RESPEC Mining & Energy Quarterly Newsletter: June 2021

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RESPEC Mining & Energy Quarterly Newsletter June 2021

tools of the trade: instrumentation edition

Table of contents A MESSAGE FROM RESPEC

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NEWSROOM

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» Instrumentation To Fit Your Needs

» Ground Control Management Plan Considerations

» Gathering Data at Mine Sites Using Drones

» Slope Stability Monitoring

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GROWTH AND PEOPLE » Continuing Growth in the Canadian Division

» CIM Spotlights Debra Shewfelt

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PARTNERSHIPS » Innovating With the Newest Instrumentation

PRESENTATIONS

» Mine Mapping Made Simple

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» RESPEC Mining & Energy Webinar Series

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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June 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter

A message from RESPEC

The tools and technologies that miners use ensure safe, efficient, and connected work environments. RESPEC recognizes that instrumentation and software are mission-critical in every stage of the mine life cycle, and to help miners achieve their goals, we manufacture novel and specialty instrumentation, develop specialty software, and are partnered with state-of-the-art equipment and software providers. From using GeoSequel™ and LabSequel™ to manage drill core sample data to monitoring for environmental impacts, we have you covered. And if you don’t see the tool or technology you are looking for in the list below, ask us about it! We’ve installed hundreds of custom instrumentation systems for surface and underground mining applications and can help guide you to the best solutions for your challenges.

Ben Haugen

Remote Geotechnics Lead

RESPEC instrumentation in every stage of the mine life cycle exploration

finding and defining deposits » Wireline Logging/Televiewer » Carlson Void Scanner+ » Carlson C-ALS » GeoSequel » LabSequel » Drones

Closure & Reclamation Restoring and maintaining » Environmental Monitoring » Carlson Void Scanner+ » Carlson C-ALS

MINE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND BUILDING

» Closure Poles » Extensometers » Carlson Quarryman PRO » ShotTrack VOD305 » ShotTrack ViB » Drones

OPERATIONS

EXTRACTING AND OPTIMIZING » Closure Poles » Extensometers » Carlson Boretrak2 » Carlson FiX1 » Carlson Quarryman PRO

» ShotTrack VOD305 » ShotTrack ViB » Video Gauge » Drones

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June 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter

Newsroom instrumentation to fit your needs Support Throughout the Full Mine Life Cycle

gathering data at mine sites using drones Remote Access For Hard-To-Reach Locations

Ground Control Management plan considerations Multi-Faceted Success Criteria

slope stability monitoring

Protecting a Historic Home From a Nearby Sinkhole

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June 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter

instrumentation to fit your needs Support Throughout the Full Mine Life Cycle

Spanning a broad diversity of geoscience technologies and industry applications, RESPEC’s monitoring and instrumentation solutions are tailored to address specific client needs. Our team uses a variety of instruments throughout all phases of a mine’s lifecycle. We develop and build high-quality, customizable instrumentation and employ the latest in data-collection, communication, and delivery technologies that provides the most accurate and actionable information possible for our clients. From logging exploratory areas and mapping developments to optimizing blasting and tracking day-today occurrences, RESPEC works alongside our clients every step of the way.

RESPEC is partnered with Carlson Software (Carlson) to provide training on its Laser Measurement Devices (LMD) product line as well as testing and selling

LMD equipment. By using Carlson’s reliable world-class systems and sensors, we can deliver high-performance, precision mapping under difficult conditions where speed, accuracy, and safety matter. RESPEC’s team also uses Carlson Mine hardware products to meet extreme challenges for mapping, surveying, positioning, and measuring for surface and underground environments.

Our experts are highly trained to measure video displacements and interpret the measured behavior. We are Imetrum’s Video GaugeTM retail supplier, as well as training and servicing partner, and will team with clients on rental equipment and support services. For every phase of the project lifecycle, RESPEC helps you get the data you need, when you need it.

For detailed information, please contact RESPEC’s Tyler Artz, Instrumentation Specialist, Tyler.Artz@respec.com

From the heights in Colombia, South America to the depths of the United States, our experts deliver technology and data that provides the most accurate and actionable information possible.

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June 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter

gathering data at mine sites using drones Remote Access For Hard-To-Reach Locations With our recently added Infrastructure business unit, RESPEC is well-equipped for tackling the challenges of surface-level, drone-delivered, remote-sensing projects for our mining clients.

Our surveyor drone pilots use a diverse suite of drone types, such as traditional rotor and fixed wing versions as well as the recently acquired vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) hybrid fixed wing models—all of these drones are used to efficiently deliver results. Data-gathering capabilities vary from volumetric calculations to orthomosaics, three-dimensional modeling, and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) scanning.

RESPEC’s specialized used of drones are beneficial in the following services areas: » » » » »

Survey and mapping Volumetrics and stockpile analyses Inspections Planning and design Construction and site monitoring.

The benefits of using drones to gather data at mining locations are varied, but most importantly, drones improve safety by allowing surveyors to remotely gather information without impeding workflow at hard-to-reach locations. Without this technology, data gathering would be nearly impossible to quantify.

RESPEC’s drone pilots are certified by the Mine Safety and Health Administration and can quickly mobilize to remote sites.

We are eager to hear from our mining and energy clients on how these new capabilities can benefit the industry.

For detailed information, please contact RESPEC’s Craig Ranson, Principal Surveyor, Director of Land Development Services, Craig.Ranson@respec.com

Dry Stack Drone Survey—Pogo Mine, Alaska The goal of this project was to provide accurate, survey-grade data to determine the material volumes at the dry stack tailings facility at the Pogo Mine south of Fairbanks, Alaska. RESPEC surveyors used a quad-copter drone that was controlled by surveyed photo-control targets and checked with independent Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements to capture photogrammetric data.

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June 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter

Ground Control Management plan considerations Multi-Faceted Success Criteria

When recommending and designing a groundcontrol management program for potash- and salt-mining operations, considering the operations experience and capabilities is critical. A good understanding of who will be implementing the plan, from the operators installing the ground control to the geotechnical staff creating the procedures and policies and the technicians installing and retrieving instrumentation data, is also important.

different horizon to keep clear of adverse ground conditions; rehabilitating the adverse ground; or, as the least disruptive option, installing ground support. When recommending ground control, determining the length for which the area will need to be safely accessible, as well as the overall impact that the ground control will have on production, is critical. With these considerations, the best recommendation can be made for the workers safety and mine operations.

Communication

Instrumentation

Good communication with the frontline operators who will be installing the ground control is imperative as these personnel will have knowledge on past and current ground-control issues that will aid in the design. If minor differences exist between ground-support systems, a ground-control plan should be designed that the mining operators are comfortable with installing. Including the operators in the design process will lead to a design that has consensus from the operations staff and will ultimately lead to a ground-control plan that is installed according to design.

Instrumentation is an important component in the ground-control plan for monitoring and predicting adverse ground conditions. A recommended monitoring program for ground control should be manageable for the mining operations team. One consideration is whether or not the mining operation has the resources to collect and analyze the data. If the resources are unavailable, support should be included for monitoring and analysis. The program should collect data on normal background areas as well as predicted and active areas of concern.

With these areas monitored, adverse, anomalous ground conditions can be identified, and groundcontrol plans can be created for specific areas.

Predictions can be made regarding other areas of the mine that will likely have adverse ground conditions, and proactive recommendations can be given for specific ground control for these conditions. The instrumentation program will give the mining operations team predictive tools to determine the production rates that can be achieved, the mining rate that must be achieved to avoid installing ground support, and how close production can be to previously mined areas.

Decisions can also be made on whether or not

Implementation Ground-control management plans are typically developed to prevent and control the progression of adverse ground conditions that create unsafe work environments and restrict accessibility to certain areas of the mine. Adverse ground conditions are influenced by adjacent mining, overburden depth, geological anomalies, changes in the mineralogy of the orebody, and crystal sizes between beds. Mine operations can be impacted when these conditions are avoided by using methods such as not mining or mining a

Tension cracking and shearing in a underground potash mine with ground support.

a new mining pattern needs to be developed, if the changing mineralogy will affect the ground conditions, when additional ground control needs to be installed in an active area of concern, and when the adverse ground conditions will need to be rehabilitated. This data can be input into the numerical models for calibration.

RESPEC has tested, modeled, and observed salt and potash behavior from nearly every actively mined evaporite deposit in the world.

Our approach has successfully guided decisions regarding mine-design optimizations and provided a comprehensive assessment of the utility of existing workings and long-term stability as well as suitable resource management.

For detailed information, please contact RESPEC’s Nathan Morgan, Project Geologist Nathan.Morgan@respec.com

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June 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter

slope stability monitoring Protecting a Historic Home From a Nearby Sinkhole In 2013, a sinkhole appeared next to a historic home in southern Louisiana.

Over the next few months, the sinkhole grew to be 30.5 meters (100 feet) deep and 61 meters (200 feet) wide. RESPEC designed, fabricated, and installed a robust extensometer system in early 2014 to monitor the potentially unstable slope. RESPEC selected Campbell Scientific’s CR1000 datalogger as the backbone of the system.

The custom extensometer system continually monitors for ground movement between the historic home and the sinkhole edge. It also monitors precipitation, which may contribute to ground collapse. The CR1000 is mounted away from the sinkhole edge to reduce any chance of equipment loss should additional collapse occur. String extensometers are mounted near the CR1000 and extend more than 30.5 meters (100 feet) to the sinkhole edge using a 68-kilogram (150-pound) ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) line. This reduces the chance of sensor loss and allows for multiple anchor points between the CR1000 and the sinkhole edge.

The UHMWPE line is protected in telescoping polyvinyl chloride (PVC) buried a few inches below the soil surface. Sections of telescoping PVC are anchored to the ground, allowing ground movement to be measured at various locations away from the edge of the sinkhole.

The real-time instrumentation system uses an RV50 cellular gateway to facilitate two-way communication. Data is uploaded directly to RESPEC’s Eagle. io dashboard platform. The dashboard displays data charts and monitors data for sinkhole movement. If movement exceeds a predefined threshold, notifications are sent to both the client and RESPEC instrumentation engineers via email and text message.

The equipment was installed in southern Louisiana, a challenging environment due to extreme humidity, high temperatures, hurricane-force winds, heavy rainfall, and insects and critters prone to building many nests and chewing everything in their path. The system was installed in 2014 and remains functional today (in 2021), attesting to the ruggedness and longevity of Campbell Scientific equipment and RESPEC design.

Read more of our Campbell Scientific Case Studies here.

Top: View of sinkhole, 2015 Bottom: CR1000 datalogger after seven years of being in service

For detailed information, please contact RESPEC’s Eric Krantz, Project Engineer Eric.Krantz@respec.com or Nick Marnach, Project Engineer, Nicholas.Marnach@respec.com

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June 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter

Growth and People continuing growth in the canadian division Welcome Nathan Morgan

cim spotlights debra shewfelt RESPEC Canadian Co-President Receives Two Awards

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June 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter

continuing growth in the canadian division Welcome Nathan Morgan

RESPEC is pleased to welcome Nathan Morgan to our expanding Canadian division.

Nathan has more than 10 years of experience in exploration geology, mine geology, and evaporite rock mechanics. He will work closely with our rock-mechanics team to provide our clients with solutions to geotechnical challenges.

In his first 3 years out of school, Nathan worked in Northern Saskatchewan, Yukon, and Labrador, Canada, as well as in South Africa. Nathan contributed to rare-earth-element exploration, from large-scale sampling programs in Canada to bringing a 1950s South African monazite mine back into operation. He recently worked in the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, area and at the Esterhazy potash mines (Colonsay; Allan; and Esterhazy K1, K2, and K3 Mines) as an underground geologist specializing in rock mechanics and mine geology. Nathan has experience in data acquisition and analysis, exploration drilling and sampling programs, rock mechanics, rockmechanics monitoring and instrumentation , underground mapping, underground-mining operations, and material testing.

Nathan served on the Saskatchewan Mining Association (SMA) Geo-Tech Subcommittee for 7 years. While on the subcommittee, he went on multiple underground tours, visiting of all of the potash mines in Saskatchewan and assessing the geology and rock-mechanics challenges at the mines.

Nathan is eager to bring his underground experience to RESPEC and merge that experience with current and future RESPEC projects. He had the opportunity to work with RESPEC in his previous roles. Nathan states, “I am excited to work and learn from the talented group at RESPEC. I look forward to bringing my hands-on experience and delivering solutions to the client on a wide variety of underground and surface projects.”

Canadian co-president Tabetha Stirrett says, “We are looking forward to having Nathan as part of our Canadian team. It is now easier for our rockmechanics group to provide boots-on-the-ground services to our valued Saskatchewan and Canadian clients. Welcome to the team, Nathan!”

Please contact Nathan (Nathan.Morgan@respec.com) for your mine geology and rock-mechanics projects.

“We are looking forward to having Nathan as part of our Canadian team. It is now easier for our rock-mechanics group to provide boots-on-the-ground services to our valued Saskatchewan and Canadian clients.

Welcome to the team, Nathan!”

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cim spotlights debra shewfelt RESPEC Canadian Co-President Receives Two Awards

“These awards inspire me to continue to build on what industry partners and fellow volunteers have accomplished.”

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“Outreach and engagement opportunities add to my dayto-day enjoyment of working as a geologist and are a valued part of my personal and professional journey,” says Debra.

“These awards inspire me to continue to build on what industry partners and fellow volunteers have accomplished.”

» First Nations communities have trusted RESPEC to support their natural resource projects and turned to Debra to provide consultation, engagement, and technical support on projects.

RESPEC encourages all our employees to cultivate relationships between their industries and their communities, and we are proud to announce Debra’s accomplishments.

“I’m happy when I’m involved in efforts to create diverse teams and champion responsible resource development,” Debra says.

RESPEC defines ourselves by our PACT—our commitment to Passion, Accountability, Caring, and Teamwork. Our employees exemplify our PACT daily. In all our undertakings, we strive to incorporate diverse perspectives, empower and include underrepresented groups, and listen to feedback from clients, stakeholders, and residents.

Please contact Deb (Debra.Shewfelt@respec.com) for more

information about her recognition or the initiatives she has made for STEM and underrepresented groups.

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» Debra has launched Girls in the Classroom – Unearthing Career Opportunities in Mining. This K–12 educational outreach program introduces young women to career opportunities in the mining and mineral industry by linking classrooms with women working in those fields.

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As a leading society in Canada for professionals in the minerals, metals, materials, and energy industries, CIM emphasizes the value of work performed by its members. Debra dedicates herself to supporting the responsible development of natural resources, which makes her an excellent nominee and recipient. Her CIM Community Service Award spotlights her as one of the “unsung heroes” of the Canadian mining industry. Her CIM Diversity & Inclusion Award recognizes her contributions toward advancing diversity and inclusion.

Debra encourages underrepresented groups to elevate their voices in unconventional science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) environments:

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The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM) issues annual awards to nominated members. Debra Shewfelt, a copresident of RESPEC Consulting Inc., RESPEC’s Canadian subsidiary, received two awards in the Social Responsibility and Education category.

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June 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter

Partnerships Innovating With the Newest Instrumentation

RESPEC Partners With ShotTrack as the Exclusive North American Sales Partner

mine mapping made simple

5 Years of Partnering with Carlson Laser Measurement Devices

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Innovating With the Newest Instrumentation RESPEC Partners With ShotTrack as the Exclusive North American Sales Partner

In May 2021, RESPEC partnered with ShotTrack as the exclusive North American sales partner for ShotTrack instrumentation.

ShotTrack currently offers the VoD305 for Velocity of Detonation monitoring and the ViB accelerometer instrumentation for groundvibration monitoring.

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The new ShotTrack VoD305 is the next generation of velocity detonation monitors. This instrument operates by injecting a pulse into a coaxial cable and measuring the propagation of the pulse through the end of the cable and back; the older-style monitor operated by measuring with resistance in the cable. The VoD305 uses inexpensive consumables in everyday coaxial cable and does not require annual calibrations. Easy-to-use software enables data to be downloaded on site or in the office.

Five Tab The ViB accelerometer is a fully self-contained vibration monitor.

Mounting Holes Designed for comprehensive monitoring with accelerometers ranging from 2 g to 6,000 g, selectable sample rates up to 32,000 samples per second, GPS pulse-per-second embedded time stamps, and up to 1,000-meter remote wireless control and download, the ViB covers many Fully Self-Contained vibration-monitoring requirements and offers a solution for monitoring blasts at close proximities.

ShotTrack’s cutting-edge hardware and software tools augment the deep field of mining-focused monitoring instrumentation used by RESPEC during the last 50 years and serve to expand our product and service offerings.

For detailed information, please contact RESPEC’s Daykin Schnell, Explosives Manager, Daykin.Schnell@respec.com

Brian Lewis, Explosives Specialist, Brian.Lewis@respec.com

No Cables or Connectors

One Button Operation

Multi LED Status Indicator in ON/OFF Nominally 90 Picoseconds Resolution

View the brochure by clicking here

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mine mapping made simple 5 Years of Partnering with Carlson Laser Measurement Devices

Since 2017, RESPEC has been partnered with Carlson Software, Inc. (Carlson) to manage its laser measurement device (LMDs) sales and services in the United States. Carlson has developed a suite of tools designed for mine environments to scan inaccessible or unmapped voids, measure borehole deviation, and scan stockpiles and highwalls.

Carlson also has several software packages to assist in mine planning, blast optimization, and geological modeling. By combining these products with our years of experience in the mining industry, RESPEC has become a leading expert in assisting clients with projects across the life-of-mine cycle.

RESPEC uses Carlson’s C-ALS Gyro cavity scanner and Void Scanner+ tools to create three-dimensional point-cloud surveys of underground environments, such as excavated drifts or inaccessible voids, through various deployment techniques. We can audit borehole deviation within blast patterns with the Carlson Boretrak2 to determine drilling accuracy and assist with optimizing the drill-and-blast process. Highwalls and stockpiles can be scanned to map sites and measure volumes using the Quarryman Pro, Scan2K, or FiX1 tools. RESPEC can provide quotes to visit sites and offer our expertise. We can conduct the work associated with the projects or train company representatives to use the equipment.

RESPEC works with various mine sites, government regulatory agencies, and research groups to assist in mine-development needs. Our projects have included mapping abandoned workings, excavation development, and autonomous stockpile-volume calculations. RESPEC’s goal is to use our specialized knowledge to deliver accurate, customized solutions that meet our clients’ needs.

For detailed information, please contact RESPEC’s Tyler Artz, Instrumentation Specialist, Tyler.Artz@respec.com

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Presentations RESPEC’s latest Presentation slides

View All RESPEC Presentations on RESPEC.com

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RESPEC’s latest Presentation slides View All RESPEC Presentations on RESPEC.com

Accuracy of Temperature Logging for Calculating GAs Inventory

Stress Analysis of a Production Casing for a Cavern Developed Beneath an Existing Cavern Field

Presented by Sam Voegeli, Staff Consultant SMRI, Spring 2021 Sam.Voegeli@respec.com

Presented by Kevin Heiberger, Staff Consultant SMRI, Spring 2021 Kevin.Heiberger@respec.com

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Calendar of events As a result of continued uncertainty along with state, local, and health agency directives regarding COVID-19, in-person conference attendance is limited for RESPEC employees in 2021. We urge you to connect with us by email and telephone, our website, and our social media channels. We wish you all good health and safety and look forward to meeting you at these conferences when they are rescheduled.

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useR! Conference Virtual

July

July

Thank You

27—29

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SME International Conference on Ground Control in Mining

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Virtual

Virtual

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Kentucky PEM Seminar

12—15

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NAAMLP Annual Conference

13—15

Lake Tahoe, NV

Las Vegas, NV

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MinExpo International

Join us virtually or in-person to: » Connect (or reconnect) with our experts » Learn more about how our growth benefits clients like you » Read up on how RESPEC has responded to the evolving marketplace and demand » View our brochures, videos, and more.

21—24

SMRI Fall Conference Galveston, TX

Stay connected with RESPEC digitally through our social media accounts or contact Tabetha Stirrett Tabetha.Stirrett@respec.com

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