Australian Mining - Dec 2017

GOLD OUTLOOK MINING MACHINERY VOLUME 109/11 DECEMBER 2017

FUTURE OF MINING

BREAKING NEW GROUNDÂ LIEBHERR TARGETS A BROADER MARKE T

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COMMENT

LOOKING BACK ON A TRANSITIONAL YEAR FOR MINING BEN CREAGH

Ben.Creagh@primecreative.com.au

THIS YEAR HAS SEEN THE EMERGENCE OF THE NEXT GENERATION MINING COMPANY AS MARKET CONDITIONS HAVE RECOVERED. WHAT WILL 2018 HOLD FOR MINING?

I

t is hard to believe that we are already reminiscing about 2017, with this being the final edition of Australian Mining for the year.

A year ago the mining industry was looking ahead with hope that the promise of improved commodity prices would lead to the start of a long-term, sustainable recovery.

That promise has evolved into optimism as the value of base metals like copper, zinc and nickel followed the turnaround in iron ore and coal prices late last year.

This year also saw the emergence of the next generation of mining companies that will explore for and develop another wave of Australian mines.

As the Liebherr team told Australian Mining at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in November, the OEM is now supplying machinery to several clients that it hadn’t even heard of a year ago.

Liebherr, a company that has long focused on the iron ore and coal sectors in Australia, now views these emerging companies as key growth opportunities that will help it expand on its presence in those bulk commodities.

The ongoing growth of the lithium sector in Australia is an example of the opportunities that Liebherr is seeing.

Lithium was arguably the standout commodity of 2016 after the mining and investment community debated and speculated about the future of the so-called tech metal.

This year has seen the lithium sector follow through on its promise, as several companies, such as those developing mines in the Pilbara, launched construction, locked in funding and approvals, and even set their sights on future expansions.

MANAGING DIRECTOR JOHN MURPHY EDITOR BEN CREAGH Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: ben.creagh@primecreative.com.au JOURNALIST EWEN HOSIE Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Email: ewen.hosie@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER NATASHA SHEKAR Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Email: natasha.shekar@primecreative.com.au

The excitement around the gold sector in the Pilbara in recent months also typifies how several, previously no-name, companies have rapidly become household names (well, for the investment comunity anyway).

Interest in Pilbara’s gold sector probably wouldn’t have spiked the way it has during the second half of 2017 in more difficult times when capital was constrained.

So, what does 2018 hold? And will this momentum continue? For many in the mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector, next year has been labelled the “great 2018 rush”.

METS companies expect that this industry transition will continue in 2018 as mines are launched, construction projects for new developments are started and as exploration activity continues to slowly bounce back.

With the industry seemingly aware of 2018’s potential, it will be interesting to see if this improving environment develops into something sustainable.

In this edition of Australian Mining, we talk to equipment manufacturer Liebherr about the latest developments at the company and what to expect in the coming years.

This issue also reviews the 2017 International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) that was held in Melbourne, including a feature on innovation and technology.

We investigate the exploration gold rush that is emerging in the Pilbara region of Western Australia in an interview with Canadian billionaire Eric Sprott, who has invested in several of the key players involved.

This edition also covers the mining services sector, including Metso’s recent acquisition of WEARX and what it means for both companies.

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

Ben Creagh Editor

SALES MANAGER JONATHAN DUCKETT Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Mob: 0498 091 027 Email: jonathan.duckett@primecreative.com.au ART DIRECTOR Michelle Weston GRAPHIC DESIGNERS James Finlay, Blake Storey, Adam Finlay SUBSCRIPTION RATES Australia (surface mail) $140.00 (incl GST) New Zealand A$148.00 Overseas A$156.00 For subscriptions enquiries please call GORDON WATSON 03 9690 8766

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FRONT COVER

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DECEMBER 2017

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CONTENTS

MINING EQUIPMENT

TRAINING

14-15

LIEBHERR’S AMBITIONS The OEM wants to diversify

MINING SIMULATORS The latest technology developments

35 INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

16-17

CANADA’S GOLDEN INVESTOR Eric Sprott shares his thoughts

TAILINGS MANAGEMENT

36-37

FROM THE ASHES New coal ash separation research

IMARC MELBOURNE’S MINING EVENT A review of the 2017 conference

POLICY

38

18-21

COBALT’S FUTURE IN THE DRC Protecting worker rights

TRACKING THE TRENDS

MINERALS PROCESSING

22-23

COMPANY REPORTING Governments expect more from mining

39 ADDING VALUE Donhad delivered for its client

COAL MINING

AUTOMATION

THE COAL NINE YARDS Adani’s GM in Australia speaks

YUMARR AUTOMATION The tech start-up’s mining ambition

40

24 MINING SERVICES

SAFETY

41

BREATHING SAFELY How Breathe-safe educates clients

COMBINING STRENGTHS Metso joins forces with WEARX

25-29 FUTURE OF MINING

COMMUNITY

30-32

42

33

44-45

MINING’S SEA CHANGE What deep-sea mining has to offer

A HISTORICAL DIG WA mining museum proposed

MATERIALS HANDLING

MAINTENANCE MANAGING BREAKDOWNS FM Global’s preventative tips

RECORD TIMING Fenner Dunlop reduces downtime for miner

INTERVIEW

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

46-47

34

IN CONTROL Ampcontrol sees optimism

WHAT’S NEW? Solutions from Liebherr, Caterpillar and Komatsu

REGULARS

NEWS 8-12

PRODUCT SHOWCASE 48-49 AUSTRALIANMINING

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DECEMBER 2017

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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. THIESS CONTINUES CONTRACT-WINNING RUN Thiess, CIMIC Group’s mining services provider, has secured two contracts with the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) worth a combined $440 million.

The contracts, at BMA’s Caval Ridge and Peak Downs coal mines in the Bowen Basin of Queensland, will see Thiess deliver mining services for

specific components of work.

Thiess will provide services required for BMA’s Caval Ridge Southern Circuit capital growth project.

Douglas Thompson, Thiess managing director, said the company was proud to be partnering with BMA, building on its long-standing history in Central Queensland.

BHP MITSUBISHI ALLIANCE OPERATIONS. CREDIT: BHP

“This contract will enable Thiess to deliver productivity efficiencies, working with BMA to bring additional job opportunities to the region,” Thompson said.

BMA approved a $US204 million investment in the Southern Circuit project in April.

The BMA project, which will start in 2017, involves an 11km overland conveyor system which will transport coal from the Peak Downs mine to the coal handling preparation plant near the Caval Ridge mine.

CIMIC chief executive officer Adolfo Valderas added: “This contract reflects Thiess’ ongoing commitment to optimising value for its clients, through flexible mining solutions.”

Thiess has also been awarded a a $300 million contract by Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) to expand operations at the Sangatta coal mine in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The contract will extend the current life-of-mine contract, increasing coal production at the Melawan pit by 12 million tonnes (Mt) and overburden removal by 130 million bank cubic metres (bcm) over four years, until December 2021.

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.

FORTESCUE AIMS TO DIVERSIFY BEYOND IRON ORE

BOOST TO WA JOBS WITH $300M TIANQI LITHIUM PLANT EXPANSION Chinese company Tianqi Lithium has approved $300 million in funding for stage two development of its Kwinana lithium processing plant in Western Australia, doubling its annual capacity.

The expansion announcement follows on from stage one construction, which commenced in October 2016 at a cost of $400 million. Stage two construction is expected to be complete in 2019.

Production capacity will leap 100 per cent from 24,000 tonnes per annum to 48,000 tonnes per annum as a result of the investment; the project will focus on spodumene extraction from the Greenbushes mine for use as lithium hydroxide in batteries. Permanent positions at the plant are also expected to jump by over 50 per cent as result.

“Demand for lithium continues to grow, fuelled by its use in renewable energy storage and electric car batteries,” said WA premier Mark McGowan.

“This is great news for Western Australians and I thank Tianqi Lithium for its investment in our State.”

The lead contractor for the design of the plant is MSP Engineering (previously McSweeney Partners), known for several high-profile projects. 500 workers are currently at the site, and the expansion is expected to prolong 200 jobs and create up to 60 more (especially operational work).

AUSTRALIANMINING

Fortescue Metals Group hopes to diversify into new commodities to leverage the skills the company has developed at its Pilbara operations.

Chief executive officer Nev Power said the company was reviewing several non-iron ore prospects in Australia and internationally.

He mentioned the company was already looking at projects in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and in Ecuador, South America.

Power said the company was exploring ways it could use the skills it has developed in the Pilbara at these prospects as well.

“The skills we have developed at Fortescue are not unique to the Pilbara and they are not unique to iron ore,” Power said.

“Our challenge is how do we leverage off those skills and use those in other areas to diversify and grow the company, but based on value – not for diversification sake, not for growth sake.

“We have seen too many of our people in our industry get themselves into trouble by being driven by being big, or being driven by being diversified, and it has ended in tears. We are looking for opportunities where we can create value by leveraging the skills we have developed through iron ore in the Pilbara.”

Power indicated the company would remain open to expanding its portfolio if it identified opportunities that align with its values.

“We see anywhere where we can secure a large tenement package with a good, solid government in place that there’s an opportunity for us to bring the same community engagement and to develop the assets and infrastructure as we have done in the Pilbara, and bring enormous value to those communities and those countries,” Power explained.

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DECEMBER 2017

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NEWS

RIO’S AMRUN CREATES OPPORTUNITIES ON BOTH SIDES OF AUSTRALIA Rio Tinto’s Amrun bauxite project in far north Queensland has created 470 Australian jobs with the fabrication of key components made with 95 per cent local steel.

The project, which is on schedule for completion in 2019, involves the construction of a bauxite mine, accommodation village, processing plant, dam, tailings storage facility, export wharf, ferry terminal and several roads.

West Australian supplier Civmec was last year awarded a $160 million contract to construct the processing facility, including a beneficiation plant and associated water, electrical and lighting systems.

Fabrication, pre-cast manufacture and assembly work for the facility has taken place at Civmec’s Henderson facility near Perth.

Civmec has employed around 350 employees including subcontractors to work on fabrication and another 120 on module assembly.

Rio Tinto Amrun director Marcia Hanrahan said fabrication of these components showcased best practice Australian manufacturing using 4000 tonnes of Australian steel.

“Construction of the processing facility has created hundreds of jobs in Western Australia, in addition to our current Amrun workforce of around

RIO AT THE AMRUN PROJECT. COPYRIGHT © 2017 RIO TINTO

1200 in Queensland,” Hanrahan said.

“Almost 80 per cent of the Amrun workforce are Queenslanders including 176 indigenous employees of which 43 are local Aboriginal people. We are proud of the supplier and employment opportunities we have created for Australians and there will be more to come.”

The beneficiation modules will form

the central facility of the plant where bauxite from the Amrun mine will be washed and screened onsite before being shipped to customers.

In October, a heavy load vessel transported three beneficiation modules and a transfer tower into the Port of Weipa signalling the project is on schedule for completion in early 2019.

The imposing modules each weigh over 1200 tonnes with dimensions of up to 16 metres wide, 25 metres long and 30 metres high. The remaining three modules are currently being fabricated in Perth and will arrive in mid-November.

Engineering company Bechtel is constructing and managing the Amrun project for Rio Tinto.

BHP BELIEVES COPPER’S TIME HAS ARRIVED

PILBARA MINERALS LOCKS IN GREAT WALL AS LITHIUM INVESTOR

BHP wants to add more copper resources to its global portfolio to capitalise on an expectation that there will be an upsurge in demand in the coming years.

The major miner is buoyant about the future of copper due to the emergence of two drivers that have the potential to significantly lift demand for the base metal – electric vehicles and renewable energy.

BHP’s Americas operations president Daniel Malchuk said a renewable energy like solar power required 5kg of copper per kilowatt – more than double the copper intensity of alternative forms of generation.

He added that a hybrid car used 40kg of copper, twice the amount of a regular petrol car.

BHP already has extensive copper resources around the world, including at the Olympic Dam mine in South Australia and at Escondida in Chile.

However, the company hopes to build on this portfolio by increasing its exploration for copper in the coming years. Malchuk explained that exploration has the highest potential to deliver future returns for BHP. “That is why it is a key part of our copper strategy… but we also recognise that given our high standards it is not an easy task,” Malchuk said.

“Copper exploration these days is as a trade-off between depth and maturity.

“The mature, well established and explored regions such as Chile are clearly less likely to host a big discovery close to the surface, with new deposits more likely to be at depth… and therefore more difficult to identify.”

However, Malchuk believes as BHP ventures into less mature regions where exploration activity has been lower, such as Ecuador, the potential for new discoveries closer to the surface is greater.

“This is not about having the largest budget. It is about allocating the funds wisely through a highly focused and technical approach,” he said.

“We have both the advantages of geoscience expertise and industry diversification. So what does this mean?

“Our copper exploration team is leveraging our in-house petroleum exploration expertise with a specialised approach to exploration and deposit modelling.”

Lithium developer Pilbara Minerals has finalised an off-take agreement and $28 million equity subscription with Chinese automotive manufacturer Great Wall to underpin the stage two expansion of its Pilgangoora project in Western Australia.

The agreement represents the first direct investment by an automobile manufacturer into an Australian upstream supplier of lithium raw materials.

The off-take agreement involves 75,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) and up to 150,000tpa of stage two chemical grade spodumene in return for stage two debt financing support and a $28 million equity subscription for Pilbara Minerals’ shares.

Pilbara Minerals managing director and chief executive Ken Brinsden said the agreements cemented Great Wall’s position as a cornerstone off-take and funding partner for the long-term growth of the Pilgangoora project beyond the stage one development.

“The conclusion of this deal heralds a new age in the lithium-ion raw materials supply chain and is the first of what we anticipate will be a number of direct investments into suppliers of lithium raw materials by end-users and manufacturers,” Brinsden said.

“The deal will contribute additional funding towards completion of the stage one development, while at the same time allowing us to pursue a fast-track growth strategy via a stage two expansion.”

Brinsden believes Great Wall clearly shares the company’s view about the transformational changes occurring in the lithium-ion supply chain globally, and particularly in China.

“They are willing to make a significant upfront commitment to guarantee access to quality long-term supply of the critical raw material which they require to support their long-term growth plans,” he said.

The Pilgangoora deposit, one of the world’s largest lithium-tantalum hard rock resources, has measured, indicated and inferred resources of 156.3 million tonnes at 1.25 per cent Li2O (lithia) and 128ppm Ta2O5.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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DECEMBER 2017

YUMARR

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NEWS

SODEXO BOOSTS MINING OFFERING WITH MORRIS ACQUISITION Sodexo has strengthened its facility management service for the mining industry through an acquisition of contracts and assets belonging to Morris Corporation.

The acquisition includes Morris’ client contracts and the ownership of the Collinsville village in Queensland, according to Sodexo.

Both companies provide facilities management solutions for the resources industry, including accommodation systems and camp design, administrative services, airport and security management, waste management, catering services, sport and culture activities, and wellness and motivational programs.

The two companies share a 50year history, a local presence in Australia, a commitment to community engagement and a vision to offer exceptional service, according to Sodexo.

More than 98 per cent of Morris’ employees have accepted offers of employment with Sodexo.

Keith Weston, Sodexo integration director, said the similar values shared by the two companies included a commitment to Indigenous reconciliation, as well as a focus on working with and helping to develop sustainable local businesses wherever they operate.

“These shared goals place us in an ideal position as we begin our journey together. We look forward to working with our new clients, partners, suppliers and employees,” Weston said.

MORRIS CORPORATION CEO FIONA BERKIN AND SODEXO INTEGRATION DIRECTOR KEITH WESTON

Sodexo explained it would undertake an assessment of current operations to identify opportunities where integration would deliver longterm benefits.

The immediate and ongoing priority, Sodexo continued, would be to ensure that the increased workforce remained

safe and high quality operations were maintained across all sites.

Morris chief executive Fiona Berkin said the company was delighted at the opportunity and it believed the complementary value that exists within both organisations could be leveraged to establish a platform

for growth.

“Our shared values and focus on safety are a big part of why this deal makes sense and will be a success, delivering benefits to our clients and consumers and increased opportunities across our combined workforces,” Berkin said.

GASCOYNE ON TARGET FOR 2018 PRODUCTION AT DALGARANGA

DECMIL WINS $75M PILBARA CONTRACT BHP has awarded a $75 million contract to services company Decmil Australia, thanks to the mining services group’s successful delivery on several of the iron ore miner’s projects in Western Australia.

The award is part of a $105 million expansion of Mulla Mulla village in order to bolster operations at Mining Area C and the upcoming South Flank project.

Decmil chief executive officer and group managing director Scott Criddle was pleased with the results.

“Decmil has achieved great success in delivering complex projects across the region, reinforcing our expertise and 40 years of experience as a sector contractor,” he said. “We look forward to further solidifying our growth path and long-standing relationship with BHP.” Decmil is involved in many major infrastructure projects, including oil and gas and mining infrastructure, roadworks, detention centres, solar farms, residential accomodation and many more.

It has previously collaborated with BHP on projects such as a tailings storage facility at Olympic Dam in South Australia and a nickel mine and processing plant at Ravensthorpe in Western Australia.

Other major clients the company has worked with include Roy Hill and Fortescue Metals Group.

AUSTRALIANMINING

Gold developer Gascoyne Resources remains on track to be producing at its Dalgaranga operation in Western Australia during the second quarter of 2018.

The company said in October that construction work at the 100 per cent owned project was “advancing well on all fronts”.

This includes engineering and design of the mine’s 2.5 million tonne per annum (Mtpa) processing plant, which is 91 per cent complete.

Gascoyne’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, GR Engineering, mobilised at the site in August.

GR has completed SAG mill foundations, the carbon-in-leach (CIL) tank foundations and bunding, and construction of the workshop and warehouse in the time since.

The mining services company is also well advanced on the CIL tank erection and steel fabrication requirements.

Gascoyne has named NRW Holdings as the preferred mining contractor for the operation. It is expected that mining will be launched by NRW in March next year.

The contract, estimated to be worth $300 million, will focus on open pit mining, including drill and blast, of four pits over a six-year period.

Dalgaranga has an initial six-year mine life to produce around 100,000 ounces of gold a year at cash costs of about $1000 an ounce.

12

DECEMBER 2017

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MINING EQUIPMENT

LIEBHERR TARGETS EMERGING AUSTRALIAN OPPORTUNITIES LIEBHERR IS AIMING TO EXPAND ITS POSITION IN THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET BY DIVERSIFYING ITS MACHINERY OFFERING FOR A BROADER RANGE OF MINERS. BEN CREAGH REPORTS.

E

quipment manufacturer Liebherr plans to reduce the company’s reliance on the coal and iron ore sectors by diversifying its focus and developing business in Australia’s other key commodity sectors.

The company has set a goal to expand the reach of its mining equipment in Australia and become an attractive supplier of machinery for the precious and base metal mines that have emerged over the past year, according to Liebherr Australia general manager - sales and marketing Tom Juric.

The sheer size and quality of Liebherr’s trucks and excavators have made them a common sight at coal and iron ore operations around the country.

While Liebherr intends to consolidate this presence, Juric said it now viewed the growth in other commodities as opportunities for it to bolster its order book and to introduce new equipment models in the country.

Juric, speaking at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Melbourne, said the development of the precious and base metals sectors in Australia had already helped strengthen the company’s order book over the past year.

He explained that Liebherr was commonly seeing green shoots appear from new players in the marketplace, instead of the major miners.

“I believe the acquisitions that were made in the down period – let’s call them disposal acquisitions – are now bearing fruit,” Juric told Australian Mining.

“There are new companies that now own assets that weren’t necessarily viable or in the cost curve for the majors, which have divested them and are now pushing forward with other assets at their core.

“Certainly, that’s what has driven our order book, at least for the next 18 months. Many companies we hadn’t even heard of are now coming on board and actively looking for new equipment or partnerships.

“So, what was traditionally confined to the major players has actually gone the opposite way.”

New offers

Juric said the expansion of so-called tech or battery metals like lithium were another opportunity that Liebherr would target as that sector evolved He explained that Liebherr would

THE LIEBHERR-COMPONENTS FACTORY IN FRANCE WHERE THE D98XX SERIES IS CREATED

AUSTRALIANMINING

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focus on building a footprint in these expanding or emerging sectors, but reinforced the importance of developing a strong reputation with the miners in development.

“If you look at our portfolio (in Australia), and where we are really strong, it is at the top end of town.

We offer the largest excavators and the largest trucks for the bulk commodities,” Juric said.

“We have made some inroads into the base metals, gold, titanium, and even lithium to a smaller extent, but we’d like to do a bit more in those areas.

“We are actively pushing to get into a few more of those second-tier assets, but that’s a hugely different market and it involves a different way of supporting that customer base, instead of the majors.”

Juric said Liebherr had started

MINING EQUIPMENT

WE HAVE MADE SOME INROADS INTO THE BASE METALS, GOLD, TITANIUM, AND EVEN LITHIUM TO A SMALLER EXTENT, BUT WE’D LIKE TO DO A BIT MORE IN THOSE AREAS.”

comes first before complexity.

“Efficiency, like fuel efficiency, is still key, but we have tried to make it simple – if you look at the engine you get the feeling it’s robust and it looks very simple I would say compared to others.

“We also have this concept of standardisation and modularity for the different family members of this engine.”

Liebherr’s dedication to designing the D98XX series specifically for mining includes precautions such as integrating a high level of oil and air filtration measures to keep the dirt out of the engine.

Engine variety

LIEBHERR’S D9812 HAS BEEN SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY

to market smaller products to Australian miners to achieve this, including 100-tonne trucks and excavators.

The company has already given an insight into the type of products that it will launch for the Australian mining industry in the coming years with the T 236 truck (see Product Showcase page 46).

The T 236, which will be Liebherr’s entry into the 100-tonne class, is going through trials in Austria and is set to be made available in Australia during 2019.

Liebherr has also welcomed its first crawler tractor in the 70 tonnes category – the PR 776 – to Australia.

Australian conditions.

“Mining has special requirements due to the harshest working conditions one can imagine,” Wintruff told Australian Mining.

“Robustness is the key so with that in mind we followed the concept that we set out to, which is that simplicity

The D98XX series will include three different cylinder variants – a V12, V16 and V20. The engine family has been set up in standard and modular design to deal with varying requirements of different mining applications.

The first cylinder variant – the V12 or the D9812 – is, according to Liebherr, capable of reaching power output of up to 2013kW in mining applications, including dump trucks and hydraulic excavators.

Liebherr said the engine was also delivering low fuel consumption by matching the right engine subsystems with the highest quality of in-house developed components, such as the manufacturer’s engine control unit and its common rail fuel system.

The D9812 has obtained fuel

LIEBHERR’S PR 776 HAS ARRIVED IN AUSTRALIA

Diesel power

Liebherr’s most significant product introduction to the Australian market at IMARC 2017 was the first diesel engine of its mining-focused D98XX series – the D9812.

Targeted specifically at mining, the D9812 engine is designed to withstand the toughest conditions that companies contend with around the world.

The D9812 can also be adapted to fulfil a range of emission standards, such as optimised fuel consumption, Tier 2 or even EPA Tier 4 final, complementing a design equipped to manage diverse mining environments.

Liebherr-Components managing director Dr Ingo Wintruff said the attributes of the diesel engine’s design would make it well-suited to AUSTRALIANMINING

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consumption values down to 190 grams per kilowatt hour due to a low mechanical friction layout and the engine’s high peak pressure capability up to 250 bars.

Wintruff said a key design target of the engine was the low total cost of ownership it would offer mining companies.

“The advantages come from the cost structure on the manufacturer’s side over the price competitiveness of the product,” Wintruff explained.

“If you think of the life of an engine fleet operating in a mine site, for example, including spare parts handling and the number of different parts that are required – standardisation means the D9812 requires less spare parts and less storage for those parts, reducing life cycle costs.”

The standardisation of the engine series would also work in the favour of service and maintenance teams, Wintruff added.

“Qualifications and training for the whole engine family is very similar,” he said. “You don’t have to be trained in new technology, or complex technology – this also reduces life cycle costs of the engine at mine sites.”

The Liebherr engine portfolio, including the D96XX and D98XX series, is ideal for the entire spectrum of mining machines, such as trucks, wheel loaders, excavators and crawlers. AM

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

PILBARA, FOSTERVILLE SET UP FUTURE OF GOLD AUSTRALIAN MINING TALKS TO CANADIAN BILLIONAIRE ERIC SPROTT, WHO IS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE OF AUSTRALIA’S GOLD INDUSTRY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COUNTRY.

C

anadian businessman and Kirkland Lake Gold chairman Eric Sprott has been closely involved in the development of the gold mining industry on both sides of Australia this year.

The 73-year-old billionaire investor’s already substantial interest in Australia’s gold sector has grown even further in 2018 for two reasons – the continued success of the Kirkland Lake’s Fosterville gold mine in Victoria and the gold rush that has emerged in Western Australia’s Pilbara.

The Fosterville mine in Victoria is setting the bar high in a Kirkland Lake portfolio that also

includes three producing mines in Canada with an upward trending company market capitalisation that had reached $C3.8 billion in mid November.

Production at Victoria’s largest gold mine was 184,700 ounces in the first nine months of 2017, about 70 per cent higher compared to the same period a year earlier.

Output at the operation moved by 200,000 ounces for the year in October after a monthly record of more than 30,000 ounces at an average grade of around 23 grams a tonne was produced.

The company has now set a medium to long-term goal to be producing 400,000 ounces a year at the mine in the next three years.

AUSTRALIANMINING

EVERYONE IS GOING TO HAVE A DISCOVERY THEORETICALLY. YOU HAVE AN AREA THAT IS 200KM BY 100KM. THERE WILL BE ALL SORTS OF GUYS WITH DISCOVERIES – THERE IS JUST NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.” Exploration excitement

Despite the significant production growth, it is the exploration results the company has released this year that makes the prospect of Fosterville’s output rising to these levels even more exciting.

Kirkland Lake reported extensions of the Swan Zone at Fosterville to 120 metres down-plunge with intercepts

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as high as 52 grams a tonne during November.

Sprott said the production growth and exploration developments confirmed Fosterville’s future.

“It has a chance, with the grades we are finding, of being a significant producer,” Sprott told Australian Mining at the Precious Metals Investment Symposium in

Melbourne in November.

“And if you keep finding that kind of grade, which if you look at our last drilling results it looks like we continue to keep finding it, and it is better.

“We think it goes a lot further down plunge, we haven’t proven it yet, but theoretically it goes further.”

Sprott said Kirkland Lake was not aiming to turn Fosterville into the top producing gold mine in Australia, but joked that getting into the top 10 was its target.

“I want to see if we can get to number 10. I don’t know what number one is yet, but we haven’t gone that far down the line yet,” Sprott said.

Despite being realistic about Fosterville’s place in the Australian gold sector, Sprott did describe how the exploration results it had unveiled had changed the potential of the mine.

“When you go from five grams (a tonne grades) to mining 35 grams the profitability is off the charts, it is crazy,” Sprott said.

“Imagine if we do 2000 tonnes a day, which we can mine in a 70 grams area…5000 ounces a day, or 1.8 million ounces (Moz) in a year. No one does 1.8Moz in a mine – they don’t, it just doesn’t happen.”

Pilbara potential

While Kirkland Lake has kept Victoria’s gold industry relevant on Australia’s east coast, in Western Australia the company has become a key player in the emergence of the gold sector in the Pilbara.

Having found gold nuggets with a metal detector in the region himself, Sprott is a believer that this gold rush is for real.

Sprott even believes the region could host a gold resource like Witwatersrand in Africa, from which more than a third of the world’s gold has been mined.

In the Pilbara, it is the Sprottbacked, Toronto-listed Novo Resources which has led the charge by acquiring vast property in the region and securing a joint venture with Artemis Resources at the Purdy’s Reward project near Karratha.

Kirkland spent $C56 million to acquire an 18.2 per cent stake in Novo during September, giving it exposure to several promising gold tenements in the region, including the Pilbara Paleoplacer gold project.

Novo’s shares have grown from C82 cents at the beginning of July to a high of $C8.55 earlier this month, giving it a market capitalisation of more than $C1.2 billion.

Artemis’ shares have surged from 8 cents to more than 50 cents over the same period, giving it a value of more than $250 million.

KIRKLAND LAKE CHAIRMAN ERIC SPROTT

The company then added to its presence in the Pilbara a month later with a $5 million investment in another of the region’s explorers, De Grey Mining.

As Kirkland Lake made these investments, a series of exploration results from junior companies has spiked interest in the region as their announcements outlined the potential for significant conglomerate-hosted gold discoveries.

Something special

Sprott, who also personally owns around 12 per cent of Novo, believes the opportunity in the Pilbara for gold companies and investors has become special.

However, from Novo’s perspective, he said it would likely be known in the coming months if the company was on to the “real thing”.

“I think we will have assays by then,” Sprott said. “We will have drilled some of those big diameters holes, we will have results, and the results will tell us what the conglomerate looks like.

“The only questions then will be how expansive is the conglomerate and yes there will be places where I’m sure the grade will be higher than other places.”

In addition to his stake in Novo, Sprott also invested $5 million in another Pilbara gold explorer, Kairos Minerals, during October.

With Novo, De Grey, Kairos and others exploring across such a large area, Sprott was certain that success would come out of the region – it is just a matter of how much success.

“Everyone is going to have a discovery theoretically,” Sprott said.

“You have an area that is 200km by 100km. There will be all sorts of guys with discoveries – there is just no question about it.” AM AUSTRALIANMINING

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DECEMBER 2017

IMARC

BHP CTO DIANE JURGENS CITED INNOVATION AND AUTOMATION AS KEY TO MINING’S FUTURE

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON THE PROGRESSION OF A PROFESSION

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nnovation is the oft-bandied buzzword of our beloved industry; it is used to cover basically every facet of the flux state of a global business, from automation in the workforce to green engineering, and everything in between.

But what does it really mean for mining, and how will it take shape?

Automated vehicles are already here, and drones are becoming an increasing fixture of the modern mine. Deep-sea mining has seen significant strides (or is that strokes?) over the last couple of years, with separate projects in Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States (page 32-33).

So what’s the next stage? If the drilling is automated, and the haulage is automated, it is not without the realm of feasibility that the mine itself may become automated in entire; an innovative mine borne of innovative minds.

Research firm MacKenzie reported in April 2017 that by 2035, robotics and data analytics could produce annual savings of up to $US390 billion per year for oil, iron ore and copper producers, LNG and thermal coal. A Google Australia-

commissioned AlphaBeta study from August 2017 entitled ‘The Automation Advantage’ reported that as routine and manual work becomes increasingly redundant, available jobs will become safer, more valuable and more satisfying, calling automation a “$2 trillion opportunity” for Australia over the next 15 years.

“Automation is, at its core, an opportunity to harness the power of machines to improve human lives,” the report opined.

“What does a digital, or innovative mine look like?” Michelle Ash, chief innovation officer of Barrick Gold, also asked during her speech at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Melbourne.

“It will certainly be more transparent, with fewer people — more optimised and proactive; we think if we did something along these lines properly and to its fullest extent, we could reduce all-in sustaining costs by one-third.”

Ash envisions a modern mine absent of waste stocks and tailing dams, using the smallest possible movements to extract the largest possible results.

She discussed disruptive steps AUSTRALIANMINING

PERSONALLY I THINK THE GREATEST CONTRIBUTION TECHNOLOGY CAN MAKE IS TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF HARM’S WAY. USING A SYSTEMS ENGINEERING APPROACH WE’RE ALSO INTEGRATING OPERATIONS TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY.” from major tech players such as Google, who lead in big data, and Apple, who spent just $US200,000 and six months developing a robot — dubbed LIAM — capable of breaking down an iPhone into its 61 constituent parts in just 19 seconds; cheap and fast is possible it seems.

Ash stresses that with the right kind of thinking, the purported triangle of project management can be defied. “In the mining industry, I bet that would’ve cost $2 million and three years to create,” she said.

Diane Jurgens, chief technical officer of BHP, agrees that a change is coming for mining. She cited her previous experiences in the aerospace and automotive industries as being comparable to mining’s march of progress, saying aeroplanes switch from analogue to digital gauges and rivets to complex carbon structures, as well as the recent rise

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of electric vehicles.

“This rapid progress we’re seeing was coined as the law of accelerating returns by Ray Kurtzweil, a futurist,” she explained in her IMARC speech. “He asserted that in the 21st century we won’t just see 100 years of change, but 20,000 years of change.

“We know in recent times BHP has been seen as a fast follower rather than a technology leader,” she said. “Last year we globalised the technology function — it now spans R&D, program delivery and operational technology.

She cites the use of automation as particularly advantageous; BHP’s adoption of advanced sensors that can quickly ascertain the quality of copper ores has improved the grades delivered to process plants, boosting performance and reducing energy use and water intensity.

IMARC

BARRICK GOLD CIO MICHELLE ASH DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ‘INNOVATIVE MINE’.

have already been reduced by 20 per An electric vehicle fleet is also cent as a result of automated trucks, being trialled at the company’s drills and hauling systems.

Olympic Dam in South Australia to All of these examples stem back minimise emissions and as a result, to safety, according to Jurgens. minimise employee exposure to diesel particulates. Costs at the “Personally I think the greatest half page mine dust final 151117 ver2.pdf contribution 1 15/11/2017 11:11:07 AM Jimblebar AM mine in Western Australia technology can make

is to keep people out of harm’s way. Using a systems engineering approach we’re also integrating operations to improve productivity.

We can now better track supply chain output, and minimise waste as we move to the next level of drill,

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AUSTRALIANMINING

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truck and rail automation.”

But how would workers adapt to the pace of change? For many in the industry, job security is a genuine worry, with the mining industry being the vocation most at risk from being taken over by automation in Australia according to studies.

AlphaBeta’s research suggests that automation will actually increase job satisfaction amongst the lowestskilled workers in a workforce by up to 62 per cent due to cutting down on repetitive tasks. Automation, it claims, is not new, and always leads to products of increased productivity and prosperity.

The same issues were faced by the agriculture industry decades ago.

Once backbreaking and physically debilitating, agrarian labour has been put to pasture in favour of automation and mechanisation.

“Disruption is coming to our industry,” Ash concluded. “It’s something we need to embrace, and something we need to work with [and] innovation is absolutely necessary.

“The important thing for us, as leaders in our industry, is how we are going to embrace these changes.” AM

IMARC

FROM DEVELOPING MACHINERY TO CHANGING CULTURES EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS ARE NOT ONLY SUPPLING MACHINERY THESE DAYS, BUT ALSO HELPING COMPANIES CHANGE THEIR CULTURE TO SUPPORT THE NEW TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES THEY ARE PROVIDING. BEN CREAGH REPORTS.

S

andvik’s long-term relationship with Northparkes Mining in New South Wales is an example of how the role of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) has evolved in mining.

For more than two decades, Sandvik has been supplying and maintaining the copper-gold mine’s underground machinery.

The Northparkes mine, the first in Australia to use the block cave mining method, has always been a progressive operation focused on implementing the latest mining technologies and methodology.

As Northparkes has wanted to transform the operation into a

technological-advanced digital mine, Sandvik has supported this move through the development of its autonomous equipment and complementary systems.

Sandvik’s AutoMine Loading Fleet platform has delivered significant safety and productivity improvements at the operation with its innovative features.

Northparkes’ eight automated Sandvik load-haul dumpers (LHDs), operating in the same footprint around the clock with a high utilisation rate at a lower cost, are helping it achieve these results.

Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology general manager Harry Hardy said the Northparkes partnership had set a high standard

AUSTRALIANMINING

for not only the technology and systems that were implemented, but also in terms of the growth of the workforces involved at both companies.

“You can talk about Sandvik and the technology challenge (at Northparkes) and sure that was a great challenge that Sandvik rose to, but the more interesting angle on it is what it has done for the cultures,” Hardy told Australian Mining at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Melbourne.

“It has meant a lot for the whole workforce and the community.

There were many positives, as well as some perceived negatives initially.

There were also some barriers that were imagined that had to be

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disproven and taken away.

“You do move into that space of culture, working closely with the people and building trust. And that’s only really done through information, facts and data, and of course proof over the long term.”

Software solutions

Sandvik has broadened the AutoMine system to cover most mining disciplines, with the company gaining momentum with its AutoMine Lite package this year.

AutoMine Lite is useful in stoping applications, providing easy installation and high mobility, while maintaining strong levels of productivity.

AutoMine, which was first installed

Many attachments, like a cutting edge stand, make it a one man job

by Sandvik in Chile during 2004, will play a central role on the company’s next Australian equipment releases – the TH551i and TH663i underground trucks, which will be launched this month.

When the trucks are paired with the AutoMine Trucking platform, mines can increase haulage production by as much as 30 per cent, according to Sandvik.

The manufacturer has also developed the OptiMine platform, an information management software solution that offers a real-time view of underground operations.

In the coming years, Sandvik expects to make significant developments to its OptiMine system to complement the advances it has made with AutoMine.

“I think if we look forward into 2018 and beyond, say from 2018 to 2020, it will be the time where we really develop the OptiMine suite of products,” Hardy said.

“Each installation will require an integration with the mine systems, so collaboration and trust will again be key elements for success.

“Sandvik will be spending a lot more time on software and just continuing to work with our hardware and getting more hardware capable to go with these platforms.”

What to do with data?

The explosion of data created by its software platforms has Sandvik pondering the next workforce culture challenge of this digital implementation – how will this information be managed and used to benefit mining companies?

Analytics will play a key role for Sandvik as it moves forward with digitalisation. The company announced an agreement with IBM in March to jointly develop market-leading offerings in data driven productivity and predictive maintenance services for mining

and rock excavation.

Sandvik OptiMine business development manager Kwan Lee said the company was working with its clients to clarify how data would be efficiently and legally managed in the future.

“Something that is very different for the industry now moving forward into this digitalisation is the question around data – who owns the data?”

Lee said.

“That is also very important because we are now moving more data into the cloud. Who knows where the data is sitting? You need that clarity.

“Another important requirement is that the digital systems need to work together. OptiMine has been developed from the beginning to integrate with our customer’s digital ecosystem.”

The manufacturer plans to release a discussion paper to address topics around data ownership and interoperability.

Sandvik wants to be involved in the culture change around data management in the same way it has been during the transition and development of operations at Northparkes.

Hardy is even hopeful that the company will be recognised nearly as much for its software and data expertise as it is for its advanced machinery in the coming years.

“When we get to 2020 and people ask what did Sandvik do that was different – I think they will say they are more software and data orientated,” Hardy said.

“If we can do with every customer what we did at Northparkes I think we would be happy. We sat down and worked together on the project.

It created a tremendous amount of value for them and us.

“We have both got a great reward for effort out of it – they helped us develop a product too.” AM AUSTRALIANMINING

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TRACKING THE TRENDS

HOW DIGITAL OPERATIONS STRENGTHEN COMPANY REPORTING DELOITTE’S NICKI IVORY EXPLAINS HOW MINING’S DIGITAL REVOLUTION IS ASSISTING WITH THE INCREASING REQUIREMENT FOR COMPANIES TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THEIR OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

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overnments around the world have become stricter on what they expect from mining companies.

Deloitte, in its 2017 Tracking the Trends report, explained that governments in a growing number of jurisdictions are demanding greater levels of transparency from their domestic extractive industries.

Mining companies now find that they are under greater scrutiny than

ever, with the governments in miningfocused regions wanting to confirm that the industry’s players are meeting certain demands, such as paying the right amount of tax.

Australia and most governments in mining jurisdictions have followed this trend by becoming stricter in their requirements of resources companies to pay appropriate taxes, while also reporting on other activities, to operate in their country.

As Deloitte states in the report, to ensure companies are paying their fair share of tax, governments will increasingly be reviewing not only their financial disclosures, but their non-financial disclosure as well to check for consistency.

In Canada, for example, its government has adopted the Extractive Sectors Transparency Measures Act (ESTMA), which requires mining companies to track and report payments made to governments of more than C$100,000, including taxes, royalties, fees, production entitlements, bonuses, dividends and payments for infrastructure improvements.

These demands from governments are being matched by the investment community, which also expects companies to report more than just

AUSTRALIANMINING

their minimum requirements with more coverage of material issues.

This includes disclosure of sustainability reporting, environmental impact reports, carbon emission reports, corporate social responsibility reports, labour and working conditions, community work health and safety guidelines, and more.

Deloitte global mining tax leader James Ferguson summarises this new situation for the mining industry in the report.

“Mining companies are coming to terms with a step change in the reporting environment, which is no longer confined to financial disclosures. True transparency enhancements are turning out to be more complex than some companies expected, raising strategic aspects that warrant executive level attention,” he said.

Deloitte recommends that mining companies adopt an integrated approach to reporting to ensure they are delivering the right information to governments.

Nicki Ivory, Deloitte Australia’s national mining lead, said these reporting demands were putting a massive burden on internal systems at mining companies, reinforcing the

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DECEMBER 2017

emphasis on the digital projects that many are either implementing or considering.

“Historically we don’t have this digital mine where all the systems are integrated – the truth comes out when you put a request into the data base,” Ivory said.

“There are different systems putting out different numbers, and companies are really grappling with if what they are reporting is right.

“It is really important that mining companies get this right for their social licence to operate. They need to not only get their financial numbers right but now their nonfinancial numbers as well.”

Ivory said the disclosure challenge placed even more importance on how mining companies implement new technology systems to transform their operations into digital mines.

How these systems integrate, however, would determine the effectiveness and accuracy of what the company’s report to governments, Ivory added.

“This ties in beautifully with the digital mine concept because when you implement an integrated technology system with everything linked the reporting becomes very easy,” Ivory said.

TRACKING THE TRENDS

ROBUST DIGITAL SYSTEMS HELP ENSURE ACCURATE REPORTING

“It is very easy to pull out the reports that you require, whereas it becomes almost impossible when you have a legacy set of systems that don’t talk to one another.”

According to the Deloitte report, mining companies should assess if their systems are “sufficiently robust” and have the capacity to generate

country-by-country disclosures for various purposes.

The miners’ internal processes and technology solutions must ensure consistent data measurement and reporting, treating financial and nonfinancial disclosure with same rigor in the process.

While the major miners moved

on the digital implementation to strengthen their systems many years ago, and now mostly have efficient reporting processes in place, the junior and mid-tier sectors are still working on or considering these projects.

Ivory said Deloitte was working with many companies in this part of

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the industry to advise them on how to execute the projects.

“We’ve been having this discussion with the junior and mid-tier miners – they don’t need a big bang digital mine,” Ivory said. “We ask them what are the things that can actually make a big difference to an organisation and then say focus on those first.

“For juniors looking to start they are probably not going to put in all the wiz bang stuff out in the field.

The widgets and gadgets are nice to have but they are pointless if you can’t harvest the data and do something with it.

“They are better off starting with their core systems and then adding more pieces to them over time.”

Deloitte offers other strategies to help companies to adopt an integrated approach to reporting, including to standardise information.

According to Deloitte, companies must ensure their financial reports remain consistent on a global basis, and that their non-financial disclosures align with their regulatory disclosures.

Deloitte also recommends that miners consider the benefits of over-reporting, adding that some companies may choose to release voluntary disclosures to supplement mandatory ones to provide greater context for their actions from a policy perspective. AM

COAL MINING

THE COAL NINE YARDS: STRONG WORDS FROM ADANI I AM NOT GOING TO STAND HERE AND FEEL ASHAMED – ADANI’S MUTHURAJ GURUSWAMY TELLS LISTENERS AT IMARC. EWEN HOSIE EXPLAINS.

M

uthuraj Guruswamy, Australia general manager of corporate affairs and business development at Indian conglomerate Adani, provided an update on the status of the company’s Carmichael coal project in Queensland at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Melbourne in November.

Guruswamy, who has extensive business experience in Australia, addressed several criticisms of the company’s project, particularly regarding environment, community and cost.

He said Adani took pride in its work with the Indigenous community in Australia in particular, having signed Indigenous land use agreements with four different groups.

The project has been plagued by issues since its announcement for myriad reasons; its vicinity from the Great Barrier Reef, its focus on coal production, Adani’s recently revealed offshore interests, accusations of inflated power prices in the company’s home country (due in part to alleged invoice fraud), and bribery of officials.

There was the general feeling from Guruswamy’s speech that he wanted to

take the opportunity to address some of his company’s critics.

In reference to a gr oup of protesters who had gathered outside the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, Guruswamy said: “You will see signs out there saying, ‘No means no’, but from our side we have 294 people saying ‘Yes,’ and one person saying ‘No’.

“Because there are people interested in the Galilee Basin, I have been able to put food on the table for my family; I have worked with the six different players in the Galilee, so I am not going to stand here and feel ashamed that I am working for the mining industry, or Adani for that matter.”

Guruswamy stressed that despite environmental protests — largely due to the mine’s proximity to the Great Barrier Reef — Adani had met its UN sustainability targets for all three elements of the Carmichael project, including sea and rail networks, as well as the mine itself.

He delved into some of Adani’s large-scale renewable projects and community investment, including the Kamuthi Solar Power Project, which he cited as the world’s largest at 648 megawatt capacity, at least until it is usurped by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in the UAE (most media now report the AUSTRALIANMINING

1500 megawatt Tengger Desert Solar Park in China as the largest in the world, however).

He also explained that Adani is a major manufacturer of solar panels, with production of up to 1.2 gigawatts per year; Adani, he said, recognised the energy gap India needed to fill, since electricity use per capita in India in much lower than the global average.

He cited per capita figures off the top of his head for India and Australia of 780 and 10,400 kilowatts per year, respectively (3500 globally), though actual 2015 Central Statistics Office and 2014 Central Intelligence Agency statistics state figures of 1122 and 9742 kilowatts per year for these countries (2674 globally), which still represents a wide gap.

Guruswamy’s speech was briefly interrupted at the halfway point by environmentalist protestors, who sang chants of “Hey hey, hey ho, Adani’s mine has got to go!”

They were quickly removed by site security, and Guruswamy, while visibly embarrassed, continued without comment.

The GM also explained that the Carmichael coal project, though it had been reported as the largest coal mine in the world at 60 million tonnes capacity, would actually start at about 27 million tonnes, and use

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trucks, shovels, and 388 kilometres of railway line.

This part of Guruswamy’s speech perhaps served as retort to the company’s negative image in the media of late. He described Adani as a ‘nation-building’ company that wanted to give back to both India and Australia. In India, Guruswamy stated that Adani supported up to 10,000 children with improved schooling facilities.

“At Adani, we believe in investing back in the community,” he explained, “particularly in India, where we talk about giving education to the girls, and simple things like toilet facilities, sewerage in villages and medical treatment,” he said.

“One thing people are not aware of about India is that there is no safety net like in Australia or America.

“In India if I lose my job, or my children are not taking care of me, I will literally be out on the street if I do not have a house.

“We take pride in talking about nation building; if you don’t have education the country is not going to grow and it comes back to Australia, and our work with Indigenous communities […] I am sure when we start shipping coal in 2020 we will be able to provide a whole lot more to these communities.” AM

MINING SERVICES

ROSS WOTHERSPOON

WEARX JOINS FORCES WITH METSO TO UNLOCK POTENTIAL METSO AND WEARX WILL WORK TOGETHER TO ADD MORE VALUE FOR MINERAL PROCESSING AND MATERIAL TRANSFER CUSTOMERS. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

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EARX and the Metso Corporation have finalised an agreement that will bring the two companies together.

The combined strengths of both companies and knowledge of their people is expected to bring even more value to the mineral processing and material transfer market sectors.

WEARX is a privately-owned wear solutions provider with a range of its own products. The company addresses its customer’s needs by implementing the right technologies to deliver wear protection solutions designed to exceed plant availability goals.

The company’s offer includes: wear liners, rubber and ceramic lining, skirting, chutes and bulk material handling equipment. Its services include: design, engineering, site services and project management.

WEARX chief executive officer

and Metso’s senior vice president – Australian market areas addressed WEARX staff to explain the change at the company’s head office in Thornton, located on Australia’s east coast, 25km north-west of Newcastle.

Commenting on the reasoning behind the deal, WEARX CEO Gary Newman said, “Over the last few years, we have worked hard to develop WEARX into an agile service provider that delivers high value solutions to our customers.

“Our board and shareholders knew that at some stage we would need the backing of a much bigger company to unlock our full potential.

With the funding of the next phase of our company’s growth in mind, we decided that a full trade sale to a large, likeminded company was the best way to continue the evolution of our business.”

“There were several interested parties, but when it came down to making our decision as to which AUSTRALIANMINING

company we wanted to move forward with, our key considerations were: cultural fit and clear synergies between the two companies.

“I’m very pleased to say, that we found an ideal fit in Metso. Joining forces with Metso is a historic step in our company’s development.”

Metso’s senior vice president for the Australian market areas – Ross Wotherspoon said there was an excellent cultural fit between the two companies.

“From our very first meetings with WEARX executives, I was impressed by their great culture which is very similar to ours,” he said.

This move is part of Metso’s growth strategy, which includes both organic growth, as well as growth through acquisition.

Wotherspoon said over the last seven years the company evolved its business through several powerful initiatives that have helped to improve service levels.

“We have agressively expanded

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our services footprint and committed to regularly measure and actively improve the satisfaction of both our customers and staff. In parallel to these initiatives, we have developed an acquisition strategy designed to broaden our offering and bring even more value to our customers,” Wotherspoon said.

“As for synergies, combining the strengths of our companies and knowledge of our people will allow us to bring even more value to our clients in the mineral processing and material transfer market sectors.

“We want to make sure that the transition goes smoothly, especially for staff and customers. The retention of WEARX’s agility and entrepreneurial spirit is a fundamental success factor.”

The companies have assembled a dedicated integration team which will now work on all aspects of the integration. It is expected that the group has around six months of intense work ahead. AM

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NEXT MINING BOOM NO DREAM TIME FOR CAREY MINING CAREY MINING FOUNDER DANIEL TUCKER DISCUSSES THE PAST AND THE FUTURE AT THE LEADING ABORIGINALOWNED MINING CONTRACTOR. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

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s Australia’s mining sector poised to regain the bounce of the boom years? Ask Daniel Tucker that question and you’ll come away with no doubts that good times are, once again, just around the corner..

The founder and managing director of Australia’s biggest Aboriginalowned mining contractor, Carey Mining, is very bullish and is demonstrably putting his money where his confidence is.

The company’s headquarters in Malaga, Western Australia, comprise a substantial office building and a large and comprehensively-fitted maintenance depot and equipment

holding yard. The complex is big enough to accommodate the growth that Tucker anticipates in the years ahead.

“Back in the boom days we had around 270 people on our books,” Tucker said.

“Today the number is down to 200, but with new contracts coming on stream we’ll be at 220 by the end of 2017, and I’m planning to reach 300 in the next two years. Those numbers will be achieved through sustainable, organic growth, and we’ll maintain our traditional ratio of at least 40 per cent Aboriginal workers.”

The first chapter in the Carey story was written 22 years ago, when

MY VISION IS THAT, NOT TOO MANY YEARS FROM NOW, THERE WILL BE AN ABORIGINAL PRESENTER ON STAGE AT DIGGERS PROMOTING A WHOLLY ABORIGINAL-OWNED MINING COMPANY.” a young and visionary Tucker took advantage of Native Title negotiations his family group had with AngloGold Ashanti Australia over land that was ultimately to become the company’s Sunrise Dam gold mine.

Tucker, who had added two years of geology studies to his extensive experience as a fitter and machine operator with Western Mining,

DANIEL TUCKER SUPERVISES THE MOBILISATION OF HITACHI EXCAVATORS AT CAREY’S MALAGA DEPOT

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sought more from the negotiations than protection of the Aboriginal community’s cultural heritage and the money to finance an improved standard of living.

“My vision at that time was also to create sustainable work in the region for the local people, so they could stand on their own feet and earn their share of the mineral wealth by making

MINING SERVICES

CAREY MINING HAS OPERATED AT ANGLO GOLD ASHANTI’S SUNRISE DAM FOR 22 YEARS

a meaningful contribution to the development of the mine,” said Tucker.

The final agreement required a tremendous leap of faith by both parties. Anglo Gold needed to take on face value Tucker’s assurances that he could deliver a reliable and professional contracting service.

Tucker, for his part, took on the challenge of building a company from scratch, from a resource base that comprised little more than his own savings, and his determination and unlimited self-belief.

From this unlikely launch-pad, Carey Mining took off, providing load and haul services to the new mine in a 25 per cent joint venture with main contractor, EDI Downer.

From little acorns, mighty oak trees grow. Twenty-two years on, Carey has notched some significant landmarks.

It is the largest and most successful Aboriginal-owned company in Australia. Its ongoing relationship with AngloGold is the longestrunning marriage between an Aboriginal contractor and a mining company in Australia, as is its continuing relationship with Downer.

At BHP’s Area C mine, Carey has notched up an impressive 10-

year run without a single lost time injury (LTI).

To Tucker, history is fine, but it pays no bills. His sights are firmly set on the future. When Australian Mining spoke to him, his main focus was on mobilising an excavator fleet to commence work on Carey Mining’s newest mining contract, which includes open pit mining and the construction of a 65km access haul road linking Canadian newcomer Superior Gold’s Hermes open cut pit to the ore treatment plant at its Plutonic mine.

Carey Mining’s contracts are won on their merits in a fiercely competitive market. While its civil engineering division benefits from the Commonwealth’s Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP), that currently decrees that two per cent (rising to three per cent over the next two years) of all federal government spending for goods and services must be allocated to certified Aboriginal companies, no such mechanism exists in the mining sector, although similar targets and intentions are being met.

“Companies value the ‘good community citizen’ tag that goes with giving work to Aboriginal AUSTRALIANMINING

contractors, but they regard that purely as a bonus. In this tough economic climate there are no free lunches in the mining sector. We win contracts by offering a competitive price backed by evidence of our ability to perform efficiently, reliably and safely,” said Tucker.

The success of the Carey Mining formula is reflected in a client list that includes BHP, AngloGold, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group.

Part of the message that Carey Mining is a company that is here for the long haul can be found in an examination of its equipment fleet.

Spearheaded by Caterpillar 100-tonne trucks and Hitachi excavators up to 250-tonne capacity, the fleet is worth more than $60 million.

It is a particular point of pride to Tucker that the equipment is 97 per cent owned by his company. And, in line with his forward-looking philosophy, Tucker has discussed with Komatsu the option of adding remote controlled trucks to Carey’s already sizeable fleet for work on projects where Carey has an equity stake and more say on the mining fleet.

Carey’s mining operations are deliberately restricted to WA, where

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Tucker sees more than enough scope to sustain the company’s planned future growth.

To accelerate that growth, Carey have opened a depot in Kalgoorlie, primarily as a move to develop new business, but also to provide maintenance and technical support for the company’s crews working on contracts in the thriving Goldfields region.

Where next for Tucker and his visionary approach to business life?

“It bothers me that, in all Australia, there’s not a single Aboriginal-owned mining company, and I’m determined to change that,” Tucker declared.

Carey already owns a number of leases in the Eastern Goldfields, and Tucker has compiled a hit list of potential takeover targets. He is even examining options for a move into iron ore.

“This year I went along to Diggers and Dealers as an observer,” said Tucker.

“My vision is that, not too many years from now, there will be an Aboriginal presenter on stage at Diggers promoting a wholly Aboriginal-owned mining company,” he said. AM

FUTURE OF MINING

A SEA CHANGE FOR MINING DEEP-SEA MINING COULD BE THE NEXT INDUSTRY HOTBED OF CHOICE. EWEN HOSIE REPORTS.

T

he International Seabed Authority (ISA) has granted over 25 contracts to various countries for deep sea and seafloor mineral exploration.

Countries on this list include Russia, China, India, Japan, Brazil and several countries in Europe, among others.

Deep-sea mining has a storied history; people have been attempting to tap the mineral potential of the Earth’s oceans for decades, with mixed results. As far back as the 1960s, interested parties have explored the concept

with research vessels; the discovery of hydrothermal vents, which spew mineral-rich deposits from fissures in the earth’s surface.

Despite the recognition for potential, the early days of deep-sea mineral exploration produced little in the way of tangible commercial results. Early attempts to mine manganese from the sea floor resulted in over $US500 million in wasted funds. There has been some success mining at shallow depths of less than 200 metres, however, particularly among diamond miners in African countries such as Namibia and South Africa — De Beers is

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a notable advocate — but other minerals have eluded the mining industry at large.

Testing the waters

Recently though, things are starting to change, and technology is finally catching up to the vision. Deepsea mining is seeing something of a comeback; in September, a Japanese team successfully mined gold and zinc off the coast of Okinawa using a track-driven, autonomous mining vehicle.

The month-long dig, led by the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC), is part of

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the nation’s efforts to further test the viability of mining robots for deepsea extraction. The machine mined at a depth of roughly 1600 metres at an ore deposit off the Okinawan coast estimated by the Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry to contain zinc levels equivalent to the country’s annual consumption. Commercialised mining is due to begin at this, and six other ore deposits, by 2020, with the aim of becoming a viable resource producer. In a similar vein, Japan became the world’s first country to successfully extract methane hydrate, when engineers

FUTURE OF MINING

SOLWARA 1 COLLECTING MACHINE (ON LEFT) AND AUXILIARY CUTTER (ON RIGHT). CREDIT: NAUTILUS MINERALS

— also from JOGMEC — found a way to depressurise methane hydrate from offshore deposits into methane gas.

Over in the UK meanwhile, in the depths of the once-bustling Whitehill Yeo clay pit in Devon, something likewise stirs. An EUfunded venture called the Viable Alternative Mine Operating System (aka VAMOS, stylised as ¡VAMOS!) is being used to extract minerals from flooded sites. Project partners include the Cornwall Mining Alliance (CMA), Marine Minerals

and FUGRO. The aim of the project is not just to sweep flooded and abandoned mines, but as extensions of open-cut mines. The underwater nature of the excavation also allegedly reduces noise and environmental impact.

“With future mineral prices increasing as a result of the growing demand and depletion of higher grade onshore deposits, marine mining will progressively become more economic,” explained Mike Proudfoot, chief executive officer of Marine Minerals, “particularly

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for the recovery of phosphorates for fertiliser production and minerals from manganese crusts; these [will be used] to feed the increasing population and for the move to electric transport.”

Proudfoot comes from a tin mining background, and his company is currently working on a subsea tin recovery project that collects seabed tin fragments that have been washed into the sea as part of previous ground-based mining operations. While this project is more complementary to traditional

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mining methods than other subsea mining programs, Proudfoot still believes recovery of marine-based minerals has the potential to become dominant.

“Whilst globally there are a number of significant accumulations of minerals that have been washed into the seas post mining that may become economic to extract, these are insignificant compared with the natural accumulations of minerals in the oceans that will be mined in the future,” he explained.

“Global dominance of marine-

FUTURE OF MINING

recovered minerals is still quite a long way off, but it will eventually happen.

Recovery of alluvial-concentrated minerals such as tin, gold, zircon and titanium will increase as methods improve, reducing recovery costs.”

Mineral water

There are several different types of minerals available for extraction from the seabed. Polymetallic nodules, located up to 6000 metres under the sea surface, form from metal collected on debris and detritus on the seabed, and can contain rich deposits of copper, cobalt, nickel and lithium, all of which are indemand components for clean energy technology and electric vehicle production; ferromanganese crusts that form on the seabed surface are abundant in rare earth elements such as tellurium, useful for the production of solar cells.

The aforementioned hydrothermal vents are the third major undersea mineral source suitable for mining, with mineral-rich sulphides spewing in a constant stream from the sea floor. Hydrothermal vents are extremely rare, covering an estimated 34 square miles globally, and its environs are teeming with life.

Indeed, the environmental impact on marine life is a large concern for opponents of deep-sea mining, as dragging and digging of the ground could displace entire ecosystems, particularly in the deep ocean, which contains thousands, or potentially even millions of unknown species.

In April 2016, Floridian company Odyssey Marine Exploration was denied a deep ocean exploration licence by Mexican environmental authorities on the basis of a single issue; the effects of dredging on sea turtles.

“Each venture [will need] to conduct detailed environmental impact assessments of their planned processes and adopt changes to mitigate the effects,” explained Proudfoot. “These will vary depending on local conditions.”

The Voyage of the Nautilus

This is a concern that has dogged the operations of companies like Nautilus, currently hosting what is perhaps the world’s most ambitious deep-sea mining project. The Canadian operator hopes to begin deep-sea mining operations using thermal vents by 2020 with the aid of three (initial) machines.

Three vehicles, including a bulk cutter (weighing 310 tonnes), an auxiliary cutter, and a collector, and collectively known as the seafloor production tools (SPTs) are to be used by the company for its maiden project Solwara 1 in Papua New Guinea, the first proposed Pacific deep-sea mine.

The vehicles will pump extracted minerals as slurry via a subsea slurry lift pump (SSLP) connected to a riser and lifting system (RALS) to the surface for collection aboard a 227 metre-long vessel.

The operation, vast in scope, cost and ambition, has been a long time coming, with Nautilus granted an approval from the Papua New Guinea Department of Environment and Conservation (DNC) at the end of 2009. The mine’s life is expected to last 30 months, with the possibility of extension up to five years dependent on further scoping.

The first phase of the operation will concentrate on extracting ore from the seafloor to be collected and transported for external processing, while the second phase will concentrate on the construction of a treatment facility.

Nautilus indicated resources of 7.2 per cent copper, five grams of

THE THREE MUSKETEERS — SOLWARA 1 SEAFLOOR PRODUCTION TOOLS (SPTS). CREDIT: NAUTILUS MINERALS

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gold per tonne, 23 grams of silver per tonne and 0.4 per cent zinc over one million tonnes of initial findings, with inferred resources of 8.1 per cent copper, 6.4 grams of gold per tonne, 23 grams of silver per tonne, and 0.9 per cent of zinc over another 1.5 million tonnes.

Following a slow funding round that saw the project start date slip from 2018 to 2020, having received its licence in 2011, Nautilus has seen its share of criticism too, not only from environmentalists, but the former attorney general of Papua New Guinea as well, who has previously referred to the project as ‘high-risk’ and ‘not professional’, but Nautilus has described the project as experimental, and has not committed to a feasibility study.

The group has recently revealed it will require $US350 million to finish financing on the project, which is to be collected by the company’s investment group Deep Sea Mining Finance (DSMF), who are registered in the British Virgin Islands.

Whether or not the company suffers the same setbacks as Odyssey remains to be seen, but whatever the result, deep-sea mining is far from washed up. AM

MATERIALS HANDLING

BELT REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT IN RECORD TIME FENNER DUNLOP HAS HELPED A METALLURGICAL COAL MINER SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE DOWNTIME THROUGH A BELT REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT PROJECT. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

A

torn conveyor belt and an extended shutdown replacement schedule may not be every production manager’s worst nightmare – but it probably ranks in the top 10. This was the scenario for one of Australia’s largest metallurgical coal producers.

At the miner’s underground mine in the Bowen Basin, a wear plate from a chute dislodged and jammed, causing a catastrophic longitudinal tear in the ST3500 drift belt, which carried up to 6000tph. An initial assessment put the tear at around 800 metres.

Within minutes of the tear the site’s regular belt supplier was contacted.

The quoted repair time was 45 to 60 days, depending on raw material availability.

A call was then made to the Fenner

Dunlop office in Mackay – a call that initiated a chain of events that saw the site back up and running in 19 days.

Within 12 hours of that call one of the company’s specialist belt technicians was on site to fully assess the damage and discuss possible repair and replacement options.

The tear was established at 1147 metres – almost half the total belt length – and the mine was offered two options: repair the tear, which would mean operating the belt at reduced capacity and ultimately a belt changeout; or clip the belt every 9-10 metres, run it to clear the coal and change-out the damaged section with new steel cord belt.

Based on Fenner Dunlop’s ability to supply replacement belt on a short lead time and quickly mobilise a team to complete the change-out,

the second option was decided on.

And with that decision made, an emergency response program went into action.

A team was sent from the Mackay branch to install the 400 metres of emergency belt held on site. A slot was created at the company’s Kwinana manufacturing facility to produce the 1150 metres of new belt – to be supplied in four rolls – needed to complete the job.

Concurrently, suitable custom splice kits were manufactured at the company’s Footscray plant in Victoria and despatched to site.

To overcome the possibility of the four rolls of new belt arriving on site together a staggered delivery schedule was implemented.

Each roll was despatched on its 4500km journey from Kwinana to

CONVEYOR PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY ARE VITAL

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the Bowen Basin immediately after final quality inspection and would be spliced on site while the next roll was in transit – a delivery schedule that ensured no bottlenecks and the shortest possible delay before the belt was operational.

Just 19 days after the torn drift belt stalled production, the mine was fully operational.

Reports from the mine tell of a smooth job and seamless integration of the new belt which, at the time of writing, had been running for around eight weeks with no quality, tracking or splicing issues – and is apparently performing significantly better than the original belt.

As to the cost of the job, when offset against the productivity losses from a potential 45-day repair, the decision proved a profitable investment. AM

INTERVIEW

AMPCONTROL SET TO DELIVER MINING’S TECHNOLOGY NEEDS AMPCONTROL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ROD HENDERSON DISCUSSES HOW THE ENGINEERING COMPANY HAS RESPONDED TO THE IMPROVEMENT IN MARKET CONDITIONS IN MINING. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS. Has there been a lift in market activity in the mining industry for Ampcontrol?

We believe so. There has been a general upturn in opex (operating expense) spend, and some limited capital replacement projects, across both coal and hard rock mining markets.

Is the company investing significantly in the R&D of its mining solutions?

Absolutely. Throughout the downturn, we made a concerted effort to focus our R&D spend on a range of new products that we have been able to release to market over the past two to three years.

This has included hard rock market specific relays such as our PF1 but also, more complex products such as our Outlet Test System and H3RO fibre optic networking solution.

very strong service arm to our business that seeks to support customers via maintenance diagnostics.

Our role as a supplier to this industry is to continuously improve, adapt and listen to the market.

How important is it for a company like Ampcontrol to stay on top of the latest technologies available for mining?

At our heart, we are an engineering company. We are fortunate to have very skilled tradespeople to manufacture our power distribution equipment but at the end of the day, one of our value adds is that we can design a solution to meet our customer’s needs. Innovation has been an essential part of this mix as has R&D. Now, the reality is technology is moving ahead rapidly and while the focus must always be on safety, of course our customers want the latest and best on offer.

Which technologies does Ampcontrol view as being important for mining, both now and in the coming years?

Like I said before, the industry is buzzing with IOT and the digital mine. I think the technology out there at the moment has great potential and it is like any solution in its early adoption phase, experiencing the realities of application in what is a very challenging and complex environment.

The desire to connect devices, people and information to make better operational decisions is great and I think this is where we will see more advancements over the coming years.

What have been a couple of Ampcontrol’s standout projects in the mining industry over the past year?

Many within the industry would be aware of Rio’s Oyu Tolgoi operation in Mongolia and we have been fortunate to secure a contract to supply electronics and power distribution equipment to this project. This is a long-term arrangement, and one that has seen us establish an in-country presence so that we can support the operations team on the group. We have also sent personnel from Australia to the site to assist in installation works and training.

This project, along with our increasing growth in the hard rock sector via HV service contracts and specialised electronics and power distribution equipment have been fantastic wins for the business.

What have been the mining solutions that the company has focused on over the past one to two years?

Everyone is talking about digital disruption and this is something we have really sought to understand as METS to global mining markets.

In particular, the role of ICT infrastructure planning to bringing mines ‘online’ and a part of the IOT/ Industry 4.0 transformation.

One of our areas of speciality is network convergence through automation so we see ICT infrastructure as one of the most significant solutions we can develop for our customers.

How are Ampcontrol’s mining solutions benefiting the mining industry?

In 2018, we will celebrate 50 years of operation and I think this says a lot about the place we have within the Australian mining market. We have ridden the highs and lows of the market and throughout this, continued to focus on what we are good at: high quality, safety driven technology that helps mining operations work smarter and more efficiently.

Today, our electronics equipment helps customers make real time decisions about the health of vital electrical equipment and we have a

What are currently the key trends shaping the electrical sector of mining?

We understand the major drivers of our customers: safety and productivity.

With a raft of solutions aimed at powering critical infrastructure, I think there is a general trend towards data driven decision making.

Realistically, personnel need to be able to make quick operational decisions based on information but when data is just literally dumped, it isn’t of much value. Making sense of the data through automation or software means decisions can be made quicker but also, with a more complete picture. Our products and solutions have a role to play in this scenario as both data contributors and network designers.

AMPCONTROL CEO AND MD ROD HENDERSON

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Is Ampcontrol confident that the mining industry has a strong future after the challenging years created by the commodities downturn?

Yes. While it was a tough slog for everyone concerned, I believe the resources sector is an invaluable and long term contributor to the Australian economy. My optimism is further cemented by the growth of the METS sector and the appetite for supporting suppliers like Ampcontrol by miners across the world. AM

TRAINING

IN IT TO SIM IT IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES IS A LEADER IN THE FIELD OF HIGHLY REALISTIC MINING SIMULATORS. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS. IMMERSIVE’S CABINETS ARE MODELLED WITH 100% ACCURACY

THE RISE OF VR OFFERS NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMMERSIVE

S

imulators are a highly popular genre of software among PC and Mac users; titles such as the Farming Simulator series, Euro Truck Simulator, its sequel American Truck Simulator, sports car game Assetto Corsa and Microsoft’s dormant but still popular Flight Simulator series are all highly acclaimed examples. But there’s never been a really good commercially available mining simulator. To get the full fat experience, you need to go to Immersive Technologies.

A world-leader in professional simulator technologies, having released it’s first mining dump truck simulator in 1998, Immersive lives up to its title with its line of professional mining simulators; each cabinet (called simulator modules by the company) in which the trainee sits proves an exact replica of the real deal, whether it’s a CAT 793F haul truck, an underground Sandvik DD420 or Hitachi EX56006 shovel.

There’s an exhaustive list of branded modules to choose from, including Komatsu, Hitachi, Liebherr, Cat, BELAZ, Sandvik, Atlas Copco and many more. Exclusivity agreements with the first four of these well-known original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) allow Immersive access to low-level confidential machine data and engineering information, which further enhances realism for trainees.

The vehicle list meanwhile extends

to rope shovels, dozers, haul and underground trucks, hydraulic shovels and excavators, drills (surface and underground), draglines, loaders and even light vehicles.

Modules can be incorporated into the company’s flagship simulators; the top-end PRO4 Surface Mining Simulator, IM360 Underground Mining Simulator, and LX3 Medium Fidelity Simulator, which shares the same technology as the others while offering a cheaper, more lightweight solution with a lower footprint. All three use wraparound HD displays and hydraulic feedback.

In addition, thanks to the nascent industry of VR headsets, Immersive has also developed a simulator called WorksiteVR Quest, which offers myriad scenarios, from site safety induction to emergency response.

The kinaesthetic and visual learning benefits gleaned from this approach can lead to high recall and retention of details among trainees.

Currently operating in over 44 countries and with a customer base that includes nine of the 10 largest mining companies globally, its global head office located in Perth, Immersive is a great example of Australian tech industry, as well as the continually evolving state of mining technology.

Simulator training is an excellent way to induce trainees from all walks of the industry without risking the safety of the trainees themselves, as AUSTRALIANMINING

well as potential damage to expensive multimillion-dollar production machines. Immersive’s simulators are frequently deployed to quantifiably increase operator efficiency, which has a direct correlation on improving variables such as instantaneous dig rate and spot time, while also reducing unscheduled maintenance in areas such as braking systems, tyres and a host of other cost reductions.

“Commencing in the 90s our focus was the development of the best simulation technology for mining,” said Wayde Salfinger, executive director of Immersive Technologies.

“Today this has evolved to a focus on the optimisation of equipment operators by changing their behaviour and skill level in a sustainable way using our people, processes, and simulation technology.” AM

THE COMPANY’S GRAPHICS TECH HAS IMPROVED WITH TIME

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TAILINGS

FROM THE ASHES DR LINDA WANG RECENTLY WON AN AWARD FOR HER POTENTIALLY REVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH INTO COAL ASH SEPARATION. SHE TALKS TO EWEN HOSIE ABOUT HOW SHE FIGURED IT OUT. OPERATIONS AT AN AUSTRALIAN COAL MINE

D

r Linda Wang received a gold award from the prestigious Purdue Foundry — an alumni offshoot of Purdue University in Indiana, United States — earlier this year, for some honest-to-goodness alchemical sorcery (aka science).

She has developed a method to filter and extract rare earth elements (REE) from waste coal ash with purity levels and yields above 95 per cent. Using a method of chromatographic technique that involves the application of inexpensive titanium oxide sorbents, Wang has been able to separate valuable lanthanides, as well as usable byproducts such as silica and aluminium oxide.

The US has 13 million tonnes (Mt)

of rare earth deposits, but produces nearly 130Mt of waste coal ash per year, less than half of which is recycled. The US is largely reliant on China for its rare earth elements, which are produced expensively and wastefully using old-fashioned purification techniques.

“It has been known for a while that coal ash contains REE elements, however, an economic solution has been difficult to develop,” Wang explained. “My lab focuses on developing practical, scalable separation solutions for complex feed mixtures.”

Wang hopes her discovery could be used to make the US a domestic player in the burgeoning REE market, which is in the midst of a boom due to rising global demand for parts in renewable technologies.

Elements such as yttrium, europium,

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terbium and cobalt are particularly pertinent to the EV (electric vehicle) sector, renewable batteries, photodiodes and mobile phone, tablet and laptop parts.

Currently, China controls around 90 per cent of the global supply of such materials, holding an essential monopoly; one of the best known sources for heavy rare earths is located in clay pits in Jiangxi Province in southern China.

The US is estimated to be hoarding over 1.5 billion tonnes of coal waste ash in total, a potential mountain of minerals; Wang hopes that if applied on an industrial scale, the US — along with other coalrich countries — could become less dependent on rare earth elements.

“It would make the market more competitive and would reduce the threat of one or two countries

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controlling the market,” Wang explained. “For example, after China reduced export quotas in 2010, the cost of rare earth magnets for one wind turbine increased significantly.

“After China relaxed the export restrictions 18 months later, the prices returned to lower levels than in 2010. It’s highly desirable to develop the capacity to produce REEs in the US and to become independent of foreign suppliers.”

The project is in early stages but has already attracted industry attention; theoretically, there’s nothing to suggest separation couldn’t work on a large scale, a possibility that is currently being explored by Wang and her team at Purdue. The extraction process itself is not selective to specific elements, and depends on the type of coal ash used.

TAILINGS

THE POTENTIAL OF COAL ASH IS BECOMING CLEARER

Wang has been in discussions with mining industry stakeholders and plans to maintain engagement while she works on refining the technology.

There is particular interest in seeking alternatives to current separation techniques, which she cites as inefficient and wasteful.

“Current separation technologies produce large amounts of chemical waste, which cannot be economically recycled,” she explained. “One of the 10 most polluted sites in the world is a manmade lake in China, where the waste effluents from REE extractions are stored.”

The biggest economic advantages of the product are associated with separation efficiency. Capital expenditure is lowered due to the reduction in processing equipment that comes with the chromatographic approach.

Recycling of solvents, a relatively small footprint, use of inexpensive and readily available materials, and the generation of valuable byproducts are also considered advantageous side benefits.

“In developing the process we kept in mind the barriers that have hindered other attempts at doing this separation; additionally, we have focused on developing a process that characterises and illuminates the intrinsic properties of the separation process, which allows for rapid scaling and feedstock flexibility.

Finally, the process was also designed to produce a series of high-

DR LINDA WANG HAS WON AN AWARD FOR HER WORK IN ORE EXTRACTION FROM COAL ASH

value co-products that increases the economic viability of the process.”

Wang’s project is not the only academic mission to extract rare earth metals from coal byproducts, however. In 2016, a University of Kentucky professor Rick Honaker, in association with Virginia Tech and West Virginia University, secured phase one funding for a pilot project part-funded by a grant from the US Department of Energy. Amounting to nearly $US1 million, the research funding was used to created a patent pending process called hydrophobichydrophilic separation, or HHS. In August this year, he secured a further $7.5 million in phase two funding for the creation of a pilot plant, and in November recovered over 80 per cent rare earth elements from a coal ash feed source (and 98 per cent rare earth oxides).

“We are excited to be selected for a phase two award, which will allow us to move forward with developing and testing our process circuitry in continuous mode at two Kentucky operating preparation plants,” Honaker said in a University of Kentucky newsletter.

“In phase one, we were able to produce concentrates containing over 50 per cent total rare earth elements from Kentucky coal sources which included a significant amount of critical elements like neodymium and yttrium.

“Successful completion of phase two work will substantially advance

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ONE OF THE 10 MOST POLLUTED SITES IN THE WORLD IS A MANMADE LAKE IN CHINA, WHERE THE WASTE EFFLUENTS FROM REE EXTRACTIONS ARE STORED.” the process toward commercialisation and providing significant economic value to coal operations and serving a critical need for the nation in the

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supply of critical REEs.” When it comes to coal ash extraction, it looks like things might be heating up. AM

POLICY

THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF COBALT THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO IS A TECH METAL HAVEN, BUT STABILITY IS NEEDED FOR CONTINUED INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

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obalt, it seems, is king. Look to the future and demand is sky high for the sky blue mineral. Electric vehicles, solar panels, aircraft parts, ceramics, glass, roof tiles, tracers; there are myriad uses for this metal. So as demand increases, how can manufacturers and industry make sure it is sourcing its cobalt from ethical sources?

Over 60 per cent of the world’s current supply of cobalt is sourced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a nation with its fair share of local tensions, and its share of the global market is expected to jump to over 70 per cent in the next decade. Cobalt spot prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) have also more than doubled since the start of 2017 from $US26,200

($34,700) to $US56,500.

The potential pressure this puts on the cobalt mining industry in the DRC has caused concern among human rights organisations such as Amnesty International, who are worried at the potential exploitation of the region as demand increases to meet the current spike in production of EVs, which require cobalt for the manufacture of the high-grade lithium-ion batteries that power their locomotion.

The DRC, while rich in cobalt, does not possess the infrastructure to maintain significant levels of ethical production. It suffers from a lack of rail links, mass poverty and endemic governmental corruption, all of which stymie plans for advancement and run the risk of exploitation, especially among underage and child miners, particularly in artisanal and smallscale mines (ASM). Cobalt, along with

cassiterite, wolframite for tungsten, coltan — a columbite-tantalite ore — and gold are classified as conflict minerals, that being minerals often mined illegally, in a similar fashion to blood diamonds.

Australia is currently the biggest international operator of African mines, with over 140 companies and 300 projects located across the continent (the most major concentrations being found in West Africa, South Africa, the DRC and Tanzania). It earned this title only in the last year after doubling African investment by more than $40 billion over the past decade, according to figures from the Australia-Africa Minerals & Energy Group.

Companies in Australia (and overseas) need to make sure they are maintaining ethical operations within African mining communities WOLFRAMITE MINERS IN THE DRC. IMAGE: JULIEN HARNEIS

and sourcing tech-metals from wellmaintained and legitimate sources. So, how can they do it? There’s a number of ways that could help.

Local investment

Canada and Australia possess significant cobalt deposits of their own, which could lead to mines with more ethical supply and working conditions than can be currently found in the DRC and neighbouring countries such as Rwanda and Zambia, but it is currently considered unwise to pull out of entirely due to the entrenched nature of African mining operations. While Canadian operations in particular have reduced significantly in the last decade due to economic factors, it could perhaps re-examine this in light of burgeoning ore prices in the wake of the recent tech boom.

Recycle

Companies reliant on tech-metals such as cobalt and coltan could be pushed towards firmer recycling measures; as mentioned in the IMARC article on page 18, Apple is leading a push for greater component recycling via its LIAM project, a (relatively) cheaply developed robot capable of breaking down an iPhone into its 60-plus constituent parts (iPhone batteries are 100 per cent lithium cobalt). Other companies could follow suit.

Trace the source

German-developed techniques using fluorescence analysis are able to trace the origin of a coltan sample, ensuring the buyer is aware of the country of origin and thus making the ore easier to source. However, this practice has so far received slow uptake from manufacturers due to expenses.

Mine assessment and local infrastructure

Extensive assessment of mines in the DRC could be carried out to make sure facilities and worker conditions are sufficiently safe. The DRC Government has proposed a revision of its 2002 mining code to bring the country up to date. Its proposed tax hike on mining royalties could be spent on local infrastructure, particularly improvement of transport links, which are cited by international mine operators as a reason for high regional costs. AM AUSTRALIANMINING

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MINERALS PROCESSING

GETTING MORE THAN JUST A RELINE WHILE ATTENDING A SAG MILL RELINE AT AN AUSTRALIAN PROCESSING PLANT, DONHAD’S ENGINEERING TEAM IDENTIFIED SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE SHUTDOWN PROCEDURE.

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onhad was commissioned by an Australian client to conduct an audit of the SAG mill reline during a scheduled shutdown.

The scope of work was to replace discharge grates, feed-end liners and shell liners, and re-tension and/ or replace pulp lifter bolts. Nothing unusual about that.

During the work, however, some unknown problems were revealed along with some less-than-perfect routine operational procedures.

Torque units and air tools

Donhad forged product specialist Brad McCracken explained, “We were able to nominate some concerns we had relating to torque units and air tools regarding calibration and operation of these tools onsite. Even minor inconsistencies between operators will result in variability in the applied bolt loads.”

“The pulp lifter and grate arrangements are the Achilles’ heel of most large SAG mills. Pulp Lifter bolt failures are common because the calibration and operation of the torque tools can have a significant

impact on the longevity of the pulp lifter bolts.”

Bolt installation

McCracken said it became apparent that when building liners back into the mill, night shift and day shift were building in a different order.

“Finishing on the discharge end can increase the risk of the bolts not being tensioned correctly due to actual or perceived pressure to inch the mill,” he said.

“Some tweaks to the order in which the liners are built would allow more time to tension the bolts on the discharge end which will improve the bolt tension outcome. Also, the bolts in the kits can be individually colour-coded prior to leaving Donhad’s factory.

“This makes bolt identification on site a lot easier. A chart can be supplied showing sizes and colours. The kits themselves can also be colour-coded for ease of identification.”

Sealing washers

McCracken said the sealing washers being used on all of the M48 bolts were found to be an incorrect match for the cup washers.

AUSTRALIANMINING

“If the cup washer does not make metal to metal contact with the mill shell, any impact or movement can cause the bolt to lose tension, fatigue and fail. Having a correctly matching sealing washer will also save time when removing them” McCracken explained.

He said the practice of laying nuts and washers out at the face of the mill prior to assembly offered some further opportunities for improvement.

This removed trip hazards from the work area and improved the quality of the nuts and washers being used during assembly.

“There is a substantial risk of tripping when heavy torqueing equipment is being used and the nuts and washers get covered in mud, water, dust and grit when the holes are water blasted. Grit in the threads or on the face of the washer can contribute to the thread’s binding or loss of tension,” McCracken commented.

Pulp lifter bolts and recess washers

McCracken said most of the washers and bolts which had been brought up from spares were in poor condition

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and had to be cleaned up prior to being used.

“Even after being cleaned up they were still not ideal. Putting rusty washers and bolts in can create additional friction causing bolts to be under tensioned.”

Project summary

During Donhad’s routine maintenance and service work, the company constantly watches for opportunities to recommend procedural and process improvement, according to McCracken.

He said shutdowns were a fantastic opportunity for Donhad to “run a microscope” over various reline processes and procedures.

“Because we spend hundreds of hours attending shutdowns at all types of mills, in many different countries, it’s rare that we don’t identify an improvement or two to recommend,” McCracken said.

“And when you consider about 1000 liner bolts per average mill, if we can find how to shave even 30 seconds off each bolt procedure, the overall downtime will be very significantly reduced. This would likely save the client hundreds of thousands of dollars.” AM

AUTOMATION

FINGER ON THE PULSE YUMARR AUTOMATION HEADS NICKY GUENTHER AND HOLGER SALOW TALK TO AUSTRALIAN MINING ABOUT THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE GROWING DEMAND FOR BETTER AND SAFER AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS IN HEAVY INDUSTRY.

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UMARR is a technology frontrunner in the development of automation systems for the mining industry.

Situational awareness, collision avoidance, operator assistance, machine guidance and safeguarding, tunnel and terrain mapping, volumetric measurement solutions and advanced object detection under harsh environmental conditions are all areas in which the company has proven its mettle.

Currently, YUMARR operates from facilities in Australia and Germany, and is adept at taking on surface and underground vehicle automation projects and large material handling equipment.

The company’s systems enable automation in areas where traditional administrative controls are the only means to separate the person from the hazard, which far too often – due to human factors – do not

prevent accidents from happening.

Demanding applications in very unforgiving environments require only the most reliable, robust sensing and computing equipment and it is in this vein that YUMARR is particularly specialised.

Nicky Guenther, senior engineer and director at YUMARR Australia, is aware of the growing optimism in the adoption of automation in the mining industry, and said that technology is “finally catching up with the demanding requirements that enable automation of heavy equipment in the mining industry.”

“The advances in perception sensor technology, together with YUMARR’s outstanding know-how and intelligent algorithms,” he explained, “now allow situational awareness and measurement of performance data under tough conditions like heavy dust and water spray.

“Another example is the interconnectivity of devices such as sensors, controllers and actuators,

LEADING EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER ATLAS COPCO USES THE OBJECT DETECTION AND GROUND PROFILING SYSTEM PIT VIPER GUARD, WHICH WAS DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED BY YUMARR.” which allow real-time monitoring of the operation and closed loop control.”

YUMARR has got the vision to develop and provide systems that significantly reduce the risks faced by people working in mine sites.

“Automation can allow the complete separation of the machine operator from the hostile situation and to control the machine from a safe remote location,” said Guenther.

In one of its first products, YUMARR has used automation to perceive, interpret and safeguard the complex interactions of humans, the machine and the environment, but not to remove the person from the machine. JumboGuard, its

YUMARR’S AUTOMATION SYSTEMS ARE STATE OF THE ART

AUSTRALIANMINING

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automatic boom isolation system for underground drill rigs, delivers significant safety benefits for mining companies around Australia, so much so YUMARR received the Excellence in Mine Safety, OH&S award at the 2017 Prospect Awards for its efforts.

As if that wasn’t enough praise, JumboGuard also picked up a 2017 PACE Zenith Award in the category of ‘Safety System Innovation’ beating out industry big-hitters like Leuze and Bosch.

“Underground drill operators and machine offsiders have among the toughest and most demanding jobs in the industry. The YUMARR team is very proud, as JumboGuard plays an important role in allowing operating crews to return safely and healthily from the drill face back to their families,” said Guenther.

Holger Salow, also senior engineer and director at YUMARR, described the award as a great honour for the company.

“For a start-up, YUMARR has experienced a great demand for our smart solutions for automation and machine control which allows us to work with the big players of the industry,” he said. YUMARR provides systems for OEMs and customised solutions for end users that are installed and operating in various surfaces and underground mine sites across Australia. “As such we have become a technology partner with Rio Tinto in the development of the ‘Drill of the Future’ and developed the situational awareness system for their autonomous drills. In addition to this, leading equipment manufacturer Atlas Copco uses the object detection and ground profiling system Pit Viper Guard, which was designed and developed

by YUMARR, to fully automate their blast hole drills.”

We can expect to hear a lot more from YUMARR over the next year. AM

SAFETY

EDUCATING OPERATORS ABOUT BREATHE-SAFE’S AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT TOWARDS ZERO HARM BREATHE-SAFE IS DETERMINED TO HELP MINE WORKERS AVOID THE HEALTH ISSUES RELATED TO RESPIRABLE DUST THROUGH MUCH-NEEDED EDUCATION. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

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ir filtration and pressurisation systems manufacturer Breathesafe is urging mining companies to become better educated about how they can develop an effective respirable particulate mitigation ecosystem at their operations.

With mining equipment operating 24/7 in hot, dirty and dust laden environments, keeping the operator’s environment safe and healthy is a critical task for machinery designers and maintenance crews.

The exposure level to respirable mine dust that fixed or mobile plant machine operators are exposed to has re-emerged as a work health and safety (WHS) imperative in recent years due to the resurgence of black lung disease amongst Queensland coal workers.

Scientific research indicates that occupational exposure limits may be outdated and there are calls for more up-to-date respiratory health studies to determine exactly what would be a safe level of exposure to airborne mine dust.

However, mine-related health issues like black lung, otherwise known as coal worker pneumoconiosis, can be prevented by limiting exposure to respirable dusts with the right systems.

Air quality management consists of a five-step cycle: 1. Setting a goal: zero harm 2. Limit exposure: plan to control respirable mine dust 3. Find a solution / find a provider: engineering control 4. Implement engineering control: solution 5. Evaluate: test and audit for the lifecycle of the machine.

Breathe-safe develops air filtration and air conditioning systems that are proven to protect against the unseen hazards that impact on the health and safety of equipment operators being part of a five-step cycle for the lifetime of the machine.

These systems particularly protect

against the respirable dust or fibres that can potentially enter the mining equipment operator breathing zone at mine sites, preventing health concerns primarily centred on the lung or heart.

Breathe-safe manufactures and supplies intelligent, custom-designed pressurisation units that come standard with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters for fixed and mobile equipment.

Nick Johnstone, Breathe-safe product development director, said HEPA filters provided the highest level of defence against respirable dust.

“If mining companies start by focusing on installing systems with HEPA filters, for both fresh air and recirculation of air, then they are going to be better prepared to protect the operator,” Johnstone told Australian Mining.

“HEPA filters have proven to be far more effective than competing low efficiency filters at stopping particles in the lowest range from entering the operator breathe zone.

“A two-stage HEPA system, when professionally installed, will also reduce overall maintenance costs associated with HVAC climate control as it will remain dust free.”

While the Breathe-safe systems are equipped to provide an extremely effective solution for miners, Johnstone said these attributes had to be supported by workforces that were educated in the risks posed by respirable dust and how the systems limited their exposure.

Breathe-safe adds value to the development and installation of its system for miners by then working closely with them to build this education.

Johnstone and his team regularly travel to mine sites to install, trial and then develop the systems, with the likes of BHP, Rio Tinto, Boral, Caterpillar and Komatsu engaging the company.

“We are spending more and more time at sites installing the systems and educating mining companies AUSTRALIANMINING

about how the systems are reliable and effective,” Johnstone said.

“Often we will talk to operators that have a cab with a pressuriser on it but they want to know why dust is still getting into the cab.

“It is usually because the cab does not have HEPA filters – they instead have engine grade filters that take out a lot of the dirt but not the small stuff that still goes straight through.

“So we educate them about the low micron dust that is getting through, as well as the benefits of having HEPA filters installed on their equipment to limit this.”

Breathe-safe’s systems have become respected in the Australian mining industry for their simplicity, and low installation and maintenance costs.

Johnstone said all of the research and development of Breathe-safe’s BREATHE-SAFE’S SOLUTION ENSURE SAFETY IN TRUCK CABINS

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systems took place in Australia, enabling the company to provide these benefits for mining companies.

“Essentially, these systems have been designed for simplicity so once we install it the companies and operators don’t have to do anything.

The operator just gets into the machine and the system works for them,” Johnstone said.

“The other side of the equation is cost – we are by far the cheapest on the market because we have designed, built, tooled, manufactured and installed the systems ourselves.

There is not one middle man in the whole process.”

Breathe-safe has also added remote monitoring to the company’s products to expand on the service and education it can provide mining companies with regular updates on the data generated by the systems. AM

COMMUNITY

A HISTORICAL DIG ARCHITECTURE FIRM COX HAS UNVEILED PLANS FOR A $100 MILLION MUSEUM OF MINING IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA TO BE BUILT IN TIME FOR THE STATE’S 2029 BICENTENARY. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

A MOCK-UP OF THE PROPOSED MUSEUM.

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estern Australia has a rich mining heritage, but it’s something you won’t see much of throughout the city proper. Architect Steve Woodland wants to change that with the Museum of Mining Western Australia (MoMWA). An award winner and designer of state projects such as the Albany Entertainment Centre and WA Maritime Museum, as well as international ventures such as Ascott Park Place in Dubai and the in-development Oman Across Ages Museum, Woodland has proposed a museum that encompasses a celebratory vision of Perth’s mining heritage.

“Mining is in many ways a central part of who we are, and yet our visitors see very little evidence of it in our

city,” said Woodland. “The next decade will be a critical period in the shaping of our city and our global profile.”

Woodland hopes to use either the disused East Perth power station or a point between the new Perth Stadium and casino (the Burswood Peninsula) as a location on which to build the museum. He believes that mining is indicative of human endeavour and invention, with mining’s unbridled technological advance an apt evolutionary analogy.

“Mining touches the lives of many Western Australians across a myriad of levels and these connections should be told and celebrated.”

The museum is expected to include a real pit, high-tech simulators and several other unique facets, such as an augmented reality (AR) gallery providing a fusion of learning and AUSTRALIANMINING

entertainment, in order to make it stand out and — hopefully — attract both interstate and international attention “Immersive technologies can transport the visitor into the mining arena,” explained Woodland. “Witness the sounds and shocks of a mining explosion, ride a subterranean train into the depths of the earth, be submersed below an oil rig rich in marine life, [or] drive a giant haulpak truck by remote control [...] as an educational facility, this could be a centre of knowledge and understanding for our children.”

Cox Architecture also hopes that the MoMWA will drive tourism for the state (citing cultural destinations as a driver for tourism), provide employment opportunities, and export cultural knowledge of local indigenous history.

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“These extraordinary narratives would permeate the MoMWA, helping underpin the breadth of our history in this landscape,” said Woodland.

The WA Government has recently announced its approval for development at the old East Perth power station, as long as the project would be funded by the mining industry. Acting premier Roger Cook stated that the idea had merit. The proposal has also seen support from Fortescue Metals Group managing director Nev Power.

“WA is one of the world’s leading mining economies with significant international interest in our technology and expertise,” he said. “This is an initiative that would need to be financed by the mining industry. If the industry can come together, the state will work with the proponents to assist in locating a suitable site.” AM

THE MINING INDUSTRY HAS MOVED TO A NEW PHASE FOLLOWING THE MINING BOOM, ONE WHERE PRODUCTIVITY, INNOVATION AND SAFETY HAVE EMERGED AS ITS KEY PRIORITIES

GOLD OUTLOOK MINING MACHINERY VOLUME 109/11 DECEMBER 2017

FUTURE OF MINING

BREAKING NEW GROUND LIEBHERR TARGETS A BROADER MARKE T

Established in 1908, Australian Mining continues to lead and inform the Australian mining industry of the latest innovations in mining technology and equipment.

Australian Mining’s promotional features provide organisations with a forum to showcase the role each mining sector plays in helping the industry achieve its modern-day targets.

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TO BOOK IN AUSTRALIAN MINING CONTACT JONATHAN DUCKETT NOW JONATHAN.DUCKETT@PRIMECREATIVE.COM.AU | 0498 091 027

MAINTENANCE

HOW TO PREVENT THE EQUIPMENT BREAKDOWNS THAT DRIVE LOSSES FM GLOBAL DISCUSSES THE IMPACT OF EQUIPMENT BREAKDOWNS AND THE PRECAUTIONS MINING OPERATORS CAN TAKE TO DEFEND AGAINST DOWNTIME. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

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lectrical and mechanical breakdowns – particularly $100 million draglines and other pieces of high-value, specialist equipment – can expose mine operators to shutdowns lasting weeks or months. In fact, mining is one of the industries most exposed to equipment failure losses.

This is backed up by FM Global data spanning the last 20 years. During this period, more than one-quarter (27 per cent) of mining industry losses incurred

by FM Global – equating to more than $US1 billion – relates to mechanical breakdowns. Electrical breakdowns account for a further 19 per cent.

Combined, this equates to losses of more than $US470 million.

A range of ‘equipment factors’ typically drove the frequency of these losses. These include maintenance, operating conditions, environment, operators and history. Inadequate maintenance, harsh environments and poor operator training are all red flags.

When more than three of these negatives are involved, the propensity for loss increases tenfold and the severity spikes by a factor of five.

Factors that mitigate the severity of losses include safety devices and contingency planning.

Single point of failure

Losses are exacerbated by the fact that critical single-line pieces of equipment often take a long time to replace. For example, it can take weeks or even months to get a new ball mill motor when there’s high demand within the mining sector.

Notable losses have also been incurred due to equipment failure on semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mills.

The wraparound motors effectively treat the mill as a rotor so inadequate clearances between various components can cause electrical motors to fail.

Not being able to use a $50 million mill to grind ore is typically catastrophic for production. Given the cost of these mills, it’s fair to assume there won’t be a spare one lying around. If a mine operator doesn’t undertake ongoing condition monitoring and vibration analysis of this equipment – preferably with non-penetrative testing scheduled

once a year – they elevate the risk of a breakdown.

The impact of breakdowns is typically more severe during periods of lower demand and tighter profit margins. While coal and iron ore prices have recovered, and gold mining is stable, tolerance for interruptions is still generally lower than during the mining boom.

Knowing your risk profile

So how can mine operators predict and protect themselves against high-risk exposures during these times of capital restraint? Especially when investment in preventative maintenance or new equipment is more difficult to justify.

By undertaking detailed risk assessments, mine operators can protect their business against costly electrical and mechanical breakdowns that could cause substantial delays or even cripple a project.

FM Global helps mine operators around the world understand where losses are most likely to occur and to prevent them happening. Its Canadian operations insure mining operations carried out by Brazilian mining giant, Vale.

Here in Australia, FM Global’s clients include leading players like Fortescue Metals Group and MMG. The company also insures single-location operations such as the Northparkes mine in central western New South Wales.

The company’s engineers – who work with clients to deliver these risk assessments – are among the highest qualified in the industry. Once they join FM Global as qualified engineers, they gain about four years’ experience before being introduced to mining.

They must then undertake up to five years training with highly experienced coordinators before being accredited as industry specialists.

Each engineer takes a holistic view to assessing risk, ranging from the potential for a fire in an accommodation block for fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers to the likelihood of a release from a tailings dam.

appropriately. For example, the company knows that two per cent of locations drive about one-quarter of large losses, which we classify as anything more than $3 million. That’s a 13-16x uplift relative to statistical probability.

There are inherent factors at a location that predispose it to loss.

For example, at the large Antamena poly-metallic ore mine in Peru, the business interruption value runs into the millions of dollars per day.

So, it doesn’t take long for an outage to start chewing through profits. Other locations might be predisposed to losses because there’s a high-risk of flooding or earthquakes.

FM Global’s engineers work with mine operators to identify priority areas of risk management based on the previously mentioned equipment factors.

Once they identify the factors that drive the frequency and severity of losses, and the locations predisposed to large losses, they can make recommendations to the chief financial officer or risk manager. There’s great value in knowing where to minimise

The power of predictive analytics

FM GLOBAL’S ENGINEERS HELP ENSURE OPERATIONS RUN SMOOTHLY

FM Global applies predictive analytics to help clients prioritise investments AUSTRALIANMINING

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risk exposure because it helps deliver the highest return on investment.

Of course, these assessments extend well beyond electrical and mechanical breakdowns. Fires, floods, explosions and collapses are also major concerns for mine operators.

For example, at a time when a client was experiencing capital constraint – which meant the business couldn’t afford an interruption – one of FM Global’s engineers identified an excessive dependence on a single computer room.

This computer room was effectively housed in a large, flammable polystyrene box. A fire here would have had a seriously negative impact on the business. By identifying and prioritising the issue, the risk was mitigated.

Predictive analytics, combined with the critical eye of experienced engineers, is the key to mitigating the risk presented by equipment hazards.

FM Global has the experience and the technical capabilities to help mine operators predict losses and take the measures necessary to prevent them. AM

MAINTENANCE

CRC’S TIPS FOR REPAIRING WATERDAMAGED EQUIPMENT THIS SUMMER WITH OVER 50 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN CHEMICAL MAINTENANCE, CRC INDUSTRIES CAN BE RELIED ON FOR SAFETY AS STORM SEASON APPROACHES.

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he onset of the Australian summer brings with it the inevitable warnings for mining, petroleum, gas and quarrying operations to be prepared for potentially destructive storms and cyclones.

Damaging winds, intense thunderstorms, heavy rain, hail and flash flooding cannot only disrupt mine operations but pose serious risks to workers’ safety, mining infrastructure and fleet and plant equipment.

Mine operators are being urged to follow the guidelines of their relevant state government departments with regards to optimising safety during the storm season, which generally involves conducting a thorough risk assessment, ensuring warning evacuations systems work, ensuring structures are sound and that an emergency response and rescue system is in place.

CRC Industries — a leading supplier of ISO-accredited lubricants, aerosols, anti-corrosion and chemical maintenance to the mining sector for more than 50 years — warns that hazards may still remain once a storm or severe weather event has passed.

“Water-damaged equipment is just one of the potential risks in the aftermath of a major rain event, causing significant down time and posing a potential safety risk,” said Shona Fitzgerald, the managing director of CRC Australia.

“CRC has been servicing the mining sector for decades, offering a suite of specialty products, services and advice to assist in the restoration of water damaged equipment, and eliminating the need for costly replacement and repairs,’’ she said.

CRC in the USA has issued a howto guide for salvaging water-damaged equipment in the wake of recent major hurricanes, which can be equally applied in Australia.

The six-step process involves cleaning the equipment, applying cleaner or degreaser, applying a moisture displacing lubricant, measuring resistance, applying

a precision cleaner and ensuring minimum resistance levels are obtained before energising motors and pumps.

CRC recommends the following steps with regards to removing dirt, mud, oil sludge and other contaminants deposited by water: 1. R emove end bells from electric motors and pumps.

2. Remove covers from switchgears and control panels.

3. F lush or spray equipment with generous amounts of clean water and a water-based cleaner to remove contaminants.

4. Stand motors and pumps on end and allow to drain.

To remove oil, grease and sludge not removed by water flushing, equipment can be dipped in a CRC heavy-duty degreaser or sprayed

CRC’S 2.26 WORKS WELL AGAINST CORROSION

AUSTRALIANMINING

CRC HAS BEEN SERVICING THE MINING SECTOR FOR DECADES, OFFERING A SUITE OF SPECIALTY PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND ADVICE TO ASSIST IN THE RESTORATION OF WATER DAMAGED EQUIPMENT.” thoroughly. A good option is CRC Lectra Clean — a trusted electric motor and equipment cleaner and degreaser. The TCE free product effectively removes grease, oil, wax dirt and other contaminants from motors, parts and other electrical and mechanical equipment.

The next step is to apply a moisture displacing lubricant such as CRC 2-26 multi-purpose lubricant and corrosion inhibitor, and to continue spraying until the run off is clean and clear.

CO CONTACT CLEANER IS A HIGH-PURITY SOLVENT THAT EVAPORATES RAPIDLY

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Once the equipment has properly drained, it is important to take Megger readings to measure insulation resistance, and if readings are not up to minimum resistance levels, applications should be repeated.

When minimum resistance levels are reached, it is time to spray lowvoltage contacts with a precision cleaner such as CRC CO Contact Cleaner - a high purity, nonstaining, cleaning solvent with rapid evaporation.

After following these steps it is vital that machinery is not energised until minimum resistance levels are obtained.

When Megger readings indicate minimum resistance levels have been reached, motors and pumps can be energised under no-load conditions.

“Allow to run for a period of time to continue drying under normal conditions. When readings return to normal, motors can be used in a normal loaded manner,’’ Fitzgerald said.

Not only do summer storms and cyclones cause extensive damage to electrical and electronic equipment, but their aftermath can be devastating, requiring a massive clean-up effort.

CRC understands that maximum performance from motors, pumps, machinery, plant equipment and power tools is a must.

The company offers a huge range of additional specialty products to keep mine operations performing at their peak under Australia’s harsh summer conditions such as a wide array of greases, products for general purpose cleaning, degreasing and disinfecting, heavy duty lubricants and penetrants, Smart Washers and more. AM

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

LIEBHERR DETAILS THE T 236 MINING TRUCK LIEBHERR HAS RELEASED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE T 236 MINING TRUCK, ITS ENTRY INTO THE 100-TONNE CLASS. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

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iebherr’s new T 236 mining truck demonstrates the company’s continued innovation in design, paired with the evolution of its own high quality components and technology.

This new rigid-frame dump truck with a diesel electric drive system is Liebherr’s entry into the 100-tonne class and is the first in this class with a four-corner, oil immersed braking system.

Liebherr’s T 236 has completed its testing phase and has recently started its first field operation trials at the Erzberg iron mine in Austria.

T 236 takes advantage of Liebherr’s electric drive system innovations with the introduction of the vertically integrated Litronic Plus Generation 2 AC drive system.

This innovative machine provides the industry with a new benchmark in the 100-tonne class for off highway mining trucks: focusing on top performance, maximum uptime and lowest possible operating costs.

All components on the truck are designed and built to perform and last in the most extreme mining conditions. As a result, Liebherr trucks run much longer between component overhauls, saving time and money.

Servicing and safety

To ensure the safety of maintenance technicians and bystanders, the T 236 is equipped with double pole battery, starter motor and hoist system isolators as standard.

In addition, the Liebherr truck provides an innovative drive system inhibit, electrically interlocked to grounding devices for each plug and drive power module. Operating on a voltage level of 690 VAC and 900 VDC enables regular site technicians to carry out system maintenance.

An industry first, Liebherr’s Litronic Plus Isolation system ensures the safety of maintenance personnel through the elimination of hazards by design.

The revolutionary in-line electrical power train layout minimises cable length, while the maintenance free

INSIDE THE CAB OF THE T 236

IP 68-rated plug-and-drive power modules ensure reliable operation in all weather situations.

Combined with the extended life service intervals and minimised maintenance time offered by the ground-level service points, the T 236 ensures maximum uptime.

Liebherr is committed to designing mining trucks that operators want to drive. The ergonomic T 236 cab and the superior properties of the front wheel suspension system fulfils this commitment and promotes driver efficiency with superior comfort, safety, acceleration and handling for increased performance.

Fuel efficiency

The next evolution in electric drive system design, Liebherr’s Litronic Plus Generation 2 drive system introduces AUSTRALIANMINING

advanced Active Front End technology.

Making efficient use of electrical energy during retarding events, the drive system is able to deliver controlled engine speed with almost no fuel consumption.

Vertical integration of Liebherr designed and manufactured components ensures the T 236 powertrain components achieve optimal system efficiency and performance throughout the full range of applications.

The T 236’s innovative variable hydraulic system lowers machine parasitics to provide maximum power, while lowering fuel consumption when power is not required.

Performance

With its high take off torque and continuous power to ground

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capability, the T 236 is less sensitive to grade and payload variations, providing mining customers with class-leading productivity.

The T 236 is the first diesel electric truck in class to incorporate an oil immersed braking system with four corner retarding capabilities, providing reliable braking technology.

These integrated technologies provide maximum performance, even in the toughest operation conditions: translating directly into a cost per tonne advantage.

Designed to carry up to a 100-metric payload, when paired with the R 9100, R 9150, R 9200, or R 9250 mining excavators, the T 236 provides the most complete high performance and scalable truck-shovel match, delivering the right combination for production requirements. AM

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

CAT TO LAUNCH DUAL FUEL RETROFIT KIT FOR 785C TRUCK

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aterpillar will offer its gas blending retrofit kit for the 785C mining truck in 2018.

The OEM’s Dynamic Gas Blending (DGB) technology allows engines to run on both diesel and liquefied natural gas (LNG), offering lower fuel costs while maintaining diesel power and transient performance.

It is the first DGB system Caterpillar has offered for mining machines and will be available for purchase in January 2018 from the global Cat network.

Steve Igoe, Caterpillar’s gas engine business commercial manager, said the company had recently completed validation of the retrofit kit on the 785C mining truck with excellent results.

“The kit will allow customers to reduce fuel costs significantly by using LNG. Natural gas and LNG offer both economic and environmental benefits to the mining industry,” Igoe said.

Caterpillar also plans to offer additional DGB systems in the future.

Igoe said the retrofit kit was built on proven Cat DGB technology and has been used in the oil and gas industry since 2013.

“The retrofit kit offers a peak substitution of up to 85 per cent of diesel with natural gas and gets the same performance, reliability and payload as a diesel truck,” said Igoe.

“This will allow our customers to realise a 20 to 40 per cent savings on fuel costs, which can represent millions of dollars each year for a large mine.” AM

CATERPILLAR’S 785C MINING TRUCK

KOMATSU INITIATIVE HELPS PUSH DOWN SERVICE COSTS

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omatsu Australia has implemented a ‘fix it first time’ concept over the past year.

The equipment manufacturer believes the approach ensures that machine issues are identified, addressed and resolved in the shortest possible time, and on the first visit – minimising downtime and keeping repair and service costs to a minimum.

Komatsu Australia general manager Todd Connolly said the fix it first time service focused on getting customers’ machine issues resolved in the least possible time, and on the first visit, so that downtime was minimised.

“This is another element of Komatsu Australia’s holistic approach to machine monitoring, troubleshooting and servicing,” Connolly said.

“Our ICT (information communications technology) systems – which include Komtrax and condition monitoring services – help to ensure that the issues arising

on a machine are fully understood and diagnosed, prior to a Komatsu technician attending the customer’s job site.”

Connolly said this preparation, in combination with Komatsu’s in-house technicians, meant that a technician with the right skills, the right parts and the right tools was dispatched to get each customer’s machine back to work quickly.

“By reviewing the latest machine ICT information before heading out to service the machine, our technicians can understand how the machine has been operating in previous days and weeks, including any abnormalities which have occurred,” Connolly said.

“This understanding allows for diagnosis and troubleshooting to begin before leaving the branch, creating the shortest-possible path to get a machine working again. This means that we are far more likely to fix the machine on the first visit.”

Connolly said Komatsu’s competitors in the service space couldn’t match this approach because they do not have access to the same AUSTRALIANMINING

skill set of reliability engineers or its advanced ICT systems.

“Our approach is that every hour a machine is not working, it is not earning money for our customer,”

KOMATSU IS COMMITTED TO LOWERING SERVICE COSTS

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said Connolly. “Through the fix It first time process, we can minimise machine downtime, ultimately improving the productivity of each Komatsu machine.” AM

PRODUCTS

PITRAM 4.9 UPDATE RELEASED BY MICROMINE Mining software solutions provider MICROMINE has released the latest update to its Pitram fleet management and mine control system, update 4.9.

Pitram is a system that records and processes data related to various facets of mining, including equipment and workforce information, then uses it to provide an overview of the mine’s real-time status.

The service pack increases functionality and fixes a number of issues, offering improved task efficiency, data capture and management.

Enhancements include updates to the Pitram shift planner and signcontrolled areas, two new and two updated routes for Pitram REST Integration Services (PRIS), and the addition of fact location status and fact location measures to the OLAP Cube.

“4.9 will enable improved control over an operation, through enhancements across functionality, with specific focus on increasing task efficiencies.” said Pitram technical product manager Julian Lim. The update also offers added functionality to its event editor and Pitram mobile platforms. MICROMINE has addressed user feedback, particularly with regards to the software’s reporting capabilities, servers, Pitram Portal and Pitram Mobile.

A MICROMINE DATA VISUALISATION OF DRILLHOLE SOLID TRACES

• MICROMINE (08) 9423 9000

RCT’S CONTROLMASTER REMOTE ELEVATES SAFETY FOR PLATFORM WORKERS

VIPAC PANEL PCS FROM APLEX Aplex Technology’s new ViPAC 800 and 900 series aptly meet different demands for different tasks. They are available in 15- to 21.5-inch panel PCs and are powered by Intel 6th- and 7th-gen (i3/i5/i7), iCore and Celeron processors. Both the 800 and 900 series are characterised by an aluminium or stainless steel front bezel and are available in either 16:9 widescreen or traditional 4:3 aspect ratios with a Full HD 1920x1080 resolution.

The ViPAC series comes with an IP66 full metal chassis and can be equipped with optional USB and RFID functions at the front panel for easy access with an extra option of two speakers at the side. They also include capacitive and resistive touchscreens, plus anti-reflection glass and a panel mount design.

The ViPAC series encompasses diverse options: it supports sunlight readable solutions with auto-dimming to quickly adjust the brightness, as well as the OPS modular concept brings an easy-to-deploy solution. The OPS modular design mainly enhances the efficiency for maintenance, upgrade, and saves time and money to boot.

The new remote control solution MTX1000 from smart tech company RCT, the latest in its line of ControlMaster remotes, puts height control in the hands of elevated platform operators, increasing safety and cutting down on risk factors. Normally, elevated platforms are operated by a person at the base as well as the person in the basket, requiring significant levels of coordination.

The remote control includes a graphical display, joysticks and a 16-hour battery life. Safety is further increased by the inclusion of master controls in the station cabin, as well as a dead-man switch on the MTX1000, in case something should go wrong. It also weighs less than 1.5 kilograms.

ControlMaster control systems represent one of RCT’s leading product ranges, alongside EarthTrack information systems, Muirhead mining maintenance sensors, AusProTec specialised electrical equipment and SmarTrack monitoring systems.

• RCT rct-global.com

• Aplex Technology aplextec.com +886 2 8226 2881 (Shanghai)

THE MTX 1000 PUTS CONTROL IN THE HANDS OF PLATFORM OPERATORS THE MTX 1000 IS LIGHTWEIGHT AND EASILY PORTABLE

AUSTRALIANMINING

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VIPAC 800 AND 900 SERIES SCREENS OFFERS FULL HD IN 16:9 OR 4:3

PRODUCTS

SHG’S KNUFFI INFINITE SAFETY BUMPER GUARDS CUSHION THE BLOW OF WORK KNUFFI WALL PROTECTION COMES IN A VARIETY OF SHAPES AND COLOURS

Safety is key for any operation, and even minor bumps can lead to injuries, lost time and costs. German company SHG, a market leading company with over 40 years of experience, created its Knuffi range of protective bumper guards to guarantee this doesn’t happen.

Its wide range of protective paddings include wall, edge and corner fittings, as well as surface and piping protection. A range of bright colours and striped markings bring attention to dangerous spots, and padding and can be easily adhered to surfaces – magnetic variants are also available.

Available colours include yellow and black, red and white, black and white, and long afterglow (phosphorescent) and daylight fluorescent hatching. Sizes are available in one, five or 50 metre lengths and can be trimmed to fit.

SHG Knuffi’s recyclable polyurethane bumper guards are quality assured to protect from heavy impact. Colours and stripes are painted on the inside of the film to prevent against wear.

• SHG Knuffi +49 (0) 2243 917 410

PHOENIX CONTACT PUSHES PUSH-IN TERMINAL BLOCK TECH WITH THE PTTB 2.5-ILA 100

JAR SETTING HIGH HEIGHTS FOR ITS MULTIROTOR UAS JAR Aerospace is a young start-up, accredited for flight by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), that has big plans. The New South Wales-based company hopes to make a dent in the competitive yet nascent unmanned aerial systems (UAS) field with its multirotor system.

Offering 45 minutes of free flight, or unlimited flight using a 150-metre, Kevlar-reinforced tether, this 4K-capable drone is adaptable to end user needs. JAR is currently seeking partnerships across several sectors, having already seen successful testing in medical and defence industries, including the realms of supply transportation and surveillance, respectively.

4k-resolution live feeds are a key selling point, offering crystal clear images that supersede the current 1080p standard, and there are several redundancies in place to circumvent connection issues.

“We want to not only grow the unmanned space but the Australian aerospace industry in general,” JAR chief operating officer and recent Sydney graduate Lochie Burke told Australian Mining. “It’s an exciting time.”

Electrical engineering manufacturer Phoenix Contact’s new terminal block, the PTTB 2.5-ILA 100, is a space-efficient design that offers pushin connection technology. Technicians line up wires with marked terminal points and conductors can be inserted easily without tools. The terminal block allows currents of up to 100 milliamps with a diode voltage of 2.4 volts and a cross-section up to four square millimetres.

The PTTB 2.5-ILA 100 is resistant to vibration and shock; Zener diodes (allowing reverse direction flow) and LEDs are also included to provide a visualisation of current operating state.

Phoenix Contact is a market leader in industrial connectors and automation. Its products are often used for installations such as control cabinets, I/O wiring and electronics housing. The PTTB 2.5-ILA 100 also allows users to detect line breaks; voltages from the company’s push-in connection technology have been utilised in a broad range of products.

• Phoenix Contact phoenixcontact.com 1300 786 411

• JAR Aerospace jar-aeronautics.com.au JAR IS PROMISING A LOT FROM ITS MULTIROTOR UAS SOLUTION

AUSTRALIANMINING

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EVENTS

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

MINING INVESTMENT WEST AFRICA, ACCRA, GHANA, JANUARY 25–26 Following on from earlier Mining Investment events in London (November 26-27) and Toronto (December 7-8), this strategic conference will bring together 300 attendees from over 20 countries.

The event will include conferences on mining technology and women in mining, as well as the future of the West African mining industry in general.

Speakers are drawn from a wide pool of top international experts. The next Mining Investment meeting after Ghana will be the Mining Investment South America conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which takes place from February 15-16.

• Mining Investment West Africa +65 (0) 6717 6016 enquiry@spire-events.com GEOSTATISTICAL MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATION AND MEETING THE NEW REGULATOR ENVIRONMENT: STEPBY-STEP FROM SAMPLING TO GRADE CONTROL, MONTREAL, CANADA FEBRUARY 7–9 An event for mining industry experts such as mine geologists, exploration specialists, resource analysts and mining engineers to convene for a discussion on geostatistical techniques and the study of sampling errors.

Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, Canadian research chair in sustainable mineral resource development and optimisation under uncertainty and director of the COSMO Laboratory at McGill University in Montreal will be the instructor.

• Geostatistical Mineral Resource Estimation and Meeting the New Regulator Environment: Step-by-step from sampling to grade control admcrc.mining@mcgill.ca SME 2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXPO AND 91st ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SME-MN SECTION, MINNEAPOLIS, USA FEBRUARY 25–28 This wordily titled event will see 6000 industry pros gather to attend 120

technical sessions, along with keynote sessions and short courses, as well as survey the latest tech from over 700 exhibiting companies, with a particular focus on innovation in the mining industry. It will offer numerous networking prospects and social activities involving industry thought leaders, with the assurance of ROI for business-focused attendees. Atlas Copco acts as overall sponsor of the 2018 event • SME 2018 Annual Conference & Expo and 91st Annual Meeting of the SME-MN Section cs@smenet.org +1 303 948 4200 OCEANAGOLD SMART MINING NETWORKING EVENT, MELBOURNE FEBRUARY 21 Chris Cawood, chief information officer of OceanaGold and former BHP employee, is due to attend the next Smart Mining Networking Event in Melbourne in this upcoming AustMine event. Cawood will discuss several facets of his company’s work, including innovation strategy, implementation of new technologies AUSTRALIANMINING

and overall tech strategy.

• OceanaGold Smart Mining Networking Event austmine.com.au/events 02 9357 4660 COAL 2018, WOLLONGONG, NSW FEBRUARY 6–9 The 2018 Coal Operators’ Conference, supported by AusIMM and the Mine Managers Association of Australia (MMAA), will take place at the University of Wollongong in early February. Proceedings will kick off with a pre-conference workshop on February 6 dedicated to the monitoring and control of respirable coal dust in the Australian coal industry.

The conference, which has taken place at the university since 1998, will then being on February 7—attendees will discuss issues related to modern surface and underground coal mining operations, and industry experts will share their thoughts on any and all issues pertaining to Australian coal mining.

• Coal Operators’ Conference & Workshop coaloperatorsconference.net.au

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INFACON XV: INTERNATIONAL FERROALLOYS CONGRESS, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA FEBRUARY 25–28 The 15th International Ferro-Alloys Congress in Cape Town (INFACON XV) is designed to prompt discussion of all aspects of ferro-alloy production.

INFACON was set up in Johannesburg in 1974 by domestic association, the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), as well as partners Mintek and the Ferro-Alloys Producers’ Association (FAPA). It is designed for policy makers, metallurgists, process engineers, academics and a host of other industry experts.

The event will cover a range of topics, from sustainability, carbon taxation and other environmental issues, to safety, electricity costs, tailings, natural gas and new technologies in the South African ferro-alloy industry.

South Africa is one of the world’s leading ferro-alloy producers along with Russia and China, as well as the world’s largest producer of several metals, including vanadium, chrome and manganese.

• Infacon XV: International FerroAlloys Congress saimm.co.za

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