Ltd 5128 Atlantic Civil Products Pty Ltd 3044 Atlas Copco Australia 9334 Atlass (Aust) Pty Ltd 6190 ATMR Pty Ltd 7 345 ATOM Supply 6090 Attune Workplace 6210 AUSCOAL Super 7215Austdac Pty Ltd 6026 Australia GRT Darso Industry Development Pty Ltd 7079 Australian Business Solutions Group 6310 Australian Mining 1045 Australian Recruiting Group 5182 Australian Timken Pty Ltd 1240 Australia’s Mining Monthly 1246 Austrans Waste Solutions 6288 www.miningaustralia.com.au

Trading name Stand number Auto Electrical Imports Pty Ltd 1147 Auto Electrics Australia 5072 Auto Parts Group 5220 Automation IT (QLD) Pty Ltd 1133 Axima Logistics 5022 B&R Enclosures Pty Ltd 6354 BAC Systems Pty Ltd 2088 Balluff-Leuze Pty Ltd 7299 BAND-IT Clamps 4000-20 BASF Australia Ltd 3202 Bata Industrials (Bata Shoe Company) 1208 Baxters Pty Ltd 4034 Becker Mining Systems 1077 Belt Maintenance Service Pty Ltd 1171Berendsen Fluid Power Pty Ltd 6030 Best Tractor Parts Qld Pty Ltd 9610 Bisalloy Steels Pty Ltd 1258 Blacksmith Jacks 5056 Blackwoods 4000 Blair Signs & Safety 6102 BLH Safety Solutions Pty Ltd 5062 Blue Stream Projects Pty Ltd 1254 BlueScope Steel 1171Blundstone Australia Pty Ltd 1255 BOC Limited 4086 Bonfiglioli Transmission Australia Ptd 1039 Bosbox Pty Ltd 1124 Bosch Group/Bosch Rexroth 1170 Boscotek Industrial Storage 7057 Bowen Basin Indigenous Mining Contractors 5288 Brady Australia Pty Ltd 5314 Bramco Electronics 4160 Branach Manufacturing Pty Ltd 7325 Brown & Watson International Pty Ltd 1252 BSC 7337 Bulk Handling Australia Group Pty Ltd 5300 BullEx 9964 Bullivants 1051 Bupa 1128 C.R. Kennedy & Co Pty Ltd 1107 CABAC 7271 Capricorn Enterprise 5098 Cardno 2016 Cavotec Australia Pty Ltd 1169 CBC Australia Pty Limited 6234 CBO Telecommunications 9304 CCG Cable Terminations 5192 Central Highlands Development Corporation Ltd 7117 Central Queensland Hydraulics 7253 Cesco Australia Ltd 5324 Cetnaj Stronglink 5042 Chatoyer Environmental 1110 China Coal Zhangjiakou Coal Mining Machinery Co Ltd 7013 Choice Hotels Australasia 3188 Chubb Fire & Security 1202 Cigweld/Victor Technologies 4000-10 Cirlock 6004 Civil Mining & Construction Pty Ltd 1171Clip On Safe Shades 5068

Trading name Stand number CMG Pty Ltd 1057 CMP Products Pty Ltd 5224 CNW Electrical Pty Ltd 1065 Coal Mine Services Pty Ltd 5008 Coal Train Australia Pty Ltd 6056 Coates Hire Operations Pty Limited 6074 Conneq i.Power Solutions Pty Ltd 8025 ConstructaTruck Pty Ltd 4162 Control Devices Australia Pty Ltd 6078 Control Systems Technology Pty Ltd 1117 Coolon LED Lighting 5310 Cooper/Kaydon Bearings 7001 Cooper Industries Australia 3050 Corporate Protection Australia 1171Couplertec Electronic Rust Proofing 5126 Cove Engineering Pty Ltd 1113 Coventry Fasteners 6348 CQ Forklift Service Pty Ltd 5000 CQ Health Assess 3018 CQG Consulting 7209 CQUniversity and CRE 5218 CRC Industries (Aust) Pty Ltd 4000-06 Critical Logistics Pty Ltd 1171Crusader Hose Pty Ltd 1132 Crushing & Mining Equipment (CME) Pty Ltd 3196 CTS Crane Technical Services 7319 Custom Fluidpower 9410 Cyclone Industries 5234-05 D&M Electrical Pty Ltd 4180 David Brown Gear Industries Ltd 6350 David Moss Corporation Pty Ltd 3012 Dawn Tools & Vices Pty Ltd 4000-30 Deb Australia Pty Ltd 1267 Diversified Mining Services Ltd 9310 Dixon (Asia Pacific) Pty Ltd 4000-44 Donaldson Australasia 6206 Dowdens Pumping and Water Treatment Pty Ltd 8005 Draeger Safety Pacific Pty Ltd 1248 Drilltechniques 8080 Drivetrain Power & Propulsion 3062 Drug Test Australia 5276 DT Australia 3190 DTE Group Pty Ltd 1243 Dulux Protective Coatings 5066 DuPont (Aust) Ltd 8040 Dura-Metal (Australia) Pty Ltd 6326 Duratray International Pty Ltd 3150 Dy-Mark (Aust) Pty Ltd 7091 Dynapumps 7041 Dynaton Sale & Hire 9830 Dywidag-Systems International Pty Ltd 1167 East West Insurance Brokers 6336 Eaton Industries 5114 Ebsray Pumps 1247 Continued on page 120 AustralianMining

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EXHIBITOR LIST

Trading name Stand number Trading name Stand number Trading name Stand number Trading name Stand number Ecotech Pty Ltd 3126 Fieldings Foundry 5108 Gould Instruments Pty Ltd 4030 Immediate Assistants Pty Ltd 9710 Ego Pharmaceuticals 5106 Finlay Screening & Crushing Greif Flexibles 7279 Impact Tools Pty Ltd 7267 EHS Manufacturing Pty Ltd 4066 Grundfos Pumps Pty Ltd 2020 Industrial Info Resources Pty Systems Pty Ltd 1109 EHWA Diamond Ind Co Ltd 7083 Finlease Pty Ltd 3020 Grydale 8020 Ltd 5102 Electcables 9040 FK Gardner & Sons Pty Ltd 6246 GTEK Pty Ltd 1064 Industry Hub 3076 Electro Mechanical Controls Flanders of Australia 7213 Hard Metal Industries Pty Ltd 9400 Infastech Australia 6142 Flexco Australia Pty Ltd 3056 Harness Master Wiring Inner Range Pty Ltd 5082 Pty Ltd 4188 Elite Industry Services 5282 Floyd Instruments Pty Ltd 3210 Innovative Mining & Systems Qld 1121 Elliotts 1260 Fluid Dynamics Pty Ltd 6198 Harris Products Group 6038 Engineering Solutions Pty Ltd 6000 Ellton Group 9296 Fogmaker Australia Pty Ltd 7335 Hastings Deering (Aust) Ltd Interclean Australasia Emona Instruments 1196 Ford Motor Company 9950 Haymans Electrical Mining & Invision Sales Pty Ltd 6224 Endeavour Foundation 7105 Forte Foodservice Equipment 7247 Irwin Tools 5284 Industrial Suppliers 1001 Energy Correction Options Pty Fuel Central/Lube Central 9814 Haynes Mechanical Pty Ltd 1030 Isringhausen Pty Ltd (ISRI Fuelfix Pty Ltd 3168 Hedweld Group of Ltd 1068 Seats) 1053 Enerpac 3030 Fulton Hogan Pty Ltd 4076 ITT Blakers 3066 Companies 9800 Engineered Surface GAAM Emergency Products 1044 HELLA 1006 ITW Polymers & Fluids 5234-18 Gardner Denver Industries Highpoint Access & Rescue 1054 J.J. Richard & Sons Pty Ltd 1171Preparation 9010 Enretech Australasia Pty Hitachi Power Tools Australia James Glen Pty Ltd 5234-11 Australia Pty Ltd 3072 Gates Australia Pty Ltd 1079 Jarvie Engineering Pty Ltd 3088 Ltd 4000-49 Pty Ltd 4184 Enviromist PTY Ltd 5036 Gazal Apparel Pty Ltd/Bisley Hi-Vis Signs & Safety 1269 JAS Oceania Pty Ltd 4084 Environmental Water Holden 8085 JCB Construction Equipment Workwear 1028 GE Energy 2048 Honeywell Safety Products Services 7127 Australia 8090 EPS Australia Pty Ltd 7249 Generate PR 7259 Jennmar Australia Pty Ltd 9524 Pty Ltd 1187 ESS Engineering Services & Geofabrics Pty Ltd 1171Hordern and Company 5234-06 Jones & Park (Aust) Pty Geoff Walsh Engine Parts Pty Hoshizaki Lancer 5198 Supplies Pty Ltd 1034 Ltd 4000-21 Essential Health & Safety HRG Australia 6196 Jotun Australia Pty Ltd 1162 Ltd 7255 Georgiou 5012 HSEplus 5190 JSG Industrial Systems 3034 Group 5328 Essential Mining Supplies 6282 Gilbert Gray & Co Pty Ltd 1100 Huski 7093 KAB Seating 9300 Eveready Technologies 5336 Ginaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Flags 3166 Hydraulic Controls 3084 Kelair Pumps Australia Pty Exploration Drill Rigs Pty Ltd 9842 Girbau Australia 7125 Hydromat Services 6260 Ltd 3054 Explorex Caravans 7251 GME Standard Hy-Performance Fluid Power 7089 Kemet Australia Pty Ltd 3228 Eyres Optics 7305 HYTORC 3234 Kerrick Industrial Equipment 7341 Communications 3208 Faber Tool Boxes 9432 G-Mech 9500 Hyundai Construction Kershki Pty Ltd 7095 Falk Australia Pty Limited 9712 GoGetta Equipment Funding 6248 Kimberly-Clark Equipment Australia Pty Ltd 8030 Fenner Pty 4000-33 A D _Dunlop A M A L L J U L4190 _ 1 2 . Golder p d f Associates P a gPty e Ltd1 7107 1 5 / 0 6Icom / 1(Australia) 2 , 1 0Ltd: 2 0 3200 A M Professional Festo Pty Ltd 1012 Gonar Australia Pty Ltd 1264 IFS Australia 5100 Kincrome Tools & Equipment 4040

Trading name Stand number Kinder & Co Pty Ltd 3184 King Caravans 9266 Kings Engineering 1104 Konecranes Pty Ltd 4144 Kopex Group 9510 Kraus & Naimer Pty Ltd 6218 KSB Australia Pty Ltd 9308 L&H Group 1270 Laminar Communications 5156 Larzep Australia Pty Ltd 1218 Laser Central 1171LaserBond Pty Ltd 4050 Leadsun Australia 6052 Leussink Engineering Pty Ltd 7141 Liaocheng Ruizuan Construction Cutter Tools Co Ltd 7012 LifeAid Pty Ltd 1152 Light Mounting Systems Australia 5090 Lightning Protection International Pty Ltd 7069 LINAK Australia Pty Ltd 6284 Lincoln Electric Company 1144 Linkforce Engineering 6154 Locker Group Pty Ltd 2046 LogiCamms Ltd 6060 Ludowici Australia Pty Ltd 1171M.T.I. Qualos Pty Ltd 5234-08 Mackay Communication Technologies 3038 Mackay Consolidated Industries Pty Ltd 4182 Mackay Conveyor Equipment 6022 Mackay Safety 5228 Continued on page 122

THURSDAY 26TH JUlY 10.45AM - 12NOON

Get up close and personal with V8 Supercar Driver Will Davison With the V8 Supercar Championship for 2012 heating up, AllightSykes and FPR give you the chance to get up close and personal with the current championship leader Will Davison.

12noon on Thursday 26th July. As well as your chance to meet Will and get his autograph you could be one of 5 lucky guests to put a question to Will during the Q&A session being held at 11.15am.

For your chance to win simply visit the AllightSykes Stand (8052) at QME and submit your question on the form provided, or email us your question to marketing@allightsykes.com

Will Davison will be a special guest at the AllightSykes QME stand 8052, appearing between 10.45am and

If your question is selected you will win a 2012 FPR Team Shirt signed personally on the day.

Please note you must be present at QME on Thursday 26th July 2012 to be eligible to win the signed FPR Team Shirt.

People You Know. Brands You Trust www.allightsykes.com 120

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LIGHT

WATER POWER

AIR

www.miningaustralia.com.au

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Gearmotors \ Industrial Gear Units \ Drive Electronics \ Decentralised Technology \ Drive Automation \ Services

Stand 1115 24-26 July 2012 Mackay Showground

High Torque?

Or high degree of reliability?

Why not both?

Opposites brought together: Discover why you no longer have to choose between one thing and another when you choose drive solutions from SEW-EURODRIVE. Industrial gear units from SEW-EURODRIVE combine power, quality and sturdy design into one standard product range. Available as a stand-alone gear unit or integrated into a complete drive package, the SEW industrial gear range can be operated under the most difficult conditions. Extremely high output torques of up to 475kNm are achieved with our range of bevel helical and planetary units.

If that’s not impressive enough, talk to us about our custom gear units, designed to suit your power requirements.

Power and reliability – industrial gear units made by SEW-EURODRIVE.

1300 SEW AUS Melbourne (HQ) I Sydney I Adelaide I Perth I Brisbane I Townsville

sew am 7.12 fap miner tunnel.indd 1

www.sew-eurodrive.com.au

11/06/12 9:42 PM

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EXHIBITOR LIST

Trading name Stand number Mackay Trophy House Engravepro 5010 Macnaught Pty Ltd MACS Engineering Pty Ltd 9290 Maddison Safety 5186 Magnetic Automation 6256 Magnum Australia 1171Maintenance Systems Solutions Pty Ltd 3100 Makita Australia Pty Ltd 4000-52 ManpowerGroup 5038 Maptek 1244 Marathon Tyres 9713 Marine Equipment International 6258 Maritime Mining Power Credit Union 7215 Martor Australia 1265 Master Lock 4000-02 Mastermyne Pty Ltd 6044 Materials Handling Pty Ltd 1022 Mato Australia Pty Ltd 1019 McCosker Contracting 6300 McCullochs Manufacturing 9700 McGinns Engineering Supplies 2084 McKays Solicitors – Mining Team 7293 McNaughtans Pty Ltd 1222 Measurement Devices Australia 6108 Megadoor 3006 MESCA (Mining & Energy Services Council of Australia) 1171 Metabo 4080 Metso Minerals (Australia) Pty Ltd 1140 Mickala Mining Maintenance 8046 MIGAS Apprentices & Trainees 7211 Mine Site Technologies 3218 MineARC Systems 9042 Minecorp 7071 Mining Crew Pty Ltd 7317 Mining Equipment Maintenance 3212 Mining FM Pty Ltd CH1 Minova Australia Pty Ltd 9012 Minprovise Pty Ltd 2038 Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd 8060 MLT Belt Fasteners 7009 Mobile Energy Australia 7287 Mongrel Boots 6040 Mono Pumps (Australia) Pty Ltd 7223 Morley Electric Motors Australia Pty Ltd 1262 Motherson Elastomers Pty Ltd 5234-07 Moultrie Group 5004 MSA Australia Pty Ltd 1268 Mumme Tools Pty Ltd 5234-03 Murphy Pipe & Civil 6008 Naismith Engineering & Manufacturing Co Pty Ltd 5142 National Tools 5094 NationWide Hire and NationWide Off Road Truck Sales (NORTS) 1095 Nautitech Mining Systems Pty Ltd 6062 Nepean 9320 122

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Trading name Stand number Neumann Petroleum 6278 Nexium Telecommunications powered by Ergon Energy 5112 Ngarda Civil & Mining 5286 NHP Electrical Engineering Products Pty Ltd 1014 Ningbo Rock Machinery Manufacture Co Ltd 7022 Nitto Kohki Australia Pty Ltd 4000-04 Nixon Communications 3160 NLE Commercial PTY Ltd 6132 NLT Australia 2080 Norbar Torque Tools Pty Ltd 1185 Norgren 5144 Northern Iron & Brass Foundry Pty Ltd 7243 NQ Water Services 9430 NQEA 5274 NSK Australia Pty Ltd 1074 Nufurn Pty Ltd 5138 Oaks Hotels & Resorts 6106 OAQ 4x4 Hire 9030 O’Donnell Griffin 5086 OEM Dynamics Pty Ltd 6100 Offroad Trucks Australia Pty Ltd 9520 OLEX Australia Pty Ltd 1061 Oliver Footwear Pty Ltd 1138 Omron Electronics 6094 ORAFOL Reflective Solutions Australia Pty Ltd 1086 Orica Watercare Australia 4198 Orion Solar Pty Ltd 3070 Outback Marine Australia Pty Ltd 6320 Oz Seals 7289 OZZI KLEEN – Suncoast Waste Water Management 3148 Pacific Data Systems Pty Ltd 3156 Pacific Hoists Pty Ltd 4000-51 Panduit 5234-13 Parklands Mackay Business Hub 3016 Parsons Brinckerhoff 7101 PCI Limited 6338 Pelican Products 6332 Performance On Hand Pty Ltd 2028 Pferd Australia Pty Ltd 4000-46 Phil Doring Insurance Brokers 7313 Pierlite Pty Ltd 1220 PIMS Group 1171Pipe and Buoy Australia Pty Ltd 5018 Pivotel Satellite 7145 PJL Diesel Electric Pty Ltd 2092 Plastral Pty Ltd 7061 Power Equipment Pty Ltd 4054 Powerflex Cables 7205 PPG Protective Coatings 6112 PPI Corporation 7137 Present Group 1026 Pro Air Solutions Pty Ltd 5320 ProChile 4070 Pronto Software 3022 Protector Alsafe Pty Ltd 8100 Pryme Australia 5234-12 PT Hydraulics Australia Pty Ltd 7037 QHDC Australia Pty Ltd 7133 Qingdao Hanhe Cable (Aus) Pty Ltd 7315

Trading name Stand number Qingdao Xinyutian Chemical Co Ltd 6160 QME Supplies Pty Ltd 1195 QMW Industries Pty Ltd 8044 Quarry Mining & Construction Equipment 7005 Queensland Fire & Rescue Service 5304 Queensland ICT 5214 Queensland Mining & Energy Bulletin 7295 Quikcorp Pty Ltd 6039 R&D Technology 6340 Radical Torque Solutions Pty Ltd 3192 Ramset 5234-10 RBM Industrial Bags Pty Ltd 4152 ReCoila 5234-14 Redstar Equipment Pty Ltd 2042 Reid Construction Systems 5078 Renold Australia Pty Ltd 5043 REPCO 1042 Reward Distribution 6114 Rexel Electrical Supplies 5060 Rhino Water Tanks & Liners 9960 Richmond Wheel and Castors 8042 Ridge Tool (Australia) 4000-31 Rittal & Phoenix Contact Pty Ltd 5026 RML Group Mining Services 1171Robert Bosch Australia 4000-18 Robertsons Lifting, Rigging & Height Safety 3130 Rockwell Automation 1017 Roofsafe Industrial Safety 1238 Roxstrata Pty Ltd 7025 RS Components Pty Ltd 5206 RUD Chains Pty Ltd 5022 RYCO Hydraulics Pty Ltd 3080 Rydweld – Mine Vehicle Solutions 7097 Safemate Antislip Pty Ltd 7265 Safemine Technology Aust Pty Ltd 3182 Saint-Gobain Abrasives 4000-32 Salva Resources 7297 Samson 1051Samson Controls Pty Ltd 2014 Sandvik Mining Australia Pty Ltd 9864 Sany Heavy Equipment Co Ltd 9620 Sargent 1171SBA Amalgamated Pty Ltd 1235 SCA Hygiene Australasia 4000-03 Scantech International Pty Limited 7135 Schaeffler Australia Pty Ltd 2032 SCHEUERLE Fahrzeugfabrik GmbH 6220 Scorpion Jacks International 6312 SDV Longwall Support 6202 Sew-Eurodrive (QLD) 1115 Shandong Techgong Geotechnical Engineering Equipment Co Ltd 6156 Shanxi Minhua Industry Co Ltd 7081 Shaw Almex Pacific Pty Ltd 2050 Shipping Container Rentals 9504 Sibre Australia 6286

Trading name Stand number Sicame 7347 Siemens Ltd 3114 Sigma Air Conditioning 7129 Sika Australia Pty Ltd 6084 Simdikoff & Sons Pty Ltd 5052 Simtars 5338 Sirva Relocation 3108 Skelton Sherborne 1171SKF Australia Pty Ltd 1215 Skylotec 3004 SMC Pneumatics (Australia) Pty Ltd 1122 Smenco Pty Ltd 7051 SMW Group 7261 Solar Hire Pty Ltd 9032 Southern Cross Group 9420 Southern Engineering Services, SES Group 4060 Southern Queensland Steel 1171Special Mining Services Pty Ltd 1142 Specialised Force Pty Ltd 1024 Spinefex Pty Ltd 9000 Spraying Systems Co Pty Ltd 1250 SSAB 1181 St John Ambulance Australia (Qld) 6304 Stanley Australia 4000-07 Startco Pty Ltd 1020 Stateside Distributors Pty Ltd 1193 Statewide Bearings 1032 StemSafe Pty Ltd 7257 Steric Trading 6018 Stratco 7307 Striker Australia 3206 Subzero Group 8068 Sullair Australia Pty Ltd 1183 Sumitomo-Hansen 1125 Sundrive 7281 Sunlec International 1127 Super Retail Commercial Group Pty Ltd 6136 Superior Coal 5024 Superior Group 6214 Supreme Steel Products Ltd 7099 Sutton Tools 5234-02 Svendborg Brakes 6148 Sweepers Pty Ltd 5202 Swivelpole Australia 1136 Tablet PC Pty Ltd 5168 Taringa Steel 6192 Taurus Energy 9838 Tecalemit Australia Pty Ltd 9602 Techking Tires Limited 7015 TechRentals 7201 Teco Australia Pty Ltd 1004 Teleconetic 5214tesa tape Australia Pty Ltd 4000-09 Testo Pty Ltd 7291 The Workwear Group/ Pacific Brands 4000-28 Thermal Electric Elements Pty Ltd 5030 ThoroughClean Water Blasters 4044 Tidal Fluid Power 1191 TK Distributors 7227 Toshiba International Corporation Pty Ltd 1097 Total Design Engineering 6086 Total Plant Control Australasia Pty Ltd 6186

Trading name Stand number Toxfree 7207 Tradefaire International Pty Ltd 8050 Transmin Pty Ltd 6230 Transportable Shade Sheds 6068 TransSpec Vehicles 1151 Treotham Automation Pty Ltd 5196 Tropical Safety & Identification 1210 Tsubaki Australia Pty Ltd 2012 Tyco Fire Protection Products 3224 Tyco Flow Control 3094 Tyco Pumping Systems 8075 Ugly Fish Eyewear 5278 Ultrasonics Eco Cleaning Solutions 1257 Unasco Pty Ltd 1239 UNE Partnerships Pty Ltd 7231 Uniform Solutions 5160 Union Rubber & Engineering Pty Ltd 1085 Uretek Ground Engineering 4032 Usha Martin 4026 Uvex Safety Australia Pty Ltd 4000-24 Vermeer Sales & Service Pty Ltd 8070 Veyance Engineered Products Australia 5234-04 Vision Safe 1134 VLI Diesel Pty Ltd 8000 VLI Drilling VLI Conveyors 7327 Voith Turbo Pty Ltd 4174 Volgren Australia 5180 Watchout Concepts 1131 Watson-Marlow Bredel Pumps 3086 WD-40 Company 5234-15 WDS Limited 2006 Webforge North Queensland 6072 WEG Australia Pty Ltd 1049 Welding Industries of Australia 9330 White Industries 3178 Whitelaw Engineering Machinery Pty Ltd 7147 Wiring Harnesses Australia 5332 Wirtgen Australia Pty Ltd 6182 Woma (Australia) Pty Ltd 7285 Workers World 6082 Worksense Workwear & Safety 5074 Worldpoly 8048 Wripan T/A Sun City Signs 5164 Wuxi Drilling Tools Factory 7032 Wuxi Hongli Geological Exploration Tools Co Ltd 7021 XiaoJin Machinery Manufacturing Science and Technology Co Ltd 7031 Xuzhou Guanghuan Conveyer Idlers (Suzhou) Co Ltd 7033 Xylem Water Solutions 9822 Yee Young Industrial Co Ltd 5166 Yoke Industrial Corp 7263 Zen Imports 5234-09 Zhengzhou Dingsheng Engineering Technology Co Ltd 6178 Zhengzhou Kefid Machinery Co Ltd 7027 Zip Heaters (Aust) Pty Ltd 6322 www.miningaustralia.com.au

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Visit us at the Queensland Mining Expo (QME) Mackay Showgrounds, Stand 1183, July 24-26

// Tough, portable air solutions

SULLAIR LISTENED AND THEN DELIVERED. That’s what our customers tell us – we listened and delivered the right air compressor solution for their mine site.

Whether it’s portable, skid-mounted or a fully customised air compressor system, Sullair has a solution for you, including: s HIGHWAY TOWABLE DIESEL PORTABLES IN single, dual and tri-axle steerables s SKID MOUNTED ELECTRIC COMPRESSORS from 11 kW to containerised 250 kW s !USTRALIAN BASED CUSTOM ENGINEERING delivering multi-million dollar projects to your exact specifications.

Backed by nationwide support and an industry leading warranty, we take the time to listen and can deliver anything, anywhere, on time.

Call Sullair on 1300COMPRESSOR (1300 266 773) or visit sullair.com.au Find us - www.facebook.com/SullairAustralia

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PREVIEW

AUSTRALIA’S FALL PREVENTION SPECIALISTS LADaMAX - AUSTRALIAN MADE 150kg Rating to AS1892 STABILITY/RIGIDITY SAFETY GATES ARE AVAILABLE

Environmental monitoring EcotEch will feature its blast, dust, water and ambient air monitoring systems and services for mine sites on Stand 3126 at the Queensland Mining & Engineering (QME) Exhibition. Ecotech’s Blast Monitoring Service uses Dynamates’ instruments to measure overpressure (air blast) and ground vibration from blast events. “these instruments can be combined with real-time dust monitors, meteorological systems and air quality monitors to deliver a complete environmental monitoring solution for the mining industry,” said Steve chamberlain-Ward, Ecotech’s sales strategy and marketing manager. the company’s Dust control Management System is a solarpowered monitoring system that feeds real-time dust and meteorological data to Ecotech’s Airodis software for live, accurate information about dust sources (or “arcs of influence”). “this enables a quick response with dust suppression activity at the right source, so that excessive dust in surrounding communities can be dramatically reduced or eliminated,” chamberlainWard said. other products to be shown on Ecotech’s stand include the BAM-1020 particulate matter (PM) monitors which can operate from solar panels and batteries, eliminating the need for onsite mains power, and which comply with PM10 and PM2.5 requirements; E-Sampler PM monitors for measuring PM concentrations around mine sites, quarries and construction sites; and the hV3000 high Volume Air Sampler for “high quality, reliable and compliant sampling”.

• Ecotech Steve Chamberlain-Ward 03 9730 7800 www.ecotech.com.au

Site services

Aluminium Folding Platform Step Ladder

SAFEST REAR FRAME

Fibreglass Folding Platform Step Ladder Non Conductive

SAFEST PLATFORM

STRONGBOW

World’s Strongest Base Brace Tread Stiffener A NEW GENERATION IN LADDERS

SAFEST BASE BRACE

PLATFORM TEST LOAD

500KG

EXCEEDS THE STANDARD A NEW GENERATION IN LADDERS

OVER 2000 UNITS PER ANNUM TO DISCERNING CUSTOMERS

LADaMAX Ph: 07 3205 2511 Fax: 07 3205 4066 Email: admin@ladamax.com.au Visit: www.ladamax.com.au

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MAckAy-based Moultrie Group will promote its professional, technical and site services for mining and exploration companies on Stand 5004 during the exhibition. the Moultrie Group is a national provider of professional and technical mining support services. It offers a diverse range of integrated solutions in the areas of geology, database and modelling, surveying, engineering, gas management, polyethylene pipe services, earthworks and civil, mine site services, safety and training. the group also operates a hire service for compressors, earthmoving equipment and underground equipment. With facilities strategically located across Queensland in Brisbane, Mackay and the Bowen Basin, it currently supports the major coal and coal seam gas producing areas across the state. offices are also located in Newcastle, Gunnedah and Singleton to service NSW. the group plans to expand into new domestic and international markets including Perth, Melbourne, Mongolia and canada. Moultrie Group will use QME to showcase its services, build relationships with existing and potential new clients as well as inviting interest from prospective employees. “We pride ourselves on our high quality performance standards, our safety record and the range, quality and meticulous servicing of our specialist equipment,” Martin Lynch, Moultrie Group’s Queensland business development manager said. “our most important asset is our people, their expertise and commitment, and we invest heavily in ongoing professional development. “We foster a culture of innovation, collaboration and client focus with the goal of developing long term business partnerships. our point of difference is the depth and quality of our capability” he said.

• Moultrie Group www.moultrie.com.au

Generators REDStAR Equipment will promote its range of generators, welders, compressors and fuel tanks on Stand 2042. the exclusive Denyo generator supplier for Australia will feature a sample of their Denyo range for industrial mobile and prime fixed applications. Redstar provide generators for all applications to meet any specs ranging from 6 kVA to more than 3250 kVA. Redstar will also present industrial diesel welders, compressors and fuel tanks at QME. the company says all of its products feature the most fuel-efficient options available and are targeted at specialised industrial use Australia-wide. Redstar also offers what it describes as “complete service solutions, including fabrication, equipment customisation and specialist components, plus support ranging from scheduled service and maintenance to engine replacement”. In addition, the company stocks spare parts and has service vehicles and technicians to cover emergency breakdowns and repairs around the clock, 365 days a year.

• Redstar Equipment 1800 733 782 info@redstarequipment.com.au www.redstarequipment.com.au www.miningaustralia.com.au

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SEGLA INTERNATIONAL Segla International is an Australian based international training and consulting organisation dedicated to being the supplier of choice when it comes to delivering business efficiency solutions utilising Six Sigma, Lean and Process Improvement methodologies.

We specialise in providing Lean manufacturing training/consulting or ‘Lean’ incorporating principles and practices utilised for over 80 years. These skills and work systems are specifically designed to support short and long term improvements targeting efficiency, waste reduction, workplace safety, employee morale and costs.

• Our experienced team are made up of qualified Engineers with postgraduate Doctorate and Management Degrees gained at well recognised Universities throughout Australia.

• Nationally Registered Training Organisation (RTO) with Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).

Registration number 91353.

• Approved provider with NSW State Training Services allows access to State and Federal funding opportunities.

®

Corporate Headquarters Level 57, MLC Centre, 19-29 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia General Enquiries (Australia) Phone: +612 9238 6185 Email: training@segla.com.au

www.segla.com.au Reduced cycle times

Improved productivity

“The challenge is to revisit daily processes and identify ‘how it can be done’ rather than ‘the way it has always been done’. Our methodologies can result in a 50% reduction on any given process, thus freeing up your most valuable resource – time.”

Dr L. Muratore CEO – Segla International

Increased equipment capacity

Business growth and increased profitability

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST @ WWW.SEGLA.COM.AU/ENQUIRY : Code AUSM712 AUSTRALIAN MINING MAGAZINE INTRODUCTORY OFFER: DISCOUNTED TRAINING @ 5%

LEAN SIX SIGMA . LABORATORY SKILLS . FRONTLINE MANAGEMENT . COMPETITIVE SYSTEMS & PRACTICES

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PREVIEW

Pumping technology

Torque wrenches

Dynapumps will showcase what it says is the latest innovation in diaphragm pump technology on stand 7041 at the mackay showground from July 24-26. according to Dynapumps’ QLD manager, mark Kristensen the Tacmina smoothflow range of pulse-less diaphragm pumps eliminates both the need for pulsation dampeners and the problems associated with traditional diaphragm pumps. The pumps incorporate a dual-diaphragm design to maintain constant output pressure. “since there is no pulsing, the accurate metered transfer of liquids, even highly viscose ones, is possible,” Kristensen said. “Liquids can now be transferred Diaphragm pumps. long distance without the usual complaints of vibration, noise and damage to piping.” In addition, the smoothflow design prevented excess pressure, heat or crushing damaging the liquid’s composition. and the smoothflow pumps were economical on every front, he said. “The pump chamber is completely sealed, preventing valuable liquid leaking from the pump and stopping foreign matter contaminating the liquid inside.”

• Dynapumps Mark Kristensen 07 5546 7777 www.dynapumps.com.au

HyTorc south pacific will promote recent additions to its avanti and stealth hydraulic torque wrench ranges, along with its Hytorc nut and Washer products, on stand 3234 during the 2012 Queensland mining & Engineering Exhibition. Hytorc’s avanti torque wrench, described by the company as the 21st century evolution of its largest selling 20th century bolting machine, eliminates the need for a reaction arm around the cylinder housing. “It is the lightest hydraulic torque tool in the world, the smallest universal bolting machine and the only tensioner with no side-clearance requirement,” Hytorc sales manager, paul yoong, said. Hytorc’s stealth series of dual piston, limited clearance hydraulic torque wrenches are said to be the first twin-speed, automatic, limited-clearance bolting machines. also on display will be the Hytorc nut and Hytorc Washer product lines. yoong said the design and mechanics of the company’s Hytorc nut allow for simple positioning of a torque wrench on all jobs.

“The Hytorc nut is a three-piece fastener that will directly replace any type of helical nut for the highest level of bolting optimisation,” he said. “By replacing a nut with one that turns on itself at a known friction, with no side load or torsion, bolt stretching to the desired bolt load has become a reality.” Four versions of the Hytorc nut are available – the cn line which offers users the speed of regular torque with unmatched repeatability and precision; the Tn series which combines durability, efficiency and the ability to fit in tight spaces; the sn series which is designed to overcome tight overhead restrictions; the smart stud which is a suitable replacement for any fastener regardless of load or temperature.

• Hytorc South Pacific 08 8293 8411 www.hytorc.com.au

Vehicle light systems HarnEss master Queensland will unveil new light bars for light vehicles (4x4s) operating on mine sites on stand 1121 at the mackay showground from July 24-26. The rocky Lightbars can be supplied with plug-and-play wiring harness kits, featuring breathable and flame retardant Harness master braided mine spec wire, making them easy for autoelectricians to install. They are also fitted with deutsch bulkhead connectors, enabling easy removal for servicing. The rocky Lightbars were inspired to develop a new dimension for vehicle lighting solutions, and add value to Harness master’s Qld new design of plug and play wiring systems for light vehicles.

Two different designs, slim Line and High Visibility, are offered and can be customised with, for example, front facing indicators, warning and hazard lights, and to suit various lighting conditions. The slim Line selection was aerodynamically designed for less wind resistance. It comprises nine models with halogen rotating, xenon strobe or LED rotating beacons and LED stop, tail, indicator and reversing lights as well as 97 decibel reversing alarms. The 18 High Visibility models also aerodynamically designed, have halogen rotating, xenon strobe or LED rotating beacons and optional reversing lights.

• Harness Master Queensland www.rockylightbars.com.au A D _ A MC I R MA Y _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 1 8 / 0 4 / 1 2 ,

CIRLOCK LOCKOUT / TAGOUT EQUIPMENT

Skilled labour mIGas will shine the spotlight on its apprentice employment and support services and its skilled labour training programs on stand 7211 at QmE. “Labour is short in the mining and coal seam gas industries and many companies are looking for innovative strategies to increase their labour capability,” mIGas marketing manager Jessica young said. “QmE allows us to showcase our flexibility in designing skilled labour training projects as well as apprentice and trainee development programs.” For example, young said, mIGas, a national Group Training organisation, had undertaken a number of joint projects with some of the country’s largest resource sector companies, helping them to build their skilled labour capability through targeted trade training programs. mIGas will also use QmE to promote what it describes as a unique training program that gets people into a “learn while you earn” work environment where they learn productive skills that can be used immediately in industry.

• MIGAS www.migas.com.au 1 0 : 1 3 : 4 7 AM AEST

LOCKOUT / TAGOUT EQUIPMENT - Since 1992

� Great Service � Fast delivery � High Quality Products � Complete Range

Celebrating 20 years in 2012

Proudly Australian owned and operated

for more information:

www.cirlock.com.au Ph 07 5445 2910 126

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www.miningaustralia.com.au

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Take the road less travelled with a 4WD Able Bus & Coach See us on80 stand 92 at

T

he Able Bus & Coach 4WD mine module ticks all the boxes for a minesite.

A key proposition of the vehicles is robustness.

They’re built on a bigger truck and put less passengers in. It may cost a little more but it’s better in the long run, giving a stronger, more reliable vehicle.

Another key feature of the vehicles is inter-changeability with passenger modules that can be removed from older cab chassis and placed on a new cab chassis reducing replacement costs for companies.

Able Bus & Coach’s vehicle make of choice is Isuzu – and for good reason: Isuzu isn’t just a good make of vehicle; after sales service is unsurpassed.

The tilt cab of the chassis also allows easy maintenance and access to the motor.

A higher ground clearance than a conventional bus chassis is also ideal for mine sites and remote areas.

For safety compliance, the vehicles meet strength and design requirements.

Able-AustralianMiningMay12.indd 1

A higher ground clearance than a conventional bus chassis is ideal for mine sites and remote areas.

All the engineering tests are validated.

Extensive safety features come standard with the coaches.

These include a built-in Rollover Protection System (ROPS) to Australian Standards 1636.1 and 2294.2 and Australian Design Rule rollover compliance, full size coach seats with seat belts and driver’s air bag.

Air conditioners designed and built for extreme heat and vibration also come standard.

Testament to the company’s business philosophy of building tough yet safe, reliable and comfortable vehicles that meet the highest standards are customers such as BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and NationWide Hire and a repeat business rate of 90 per cent.

For more information call Able Bus & Coach on 08 9371 7100, info@ablebusandcoach.com.au or visit ablebusandcoach.com.au

Supplying Australiawide [Est.1995]

30/05/2012 7:04:46 PM

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Lock boxes CiRloCk will show a large new group isolation lock box on Stand 6004 at QMe. The Queensland-based lockout manufacturer describes the new GlB-4 box as “next generation and different from others on the market”. distinguishing features include three ways of storing procedures, as well as storage for up to 24 padlocks. Fully made in Australia, the GlB4 has a clear polycarbonate sliding lid and 20 padlock holes for up to 9 mm shackle size. procedures of up to A4 size can be clipped to the outside of the lid, or to the bottom of the box, or inside the “sandwich-design” lid. There are also 24 internal

Fuel management Cirlock padlock hooks for storing padlocks not in use. The box is constructed from welded aluminium with a red powder-coat finish. “The lock box can be wall-mounted, has a convenient large handle, includes a key rack and removable studs to prevent the lid from being removed,” Cirlock representative Maria Burrowes said.

• Cirlock 07 5445 2910 sales@cirlock.com.au www.cirlock.com.au

Laser safety barriers Applied Resolution Technologies will unveil new explosionproof or intrinsically safe laser-based tools for Australia’s underground coalmines on Stand 6250. Heading the display will be a new range of laser-based sensing modules that provide laser safety barriers in hazardous environments, laser range finding, and short-range distance measurement.

“They are all either explosion-proof or intrinsically safe, meeting the requirements for use in the oil and gas industry or in underground mining,” Applied Resolution Technologies managing director Geoff edwards said.

The display will also include CordeX 3000Xp ieCex-certified hand-held laser distance measurement and CordeX UT5000 ieCex-certified ultrasonic thickness gauge instruments.

“The new products target mining automation applications, providing laser-based modules A D _ AieCex-certified MS H E J U L _ 1 2 measurement . pdf P a ge

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that may be incorporated into wireless networks for logging and monitoring,” edwards said.

Based in Yamba, NSW, Applied Resolution Technologies has been manufacturing and supplying alignment lasers into underground coalmines for more than 15 years. it expects its new laser and sensor products will be available in the third quarter of 2012.

The company also provides laser safety training for miners, with a specially tailored course offered in conjunction with SiMTARS for underground coalmines.

• Applied Resolution Technologies Geoff Edwards 02 6645 8868 geoff@appliedresolution.com.au 1www.appliedresolution.com.au 1 3 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 1 0 : 0 0 AM

MiNiNG industry Resources will unveil the next generation of AdaptFMS touch screen technology for its Fuel Management System (FMS) on Stand 7113 at QMe. designed specifically for the mining industry, the system is described as a complete on-site hydrocarbon (fuel and oil) monitoring and reporting package that is a global leader in fuel management technology.

Features of the system include multiple options for Automatic identification of equipment and vehicles; over-fill management; remote monitoring of storage tanks and alarms; and reconciliation of fuel and oil deliveries against usage.

According to Mining industry Resources, the system’s accuracy can deliver substantial fuel usage savings and provide a complete audit trail for effective Hydrocarbon Management.

The Australian-owned and operated company says the system’s new touch screen technology is the result of the company’s commitment to exceptional ease-of-use and an ongoing continuous research and development program.

Adapt FMS also claims to achieve world best practice in hydrocarbon management due to its FMS featuring rugged field hardware built on an electronic platform used in aerospace and military applications.

The system can communicate via media such as ethernet, WiFi, radio modems and mobile or satellite phone links.

• Mining Industry Resources Pty Ltd (Adapt FMS) 07 4952 4662 info@adaptfms.com www.adaptfms.com

www.miningaustralia.com.au 4/06/12 12:48 PM

Terms & Conditions Your subscription may be tax deductible, ask your accountant. ABN 80 132 719 861. Please note RBI has a no refund policy, contact Customer Service for details on 130 360 126. *Based on previous $99 annual subscription price. All prices are quoted in Australian Dollars and GST inclusive. We are committed to handling your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act www.reedbusiness.com.au/privacy.asp

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Electrical protection systems Earth leakage relays.

Startco will unveil new earth-leakage relays on Stand 1020 during QME 2012. the new Littelfuse EL731 series is described as a microprocessor-based ac/Dc-sensitive earth-leakage relay offering complete coverage for all frequencies from 0 Hz to 15,000 Hz. one current transformer can be used for low or high frequency detection, while two cts are required for the entire frequency range. the relays incorporate an rtD/Ptc sensor input that allows over-temperature protection and offers metering capabilities, password-protected alarm and trip settings, and optional connection to plant networks. Startco will also show two recently released Littelfuse protection monitors at QME. It says the SE-330aU Series neutral-earthing-resistor monitor is an advanced earth-fault and earthing-resistor monitoring relay for low and medium voltage transformers and generators.

“It monitors neutral current, neutral-to-earth voltage, and neutralto-earth resistance and provides continuous monitoring of the neutral-to-earth path to verify that the neutral-earthing resistor (NEr) is intact,” Startco’s managing director, David Kirkegaard, said. “this is of the utmost importance as an open NEr renders current-sensing earth-fault protection inoperative and could result in a false belief that the system is functioning properly,” he said. the SE-330aU earth-fault function complies with aS/NZS 2081.3:2002. outputs include four relay outputs, an analog output and an rS-232 interface.

• Startco 07 5456 4554 www.startco.com.au A D _ A ME R I J U L _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 2 0 / 0 6 / 1 2 ,

Rigging apps a. Noble & Son will showcase its recently launched mobile phone app for australian riggers and doggers on Stand 1129 at QME. More than 4,000 android and apple smartphone users have already downloaded the free app, which was specifically developed for australian workers wanting to look up working load limits for wire, chain and synthetic slings and data tables for common pieces of rigging equipment such as eyebolts. Nobles says the app contains data “that conforms to current australian standards, unlike other apps which are based on american or European requirements.” Managing director angelo Primavera said Nobles, which was established in adelaide in 1911, set the standard in 1980 when the company first published its blue riggers Handbook, still widely used across the industry. “recently end users have been telling us that as more and more people are using smartphones, they are looking for ways to use these devices to help them on site,” Primavera said. “Based on this feedback, we decided to develop this app to give end-users a convenient way of having this important information in their pocket, without having to carry bulky pocket cards and reference books or worry about information becoming out of date.”

• A. Noble & Son Dean Clark 03 9706 9333 dclark@nobles.com.au www.nobles.com.au

Pipe rollers rIcHMoND Wheels & castors will launch a new low-profile pipe roller for use in gas line and pipe launching projects on Stand 8042 at QME. the australian manufacturer of industrial and commercial wheels and castors says the Precision Pipeline roller features large-diameter, heavy-duty polyurethane rollers, a transportable base and 2.5 cm increment adjustability. according to the company, the result is an economical, reusable combination suited to multiple installations. roller adjustment involved just three simple steps and took, on average, 4 : five 5 minutes, 3 P Mrichmond representative Lindsay Hawkes said. the rollers are available in 4000 kg and 10,000 kg models to suit pipe diameters of 50.81 cm, 101.6 cm and 205.74 cm (nominal bore). Designed in-house, the Precision Pipeline roller is built at richmond Wheels & castors’ assembly plant in Victoria. richmond Wheels & castors will also use QME to promote the castors and mounting kits it has designed and manufactured for turning fixed shipping containers into a moveable storage facility. the shipping container castors allow the easy on-site relocation of shipping containers and have load capacities of up to 5000 kg per castor. they are available in various wheel options and castor configurations. a directional lock on a swivel castor, combined with the right wheel selection, made the castor towable for easy positioning, Lindsay said.

• Richmond Wheel & Castors 03 9551 2233 sales@richmondcastors.com.au www.richmond.au.com

Mine spec vehicles ryDWELD will display its custom-manufactured mine spec vehicles and equipment on Stand 7097 during the 2012 Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition. the townsville business, operated by brothers Steve and Geoff ryder, says there is no one-size-fits-all specification when it comes to mine-spec vehicles and tray bodies, with functionality, practicality, safety and efficiency being important considerations. rydweld offers the design and construction of approved roll-over protection structures (roPS) for most mine vehicles, as well as tray body fabrication, repair and modification for utilities, heavy duty vehicles and trucks. the company does tray body cleaning, sandblasting, and priming using quality super etch primers and then applying two coats of industrial polyurethane two-pack paint. Its two and four post bull bars are airbag-compatible for increased safety, with the company’s steel bull bars and side rails designed to withstand high-impact accidents. rydweld also carries out the fabrication of stock crates, tipper bodies, dog trailers, truck mounted and heavy duty water tanks, toolboxes, custom service bodies, tow bars and fifth wheels, and gooseneck trailers. Equipment repairs and modifications undertaken by rydweld are Queensland transport-approved and include chassis extensions, and sandblasting and priming in a 12.192 metre (40 feet) spray booth.

• Rydweld www.rydweld.com

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For sales enquiries please contact: Matty Ferguson / National Sales Manager

+61 3 9485 5618 / MattyF@bogsfootwear.com.au www.bogsfootwear.com.au

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Aerial surveying

UAVs take the time out of surveying.

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Rockhampton-based atlass (aust) will shine the spotlight on its Light Detection and Ranging (LiDaR) aerial surveying capabilities on Stand 6190 during the 2012 Queensland mining and Engineering (QmE) Exhibition at the mackay Showground from July 24-26. the company undertakes regular LiDaR mine surveys and one-off projects for local surveyors, corporate and government clients and says that compared with traditional photogrammetry, LiDaR surveys and images are a high-quality, cost-effective alternative for many projects. â&#x20AC;&#x153;many of our customers are large coal mines throughout Queenslandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bowen Basin and the hunter Valley in new South Wales,â&#x20AC;? managing director matt mccauley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;they require accurate information on the size and shape of their open-cut mines and stockpile volumes.â&#x20AC;?

Depending on the size of the project, atlass can often undertake such surveys and provide up-to-date data within a short timeframe. In fact, it guarantees that mining customers will get LiDaR data within three days of a survey â&#x20AC;&#x153;or itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s freeâ&#x20AC;? while mines that want monthly surveys are rewarded with â&#x20AC;&#x153;significant discounts for repeat businessâ&#x20AC;?. another advantage of atlassâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s LiDaR surveys, mccauley said, was that the company could survey large areas of a mine without ever having to set foot on the site. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Building corners are used primarily for ground control, along with points on a hard, flat surface like a road, and the rest happens from 700 metres in the ai,â&#x20AC;? mccauley said, adding that buildings did not even have to be in a survey area but within a 5 km area. atlass undertook its first aerial survey in 2007. Since then, it has grown from a start-up operating out of a garage to become a medium-sized business with three aircraft and 20 staff. all of atlassâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is undertaken in australia. â&#x20AC;&#x153;While some of our competitors have outsourced the processing of complex LiDaR data offshore to take advantage of cheaper labour, we prefer to employ australians to do this work,â&#x20AC;? mccauley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are innovative enough to find ways to increase efficiency through clever programming, scheduling and work-flows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;and I like the fact that if a client has a special requirement, we can do the work in-house to achieve that desired outcome. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily do that if we were sending the data offshore for processing.â&#x20AC;? atlass also undertakes work such as corridor surveys for future road and rail developments to vegetation audits, as well as mine site surveys. â&#x20AC;˘ Atlass (Australia) Matt McCauley 07 4921 2653 survey@atlass.com.au www.atlass.com.au 1 4 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 3 : 2 7 PM

Resourcefulness.

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Just one of the things we provide the Australian mining industry

Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking about specialist gases, application technology to extract metal from mineral ores, gas dissolution or welding and safety equipment and training programs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re there.

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You can count on our reputation and commitment to service and safety because your business is important to both of us.

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UG utility vehicles DiversifieD Mining services (DMs) will unveil its new eight-tonne COALTrAM underground utility vehicle The latest Load Haul Dump vehicles. on stand 9310 during the 2012 Queensland Mining & engineering exhibition. The new COALTrAM CT08 LHD represented the latest in diesel-powered load haul dump/utility vehicle designs, Craig Anderson, DMs general manager – COALTrAM, said. The CT08 also has an ergonomically designed operator’s compartment, which promoted unparalleled productivity in underground coal mines, he said. “QMe will be the first time the eight-tonne version of the COALTrAM will have been seen in Queensland and it is sure to generate plenty of interest after the incredible success of the 10 tonne and 13 tonne versions. “The new model was heavily influenced by feedback from existing users, DMs’s extensive local industry expertise and Atlas Copco’s global network of engineering best practice.”

• Diversified Mining Services (DMS) www.dmsgroup.com.au

Vehicle switches AuTO electrical imports will unveil two new ranges of Australian manufactured switches for mine site vehicles on stand 11477. The ionnic universal Lockout Kits are described as an easy way to install battery or starter isolation switches while the vehicle specific ionnic Battery Lockout Kits can incorporate a battery isolator, a starter isolator or either.

Both ranges feature various configurations, jump start receptacles, as well as either colour coding or labelling to show the difference between starter and battery circuits. Brisbanebased Auto electrical imports’ stand will also feature ionnic lighting bars for mine vehicles and roll-over protection systems (rOPs). Designed and manufactured in Australia, the bars are available in 12 and 24 volt versions, have multiple mounting options and conform to road registration lighting requirements. Auto electrical imports’ Phil de Knock said durability and ease of installation were the primary focus of the mine bars, which were available in more than 30 configurations with all having LeD stop, tail, turn and reverse lamps. Heavy-duty Nordic LeD work lamps, with life spans up to 100,000 hours, will also be on show on the company’s stand.

• Auto Electrical Imports 1800 724 690 www.ionnic.com A D _ A MMI N J U L 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 1 8 / 0 6 / 1 2 ,

Conveyor idlers COve engineering will promote its recently developed conveyor idler Management Program, designed to reduce idler failures and unplanned conveyor stoppages, on stand 1113 during QMe. The program, which is customised for each site, includes thermographic inspections of all conveyors using a flir infrared camera; installation and management of software which records information from idler defect tags; and testing to identify idlers with high shell wear. Cove developed the program after it was discovered many of the conveyor performance problems experienced by clients were directly related to idler failures and typically resulted in unplanned belt stoppages of one to two hours.

• Cove Engineering www.coveng.com

Mining IT eMANTrA will launch new iT services packages for the mining sector on stand 5214. The national Microsoft private cloud service provider says the new products will build on its Microsoft Office365-like core with key value-added software from symantec, Blackberry and Polycom. emantra’s business development executive, Lachlan Brown, said the company offered small and large mining sector companies secure, private cloud services whereby email, unified communications, collaboration, productivity and line-of-business application software was delivered as a fully managed service.

• Emantra 07 3333 7798 lachlan.brown@emantra.com.au www.emantra.com.au

Valve technology fesTO will unveil a new integrated linear actuator for process valves and a new Category 4 pneumatic safety valve on stand 1012 during the 2012 Queensland Mining & engineering exhibition. The company says its new DfPi series of linear drives feature a displacement encoder, valve manifold and position controller, all contained with the one housing. “This high level of function integration transforms the actuator technology into a complete study system that is suitable for use outdoors and in cold, dusty or hazardous environments,” festo representative, Chris Trott, said.

• Festo Pty Ltd 0418 367 238 1 2 : 5www.festo.com.au 8 PM

Minova Australia – come and meet our people Minova is a leading manufacturer and supplier of products and services to the mining industry globally. Partnering with some of the largest mining entities; safety, quality and innovation are keys to our success.

To support our growth we are looking to expand our talented team of mining professionals at all levels. Career pathways and international opportunities are achievable within our Minova global framework and broader Orica Group.

We value our people and believe in “Growing leaders to make a difference”.

Interested in finding out about a career at Minova?

Don’t miss the opportunity to speak directly with representatives from the business and meet our recruitment and HR team.

QME July 24th – 26th 2012.

Minova Australia will be at: Stand 9012 We look forward to discussing your career.

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For immediate career enquiries visit http://www.minova.com.au/ Call the National Recruitment Centre on + 61 3 9665 7235 A member of the Orica Group

www.miningaustralia.com.au

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MMD Sizers

breaking coal

Established in 1978 to design and manufacture equipment for the UK underground coal mining industry, MMD patented the Twin Shaft Mineral Sizer. Since 1978, the company has refined and improved the Sizer design and today MMD size over 70 different minerals, in over 50 countries worldwide.

However, coal remains at the core of the company’s business, with a wide range of machines available for this industry. From the original pick and scroll machines; usually positioned close to the coal face, that accept high tonnages and reduce ROM to a conveyable size, whilst eliminating “surf-boards”, to maximise the efficiency of outboard conveyor systems, to segmented tooth machines designed for a specific product size in the coal preparation plant.

MMD’s experience, together with a close working relationship with their customers has allowed them to develop the complete sizing solution.

See us at MINEXPO 2012 Booth 2603

MMD Australia Pty. Ltd. Brisbane Mackay Singleton

sizers@mmdaus.com.au

THE MMD GROUP OF COMPANIES W W W. M M D SI Z E R S . C O M

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Exploration rigs Drilltechniques will unveil a new range of comacchio exploration drilling rigs on stand 8085 during qMe. Aimed specifically at the mineral exploration market, the truck and track mounted machines combine italian innovation and precision with Australian drilling methodology and practicality, as well as fully complying with Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tough mining regulations said chris logan, sales and business development manager with Drilltechniques, comacchioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Australian distributor. he said the precursor to the launch of the new range in Australia was a significant investment by drilling contractor Drillsearch Australia in four of comacchioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newly configured Mc 450P.1 track-mounted machines. this included input by

Lockbolts Drillsearch into the design and configuration of the new drills. â&#x20AC;&#x153;two of these machines are currently in Western queensland, performing a variety of work including rotary air (chipping) drilling at 6½ inches (165 mm) diameter down to about 30 m then 4ž inches (121 mm) down to a depth of 240 m as well as hq wireline coring to depths of 240 m â&#x20AC;&#x201C; although they are capable of much greater depths,â&#x20AC;? logan said. â&#x20AC;˘ Drilltechniques Chris Logan 0448 168 509 chris@drilltechniques.com.au www.drilltechniques.com.au

Conveyor technology fenner Dunlop will promote its latest products and services for managing conveyor systems on stand 4190 during the 2012 qMe. Products and services the company will feature include fenner Dunlop conveyor Diagnostics (rescan) conveyor monitoring services, established to provide non-destructive testing services for steel cord, fabric and solid woven conveyor belts and associated structures with options including a full manual scan, semi-remote scans, full remote scans, electrical, mechanical and As1755 safety audits. it will also highlight its Mines Department-approved, fireretardant and anti-static troughing and return rollers which fenner Dunlopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s steve Allen says offer energy savings, low breakaway mass for easier conveyor start-up, 50% noise reduction A D _ Aover M Sequivalent O U J Usteel L _rollers 1 2 and . pmuch d f lower P atoxicity ge 1

than is permitted in underground mines. the sureGuide conveyor belt centering system accommodates belts ranging from 450 mm to 2300 mm and is designed to prevent belt misalignment, thus preventing belt and structural damage, reducing downtime and saving money, can also be seen on its stand. finally, the company will highlight its lecs all-purpose steel rollers, which aid in reducing maintenance downtime, belt damage, noise levels and power requirements. â&#x20AC;˘ Fenner Dunlop Steve Allen 0421 333 445 stephen.allen@fennerdunlop.com.au www.fennerdunlop.com.au 1 5 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 4 : 3 9 PM

infAstech will promote its Avdelok range of swaged fasteners and tooling equipment on stand 6142. the company says the range is already used extensively by the Australian mining industry on mineral processing equipment such as vibrating screens, breakers, mills, reclaimers and hoppers. infastechâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s qMe stand will also feature its direct tension iqbolt stress-indicating bolt range and its iform high-tensile bolts which are calibrated to deliver a pre-determined joint clamp force. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are experienced and well-placed to offer expert advice on fastener design, selection, coatings to prevent corrosion, fastener consolidation, inventory management, offshore supplier verification, laboratory testing, quality assurance and in-place project cost analysis,â&#x20AC;? infastech representative, Peter stepowski said. headquartered in the us with its Australian operations based in Melbourne, infastech is said to be one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest producers of engineered mechanical fasteners. the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key Australian markets include the mining, automotive, railway, aerospace, electronics and general industrial engineering industries. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our principles are based on supplying high quality, innovative products at competitive prices in the shortest possible lead time,â&#x20AC;? stepowski said. â&#x20AC;˘ Infastech (Australia) 03 9765 6400 info@infastech.com.au www.infastech.com

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Tsubaki Australia Pty Limited Sydney/Newcastle

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Ph 03 9215 2888

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Ph 07 3273 0600

Ph 08 6254 0000

www.tsubaki.com.au

sales@tsubaki.com.au

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Protection systems BrAMco Electronics will release a new range of electronic protection systems on Stand 4160 during QME. Described as the company’s next generation of products, Bramco’s b3 range includes earth continuity relays, earth leakage relays (with fascia and DIN mounts), a neutral link monitor, a module remote interface (with flameproof buttons), isolation barriers and combination relays. According to Bramco’s managing director, Mark Leishman, the new range incorporated ground-breaking and innovative technologies and featured all-new designs. compliance with the latest industry standards and assembly via SMT/automated process machinery were other features of the b3 range, he said.

NSW-based Bramco Electronics, which has the motto “leaders in innovative protection systems,” has been designing, manufacturing and supporting electronic control, protection, monitoring and safety products since 1945. “We are focused on the mining industry, service energy distribution, electric power systems (including switchgear), short-haulage and long-distance conveyor control, industrial communications, and tailored, engineered electronic solutions,” Leishman said.

• Brmco Electronics Leigh Kenny 02 4014 4444 leigh@bramco.com.au www.bramco.com.au A D _ A ML I N J U L _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge

Safety barriers BLH Safety Solutions will launch a new Safety Barricade System designed to combat work-related fatalities and injuries caused by a falling object on Stand 5062 during the 2012 Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition. The BLH Stop Drop Safety Barricading System features moulded plastic polymer modules, which have a clip-snap-and-lock design for easy installation and barricading on a wide variety of platforms such as scaffolding, walkways and stairways.

“The system is designed to reduce the workplace risk to employees by preventing accidents and incidents that arise from dropped objects,” BLH representative Mark Austin said.

“WorkSafe Australia statistics show that one of the most common causes of work-related injuries and fatalities is being hit by a falling object. In the 2010-2011 year, this accounted for 15 fatalities.”

Austin said other advantages of the system were that the modules did not block line-of-sight or illumination, were corrosion, fire, impact and chemical resistant, were lightweight and were reusable and recyclable.

The barricading has no sharp edges or pinch points and could accommodate handrails of various sizes, thicknesses and shapes. BLH will also use QME to promote its commitment to workplace safety with Beaconsfield Mine Disaster survivor, Brant Webb, accompanying the BLH team to QME. “Brant is in Safety Solutions Business Development and is helping us to spread the safety message,” Austin said.

• Mark Austin 03 6383 4333 mark@blhsafetysolutions.com www.blhgroupservices.com

Health assessments cQ Health Assess will unveil a new corporate health and well-being package, with a 10% price discount for its QME customers, on Stand 3018 during the 2012 Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition in Mackay. The package, designed to promote workplace health and productivity, covers health and well-being activities such as health assessments and on-line education modules. cQ Health Assess, which is a division of nursing agency cQ Nurse, offers on-site workplace services such as immunisation, drug and alcohol testing, health assessment and screening, and health education and training.

Its1corporate 1 3 /health 0 6 and / 1well-being 2 , 2package : 1 9 canPbeMtailored

to suit a business’s budget. cQ Health Assess co-ordinator, Nicole Armitage, said the new corporate health and well-being package was developed in response to 2012 workplace health and safety harmonisation legislation requiring employers to show how they were making health a workplace priority.

“And health-related expenses cost Australian employers $26 billion last year alone so there are clear-cut benefits in having corporate health and well-being policies in place,” she said.

• CQ Health Assess Nicole Armitage www.cqnurse.com.au

Visit us at QME 2012 Stand 6284

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AD_AMVICJUL_12.pdf

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â&#x20AC;˘

11:35

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M i n i n g

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A complete line of shouldered couplings, fittings and valves from Victaulic.

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Shouldered Installation-Ready couplings eliminate loose parts on the job and install up to 10 times faster than other pipe joining methods.

Victaulic Shouldered Butterfly Valves and HDPE-to-Shouldered Transition Couplings provide a complete system of versatile shouldered products for underground and surface mine piping applications.

Improve jobsite safety Couplings, fittings and valves install easily and quickly without fire hazards and noxious fumes, eliminating the need for costly precautionary measures associated with hot-works.

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AM.JUL12.PG140.pdf

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Underground vehicles VLI Diesel will promote its newest underground mining vehicles on Stand 8000 at QME. Headlining the VLI Diesel The LHD will be on display. display will be the Juga-A-0 LHD (loadhaul-dump), a flameproof diesel-powered 4x4 utility loader. It is powered by an 8 litre super-charged Hino engine with a load sense hydraulic system with lifting capacities of either 10,000 kg or 12,000 kg. VLI Diesel’s sales and marketing manager, Bill Sidwell, said this newest Jug-A-0 – the version 3-Z series – was the most technically advanced LHD currently on the market, with the quietest operation and superior operator visibility.

“We rightly claim the Jug was the loader designed by fitters for fitters,” he said.

• VLI Diesel Bill Sidwell 02 4913 7500 bsidwell@vli.com.au www.valleylongwall.com.au

Containment mesh DynATOn will debut the latest version of its modular ringlock scaffold system, along with a new safety containment mesh, on Stand 9830 during QME. “Dynaton’s scaffold system has been designed to increase productivity and provide safe access and flexibility on challenging sites and has been proven in iconic building projects for major Australian and international companies,” Dynaton representative Mark Twyford, said. The system’s ringlock design centres on a simple eight-hole rosette, which provides self-securing and logical assembly. Regular demonstrations of the system will take place on the Dynaton stand during QME. “Our scaffold system combines strength and visual appeal and is fully galvanised for minimal maintenance and durability,” Twyford said. “And it is unique in that it incorporates back-to-back angle transom componentry compatible with standard dimension steel scaffold boards.” Other features of the system include load-bearing braces that allow direct cantilevering at height and uncomplicated componentry for efficient inventory control and storage, he said.

• Dynaton Sales & Hire 1300 318 160 sales@dynaton.com.au www.dynaton.com.au A D _ A MR A P J U L 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 2 1 / 0 6 / 1 2 ,

Cap lamps PCI Limited will promote the new C MinerCap Lamp on Stand 6338 during QME. PCI has worked closely with Australian-based Enabling Technology Pty Ltd to design, manufacture and market this new cap lamp, which is said to combine the latest LED lighting and lithium ion battery technologies, resulting in a lighter and brighter cap lamp developed in Australia to military standards. PCI spokesman Delvin Chua said other benefits of the C Miner cap lamp included its rugged and reliable design; a white LED with superior durability; an auxiliary LED offering weeks of run time for emergency backup; and a lightweight and maintenance-free design. The C Miner Cap Lamp had an integrated display to show how many hours of battery life remained and was compatible with many lead-acid charging racks, Chua said. Light output from the main LED was 54 lumens on maximum setting for more than 12 hours after a full charge, while light duration after a full charge on the eco setting was more than 24 hours; on the auxiliary setting, it was more than two weeks, he said.

Other specifications of the cap lamp includes a main LED operating life of 25,000 hours on maximum setting; an operating temperature range of -20°C to +60°C; a battery weight of 600 g and a lamp weight of 200 g; battery pack dimensions of 135 mm x 130mm x 66 mm; and an expected battery life of at least two years.

• PCI Limited + 65 6663 8317 delvin.chua@pciltd.com.sg www.pciltd.com

Chain blocks ROBERTSOnS Lifting & Rigging will introduce a new range of Beaver chain blocks on Stand 3130 at QME. Robertsons says the V series 3G-V blocks, which have 500 kg to 20 tonne capacities, feature a built-in safety overload mechanism to ensure operator safety.

Other safety features of the chain blocks include enclosed gears and brake mechanisms and ID plates and rivets in stainless steel to avoid sparking. The alloy steel grade T(80), load chains have a black oxidised finish, are heat treated and calibrated while the top and bottom hooks all swivel and have safety latches. The bottom hook includes trust bearing for greater load mobility. The blocks have 3 m and 6 m lifts as standard, with other chain lengths available on request.

Each chain block carries an individual serial number, relating directly to a test certificate, on the identification side plate for traceability, and is operationally tested to its capacity.

Safety instructions and an operation manual were also supplied, Robertsons national sales manager, Simon nott, said. “And spare parts are available, complete with full repair facilities and re-testing to nATA specifications,” he said. The blocks comply with AS1418.2.

• Robertsons Lifting & Rigging Simon Nott 0417 176 043 1 2 : 0simon.nott@jlr.com.au 4 PM

FOR THE RESOURCE, MINING, CONSTRUCTION & CIVIL CONTRACTING INDUSTRIES Custom Designed mobile or fixed plant available Australia wide on contract or for hire Rapid Crushing and Screening Contractors Pty Ltd is a successful privately owned Company celebrating 32 years as a preferred service provider to the civil contracting, mining, and resource industries in Western Australia.

We specialise in the crushing and screening under contract of all types of mineral ores including iron ore, gold and nickel, and construction materials including special class site preparation fill materials, concrete and road aggregates, road base, rail ballast, stemming and armour rock.

OPENING SOON IN MACKAY Rapid Crushing is pleased to announce that we have recently acquired over 2 Hectares of industrial land in Mackay, Queensland and we are now making arrangements for the construction of an office & workshop facility on the site.

This facility will become a permanent base to offer and provide continued excellent crushing and screening services into Queensland and surrounds to the same standard that we have provided in Western Australia for over 30 years.

We will now commence the procurement and delivery of a designated fleet of custom designed mobile & fixed crushing & screening circuits, front end loaders, articulated dump trucks and other support equipment for our Queensland operations.

Soon a dedicated team of experienced site based personnel will be able to assist your company with any projects you are tendering or about to commence. In the meantime, please direct all enquiries to our Perth office on the contact details below.

We look forward to the opportunity to become a preferred supplier of crushing & screening services to you in the near future.

Phone (08) 9452 5888 | 577 Bickley Road, Maddington WA 6109

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reception@rapidcrushing.com.au

www.rapidcrushing.com.au www.miningaustralia.com.au

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REDA

ELECTRIC SUBMERSIBLE PUMPING SYSTEMS

*Mark of Schlumberger. Measurable Impact is a mark of Schlumberger. © 2011 Schlumberger. 11-AL-0023

High-Pressure Pumps for Mining Reliable Operational Performance

Maximize Uptime with REDA High-Pressure Pumps REDA* electric submersible pumps offer efficient mine dewatering and can be customized as required.

REDA ESPs have been running continuously for more than 4 years in two mines in Queensland, Australia—reducing downtime and operator costs. Engineered for best-in-class reliability, Schlumberger REDA high-pressure submersible bore pumps and underground booster pumps provide a single lift to the surface. www.slb.com/espmining

Global Expertise | Innovative Technology | Measurable Impact

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‘New age’ pipes PiPe & Buoy Australia will promote its Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPe) pipes, buoys and beacons on Stand 5018 during the 2012 Queensland Mining & engineering show. The company describes UHMWPe as a “new-age” material offering extremely high wear and impact resistance, self-lubricating properties superior to PTFe (Teflon) and corrosion resistance second only to PTFe. “The wear resistance of UHMWPe pipes is four to seven times greater than that of steel or HDPe (high-density polyethylene) pipes under most operating conditions,” Pipe & Buoy’s Nick Cubitt said. “And surface roughness of 0.00022 mm, or two ten thousandths of a millimetre, means scaling is virtually a thing of the past.”

Compressed air The extremely smooth surface also greatly reduces energy inputs and means pressure loss is reduced to around one-tenth of steel pipes and one-seventh of nylon pipes. “imagine the savings this can provide in overall pumping costs,” Cubitt said. Financial benefits included reduced energy inputs, reduced maintenance costs and time, less downtime for maintenance, reduced pumping costs and lower installation costs.

• Pipe & Buoy Australia 07 4955 4644 nick@pipeandbuoy.com.au www.pipeandbuoy.com.au

Mine safety systems SAFeMiNe Technology will demonstrate a next generation collision avoidance system, which integrates four different proximity awareness and collision avoidance technologies into a single package, on Stand 3812. Described as the first of its kind, SAFemine’s Safety Centre System (SCS) is designed to combine GPS, radar, cameras and time-of-flight ranging in one user-friendly interface. “The SCS takes advantage of every technology’s superior attributes and combines them into one powerful integrated system,” luke Schelosky, general manager of Brisbane-based SAFemine Technology Australia, said. “in addition, it prioritises information so that the most critical threat always gets the operator’s attention.” The SCS uses GPS and radio communications to detect vehicles and plant equipment A D _ A MS A R J U L _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1

fitted with SAFemine systems. radar and time-of-flight are used to detect untagged personnel and obstacles. Cameras give operators greater visual awareness. Optionally, the SCS uses radio frequency time-of-flight ranging to actively protect personnel. rFiD is used to identify vehicle operators and GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) and WiFi networking for centralised vehicle tracking and reporting. “This is a new generation solution and an innovated step in extracting the best features from various technologies and combining them into a single compact product,” Schelosky said.

• SAFEmine Technology 07 3399 3355 www.safe-mine.com 7 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 1 2 : 2 7 PM

SUllAir Australia will be showcasing its compressed air expertise on stand 1183. The company will be displaying its respected and reliable 375HH, which is ideal for a range of mining and drilling applications. According to Sullair Australia national product manager for portable air power, Daryl Davis, the Sullair 375HH demonstrates its design with a range of ergonomic features. These include a curbside instrument panel, plus large service doors to provide access to the fuel tank, air filters, and all serviceable components. “The 375HH also features highway towable running gear, and quiet operation of 76dBA at 7m,” Davis said. “This unit makes the ideal choice of compressor for small-hole drilling applications and water-well drilling.” The 375HH has been designed for dependable performance during extended operation in hot, dry and dusty conditions. “Given the remoteness of many mine sites, it is essential that the compressed air equipment chosen is reliable and robust enough for optimum performance in harsh environments,” Davis said. “Here, the Sullair 375HH has a good reputation. it is designed to be tough enough to run for extended periods in dry, humid, and dusty conditions, and where the ambient temperature approaches 50 degrees C.” QMe 2012 will also present an opportunity for Sullair Australia to discuss its level of aftermarket care.

• Sullair 1300 266 773 www.sullair.com.au

READY FOR ANY LOCATION. FAST FACTS ABOUT SARGENT UÊÊÊÊÊ-«iV > ÃÌÃÊ ÊÌ iÊ ÕÃÌÀ> > Ê vÀ>ÃÌÀÕVÌÕÀiÊ> `Ê ,ià ÕÀViÃÊÃiVÌ À UÊÊÊÊÊ Ê `iÀ ÊÀi Ì> ÊyiiÌÊ vÊ ÛiÀÊ{]äääÊ{7 Ã]Ê Ó7 Ã]ÊÌÀÕV Ã]ÊLÕÃiÃÊ> `ÊëiV > Ãi`ÊÛi V ið UÊÊÊÊÊ"ÛiÀÊ£ääʵÕ> wi`Ê iV > V> ÊÃÌ>vvÊÌ >ÌÊ ii«Ê ÕÀÊyiiÌÊ Û }Ê ÊÞ ÕÀÊà Ìi]ÊÌ À Õ} Ê ÕÀÊ L iÊÃiÀÛ V }Ê ÀÊ>ÌÊ ÕÀÊLÀ> V Ê iÌÜ À ° UÊÊÊÊÊ7 Ì Ê>Ê iÌÜ À Ê vÊ£xÊ V>Ì ÃÊÃÌÀ>Ìi} V> ÞÊ « >Vi`Ê>VÀ ÃÃÊ ÕÃÌÀ> >]Ê ÕÀÊV ÛiÀ>}iÊ ÃÊ > }ÃÌÊÌ iÊÜ `iÃÌÊ ÊÌ iÊ `ÕÃÌÀÞ°

MINE SPEC READY

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Call Sargent or visit our website for more information

1800 077 353 | WWW WWW.SARGENT.COM.AU SARGENT COM AU

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Motors | Automation | Energy | Transmission & Distribution | Coatings

WEG products driving up plant reliability

Motors, low & high voltage, up to 50,000kW

Starters & drives, up to 6,000kW and 6,900V

See WEG at stand number: 1049 24-26 July 2012 - Mackay Showgrounds, Queensland.

WEG Australia Pty Ltd

www.weg.net/au

Tel: 03 9765 4600 MELBOURNE | SYDNEY | BRISBANE | ADELAIDE | PERTH

our products page

Follow us on Twitter: WEG_Australia

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Hose assembly GATES Australia will showcase its MegaSys range of hydraulic hose and coupling systems for mining applications on Stand 1079. Gates says the spiral-wire and braidwire hose assemblies are designed and tested to one million and 600,000 impulse cycles respectively, which is two to three times more than the SAE requirement. “Even more remarkable, the tests are conducted at a bend radius that is up to one-third of the minimum SAE bend radius,” Gates’ representative Mark Hedington said. “This means extended hose life, more flexibility for easier routing and an overall lower cost of ownership.” MegaSys is both FrAS and MSHA approved, offers constant pressures of up to 550 bar (8000 psi) and is colour coded for easier and safer identification. Gates will also promote its lifeguard™ system for line-of-sight protection against hose failure at QME. “Equipment operators working within a meter of a hydraulic system know the potential for problems involving a failed hose,” Hedington said. risks included personal injury, fluid burns, fires, explosions, and electrical shock, he said. “The double or triple layer lifeguard™ sleeve effectively shields against these hazards.” Gates will also show its belt drive systems for processing equipment at QME. Gates synchronous belt drives are described as an ideal replacement for roller chain drives, offering similar performance capabilities.

• Gates Australia Stephanie Papathanasiou 03 9797 9655 spapathanasiou@gates.com www.gatesaustralia.com.au

Fire fighting equipment GAAM Emergency Products will showcase a range of products and equipment at this year’s Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition. At Stand 1044, GAAM will exhibit the Bullard Eclipse Thermal Imager, a compact, lightweight and A perfect fit for firefighters. rugged unit which is exceptionally useful for fire fighters. The thermal imaging camera is designed to help prevent disorientation in a fire and assist in search and rescue situations. It can withstand the toughest of conditions and is also robust enough for everyday use. The Pelican range of torch lighting is ideal for mine site emergencies and GAAM will showcase a selection of Pelican’s powerful and durable solutions. The Pelican portfolio includes personal, medium duty and specialty lights which produce a powerful, bright beam, superior to the yellowish light from a conventional torch.

• GAAM 03 9464 8400 www.gaam.com.au

Diesel generators Safety knives MArTor Australia will unveil several new products, including safety knives, cutters and overshoes, on Stand 1265. Included in the Martor line-up will be the Martego 122001 safety cutter featuring automatic blade retraction and squeeze action, and suitable for both left and right-handed users. Advantages are said to include easy blade change and an aluminium body with a soft anti-slip grip. A rectangular blade with four cutting edges is available for the cutter. It will also showcase the Merak 124001 safety cutter with automatic blade retraction and squeeze action and suitable for both right and left-handed users. It features an easy blade change, a light plastic body and is available with a rectangular blade with four cutting edges. Martor plans to highlight its Eezycut Trilobite line cutting tool as well. Described by Martor as the latest in emergency cutting tools, it is designed for emergency rescue services, scuba divers, mariners and extreme sports participants. It comes with replacement blades and can be used to cut easily and repeatedly through lines up to 8 mm thick and webbing while its compact form means it can be carried in a pocket, on a harness or on a wrist. In the case of shoes, it will feature its Tiger Grip slip-on overshoes with an aluminium and titanium alloy safety cap, said to be ideal for site visitors, with three colour-coded sizes covering all shoe sizes.

• Martor Australia Bruce Cobban 03 5940 4476 bruce@martoraustralia.com.au www.martor.com A D _ A MP R I MA R _ 1 1 . p d f Pa ge 1 4 / 0 2 / 1 1 ,

PowEr Equipment will show an expanded range of diesel-powered yanmar generators on Stand 4054 during QME. The five new yH Series models comprise four-pole, three-phase generators that deliver power from 12.5 kVa to 45.0 kVa. They can be used for stand-by power in commercial situations or as the prime power source for industrial and construction sites. “The yH Series has been specifically engineered to deliver clean, reliable electrical power,” Power Equipment business manager noel Heritage said. The series was also both powerful and transportable, totally self contained and fully bunded, he said. The yH Series ranges from the “base-end” yanmar yH170 with a power output of 12.5 kVa and a dry mass of 691 kg to the top-of-the-line yH550 with an output of 45 kVa and a mass of 960kg.

According to Heritage, another feature of the yH range included excellent noise attenuation so the generators operated quietly whether out in the open, in a built-up area or within a building. They were also easy to operate with user-friendly features including an easyturn key start and simple operational procedures that made them ideal for hire and rental applications. Separate control panel meters displayed voltage, amperage and frequency, allowing the operator to monitor the power output, while each model has a stop button for instant shutdown in an emergency.

• Power Equipment 03 9709 8500 noel.heritage@powerequipment.com.au www.powerequipment.com.au

Screening units

1 1 : 1 8

AM

FInlAy Screening & Crushing will release two new screening units, the Terex Finlay 684 and the Terex Finlay 863, on Stand 1109 at QME. Both are described as versatile and adaptable screens with applications in mining, quarrying and construction involving coal, aggregate, sand, gravel, demolition debris and topsoil. According to Finlay Screening & Crushing, the Terex Finlay 684 is a compact and easily transportable machine with rapid set-up and teardown times while its 21.9 sq m screening area offers efficient screening and high capacity.

Key features of the 684 include a triple deck configuration with the three 4.3 m by 1.7 m inclined decks having full catwalk access and offering highly efficient screening capabilities, even at small aggregate sizes; an oversize fourth conveyor that can work at various angles and discharge from 15° to 24° for recirculation to a crusher or for stockpiling; and a combination of quick wedge tensioning, convenient access holes and hydraulic tensioning on the bottom deck to minimise set-up and change-out times. Meanwhile, the Terex Finlay 863 is described by Finlay Screening & Crushing as an “aggressive, forward-facing inclined modular screen box” with an angle that can by hydraulically adjusted by between 14° and 18°.

• Finlay Screening & Crushing 1800 777 300 www.finlay.com.au

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Bearing ranges

Environmental management

Kaydon Bearings division (US) and Cooper Bearings (UK), exhibiting together for the first time, will show a broad range of bearings aimed at reducing cost and downtime in the mining industry on Stand 7001. The stand will feature heavy-duty slewing ring bearings and time-saving split bearings. according to Kaydon Bearings spokesman Brian Walters, the company’s Reducing cost and downtime slewing ring bearings are widely used on hydraulic shovels, excavators and other mining equipment, providing the quality of oEM bearings at savings of up to 30% on typical oEM list prices. The Kaydon range includes 4-point contact ball, 8-point contact ball, cross-roller, and 3-row roller designs. They come in diameters from 50.8 mm to 6.1 m and can be ordered with no gearing, internal gearing or external gearing. Cooper split-to-the-shaft bearings are known for reducing cost and downtime by simplifying installation and disassembly, Walters said.

• Kaydon Bearings and Cooper Bearings Brian Walters + 1 231 755 3747 451 www.kaydon.com

duPont Sustainable Solutions will promote its dust management and sustainability expertise for the mining industry on Stand 8040 during QME. The company will offer an integrated range of products and services for the reduction of fugitive dust emissions from mining operations, transportation and bulk handling. and the head of its australian Technical Centre, dr Leong Mar, will be on-site at QME to help visitors with pressing technical issues concerning dust management. “our research and application of particulate science has led to numerous patents and our dust control technologies have enabled many industrial sites throughout the world to manage fugitive dust emissions to the satisfaction of operators and local communities,” duPont’s marketing and events specialist, Imogen Stanfield, said. Sustainability will also be on the agenda at duPont’s QME stand with the company promoting its know-how in areas such as environmental management, capital effectiveness, asset productivity, operational risk management and workplace safety. duPont’s industrial coatings product line will also be featured.

• DuPont Sustainable Solutions Imogen Stanfield www.dupont.com

Drive technology BonfIgLIoLI Transmission (australia) (BTa) will promote custom-engineered heavy industrial drives for unique mining, ports, energy and materials handling challenges on Stand 1039 at QME. The drives on display will feature the company’s new helical drive Hdo160 series, engineered by BTa’s australian drives Service Centre (dSC) and featuring high-torque, alignment-free and power-pack innovations. Powerful Trasmital planetary drives, travel drives and wheel drives, used widely in crawler and mobile machinery such as swing and travel drive excavators and mini excavators, will also feature on the company’s QME stand. australian-assembled drives on display at QME will include Bonfiglioli’s Hdo160 bevel helical, which is mounted on a baseplate with fluid coupling brake and electric motor, and Hdo alignment-free drives engineered as a cost-effective alternative to baseplate designs in many applications. other drives on show will include the Trasmital 321L5fZ planetary drive offering up to 650 000 nm of torque for heavy-duty applications such as coal thickeners or winches; the Hi-Torque drive, which combines transmittal 319 planetary and Hdo110 bevel helical technology, and is designed for slow-moving applications such as shuttle drives, belt feeders, apron feeders, cranes and winches; 715T slew drives, which incorporate yaw and pitch drives for wind energy, for cranes, stacker-reclaimers and special equipment industries; and a 713C3B, described as an alternate compact winch drive unit designed to fit inside the winch drum and which can double as a track drive, from Bonfiglioli’s s 700 series which has capacities from 1000 to 180,000 nm, making it suited to any crawler machine of any size.

• Bonfiglioli 02 8811 8000 www.bonfiglioli.com.au A D _ A ML O C J U L _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 1 5 / 0 6 / 1 2 ,

Materials handling KIndEr & Co. will promote its technical expertise and newest product developments on Stand 3184 at QME. The bulk materials handling product specialist believes QME 2012 will provide an ideal opportunity for the mining industry to update its knowledge of material handling issues. “People’s education can quickly fall behind on the more efficient ways of doing things and the importance of safety,” Kinder & Co.’s managing director, neil Kinder said. “Certainly the oH&S bar has been lifted in recent years and the significance of keeping people in the loop has become evident in our discussions with customers.

• Kinder & Co. Pty Ltd David Burns 03 9587 9244 www.kinder.com.au

Flatproof tyres MaraTHon Tyres will promote a reusable flat proofing rubber liner designed to improve the performance and safety of rubber tyres on underground and industrial machines on Stand 9731 during the 2012 QME. The company says that once fitted, the Marathon rL prevents punctures and is especially suited to situations where punctures or other damage to tyres impacts on equipment downtime. “It also reduces the risks associated with pneumatic tyres including tyre explosions and the dangers to personnel changing a flat tyre in an underground mine,” Marathon Tyres’ national business development manager, dean Mcguinness, said.

• Marathon Tyres 1 0 : www.marathontyres.com.au 0 4 AM

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Filtration systems

Gas cylinder storage

DonalDson Filters will present an extensive array of bulk fuel and hydraulic filtration systems for modern equipment on stand 6206.

“The sophistication of today’s equipment, such as the increase in injection pressures and tighter tolerances on diesel engines, requires higher cleanliness levels than ever before,” said Donaldson’s BFlF & Hydraulic sales engineer, Deon Cilliers. “our bulk filtration systems can save on costly component replacement and minimise equipment and vehicle downtime.”

Donaldson Products on display at QME will include BFlF Filters for cleaning fuels and oils on the inlet side to maintain cleanliness levels in bulk storage tanks (also useable on the outlet side); BFlF Manifolds which are manufactured and piped in parallel flow configurations to reduce pressure drop across an assembly for single-pass filtration performance and targeted fluid cleanliness; TRaP Breathers to reduce the risk of dust and moisture entering storage tanks from a vent while allowing high flow rates of fluid into and out of the tank; Boss (Bulk oil service system) for off-line filtration and fluid transfer capability in a portable package, suited to workshops, in-plant machine and mobile equipment and is designed to achieve and maintain Iso cleanliness standards of fluids; PowerCore air Filtration units which offer two-stage filtration and are described as ideal for medium and heavy-duty equipment operating in severe dust environments.

Endurance lube filters designed to extend filter maintenance programs for heavy-duty engines; Diesel Fuel Filter Kits for diesel platforms with flow rates up to 114 lit/min and up to 379 lit/min; and Ultrapure alG20 breathing air filters for point-of-use applications where plant air must be purified to breather air quality standards.

“Good filtration is an integral part of the hydraulic circuit, ensuring long life and the proper operation of pumps, valves, cylinders and motors,” Cilliers said.

“Donaldson’s hydraulic filters and accessories remove a broad range of contaminants to keep equipment running smoothly, resulting in efficient systems with superior performance, maximum equipment life and optimised productivity.”

• Donaldson Filters Deon Cilliers 0409 948 092 deon.cilliers@donaldson.com www.donaldsonfilters.com.au A D _ A MK A R J U L _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 2 0 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 9 : 3 2

VIsIonsaFE will promote a storage system for high-pressure gas cylinders, along with an industrial skin protectant range on stand 1134 during the 2012 Queensland Mining and Engineering Exhibition.

The australian-made Bottlechock is described by Visionsafe as a unique, safe and secure cylinder restraint system designed for harsh outback conditions and suited for uses ranging from securing a gas cylinder in a work ute to frequent-use industrial applications.

Bottlechock features a clamp that restricts horizontal and vertical cylinder movement while holding from one to four cylinders of different diameters. “safe and secure storage of high-pressure gas cylinders is an on-going safety issue for many workplaces as demands for convenient and easy access often conflict with the necessity for reliable, secure storage,” Visionsafe marketing manager, alicia Rowley, said.

“The Bottlechock has been purpose-designed to keep cylinders secure, protecting staff and valuable gauges and equipment.”

Visionsafe will also feature its Derma Guard industrial skin protectant range at QME. Derma Guard provides the ultimate skin protection again oils, grease and grime and also gives emergency protection against most acids and bases, Rowley said.

“It is non-greasy, easy to apply and remains on the skin for four to five hours despite frequent washing.”

The range also offeres protection against a huge range of irritants and helps to make latex and vinyl gloves more comfortable to wear by controlling excess perspiration and glove irritation, Rowley said. “and Derma Guard users have also reported that it helps with skin conditions like dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and dry, cracked skin.

“It will even repel strong odours like onion and garlic, making it ideal for food preparation areas,” she said.

• VisionSafe 08 9295 0624 enquiries@visionsafe.com.au www.visionsafe.com.au A M

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www.miningaustralia.com.au

AD_AMHONJUL_12.pdf

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GO THE DISTANCE

MINER’S HARNESS RANGE BY MILLER® Depend on the Miller ® Miner’s Harness range for day after day durability, comfort and ease of use. The Underground version includes a miner’s belt to attach a self rescuer and battery pack, as well as handy tool loops on the rear.

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For more information call 1300 139 166 or visit www.honeywellsafety.com © 2012 Honeywell Safety Products Pty Ltd

AM.JUL12.PG150.pdf

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PREVIEW

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Safe access systems Locker Group will showcase a walkway system for platforms and incline catwalks on Stand 2046 during the 2012 Queensland Mining & engineering exhibition. According to Locker Group’s marketing manager, carli Barnes, the Gripspan planking system has a unique profile which allows liquids to pass, but prevents any solid object from falling through. The fast, easy-to-install system had been used extensively along rail lines and conveyor systems as a safe access walkway for maintenance crews, she said. “elevated applications are no problem as people below are protected from the threat of falling tools or screws.” Gripspan is manufactured in Locker Group’s Dandenong, Victoria, facility, one of the three major manufacturing facilities the company operates in Australia, along with two fabrication sites.

A new, purpose-built facility was opened in Townsville late in 2010 to produce fabricated walkway systems and handrails. Barnes said Locker’s Gridforge welded grating panels, stair treads and handrail systems, which had been supplied to major LNG and coal seam projects across Qld and WA, will also feature at QMe. In addition to these walkway and access products, the group manufactures a range of expanded metal mesh profiles for safety guards and screens.

The Locker Group’s presence at QMe follows its recent re-entry into the mining market after some years focusing on the industrial and quarry markets.

• Locker Group 03 8791 1073 www.locker.com.au

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MADDISoN Safety will showcase its Australian-made leather miners’ belts on Stand 5186 during the 2012 Queensland Mining and engineering (QMe) exhibition at the Mackay Showground from July 24-26. The Australian-owned and operated company is in the process of exporting 1000 of its hand-made belts to russia. established in 1990, Maddison Safety specialises Australianmade safety products and services, including Personal Protective equipment, customised product design, on-site PPe vending systems, customised reporting and product training. The company is also a Matterhorn mining boot distributor and these will be available to view at their Stand. “We pride ourselves on delivering honest, prompt and personal service and in assisting companies in creating safe working environments,” owner Tim Maddison said.

• Maddison Safety Tim Maddison 02 4954 7544 sales@maddisonsafety.com www.maddisonsafety.com

Tensioner pump eNerPAc will unveil a new electric tensioner pump – described as the only one of its kind to feature a remote-controlled electric valve and universal motor without a hydraulic intensifier – on Stand 3030 during QMe. According to enerpac, this means the new pump, the ZUTP1500, facilitates hassle-free operation of bolt tensioners and hydraulic nuts in remote locations.

The compact and lightweight (34 kg including oil) pump is designed for safe and fast bolting applications in the mining, wind turbine, electricity generation, construction, metalworking, oil and gas, and shipbuilding markets, enerpac’s global product manager – pumps and valve, Brian Alexander said. It offered consistent and reliable power, could withstand demanding environments and could help improve productivity, he said.

“With a low-pressure flow rate of 3.77 lit/min and a full-pressure flow rate of 0.33 lit/min, the new three-piston, two-stage pump powers bolt tensioners up to two times faster than competitive pumps,” Alexander said. “In addition, the ZUTP1500 is able to generate 1500 bar of pressure without the use of an intensifier, which means it is less sensitive to contamination in the hydraulic fluid, more reliable and offers a lower operating cost than similar units. Plus, the design is rugged, lightweight and compact, providing an ideal fit for tight openings common in space-restricted applications.” The ZUTP1500 includes a durable, lightweight aluminium roll cage and reservoir with a sheet metal front panel to guard the pump from worksite rigours.

“With a high-efficiency pump design and heavy-duty universal motor, the ZUTP1500 has a cooler operating temperature and draws less current than similar competitive pumps, delivering higher productivity for applications in remote or low-powered areas,” Alexander said. The pump is the latest addition to enerpac’s range of ZUTP-Series electric Tensioning Pumps.

• Enerpac www.enerpac.com www.miningaustralia.com.au

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Underground refuges MineARC will present two refuge chambers for the Australian and new Zealand coal market on Stand 9042. Headlining the MineARC stand will be the recently-released14-person CoalSafe refuge chamber which, according to the company, is the only refuge chamber in the world that can provide intrinsically safe scrubbing (CO/CO2) and cooling, which are both vital for ongoing life support. “in emergency situations where miners and personnel are simply unable to exit a mine because escape routes are blocked, the CoalSafe refuge chamber is designed to provide a safe and secure standalone ‘go-to’ area that offers up to 96 hours safe refuge,” MineARC marketing manager, Ben Johnson said. information about a Change-OverStation (COS), released by MineARC last year, will also be available at QMe. “The MineARC COS was designed to facilitate self-escape from a coalmine during an emergency,” Johnson said.

“Stocked with up to 40 self-rescuers and a CABA (Compressed Air Breathing Apparatus) quick-fill station, the COS has a walk-through layout to help miners and other personnel get out of the mine and out of harm’s way,” he said.

• MineArc Ben Johnson 08 9333 4966 ben.johnson@minearc.com.au www.minearc.com A D _ A MR O S J U L _ 1 2 . p d f

Coal analysers SCAnTeCH will launch two new tools for online coal analysis on Stand 7135 at QMe. Headlining the stand will be an extra-large version of the Coalscan 9500X elemental analyser for measuring coal deposit components such as ash, ash components, sulphur and specific energy. “This new model measures bed depths up to 530 mm and belt widths up to 2.6 m,” Scantech’s coal marketing manager, Michael edwards, said. A new model of Scantech’s TBM210 Moisture Monitor will also be introduced at QMe. it is the latest addition to Scantech’s TBM range, which is used to monitor shipments to help optimise washery performance and dust management. The new TBM monitor measures coal with bed depths up to 600 mm. “These large frame analysers now

Safe stemming STeMSAfe will feature equipment and processes designed to offer smarter & safer stemming services at Stand 7257 during the 2012 Queensland Mining and engineering exhibition at Mackay. One of the stand highlights will be the company’s dualpurpose trucks, designed to reduce rock fly and create a safer working environment for mining staff while minimising the waste of resources. The trucks include a patented dust-suppression sprinkler system for reducing exposure to hazardous dust; water tanks for increased efficiency with stemming materials and water supplies; cabins with a user-friendly control panel; and a CCTV system which uses dual angle cameras to reduce manual handling and enhance operator safety.

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cost-effective drilling and blasting processes. The company’s client base includes Anglo American, BMA, Orica and Rio Tinto. experienced shot firers designed the company’s trucks and stemming processes in-house after StemSafe managing directors, Andrew Wheeler and Todd Woolley, identified a need for safer and more advanced stemming processes. The two, who have more than 35 years’ combined experience as shot firers, are also conducting ongoing research into ways of reducing exposure to silica dust and aim to continually develop their product to protect workers from all types of dust.

• StemSafe 07 4951 4174 info@stemsafe.com.au www.stemsafe.com.au

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152

mean that Scantech analysers measure from the smallest coal flows of 50 mm bed depth to the extreme coal flows of over 500 mm seen in some ship loading applications,” edwards said.

The new products join the Scantech range of online analysers designed to monitor the quality of coal flowing along a conveyor belt. Online analysis enabled more efficient and effective coal mining, processing and combustion and was widely used to monitor raw and product coals at mines, wash plants and power stations, edwards said.

• Scantech International m.edwards@scantech.com.au www.scantech.com.au

AustralianMining

Contact: Phone: Fax: Email:

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AD_FENKAEAPR_12.pdf

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PREVIEW

Mining chains

Sustainability software

RUD Chains Australia will showcase its latest innovations in lifting chains and components, tyre protection chains and bulk materials handling technology on Stand 7241 at QME. The display will incorporate recently patented additions to the company’s lifting and lashing range. Heading the stand will be RUD’s ABA Tyre protection. weld-on pad-eye lifting device that offers between 1.6 tonnes and 10 tonnes full WLL (working load limit) in all lifting directions. According to RUD’s lifting and lashing product manager Stuart Nolan, this device also has a number of significant safety features and has been in high demand since its release. Nolan said RUD will also use QME to promote its ICE 120 6mm to 16mm chain range, which offers an increase of up to 60 per cent in WLL, compared with the same size Grade 80 chain.

“It means higher WLL in lifting and lashing can be achieved with a much smaller and lighter chain, providing important cost and safety advantages,” he said.

• RUD Chains Australia www.rud.com.au

SySTAR Pty Ltd will showcase its award-winning sustainable development software, iSystain, on Stand 5214 during the 2012 Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition. The cloud-based business improvement tool helps companies, from small to multinational, to manage and report on their performance in the areas of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. For example, it will collect information from electricity, gas and water bills and waste disposal receipts for footprint monitoring. iSystain received the 2011 iAward for Queensland sustainability reporting software. More recently, a KPMG report, Sustainability Reporting Systems – A Market Review, ranked it in the top quadrant for functionality and ERP systems integration. Jenni Mulligan, managing director of Brisbane-based Systar, said iSystain delivered a scalable, cost-effective way of integrating sustainable development practices into an organisation’s data collection, reporting, compliance, improvement and decision support processes. “And it can fit almost any business’s risk, safety, environment and sustainability reporting needs,” she said.

“It’s also incredibly flexible adapting to the needs, business rules and reporting requirements of any industry and our team is second to none in providing user support.” iSystain had multilingual capability and international application across many industries, including the mining, manufacturing, asset management, construction, chemical and recreation industries, Mulligan said.

• Systar Pty Ltd 1300 650 352 jenni@systar.com.au www.systar.com.au

Medical support LIFEAID will promote its health care resources and services on Stand 1152 at QME. The company specialises in providing medical staff, consultancy services for emergency care, fire, rescue and security, and associated equipment for events and work sites as well as related training courses. Clients include mining, oil, gas and construction companies, mostly in remote and rural locations. Specific LifeAid services and products on its stand will include medical risk assessment and planning; development and operation of medical facilities; ambulance operation and management; emergency management planning and procedures; fire-fighting and rescue equipment; operational and security risk assessments; emergency and medical first aid kits; emergency response teams including relief and support staff; and ambulance, medical and surgical equipment. Staff supplied by LifeAid to sites include first aid officers, paramedics, doctors, nurses and allied health care professionals as well as emergency response and fire/rescue teams while fully equipped, purpose-built vehicles offering, for example, pathology and X-ray services, are also available. LifeAid is also a nationally registered training organisation, offering health awareness and clinical procedures programs, rescue team training, firstaid training, and fire-fighting courses. The training programs it provides include Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). First aid; advanced life support; defibrillation; pain relief; spinal management; low voltage rescue; working at heights; fire fighting; vertical rescue; confined space awareness and rescue; and road accident rescue.

• LifeAid 1300 5433 243 lifeaid@lifeaid.com.au www.lifeaid.com.au A D _ A MS I C J U L 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 2 0 / 0 6 / 1 2 ,

Power analysers VRT Systems will launch a new power quality monitor on Stand 5214 during QME. According to the company, the CET PMC-680i is an advanced power quality monitor, offering unsurpassed functionality with a high-resolution, industrial-grade, colour LCD display. The analyser has 8 GB of on-board memory, eight data input and output connections, GPS time memory synchronisation and multiple communications options, including dual Ethernet and RS-485 ports. ”These features make the PMC-680i one of the most advanced power quality monitors available for power-sensitive industries,” VRT representative, Dennis Henry, said. Typical applications included generation plants, HV transmission networks, HV, MV and LV distribution substations at heavy industry plants and mines, 24/7 automated manufacturing facilities and data centres.

The PMC-680i conforms to industry standards, including IEC 62053-22 Class 0.25, IEC 61000-4-7, IEC 61000-4-15 and IEC 61000-4-30. VRT Systems will also use QME to show a new CET PMC-330 digital three-phase energy meter for the low voltage power and energy metering markets. The meter has two digital inputs for status monitoring and two digital outputs for alarm and remote-control functions. It also features a DIN rail mount and a large, easy-to-read LCD display with automatic scrolling. The PMC-330 complies with the IEC 62053-21 Class 1 kWh accuracy standard for direct connect.

• VRT Systems 07 3367 1388 dennish@vrt.com.au 1 0 : 3www.vrt.com.au 9 AM

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PREVIEW

Equipment protection

Fire fighting foam

Rittal will showcase two new enclosures for safeguarding electronic and electrical equipment in harsh and rugged mining environments on Stand 5026 at QME. the aE range of slope-roofed, wall-mounted enclosures for electronic and electrical components has been specifically designed for dusty australian environments, while the DCC Xl data centre containers are designed to protect it equipment from external hazards. the aE enclosures feature 316 stainless steel construction and a 30° sloping roof. “these enclosures are certified to iP66, ensuring complete protection from dust and water from any direction,” Rittal’s business development manager, Bryan McHutchison Electronic enclosures. said. “this protection is further assisted by a 14 mm roof overhang, which prevents anything from settling in the gutter and on the seal, while a rubber seal across the top of the door provides additional dust and water proofing.” information about the 12 m long DCC Xl data centre container, which can accommodate up to 16 tS 8 server racks, will be available on the Rittal stand. at 3 m wide and 3.25 m high, the DCC Xl gives technicians and administrators installation and maintenance space, along with an energy-efficient cooling centre. the DCC Xl is targeted at medium-sized companies with very high demand for computing power, as well as large corporations and hosting providers; in addition, it can be customised for private cloud arrangements. another highlight of the Rittal display will be a recent addition to the company’s toptherm fan-and-filter unit range which allows air throughout as high as 900 cubic metres an hour.

Designed for switchgear enclosures, the toptherm range was designed to evenly distribute air, thus preventing the formation of hot spots, while its airflow distribution is designed to increase the operating life of filter mats. Energy-saving cooling units from Rittal’s Blue E range will also feature on Stand 5026. these offer a cooling output ranging from 500 W to 4000 W and, according to the company, can incorporate new technology that can help achieve energy savings of as much as 70% compared with a standard Rittal cooling unit with the same output. Germanbased Rittal is described as a world leader in enclosure and it infrastructure technology. its australasian operations are part of a worldwide team of 10,000 staff backed by 10 production facilities and 63 international subsidiaries.

• Rittal www.rittal.com.au A D _ A MS T A J U L _ 1 2 . p d f Pa ge 1 5 / 0 6 / 1 2 , 8 : 4 3

Quik Corp will launch an innovative new fire-fighting foam on Stand 6039 during the 2012 QME. the hose-reel manufacturer describes the Solid Eco Foam 500 as “revolutionising the use of foam wetting agents” with 5 X 200 gram donuts able to replace a 20 litre drum of fire-fighting foam. Quik Corp managing director David Wardle said the Solid Eco Foam was easier to transport and took up considerably less space than traditional fire-fighting foams. it can also easily be fitted to existing equipment, is very simple to use, is biodegradable and is environmentally friendly, he said. the release follows Quik Corp’s recent acquisition of fight-fighting equipment manufacturer, aaa Engineering technologies. Quik Corp will also use QME to promote the latest innovations to its QuikSpray range of weed-spraying systems; its EcoSmart Chemicals’ range of environmentally friendly Quik Break products; firefighting hose reels ranging from manual models to models with a remote-controlled retractable function; and hose reel and pumping solutions for applications such as chemical spraying and fire fighting. Commenting on Quik Corp’s January 2012 acquisition of aaa Engineering technologies, Wardle said the synergies between the two companies were undeniable. “the opportunity to merge two innovative manufacturers together was paramount to our ongoing strategy for expansion.”

He said that while current international economic forecasts were weak and one could forgive business for being conservative, this was not the case for Quik Corp. “We have a very successful spraying systems division in the agricultural market.

• Quik Corp Chris Coren 07 5493 8944 chris@quikcorp.biz www.quikspray.biz

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Q&A

Q and A Australian Mining discusses community issues with Moranbah councillor Kelly Vea Vea, Andrew Duffy reports.

A

member of local Government in Moranbah and chair of the Moranbah Action Group, Kelly Vea Vea has developed a strong voice in Queensland’s mining communities. A strong advocate for improving community and family life in resources towns, Australian Mining caught up with Vea Vea for this month’s Q and A.

Q: What do you think of the media’s coverage of fly-in fly-out issues?

A: Personally, I’d like to see more debate and focus on workable policy solutions. Planning and development in regional communities is one of the keys to providing more opportunities for new people entering the industry to choose to live in the regions.

We need solutions that focus on normalising rents and house prices and improving the liveability of our communities so that families have a genuine choice to live and work in our regions.

Without cooperation and a focus from governments and companies on taking responsibility, rather than dodging responsibility, regional housing markets and communities will continue to suffer from short sighted policy, planning and development decisions which prevent sustainable social, economic and population balance outcomes.

Q: Do you have any expectations about the Federal FIFO inquiry?

Do you think its findings will help deliver any benefits to mining communities?

A: From my perspective, I am hopeful that Mr Windsor and his committee will take this opportunity to recommend some real change to the policy settings affecting mining regions under pressure from the boom. There is overwhelming evidence to suggest that strong action is necessary, the issue will be whether this committee has the foresight to suggest it, and then whether government has the willingness to act.

We need a whole of government approach to sustainable development in mining communities and one of the ways we can achieve that is by this committee recommending a strong

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course of action to facilitate better community outcomes from mining development.

Everyone recognises the need for fly-in, fly-out and drive-in drive-out, but what we should be doing is facilitating as much choice as possible, for people wanting to move to the regions with their families.

We shouldn’t be forcing families into these arrangements through a lack of proper planning, ludicrous housing costs and infrastructure funding which only accounts for resident and not non-resident populations.

Both Federal and State Governments have policies aimed at regionalising QLD and Australia’s population, yet they only provide disincentive, not incentive for families to make these choices, by allowing unregulated, badly planned growth that puts massive pressure on communities.

Q: BMA recently closed the Norwich Park mine. Are you happy with the way the company has gone about closing the site, and do you accept its reasons for doing so?

A: My personal view is that BMA’s decision in this case was irresponsible. They understand the impact these closures have on communities like Dysart. They should have been working with community stakeholders to manage any issues they were having at their operation and put in place a sensible strategy to address those issues.

There is still high quality coal at the operation and everyone knows it will be up and running again, the question for BMA is; was their action responsible? I don’t believe so.

Were the issues at the mine widely known? Yes. Many local families had been suggesting constructive action for years.

Could the company have adopted a more responsible course of action to minimise social and community dislocation from its snap decision? I believe the answer to that is yes.

Q: What do you think of the over-

all

approach

mining

companies

www.miningaustralia.com.au

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have had toward communities in Queensland? Do you think they’re doing a good job or are improvements needed?

A: I support industry expansion and the benefits that come with it, but the reality is that we shouldn’t be compromising the long term sustainability of our regions with a smash and grab approach to growth. Communities must be given the opportunity to grow sustainably alongside industry.

I believe that as a whole, the industry is not providing that opportunity at the moment and that approach to growth must change.

We should be using the boom to leverage sustainable regional growth, good quality development, better infrastructure investment and a workable population balance.

Q: How well do you think local governments and the State Government have handled the expansion of the QLD mining industry?

A: I think the previous Labor Government failed our region on planning and development, particularly in relation to the mining industry.

The test for the new Government will be to live up to its promises of A re-empowering D _ M A N M F L Ilocal A P Rgovern_ 1 2 . ment to make the decisions needed

to support sustainable growth and its rhetoric about expecting world class environmental and community practices from the mining industry.

Expecting is one thing, ensuring they deliver is another.

There is a lot of talk about cutting red tape and regulation, but often for the mining and development industry, that language is code for cutting community input on mining and development projects and their impacts.

Improving efficiency and cutting approval timeframes; yes. Cutting the legitimate role of community input in mining and development approval processes; no.

We need to strengthen the role of communities in these processes, not diminish it, if companies are serious about maintaining the trust and confidence of the communities they operate in.

From my perspective, we are pro-mining, pro-development communities who just want to ensure that expansion is not conducted in an irresponsible rush to fill company, state and federal coffers, and leave communities with the consequences of bad planning and devep lopment df P adecisions g e 1 for1generations / 3 / 1 2 , to 1 Vea 1 : Vea 0 9is aAwell M known voice figure in Queensland’s mining communities. Image: come.

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www.miningaustralia.com.au

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ARGENTINA

“Taking back what is OURS”

Has Argentina’s acquisition of Spanish oil assets in the country sparked nationalisation fears?

Angela Welsh writes.

O

il and cash have defined Argentina’s struggle for economic independence for over a decade. Since the country’s debt default in 2002, it has been climbing a steep road towards organising its finances and industry to get back in the black. The expropriation of Spanish oil and gas company Repsol’s controlling stake in Argentine energy firm YPF is the latest, and one of the most significant, developments that highlight Argentina’s determination to take control of the nation’s economic situation.

But what does this mean for the future of the so-far untapped shale oil deposits in the Vaca Muerta (Dead Cow) area of Argentina’s Neuquén province? And how has Spain reacted to the takeover?

The decision by president Cristina Fernández to forcibly take a large portion of a foreign company’s shares in a domestic entity provoked harsh responses from Spain, which has considered enforcing economic retribution on its South American trading partner.

However, Spain’s options are limited due to the fragile state of its own economy, which is currently one of the most vulnerable in the European Union. Argentina’s gov160

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ernment has so far shrugged off the threats and reprimands of other nations, as it seeks more money to vitalise the nation’s industries.

Argentina defended its takeover of YPF (Yacimeientos Petroliferos Fiscales, Treasury Petroleum Fields) by asserting that Repsol didn’t reinvest a sufficient portion of their subsidiary’s profits in local industry, which ultimately drained energy from the country’s economy.

The YPF building.

Speaking to an Australian company which has operated in Argentina for sometime, its CEO told Australian Mining the move was not unexpected, considering the general antagonism to the original privatisation of YPF back in the 90s.

In the months prior to the expropriation decision, Repsol announced their discovery of large shale oil deposits in the Vaca Muerta area in Argentina’s western province, Neuquén. The company estimated that nearly one billion barrels of oil equivalents were recoverable from the Vaca Muerta formation, which could double Argentina’s oil and gas output in 10 years.

Argentina was once an exporter of oil and natural gas. But between 2001 and 2010, oil production in Argentina declined more than 22%, according to data from the Argentina Oil and Gas Institute. The Australian source explained as Repsol slowed its investment and production in the country it forced the government to import fuel, which is a costly exercise.

While fuel is imported at the market price, high government subsidies are in place so fuel is provided at a loss to corporations and consumers.

Repsol or the Argentine government to blame?

President Fernández accused Repsol of neglecting to channel funds back into YPF’s oil and gas fields and failing to keep pace with the energy needs of Argentina’s growing economy, while instead paying huge dividends to shareholders. She also blamed Repsol’s lack of investment for a $3 billion energy deficit when she announced the takeover.

“The worst thing is that if we don’t do this, we’ll turn into an unsustainable country, because of its business policies and not because of a lack of resources,” she said during a Senate session in April.

Argentine economy minister Hernán Lorenzino also struck out against Repsol, claiming that asset stripping at YPF had financed the Spanish energy giant’s expansion in other parts of the world.

Repsol, on the other hand, blamed Argentina’s constantly changing mix of subsidies, price caps and export taxes for pushing down production while the country’s demand for energy surged way ahead of supply from 2003 onwards, when Fernández’s husband, President Nestor Kirchner, came to power.

Repsol President Antonio Bruwww.miningaustralia.com.au

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ARGENTINA

fau insisted that his company had invested billions of dollars in Argentina. He tried to prevent the expropriation by pledging to spend more.

But by that stage, the Argentines were already determined to reclaim the resources for the nation. Eventually, Brufau all but admitted defeat, demanding US$10.5 billion, which he claimed was the market price of the shares Argentina seized.

Argentine deputy economy minister Axel Kicillof rejected Repsolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial demands for payment of US$10.5 billion for a majority stake in YPF, citing debts of nearly US$9 billion. He accused Repsol of hiding the true value of its Argentine subsidiary, and said a thorough review of its finances would affect whatever compensation was eventually paid. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These morons think that the government is stupid enough to buy [believe] everything [that Repsol asserts]â&#x20AC;?, Kicillof said during a Senate session.

So far, Argentina has not revealed how much it plans to pay Repsol for the controlling stake in YPF, let alone set a date for payment. According to media commentators, the matter is one for the international courts to resolve many years now, if then.

A Dfrom _ AM Q M WA UG_ 1 0 . p d In the meantime, Argentina is rel-

Argentine president Cristina FernĂĄndez announcing the takeover.

atively free to reinvest YPFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profits to develop new oil and gas reserves and use the fuel Repsol was exporting to save consumers from price shocks as the government scales down fuel subsidies.

The Falklands â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a distraction or still an issue in itself?

Another issue still on the agenda for Argentina is control of the Falkland Islands. At Aprilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Summit of the Americas, FernĂĄndez made another claim to the British-controlled archipelago.

While she failed to convince delegates f P a at g ethe 1Summit 2 2 /of7her / 1nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 0 , 1 claim to the oil-rich islands, media

observers have suggested that the decision provided the president with a new foreign scapegoat to draw attention away from the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slowing economy.

While in the short term, the takeover may provide a boost to the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coffers, the long-term economic consequences are difficult to predict. Argentinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation as a safe place to do business has already been damaged by the Kirchner administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interventionist policies such as price capping and capital controls.

One thing is for sure. The takeover the possibility of 0 : 5 9eliminates AM private investment to develop Ar-

gentinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shale fields, which are expensive to drill. This means that in terms of foreign investment, the nationalisation could deal a death blow to the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to exploit its resources.

As a consequence of the takeover, international investors willing to invest in Latin America are expected to seek refuge in neighbouring Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Peru before Argentina.

However according to the Australian source â&#x20AC;&#x153;nationalising Repsol was a unique occurrence in a unique situation and many operating in the country donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see it as the start of a wave of nationalisation,â&#x20AC;? he told Australian Mining.

Yet the diplomatic costs of the move have been obvious. Immediately prior to the takeover, Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Foreign Minister, JosĂŠ Manuel GarcĂ­a Margallo, said that â&#x20AC;&#x153;[A]ny aggression against Repsol violates the principle of legal security and would be taken as an act of aggression against Spain.â&#x20AC;?

The Spanish Government had previously threatened to cut diplomatic relations if Argentina nationalised the company. So far, this threat hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come to pass, but trade sanctions against Argentina are still an option for Spain.

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9th Annual Australian Mining Prospect Awards In this issue we have a brief word from some of the sponsors about their companies and why they choose to sponsor the Prospect Awards.

SEW-Eurodrive

BASF Construction Chemicals

SEW-Eurodrive is proud to be sponsoring the coal mine of the year award at the 2012 Australian Mining Prospect Awards.

As a key supplier to the coal mining industry, we believe in quality and efficiency when it comes to drive technology.

Supplying a range of industrial gear units, motors and drives in sizes in excess of 1MW, we deliver more than just products to heavy industry.

A team of talented engineers develop effective and timely solutions based on customers’ motion requirements, which are backed by aftersales commissioning and product support that is second to none.

We also understand that time is money, so units are delivered within a matter of weeks from our local assembly plants, rather than waiting months for items to be shipped from overseas.

The coal mining industry is one of Australia’s strongest assets – as the world’s greatest exporter of coal, we can be thankful for an industry that has given us global recognition.

SEW-Eurodrive takes great pride in sponsoring the coal mine of the year award, which we hope in turn, encourages the organisation in and industry which has greatly supported our company over time.

We hope that this award goes to a fitting recipient to provide them with the acknowledgment they deserve for making such a strong contribution to Australian industry.

SEW-Eurodrive looks forward to further ongoing partnerships with all forms of mining, now and into the future.

BASF Construction Chemicals; Underground Construction division (UGC), can provide state-of-the-art solutions for ‘Ground Support’ requirements in mining and tunnelling. BASF is the largest chemical company in the world, with R&D and innovation being the key factor for it’s continued success in the remaining the global leader in its field.

A prime reason why BASF are proud to sponsor the Innovation Mining Solutions category for the Prospect Awards.

Atlas Copco For over 130 years Atlas Copco has supplied the world with mining equipment, making it one of the most experienced suppliers in the industry. Since setting up shop in Kalgoorlie in the 1950s, Atlas Copco has learned from the very specific and in many ways original Australian mining methods, which differ from the rest of the world. On top of higher demands on people and equipment, conditions faced in Australia (especially water) are very often tougher than most. One of Atlas Copco’s highest priorities is reducing people’s exposure to the drilling process and to the hostile environment often found in underground mines.

With our first experience in automation over a quarter of a century ago, and having spent the past 12 years refining our common rig automation platform RCS, the performance of Atlas Copco’s production drill rigs, RCS control system, rock drills, Cable bolting rigs and innovative braking system (SAHR) have set the standard in the industry for productivity and safety.

The Prospect Awards recognise personal and company achievements, and they recognise the new benchmarks these create within the industry.

As a company and as individuals, Atlas Copco and its staff are pleased to support this event the Contract Miner of the Year and Hard Rock Mine of the Year awards because we appreciate how hard it is to be at the frontier of mining.

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Orica Mining Services Orica Mining Services is the world’s leading supplier of commercial explosives and blasting systems and is committed to developing and applying new technologies to achieve productivity, safety, environmental and financial gains for its customers.

Sponsoring the ‘Excellence in Environmental Management Award’ in Australian Mining’s Prospect Awards is one of the ways we contribute to and celebrate the success of this vital aspect of the mining industry, an industry that is not only critically important to the economy of our country but also to our business.

There is no single ‘answer’ to environmental issues, most improvements are incremental and are the result of hard work, close collaboration and sound science.

At Orica we are, however, making real progress. We have invested heavily in developing mining technologies and processes that can bring about, measurable step changes in environmental performance.

We are proud to sponsor this worthwhile award and consider the Prospect Awards an excellent way to recognise the valuable work undertaken in environmental management.

We thank all participants for taking the time and effort to submit their entries and we look forward to meeting the finalists in November.

Be a leader in Australia’s mining industry and nominate today

www.miningaustralia.com.au

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Schenck decks out Australia’s best screens with our very own Screenex modular systems

weighing

feeding

screening

automation

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With Screenex now firmly embedded in the Schenck Process range of quality products, the partnership between vibrating screens and screening media has never been better. Manufactured to suit your requirements in our Melbourne and Perth factories, we know that our screens and media will stand tall in Australia’s demanding environments - it’s where we live and work too.

Craig (pictured above) and our Screenex team have a combined 47 years experience in the Australian mining market.

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MINING JOBS

To advertise a new job contact Hussein Azzan at 02 9422 2851

To see the latest jobs available visit www.miningaustralia.com.au, which is updated daily.

Mining OperatiOns Manager COMpany: stOCktOn allianCe lOCatiOn: new Zealand description: Stockton Alliance, operated by Solid Energy New Zealand Ltd. and Downer EDI Mining Ltd., develops and operates Stockton Opencut Mine which is located close to the coast on a plateau in the Buller coalfield, north of Westport.

We operate New Zealand’s largest Opencut mine and produce high value coking coal for export to the world’s leading steel makers. Situated in the heart of the picturesque Buller region we mine this high quality coal amongst geographically and technically challenging conditions which requires adaptive and innovative mining solutions and techniques.

Reporting directly to our Alliance General Manager you will be responsible for leading, managing and developing the Operations Team to deliver coal, overburden and civils operations in line with our mine plans, environmental and safety standards and budget requirements.

To be successful in this critical role you will hold a relevant tertiary qualification or significant mining industry experience in operations management/supervision. Additionally you will be an innovative thinker with a demonstrated ability to mentor and grow the expertise of your team members. Proven leadership and strong communication are essential and, along with an overarching commitment to the promotion of health and safety, will ensure your positive contribution to our unique mine. to find out more about our wider business please visit www.coalnz.com to see a position description and to apply please go to www.solidenergyjobs.co.nz geOteChniCal engineers COMpany: XstraCt Mining COnsultants pty ltd lOCatiOn: perth description: The XSTRACT Group is a dynamic mining industry consulting company with a team of industry leaders delivering independent, strategic, tactical and personalised global consulting expertise.

Being a member of the Geotechnical Engineering team, you will be an integral part of the broader multi-disciplinary and multi-commodity consultancy team working with well-known leaders in the mining consulting industry.

Ideally you will have experience in one or more commodities such as base metals, bauxite, coal, coal seam gas, magnetite/hematite iron ore, mineral sands, nickel, and precious metals, combined with recognised professional affiliations.

You will ideally have superior analytical and communication skills, particularly in completing technical reviews and reports. If you enjoy working in a team environment, are passionate about what you do and sharing it with others and are able to offer effective and optimal solutions then you could fit right in. to apply, please visit www.mininguastralia.com.au Chair Of Mine geOteChniCal engineering COMpany: riO tintO nOrthparkes lOCatiOn: sydney description: Already recognised internationally as a leading academic centre in regard to mining engineering education and sustainable mining practices, the School of Mining Engineering within The University of New South Wales Faculty of Engineering has recently entered into a major sponsorship agreement with Rio Tinto/Northparkes Mines to establish this new Professorial Chair.

You will provide academic leadership and will drive geotechnical engineering innovation across the full spectrum of teaching, research, professional practice and industry engagement relevant to the underground hard rock mining industry with a particular focus on block cave mining.

You will have a PhD in Mining Engineering or a related Engineering/ Geoscience discipline with a specialist underground hard rock geotechnical focus.

Whilst block cave mining experience will be highly regarded, a key consideration will be your track record in underground hard rock mining generally, and your proven research experience or demonstrated potential.

Prior experience in an academic posting is not a necessary pre-requisite for this role, an industry background with the relevant experience will also be viewed very positively. written enquiries and formal applications are to be directed to davidp@gpandp.com.au safety and eMergenCy respOnse CO-OrdinatOr COMpany: prOgressive glObal energy & natural resOurCes lOCatiOn: western nsw description: Progressive are seeking an experianced Safety and Emergency Response Advisor for an underground Copper mine in Central Western NSW. You will be responsible for co-ordinating, training and developing the mine rescue team.

The role is a residential Monday-Friday and a relocation package will be offered for the right candidate. if you are interested in this role please send an up to date cv and/or call rachel James on 02 9285 1022 or r.james@progressiverecruitment.com

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undergrOund lOngwall OperatOr (eXperienCed) COMpany: peabOdy energy lOCatiOn: bOwen basin description: Within Australia, Peabody Energy has 11 operations in Queensland and New South Wales and is actively pursuing growth plans with a view to being a long-term participant in the Australian coal industry and continues to supply the high-growth Asian coal markets.

We are currently seeking and building our talent pool for Experienced Underground Longwall Operators to join our team and help set the stage of this impressive operation. We are seeking outstanding individuals with relevant competencies to join the Longwall team.

Our North Goonyella mine is located at the Northern end of the Bowen Basin, about 160km west of Mackay. The premium quality, medium volatile, high strength coking coal has exceptional coking properties. This consistent quality has ensured strong demand from a diverse range of major steel makers internationally.

In return, we offer you attractive salary packages and the security provided by the long projected life of the mine. to apply, please visit www.miningaustralia.com.au health, safety & training Manager COMpany: peabOdy energy lOCatiOn: MOOrvale Mine description: Within Australia, Peabody Energy has 11 operations in Queensland and New South Wales and is actively pursuing growth plans with a view to being a long-term participant in the Australian coal industry and continues to supply the high-growth Asian coal markets.

Based on site at our Moorvale Mine, 150km South West of Mackay and Reporting to the General Manager/SSE, this position will form part of the Site Senior Management Team. You will be responsible for leading and managing the HST Team to develop and implement business systems and strategies, creating a platform for Mine Site Compliance in accordance with current Legislation and Peabody Energy Policies.

You will work closely with current Contract Owner, Leighton’s and our Head Office Safety Team to ensure the HST policies for Moorvale are current, ensuring site practices & process align and meet the requirements of legislation and Peabody Energy’s standards. You will also develop and monitor the HST Department’s annual budget.

If you’d like to contribute to the future success of Peabody Energy and believe you have the skills and experience to excel in this role, we’d like to hear from you. to apply, please visit www.miningaustralia.com.au

prOJeCt Manager COMpany: prOgressive glObal energy & natural resOurCes lOCatiOn: wa description: My Client is looking for an experienced Project Manager who has worked within the mine developments. Ideally you will have 6-8 years on site experience.

Job Description: Coordination of underground projects, manage short and long term planning for all required projects and assist and approve Company site specific safety documentation.

The successful applicant must possess the following: Tertiary Qualification in Engineering (mining or The civil) with experience in Underground development, the ability to manage and implement project developments and the ability to develop and build client and contactor relationships.

If you think you have the right skills and experience combined with the ability to take on a project and hit the ground running, then please send your CV for Consideration. to apply, please visit www.miningaustralia.com.au Crane & rigging supervisOr COMpany: MMg lOCatiOn: katanga COngO description: MMG is one of the world’s largest producers of zinc as well as a substantial producer of copper, lead, gold and silver.

Kinsevere is 30 km north of Lubumbashi, the major city of the Katanga Province and the foremost city in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after the capital, Kinshasa. There are over 500 employees in the DRC, including approximately 45 expatriates.

Reporting to the Maintenance Superintendent the purpose of this role is to ensure safe and best practices are followed on site for rigging and lifting activities whilst still maintaining a high level of operational capability.

Your responsibilities will include: Create and review lifting plans and procedures, create and review maintenance procedures for servicing and repair of cranes and rigging equipment and ensure activities are aligned to planned production forecasts and budgets.

To be successful in this role you must possess: Senior Mechanical trades qualification, tertiary qualification in mechanical, or related engineering discipline would be an advantage and an open class crane ticket. if you wish to explore the opportunity to be part of MMg please visit www.miningaustralia.com.au

MeChaniCal engineer COMpany: austCOrp eXeCutive lOCatiOn: nsw description: You are a qualified and experienced Mechanical Engineer looking for an exciting new opportunity. Join an award winning and globally respected manufacturing equipment supplier – within the Mining Industry. You will enjoy the challenge of helping to expand the company’s business into a new area and taking control of a variety of projects in a range of industries (Rail, Marine, Mining, Material Handling) from start to finish.

We are looking for a Mechanical qualified Engineer with excellent project engineering capabilities, strong hydraulic and pneumatic experience, good business acumen who enjoys hand calculation design and FEA analysis.

Those that have experience with materials handling, Bulk Material Handling equipment within the mining industry will be preferred.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work alongside industry specialists that offer a great working environment, excellent work life balance as well as career progression. to apply, please visit www.miningaustralia.com.au

seniOr risk & COMplianCe advisOr COMpany: MMg lOCatiOn: nOrth-west Qld description: MMG is one of the world’s largest producers of zinc as well as a substantial producer of copper, lead, gold and silver.

MMG’s Century Mine comprises two sites located in the lower Gulf region of North-west Queensland. Century comprises of an open pit mine, a milling operation (feed, grind, floatation) and a port operation (de-watering, stockpiling and ship loading).

As a member of the Commercial leadership team reporting to the Commercial Manager, you will be the key coordinator of the Risk Management system, principles, and process for the Century Mine site and the Karumba Port operation. You will be responsible for providing risk management advice, assistance and training to ensure the operation is best placed to deliver on the Business plan key goals and targets for risk management activities. You will monitor and ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, providing support and advice to senior managers and the General Manager where required For this opportunity, MMG Century is offering an 5/2*2/7/7*1 FIFO roster ex-Townsville, Cairns or Mt. Isa. Onsite accommodation at Century’s Darimah Village is fully air-conditioned and includes room cleaning service. to apply, please visit ww.miningaustralia.com.au

eleCtriCal shift engineer COMpany: peabOdy energy lOCatiOn: bOwen basin description: Our North Goonyella Coal (NGC) mine is an underground longwall operation located at the Northern end of the Bowen Basin; about 160km west of Mackay. With capacity of up to up to 3.5MTpa , Peabody’s flagship operation produces a high quality hard coking coal that serves export markets for steel production.

We are currently looking for experienced Electrical Shift Engineers to be part of our North Goonyella team. The role will be on a 5/4 rotating roster.

In this role you will: Provide technical support to the Maintenance Manager and manage shift maintenance personnel in order to ensure all equipment is available and safe to operate and ensure all major items of equipment are available for operation when required.

To be successful, the candidate will have: Electrical trade qualifications; or the ability to acquire these qualifications would be highly considered, qualification in Maintenance Management or substantial maintenance management experience within a heavy engineering environment. A mine Electrician Certificate of Competency would be highly considered. to apply, please visit www.miningaustralia.com.au

finanCe Manager (Jv) COMpany: OriCa lOCatiOn: perth description: This is a fantastic opportunity to make a significant difference within a global leader and specialist provider of products and services to the mining, quarrying and construction industries. You will be able to utilise your breadth of financial experience and technical expertise to contribute significantly to the overall JV business profitability.

As the Finance Manager, reporting directly to the CFO, you will be a key provider of quality financial reports and analysis, astute commercial advice and high level presentations to the JV management group and Board.

You have a commitment to the highest corporate standards taking full responsibility for all financial operations. You have the ability and experience to put into place appropriate controls to ensure the integrity, accuracy and health of all financial transactions and results. You are self motivated, proactive and results orientated with an enthusiastic positive outlook.

We Offer: Career progression opportunities within our international network, development opportunities within an organisation experiencing significant growth and an attractive remuneration package including bonus structure. to apply, please visit www.miningaustralia.com.au

www.miningaustralia.com.au

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EVENTS

Conferences, seminars & workshops Event submissions can be emailed to ozmining@reedbusiness.com.au Mine Site Automation & Communication WA 2012 28-30 August 2012 Perth WA Now in its sixth installment, Mine Site Automation & Communication WA 2012 will focus on the mining industry’s move towards more integrated autonomous operations.

The event will provide delegates with access to leading national and international mining companies who have generated real results and solutions to developing a successful and efficient operation using automated technologies.

Mine Site Automation & Communication WA 2012 conference will examine the immediate need to improve automation of infrastructure servicing the mine. Industry experts will look at the importance of securing wireless communication channels and real-time data to improve systems and processes.

• IQPC 02 9229 1000 registration@iqpc.com.au

Mine Site Security 4-6 September 2012 Perth WA With ever increasing automation, rising prices of commodities and the escalating issue of smuggling of drugs to mine site communities, security is becoming a priority for the mining industry. Its development in the mining sector has proven to be a critical control measure in relation to employee, contractor and visitor management. Failing in your security strategy can endanger your staff, damage the local environment and halt production.

Mining IQ’s Mine Site Security is the only mining specific conference in this space that will address the A D _ A MD E L F E B _ 1 2 higher demand of stringent security

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management on mine sites, ports, accommodation camps and airports used by the mining industry.

The event will tackle some of the most persistent, but not unsolvable issues in mining security.

• IQPC 02 9229 1000 registration@iqpc.com.au

OSIT 2012 will be a multidisciplinary event featuring representatives from road and transport safety, aviation and watercraft, fleets, safety culture and management, construction safety and associated fields. Themes will be varied and cover topics such as: • Organisational Safety Culture and Management Systems Water Management in • Organisational and Industry Mining 2012 Transport Risks 1 August 2012 • Use of Technologies Brisbane QLD • Interventions and Program The Water Management in Mining . pdf P a g e 2 2 3 / 0 1Strategies / 1 2 ,and Evaluation 9 : 0 6 AM 2012 conference in Brisbane • Data-driven Interventions and is Australia’s foremost water Evaluations management in mining event. This Designed to encourage a strong is your chance to learn from and program of both industry and network with your mining peers to academic presentations, keynote gain insights, identify opportunities speakers have been drawn from and take away new key strategies both Australia and overseas, and for successful and compliant water bring new and innovative research management in mining. and practice to the conference.

• IQPC • QUT Events 02 9229 1000 Rachel Mortimer registration@iqpc.com.au 07 3138 9357 rachel.mortimer@qut.edu.au Occupational Safety in

Transport Conference

20-21 September 2012, Crowne Plaza, 166

July 2012

AustralianMining

Gold Coast QLD

Mining and Engineering NSW (M&E NSW) 28-30 August 2012

Newcastle NSW M&E NSW has become a “must attend” event for all buyers and industry professionals, with over 230 exhibitors in 2009.

Keep abreast of the latest products and technology as well as network with industry colleagues in a vibrant business environment.

• M&E NSW Peter Thompson 02 9422 2472 Peter.thompson@reedexhibitions. com.au www.miningandengineeringnsw. com.au

Goldfields Mining Exhibition (GME) 30 October-1 November 2012 Kalgoorlie-Boulder WA GME provides local and international suppliers with a unique opportunity to conduct business face to face with key buyers and decision makers in Western Australia. Staged by Reed Exhibitions, GME provides a valuable opportunity to network and exchange ideas and information with industry colleagues in an interactive business environment.

• GME Chris Ghosh 02 9422 2955 chris.ghosh@reedexhibitions. com.au www.goldfieldsminingexpo.com. au

2nd Annual PNG Gas Developments Conference 31 July-1 August 2012 Cairns QLD The PNG Gas Developments Conference is back in 2012 after a successful inaugural event.

With such extensive development activities and investment opportunities in Papua New Guinea’s diverse and rapidly expanding petroleum & LNG sector available, now is the time to expand your business activities in the region.

This hands-on, expert led event provides a comprehensive analysis of the current activity in the region and a review of logistics and service and supply opportunities.

• IIR Conferences 02 9422 2955 www.iir.com.au

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If what you do depends on Lime, talk to us.

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