Australian Mining- February 2017

VOLUME 109/1 | FEBRUARY 2017

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MINERALS PROCESSING AUTOMATION FOCUS VOLUME 109/1 | FEBRUARY 2017

EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK

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COMMENT

THE JOY OF JOB CREATION WILL 2017 BE A BETTER YEAR FOR JOB SEEKERS IN THE MINING INDUSTRY?

D

uring a recent interview with Hays Recruitment, the firm’s BEN CREAGH Western Australian director, Ben.Creagh@primecreative.com.au Chris Kent, commented that the state office had doubled the size of its mining team in 2016.

This was exciting to hear for several reasons. Not only was this internal development great for the individuals moving into the roles at Hays, but it also meant that the recruitment company was very active from a mining perspective and optimistic about the future.

Then, during a visit to WA over the Christmas/New Year’s break, married friends of mine were discussing how they were planning to return to work in the mining industry and had already been offered multiple jobs in different regions of the massive state.

Like the news from Hays, this was promising to hear, as (1) the two friends had been offered jobs and would be able to return to the industry, and (2) there was work out there despite the ongoing cuts we were still reading about.

In 2017, if there is one thing most people involved in the mining industry will be hoping for it must be that we start seeing more jobs created than lost, especially after the employment turmoil of recent years.

Even at Australian Mining no news on our social media channels is met with more elation from readers than that jobs will be created from a new mine or an operational restart.

It is always uplifting to read or hear about, with employment opportunities being one of the most notable reasons why the mining industry is so important in this country.

But we must also consider: if jobs do start to return to mining in Australia, how will the industry manage the growth in this area?

Too many stories of redundancies in recent years have been followed by examples of the devastation this can cause to individuals and their families because the mining boom could have been managed better in some respects.

Luckily, it seems mining companies and industry bodies in Australia are focussing on workforce management, at least they are publically stating the point.

Many companies have openly discussed how they have restructured their workforces, while diversity, flexibility and inclusivity initiatives are becoming increasingly trendy to benefit work/life balance and family life.

These are positive steps forward for mining in Australia. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that jobs do return to the industry and we can see these initiatives put into action.

Ben Creagh Editor, Australian Mining

FRONT COVER

In this, the first edition of 2017, we look at recent developments in the Australian coal industry and the opportunities it has to remain sustainable in the future.

This issue also focusses on automation and the importance of data management as the industry shifts further in this direction.

Recent developments in minerals processing are explored across several features, including how a new method in development is planning to unlock value from the emerging lithium sector in Australia.

The mining employment and recruitment market is investigated in our personnel, with some promising signs starting to appear for job seekers around the country.

And as always, we provide the latest mining technology and equipment in our regular Product Showcase spread.

Cover image: BHP Billiton’s Mt Arthur coal operation. Credit: BHP Billiton

MANAGING DIRECTOR JOHN MURPHY EDITOR BEN CREAGH Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: ben.creagh@primecreative.com.au JOURNALIST SHARON MASIGE Tel: (02) 8484 0854 Email: sharon.masige@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER JUSTINE NARDONE Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

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FEBRUARY 2017

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CONTENTS

COAL MINING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES TO KEEP HIGH QUALITY COAL IN DEMAND The future may be looking brighter for coal

EXPLORATION

12-14

IS AUSTRALIA’S EXPLORATION SECTOR PREPARING FOR A TURNAROUND? The signs of optimism in Australia’s exploration sector

ANOTHER BIG YEAR AHEAD FOR ADANI’S CARMICHAEL COAL PROJECT What Adani’s new coal mine plans to provide Queensland

36-37 MOTORS AND DRIVES

38-39

AUTOMATION DIGGING DEEP INTO DATA MANAGEMENT Hitachi provides insights into the mining sectors growing shift towards automation DELIVERING PLANTWIDE CONTROL FOR ARRIUM MINING’S IRON KNOB OPERATION How Rockwell Automation has assisted Arrium Mining’s iron ore mine

PROSPECT AWARDS

40-41

16-20 PERSONNEL DIVERSITY SHAPES THE FUTURE OF MINING WORKFORCES A closer look at what will shape the mining workforce

DRIVING DOWN OPERATING COSTS WITH MEDIUM VOLTAGE DRIVES Delta energy systems explains the benefits of MVDs

22-23

PROSPECT AWARDS WINNERS PROFILE Australian Mining looks back at a past winner of the Prospect Awards

OIL AND GAS

FINANCE

AOG 2017 TO HIGHLIGHT EMERGING OIL AND GAS OPPORTUNITIES What’s in store at this year’s Australasian Oil & Gas Exhibition and conference

THE RIGHT TIME FOR DRAYTON An insight into the success of the Drayton coal mine

24 MINESITE VEHICLES

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KOMATSU TECHNOLOGY HELPS MINING INDUSTRY OVERCOME CHALLENGES Komatsu unveils its new intelligent machine control technology

GOLD MARKET EUREKA! STRIKING GOLD IN AUSTRALIA Gold explorers gaining ground in Australia

26-29 MINERALS PROCESSING LITHIUM AUSTRALIA TARGETS SUSTAINABILITY WITH PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY A new processing technology gets closer to commercialisation

30-35 44-45 IRON ORE MARKET

A SWITCH FROM BALL MILLS TO VERTIMILL BOOSTS MIAOGOU IRON MINE Metso transforms a Chinese iron mine

46-47

DIGGING MORE FOR IRON ORE Carpentaria Exploration discusses its Hawsons Iron Ore project

IMPROVING OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE WITH MILL LINING DESIGN Increasing productivity by optimising a mill’s lining design

REGULARS

INDUSTRIAL COMMENT 8 NEWS 10

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INDUSTRIAL COMMENT

HOW WESTERN AUSTRALIA IS HANDLING THE END OF THE MINING BOOM FOR MANY YEARS WESTERN AUSTRALIA ENJOYED SOLID ECONOMIC GROWTH, MATCHED BY BUSINESS INVESTMENT AND AN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE LOWER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. BUT IT’S BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS SINCE INVESTMENT IN THE MINING INDUSTRY PEAKED, AND IT’S TIME TO TAKE STOCK. PROFESSOR RICHARD HEANEY, UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, WRITES.

T

he WA economy has performed well, considering the downturn that arose as the mining industry moved from a capital construction phase to a production phase.

But this has soured recently, and unless something is done to address increasing unemployment, and decreasing participation rates and economic growth, tough times are ahead.

Declining fortunes

Most commentators remember the exceptional growth WA has seen over the last 10 years though the more recent news has not been so great. Indeed, WA has stood out among the Australian states with 10-year average compound growth in Gross State Product (GSP) of five per cent to 2015-16. The next ranked state was the Northern Territory with growth rate of 3.9 per cent.

But the memory of these strong growth numbers masks recent poor performance. The Western Australian economy posted a dismal 0.7 per cent growth in GSP per capita in the year 2015-16, a number shared only with Queensland.

Further, WA’s Real Gross State Income – a measure that also includes adjustment for purchasing power, was actually negative in the year 2015-16, at -6.4 per cent. The next worst performing state was again Queensland, although

it at least achieved a 1.1 per cent growth rate.

The impact of decreasing capital expenditure is particularly evident in the State Final Demand figures – a measure of domestic demand. Demand in Western Australia actually shrunk, declining 4 per cent. Only the Northern Territory performed worse, declining by 12.5 per cent. New South Wales managed to grow 3.9 per cent and Victoria 3.8 per cent.

The government perspective

WA’s latest budget includes around $7.7billion in infrastructure development. But despite this, state government expenditures are contracting with considerable downward pressure on wages and other expenditures over the last two years. Expenditure growth is presently running at 2.4 per cent, which is the second lowest rate of growth in more than 20 years.

The government has also continued with its asset sales program which stands at $2.2 billion dollars at present. These reductions in government expenditures and increases in asset sales occurred during a period of declining royalties, declining GST allocation and declining collections from taxes like payroll tax, which saw the first decline in more than 20 years.

Indeed, the only real good news with royalty collection was with gold, where

AUSTRALIANMINING

royalties increased from $229 million to $250 million in the 2015-16 year. Overall, the cuts in expenditure and asset sales have certainly reigned in the growth in debt, though the state is still indebted to the amount of $27.3 billion.

Increasing unemployment and declining participation

Job cuts are widely reported in the WA press. The unemployment rate has increased fairly consistently since 2012 and this has continued regardless of the Australian unemployment rate falls that have taken place since early 2015.

The WA labour force participation rate has also seen dramatic change since 2015 with a fall from 69 per cent in February 2015 to 67 per cent in October 2016. An increasing population coupled with increasing unemployment rate and decreasing participation rate is not good news for the citizens of WA.

Western Australia needs to do something

In short, WA has been doing exceptionally well until quite recently.

Western Australian Treasurer Mike Nahan expects the economy to pick up once the massive natural gas projects start to produce in earnest. Recent increases in iron ore and crude oil prices and the continuing strength of the gold price can only further support this contention. Although it is difficult to

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know how these projects will benefit the ordinary voter who could be facing prolonged periods of unemployment.

The Western Australian government could do more, drawing on fiscal policy and monetary policy to stem the adverse movements in employment and growth, though there is a limit to what a state government can do.

Increases in government investment in infrastructure projects could help to stem increases in unemployment. Lower unemployment levels will help to raise consumer demand in the state. But new infrastructure projects will require financing and this will either come at the cost of increased taxes or increased borrowing.

Private companies could also step in, but the appetite for foreign private investment in state infrastructure does not appear strong at present, particularly given the reaction to the lease of Darwin’s harbour. The federal government has a role to play here as well, particularly with funding key infrastructure projects in the state.

Unless something happens soon to turn the tide, increasing unemployment rates, lower participation rates and decreasing economic growth suggest the state is heading for some rather difficult times. AM This article was originally published on The Conversation.

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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.AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING. QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT INVESTS IN THE FUTURE OF MOUNT ISA MINES SMELTER The Queensland Government has made a $15 million offer of support for rebricking of Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines copper smelter.

Acting Queensland Premier Curtis Pitt said the joint-funding proposal was a way of underpinning the north-west region’s economy to keep local workers on the tools.

“The offer of a $15 million grant is about working with a crucial copper and zinc business in Mount Isa which employs 4000

people and indirectly supports thousands more jobs in the regional economy,” Pitt said.

“It will also provide significant stimulus to the local economy. This support is designed to incentivise Mount Isa Mines’ further investments in the north west region.”

The grant depends on Mount Isa Mines’ commitment to maintain third-party access to the smelter and will be paid through the state’s $170 million jobs and regional

growth fund, which was unveiled earlier this month, Pitt added.

Rebricking of the smelter will extend its useful life by re-lining critical components, including the anode and rotary holding furnaces.

Several other local businesses are also expected to benefit from the extension of the smelter’s operating life, including Incitec Pivot’s Phosphate Hill operation, which relies partially on the sulphuric acid produced as a by-product from the smelter.

AGRICULTURE BUSINESS OFFERS JOBS TO RETRENCHED STAWELL GOLD MINE WORKERS Nectar Farms aims to provide job opportunities for the retrenched Stawell gold mine workers following the operation’s closure last year.

The company will receive funding from the Victorian Government to provide 70 new jobs in Stawell, through the development of a large-scale high-tech hydroponic glasshouse facility.

It aims to provide jobs for affected workers of the closed gold mine.

Kirkland Lake Gold ceased mining at the Stawell operations in December, leaving 150 workers without a job. At the time, the company’s Australian operations president Darren Hall said the move to cease mining had been discussed over several years due to declining profitability.

Nectar Farms has obtained the land from Stawell gold mine – pending approval from the council – and will receive a grant from the government’s $500 million regional

WA ENVIRONMENT MINISTER APPROVES MULGA ROCK URANIUM PROJECT

jobs and infrastructure fund for job creation.

The new food and fibre technology aims to develop a new industry sector in the region, using the latest hydroponic glasshouse and plant technology to increase yields and provide a stable supply of vegetables into both domestic and international markets.

Jaala Pulford, minister for agriculture and regional development, said it was

AUSTRALIAN MINING GETS THE LATEST NEWS EVERY DAY, PROVIDING MINING PROFESSIONALS WITH UP TO THE MINUTE INFORMATION ON SAFETY, NEWS AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN MINING AND RESOURCES INDUSTRY.

“fantastic news” for Stawell.

“We’re thinking of the 150 retrenched workers in Stawell and working hard to facilitate new local job opportunities.”

Used Tyre Recycling Corportation (UTRC) also offered to employ some of the retrenched workers last year, as it attempts to reduce the massive used tyre stockpile in Stawell.

RIO TINTO AWARDS IRON ORE CONTRACT TO DECMIL Perth-based mining contractor Decmil has secured a new contract at Rio Tinto’s iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The $40 million contract will see Decmil design, construct and commission new facilities at the Nammuldi and Silvergrass mines. The project scope also includes modifications and extensions to existing facilities at the Nammuldi mine.

In an ASX announcement, Decmil said the project would start immediately and was expected to be completed in late 2017.

Rio Tinto announced in August that it would invest $338 million to complete development of the Silvergrass mine, which is adjacent to the Nammuldi mine.

After making this decision Rio Tinto awarded RCR Tomlinson a $120 million contract to provide materials handling systems at the Silvergrass mine.

The contract included the engineering, procurement and construction of a new primary crusher, nine kilometres of overland conveyors and associated power lines.

Vimy Resources’ Mulga Rock uranium project has been approved by Western Australian environment minister Albert Jacob, the state’s final primary approval for the project.

It comes after the EPA recommended the project’s approval in August this year.

The approval was subject to certain implementation conditions that, if applied, would ensure Mulga Rock had no significant impacts on the environment.

The decision allows Vimy to begin work once the secondary licensing permit approvals have been granted and once it receives federal approval.

Vimy Resources managing director and CEO Mike Young called the approval a great Christmas present.

“We said that we would get this approval before year’s end and we have,” he said.

“This is the most significant step in de-risking the project from a regulatory approvals standpoint. We look forward to starting work very soon.”

Federal approval is expected before March 2017.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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COAL

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES TO KEEP HIGH QUALITY COAL IN DEMAND WITH HIGH EFFICIENCY, LOW EMISSIONS (HELE) COAL-FIRED POWER STATIONS CONTINUING TO EMERGE IN ASIA, AUSTRALIAN PRODUCERS LOOK SET TO BENEFIT.

O

ngoing talk about the long-term demise of the coal industry may be premature, with Morgan Stanley believing there is a strong future for owners of highquality assets in Australia’s thermal coal industry.

It is the continued rise of high efficiency, low emissions (HELE) coal-fired fired power stations in the Asia-Pacific region that has led to this view emerging as it is expected they will lift demand for high-quality coal - the type producers such as Whitehaven Coal, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto all possess in this country.

With coal-fired power stations regularly criticised for their impact on the environment, Morgan Stanley

analyst Brandan Fitzpatrick said the HELE technology can aid the world’s transition towards lower emissions.

“In contrast with the commonly held views often encountered, we think coal-fired power can provide a cost-effective means of reducing carbon pollution,” he said.

HELE applies to coal-fired power generation that utilises higher temperatures and pressures, such as the super critical and ultra super critical power stations. These modern stations have been designed to allow coal to be part of the solution to greenhouse gas emissions.

This cost-effective transition to lower emissions through coal is being led by Asia, according to Fitzpatrick.

“It is leading the way in implementing HELE generation; 69

AUSTRALIANMINING

per cent of the 546GW we expect to be built during the next five years should be Supercritical or Ultra Supercritical, with 88 per cent of the build in Asia,” he said.

“We see China as the single largest driver of this shift. The additional cost to build the advance power stations, or upgrade old ones, equates to just US$10/t carbon, making it a costeffective path to reduce emissions.”

HELE technology has been strongly supported by industry groups in recent years, with the likes of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Minerals Council of Australia pinpointing Australia’s resources as being the preferred fuel for the incoming stations.

Whitehaven Coal is particularly well placed to benefit from this movement,

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according to Morgan Stanley, as its coal “contains low ash and sulphur levels”.

The company’s chairman, Mark Vaile, is also excited about the future of the thermal coal industry in Australia as more HELE power stations come online in Asia and further abroad.

“An increasing number of all new coal-fired power plants globally are now of the advanced category with higher efficiency and lower emissions (HELE) technologies requiring higher coal grades,” Vaile said in Whitehaven’s 2016 annual report.

“In the coming years the world will see a more balanced coal sector, with an emphasis on new technologies that utilise coal in more efficient and environmentally friendly ways.” AM

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COAL

ANOTHER BIG YEAR AHEAD FOR ADANI’S CARMICHAEL COAL PROJECT

T

DESPITE WIDESPREAD OPPOSITION CONSTRUCTION ON ADANI’S CARMICHAEL COAL PROJECT IS SET TO START THIS YEAR. o say the road to development for Adani’s Carmichael coal project in Queensland has been complicated would be an understatement.

Environmentalists will forever be attacking the negative impact they expect the mine to have on the planet.

Coal is a long time removed as a favourable energy source and Adani wants to build Australia’s largest thermal coal mine, which will also involve a rail line connecting to Queensland’s coast and an export terminal in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

These factors continue to alarm environmentalists.

The Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) traditional owners of the site also remain unhappy with the project and plan to launch more legal action against the proposed mine as they believe it disregards native title rights.

Despite these hurdles the Indian company continues to take the necessary steps that will allow it to commence construction on the $21.7 billion project this year.

One of the most significant steps in this process was the final major state and federal government approval it received in December 2016 to construct about 31.5 kilometres of rail line to the project and a temporary camp for up to 300 beds.

Outside of the environmental concerns surrounding Carmichael, the project is expected to provide significant employment opportunities in Northern Queensland, a region that has suffered in this regard since the mining downturn.

At least… Adani chairman Gautam Adani has assured Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk that this will be the case, telling her that the project workforce will be sourced from the state’s regional areas and will not include workers on 457 visas.

“Importantly, Adani have committed to up to 600 new jobs in the pre-construction phase of the project’s development and locations for staff,” Palaszczuk told reporters.

The Queensland premier added that the project, and consequent mine, would create thousands of direct and indirect jobs for the state.

However, scepticism has also emerged around the proposed structure of the Carmichael workforce, with fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) on the agenda for Adani despite Queensland planning to outlaw 100 per cent FIFO arrangements in the state’s mining industry.

Lock the Gate Alliance president Drew Hutton believes the Carmichael project highlights two big problems with the Queensland Government’s FIFO plans.

“The Bill they’ve introduced bans 100 per cent FIFO workforces only. So, a big mining company could employ one lonely local and basically continue with the corrosive economic and social practice of FIFO-dominated mining. That won’t achieve the change we need,” Hutton said.

“The second big problem is that they’re not planning to apply this new law to any project that has already gone through the assessment process, like Adani’s huge new Carmichael coal mine.”

Looks like another big year is ahead for the Carmichael coal project. AM

WHAT ADANI PLANS TO PROVIDE QUEENSLAND: • regional headquarters will be based in Townsville • remote operations centre will be in Townsville • rail and port operations headquarters will be in Bowen • mining services based in Mackay • rail maintenance and provisioning yard in the Mackay-Bowen region • project sourcing centres in Townsville, Charters Towers, Rockhampton, Emerald, Clermont and Moranbah • the shortlist for a fly-in, flyout hub is Townsville and Rockhampton, with a decision due in 2017 coinciding with the start of early works.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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COAL

AUTOMATION

DIGGING DEEP INTO DATA MANAGEMENT FOLLOWING HITACHI’S RECENT SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM, AUSTRALIAN MINING SPOKE TO ANDREW WALTERS, DATA ANALYSIS LEAD AT HITACHI DATA SYSTEMS, ON THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA MANAGEMENT AMID THE GROWING SHIFT TOWARDS AUTOMATION IN THE MINING INDUSTRY. SHARON MASIGE WRITES.

A

t Hitachi’s annual social innovation forum, which was held in Sydney for the first time, the company explored the application of innovative solutions in the era of the Internet of Things (IoT).

The forum addressed key trends and challenges in a range of industries including mining, public safety and healthcare, with the aim of accelerating social innovation through collaboration with leading businesses and decision makers.

Automation was one of the key focal points during discussion on the mining sector – how it helps increase productivity and maintain a company’s competitiveness while reducing labour costs.

Data management

When it comes to automation, one of the key factors Hitachi’s Andrew Walters emphasised was data management and how it improves processes at mining operations.

Walters discussed data analytics and the way it eliminates sudden disruptions to day-to-day operations.

“Almost all mining processes are inherently noisy, which means they have a level of unpredictability to them that inhibits automation,” he told Australian Mining.

“Data analytics is the enabler to removing some of that unpredictability and that makes processes more certain and therefore more automatable.”

Walters added that Australia was on track with implementing automated processes on site, although the level of automation varies between AUSTRALIANMINING

mines and companies. He referred to remote locations such as the Pilbara in Western Australia and how these can present high labour costs for companies, leading to the push towards automation.

“Automation is actually a necessity and we’re seeing more and more of that creep into the mining industry, which I think is a welcome development,” Walters explained.

Automation maturity

One area Walters stressed was the potential for companies to move from completely manual processes to wholly automated on the maturity curve.

“In any given mine the level of automation ranges from completely manual to fully automated, with degrees of partial automation in between that may require some

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human intervention or intense monitoring because there just isn’t the repeatability in the process to enable full automation.”

And coupled within any level of automation maturity is the need to maintain equipment, with Walters comparing the different types of regimes used on site.

“When you have a condition-based maintenance regime, by definition you’re actively looking at the health of that asset and that really is a big improvement already compared with completely preventative methods.

“You’re able to maintain an asset when it needs to be maintained rather than when the log book says you should…The asset itself is under constant watch, so if it does diverge in its behaviour you can tell and you can trigger an alarm.”

AUTOMATION

Walters described predictive maintenance as another level of maturity higher on the analytics curve.

“What that does is it enables you to say ‘well a part that isn’t going to fail now but it might fail in two weeks’ time, so let’s arrange our maintenance service personnel to be able to do it at the time’,” he said.

“You’re looking at its conditions but you’re also predicting when you’re going to maintain that asset and that gives you a layer of control over your new maintenance regime.

“That actually takes the risk out of the change in your maintenance process.”

Walters said mining lags other sectors, particularly in the transition from predictive to proactive-based equipment maintenance.

“Mining, because of its remoteness - it’s a bit of a risky operation - people have been less inclined to change their maintenance practices,” he explained.

“This is a maturity level from completely preventative - which is schedule based and then condition based which is using sensors to improve your knowledge of the asset’s health, to predictive which is one level more of maturity. And then really proactive which is right at the top, which is really only maintaining machines when they need to be maintained.”

However, the biggest issue in developing automation maturity is correlating maintenance with the availability of parts.

“That’s one of the challenges in increasing that maturity, you need the parts and the service available at the time that you need to do

the maintenance. That’s easy in preventative maintenance, not so easy in proactive maintenance.

“Mining is off the bottom in terms of preventative only and moving quite satisfactorily up the maturity curve but I think there’s a lot of opportunity there because of the vast amounts of data that are emitted from mining assets.”

Trapped in over-maintenance While maintenance is routine for operators, there can be a danger of over maintenance, which increases downtime and operational costs.

AUSTRALIANMINING

“If you have an ultra conservative maintenance regime essentially overmaintaining your asset then it’s down for more of the time but it also costs more, because each maintenance request triggers a cost,” Walters said.

“So, by over-maintaining an asset you reduce its productivity and increase your operating costs, you also introduce the potential for human error into the maintenance of that asset.”

Walters added that equipment often broke down during errors in maintenance and therefore over maintenance provides added risks.

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Analytics and business intelligence

Walters highlighted that while both are important, data analytics should not be confused with business intelligence, which focusses heavily on data visualisation.

“Data analytics should not be confused with business intelligence because it’s all about the data. It’s about advanced data analytics - you collect data, blend it, correlate it and enrich it and that’s what gives you the greater insight into your actual asset behaviour – the visualisation bit comes way later,” Walters said.

He urged companies to start with data rather than moving on to the visualisation aspect.

“I’m seeing a lot of projects that refer to data analytics projects that are a little bit too heavily skewed on the visualisation side of it rather than the data management side,” he said.

“You can have the most beautiful visualisation tools on the planet but they’re not going to tell you anything.

“The data preparation is 60-80 per cent of the time taken in normal analytics projects. It’s really important to blend data from disparate sources to clean it up and to enrich it using subject matter expertise or advanced mathematical algorithms before you present it.

“You can’t just have a data set in a data base but equally you can’t just have a visualisation of the data that doesn’t make any sense.

“We often find that automation maturity and data analytics maturity advance in parallel because you can’t really have one without the other.” AM

AUTOMATION

DELIVERING PLANTWIDE CONTROL FOR ARRIUM MINING’S IRON KNOB OPERATION ROCKWELL AUTOMATION ASSISTED ARRIUM MINING ON THE DESIGN, INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING OF MODULAR CRUSHING AND SCREENING EQUIPMENT TO PROCESS AND STOCKPILE HEMATITE IRON ORE AT IRON KNOB.

T

he development of a mobile and modular crushing and screening solution has enabled iron ore miner Arrium Mining to halve plant costs and significantly reduce downtime at the Iron Knob mine in South Australia.

Iron Knob, which is about 60 kilometres north-west of Whyalla in the Middleback ranges, is an entire pit-to-port operation, featuring mines, crushing and beneficiation facilities, rail, trucking and port facilities.

The mine is part of an Arrium iron ore business which exports 9-10 million tonnes of hematite ore per annum, primarily to China, while also supplying feed to the company’s integrated steelworks at Whyalla.

Arrium engaged Striker Australia,

a provider of crushing, screening and materials handling equipment in the mining industry, to prepare infrastructure to access the ore reserves at the Iron Knob mine.

Striker’s task was to design, supply, assemble, install and commission modular crushing and screening equipment to process hematite from the mining area for rail transport to Arrium’s port facilities, with minimal ground works and in a short on-site construction timeframe.

To achieve this, Striker contracted SAGE Automation, a solution partner of Rockwell Automation, to supply the control system and visualisation, together with the complete electrical design, construction and installation works for a new crushing and screening plant.

AUSTRALIANMINING

Keeping it mobile and modular

The Iron Knob crushing and screening plant was designed to have a 10-year life expectancy, making the use of mobile crushing and screening equipment a cost-effective solution compared to a fixed infrastructure solution.

“The plant was originally estimated to cost approximately $40 million, but by using mobile equipment, this cost was able to be reduced by half,” SAGE Automation senior electrical engineer Christopher Poetsch said.

Poetsch knew that the control and visualisation solution from Rockwell Automation would provide the required flexibility and reliability for this application.

As a result of the maintainability and easy integration of the solution

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FEBRUARY 2017

into the systems at the site, Rockwell Automation was chosen as the control and visualisation vendor for Arrium.

According to Rockwell Automation executive account manager Greg Schultz, “By having the crushing in close proximity to the mine, the requirement for transport and materials handling is reduced dramatically.”

The modular design of the plant made integration easy and delivered the flexibility required to adapt to changes.

“The new plant has had a number of design revisions but because it is modular and mobile, it has been easy to adapt to changes,” Arrium principal control system/ maintenance engineer Jonathan Deluao explained.

AUTOMATION

TO DELIVER THE PROJECT WITHIN THESE TIMEFRAMES, WE LEVERAGED PREVIOUS PROJECT EXPERIENCE, INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE, SAGE AUTOMATION TEAM AGILITY, AND THE USE OF THE ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TOOLS FOR THE DESIGN AND DEPLOYMENT OF THE CONTROL SYSTEM, WHICH PROVED TO SAVE SIGNIFICANT TIME AND COST.”

AUSTRALIANMINING

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FEBRUARY 2017

AUTOMATION

Designing a flexible control solution

The overarching control requirements for the entire plant, including the conveyors, crushers, feeders and stackers, were provided

by Allen-Bradley ControlLogix.

With safety being a vital consideration for the plant, AllenBradley GuardLogix – with local and distributed safe POINT I/O modules – provided integrated safety control and the ability to stop either a particular piece of equipment or a section of the plant if required.

Due to the size of plant, 75 motor starters were required. The most complex of these were from the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex family, used for the synchronisation of the vibrating feeders and for the speed control of the conveyors to optimise flow rates to the crushers.

FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE) supervisory-level HMI software is used for monitoring and controlling the plant. It provides operational insight into the complete site, including the conveyors, crushers and feeders.

“Using the Rockwell Automation platform for control and visualisation of the plant provided peace of mind, reliability and improved maintenance response times.

The plant operators are familiar with, and have confidence in, the

ControlLogix and FactoryTalk platform. Because it is used on other Arrium sites, maintenance requirements are also reduced,” Poetsch explained.

THE SITE NOW PROCESSES APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILLION TONNES OF ORE PER ANNUM AND THE CONTROL SYSTEM HAS BEEN EMBRACED

BY OPERATORS AND MAINTENANCE STAFF WITH MINIMAL TRAINING.”

He added that one of the most significant challenges the project team faced was the extremely tight timeframe.

“To deliver the project within these timeframes, we leveraged previous project experience, industry knowledge, SAGE Automation team agility, and the use of the Rockwell Automation tools for the design and deployment of the control system, which proved to save significant time and cost,” Poetsch said.

Due to the delivery sequence for the crushing and screening equipment, it was necessary to start commissioning sections of the plant while others were being mechanically and electrically installed.

Poetsch explained that “the use of POINT I/O for the system allowed for flexibility in design and scope changes, right through to the commissioning and handover phase, which helped to deliver the project within time and budget.”

Reducing downtime

Being an Arrium project, the automation control system had to adhere to the strict design, implementation and testing standards that the company has developed over recent years.

“Integration between plant equipment was made easy with the integrated architecture platform from Rockwell Automation, which AUSTRALIANMINING

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we stipulate as a standard for Arrium sites. This allows us to benefit from common spares and resources, minimises training requirements and helps the plant capitalise on the core infrastructure,” Deluao said.

The high availability of the ControlLogix control system and associated components gives Arrium the assurance of a high mean time between failure (MTBF) and mean time between repair (MTBR) and low mean time to repair (MTTR), which ultimately equates to minimal downtime, planned or unplanned.

Integrated device level ring (DLR) connectivity was used to optimise the network architecture, increase its fault tolerance and provide consolidated network diagnostics. The Allen-Bradley Stratix switches included integrated DLR connectivity, and although the control system did not require redundancy to the level of other Arrium plants, the DLR network topology delivered a reliable network architecture for the plant.

“The site now processes approximately five million tonnes of ore per annum and the control system has been embraced by operators and maintenance staff with minimal training. The system was designed and installed to meet Arrium’s stringent requirements, which are not only site specific but company-wide,” Poetsch said. AM

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PERSONNEL

DIVERSITY SHAPES THE FUTURE OF MINING WORKFORCES IN AUSTRALIA, THE PUSH FOR DIVERSE WORKFORCES IS A MINING RECRUITMENT TREND THAT LOOKS LIKE IT IS HERE TO STAY. HOWEVER, DON’T EXPECT TECHNOLOGY TRENDS, LIKE AUTONOMOUS EQUIPMENT, TO HEAVILY INFLUENCE WORKFORCES JUST YET. BEN CREAGH REPORTS. for the diversified miner. In saying that, he highlighted what has emerged as a common recruitment challenge for the industry, with many companies openly pursuing diversity as their key human resources goal.

An even spread of employees from both genders is, of course just one form of diversity that mining organisations target – the industry has also focused on developing diverse

workforces that include Indigenous Australians where possible.

BHP is also active in achieving this through its Western Australian iron ore business, which has awarded around 70 scholarships to Indigenous Australians since 2009 in a range of disciplines, including geology, engineering, health and commerce.

A 2015 survey by the WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy revealed that 5.5 per cent of the state’s resources sector was an Indigenous Australian, with 25 per cent of these employees being women.

According to Hays WA state director Chris Kent, diversity was a notable recruitment trend of 2016, and one that looks set to continue this year.

“Diversity has been massive.

I think they’ve had some respite from the skills shortage during the

Photos: BHP Billiton

B

HP Billiton set a new standard for diversity in the mining industry last year when it announced the ambitious target of making half of its workforce women by 2025.

A gender diverse workforce improved productivity, the company said, while conceding that just 17 per cent of its global workforce at the time was female.

BHP chief Andrew McKenzie accepted that achieving the target would be a major challenge

AUSTRALIANMINING

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PERSONNEL

Building diversity

Kent added that the push for diversity had created one of the industry’s few skills shortages

in a market environment where recruitment activity had been significantly lower than in the past.

“There is debate around whether these candidates are out there or not, or if it is something that needs to be addressed more in schools,” Kent explained.

Research has already taken place into how the resources industry can overcome this shortage. According to the Australian Women in Resources Alliance (AWRA), by implementing

flexible work arrangements in their workplaces, mining companies boost their ability to attract and retain more women.

“In recent years the Australian resource industry has overhauled its recruitment and human resources practices to diversify the skills and talent mix of its workforces. However, putting flexible work into practice at their operations remains a challenge for many employers,” AWRA spokesperson Tara Diamond said.

“It is very hard to retrofit existing mine sites with autonomous trucks or drill rigs – so if we are not building new mines it is hard to see them taking over. But I think any new mines we see from here will have a lot more emphasis on technology and efficiencies within the supply chain whether it be autonomous or machine learning.

“The use of drones may improve safety risk if it is a high-risk environment.”

DIVERSITY HAS BEEN MASSIVE. I THINK THEY’VE HAD SOME RESPITE FROM THE SKILLS SHORTAGE DURING THE CONSTRUCTION BOOM AND EMPLOYERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PUT GREATER EMPHASIS AND SELECTION CRITERIA ON HIRING MORE FEMALE AND INDIGENOUS CANDIDATES.” “Flexibility can be particularly challenging at resource industry workplaces that involve remote locations, projects operating on a 24hour basis and often with health and safety rules restricting the practical ability to have multiple rosters or other options for flexible work.”

The AWRA released a guide to flexible work last year to help the industry become more diverse.

Technology impact

Photos: BHP Billiton

construction boom and employers have been able to put greater emphasis and selection criteria on hiring more female and Indigenous candidates,” Kent explained.

“Most of the majors have improved their target numbers – I don’t expect that trend to change.”

AUSTRALIANMINING

While Kent believes the trend towards diverse workforces will continue in 2017, he isn’t buying into talk that modern technologies will severely impact traditional mining roles held by humans…not yet anyway.

In recent years, emerging technologies, such as autonomous equipment and drones, have been introduced at many mining operations in Australia, prompting speculation that they would remove the need for many positions traditionally held by humans.

However, Kent believes that emerging technologies are more likely to improve safety and operational efficiencies than decimate jobs in the short- to medium-term.

“I don’t think there is a new, fantastic technology that is going to take jobs away,” Kent said.

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FEBRUARY 2017

Recruitment focus

Instead of focusing on ways to replace humans with technology, Kent said mining companies were recruiting personnel with more rounded skills than in the past, meaning they could cover multiple positions if needed.

He said this was a continuation of the human resource strategies that many companies had implemented during the recent industry downturn, which aimed to cut costs and improve operational efficiencies.

And despite recruitment optimism returning in recent months to many commodity sectors, such as iron ore, gold, coal and base metals, Kent believes this strategy will remain a key priority for mining companies when they engage a recruitment agency like Hays.

“Essentially this is all part of the rationalisation and the drive for efficiency. If you are not a multi tasker now then it is likely you will be in the first cut of redundancies when the next cut comes,” Kent said.

“Whereas, those that have shown they have a good safety record, clear medical history and can maintain their tickets in a number of areas, they are probably going to be the most sought after candidates.” AM

FINANCE

THE RIGHT TIME FOR DRAYTON HASSALLS KEY ACCOUNT DIRECTOR STEVEN WAINHOUSE SHARES INSIGHT INTO WHY THE DRAYTON MINE SITE DISPERSAL COULDN’T HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME FOR AUSTRALIA’S RESOURCES SECTOR.

O

n the cusp of ceasing its Australian coal mining program, Drayton coal mine operator Anglo American has reinvested in the market, with recent optimism and surging commodity prices convincing the mining giant to reopen several of its previously closed mines.

After its proposed adjacent mine, Drayton South, was denied by the NSW Planning Assessment Commission, Anglo awarded Australia’s leading resources auctioneers, Hassalls, with the contract to conduct a total site dispersal of all equipment from the mine site.

Hassalls believes the some $10 million of assets to be distributed will generate significant demand, fueling projects and mining activity both locally and interstate.

The right market

The renewed sense of optimism following commodity price hikes has jumpstarted the Australian mining

industry after its battery ran flat in 2013.

In the second quarter of the 2016/17 fiscal year coal prices soared to more than US$230 per tonne, marking a rebirth of the commodity’s influence in Australia.

Demand for coal is expected to remain stable, with mining giants scoping projects and drawing contracts for many of their sites that were mothballed when prices plummeted.

The proposed Drayton South coal mine was one such project. As it’s not moving forward the equipment and infrastructure left behind by its predecessor will serve as fuel for the drove of miners flooding back into the Hunter Valley region.

An abundance of contracts targeting small to mid-sized contractors have opened up over the past quarter, which has drawn a diverse range of buyers back into the market.

The right buyers

Drayton’s dispersal is especially unique due to the sheer volume and variety of equipment on offer, ranging from light commercial vehicles and workshop equipment to ancillary gear

AUSTRALIANMINING

and heavy earthmoving machinery.

Hassalls expects the variety of buyers to mirror that of the gear, with maintenance contractors picking up the considerable range of components, agriculture sector chasing the large number of light vehicles, and midsized miners looking to pick up heavier machinery to beef up their fleets before they pitch for many of the contracts now on the market.

The sale is so large it will take two full auction days (March 16-17) to realise the quantity of equipment and plant with estimates of 800-1000 lots to be sold.

The right outlook

Although the past 12 months have been volatile, the resources sector has seen steady growth in parts with many of the big players seeking to capitalise on rising commodity prices.

This can be seen with increasing budgets for mining exploration, with small to mid-sized Australian companies spending $451,000 on exploration alone in the third quarter of 2016.

The consensus view is that demand for Australia’s commodities will

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FEBRUARY 2017

continue to strengthen, in turn raising demand for equipment as more small and mid-sized contractors come back into the market.

As the resources industry has grown accustomed to operating lean, Drayton’s array of second hand gear is ideal for contractors who cannot typically afford late model equipment with low hours.

The Drayton sale is likely to bolster the NSW resources sector substantially if a conservative, lean mindset can be maintained.

As the world’s largest net exporter of coal, coupled with the temporary Chinese government’s restrictions, Australia has a big opportunity to make the most of its current circumstance.

Hassalls is looking forward to working with Anglo and the Australian resources sector to facilitate the Drayton dispersal, extending the global profit margin further and solidifying Australia’s reputation as a premium coal exporter. AM Steven Wainhouse is Hassalls Australasian’s key account director for the resources industry.

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MINESITE VEHICLES

KOMATSU IMC TECHNOLOGY HELPS MINING INDUSTRY OVERCOME CHALLENGES KOMATSU HAS DEVELOPED ITS INTELLIGENT MACHINE CONTROL (IMC) TECHNOLOGY WITH THE KEY CHALLENGES OF MINING AND OTHER RELATED INDUSTRIES IN MIND. BEN CREAGH WRITES.

T

he drive for productivity and efficiency continues to shape the development of Komatsu’s intelligent Machine Control (iMC) technology.

In difficult market conditions for not only the mining industry, but also construction and other related industry sectors, Komatsu’s overarching strategy is to provide solutions that help overcome several persistent challenges, including skills shortages, achieving productivity

gains through integration and automation, and reducing downtime and greater machine uptime.

Komatsu’s iMC technology has emerged as the foundation of this pursuit for the company in recent years, with its design focused on delivering productivity, efficiency and cost-saving benefits for users in mining and other related industry sectors.

According to Komatsu, iMC technology allows operators to focus on moving material efficiently,

AUSTRALIANMINING

without having to worry about digging too deep or damaging the target surface. iMC can result in efficiency improvements of more than 60 per cent when compared with conventional processes, the company’s research has found.

Aaron Marsh, Komatsu Australia’s technology solution expert team manager, smart centre, said iMC technology complements the mining industry by providing greater operational flexibility.

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“(iMC is) allowing operators with a wide range of skill and experience levels to not only operate these machines but be highly productive from the beginning,” Marsh told Australian Mining.

“These productivity gains include minimising the need to re-do work, and reducing machine and project running costs.

“But this is only the beginning: we are seeing less experienced operators now capable of performing as if they had been operating the equipment

MINESITE VEHICLES

for years, while expert operators can greatly enhance their efficiency and productivity through the combination of their own experience and this technology.”

New iMC offerings in Australia

Komatsu’s iMC technology is a central feature of the company’s latest Australian releases, which include the world’s first iMC excavator – the PC210LCi-10.

With an operating weight of 23.3 tonnes, the PC210LCi-10 is powered by a Komatsu SAA6D107E-2 diesel engine, which complies with US EPA Interim Tier 4 emissions requirements with a 123kW rating.

According to Komatsu, the PC210LCi-10 represents the industry’s first move from conventional excavator machine guidance systems – which require the operator to dig according to an in-cab indicate system – to actual machine control automation.

“With conventional excavator guidance systems, the final finish quality depends entirely on the skill of the operator,” Marsh said.

“One of the biggest problems customers have had with these systems is speed and accuracy from sensor lag and 100 per cent operator inputs, so operators have had to constantly monitor the system to check they are on design, while also having grade checkers regularly confirming design surface accuracy.

“But with machine automation, Komatsu’s iMC excavator enables operators to achieve optimum speed to final grade accuracy with minimal operator inputs, while eliminating the need for manual grade checking.”

The excavator’s iMC system offers real-time bucket edge positioning in relation to the machine and 3D design surface.

Komatsu has also extended its dozer range in Australia with the release of three new machines featuring the iMC system.

The release of the D65EXi/PXi-18 (21-23 tonnes operating weight), the D85EXi/PXi-18 (29.5-30.5 tonnes) and the D155AXi-8 (41 tonnes) follow the launch of the D61EXi/PXi-23 in late 2014. Komatsu has fitted the new dozers with its ultralow emission Tier 4 Final engines.

According to Marsh, Komatsu’s iMC dozer concept allows

AUSTRALIANMINING

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FEBRUARY 2017

MINESITE VEHICLES

all machines in this range to carry out both bulk and final trim dozing in fully automatic mode from start to finish.

“This allows them to significantly increase productivity and efficiency – up to twice as productive as dozers fitted with ‘bolt-on’ third party machine control systems, according to Australian users and operators – while reducing the cost of each metre of material moved,” Marsh said.

Based on Komatsu proprietary technologies developed over many years, the new engines in the dozers lower nitrogen oxides and particulate matter by 90 per cent compared with Tier 3-compliant engines.

The engine technology, combined with Komatsu’s Sigmadozer blade and automatic/torque lockup transmission system, result in fuel efficiency improvements of between 20-30 per cent per metre of dirt moved.

Global navigation integration With iMC, users of the excavator or dozers receive integration of the

machine control system, providing greater uptime and machine availability compared with any of the aftermarket machine control global navigation satellite systems (GNSS).

Marsh said the integration of GNSS machine control solutions into the actual machines was a major step forward.

“Our iMC technology means true machine automation from the start of bulk earthworks through to finish grade,” Marsh explained.

“This means optimum blade fill factors all day in bulk works, then, once close to the final grade, protecting the target design with greater accuracy through seamless operation.

“This includes the ability to track cut and fill volumes along with reducing the requirement for re-do work time after time, ultimately staying on budget, plan and reducing costs, all while increasing productivity.”

An element of iMC technology that will potentially benefit the

AUSTRALIANMINING

mining industry is accurate cut-andfill volume reporting through the machines operating in design areas, according to Komatsu.

“We can now monitor all these values through advanced KOMTRAX reporting covering both the machine itself and the machine control system,” Marsh said.

“This is backed up through our UAV technology offerings, which again complement our integrated iMC systems, including cut and fill volume reporting and UAV survey.”

Overcoming skills shortages

Komatsu’s iMC machines have automation capability built-in, meaning the machine is doing most of the work, reducing operator input.

Marsh believes this attribute has the potential to enable companies operating in the mining industry to overcome skills shortages in the future.

“In short, this means the operator is guiding the machine while the machine operates to its maximum

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FEBRUARY 2017

ability – not the operator. Having said that, with greater operator experience the advantages are improved even further,” Marsh said.

“What it means is an operator with less than a year’s experience can be as productive as an operator with 30plus years of experience in a matter of hours, and with minimal training.”

The company plans to add to its family of iMC machines in Australia.

At last year’s MINExpo in Las Vegas, Komatsu launched the D375AXi iMC mining dozer, but is yet to set a date for the release of this machine in Australia.

Another machine release on the agenda for Komatsu is the PC490LCi-11 intelligent excavator, which will be around 50 tonnes in weight.

“This is class-leading technology which enhances an already competitive market and gives our customers a set of integrated solutions to some major business and operational challenges,” Marsh concluded. AM

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MINERALS PROCESSING

LITHIUM AUSTRALIA TARGETS SUSTAINABILITY WITH PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY LITHIUM AUSTRALIA IS EDGING CLOSER TO THE COMMERCIALISATION OF ITS SILEACH PROCESSING METHOD AFTER PROMISING TESTING OF THE BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY IN 2016. BEN CREAGH WRITES.

W

ith the future of lithium looking bright Lithium Australia has set out to play a key role in creating a sustainable industry that will capitalise on this momentum.

The Perth-based company is developing a hydrometallurgical process, known as Sileach, that will enhance the recovery of lithium from hard rock, one of the two key sources of lithium chemicals.

Prior to 1990 much of the world’s lithium was sourced from hard rock. That was until the other key lithium source, brine, took over as predominantly South American companies achieved production at much lower operating costs.

A resurgence in hard rock lithium production in recent years has seen it once again eclipse brine as the world’s primary source, with capital requirements now much lower and because it can be efficiently brought to the market to react to demand.

However, a drawback of hard rock production is that a large amount of lithium finishes up in the waste stream as the costs required to extract the metal from low-grade concentrates are currently too high.

To change this situation, and unlock new opportunities for the sector, Lithium Australia has been developing the potential of Sileach through extensive testing with ANSTO Minerals (a division of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) at Lucas Heights, on the outskirts of Sydney.

Unlike traditional processing technology, Sileach processes lithium concentrates at atmospheric pressure, using significantly less energy by removing the need for roasting. The process is also capable of delivering high recoveries and crucial byproduct credits.

to revolutionise the global lithium industry by reducing processing costs and providing an opportunity for previously uneconomic deposits to enter the marketplace.

“Today, there is a large amount of lithium discharged in waste streams,” Griffin told Australian Mining.

“We looked at the waste streams that contain low-grade concentrates that can’t be processed with existing technology because it is too expensive to produce lithium chemicals out

of. We also looked at waste streams that contain other minerals that with conventional technologies can’t compete on the production cost curve.

“If you can create a process that is more efficient and under some circumstances produces a by-product credit, then you have the potential of dropping the operating costs for hard rock deposits to the same levels as brine deposits.”

Griffin said the key drivers of the Sileach process would be to reduce

Global potential

Lithium Australia’s managing director, Adrian Griffin, said the Sileach technology was showing the potential AUSTRALIANMINING

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FEBRUARY 2017

exposure to mining costs (as in many cases the material is contained in waste, with mining already paid for), have a low energy footprint and have valuable by-product credits.

Importantly, the Sileach process is being developed to enable mining companies to release value from lithium silicate deposits that have been quarantined due to subeconomic grades.

Due to the lower projected operating costs, Sileach has also

MINERALS PROCESSING

shown it could transform lowgrade spodumene occurrences into viable ore as it isn’t as sensitive to feed grade.

This would mean lower cut-off grades may be used for resource calculations, existing resources can be expanded without the requirement for further drilling, and that an increase in recovery of metal inventories is possible.

As the lithium chemicals are precipitated from solution in the Sileach process, all impurities in lithium silicate feed can be rejected during the production of lithium chemicals.

Spodumene, and other silicates in which impurity concentrations would otherwise be uneconomic, would

be considered a viable process feed with Sileach.

The road to commercialisation

Lithium Australia took major steps towards commercialisation of Sileach in 2016.

The company completed a pilot testing program with ANSTO Minerals in October. The testing was supported by the Australian Government, which provided a grant to advance the process for the recovery of metals, such as lithium from silicate minerals.

The Sileach testing with ANSTO involved a pilot plant, consisting of leaching and impurity removal circuits, and feed of ore from Lepidolite Hill in Western Australia.

About 650 kilograms of ore was processed at an average throughput of six kilograms per hour.

Extraction of lithium in the Sileach process exceeded 95 per cent in the leach circuit, validating both the overall extraction and accelerated rate of extraction achieved in a laboratory test program.

The next step in Sileach testing, which commenced in December, is processing low-grade spodumene concentrates from Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora project, where Lithium Australia has formed a strategic partnership.

Griffin said the testing would focus on lower-grade materials that would not otherwise be recovered at commercially viable costs.

“The commercialisation agreement with Pilbara Minerals is very critical arrangement for us,” Griffin explained.

“The agreement has a number of commercialisation hurdles, commencing with lab testing, for which we have achieved a successful outcome. The next hurdle is pilot testing at ANSTO Minerals, which we have already commenced.

“We would then commit to a largescale pilot plant with an output of about 2500 tonnes per annum lithium carbonate. If we can demonstrate that we can produce lithium chemicals on a commercial basis from that plant the two parties will enter into a 5050 joint venture to process mineral concentrates from Pilgangoora.”

A sustainable future

Griffin believes Sileach, if commercialised, would provide a ‘very timely’ technology capable of delivering new opportunities for the lithium sector, which is currently experiencing substantial growth.

However, he said the company’s main goal was to commercialise Sileach so it could help guide the industry towards becoming more sustainable, both in Australia and internationally.

“That means stopping lower grade material from going into tailings dams – if companies have off-spec product then we don’t want them throwing it away,” Griffin said.

“We have got to provide the industry at-large with a more efficient way of doing things and provide them with the ability to capitalise on by-product credits. Even when you roast and leach you are throwing away something that is a valuable resource.

“Why not turn the residues into chemicals instead?”

Internationally, the company also has a Sileach processing agreement with pending ASX float, Canada’s MetalsTech, which owns several lithium exploration properties in Quebec.

It also has a technology development agreements with Toronto-listed Alix Resources, Lithium Australia’s JV partner in the Electra project in Mexico.

Lithium Australia plans to continue to advance these arrangements, as well as its locally-based agreements, throughout 2017. AM AUSTRALIANMINING

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MINERALS PROCESSING

A SWITCH FROM BALL MILLS TO VERTIMILL BOOSTS MIAOGOU IRON MINE METSO HAS HELPED TRANSFORM THE MIAOGOU IRON MINE IN CHINA INTO A MORE EFFICIENT OPERATION THAT IS WELL PLACED TO MANAGE CURRENT CHALLENGES IN THE MARKETPLACE.

H

ebei Iron and Steel Group operates the Miaogou iron mine, which is located in China’s Qinglong County about 300 kilometres east of Beijing. The site produces iron concentrate at a rate of 800,000 tonnes per annum.

Due to the downturn in the iron and steel industry, Miaogou’s concentration costs were exceeding the price of iron concentrate.

In response to these challenging market conditions, the Miaogou iron mine launched a technological transformation project in 2014.

The project included replacing the original tertiary ball mills with Metso’s Vertimill VTM-1500-WB vertical grinding mill. The new machine delivered a decrease in both power and grinding media consumption for the site.

Improved recovery, less energy

The mine’s original grinding circuit consisted of 10 ball mills, two of which were dedicated to the tertiary stage. These existing mills produced material with 71-73 per cent passing 44 microns. Iron concentrate grade was 65 per cent with an average recovery rate of 87 per cent.

Since the Vertimill installation, site production costs have been reduced and it has allowed the mine to successfully operate under tighter market conditions. General chief of the Miaogou iron mine, Zhang Runshen, explained how the new machine has increased productivity: “Since installing the new machine, grinding fineness has increased from 71-73 per cent to 88-90 per cent passing 44 microns. Our iron concentrate grade rose from 65 per cent to 66 per cent, and average recovery improved from 87 per cent to 89 per cent. At the same time, silica content decreased by one per cent,” Runshen said.

In addition to improving the AUSTRALIANMINING

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FEBRUARY 2017

MINERALS PROCESSING

recovery rates, the Vertimill has lower energy and grinding media consumption when compared to the existing ball mills. It also takes up much less space.

Miaogou’s grinding plant technician Zhang Jiankang highlighted how the smaller footprint helped the installation: “We would have needed a larger ball mill to achieve the current grinding fineness, however, the original plant space was limited.

“Thanks to the Vertimill’s compact dimensions and the ease of installation, the new machine was commissioned quickly. At present, the VTM-1500-WB runs at 85 per cent load to achieve a capacity of 200 tonnes per day. Eliminating the original two ball mills has also yielded a 30 per cent reduction in energy costs,” Jiankang said.

In addition to the energy savings, Miaogou’s media usage for the

tertiary stage dropped from 0.8 kg/t to 0.3 kg/t, equivalent to a 60 per cent reduction. With an annual output of 800,000 tonnes of iron concentrate, the savings in grinding media alone had a significant reduction on operational expenditure.

Commenting on Metso’s capabilities in Australia, vice president for capital equipment Max Wijasuriya highlights innovative thinking as the key to driving productivity in the current economic climate.

“For Australia, with the increasing focus to improve efficiency and productivity competitively, this kind of technology transformation thinking is where our industry is going,” Wijasuriya said.

“We see other applications like these where we can help to challenge how things are being done and find solutions working collaboratively with our customers.” AM

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MINERALS PROCESSING

IMPROVING OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE WITH MILL LINING DESIGN OPTIMISING A MILL’S LINING DESIGN IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION IN THE PURSUIT OF OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, ACCORDING TO TRELLEBORG.

A

s operators seek to optimise income from mining, operational excellence and the ability to find new productivity gains are

key focus areas.

Tactics to achieve this include a re-evaluation of a mine’s maintenance and procurement approach. The two are entwined because a tendency to

exhaust equipment and/or rely on tried, tested and sometimes underperforming components can lead to more frequent downtime.

Whether it’s a planned service or an emergency shutdown, any interruption to operations can have costly consequences.

An example where this approach is being put into practice is in milling technology for mineral

AUSTRALIANMINING

processing, where new equipment and processes are being introduced to optimise production efficiency.

This includes reducing the number of production lines in action at any one time, so increasing mill sizes to enable the same, if not greater, throughput levels.

One of the key advantages to this approach is that scheduled and unscheduled downtime is reduced.

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FEBRUARY 2017

However, the activity levels of each mill must be closely managed to ensure that productivity remains high.

Similarly, components used within the mill must guarantee optimum performance and reliability, so that unexpected maintenance or replacement is minimised.

According to Trelleborg engineered products technical manager Zane Thomas, mill liner design and

MINERALS PROCESSING

material selection is important to ensure the optimum flow of minerals and longer lasting performance of the lining.

“Liners play an important role in protecting the interior mill shell from impact and wear, while transferring energy to optimise grinding efficiency. These conflicting requirements mean that the lining must be carefully designed to ensure optimum, long-lasting performance and reduced load stress on the mill,” Thomas said.

“A key consideration is the material used to make the lining and lifter bars. For some materials, such as composite steel linings, the wear life can be unpredictable due to the quality of the steel, bonding techniques and the cracking of inserts.

“This can become a safety hazard requiring frequent maintenance and replacement, not to mention the

additional load in the mill. The result is a loss in efficiency and throughput, increase in power draw and downtime losses, all affecting the dollar per tonne recovery.”

The benefits of rubber compound versus composite steel linings

Used in most secondary, tertiary and a number of primary milling applications, rubber mill linings are almost half the weight of composite steel liners and come with huge advantages, such as the elimination of cracking or falling of inserts during mineral impact, as well as reduced noise levels during milling.

Rubber mill linings are easily monitored and wear life is predictable. Some components can also be designed with wear indicators incorporated, making it easier to identify when the lining needs to be replaced and therefore, when to AUSTRALIANMINING

schedule appropriate maintenance.

As the pressure to reduce unplanned downtime builds, in order to improve efficiency and mill productivity, the ability to measure liner wear becomes invaluable.

An all-rubber lining has been developed for composite lifter bar solutions. For example, Trelleborg recently developed and supplied a cost-effective, long-lasting rubber lifter bar solution for a ball mill in Australia.

The success with the 1605AM rubber compound and design has given Trelleborg the opportunity to offer its clients an alternative to composite steel lifter bars.

“Composite lifters can not only add to the load in the mill, but are also difficult to handle in confined spaces and take much longer to install, adding to downtime and installation costs,” Thomas said.

“The lifter bars made with new

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1605AM rubber compound come with added benefits such as easy handling, quick installation time, reduced power draw and noise pollution. The reduction in overall weight decreases the impact on rotating components.”

Downtime is a significant issue faced by the mining industry, and the mining and material processing industry is always looking for ways to enhance availability of the mills that grind and blend materials, Thomas added.

“Trelleborg’s rubber lifter bars offer increased operational efficiencies, significantly reduced downtime, simple wear monitoring and life predictability. In addition, when compared with steel, a rubber solution also provides superior resistance to the severe impact, high temperature and abrasion caused by the comminution of the ore within the mine’s grinding mill, enhancing the life of the mill,” he said.

Trelleborg offers a wide range of rubber lifter bars and plates for ball mills, rod mills and drum scrubbers.

The standard rubber lifter sizes from Trelleborg range from 50mm to 250mm wide and 50mm to 350mm in height.

They come with aluminium and steel tracks, with different face angles to suit the milling or scrubbing application. A wide range of shell plates, grate plates, head plates and filler segments, including the backing rubber to protect the mother plate of the mill are also available.

Conclusion

Accessible measures and practices are available to help operators to get the most out of every mill.

Though considered just one of many components vital to mining operations, the lining of a grinding mill plays a key role in optimum comminution and mineral dressing.

Lines are subjected to severe impact and abrasion from the mineral being ground and the media introduced into the mill to help break down the product.

As such, a high quality and high wearing lining is an important part of keeping a mill online and operations running to plan. AM

EXPLORATION

IS AUSTRALIA’S EXPLORATION SECTOR PREPARING FOR A TURNAROUND? EXPLORATION ACTIVITY IN AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN NOTICEABLY LOWER FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, BUT THERE ARE SIGNS OF OPTIMISM. BEN CREAGH WRITES.

A

fter several years in the doldrums there are signs that Australia’s exploration sector is heading for an improved year in 2017.

Exploration expenditure fell almost continuously between 2012 and 2016 but is now starting to show signs it is stabilising. Expenditure targeting coal suffered the biggest fall during this span, while exploration activity for iron ore also

dropped significantly.

After declining by about 10 per cent year-on-year since late 2012, the falls in exploration expenditure have slowed considerably in recent quarters, according to the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. In the September 2016 quarter, expenditure was only 3.7 per cent lower (at about $380 million), which occurred as commodity prices rallied.

Gold and copper have been the best performing minerals in recent

times, in terms of exploration expenditure. Gold exploration expenditure increased by 19 per cent year-on-year in the September 2016 quarter to $159 million, while

copper was up 15 per cent to $35 million.

Off the back of promising figures like these, research consultancies have indicated that exploration

GOLD, OIL AND GAS STOCKS RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT FINANCING CASH FLOWS, WITH 10 GOLD COMPANIES AND FOUR OIL AND GAS COMPANIES RAISING IN EXCESS OF $10 MILLION DURING THE SEPTEMBER 2016 QUARTER.”

IRON ORE EXPLORATION HAS FALLEN SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT YEARS.

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EXPLORATION

activity may be ready to rise again.

According to Resources Monitor, the outlook for exploration looked better than it had for several years at the end of 2016.

“Will exploration expenditure continue to increase in 2017?” it pondered.

“Gold exploration may be adversely affected if prices do not pick up in coming months. By the same token, iron-ore and coal exploration will be stimulated if recent price increases hold.

“In addition, for both BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, copper is an important part of their exploration programs.”

BDO Australia, which focusses on exploration undertaken by junior companies, believes the sector is now transitioning away from a mindset of cash preservation and is instead focussing on investing in exploration and advancing projects.

Research from BDO found that the average amount of cash junior companies spent on exploration

increased quarter-on-quarter for just the second time in more than two years in the three months to September 2016.

Although the spend was still less than half that of the amount recorded in March 2014, BDO national leader for natural resources Sherif Andrawes said it was a strong indication that positive market sentiment was funnelling cash through to juniors.

“Gold, oil and gas stocks received significant financing cash flows, with 10 gold companies and four oil and gas companies raising in excess of $10 million during the September 2016 quarter,” Andrawes said.

He added that interest in gold stocks, which had already increased after the Brexit decision earlier in the year, continued through the September quarter due to the uncertainty in global markets following the US election win by Donald Trump.

BDO found that net operating cash flows increased during the

September quarter to $707 million, an increase of about 34 per cent on the $527 million recorded in the June 2016 quarter “The increase in funds committed to exploration and development reaffirms the improvement in industry sentiment,” Andrawes said.

“Total net financing cash flows decreased by almost a third for the September 2016 quarter, having increased by more than 300 per cent during the previous quarter.

“However, the ability of explorers to secure debt and equity funding remains significantly higher than in periods prior to the June 2016 quarter, which indicates that there is

still investor appetite for companies demonstrating strong fundamentals and reasonable valuation levels.”

However, not all observers are expecting the exploration sector to bounce back just yet.

Despite renewed optimism elsewhere, the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science remained cautious about the future of exploration in its latest resources and energy quarterly report.

“The generally subdued long term outlook for growth in commodity prices makes substantive increases in exploration expenditure over the outlook period unlikely,” the report stated. AM

GOLD EXPLORATION MAY BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED IF PRICES DO NOT PICK UP IN COMING MONTHS. BY THE SAME TOKEN, IRON-ORE AND COAL EXPLORATION WILL BE STIMULATED IF RECENT PRICE INCREASES HOLD.”

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FEBRUARY 2017

MOTORS & DRIVES

DRIVING DOWN OPERATING COSTS WITH MEDIUM VOLTAGE DRIVES AUSTRALIAN MINING JOURNALIST SHARON MASIGE TALKS WITH DELTA ENERGY SYSTEMS’ REGIONAL MANAGER (INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION) DAVID BOLT ABOUT THE ADVANTAGES OF MEDIUM VOLTAGE DRIVES IN THE MINING SECTOR.

I

t’s no question that mining companies are constantly looking for ways to lower operational costs while still increasing productivity and efficiency.

This can be achieved by using medium voltage drives (MVDs).

According to Bolt, MVDs have heavier lifting capabilities and further economies of scale in large industrial applications for use with HV motors.

They reduce the cost per kilowatt by operating at higher supply voltages, therefore reducing current flows for a given power output (according to the formulae power = volts x current). This also provides an additional benefit of using smaller cabling due to the lower current output, significantly reducing cable costs.

“We can lower the cost per kilowatt and maximise the dollar per tonne ratio especially in oil and gas, and mining applications where efficient bulk transportation is key,” Bolt told Australian Mining.

Apart from voltage, one of the other ways MVDs minimise the cost per kilowatt is through reducing input current harmonics, which have the potential to cause overheating and overloading of transformers and conductors.

“The more harmonics you have the more it’s going to take away from your usable current and voltage which

AUSTRALIANMINING

makes it more inefficient,” he said.

MVDs reduce the input current harmonics and meet the IEEE 519 standard of attaining harmonic control in power systems to keep below five per cent (THDi).

“The way it does this is our drives make use of a cascade topology which incorporates a phase shift transformer.

This eliminates the requirements for upstream power quality technology and mitigates the harmonics down below five per cent to meet that industry standard of IEEE 519,” Bolt said.

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“So when you combine our integrated phase shift transformer in the drive and the general benefits of using a higher supply voltage as explained, the MVD basically then can reduce your total cost of ownership to lower energy consumption and increase application efficiency.”

This contrasts with low voltage drives which usually have a separate

MOTORS & DRIVES

harmonic filter in the upstream of the drive which incur additional costs to both procure and install.

Monitoring and maintenance

Proper asset management ensures the longevity of mining equipment.

The modular technology structure of MVDs, compared to low voltage variable speed drives (LV VSDs), provides easier replacement and overall maintenance.

“If you’re using a large LV VSD (>500kW), if something happens to it, most likely there’s a single point of failure,” Bolt said.

“Usually a lot of the time you have to replace quite a significant part of the LV VSD or replace the whole LV VSD itself depending on age.”

Bolt described how Delta’s MVDs use modular power cells which minimise operating costs.

“In the Delta MVD architecture, we use modular power cells with an inbuilt and patented semiconductor power cell bypass as standard, not a contactor bypass to ensure type testing in the drive is maintained and fast bypass of the cell,” Bolt said.

“If a power cell fails we can automatically bypass the ‘bad’ cell and run at a de-rated output to keep the system online. When available, AUSTRALIANMINING

the faulty power cell is then quickly replaced and the system reactivated.

So, that really helps costs going forward.”

Although MVDs incur a higher capex, they return greater benefits in the long term by increasing the overall life of the drive.

In addition, MVDs offer redundancy compared to low voltage drives, which keep processes going in the event of an unexpected failure.

Bolt explained that Delta MVDs have an option to add an additional power cell in each phase to maintain a 100 per cent power output without having to de-rate the system.

“By using this N+1 redundancy, if a power cell fails then the redundant power cell is activated and no derating occurs so full system output power is maintained,” he said.

“So for critical applications where derating the output power cannot be undermined basically the N+1 redundancy creates a redundant power cell and it keeps the output of whatever’s happening going.”

Adopting medium voltage drives Bolt said the medium voltage market is worth around $180 million each year, suggesting a growing adoption of the drives.

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“Previously companies avoided them [because] they were very high in cost compared to low voltage, and the cost to install and get the skilled labour to put them in place was also expensive,” Bolt said.

“So what has happened in the last few years is that the cost of medium voltage drives has significantly gone down due to both changing market conditions but material costs coming down of critical components.

“This, coupled with the redundant options of our cascade topology, inbuilt harmonic mitigation and a lower holistic life cycle cost is ensuring the full CAPEX and OPEX decision is balanced, and both expenditures are taken into account when seeking to adopt an MVD in applications requiring more than 500kW power output.”

Bolt added that through the Delta alliance, the company has partnered with I S Systems, a Newcastle-based engineering solution integrator that addresses the need to reduce labour costs and increase engineering skill while putting the drives in place.

It means for the first time ever, customers no longer deal directly with the manufacturer, further increasing affordability, service time and overall customer focused support. AM

PROSPECT AWARDS

PROSPECT AWARDS WINNERS PROFILE AUSTRALIAN MINING SPEAKS WITH FORMER PROSPECT AWARDS RECIPIENT MINEARC TO DISCUSS THE NEW EQUIPMENT DESIGNED BY THE COMPANY SINCE ITS WIN IN 2014.

E

ach year the Australian Mining Prospect Awards celebrate the best practice in the country’s mining industry. The event provides an opportunity for companies to pause and reflect on how far they have come during difficult times, while honouring those which have gone above and beyond to ensure the prosperity of the mining sector.

One such company is Minearc, who won the Excellence in Mine Safety, OHS award in 2014 for the EnviroLAV – an environmentally-friendly toilet for the heavy industry.

“The EnviroLAV was quite a

sensation when it came out,” Andrew Kindon, Minearc marketing manager, told Australian Mining, “it still is sort of industry leading.”

The system features toilet facilities mounted on a small biological treatment plant, with waste directly deposited and isolated in the tank. It uses a biodegradable enzyme solution that breaks down the matter without using harsh chemicals, thereby benefitting the environment.

In addition, the toilet only needs to be emptied every 12 months, strengthening its low maintenance capabilities.

Since the EnviroLAV was first developed, Kindon said it had seen

promising results, but was still yet to have a wider industry response.

“It still hasn’t reached industrywide usage,” he said, “people are still a little bit stuck in the mindset of the rental portaloos.”

“But the clients that have moved across to the EnviroLAV have all been satisfied with it so they do see the benefits of it.”

Kindon added the company had developed the EnviroLAV into a rental item to compete with the chemical toilets currently on the market.

Acknowledging the hard work

Kindon said winning the mine safety award showed the acknowledgement

THE STANDARD MINESAFE INTERIOR.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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of a good product, particularly one Minearc had been developing for several years.

“We’ve been designing toilets for mining for probably the last seven or eight years and when we came to the point of developing the EnviroLAV we knew it was a good product,” Kindon said.

“We knew that it would be basically groundbreaking for the industry and the award was acknowledgment of that, so it’s worked well for us.”

Kindon said the award provided greater exposure for the system, as well as the company’s other equipment.

PROSPECT AWARDS

“We’ve been able to use that as part of the message for our EnviroLAV and yes [it] got us a bit of exposure, not just for the actual product itself but our processes [as well],” he said.

“We’re designing new and innovative equipment and products all the time and it basically highlighted that we’re working on proprietary Minearc equipment all the time and coming up with new ideas.”

Where are you now?

Minearc has continued to grow, particularly from an innovation perspective, having formalised the process of research and development in the company over the past six years. It put together an innovation committee and created a dedicated space in-house for engineers to conduct research and development.

The company also launched

WE’VE BEEN DESIGNING TOILETS FOR MINING FOR PROBABLY THE LAST SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS AND WHEN WE CAME TO THE POINT OF DEVELOPING THE ENVIROLAV WE KNEW IT WAS A GOOD PRODUCT.”

the Minearc Systems Intelligence suite of monitoring systems, which works with its signature range of underground refuge chambers. The suite identifies refuge chamber faults or issues in real time via an integrated network of technologies, including the GuardIAN Remote Monitoring & Diagnostics System, Aura-FX Digital Fixed Gas Monitoring System and the Compressed Air Management System (CAMS).

“Up until now [the rescue chambers] have always been fairly independent and autonomous without much connection to the surface.

You used to rely on basically a communications cable to the surface occupants that communicate with the operations centre,” Kindon said.

“The intelligence system basically communicates data within the chamber from all systems.

“They all talk to each other through Guardian, which is an onboard computer with its own dedicated portal. That information is sent up to a central operations area of the mine site so that you can see all of the critical information to do with each refuge chamber from one central point.

“You can see your whole entire fleet and what their status is; if they’re in operational condition, if they’re being used at that time, and what’s being activated within the chamber.”

He added it was one of the company’s biggest achievements so far.

“That’s been a big highlight for us. It’s basically synthesised a whole

THE MINESAFE REFUGE CHAMBER

THE AWARD-WINNING ENVIROLAV TOILET.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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lot of independent products that we’ve been working on into one large system,” Kindon said.

Safety in Australia

As a company that specialises in safety equipment, Minearc acknowledges Australia’s high safety standards in the mining industry.

“In Australia we’re pretty lucky that in the underground mining sector safety is taken very seriously,” he said.

“It’s a cultural shift that’s happened over the past 25 years and most major mining contractors and companies have a zero tolerance or zero harm policy in place. Everybody is really trying to work toward the safety of everybody; the safety of the workers and the safety of contractors that come of site.”

Kindon also emphasised the strict regulations Australia has in place that further promote a strong safety culture.

“I think we’ve got a very healthy safety culture in Australia,” he said.

As the Prospect Awards gear up for its 14th year, Kindon said it was a good initiative for companies to be a part of.

“Go for it. It’s always good to put your product up and put your services up to see how they stand against other people and other groups in the industry. I think it’s a really good awards to be involved in,” he concluded. AM Nominations for the 2017 Prospect Awards are now open. This year’s awards take place at the Ivy in Sydney on October 26.

OIL AND GAS

AOG 2017 TO HIGHLIGHT EMERGING OIL AND GAS OPPORTUNITIES A REVAMPED AUSTRALASIAN OIL & GAS EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE WILL PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY IN PERTH THIS MONTH.

D

espite difficult market conditions in recent years Australia is regarded as one of the few positive locations in the world for oil and gas expenditure.

Australia’s leading position in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector was identified by Douglas-Westwood as being a catalyst for expenditure growth up to 2020, an opportunity for the country that will be central in discussions at this month’s Australasian Oil & Gas Exhibition & Conference 2017 in Perth.

Local LNG producers such as Woodside and Shell will join specialist companies like Deloitte, as well as the Western Australian Government, National Energy Resources Australia (NERA) and

other industry bodies, to outline where they believe the industry is heading.

AOG continues to evolve, just like the industry is in Australia. A new-look event in 2017 will include free-to-attend industry forums, titled: collaboration, subsea and knowledge.

The collaboration forum will feature a mix of presentations for operators, contractors and SMEs, with sessions over the three days to looking at topics like technology and innovation.

Woodside chief operations officer Michael Utsler, who is a speaker in this forum, said innovation and collaboration were crucial for the industry.

“In a ‘lower for longer’ oil price environment a culture of ingenuity and resilience is required. This forum

AUSTRALIANMINING

provides an opportunity to tackle key issues and opportunities together, to share learnings and to seek ways to drive excellence through our combined endeavours,” Utsler said.

Subsea UK is partnering with the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) and Subsea Energy Australia (SEA) to assemble the subsea forum program, which will focus on how the Australian subsea sector adjusts to the challenges and opportunities in the current market.

Topics to be discussed in the subsea forum include: provoking stimulation, subsea repairs and interventions, subsea inspection, monitoring and life extension, subsea system design optimisation and more.

The knowledge forum has received input from a wide range of leading industries bodies in Australia. Topics

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to be discussed in the knowledge forum include LNG as marine fuel – crew competencies, reducing risk and improving safety performance through the application of innovative technology, exploration for oil and gas and more.

“AOG 2017 provides a remarkable opportunity for attendees to hear first-hand from those working at the coal face about where they believe the local oil and gas sector is heading in the short to medium term,” AOG event director Bill Hare said.

AOG 2017 will again feature a number of specialist zones on the exhibition floor, covering key topics like subsea, health, safety and environment, NDT and condition monitoring, instrumentation control and automation, and a new maritime zone. AM

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN 11 MAY 2017

MELBOURNE WWW.ENDEAVOURAWARDS.COM.AU

GOLD

EUREKA! STRIKING GOLD IN AUSTRALIA WHILE THE PRICE OF GOLD WAVERED FROM ITS USUAL STEADINESS AT THE END OF 2016 AUSTRALIA HAS CONTINUED TO EXPLORE AND DEVELOP GOLD OPERATIONS INTO THE NEW YEAR. SHARON MASIGE WRITES.

G

old is often considered one of the most stable commodities and in the first half of 2016, it rallied 25 per cent.

During the US presidential election last year, the precious metal was tipped to rise even further with the possibility of Donald Trump taking office and in December, economists predicted a $200 an ounce price hike. But this forecast was shot down, with gold sinking to $US1122.35 an ounce later that month - the lowest level it had been in 10 months.

This slight turbulence in the gold price however, has not hindered the spirit of gold explorers, who continue to pursue more opportunities for the metal.

Traprock Mining to list

One of these companies is Traprock Mining, which recently launched a $6.5 million initial public offering (IPO) as it prepares to list on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

The Brisbane-based company plans to use the funds for exploration and the development of its Queensland copper-gold asset portfolio, which includes the Mount Chalmers goldcopper project near Rockhampton; the Waroo cooper-gold project near Stanthorpe; the Herries Range gold project near Warwick; and the Kunguna copper-gold project near Gympie.

The Mount Chalmers project is the company’s flagship operation - holding high gold mineralisation - with its tenement covering the former Mount AUSTRALIANMINING

Chalmers gold-copper historical mine.

Traprock Mining chairman Tony Fawdon told Australian Mining that the mine’s previous owners, Mount Morgan, finished mining at the site when commodity prices fell in 1982.

“They mined 1.1 million tonnes,” Fawdon said.

“The grade was about 3.6 grams per tonne gold, three per cent copper and 20 grams silver, and they only mined about a quarter of the ore body.

“So it is our intention that once we get up and listed - get the funds in the door - we will redrill the whole of our resource and by about Easter time we will have a full-fledged (joint ore reserves committee) JORC2012 resource.”

Next to Mount Chalmers is another substantial gold resource, Wood Shaft,

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with mineralisation up to 90 metres deep.

“There’s drilling between Wood Shaft and Mount Chalmers, which contain gold that has never been followed up on,” Fawdon added.

Upon defining the resource, the company will then determine the next steps to take with the project.

“Once we have established the resources…once we get that resource up and running, then we’ll be starting a definitive feasibility study,” Fawdon said.

Fawdon added that the company had several options to consider once it starts mining. One of them is to potentially open Wood Shaft and immediately begin operations, as the mineralisation is right on the surface.

GOLD

The company is also considering options for treatment facilities, possibly using Carbine Resources’ neighbouring treatment plant.

However, if this does not go to plan, Traprock also has the option of concentrating the ore, putting it on containers to Gladstone, and shipping it off to Korea, Japan or China.

There is also the possibility of Traprock establishing its own plant, if given the green light through the feasibility study.

Once these steps are finalised, the company can then begin to look at employing workers.

“We’ve got a lot of options in front of us to then start employing people, for example, in two years time,” Fawdon said.

Once the project becomes operational Fawdon estimates it will take between 80-120 people to develop the plant and around 80 people to run it.

Drill, drill and drill some more

Traprock is also focussed on areas in the region that have scarcely been drilled, particularly to the south of Mount Chalmers.

“Besides Mount Chalmers, we’ve got something like about 70-80 historic mines and there’s been no drilling in the region,” Fawdon said, adding that some of the areas may contain large low-grade gold systems.

“Now we’re throwing our money into that because we believe the gold price will eventually go upwards.”

Fawdon also explained another one of the company’s resources, Herries Range, which may contain high gold mineralisation.

Traprock has completed a small amount of drilling in the area and is planning to undertake more in the future.

there’s going to be a shortage of supply around about 2020.

“We’ve already seen the Australian price of copper in the last month go up by a thousand dollars a tonne, so I think that copper is in for a good run.”

Fawdon also expected there to be a lot of resources mergers and acquisitions this year.

Impact Minerals

Another gold company that has continued to hold strong is Impact Minerals, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in November last year.

Over the years, the company has advanced projects in Australia, as well as Botswana and Turkey.

Impact Minerals managing director Mike Jones said shortly after the company listed it maintained its Australian gold and nickel assets, but also expanded into Botswana.

“We were quite active in Botswana for three or four years for uranium exploration, and also nickel exploration,” Jones said. “We then got caught up in the global financial crisis like everyone else... but we managed to get through that.”

Following the tragic Fukushima nuclear incident in 2011, the company decided to look at developing projects elsewhere, settling on Turkey.

“Unfortunately Fukushima happened and so that was really the end of the uranium exploration boom at that time, and so we had to look around for projects,” Jones said.

“We were in Turkey for a couple of years, which has great potential but proved to be politically a difficult place to work so we pulled out of there.”

The company then decided to focus more on developing its Australian assets and formed three flagship projects: one in Western Australia for nickel and gold, one in Broken Hill for platinum group metals (PGM) and the third, Commonwealth gold mine, near Dubbo in New South Wales, where it is currently drilling.

The Commonwealth project produced positive results, with the discovery of significant high-grade gold and silver. It has been a known historic site since the 1900s and still houses old mine shafts.

“They produced about 6000 tonnes of ore back in the early 1900s, which wasn’t probably very much but it was high-grade ore,” Jones said.

“And the high-grade gold and silver and zinc was what was attractive for the area.”

Jones added that Impact also found good results at the Silica Hill prospects - part of Commonwealth

Copper anyone?

Apart from gold, Fawdon is also optimistic about the copper price.

“The [copper] price started to fall about four years ago,” Fawdon said.

“It started a steady decline... but the position was that no one was looking for copper and there was no point because the price was falling.

“Yes there were plenty of large mines around the place that could take up the supply, but what’s happening is that people like Rio are saying they are now going to start looking for further resources because AUSTRALIANMINING

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- with high gold mineralisation potential.

“We’re very excited because the initial results have given us thick widths and good grades so it’s a very good start to an exploration project.”

The next step for the company is to continue drilling and extend the results obtained from the drill holes dug before Christmas and in early 2017.

“We hope that we can extend the depth, and we’re going to try and scope out how big this thing might be and then based on that we can then look to actually define a deposit,” Jones said.

Looking further into 2017, Jones remained optimistic but unsure of the unravelling gold market.

“Gold’s had a very good run over the last couple of years and that’s been reflected in the share prices,” he said.

“Recently, only the last month or so, gold has been hit sort of (by a) major turn down, sort of this year [2016], and that again has knocked a bit of the confidence out of the gold market.

“I think 2017, one thing that’s clear to me is that the world is becoming a more uncertain place.”

With Trump now in power, uncertainty may continue to remain the theme for the resources industry. AM

IRON ORE

DIGGING MORE FOR IRON ORE AUSTRALIAN MINING JOURNALIST SHARON MASIGE SPEAKS TO CARPENTARIA EXPLORATION MANAGING DIRECTOR QUENTIN HILL ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HAWSONS IRON ORE PROJECT NEAR BROKEN HILL.

I

t’s no doubt 2016 was another tumultuous year for iron ore, with prices reaching $US82.40 a tonne in December, more than double the depressed $US37 a tonne during the same month in 2015.

Largely attributed to strong Chinese investment in infrastructure, the December 2016 price increase was the first time iron ore had risen above $US80 in two years.

Carpentaria Exploration interest

The lift in prices were a good sign for Carpentaria Exploration, and managing director Quentin Hill told Australian Mining it generated attention from investors.

“The rise of the iron ore price has certainly piqued a lot of interest in our company,” Hill said. “[Investors are] certainly reacting very favourably to those higher prices.”

Carpentaria is developing the Hawsons iron project around 60 kilometres southwest of Broken Hill

in New South Wales. According to the company, it is the largest magnetite discovery in eastern Australia.

Despite iron ore prices hitting up to $US80 last year, Hill said Carpentaria is not expecting to have such high prices during the development phase of the project.

“We’re positioning our project to be the first in the development queue and while a lot of proposed projects need the higher prices to be bankable, we are targeting a lower number in our bankability to be first in the queue,” he said.

“So while they’re nice, we don’t need it that high.

“You’d need a project demonstrating it can be bankable between $55 and $65 a tonne and that’s going to be our target for our prefeasibility study.”

Hill emphasised that the company produced a unique Supergrade magnetite product, containing 70 per cent iron. This, he said, was particularly suitable in the direct reduction market and the blast furnace market as it can both increase productivity and reduce pollution.

AUSTRALIANMINING

“The Supergrade product is unique, it attracts a very high price that provides unique economic metrics for our project over and above other magnetite projects and indeed other iron projects,” he said.

Hill added that Carpentaria signed up approximately eight million tonnes of a planned 10 million tonnes of magnetite product with blue-chip companies such as Formosa Plastics, Bahrain Steel and Emirates Steel.

On the back of that, the company has raised $2 million to upgrade the magnetite resource and then complete a prefeasibility study. It has particularly targeted the direct reduction market in the Middle East.

“We’ve signed up three million tonnes of pellet feed to Bahrain Steel to make direct reduction pellets for the local market in the Middle East,” Hill said.

“They traditionally get their feeds from only three or four suppliers and in fact only one at the moment. So, they’re very keen to encourage other suppliers into the market. And the same goes for Emirates Steel in the Middle East,

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they’ve signed up for 900,000 tonnes of direct reduction pellets.

“On the blast furnace side of things we’ve lined up Mitsubishi for a million tonnes of pellet feed and we’ve also lined up Formosa Plastics, who are building steelmaking facilities in Asia for two million tonnes, and another million tonnes has been signed to Gunvor in China for Chinese consumption.

“We’ve still got two million tonnes to go. We really haven’t had a concerted effort in India and China so we’re still pursuing those avenues, the response has been phenomenal.”

IRON ORE

Getting the project up and running

Hill said Carpentaria encountered a few challenges during construction, particularly the iron ore price environment and trying to raise capital. However, much to his relief, the company does not have to build infrastructure, unlike other potential new projects.

“What we’ve got that other projects don’t have in terms of challenges [is] we don’t have to build a railway line, we don’t have to build a port, we don’t have to build a powerline. We have all the infrastructure for our project in place,” he said.

“We have an existing powerline 35 kilometres on the Sydney-Melbourne

grid so it’s reliable, cheap power. We have identified our water solution that’s available under existing regulations.

“The railway line is six kilometres away, it has 13 million tonnes of spare capacity. It goes straight to a choice of ports - Port Pirie or Whyalla - and we understand we’d be able to get access to either of those ports.”

Gaining government support

Although the Hawsons project is in NSW, its product will be exported through South Australia - its location sitting between the border. It has received support from both governments, which Hill both acknowledged and appreciated.

This is particularly evident as South

Australia announced a new magnetite strategy in May last year, committing an annual export goal of 50 million tonnes of iron ore by 2030. The strategy aims to secure around $10 billion of investment and grow the sector by more than 50 times.

“They understand the great benefits of our project for their state so they have invited us to be on the steering committee of the magnetite strategy,” Hill said.

“The magnetite strategy is very important for South Australia and it’s very important for us. We expect the government to work on that. It’s in development at the moment to help us promote our product and promote magnetite as an alternative feed for

blast furnaces that meets the new trends in the iron ore industry.”

What’s next for Carpentaria?

Hill said the company had other gold prospects that were being drilled and hoped to find a joint venture partner for another discovery, the Advene gold project in NSW. He called 2017 an exciting year for the company as it planned to release a prefeasibility study.

“What we think by releasing a successful prefeasibility study it will elevate us to investment grade to relevant funding institutions and strategic investors that we’re in conversations with now so that’s very exciting for us,” he concluded. AM

CARPENTARIA EXPLORATION MANAGING DIRECTOR QUENTIN HILL AND RAY KOENIG AT HAWSONS IRON ORE PROJECT

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PRODUCTS

ATTRITION MILL FOR ENHANCED EFFICIENCY RELEASED Superior Industries has launched a new attrition mill within its line of washing and classifying machinery.

The machine provides an efficient solution for sand applications, including disintegration of conglomerates, material separation, and surface cleaning and polishing.

Coated with long lasting urethane, the machine’s tank and propellers are built to endure the tough sand cleaning applications.

The attrition mill designed with round tubs in order to eliminate swirling and corner material collection. In addition to its efficient, minimal design, the machine is equipped with a large, watertight sealed door that makes maintenance convenient for machine operators

CORDLESS HYDRAULIC PUMP FOR LOAD TESTING TOOLS Enerpac has released the XC-Series cordless hydraulic pump to increase the safety and flexibility of load testing tools.

The company provided turnkey engineering specialists Mr Lift It the solution for its load testing tool, which is used to test eye bolts, pad eyes, roof bolts and anchor points up to 12 tonnes.

The load testing device uses the hydraulic pump fitted with a V-66 load holding valve and connected to a stainless steel control panel. A variable load can be gradually applied using an Enerpac V-152 relief valve.

The pumps actuate hydraulic tools as fast as a basic electric powered pump and create up to 700 bar (10,000 psi) of pressure; making them up to five times faster than manual hydraulic pumps and up to two times faster than popular pneumatic powered pumps.

Designed to provide optimal safety to operators, the XC-Series offers several safety features, including zero trip hazards through cordless design, overload protection circuitry from excessive amp draw or temperatures, and a trigger lock-off mechanism to protect against unintended operation during transport.

Engineered as a long-lasting pump that can be used in hard-to-access areas, the pumps are constructed of lightweight materials, featuring a 28-volt, Lithium-Ion battery technology.

With its bladder reservoir, the cordless pumps eliminate venting and offer leak-free operation in any orientation.

In addition, the overall body, handle and trigger have been ergonomically engineered to maximise ease-of-use and portability.

XC-Series cordless pumps deliver oil flow of 2.05 litres per minute at its low-pressure setting and 0.25 litres per minute when operating at full pressure, up to 700 bar.

Additionally, the lithium-ion technology ensures XC-Series pumps provide end users with the battery runtime necessary to accommodate demanding application requirements.

• Enerpac www.enerpac.com/en-au

by eliminating the heavy lifting that comes with drive removal.

Superior Industries’ director of washing and classifying, John Bennington, said the machine’s 50 horsepower (36kW) engine produces the same capacities as similar machineswith three times the power, providing operators aquieter and more energy-efficient process.

With an outside diameter of 137cm and a height of 182cm, the machine is manufactured for capacities ranging from 75 -120 tonnes per hour (TPH).

• Superior Industries www.superior-ind.com.

WATER SEALING BARRIER FOR IMPROVED BLASTING RELEASED Blastboss has released Dryshot, a blended powder product used as a multipurpose barrier to instantly seal off explosives from water and mud in standard blast holes, and stop stemming dilution into explosives in large diameter holes.

It can isolate toe water and mud, creating a dry hole for the immediate loading of explosives, and can also be placed on top of explosives or stemming to stop water ingress contamination.

On detonation, the dryshot capped toe water attenuates and increases the duration of the blast pressure to achieve higher energy delivery and increased rock fracturing while using less explosives.

It does not require pumping, which speeds up the blast hole loading process.

Dryshot can also provide protection for ‘sleeping’ blast holes and explosives in wet environments where surface water is present, turning wet blast holes into dry blast holes instantly.

Blastboss CEO David Handel said Dryshot was developed to reduce the cost per blast to operators while maximising production.

He added that it can reduce the amount of explosives required in blast holes by up to 35 per cent, using contained and controlled hydraulic energy to redirect and intensify the blast wave forces.

The system is suitable for the mining quarrying and civil engineering industries.

• Blastboss www.blastboss.com.au

THE FIRST POWERSCREEN WARRIOR 2100 HITS AUSTRALIA Lincom Group has released the Powerscreen Warrior 2100 screen in Australia. The screen features the unique, triple-shaft technology first developed for the Warrior 2400 and exclusive to Powerscreen heavy-duty mobile screens. The triple-shaft technology, with 16’x 5’ screen box, and amplitudes and accelerations of 16mm and 6g respectively, is highly efficient with high throughput, especially in sticky scalping applications.

The screen was designed with economy in mind, achieving reduced fuel consumption through a lower engine running speed of 1800rpm and enhanced hydraulics. Optional on-board Envirotrak systems provide further energy saving technologies like Dual Power and Fuel-Save mode. The Warrior 2100 screen

AUSTRALIANMINING

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features high mobility with a two speed tracking system as standard. The high speed mode is further enhanced with automatic engine speed ramp-up making the Warrior 2100 screen model the fastest tracked machine in its range.

The screen is efficient in any mining and quarrying applications. With a maximum feed size of 600mm, it is being used to process blasted rock and processed minerals and ores in various quarry and mine locations throughout the world.

“Lincom Group is thrilled in bringing this equipment to Australia, we believe that the Warrior 2100 will be a great introduction to the small to medium size market/contractors that need to take advantage of the aggressiveness and flexibility of the triple shaft screen box to operate in a range of applications be it wet, sticky or just production increase requirements,” Lincom Group CEO Stephen Watterson said.

He added that the range has a smaller foot print for transport and a smaller capital outlay than its predecessor but has the advantage of the triple shaft screenbox technology.

• Lincom Group www.lincom.com.au

PRODUCTS

CATERPILLAR LAUNCHES WHEELED EXCAVATOR SERIES Caterpillar’s new M317F wheeled excavator, which will be launched at this year’s CONEXPO, features a compact radius design that expands versatility and enhances productivity in tight working areas. The excavator features a dedicated swing pump that allows faster and smoother combined movements.

It has built in fuel savers, eliminating waste with features like auto engine speed control, engine idle shut down and efficient eco mode.

The excavator is highly mobile, and can travel up to 30km/h. It has a ‘plug and play’ design with complete integration of the whole portfolio of Cat attachments. It also comes with a complete packages of smart technologies with features including cruise control or automatic brake and axle lock. Optional boosters such as ride control, smart boom, and

joystick steering are also available.

Caterpillar has also updated the 390F and 336F XE Excavators, both with crawler undercarriages, to deliver improved productivity and lower costs. Both excavators lead their size classes in fuel efficiency.

The 390F can be equipped with the industry’s only integrated payload system for accurate truck loading. The 336F XE has the payload system as standard equipment, as is 2D GRADE – with the option of a number of integrated Cat Connect grade control systems.

In addition, Caterpillar will showcase new wheel loaders at CONEXPO, including the P86K, 950 GC and 950M. • Caterpillar www.caterpillar.com

HYDRAULIC EXCAVATOR FOR ROCK AND QUARRY APPLICATIONS Komatsu has released the PC650LC-11 hydraulic excavator suitable for loading 3040 tonne articulated and rigid dump trucks.

The excavator has an operating weight between 63,710kg and 65,900kg, maintaining the productivity and transportability of the previous model, while improving fuel efficiency, cab design and serviceability.

It is equipped with the latest KOMTRAX technology. Data such as fuel levels, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) levels, operating hours, location, cautions and maintenance alerts are relayed to the web application for analysis. A new operator identification system provides up to 100 ID codes, which can be used to track and report on key machine operating information for various applications, operators or jobs. A new auto idle shutdown function helps reduce idle time, as well as operating costs.

The excavator has a 325kW Tier 4 Final emissions certified engine. It has a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) and an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve for more precise temperature and air management control, as well as longer component life.

Its hydraulically driven, reversible cooling fan varies fan speed in response to coolant, hydraulic oil, and ambient air temperatures, creating better efficiency and a quiet work environment for operators.

The excavator’s cab is mounted on viscous isolation dampers for low vibration levels, with 12-volt power ports incorporated withinthe cab. It has an enhanced, highresolution, seven-inch LCD colour monitor displays information in 33 languages, for global support.

The monitor panel displays DEF fluid level, ecology guidance, operational records, fuel consumption history, and utilisation information. The new display combines vehicle information with wide, landscape views from the standard rearview camera, allowing operators to easily view working areas directly behind the machine.

In addition, the excavator’s radiator and hydraulic oil coolers are mounted side by

side, for easy maintenance and service. It has a standard, 24-volt lubrication pump with a hose reel to ease grease-fitting maintenance.

The exclusive Komatsu equipment management monitoring system (EMMS) continuously monitors all critical systems, enables preventative maintenance and provides trouble-shooting assistance to minimise diagnosis and repair time.

• Komatsu www.komatsu.com.au

ATLAS COPCO EXTENDS BUCKET CRUSHER RANGE Atlas Copco has added two new models to its BC range of bucket crushers. The BC 2100 and BC 5300 model additions mean the range now covers service weights from 2000-5300kg, suitable for carriers from 18-54 tonnes.

The crushers feature two powerful hydraulic motors and a sturdy timing belt providing huge torque. They have a 30 per cent higher output than previous models due to its unique circular crushing cycle.

The company said that high resistance to wear and fatigue, combined with greater reliability, make the new BC bucket crusher one of the best pieces of equipment in its class.

It added that the crushers are often used as an alternative to a mobile jaw crusher for small demolition and recycling applications.

The crusher’s automatic anti-lock mechanism gives continuous repositioning of the material, ensuring that even larger pieces are guided automatically in the direction of the crushing jaw.

If the material gets jammed, the reversing function enables the operator to change the rotation direction, pushing the material back into the inlet and thus easily removing the blockage.

• Atlas Copco www.atlascopco.com.au AUSTRALIANMINING

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EVENTS XXX PRODUCT SHOWCASE

CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS EVENT SUBMISSIONS CAN BE EMAILED TO EDITOR@ AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU

AUSTRALASIAN OIL & GAS EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE FEBRUARY 22-24 2017 PERTH CONVENTION CENTRE, AUSTRALIA The Australasian Oil & Gas exhibition & conference (AOG) will feature three streams focussing on the opportunities and challenges the industry faces. The three streams include the collaboration forum, subsea forum and knowledge forum which will all run across the three days. Topics from the collaboration forum include big data and additive manufacturing; topics from the subsea forum include subsea repairs, inspection and monitoring; and topics from the knowledge forum include corrosion control and asset management.

•Australasian Oil & Gas exhibition & conference (03) 9261 4500 www.aogexpo.com.au

PDAC INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2017 MARCH 5-8 2017 METRO TORONTO CONVENTION CENTRE, CANADA The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) International Convention, Trade Show & Investors Exchange is the world’s leading convention for people, companies and organisations in, or connected with, mineral exploration.

In addition to the more than 900 exhibitors and 22,000 attendees from 125 countries, the event will also feature technical sessions, short courses and networking events.

•PDAC International Convention 2017 +416 362 1969 info@pdac.ca

CONEXPO – CON/AGG MARCH 7-11 2017 LAS VEGAS, NEVADA More than 2500 exhibitors will attend CONEXPO with more than

150 education sessions including mining, earthmoving, concrete, and utilities. The international event takes place every three years exhibiting the latest technologies and innovations in equipment, products and services, as well as extensive industry-targeted education.

•CONEXPO – CON/AGG +1 414-298-4167 international@conexpoconagg.com

EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DEEP AND HIGH STRESS MINING MARCH 28-30 2017 NOVOTEL PERTH LANGLEY, PERTH, AUSTRALIA This year’s conference will explore the geotechnical and logistical issues of deep and high stress mining, as well as best practice and innovative approaches for the sector. The AUSTRALIANMINING

conference themes include rockburst and seismicity, ground control, and understanding rock failure.

Keynote speakers include Emrich Hamman, vice president, geotechnical engineering, mining and technical at AngloGold Ashanti and Professor Boris Tarasov, from the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems at the University of Western Australia.

•Eighth international conference on deep and high stress mining (08) 6488 3300 info-acg@uwa.edu.au

20TH ANNUAL GLOBAL IRON ORE & STEEL FORECAST CONFERENCE MARCH 29-30 2017 CROWN PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA The annual global iron ore & steel forecast conference is the premier

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event for the global iron ore and steel industry as the sector considers the outlook for 2017 and beyond. It will deliver the latest expert analysis and insights into possible market and industry scenarios. Iron ore executives, analysts, fund managers, engineering firms and industry suppliers will gather together for two days of presentations, discussions, debates, networking functions and private meetings. Speakers include Edgar Basto, asset president of BHP Billiton Western Australia Iron Ore, BC Iron managing director Alwyn Vorster, and Oscar Tarneberg, regional manager, Asia, The Steel Index. Topics include the global economic and financial outlook, a perspective on the iron ore industry from producers, the steel market outlook, and the Status of China’s steel industry.

•20th annual global iron ore & steel forecast conference (02) 9080 4315 www.informa.com.au/event/globaliron-ore-steel-forecast-conference/

2017

AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS

NOMINATIONS NOW

OPEN To nominate, please go to

www.prospectawards.com.au

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