SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW APRIL 2020

2020 APRIL IN REVIEW

109/04

08

CRITICS CRY FOUL AT MINERS, TRUCKERS

for Using Coronavirus Crisis to Bend Rules

38 Coronavirus patient attended Toronto mining conference, prompting warning to 25,000 attendees

30

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Contents AMERICA Barminco wins a contract to provide mining services for Barrick’s Hemlo mine in Canada 6 Great Lakes Ports Work On Establishing Cargo Diversity 10 Sunrise Mine To Close Permanently 13 Minnesota SME leaders cancel the Annual mining conference 16 U.S. Coal mining industry the latest to seek awide-ranging coronavirus bailout 23 The cost of a mine shutdown, Why its rewarding to invest in quality process instrumentation 26

Outotec launches advanced in-situ carbon measurement system for minimizing gold losses in CIL circuits and CIP 29 Fortescue hopes for China virus recovery as steel backlog increases 36 China steel association warns of iron ore speculation risks amid market fluctuations 37 Cannington Mine Employee Tests Positive To Covid-19 41 PYBAR supports next generation of miners with scholarship program 46

Coronavirus patient attended Toronto mining conference, prompting warning to 25,000 attendees 38 Women In Burkinafaso Takes On More ‘Challenging’Roles

EQUIPMENT Rolls-Royce and ASI Mining sign MOU 20

GLOBAL 30

Critics Cry Foul at Miners, Truckers for Using Coronavirus Crisis to Bend Rules 8

Silver and Gold prices slide but miners stocks shine 12 Emerald award $366m contract to MACA 12 NSW parliamentary inquiry finds new mining laws should not proceed 14 Sirius Minerals sets world record by launching vertical shaft sinking machine 15 DTEK installs underground coal mine Wi-Fi network 18

Descartes Labs Unveils its Advanced Mineral Exploration 22 Equinox Gold and Leagold Mining Combine to Create a Premier Americas Gold Producer 24 Sensemetrics Ventures Into Underground Mining Space 32 COVID-19: Hands-on Mine Safety Training To Go Online 35 BME builds blasting connections in North America 40 SA minister, miners Plan Covid-19response 42 Barrick hoarding supplies as mining industry braces for coronavirus 43 www.skillings.net | 3

APRIL 2020 VOL.109. NO.04

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AMERICA

Barminco wins a contract to provide mining services for Barrick’s Hemlo mine in Canada. Photo: https://www.businessnews.com.au/

Barminco wins a contract to provide mining services for Barrick’s Hemlo mine in Canada Barrick Gold has sent a letter of intent (LoI) to Perenti Subsidiary and hard-rock underground Miner Barminco to provide underground contract mining services for Barrick's Hemlo gold mine in Canada.

H

emlo gold mine is located in the Marathon Mining district of north-western Ontario, Canada. The contract, which is proposed to be valid for three years, is valued at A$200m ($131.7m).

Barminco is expected to provide advanced technology and productivity as part of the contract to the gold mine to support Barrick's goal to modernize the mine and establish it as a tier two asset within the company's portfolio.

6 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

Perenti group managing director Mark Norwell Said: "This is Barminco and Perenti's first significant contract in North America and builds on our regional growth capabilities, after expanding into Botswana last year with an $800m contract. We look forward to supporting Barrick to deliver outstanding results at Hemlo."

Barminco's contract's job scope includes the undertaking of mine development, haulage, and production, as well as

utilizing mining equipment provided by Barrick. Barminco will employ over 300 staff at the operation, with work expected to commence in April this year.

We are delighted to be in a position to encourage Barrick to improve the operation of the Hemlo mine, said Barminco CEO Paul Muller.

"We would work very closely with Barrick and all key stakeholders, including the current workforce at Hemlo, the Pic River and Pic Mobert First Nations people and the Marathon community more generally to provide sustainable improvement in performance, thus assuring the future of Hemlo."

The Hemlo gold mine has produced over 21 million ounces (Moz) of gold for more than 30 years. In January this year, development and exploration firm Panoramic Resources selected Barminco as its preferred underground contractor for the Savannah project in Western Australia.

FloLevel Technologies www.skillings.net | 7

AMERICA

Critics Cry Foul at Miners, Truckers for Using Coronavirus Crisis to Bend Rules coal companies want to suspend payments for mine cleanups. the trucking industry wants to waive rules that limit drivers' daily hours. and oil manufacturers want to put off a june

1 deadline to shift to summer-grade gasoline. several

companies are currently pleading with federal agencies to waive environmental requirements and ease regulatory deadlines, arguing that the global covid-19 response is making it difficult to satisfy them.

8 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

Tyson Slocum, an official with the watchdog group Public Citizen said, while some requests are reasonable, others amount to "opportunistic pouncing." "I don't think Coronavirus should be used as an excuse to eradicate compliance with needed consumer or environmental regulatory protections," he said.

Trade groups for the affected industries say they deserve a break because they are victims of the outbreak."The coal industry is critical to securing a domestic, secure

During an emergency, it is crucial that affordable, reliable, and resilient supplies of electricity can support critical infrastructure that's dependent on electricity and also to promote a sense of normalcy. source of affordable energy," the National Mining Association stated in a letter seeking for relief, including a bid to suspend payments for mine cleanups and sick workers. "The fuel security provided by coal reserves at power plants offers resiliency to a system that is bracing for uncertainty."

Truckers are petitioning the White House to expand an emergency declaration that enabled federal highway safety regulators to suspend some constraints on daily driving for drivers working to make emergency licenses and ferry medical supplies throughout the nation. One of the requests is an exclusion of hours of service rules for all freight and a suspension of roadside inspections and weight checks for some loads and carriers, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association wrote in a letter to President Donald Trump on Friday.

MANY CHALLENGES

"Regrettably, our members are encountering many challenges which unnecessarily slow the movement of goods, limit the effectiveness of response efforts and risk their personal health and security," Todd Spencer, the team's president, said. "The federal government can take steps to alleviate a lot of these issues immediately." In the case of coal, fossil fuel advocates are trying to revive

a stalled proposal for the president to invoke the 70-year-old Defense Production Act to keep money-losing power plants operating. Representative David McKinley, a Republican from West Virginia, said that during the coronavirus pandemic, the government "should take all necessary actions to support the coal industry and keep coal-fired power plants online."

"During an emergency, it is crucial that affordable, reliable, and resilient supplies of electricity can support critical infrastructure that's dependent on electricity -- and also to promote a sense of normalcy," McKinley said in a Thursday letter to Trump and congressional leaders.

Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania and Democratic Representatives Raul Grijalva of Arizona denounced the coal push, saying in a letter to congressional leaders that this wasn't any time for the sector to get a "taxpayer-funded bailout."

'TAKING ADVANTAGE'

"The coal industry is taking advantage of the nation's current circumstances

to advocate for policies which are completely irrelevant to the current crisis," the lawmakers wrote. Some oil producers are citing the pandemic and a global crude glut as they ask the president to waive a law mandating only American vessels can be used to transport goods among U.S. ports.

A temporary waiver of that law, known as the Jones Act, "can allow American producers to transport domestic products with greater ease within the U.S.," the American Exploration and Production Council stated in a letter delivered to congressional leaders last week.

Some U.S. oil refiners are also asking the Environmental Protection Agency to waive a June 1 deadline to shift to cleaner-burning summer-grade gasoline.

Refiners are worried they won't be able to offload stockpiles of winter-grade gas and drain the system in time, as nationwide social distancing efforts and some local shelter-in-place requirements take drivers off the road and obliterate gas demand.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: QUICKTAKE COMPANIES MAY HAVE a "legitimate problem complying with environmental guidelines as

a result of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic," said Brian Israel and Michael Gerrard, environmental lawyers with Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. "For instance, if operators and engineers cannot work on-site, some facilities may find it hard to maintain particular certain pollution control equipment," as well as storm-water management systems, the attorneys said in a Bloomberg Law essay. Other amenities may struggle to meet deadlines to install pollution-control equipment.

Companies have been successful in seeking to suspend or waive environmental requirements at both the state and national levels citing the Coronavirus outbreak, Israel said in an interview. "The Phone is ringing off the hook," said Israel, who formerly worked as an Environmental enforcement attorney for the Department of Justice. "It's not a relaxation of environmental standards. It's actually an acknowledgment that under the circumstances, things are going to have to be a little flexible."

www.skillings.net | 9

AMERICA

More than a dozen BigLift vessels are expected at Port of Monroe in 2020.

Great Lakes Ports Work On

Establishing Cargo Diversity Throughout the vast Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system in the USA and Canada, most ports seek to diversify their customer base by creating new business beyond traditional bulk markets. Front and center in their efforts are project cargoes, especially wind energy components destined to meet with the increasing demands of utilities. On the horizon, too, is a project in Ohio that could soon become the first offshore wind facility in the Great Lakes.

10 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

WIND ENERGY POWERS DIVERSIFICATION

At the Port of Duluth, the top tonnage port on the Great Lakes (32 million metric tons), the Clure Public Marine Terminal handles high-value general cargo as well as project and dimensional cargoes.

Port director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, Deb DeLuca, recently said that "cargo diversity is significant to any port and its catchment area. A mix of cargo signals economic balance."

After shattering a wind energy cargo record last year, the port on Lake Superior along the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin has strong expectations for 2020. In 2019, Duluth received 306,000 tons of wind energy cargo in general.

This surpassed the previous summit of 302,000 tons in 2008. Duluth Cargo Connect handled the storage, unloading, and shipping of the cargo to various sites in the Midwest.

This type of banner performance was named "no accident" by DeLuca. "Over $25 million have been made in strategic investments to the terminal in the past four years, enhancements which help support the excellent work Duluth Cargo Connect does in handling these oversized wind cargoes."

Port director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, Deb DeLuca, recently said that "cargo diversity is significant to any port and its catchment area.

A mix of cargo signals economic balance." nents, Lamb claims that Clure Terminal is targeting dimensional cargoes, including reactors, pressure vessels, transformers, and comparable equipment serving mining, manufacturing, and oil and gas industries.

Quite a few U.S Great Lakes ports are developing reputations for the efficient handling of project and heavy lift cargo. The Port of Bay City, Michigan, on Lake Huron, handled five wind energy cargoes in 2019. And the Port of Indi-

ana-Burns Harbor handled one of the more unique project cargoes in 2019 when it shipped two huge rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTG) from the port into the CSX Intermodal Terminals' facility in nearby Chicago. The 68-piece cargo arrived at the Indiana port in June aboard the HC Melina and was discharged from the vessel by Federal Marine Terminals (FMT) shore crane for shipping to the CSX Intermodal Terminals' Bedford Park Centre, which manages domestic and global freight.

Indeed, the tower sections are long, but the blades are longer – with some well beyond 200 feet. "Wind energy has been a significant part of our cargo portfolio, since our first shipments more than a decade ago," stated Jonathan Lamb, president of Duluth Cargo Connect. "As the farthest inland port in North America, we're geographically well located to encourage wind farm installations in the Upper Midwest and central Canada. We pride ourselves in offering a seamless connection between modes of transportation for our wind energy clients."

Strapped for space and needing additional lay-down area, the port is rebuilding two dock walls at the cost of $21 million and also adding 50,000 square feet of warehouse space with construction planned for 2021-2023. Beyond wind compowww.skillings.net | 11

GLOBAL

Silver and Gold prices slide but miners stocks shine

G

old Futures (NYSEARCA: GLD) fell to their lowest settlement since December, and silver futures (NYSEARCA: SLV) plunged to their worst in more than a decade, although both metals significantly cut earlier losses as short-covering kicked in. April Comex gold closed -2% to $1,486.50/oz after falling more than 4%, and May silver sank -12% to $12.816/ ounce after tumbling up to 19%.

Traders were "leaving everything that's giving them gain," but gold's inability to fall below key support at $1,440/ounce "resulted in short covering and subsequent buying," including great physical demand in Asia, Chintan Karnani, chief market analyst at Insignia Consultants, tells MarketWatch.

But Precious metals miners are strong gainers today: GOLD+7.8%, NEM+7.7%, KGC+18.6%, AUY+13.3%, IAG+15.4%, FNV+12.3%, AU+32.6%, GFI+30.5%, HMY+11.5%, SBSW+12.7%, AEM+6.8%, WPM+4.5%, AG+16.2%, EXK+13.5%, PAAS+10%.

Gains in Iamgold and AngloGold come as each company reports an employee tested positive for the coronavirus. According To ETF Trends, the extreme volatility in leveraged ETFs and their need to re-balance may have generated a disconnect among gold mining stocks' valuation and their fundamentals, possibly causing the current outperformance.

ETFs: GLD, SLV, GDX, NUGT, IAU, GGN, DUST, SIL, USLV, PSLV, AGQ, PHYS, SIVR, UGLD, SGOL, UGL, GOEX, SGDM, BAR, ASA, RING, GLDM 12 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

Emerald award $366m contract to MACA

M

ACA has secured a $US230 million ($366 million) deal with Emerald Resources to provide mining services and earthmoving equipment at the Okvau gold project in Cambodia. The mining contract was sealed between MACA and Emerald in January last year. The scope of work includes loading, drilling, hauling and blasting, with an option to extend after an initial seven-year period.

Mobilization activities at Okvau mine are expected to begin in August this year ahead of pre-production mining in October. Emerald expects to begin gold production at the Okvau MACA operations director mine in the second quarter of 2021. The comGeoff Baker stated that the international experience the firm pany aims to produce about 106,000 ounces of gold a year at Okvau within its seven-year had gained in Brazil was drawn mine lifetime.

on by award of this contract and expanded the MACA's presence in the gold industry.

MACA operations director Geoff Baker stated that the international experience the firm had gained in Brazil was drawn on by award of this contract and expanded the MACA's presence in the gold industry. "MACA looks forward to continuing the strong working relationship we've developed over several years and across several successful projects with the board of management of Emerald," Baker explained.

Emerald managing director, Morgan Hart said Emerald would eventually become the first modern large-scale gold producer in Cambodia, once the production plant becomes operational in 2021. "We're pleased to have appointed MACA As the mining contractor to the Okvau gold project operations, which continues the present relationship between the Emerald and MACA management groups," Hart said.

Sunrise Mine To Close Permanently BRENT BILSLAND, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, COMMENTED,

"After experiencing negative free cash flow at Carlisle over the past 18 months, we have decided to permanently close Carlisle which will significantly reduce our overall cost structure, maximize per ton margins and, reduce current and future capex by utilizing Carlisle gear and parts at Oaktown.

According to an announcement from its operator Hallador Energy, Sunrise Coal Company will permanently close in Carlisle.

As we lower parts and coal inventories, we will generate important cash to be utilized for debt reduction" The announcement was made by Hallador Energy on January 20th that it was temporarily idling production at the Carlisle location. As a result, 90 jobs were affected.

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GLOBAL

NSW parliamentary inquiry finds new mining laws should not proceed A NSW parliamentary inquiry has found the Berejiklian Government's controversial new planning laws dealing with emissions from coal exports should not proceed as they are proposed.

assessing development applications" The progressive think-tank The Australia Institute, which wrote a discussion paper on the law, said the bill was "a first step to giving the coal industry what they want".

"The is a scathing report which recognizes that NSW is responsible for most of the world's coal emissions, and bears a local and global responsibility to help reduce them," Tom Swann, a senior researcher at the institute, said. "Australia Institute research reveals NSW's export-focused coal Sector is responsible for more emissions than the UK or France and nearly four times NSW itself. "The NSW Berejiklian government's commitment to the Paris Deal and net-zero emissions means it ought to be doing more to reduce coal emissions, not trying to do less."

T

he discovery will place Planning Minister Rob Stokes under pressure to review the so-called scope 3 legislation, which has been faulted by environmental groups and scientists. According to the laws, new mines with a condition related to emissions of exported Australian coal would no longer be approved by the planning authorities. Greenhouse gas emissions would still be taken into consideration when assessing and determining the project.

The bill was referred to the environment and planning committee for an inquiry, which recommended on Friday that the bill "not proceed in its current form".

But if the bill does proceed further, the Legislative Council should consider amendments "to ensure that the bill does not prevent the consideration of scope 3 emissions", the inquiry's report stated. A spokeswoman for Mr. Stokes said: "The NSW government will consider the upper house report into the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Territorial Limits) Bill 2019 [provisions].

"But it is important to clarify that the bill doesn't prevent decision-makers from considering global greenhouse gas

14 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

emissions in assessing development applications, as the report suggests."

Chair of this inquiry, Cate Faehrmann, stated that there were about 3000 online responses to the inquiry, in addition to evidence from legal experts and community and environmental groups.

"A large number of the respondents opposed the Bill and noted concerns regarding climate change and the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change," Ms. Faehrmann said. But a dissenting statement to the report, from Liberal MPs Catherine Cusack and Nationals' MP Ben Franklin and Shayne Mallard said the "bill does not prevent consent authorities from considering global greenhouse gas emissions in

The legislation was drafted in response to the landmark decision by the Land and Environment Court last year to reject the United Wambo coal project, citing among its reasons the project's "downstream" greenhouse gas emissions.

The proposed Bylong Valley coal mine in western NSW was also rejected last September, with its projected emissions cited as one of the reasons for the refusal.

The Independent Planning Commission rejected the Bylong mine, about 55 kilometers from Mudgee, despite the prospect of $290 Million in royalties and a substantial financial impact on the area.

Sirius Minerals sets world record by launching vertical shaft sinking machine CHRIS FRASER, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CEO OF SIRIUS MINERALS SAID:

"Using this cutting edge machine is evidence of our determination to use the best, most effective technology solutions to build this mine and the successful completion of the vertical shaft sinking machine's operations is another important sign of progress for our project."

The 75 t VSM was used to build the first 120 m of the 360 m deep access shaft at Woodsmith Mine, which will allow the firm to construct its 23-mile tunnel that will transport mined ore to Teesside.

A

tunnel boring machine will be lowered to its base and assembled in a cavern to drive north towards Teesside once the shaft is completed. For the first time in the UK, the highly specialized VSM was deployed at Woodsmith Mine to enable the team to build the shaft efficiently, expediently and safely. The application of the technology – developed by mechanized tunneling equipment manufacturer Herrenknecht – enabled the sinking of the shafts through nearsurface water aquifers, since the machine is designed to work underwater using a shaft lining being lowered behind.

Typically, shaft lining would be created from pre-cast concrete segments, but, in

conjunction with Joseph Gallagher Ltd and contractors Careys Civil Engineering Ltd, Sirius utilized a new 'slip-form' technique to pour the concrete lining.

The team was able to line the shaft rapidly, safely, and cost-effectively by continuously pouring the shaft walls simultaneously with the VSM's excavation activity.

Cutting-edge 3D, 4D, and virtual reality (VR) modeling technologies were also utilized to digitally construct the shaft, forecasting a range of possible results for every aspect of the construction process.

The machine reached a total depth of 115.2 m May 2019, surpassing 84 m previous world record set in St Petersburg.

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GLOBAL

2020 SME Photo Contest Richard Bishop Mining researchers test autonomous drone technology in an underground mine

Minnesota SME leaders cancel the Annual mining conference The annual Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) conference in Duluth is canceled as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak.

the escalating corporate travel restrictions, the changing nature of advisories from public health officials, and the escalation of this virus.”

I

itors showcase products and services at the conference. The 93rd annual conference had been scheduled at Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.

Featured speakers for this year’s conference were from companies in the Twin Cities and Arizona. The conference is the largest gathering of the year in Minnesota for mining professionals.

“We did not take this decision lightly and have carefully considered the escalating response to the virus within the industry and in Minnesota,” stated Siats. “The Minnesota planning committee and SME teams thoughtfully and responsibly determined this to be the best plan of action based on the currently available options.

Some of the compelling factors include

Keynote speakers, a trade show, technical sessions, and networking, are parts of the conference.The Minnesota Section SME is in its 100th year. The 2021 conference date will be announced after confirmation with the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center and nearby hotels, said Siats.

n the past few days, we have seen the situation surrounding COVID 19 (coronavirus) emerge as a pandemic,” said Ryan Siats, chair of the Minnesota Section SME. Because the health and safety of all attendees and exhibitors is our primary priority, we have made a tough decision to cancel the 2020 SME Minnesota Conference scheduled for April 6-8, 2020.”

About 1,000 mining professionals from around the Midwest are expected to attend the conference. About 135 exhib16 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

COVID 19 AFFECTED EVENTS Events

Scheduled Date

SME Foundation Benefit Golf Tournament

March 28, 2020

2020 SME MN Conference

April 6 - 8, 2020

70th Annual SME Colorado Minerals Processing (MPD) Conference

April 23 - 25, 2020

CMSP Review Course

May 7 - 9, 2020

Status

Events

Scheduled Date

Status

PP

CIM Convention & Expo 2020

May 7 - 9, 2020

Cancelled

GMG Forum: Denver (in partnership with SME)

May 20 - 21, 2020

VF

Cancelled Cancelled

ALTA 2020

May 23 - 30, 2020 PP

Workshop on Resilient Supply of Critical Minerals

May 27 - 28, 2020

PP

GMG Forum: Lima

June 1 - 2, 2020

VF

2020 National Holmes Mining Safety and Health Conference

June 2 - 4, 2020

GMG Forum: Belo Horizonte

June 4, 2020

VF

EMPRC 2020

June 14 - 16, 2020

Cancelled

International Mines Rescue Competition (IMRC) 2020

September 12 - 18, 2020

PP

PP Cancelled

CTMF 2020 (SME NY Section Conference)

May 10 - 13, 2020

CMSP Exam *this date only

June 1, 2020

Cancelled

GMG Forum: Lulea

March 24, 2020

VF

GMG Forum: Johannesburg

March 25, 2020

VF

AIMS 2020

April 2, 2020

Cancelled

OTC 2020

May 4, 2020

PP

Cancelled

PP: Postponed. VF: Virtual Format Updated: March 23, 2020

We thrive on challenges golder.com

www.skillings.net | 17

GLOBAL

Ukrainian energy group DTEK installs country’s first underground coal mine Wi-Fi network

DTEK Installs Wi-Fi Network in Yubileynaya Underground Coal Mine.

Source: DTEK Yubileynaya Coal Mine

For the first time in the history of Ukraine, Energy group DTEK has installed a Wi-Fi connection at a depth of 500 m at the Jubilee coal mine (Dnipropetrovsk region). About 130 km of cable was used, and 400 access points were installed. According to this particular wireless communication infrastructure, a multifunctional system is planned to be deployed to ensure the safety of miners.

18 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

A

ccording to MODUS Communications Infrastructure Project Manager DTEK, Vadim Miroshnichenko, underground communication is a basic infrastructure requirement for security projects. "The communication system will enable us to receive data from various security sensors in real time and to inform miners about fluctuations in air and gas, monitor video workflows with cameras, and carry out the evacuation.

Also, the mining dispatcher will be able to aid the employee remotely by sending messages to a smart pager lamp, which is also an individual miner's security system," Miroshnichenko said.

Having a link will resolve communications issues. Coal mines in Ukraine have traditionally used landline telephones to communicate. For someone to get across to them, it's usually required to walk a certain distance, or perhaps to return completely to the surface, and thereby waste time, which is valuable when it's important to report a problem or to access information.

With special smartphones and Wi-Fi, miners can easily communicate to the surface and dispatcher via voice calls or text messages, as well as quickly exchange information between underground sections. From a depth of about 500 m, miners will be able to send photos and videos to the dispatcher, as well as receive live consultations, video broadcasts and identify technical gear malfunctions and also obtain work permits.

such a large-scale project at such a depth in Ukraine yet," Osyka emphasized.

With special smartphones and WiFi, miners can easily communicate to the surface and dispatcher via voice calls or text messages, as well as quickly exchange information between underground sections.

Communication infrastructure is opening a new range of opportunities – from mobile round-trip to remote control, and the lessons learned could be utilized in businesses and other areas.

"Such projects are our contribution to the transformation of energy and energy independence of the country; this is proof of DTEK's accomplishments in the sphere of digital transformation," Osyka added.

walls, uneven surfaces, working equipment, dust, etc. As part of our Digital Mine module, we've set ourselves an ambitious goal – to keep technology running smoothly underground. There hasn't been

NORTH AMERICAN MARKET (LTU) Company

IRON ORE PRICE REPORT

Ore Type

Pellets, FOB Michigan Mines Pellets, FOB Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Minnesota Upper Lakes Port Source: CLEVELAND-CLIFFS INC. Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.

The company also plans to launch the automatic mine control of ventilation equipment, new systems of transportation of coal and materials underground, systems of protection of employees from entering into dangerous zones of work of mining machines and mechanisms, and also to start tracking violations of safety rules.

Per Iron Unit

Per Gross Ton at 64%

Per Ton at 64% Reporting Date

$1.28

$81.92

12/31/17

$1.42

$90.88

12/31/17

According to MODUS Head of Digital Transformation DTEK Dmitry Osyka, DTEK is currently creating an entire digital mine, which will guarantee the smooth operation of technology underground. "Underground infrastructure is significantly distinct from the surface. The surface works through the transmitter and the present 'towers.' Underground – these are not present. Additionally, underground wireless communication can be diminished because of some objective reasons – the thickness of mine www.skillings.net | 19

EQUIPMENT

Rolls-Royce and ASI Mining sign MOU to optimize MTU engines for autonomous operations ASI Mining and Rolls-Royce have agreed to ensure the compatibility of MTU engines and ASI's Mobius command & control applications for automobiles. Both parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, enabling Rolls-Royce to provide autonomous-compatible, Mobius-ready MTU engine solutions for equipment in a wide array of mining applications.

W

ith its brand MTU, Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems is a leading provider of innovative power solutions for a vast array of applications, including mining equipment. ASI Mining is an industry leader in the development and sales of high-tech autonomous solutions for mining equipment and other machinery in a wide range of applications.

industry-leading autonomous mining solutions. The customers would thus save on operating costs and further benefit from the increased performance of the autonomously optimized MTU engines.

MTU diesel engines have been setting the standards for performance and fuel-ef-

ficiency in mining applications around the world for decades. They power vehicles for underground and surface mining, including loading vehicles such as wheel loaders and excavators, transport vehicles such as blast hole drilling rigs or haul trucks, and other mining machines —diesel-mechanic, diesel-electric or diesel-hydraulic.

For these applications, MTU engines provide reliability, high performance, and availability as well as a maintenance-friendly construction. The efficient use of fuel and long service intervals provides for low operating costs of machines powered with MTU engines.

The companies plan to leverage their broad experiences to provide clients with engine solutions that are compatible with ASI's vehicle automation software to help optimize vehicle power performance and efficiency, thus enabling safer and more environmentally friendly mining operations.

One significant benefit of Rolls-Royce and ASI Mining to customers may be the ability to retrofit the power system on existing haul trucks and convert them to autonomous operation. The companies are interested in modernizing customer trucks with efficient MTU engines together with the execution of ASI's 20 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

The MoU enables customers to benefit from improved performance of optimised autonomous solutions. Credit: Business Wire.

Autonomous Solutions, Inc. (ASI) is a World Leader in industrial automobile automation. ASI serves customers across the globe in automotive, agriculture, mining, governm ent, and manufacturing industries with remote control, teleoperation, and completely automated solutions from its headquarters and 100-acre proving ground in northern Utah.

Occlusion mapping, In November 2019, ASI Reported creating a better algorithm for autonomous vehicles to discover drop-offs and other significant obstacles often found from the surroundings in which automatic off-road cars operate.

For secure navigation through an environment, autonomous ground vehicles depend on sensor data representing 3D space surrounding the vehicle. Often this data is obscured by terrain or objects,

producing gaps in the sensor field of view.

Occlusions, or these gaps, can signify the presence of obstacles or even rough terrain. Occlusions can be described as a blockage which prevents a sensor from collecting data in a location. For example, occlusions can be seen as shadows in LiDAR data.

Since detectors receive no data in these occlusions, Sensor data provides no information about what might be found in the occluded areas. Information about the occlusions must be inferred from using an occlusion mapping algorithm to provide the navigation system with a complete model of the environment. This new technology application can be useful in configurations with ditch borders at mine sites, street road edges, canals, ditches, hills, or stairs for indoor or urban environments.

THE OCCLUSION MAPPING ALGORITHM HAS THREE MAIN PARTS:

• A sensor field of view (FOV) model that describes what obstacles the sensors are expected to detect. This component is designed for point cloud sensors such as 3D LiDAR, Flash LiDAR, Structured Light, and Stereo Cameras.

• An occlusion map is maintained and updated using the sensor FOV model and current sensor data to provide a probabilistic estimate on areas that have not been detected within the sensor FOV. • The integration of the occlusion map into an autonomous vehicle navigation system. It is designed to work with and complement existing obstacle detection and avoidance systems.

www.skillings.net | 21

GLOBAL

Descartes Labs Unveils its Advanced Mineral Exploration A New Mexico-based geospatial analytics company, Descartes Labs, has announced the availability of its Advanced Mineral Exploration Package, a modeling workbench, and a specialized information system for mining geology and data science teams to access global remote sensing and machine learning capabilities.

T

he Advanced Mineral Exploration Package enables customers to integrate in-house data with the platform, providing them access to the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in the industry.

Descartes Labs says it provides the only platform that combines NASA's Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) global data collection with the massive supercomputing resources required to leverage it for mineral deposit targeting fully. The Advanced Mineral Exploration Package provides extensive coverage for mineral mapping on a global scale, facilitating discoveries and accelerating mineral exploration timelines The platform also includes the most comprehensive 'bare earth mosaic,' which selects the pixel at every location with the most specific atmospheric conditions by masking out ice, snow, water, vegetation, and clouds. This provides the most favorable mapping capacity for each imagery product.

The Descartes Labs Platform combines a scalable modeling and processing platform with a multi-petabyte library of private and public data for building predictive models.

22 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

The platform exposes three primary components that work in tandem to increase productivity throughout the mining life cycle: WORKBENCH

The workbench is a cloud-based data science environment that integrates visualization tools, Descartes Labs Platform APIs, and sample models inside a hosted JupyterLab interface.

The Descartes Labs data catalog, together with their own data sets, can be combined by geoscientists for mineral exploration, no matter how big.

DATA REFINERY

The data refinery provides an extensive array of multispectral data sets and machine learning models in addition to petabytes of analysis-ready geospatial data with the ability to ingest, calibrate, clean, and benefit from any internal or third party data source.

APPLICATIONS

Exploration teams have the ability to rapidly utilize applications and models to produce useful insights and create ROI across multiple use cases. As part of this package, Descartes Labs is currently introducing pre-configured brownfield and greenfield data science notebooks for mineral exploration.

These notebooks provide a rapid and easy way for geoscience teams to get started with petabytes of data, allowing customers to incorporate their private data collections in an extensible manner.

U.S. COAL MINING INDUSTRY THE LATEST TO SEEK A

wide-ranging coronavirus bailout retire. The Trump administration has attempted without much success to help the industry, in part by rolling back Obama-era climate regulations.

According to a letter to President Donald Trump and the leaders of Congress seen by Reuters on Thursday, the coal industry's main U.S. lobby group has requested for sweeping financial assistance to help mining companies weather the economic fallout of COVID-19.

The Defense Production Act is a law enacted in 1950 during the Korean War that allows the government to direct private companies to produce certain goods to meet the country's national security needs. The NMA also asked for the coal industry to have access to credit "without prejudice."

T

he request adds the ailing coal industry to a long list of businesses vying for a bailout to counter the effect of the global pandemic, which has infected more than 227,000 people worldwide, decimated travel and causes great disruptions in daily life all over the world.

In the letter, dated on Wednesday, The National Mining Association asked Donald Trump, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to ensure that "access to the necessary cash flow they require to continue operations are given to coal companies."

It asked for Trump to take executive action to keep coal-fired power plants running, and asked Congress to "reduce or suspend "royalties on mining and cut taxes and fees the industry pays for things such as health assistance to victims of black lung disease and cleanups of former mines.

NMA President Rich Nolan wrote in the letter, "the fuel security provided by coal reserves at power plants offers resiliency to a system that's bracing for uncertainty, and it is important to keep these plants online — whether through the use of the Defense Production Act or other means — in the interest of national security."

The White House, Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Several federal interventions have been sought by the coal industry to help it reverse a slide in demand over the past decade as old plants

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GLOBAL

Equinox Gold and Leagold Mining Combine to Create a Premier Americas Gold Producer Equinox Gold Corp. (TSX: EQX, NYSE American: EQX) ("Equinox Gold" or the "Company") and Leagold Mining Corporation (TSX: LMC, OTCQX: LMCNF) ("Leagold") have merged their businesses, creating one of the world's top gold producing companies operating entirely in the Americas.

EXECUTIVE CHAIR OF EQUINOX GOLD, ROSS BEATY, SAID:

"We have created a major gold producer by combining the assets and leadership groups of Equinox Gold and Leagold, with a peer-leading growth profile and powerful financial, technical and operational management. Equinox Gold now has six functional mines, two development projects, two expansion projects, and the capability to finance its development plans.

On behalf of the entire Equinox Gold group, I thank our outgoing directors, Marcel de Groot, Jacques McMullen, and Sam Drier, for their guidance and support.

I also want to welcome Neil Woodyer as Vice-Chair, as well as Gordon Campbell, Peter Marrone, and General Wesley Clark to the new Board of Directors. I look forward to working with the joint management team as we further build Equinox Gold into a major global gold producer."

The Board of Directors and leadership teams of the companies:

24 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

EXECUTIVE TEAM Christian Milau

CEO

Greg Smith

President

Attie Roux

COO

Peter Hardie

CFO

Doug Reddy

EVP Technical Services

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ross Beaty

Executive Chair

Neil Woodyer

Vice Chair

Len Boggio

Director

Tim Breen

Director

Gordon Campbell

Director

General Wesley K. Clark

Director

Marshall Koval

Director

Peter Marrone

Director

available for download on Equinox Gold's website, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Equinox Gold common shares and warrants will continue trading on the NYSE American Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange without any changes.

Leagold shares are expected to be delisted on or about March 11, 2020.

Leagold shareholders will receive 0.331 of an Equinox Gold common share for every Leagold share held. Each Leagold warrant and option will become applicable for Equinox Gold common shares, as adjusted in accordance with the exchange ratio. Leagold shares deposited in an online trading account will update automatically to reflect the conversion to Equinox Gold shares, generally within two weeks of closing.

Leagold shareholders who still hold physical share certificates or DRS Statements

ABOUT EQUINOX GOLD

Equinox Gold is a Canadian mining firm with six operational gold mines, a multimillion-ounce gold reserve base, and a strong growth profile from two expansion projects and two development projects.

must submit a Letter of Transmittal to Equinox Gold's transfer agent, Computershare Investor Services Inc., to get new Equinox Gold share certificates. More information regarding the process is available on Equinox Gold's website at www.equinoxgold.com.

Equinox Gold operates entirely in the Americas, with two projects in the U.S, one in Mexico and five in Brazil. Equinox Gold's Common Shares are listed on the NYSE American and the TSX under the trading symbol EQX.

The concurrent US$670 million debt and equity financings connected with the merger have been completed. Terms of the financings have been described in the joint management information circular dated December 20, 2019, that is readily

Additional information about Equinox Gold portfolio of assets and long-term goals is available at www.equinoxgold. com or by email at ir@equinoxgold.com.

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John Leadbetter

AMERICA

THE COST OF A MINE SHUTDOWN

Why its rewarding to invest in quality process instrumentation Mining Technology Spoke with John Leadbetter, Managing Director at Leading Process Instrumentation manufacturer Vega, about the true cost of an unplanned or protracted mine shutdown and how they can be averted.

Why do mines run planned shutdowns, and how often do these happen?

John Leadbetter: Operators must schedule in shutdowns so that they can conduct appropriate maintenance and replacement programs. A shutdown can last as few as three days or can as much as fourteen days. These maintenance shutdowns are a deliberate action to carry out essential repairs unless there's been a complete disaster.

Depending on the mine site, some may have a shutdown after every eight to 12 weeks, but that is really up to the operation itself. If you look at iron ore mining, for example, the average mine probably processes approximately 6,000 tons of processing per hour.

26 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

This results in a significant amount of wear and tear on the materials, so iron ore mines most likely would have a closer shutdown schedule compared to a gold mine because of the different processing methods.

However, the consequence is that if they've planned a shutdown for three days and they run over time, it starts costing a lot of money for the mine because they have lost production, and they will run out of goods to ship.

Hence, the type of mine and the kind of material they mine are important factors, but lots of it come down to whether the operator has the appropriate equipment.

These unpredicted events could be due to a lot of different factors, for instance, the goods that were expected to be substituted didn't turn up in time from the supplier, or there might be a weather effect – after all, a lot of these mines in Australia are in cyclone zones.

What is the financial impact of a mine shutdown?

JL: During planned maintenance, mines are usually run by operators at full capacity during regular operation so that they have enough material to ship during the shutdown, in other words, the mine does not close completely as they are still shipping goods out.

Are there any other repercussions, for example, reputational damage or a broader industry impact?

JL:Take a look at iron ore and coal, in particular, these mines have contracts with companies they must meet; if your

www.skillings.net | 27

AMERICA

shutdown is extended and you are not sending shipping tonnage to your clients, this means operators are then breaching these contracts. This could impact the operator's reputation in the marketplace, especially when mining operations are in direct competition with one another.

But if you conduct proper maintenance and operate your equipment effectively, the odds of something going wrong are significantly reduced.

The major concern in the last ten years has been work health and safety. With these changes in workplace regulations, mining companies have a responsibility or a mandate to make sure that all employees are working safely and that equipment isn't going to cause problems.

Safety improvements can be enhanced by conducting regular maintenance or installing the latest technology.

How do mines avoid unplanned or extended shutdowns?

JL: Exactly what it comes down to will be much better work practices. In other words, don't push machinery to its limitation; run it as per the guidelines of the manufacturer.

For instance, we were approached by a mining company some years ago because they found that their production was not meeting with the required tonnage per hour. They looked at a particular portion of their operation and found that the equipment they were using at that stage was not performing to the best of its capabilities. A strategy was formulated between the engineers and suppliers of the equipment, which looked at whether the performance of the current machinery could be improved or if a replacement could perform better.

By Vega offering them an updated model in radar level control, which gave an improved performance, together with other changes that were made, the 28 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

“One of the things I say to my team is that you have one mouth and two ears; listen twice as long as you talk. The customer wants to tell you what the problem is, and you’ve just got to listen.” operator experienced a 31% increase in production. T ­ hat was a substantial improvement for this particular provider, but any small percentage increase can have a huge impact on an operator's bottom line.

How can investing in quality equipment help to safeguard against unplanned shutdowns?

JL: You can invest in technology and equipment, but operators must also invest in training their employees. The employee must be trained on how to operate the new equipment; it won't be operated efficiently if they don't know how to operate it. Over the last 15 years, Vega

has offered customers the opportunity for us to attend technical training courses on-site. Those courses cover how the equipment works, how to maintain it, how you can get it to work better in your operation, and also how to deal with something going wrong. We've discovered that companies that have attended our training courses will generally increase their turnover because they are more confident and trusting of the equipment.

Finally, suppliers of equipment now have a better understanding of their customer's needs and requirements, and they're working better together as a result of this.

Outotec launches advanced in-situ carbon measurement system for minimizing gold losses in CIL circuits and CIP Continuous, reliable, and representative carbon concentration Measurement is vital in carbonin-pulp (CIP) and also carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuits to minimize gold solution losses. CarbonSense is a fully automated in-situ measurement system that's directly immersed in the slurry, eliminating the need for sample transfer and ensuring excellent carbon administration.

A

ccording to Outotec, CarbonSense is a robust system that is designed to operate continuously in the agitated area of the reactor to ensure a highly representative analysis. The system comes with a reference probe to provide an effective measurement even in changing process conditions.

surement; supports the development of efficient strategies for advanced CIP/CIL control; has fully automatic operation; and also increases safety by helping to avoid blockages and other sampling issues.

A FLEXIBLE SYSTEM THAT IS EASY TO MAINTAIN AND CALIBRATE

A Single connection cabinet can support up to eight measurement assemblies, along with copper media connections to the plant network and fiber-optic. The system supports any network topology, such as star and ring configurations.

Maintenance is simplified with fuses and all power supplies located in one place.

The Portable calibration unit utilizes carbon and slurry to ensure the best possible results and effective measurement performance. No recalibration is needed when slurry properties change because the measurement is based on the difference between the reference probe and the measurement probe.

MINIMIZE GOLD LOSSES WITH CONTINUOUS, RELIABLE MEASUREMENT

Continuous and effective carbon concentration measurements minimize gold losses by enabling control over carbon transfer between reactors. The Outotec ACT Carbon Management application is designed to take full benefit of the measurement information.

The system is delivered as a ready-to-install package, including connection cabinets, measurement assemblies, and analysis software and licenses.

According to Outotec, CarbonSense is simple to install, operate, and maintain with no moving parts or sample transfer; enables continuous, representative, and reliable carbon meawww.skillings.net | 29

GLOBAL

Women ‘Challenging’ Roles In Burkinafaso Takes On More

WOMEN IN BURKINAFASO ARE DEFYING THE NORM BY TAKING ON MORE ‘CHALLENGING’ ROLES AT THE MINES In a male-dominated industry like mining, where females are still under-represented, women like Tene Konate are taking up more challenging roles like driving a 72-tonne dump truck around the vast open pit at the Houndé gold mine in western Burkina Faso.

K

onate is one of 111 women trained at the mine for tasks including blasting rocks, hauling rubble, or driving heavy vehicles that are more traditionally operated by men in West Africa. The 42-year-old single mother and her female colleagues are the beneficiaries of a global push by mining companies to bring more women into an industry that's currently lagging behind others in tackling gender

30 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

imbalances. They remain in the minority nonetheless, with women making up just 11 percent of the workforce at Houndé, which is run by Canada's Endeavour Mining.

According to a report by Reuters, Konate revealed that she struggled to provide for her two daughters, after separating from her husband. This finally led her into the mining business, and she affirmed:

employees, but she encourages those around her to overlook gender and rate colleagues on the quality of their work.

"As I always say to my operators, as soon as you cross that gate, we're no more women. We wear the same trousers as men; we've become men because we do the same job."

Rosalie Guiro Kulga, 30, excavator-conductor, poses for a photograph beside her engine at the gold mine site, operated by Endeavour Mining Corporation in Hounde, Burkina Faso February 11, 2020.

Reuters/Anne Mimault

Rosalie Koffi, 31, senior drill and blast engineer, instructs contractors’ team before detonating explosives in the rock at the gold mine site, operated by Endeavour Mining Corporation in Hounde, Burkina Faso February 11, 2020. Reuters/Anne Mimault

LY Aissatou Youssoufi, 32, a health and safety inspector, called 'Mama Safety' gives instructions to the day-shift truck conductors during their daily meeting at the gold mine, operated by Endeavour Mining Corporation in Hounde, Burkina Faso February 11, 2020. Reuters/Anne Mimault

"the mine has transformed everything in her life." Konate currently lives in a large house in Hounde and can afford to pay for her daughters' schooling. "At this stage, I don't need a man to do everything for me," Konate said. She was trained on how to operate trucks whose chunky wheels are so large that drivers need to climb a

ladder to get into the cabin. Konate said that "the fact it is a man's job and that I can do it, really, I enjoy that very, very, very much."

Sonia Nkiema, who coordinates the work of over 100 people at the mine, said women could face pushback from male

Besides gender-segregation, several hindering factors restrict women from looking for a career in the mining sector, among which is the fact that women are the primary caregiver. It can be quite difficult for females to accomplish a good work/life balance in the mining sector due to limitations in terms of flexibility, remote site work, and juggling child care with often unsociable expectations and hours of overtime.

Sonia Nkiema, who coordinates the work of over 100 people at the mine, said women could face pushback from male employees, but she encourages those around her to overlook gender and rate colleagues on the quality of their work.

Another critical factor is the health and safety of women in mining. More often than not, women who are employed in the field complain of body pains resulting from the strenuous work they engage in.

These manual work practices also lead to joint and abdominal pain, musculoskeletal, infected cuts which were slow to cure, and abrasions, amongst others.

In the spirit of International Women's Day, we celebrate women in mining and other sectors who keep on with their remarkable roles despite the challenges they face. Significant strides like this pave the way for gender equality, here is to realizing women's rights in 2020 and beyond. www.skillings.net | 31

GLOBAL

Sensemetrics Ventures Into Underground Mining Space SIGNS IIOT PARTNERSHIP WITH YIELDPOINT Sensemetrics Inc., the California-based Industrial IoT (IIoT) and Cloud Technology Company transforming sensor data to real-time business intelligence, today announced its entry into the underground mining market through a co-development and go-to-market partnership with Yieldpoint Inc, a Kingston, Toronto instrumentation firm. Initially, both companies will target mineral and metal mines in the Australasian and Americas regions.

U

nder the agreement, Yieldpoint's D-Tech line of digital sensors is integrated with the Sensemetrics cloud system to enable underground mine operators to quickly respond to changing conditions, accurately predict and prevent risk, improve safety conditions, save thousands of hours of high-value engineering time and reduce overall operational costs.

CORY BALDWIN, PRESIDENT, SENSEMETRICS, STATED

"Together with Yieldpoint, we're bringing cutting-edge expertise alongside a track record of breakthrough impact to all the key challenges that affect underground mining internationally." "We are delighted to determine how we will be able to transform operational performance and deliver step-change productivity improvements across the entire mine lifecycle.

A microcomputer has been embedded in each device by the d-Tech platform, thereby creating smart geotechnical and structural tools. Combining these smart sensors with the Sensemetrics cloud-based platform results in one of 32 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

today's most innovative approaches to underground mining instrumentation."

The partnership is designed to address the fundamental complications in the underground mining environment.

Easily-accessible resources, such as those close to the surface that is easy to extract, are becoming increasingly scarce, according to Baldwin.

the risk connected with the operation.

Geotechnical instrumentation has become a fundamental part of underground mine engineering, allowing mine operators to track a variety of metrics such as pressure, strain, stress, load, vibration, and other parameters – all of which are vital to the optimal and safe operation of the mine and its workers.

Conventional open-pit methods are not cost-effective when mining deep orebodies, and the deeper the mines, the higher

The amount of geotechnical instrumentation needed in an underground mine can range based on the geometry and

IIoT innovators integrate Yieldpoint smart sensors with sensemetrics’ cloud platform to modernize and transform operational performance for underground mining operators.

Photo: https://sensemetrics.com/

www.skillings.net | 33

GLOBAL complexity of the mine, in addition to the seismicity and varying geological conditions.

In more challenging operating environments, risks are much higher, and demand for geotechnical instrumentation is increased – but can be difficult to handle from a maintenance and cost perspective. This is where the smart, modern, and cost-effective approach that Sensemetrics and Yieldpoint have jointly developed can be of the greatest benefit, say the two partners.

PIERRE BALLESTER, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, YIELD-POINT, SAID:

"Having access to real-time Sensor data, risk models and enterprise-wide knowledge sharing to address these requirements has, up to now, been costly and impractical." "This is largely due to the multiple friction points and complexities that are inherent in the modern workflows as data is collected from sensors and transferred to the surface. We're delighted to work in partnership with Sensemetrics to remove the friction points and reduce the complexities associated with getting actionable data from the mine face to the surface. Additionally, by empowering staff to rapidly and accurately navigate their complex operating environment, we will put mining customers in a position to drive greater business success."

Borehole extensometer Credit: Yieldpoint

Many sensemetrics' existing clients either intend to develop underground mining operations in the near future or already have one going on. At the same time, Baldwin acknowledges the underground mining environment differs from the traditional distributed condition monitoring applications in open-pit mines, where the adoption of sensemetrics has already been very successful.

The right partner is needed "to increase sensemetrics' success into underground mining. Yieldpoint is that partner: their team has worked with some of the world's largest mining firms and has 34 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

provided research services to some of the world's leading institutions. We look forward to a solid alliance and a bright future together," said Baldwin.

The new agreement calls for the two companies to co-develop products for an initial period of three years. After that, the agreement will be renewed automatically.

Education District. Olson reiterated the importance of making sure those who need, get the training. "These workers that are here today, they would be unable to go to work tomorrow if they did not have the certificate in hand to go on the mining company property."

So, they took the training online.

"It is a new learning curve for everybody," said Olson, who has been an adjunct instructor since 1982. "We needed to redevelop the program. A lot of our programs are extremely hands-on, and that's something we can't do today, so we had to adapt the curriculum for the online presentation and make it so it was user friendly to the participants and so they got the same sort of material out of the course."

COVID-19 hands-on

Mine Safety Training To Go Online In the past week, we saw college campuses shut down as a result of COVD-19, but that didn't only impact college students.

It also threw a wrench in an important and mandatory Safety training for those who work in and out for the mines.

T

he safety training is mandatory for the vendors, the contractors, and everybody who has any association with the mining company properties," explained Jon Olson, a Custom Training Rep. for Advanced Minnesota. That means thousands of people are all required to complete training through the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).

Jim Shaughnessy, who works for Lakehead Constructors, said this training is vital to his occupation. It is 100 percent mandatory. Besides, it keeps people on their toes and keeps them refreshed about doing precisely the things to keep everybody safe on the job."

He is due to finish his annual MSHA Certification, and when he heard the class would no longer be in person, he had some concerns. "I was wondering how they would do it as far as monitoring wise, as far as keeping people interacted, but it seems to be working pretty well."

For those at Advanced Minnesota, that's all they hoped for.

But ever since the college campus closed, Advanced Minnesota has been faced with a big problem.

"It was a lot of work, and then it's sort of fingers crossed at the launch," explained Smith. "Have things gone perfect? No. But we are learning with every minute that goes by, and by this time tomorrow, things will be better, and by this time next week they'll be getting close to having things ironed out."

"This severely interrupts the business process both for the supplier, vendor chain, and for our taconite facilities if individuals can't come onsite," said Roy Smith, Director of Talent Development for IRRRB and colleges of Northeast Higher

Smith said this training would continue until the campus re-opens to students and customers. If things continue to go well, he thinks this format of training can expand and become a more common practice. www.skillings.net | 35

AMERICA

Fortescue hopes for China virus recovery as steel backlog increases The Head of Australian mining giant Fortescue Metals says the fall in new coronavirus cases in China provides hope that restrictions on business and travel will continue to ease, breaking the paralysis that could jeopardize demand for Australian shipments of iron ore. Australia's Miners of iron ore – the steelmaking ingredient and the nation's most profitable export – are monitoring the high build-up of finished steel stockpiles at China's steel mills after efforts to end the deadly pandemic closed streets and left factories and construction sites empty, preventing deliveries across supply chains.

T

he build-up of steel stockpiles had increased since January, when new coronavirus infections spiked in China, fuelling worries among investors about the knock-on impact of an oversupply to ASX-listed iron ore miners including BHP, Fortescue and Rio Tinto. However, anxieties that disruption in China would push down demand for Australia's exports of steelmaking commodities have so far failed to materialize, Fortescue chief executive Elizabeth Gaines informed The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, with the iron ore price "holding up" at around $US90 a tonne and market conditions remaining "largely unchanged."

This has been aided by supply disruptions because of heavy rainfall affecting Brazil's iron ore mines and workers in China being unable to access the nation's 36 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

domestic mines,'' Ms. Gaines said "Chinese Steel mills are still producing steel... we're scheduling and shipping as we would have proposed prior to coronavirus," she explained. "We're closely monitoring the steel mill inventories – the finished product – and those have increased to historically high levels."

But, Ms. Gaines said the company was seeing signs of improvement, with freeways and key toll roads beginning to reopen in Shanghai and truck movements returning to about 85 percent of normal levels, "so it seems to be that activity is resuming."

"Workers [in China] are returning back to factories and construction sites and major projects; thus, we would expect to see those steel inventories begin to come down over the next four to six weeks,"

she said. "We will be monitoring that very closely." It comes as other countries, including Spain, start to enforce travel lockdowns. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday introduced tougher travel restrictions and banned extra-curricular events "static" events attracting more than 500 people. The World health authorities have praised Chinese government heavy-handed measures to arrest the fast spread of coronavirus after it managed to curb new infections on the mainland from over 3500 cases a day to just 20 cases on Saturday.

Mining analysts say China's construction sector, a major user of steel, has been at an effective halt, while the car-manufacturing industry has also been slowed by the outbreak, especially in the virus epicenter of Wuhan.

China steel association warns of iron ore speculation risks amid market fluctuations China Iron & Steel Association (CISA) cautioned about speculative risks in the market, as the trend for the iron ore index was deviating from the supply and demand fundamentals and the spot market, the Xinhua official news agency reported on Sunday.

B

enchmark Platts iron ore index had increased 15%, as of last Friday after the vacations, Luo Tiejun, vice chairman of CISA, told Xinhua in an interview, adding that prices for steel goods dropped 9 % between February 3 and March 13.

"Iron ore prices surged 20% at the same time last year because of Brazil's tailing dam disaster," said Luo. "Now it rose significantly again, (which is) more driven by capital and sentiment."

Iron ore prices have been volatile since late January when the coronavirus broke out across China and disrupted economic activity.

from the effect of financial derivatives like futures and swaps. He also advised regulators to supervise iron ore price indexes strictly, iron ore spot and futures trading crackdown on vicious speculation and irregularities.

Luo Tiejun, vice chairman of CISA, told, adding that prices for steel goods dropped 9 % between February 3 and March 13.

The most actively traded May contract of iron ore futures on the Dalian Commodity Exchange plunged to a nearly three-month low in early February but picked up 13% since February 10. Luo Tiejun suggested the compiling of the spot price index should be based on real trade prices in the spot market and free www.skillings.net | 37

GLOBAL

38 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

O

ntario health officials are investigating how a man who attended a major conference in Toronto contracted COVID-19, fearing the case marks the start of local transmission of the virus in the province.

by now. It is reasonable we are further along in this community [transmission] chain than we recognize." Sudbury officials say the man returned to work on March 5 and 6 before seeking medical care on March 7.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts, which Posted details of the incidence online Tuesday evening, said a man in his 50s tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada seminar on March 2 and 3. According to the organizers, 25,000 attendees from more than 130 countries were present.

The man is an employee of Northern Development and Mines, and the Sudbury office has been closed down temporarily to prevent transmission of the virus among his co-workers, Ontario Energy Minister Greg Rickford confirmed on Wednesday.

Everyone who attended the conference, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and other federal and provincial cabinet ministers and prominent business leaders are now being asked to monitor themselves for symptoms like cough or fever for the next two weeks, based on Penny Sutcliffe, Sudbury's medical officer of health.

"I do believe we're going to be seeing more and more of these [cancellations] in the coming days," he explained.

Dozens of people around the world have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending large conferences, including last month's RSA Conference in San Francisco and American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington, D.C. Thus far, 70 employees of biotechnology firm Biogen have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a company meeting in Boston.

Everyone who attended the conference, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and other federal and provincial cabinet ministers and prominent business leaders are now being asked to monitor themselves for symptoms like cough or fever for the next two weeks, based on Penny Sutcliffe, Sudbury's medical officer of health.

It's unclear just how or when the man became infected with the virus. He could have been exposed to it by an international traveler at the summit. Nevertheless, the case probably indicates that community transmission of the virus has started in Ontario, said Lucas Castellani, an infectious-disease physician based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Community transmission refers to the local spread of the virus not linked to international travel.

"Generally, the implications are the same," Dr. Castellani said. "He might have contracted it before the conference or probably got in contact with someone who acquired it at the conference. By the time testing is completed, he could have transmitted it to one or two other people

Health officials refused to disclose how many individuals are being tested for the virus in the area. Laurentian University in Sudbury declared on Wednesday that all of its classes would be moved online as a preventative step.

Sumon Chakrabarti, an infectious-diseases specialist at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, said public health officials would likely scramble to ascertain who the Sudbury man came in contact with. The fact he probably contracted the virus at the conference also indicates that authorities and businesses should cancel large gatherings to reduce transmission," Dr. Chakrabarti said.

B.C. officials confirmed Canada's first case of Community spread of the virus last week in a woman who works in a long-term care center. The province has since declared an outbreak at the center, where one resident was confirmed dead. The country has also confirmed several other cases of community spread.

Meanwhile, a physician at a Hamilton cancer center has tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a trip abroad. The physician, who works as a radiation oncologist, attended to patients on the afternoon of March 9 at the Juravinski Cancer Centre before going to the emergency section of the Juravinksi Hospital to be tested.

The hospital said public health officials are currently trying to contact each of the patients she saw on March 9. However, in a news release, the hospital said the risk to those people who had contact with the physician and those working in the hospital are very low.

Those who had contact with her have been advised to self-isolate at home for two weeks. It was not immediately clear how many doctors and nurses would be affected. www.skillings.net | 39

GLOBAL

SA blasting and explosives major BME builds blasting connections in North America BME says continued lethargy in the international market – aggravated by the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus – failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the South Africa-based blasting leader's review of the recent Prospectors and Developers Association Conference (PDAC) in Toronto, Canada.

B

ME was at the show, which took place on March 1-4, showcasing its brand and global presence, including in North America.

BME General Manager Technology and Marketing, Ralf Hennecke, said: "This year was specifically exciting for us to be exhibiting, after the launch of BME Mining Canada Inc last season – our joint venture with Consbec, the largest civils drill and 40 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

blast contractor in Canada. "There was considerable enthusiasm among the decision-makers and businesses we met about the entry of another experienced firm into the region’s explosives and blasting market."

The mood at the Toronto gathering was buoyed by a gradual uptick in mine expansions and exploration projects – although the outlook for base metals

was conservative, Hennecke said. "It was pleasing to see that Canada was in the top three exploration performers globally, which bodes well for the nation's mining potential," he added.

He noted many of the mining firms represented at the event also had operations in BME strongholds such as West Africa, even operating in BME lands such as Southeast Asia. The company globalization strategy of the company was paving the way for increased future participation in global mining tenders, he said.

"Events like PDAC enable us to steadily build links in new territories like North America, leveraging the relationships we already have with majors and juniors in the current market," Hennecke said. "In addition to prospective mining clients, we also regularly meet a variety of important service contractors and providers with whom we might work later in the future."

Emphasizing BME's dedication to collaboration in the market – especially in the digital and technological space – he said

AMERICA

Cannington Mine Employee Tests Positive To Covid-19 A male employee has tested positive to COVID-19 at South32's Cannington Mine, 80km south of McKinlay, although he picked up the virus on the coast when off duty.

BME General Manager Technology and Marketing, Ralf Hennecke, said: "This year was specifically exciting for us to be exhibiting, after the launch of BME Mining Canada Inc last season – our joint venture with Consbec, the largest civils drill and blast contractor in Canada.

"The employee underwent testing after self-monitoring symptoms that met the testing criteria," the South32 spokesperson said. "The employee was on rostered time off and had not been on site for several days when his symptoms presented. He's now self-isolating at home and is under the management of the Townsville Public Health Authority."

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and are taking every precaution to minimize any impact, the company said in a statement. "We are providing regular updates to employees, and our recommendations are aligned with those of government and health authorities, such as deferring travel and enforcing self-isolation for any employee, contractor, or visitor that has returned from overseas," they said.

As of Sunday, Queensland Health stated that there were 15 new cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) confirmed in Queensland taking the state total reported case to 61. It is not clear if the South32 employee is among the 15 as 14 are in south-east Queensland, and the 15th was a 69 year- old man who is being managed by New Zealand authorities after being confirmed with COVID-19 in the Townsville Public Health Unit.

these links were important to facilitate the integration of technologies for increased productive mining.

"Mines are looking to synergize their supply Chains to make sure they benefit optimally from product developments and other services," he explained.

"This implies that technology providers must have the capacity to continuously integrate their offerings into customers' systems – even collaborating with other technology providers to achieve that. This integration is crucial to enable mines to exploit the power of innovations." www.skillings.net | 41

GLOBAL

SA MINISTER, MINERS

Plan COVID-19 response South Africa's mineral resources and energy minister, Gwede Mantashe, has met with mining industry leaders to develop a plan to respond to the current Coronavirus pandemic.

H

e said the department's health and safety inspectorate, working together with the mining companies and labor unions in the sector were on "high alert" and testing the level of preparedness, with a focus on preventative control and managing any emerging risks for employees and the environment in which mines operate.

The World Health Organization said yesterday; South Africa had 62 Confirmed COVID-19 cases, 11 new. After meeting with the Minerals Council South Africa leadership, Mantashe said a 10-point plan had been developed, in accordance with the health department and National Institute of Communicable Diseases guidelines.

He stated that no infections had been reported so far in the sector and acknowledged the industry had started work a month ago with a focus on preventative control and managing any emerging risks for employees and the environment in which mines operate.

"We are rest assured that our continued partnership to proactively manage the humanitarian and the economic impact of this pandemic on the sector will go a 42 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

As mining often involves physical activity, there could be a high degree of exposure to the virus simply through contact with coworkers, equipment, and machinery.

long way," he said. A nine-point action program had been outlined by the MCSA earlier this month after the virus, which originated in China, was confirmed to have spread to South Africa.

At that time, the council said it recognized that the mining industry had "special circumstances," which could make it more vulnerable to the transmission of infectious diseases like COVID-19. These included executives traveling to offshore operations and contracting the COVID19 in other nations before returning, plus employees congregating in areas of work and moving in close proximity.

-Gwede Mantashe

"As mining often involves physical activity, there could be a high degree of exposure to the virus simply through contact with coworkers, equipment, and machinery," it added.

Mantashe said the department continued to engage with the sector on areas such as using their medical facilities for the broader community and using any safe and unoccupied housing facilities for quarantine, should the need arise. Before entering politics, Mantashe had worked at a colliery and became a National Union of Mine Workers leader.

Barrick hoarding supplies as mining industry braces for coronavirus

employee traveling. Earlier this week, South Africa, one of the world's largest gold and diamond producers, reported its first case of the disease.

While Chinese copper smelters in the past month have announced force majeure on deliveries of the red metal to clients, some factories in the country have started to recommence operations, fueling hope the virus may be abating inside the second-largest international market.

"The problem now lies with the rest of the world," said Jefferies mining analyst Christopher LaFemina, who expects prices for copper, gold, and other metals to fall to its lowest in the second quarter.

"For China, the demand trajectory is upward."

FILE PHOTO: Workers walk at Barrick Gold Corp's Veladero gold mine in Argentina's San Juan province, April 26, 2017. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci/File Photo

Barrick Gold Corp said on Friday it would reserve important commodities, as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, drawing on the experience from Ebola outbreaks to get ready for the possibility that the outbreak could close down its mines.

I

t was the latest defensive measure by the Mining Sector, which is bracing for a prolonged fall in commodity prices and fear the infection could fuel a rare simultaneous fall in both supply and demand for the minerals used to power the international economy.

stockpiling masks and cleaning supplies, and also encouraging workers to wash their hands frequently, and restricting access to mine sites according to the information and advice from the World Health Organization and other medical officials.

Barrick, the world's Second-largest gold miner with operations across the world, did not specify which "key commodities" it was stockpiling. No employees or contractors at Barrick or peers have tested positive for coronavirus. Across the industry, miners have stated that they are

According to a Reuters tally, Globally, there have been over 98,000 cases of coronavirus and more than 3,300 deaths.

Barrick has set facilities and emergency medical procedures and is also screening employees, visitors, and contractors at each site. The company is also yet to stop

The number of latest infections outside China surpasses recent cases in China, with Iran, Italy, and South Korea seeing worrying spreads of the virus.

Freeport-McMoRan Inc, which runs Indonesia's Grasberg mine, the world's largest gold mine, and Second-largest copper mine, stated that it has no reported cases of the virus despite an increasing number of cases in the country.

Lithium Americas Corp, Lithium Producers SQM, Albemarle Corp, and Livent Corp, which operate in South America, said so far operations had not been affected.

Attendance was down about 10 percent at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada mining conference in Toronto this week, in which masks were given out by Chile's mining minister with copper Woven into the fabric. Copper has natural antimicrobial properties. www.skillings.net | 43

STATISTICS

January 2020 crude steel production

W

orld crude steel production for the 64 countries reporting to the World Steel Association (worldsteel) was 154.4 million tonnes (Mt) in January 2020, a 2.1% increase compared to January 2019. China’s crude steel production for January 2020 was 84.3 Mt, an increase of 7.2% compared to January 2019*. India produced 9.3 Mt of crude steel in January 2020, down 3.2% on January 2019. Japan produced 8.2 Mt of crude steel in January 2020, down 1.3% on January 2019.

South Korea’s crude steel production was 5.8 Mt in January 2020, a decrease of 8.0% on January 2019.

United States Exports to World of All Steel Mill Products in Thousands of Metric Tons

The World Steel Association (worldsteel) is one of the largest and most dynamic industry associations in the world, with members in every major steel-producing country. worldsteel represents steel producers, national and regional steel industry associations, and steel research institutes. Members represent around 85% of global steel production.

In the EU, Italy produced 1.9 Mt of crude steel in January 2020, down by 4.9% on January 2019. France produced 1.3 Mt of crude steel in January 2020, a 4.5% increase compared to January 2019. The US produced 7.7 Mt of crude steel in January 2020, an increase of 2.5% compared to January 2019. Brazil’s crude steel production for January 2020 was 2.7 Mt, down by 11.1% on January 2019. Turkey’s crude steel production for January 2020 was 3.0 Mt, up by 17.3% on January 2019. Crude steel production in Ukraine was 1.8 Mt last month, down 0.4% on January 2019.

Global crude steel output increases by 3.4%

G

lobal crude steel production reached 1,869.9 million tonnes (Mt) for the year 2019, up by 3.4% compared to 2018. Crude steel production contracted in all regions in 2019 except in Asia and the Middle East. Asia produced 1,341.6 Mt of crude steel in 2019, an increase of 5.7% compared to 2018. China’s crude steel production in 2019 reached 996.3 Mt, up by 8.3% on 2018. China’s share of global crude steel production increased from 50.9% in 2018 to 53.3% in 2019. India’s crude steel production for 2019 was 111.2 Mt, up by 1.8% on 2018. Japan produced 99.3 Mt in 2019, down 4.8% compared to 2018. South Korea produced 71.4 Mt of crude steel in 2019, a decrease of 1.4% compared to 2018.

The EU produced 159.4 Mt of crude steel in 2019, a decrease of 4.9% compared to 2018.

Germany produced 39.7 Mt of crude steel in 2019, a decrease of 6.5% on 2018. Italy produced 23.2 Mt in 2019, down by 5.2% on 2018. France produced 14.5 Mt of crude steel, a decrease of 6.1% on 2018. Spain produced 13.6 Mt of crude steel in 2019, a decrease of 5.2% on 2018. Crude steel production in North America was 120.0 Mt in 2019, 0.8% lower than in 2018. The US produced 87.9 Mt of crude steel, up by 1.5% on 2018. The CIS produced 100.4 Mt, a decrease of 0.5%.

Russia produced 71.6 Mt of crude steel in 2019, down by 0.7% on 2018. Ukraine produced 20.8 Mt of crude steel in 2019, a decrease of 1.2% compared to 2018. The Middle East produced 45.3 Mt of crude steel in 2019, an increase of 19.2% on 2018. Annual crude steel production for South America was 41.2 Mt in 2019, a decrease of 8.4% on 2018.

Brazil produced 32.2 Mt in 2019, down by 9.0% compared to 2018. Turkey’s crude steel production for 2019 was 33.7 Mt, down by 9.6% on 2018. Africa produced 17.0 Mt in 2019, down 2.3% on 2018.Oceania produced 6.1 Mt, down 2.9% on 2018.

44 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

ADVERTISING INDEX

Azcon.......................................... 19 Barr Engineering......................... 17 CR Meyer.................................... 27 FloLevel Technologies............... 07 Fryberger..................................... 15 General Equipment Supplies..... 23 Global Minerals Engineering..... 19 Golder Associates...................... 17 Lake Superior Chapter ISEE....... 19 Malton Electric Company.......... 17 ME Elecmetal............................. 05 Mielke Electric Works................ 21 Naylor Pipe................................. 48 Neo Solutions............................. 11 Northern Engine & Supply.......... 17 Optiro.......................................... 02 SEH............................................. 25 Walcot water.............................. 13

CRUDE STEEL PRODUCTION, DECEMBER 2019. Source – World Steel Association COUNTRY

DEC 2019

DEC % CHANGE 2018 DEC-19/18

2019

Austria

521 e

633

-17,7

7 423

Belgium

650 e

580

12,1

Bulgaria

55 e

55

0,2

Croatia

3 e

14

Czech Republic

361 e

Finland France

% CHANGE

COUNTRY

DEC 2019

DEC % CHANGE 2018 DEC-19/18

2019

% CHANGE

7,8

Mexico

1 495 e

1 612

-7,3

18 595

-8,0

7 905

-0,9

United States

7 457

7 478

-0,3

87 927

1,5

595

-10,7

-76,5

65

-52,1

North America

10 002

10 126

-1,2 119 962

-0,8

406

-11,0

4 563

-7,6

326

356

-8,4

4 645

-10,0

186

315

-41,0

3 473

-16,2

2 416

2 709

-10,8

32 236

-9,0

918

1 126

-18,4

14 451

-6,1

Chile

120 e

94

28,0

1 095

-4,4

2850 e

3 227

-11,7

39 675

-6,5

Colombia

100 e

101

-1,0

1 200

-1,6

Greece

120 e

88

36,4

1 376

-6,2

Ecuador

50 e

48

4,5

605

3,7

Hungary

164

160

2,7

1 770

-11,0

Paraguay

3 e

3

-0,5

25

-1,1

1 413

1 708

-17,2

23 245

-5,2

100 e

101

-1,0

1 240

1,9

Uruguay

6 e

5

15,6

65

8,3

Venezuela

1 e

4

-87,5

50

-61,2

3 122

3 421

-8,7

41 161

-8,4

Egypt

574

670

-14,3

7 257

-7,0

Libya

63

55

15,1

606

53,0

423

-36,9

5 666

-10,4

Germany

Italy Luxembourg

180 e

143

25,6

2 200

-1,3

Netherlands

521

567

-8,1

6 657

-2,3

Poland

750 e

878

-14,6

9 065

-10,8

55

41

32,6

645

-1,3

Spain

760

1 049

-27,6

13 581

-5,2

Sweden

376

402

-6,4

4 721

1,4

United Kingdom

558

535

4,2

7 225

-0,6

Other E.U. (28) (e)

915 e

919

-0,5

10 795

-1,8

-11,6 159 430

-4,9

Slovenia

European Union (28) 11 357

12 847

Bosnia-Herzegovina

70 e

79

-10,6

801

15,2

Macedonia

24 e

27

-11,5

239

-10,1

Norway

40

43

-8,1

621

8,0

Serbia

158

148

6,8

1 929

-2,2

Turkey

2 893

2 886

0,2

33 743

-9,6

Other Europe

3 185

3 184

0,0

37 333

-8,5

Byelorussia

230 e

229

0,4

2 680

8,5

Kazakhstan

350 e

56

525,0

4 085

3,1

20 e

22

-9,1

360

-27,6

Russia

6 000 e

6 184

-3,0

71 570

-0,8

Ukraine

1 561

1 885

-17,2

20 848

-1,2

48

4,2

625

-3,3

-2,5 100 168

-0,6

Moldova

Uzbekistan C.I.S. (6) Canada

50 e 8 211

8 424

985 e

981

0,4

12 790

-4,9

Cuba

25 e

21

16,7

235

4,2

El Salvador

10 e

8

21,4

105

5,9

Guatemala

30 e

26

17,6

310

3,4

Argentina Brazil

Peru

South America

South Africa

267 e

Africa

904

1 148

-21,2

13 530

-6,9

2 895 e

2 068

40,0

31 900

30,1

Iran Qatar

186

202

-8,0

2 558

-0,7

Saudi Arabia (1)

410

468

-12,3

5 095

-2,8

UAE

297

292

3 327

2,4

3 788

3 030

25,0 42 879

20,5

China

84 265

75 489

11,6 996 342

8,3

India

9 281

9 356

-0,8 111 246

1,8

Japan

7 784

8 463

-8,0

99 284

-4,8

South Korea

5 876

6 163

-4,7

71 421

-1,4

270 e

283

-4,6

3 313

-29,8

1 740 e

2 038

-14,6

22 065

-5,1

300 e

437

-31,3

4 190

-34,6

1 531

1 292

18,4

20 066

43,2

111 047

103 521

449

Middle East

Pakistan Taiwan, China Thailand Vietnam Asia Australia New Zealand Oceania

1,5

7,3 1 327 926

5,9

449

-0,1

5 493

-3,4

57

58

-1,3

667

2,3

506

507

-0,2

6 160

-2,9

Total 64 countries (2) 152 121

146 207

4,0 1 848 548

3,5

(1) - HADEED only. (2) - the 64 countries included in this table accounted for approximately 99% of total world crude steel production in 2018. e - estimated

www.skillings.net | 45

AMERICA "We believe we have a responsibility to nurture future generations of mining professionals, and we take this seriously.

WASM has a reputation for excellence, with many of its graduates employed in the Australian mining industry. We want to offer eligible students a similar opportunity."

PYBAR has many other skill development programs in place, including an active graduate program and annual vacation work opportunities for students at its various sites, it said. The new WASM scholarship supports and encourages these activities.

photo: https://im-mining.com/

PYBAR supports next

generation of miners with scholarship program

PYBAR says it has initiated a new scholarship in partnership with the Curtin University Western Australian School of Mines (WASM) to support a fulltime student studying a resourcerelated undergraduate degree.

T

he PYBAR Scholarship for Engineering Excellence will be offered to a qualified second-year student studying either a Bachelor of Science (Mining) or Bachelor of Engineering (Mining Engineering) delivered at the WASM campus in Kalgoorlie.

The scholarship is worth A$10,000/y ($5,761/y) over a maximum period of three years and will be awarded to eligible applicants this year, the contract miner said. The scholarship furthers PYBAR's dedication to facilitating train46 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW April 2020

ing and skills development in the mining industry, which has witnessed a decline in the number of engineering students or graduates in recent years, it stated.

PYBAR has sponsored the WASM Graduates Association for the past four years, before converting to this new scholarship arrangement.

This new Scholarship forms part of our efforts to contribute to the long-term future of the mining sector in Australia, said PYBAR Chief Executive Officer, Brendan Rouse.

PYBAR established the Australian Institute of Mining (AIM) in 2019, a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) providing nationally-accredited training to support people and services advancement across the underground mining industry.

ADVERTISING INDEX

Azcon.......................................... 19 Barr Engineering......................... 17 CR Meyer.................................... 25 FloLevel Technologies............... 07 Fryberger..................................... 15 General Equipment Supplies..... 21 Global Minerals Engineering..... 19 Golder Associates...................... 17 Lake Superior Chapter ISEE....... 19 Malton Electric Company.......... 17 ME Elecmetal............................. 05 Minnesota Power....................... 13 Mielke Electric Works................ 29 Naylor Pipe................................. 48 Neo Solutions............................. 11 Northern Engine & Supply.......... 17 Optiro.......................................... 02 SEH............................................. 23 Walcot water.............................. 13

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