Canadian Mining Journal December 2021 by The Northern Miner Group

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DECEMBER 2021 VOL. 142, NO.10

FEATURES 18 Kal Tire opens a facility to recycle ‘ultra-large’ tires in Chile.

INTERNATIONAL MINING 12 Canadian miners and suppliers head Down Under – to Australia. 16 Mining Intelligence and MINING.COM count down the top 10 mines with the world’s most valuable ore.

21 REIMAGINE MINING 22 A panel of industry experts discuss how the industry can achieve net zero emissions at CMJ’s Reimagine Mining event in October.

24 SRK asks ‘What if mining was cool’? 25 George Hemingway of Stratalis advises miners to ‘find your why.’ 26 How drone technology will help unlock mining’s digital future. 26 NORCAT’s Don Duval on the link between technology and talent. 28 Costmine explains how ESG considerations can be factored into cost estimates.

DEPARTMENTS

4 EDITORIAL | The mine of the future won’t be cheap. 6 CSR & MINING | Carolyn Burns of the Devonshire Initiative describes

the CommWell Framework, used to define, measure and analyze community well-being.

8 UNEARTHING TRENDS | Lance Mortlock of EY discusses the potential for

hydrogen to help miners meet their net zero targets.

9 LAW | Sander Grieve of Bennett Jones outlines recent initiatives aimed

at helping Canada and its allies secure critical minerals needed for the energy transition.

10 FAST NEWS | Updates from across the mining ecosystem. 32 ON THE MOVE | Tracking executive, management and board changes in Canada’s mining sector.

About the cover: Photo by Kal Tire, a supplier of ultra-large mining tires. CREDIT: KAL TIRE

Coming in January 2022 Canadian Mining Journal looks at water management and mining in British Columbia.

For More Information

www.canadianminingjournal.com DECEMBER 2021

Please visit www.canadianminingjournal.com for regular updates on what’s happening with Canadian mining companies and their personnel both here and abroad. A digital version of the magazine is also available at https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/digital-edition/

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 3

FROM THE EDITOR DECEMBER 2021 Vol. 142 – No. 10

The mine of the future won’t be cheap Alisha Hiyate

o put it bluntly, it’s been a hell of a year. In the editorial in our December 2020 issue, I wrote about the promise of the two leading – but not yet approved, much less manufactured – Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. A year later, everyone in Canada and the U.S. who wants to be vaccinated has been, with the roll-out now starting for children under 12. More vulnerable populations are now eligible for booster shots. It’s worth reflecting on how quickly things have changed. And although Covid-19 has not gone away, we are adapting. At the same time as it deals with the human resource, travel, and supply chain issues that the pandemic has given rise to, the mining industry is adapting to another enormous challenge: decarbonization. While not as acute a crisis, the energy transition is a disruptive and transformational force that is increasing in urgency. (Just look at B.C.’s experience this year with fires and floods.) There is not a facet of the mining business that won’t be affected by this transition, and now that the largest miners have formally set net zero goals for 2050, they must now outline their plans to get there. One thing is clear – it won’t be cheap. Neither is the status quo however: McKinsey & Co. estimates that the cost of capital for miners with the lowest ESG scores can be 20-25% higher than those at the top end. Over time, the cost of new technologies will decline. In its report, The 2030 Decarbonization Challenge, Deloitte noted that energy storage, which is key to large-scale adoption of renewable energy, has become less expensive over the past decade. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) data, average market prices for battery packs fell by 86% from US$1,100/kilowatt hour (kWh) in 2010 to US$156/kWh in 2019, with further reductions expected. And while electric trucks are still more expensive than diesel, McKinsey says that the math will work out differently in time. “We estimate that by 2030, total cost of ownership for a battery electric or fuel cell haulage truck will be approximately 20%, and 10% lower (respectively) than existing diesel trucks,” the management consulting firm said a June 2021 article. Despite higher upfront vehicle and infrastructure costs, the overall cost is expected to be lower thanks to 20-30% lower maintenance costs and 40-60% lower fuel costs. In the meantime, miners will have to plan their decarbonization pathways carefully. Availability of low-carbon equipment could also become an issue as Mark Fellows of Skarn Associates warned miners at CMJ’s Reimagine Mining Symposium in October. “It’s easy to envisage how the equipment manufacturers’ order books are going to get pretty blocked out by the major mining companies as low carbon mobile equipment becomes available. There’s going to be a hell of a logjam when it comes to sourcing that equipment,” he said. Turn to page 21 for more insights on decarbonization and coverage of the symposium, and check out Costmine’s advice on incorporating ESG considerations into costing on page 28. CMJ

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225 Duncan Mill Rd. Suite 320, Toronto, Ontario M3B 3K9 Tel. (416) 510-6789 Fax (416) 510-5138 www.canadianminingjournal.com Editor-in-Chief Alisha Hiyate 416-510-6742 ahiyate@canadianminingjournal.com Twitter: @Cdn_Mining_Jrnl Interim News Editor Marilyn Scales mscales@canadianminingjournal.com Production Manager Jessica Jubb jjubb@glacierbizinfo.com Art Director Barbara Burrows Advisory Board David Brown (Golder Associates) Michael Fox (Indigenous Community Engagement) Scott Hayne (Redpath Canada) Gary Poxleitner (SRK) Manager of Product Distribution Allison Mein 403-209-3515 amein@glacierrig.com Publisher & Sales Robert Seagraves 416-510-6891 rseagraves@canadianminingjournal.com Sales, Western Canada George Agelopoulos 416-510-5104 gagelopoulos@northernminer.com Toll Free Canada & U.S.A.: 1-888-502-3456 ext 2 or 43734 Circulation Toll Free Canada & U.S.A.: 1-888-502-3456 ext 3 Group Publisher Anthony Vaccaro Established 1882

Canadian Mining Journal provides articles and information of practical use to those who work in the technical, administrative

and supervisory aspects of exploration, mining and processing in the Canadian mineral exploration and mining industry. Canadian Mining Journal (ISSN 0008-4492) is published 10 times a year by Glacier Resource Innovation Group (GRIG). GRIG is located at 225 Duncan Mill Rd., Ste. 320, Toronto, ON, M3B 3K9. Phone (416) 510-6891. Legal deposit: National Library, Ottawa. Printed in Canada. All rights reserved. The contents of this magazine are protected by copyright and may be used only for your personal non-commercial purposes. All other rights are reserved and commercial use is prohibited. To make use of any of this material you must first obtain the permission of the owner of the copyright. For further information please contact Robert Seagraves at 416-510-6891. Subscriptions – Canada: $51.95 per year; $81.50 for two years. USA: US$64.95 per year. Foreign: US$77.95 per year. Single copies: Canada $10; USA and foreign: US$10. Canadian subscribers must add HST and Provincial tax where necessary. HST registration # 809744071RT001. From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Phone: 1-888-502-3456 ext 3; E-mail: amein@glacierrig.com Mail to: Allison Mein, 225 Duncan Mill Rd., Ste 320, Toronto, ON M3B 3K9 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

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CSR & MINING

Measuring community well-being in the mining context: A multi-stakeholder tool By Carolyn Burns

here is an implicit promise that mining activity will bring sustained positive benefits to local communities; that the people who are impacted by mining activity will be “better off.” We hope that the jobs, infrastructure, and other community development investments that come with mining activity will support better education, health and social outcomes. We also hope that efforts to manage the negative environmental and social impacts associated with mining are effective, and that the negative impacts of mining don’t outweigh the positive. There are a growing number of systems, regulations and tools in place to measure the effectiveness of specific programs and hold companies, governments and others accountable for their actions. However, there are few holistic, collaborative, long-term approaches to planning and measuring community well-being as a whole, that allow us to track changes in the community. There are limited ways to answer the question: is the community “better off”? In order to see sustained positive outcomes, we need to be deliberate and use multi-stakeholder approaches for better data, dialogue, and decision-making. Over the past eight years, the members of the Devonshire Initiative, including mining companies, civil society organizations and academics, have discussed and tested various approaches to understand community well-being in mining impacted communities. In 2015, the DI introduced a pilot framework which was designed to engage stakeholders in a participatory process to define and collect data on community well-being in the mining context. The framework has been tested in various mining communities over the past six years. Now we’ve updated and refreshed (and renamed) it based on lessons learned from the pilots and input from various stakeholders working in this space.

What is the CommWell Framework?

The Community Well-Being and Mining Framework (CommWell) is a participatory process for discussing, defining, measuring and analyzing community well-being. The data, dialogue and decisions about community well-being generated by the framework act as a catalyst for various stakeholders to plan and coordinate community development initiatives in the mining context. The objective of the framework is to: > collect better data to assess community well-being; > encourage better dialogue among stakeholders in mining areas and support multi-stakeholder co-ordination around local development processes; and > support better decisions that affect community well-being. The framework is laid out in four phases and is designed to

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complement existing initiatives for baseline data collection in the mining context (such as social impact assessments). It’s also designed to integrate with existing community planning and development processes.

n ts o t

ram

A holistic approach requires diverse perspectives and dialogue to analyze data and understand how various groups in the community experience well-being. There are several benefits to the multi-stakeholder approach that is promoted through the CommWell Framework. 1 | It pushes us past causal data, and focuses on a holistic view of community well-being. The framework promotes a holistic approach to community well-being; one that requires us to move beyond a focus on how one actor or initiative contributes to development. Instead, the framework focuses on what the community would like to see and how actors can collectively contribute to this vision of development. The framework includes a number of categories and indicators that could be referenced when defining community well-being. They include economic, environmental, health, education, governance and safety indicators and are reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals. The dialogue required to develop locally applicable co-created indicators is integral to the process and to the overall goal of creating inclusive, multi-stakeholder definitions of community well-being. 2 | Multi-stakeholder processes result in better development outcomes. This has been recognized in development research for some time. Inclusive community representation generally improves transparency and accountability, while ensuring that a community development plan is reflective of local needs and goals. The processes and data that emerge from the framework can be woven into an existing development planning process or serve as a precursor to a new one. 3 | The company is not the focal point of dialogue. Mining companies are commonly placed at the centre of development dialogue. Inherently, this can create risks of a paternalistic and unsustainable relationship. The framework aims to shift that balance by ensuring that the mining company is at the table for local development dialogue, but not at the centre of discussion, regardless of the extent of the company’s (financial) contribution.

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4 | Company-community dialogue is connected to broader development processes with key stakeholders at the table. Communities or geographic regions typically have their own development plans and processes in place, irrespective of the presence or involvement of mining companies. When company-community dialogue and development planning is well connected to these processes, there is more potential for sustainable outcomes. The framework aims to strengthen the connection between key stakeholders involved in development planning and the company-community dialogue. 5| Dialogue is inclusive. Communities are not homogeneous and inclusivity is a critical component of successful development processes. That principle equally applies to the process of defining and monitoring well-being in the framework. A multi-stakeholder process does not simply mean a lot of people at the table; it means representation of different groups, such as women, youth, elderly, vulnerable people, ethnic and religious minorities, and others. It also means providing regular feedback to the rest of the community. While all groups may not be at the table at the same

time, the CommWell Framework process promotes dialogue through focus groups and other venues that enable inclusivity. 6 | A multi-stakeholder approach can support a company’s social licence to operate. Research shows that one of the keys to building trust with local communities is ensuring that community members feel respected by any decision-making processes and ultimately that they can actively participate in them – this can be called procedural fairness. Although this concept applies largely to mine projectrelated decisions, it also applies to community development processes. It is important to acknowledge here though, that multi-stakeholder processes are complex undertakings in and of themselves and require commitment by all parties. CMJ This article is the first in a three part series that loo s at meas ring comm nit well eing in the mining conte t. CAROLYN BURNS is executive director of the Devonshire Initiative, a multi-stakeholder forum focused on improving development outcomes in the mining context (www.devonshireinitiative.org).

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CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 7

LAW

Securing critical minerals for the energy transition By Sander Grieve

ecuring the critical minerals needed to support the world’s energy transition is taking on a new importance for Canada and other Western governments. A number of international partnerships and policy initiatives have been announced in recent months – with the stated goal of levelling out the imbalance of critical minerals in global supply chains. Fundamental economic and national security issues are at stake. Geography is a key area of imbalance. A May 2021 International Energy Agency (IEA) report says the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and China were responsible for some 70% and 60% of global production of cobalt and rare earth elements, respectively, in 2019. When it comes to future supply, the IEA says reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement would mean a quadrupling of mineral requirements for clean energy technologies by 2040. Hitting net zero globally by 2050 would require six times more mineral inputs in 2040 than today. The supply of base metals to support the energy transition presents a challenge, too. Wood Mackenzie’s COP2 briefing says the energy transition can’t happen without base metals (including an additional 19 million tonnes of copper alone) – and base metals capex needs to quadruple to about US$2 trillion to achieve an accelerated energy transition. So what are Canada and its international allies doing to secure the minerals needed for the world’s energy transition, and what does it mean for Canadian miners?

Canada

Canada unveiled its Critical Minerals List in March 2021. It includes 31 minerals that are essential to Canada’s economic security, needed for the transition to a low-carbon economy, and a sustainable source of critical minerals for our partners. The list builds on the existing Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan. On the provincial level, the dial seems to be starting to move with certain provinces taking the lead. In March 2021, the Ontario government announced it is developing its first-ever Critical Minerals Strategy, scheduled to be released this fall. In October 2020, Quebec launched its Plan for the Development of Critical and Strategic Minerals 2020-2025. Alberta introduced the Mineral Resources Development Act in November 2021 and in Saskatoon, a rare earth processing facility that will be operated by the Saskatchewan Research Council is being built.

Canada and international partners

The United States and Canada hosted the third Canada-U.S. Critical Minerals Working Group meeting in July 2021. The group discussed ways to strengthen the Canada-U.S. Joint Action Plan

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Reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement would mean a quadrupling of mineral requirements for clean energy technologies by 2040. on Critical Minerals Collaboration to target a net zero industrial transformation and to support clean energy deployment. The Joint Action Plan was announced in January 2020. In June 2021, the Biden administration released a 100-Day Building Resilient Supply Chains Review. The report says that to secure a reliable, sustainable supply of critical minerals and materials, the U.S. must work with allies and partners to diversify supply chains away from adversarial nations and sources with unacceptable environmental and labour standards. The report also stressed the need for the U.S. to capture as much of the critical minerals value chain as possible. In July, a joint statement was released on the framework for Canada-EU Strategic Partnership on Raw Materials. Next steps include developing critical raw material projects in Canada and the E and aligning European and Canadian financial support for critical mineral projects to leverage and de-risk private investments. And on Sept. 30, the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) released its Action Plan to secure access to rare earth elements for European industry. ERMA includes almost 20 Canadian companies.

What’s needed next?

From a policy point of view we are facing some serious issues. Will we use the resources we have to save ourselves? Perhaps even the species? Are we going to mine these resources and ship them offshore for the value add creation of batteries, aerospace components and other strategic uses? Will government decide to subsidize or even take a direct role in the economy? We have lists. We know the targets. Industry can be a big part of the solution, but we need some leadership to encourage investment to start moving lists into targets, targets into projects and projects into mines, processing and manufacturing. Leadership means infrastructure, permits and licences, maybe even grants and tax concessions for the value add. Leadership can start to take us from concept down this virtuous highway to sufficiency and opportunity. et it start today. CMJ SANDER GRIEVE is a partner and head of the mining industry team at Bennett Jones in Toronto.

www.canadianminingjournal.com

UNEARTHING TRENDS

Accelerating the potential of hydrogen to enable a net zero future By Lance Mortlock

ith conversations wrapping up at the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties last month, there’s an ongoing narrative and heightened awareness about the importance of accelerating action towards meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. With an ambitious target for Canada to reach net zero by 2050, there’s much to do to build a reliable and cost effective clean-energy mix that will continue to meet consumer energy demands. Between the proposal for a global carbon tax, commitment to end public financing of fossil fuel projects and the push to phase out coal production, there’s a lot businesses need to be preparing for to effectively assess climate-based risks and proactively navigate their energy transitions. This is certainly no different for mining and metals companies. The EY Top 10 business risks and opportunities report ranks decarbonization at number two as companies face increasing pressure from stakeholders. Even though the majority of miners have made commitments to net zero by 2050, few have made the necessary investments needed to achieve this. While this is likely because many are still in the process of working through what net zero really means for them and how to get there, companies cannot wait for answers before allocating capital. Those who don’t act now will fall behind. A potential pathway in meeting climate change goals is hydrogen. The federal government, along with several provincial governments, have recognized its tremendous potential in decarbonizing the economy, particularly through upstream and downstream transformation. If estimates are achieved, hydrogen could help to reduce Canadian greenhouse gas emissions by 26% by 2050. The good news is that mining companies are already taking early steps in harnessing the potential of hydrogen. We’ve seen significant investments in production and storage. And last year, saw the formation of the Green Hydrogen Consortium — a pledge by global mining giants to work together to accelerate renewable energy-powered hydrogen production and its application to the resources sector and other heavy industries. Clearly, hydrogen presents a real opportunity for mining and metals companies to meet carbon commitments, while helping Canada to accelerate adoption across sectors and move towards a clean energy mix that supports a net zero future. One of the future applications of hydrogen is a diesel fuel replacement for use in the transportation and mining sectors. The industry is heavily reliant on diesel and presents an opportunity for hydrogen in its haul trucks, shovels, mineral processing and power plants. Unique conditions with long-distance DECEMBER 2021

Hydrogen presents a real opportunity for mining and metals companies to meet carbon commitments, while helping Canada to accelerate adoption across sectors and move towards a clean energy mix that supports a net zero future. trips and heavy loads make plug-in electric battery options difficult due to limits on storage capacity, recharge times and infrastructure requirements. Which is why some companies are exploring alternatives, making investments in the design and construction of hydrogen-powered haul trucks. But, with hydrogen use still in its infancy, the ability to capture, store and distribute cost-effectively remains a deterrent for greater widespread adoption. This is where miners have the upper hand. While a significant up-front investment, the remote operations of mines could make it more cost effective in the long run, eventually decreasing power and fuel costs that are typically much higher in rural areas. Additionally, once the initial investment in renewables-to-hydrogen is made, the gas could be used as fuel in a range of different applications, from operations and refining to transport — ultimately, generating a more sustainable return while helping to decarbonize operations across the board. The remote location of mines can also allow for surplus solar and wind energy, helping to generate future excess quantities of hydrogen to export to adjacent industries. The Green ydrogen Consortium, for example, intends to do just that. It aims to collectively help to eliminate the obstacles to the adoption of green hydrogen technologies and encourage innovative application — both within their companies and beyond to customers, suppliers and operators — creating alternate avenues for revenue. With the sector set up for success to navigate many of the current challenges, companies can help to deliver the necessary research and development, and identify innovative solutions for other industries to apply and bring hydrogen to market. The faster companies can raise hydrogen production, the sooner carbon emission targets can be met, helping to increase license to operate and access to financing options that meet rising ESG standards. CMJ LANCE MORTLOCK is the energy leader at EY Canada, based in Calgary. For more insights on Canada’s hydrogen future, visit www.ey.com/en_ca/energy-resources. CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 9

FAST NEWS • COLLABORATION |

Updates from across the mining ecosytem

Newmont, Caterpillar team up to reach zero emissions

The control room for automated haulage at the Boddington mine in Australia. CREDIT: NEWMONT

Newmont and Caterpillar have teamed up to deliver a fully connected, automated, zero carbon emitting, end-to-end mining system. Together, they will collaborate to create a safer, more productive mine, and substantially support Newmont in reaching its 2030 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets of more than 30%, with an ultimate goal of being net zero carbon by 2050. Building pathways to decarbonization is essential for the future of mining. Newmont’s surface and underground mining fleets are responsible for approximately 40% of the company’s carbon emissions. Building a new model for surface and underground mining is critical to delivering on Newmont’s emissions reduction targets. Newmont will also be supporting Caterpillar’s validation of evolving features and functionality within the MineStar suite to be deployed across Newmont’s surface and underground assets globally. This deployment facilitates centralized production and asset management. Under the agreement, Newmont plans to provide a preliminary investment of $100 million as the companies set initial automation and electrification goals for

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surface and underground mining infrastructures and haulage fleets at ewmont’s Cripple Creek and Victor mine in Colorado and the Tanami mine in Australia’s Northern Territory. An automated haulage fleet of up to vehicles at Cripple Creek is planned through 2023, with a transition to haulage fleet electrification and implementation of Caterpillar’s advanced electrification and infrastructure system with delivery of a test fleet in 202 .

• MATERIAL HANDLING |

iron ore mine

At Tanami, Caterpillar will develop its first battery electric zero emissions underground truck to be deployed by 2026. The deployment includes a fleet of up to 0 battery electric underground haul trucks, supported by Caterpillar’s advanced electrification and infrastructure system. The new alliance sets the stage for the rapid development and deployment of the technologies, ultimately improving safety, productivity and energy efficiency across the mining industry. CMJ

Railveyor headed to Ukrainian

A major Ukrainian mining company has signed a contract to purchase Rail-Veyor Technologies Global’s material handling system, Railveyor. PJSC Sukha Balka will use the technology at its Frunze mine, part of Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih iron ore complex. Sukha Balka has recently attained production of up to 65% iron commercial ore. Manufacturing of the Railveyor system will begin in 2022 with completion of the first phase in 2023 and completion of the second phase in 2026. The managing director of Sukha Balka first

gained interest in the Railveyor system during a tour of Agnico Eagle Mines’ Goldex mine. Although the tour was originally designed for representatives of Sukha Balka to evaluate other mining equipment in use at the site, they were intrigued by the promise of a cost-saving and environmentally friendly haulage system. Extensive vetting included a 16-week engineering study undertaken with the participation of SE “UkrNIPII promtechnology” design institute, Rail-Veyor’s engineering department and Sukha Balka’s chief engineer. CMJ www.canadianminingjournal.com

• M&A |

Weir to buy AI, machine vision leader Motion Metrics

The Weir Group has agreed to acquire Motion Metrics, a leading Canada-based global mining technology business, for an initial consideration of about $149 million in cash. The amount is payable in cash upon completion, and is subject to customary net debt and working capital adjustments. Motion Metrics is the market leading developer of innovative artificial intelligence (AI) and 3-D rugged machine vision technology used in mines worldwide. Its technology helps miners increase safety, efficiency and sustainability of their operations. As part of the agreement, Motion Metrics’ Vancouver headquarters will become Weir’s global centre for excellence in AI and machine vision technology. Motion Metrics applications are highly complementary to Weir’s product portfolio. It will join the ESCO division reflecting the early adoption of its technology in ground engaging tools (GET) where ESCO is an established global leader. Motion Metrics AI and machine vision capabilities are expected to be leveraged across the whole mining value chain served by the Weir Group. Motion Metrics was founded in 1999 by Dr. Shahram Tafazoli. In addition to its headquarters in Vancouver, Motion

Metrics has offices in Chile, Australia, Brazil, Russia and South Africa. The business employs 125 people focused largely on research and development, alongside sales and field support. Tafazoli will continue to lead the business when the company joins the Weir Group. Weir’s existing Canadian operations employ 600 people and include manufacturing facilities as well as sales and ser-

Motion Metrics is the market leading developer of innovative AI and 3-D rugged machine vision technology.

CREDIT: WEIR GROUP

vice centres. The company is celebrating 150 years in business. CMJ

• EVs |

Proterra to supply battery tech to Komatsu Proterra and Komatsu have announced a new collaboration to electrify next generation underground mining machines using Proterra’s battery technology. Proterra will supply its H Series battery system technology to Komatsu for the development of battery-electric LHDs, drills and bolters for underground hard rock mining. Komatsu will develop prototype machines this year before the expected start of commercial production in 2022. The collaboration represents Proterra’s entry into the underground mining equipment market. This is the second collaboration between Proterra and Komatsu. The two companies previously announced an agreement in which Proterra supplies its industry leading battery systems to support omatsu in electrifying its first medium-sized hydraulic excavators. CMJ DECEMBER 2021

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INTERNATIONAL MINING

> By Carl Williams

Taking the plunge

rich and storied mining tradition connects Canada and Australia. Both share vast mineral resources, abundant infrastructure, effective regulatory regimes and mining codes, and supportive legislation. While the influx of Australian miners to Canada has been underway for some time (including Evolution Mining, Newcrest Mining, and St Barbara), the Canadian miners and mining supply and service companies that are forging a path in Australia are less well documented. The birthplace of some of the world’s biggest miners such as BHP and Rio Tinto, Australia offers an attractive and potentially lucrative opportunity for Canadian companies looking to establish a presence or to expand current operations there. That applies to both miners attracted by its geology and mining history, and mining supply and service companies that are looking to tap a new market. According to the Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, mining and quarrying was the top sector for foreign direct investment (FDI) in Australia from 2018-2020. These investments reached A$360.4 million ($331 million) in 2020, account-

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DOWN ing for over one-third (35.1%) of total FDI into Australia that year. In 202 , the mining sector ranked first for gross value added (GVA), with an 11.7% share of the country’s total GVA. Below is a selection of Canadian companies that have recently started operating in Australia.

Karora Resources

Karora Resources has two producing mines in Western Australia: the Beta Hunt underground gold and nickel mine, about 600 km east of Perth, and the Higginsville gold mine, 75 km south of Beta Hunt.

www.canadianminingjournal.com

Left: The Ellesmere portal at Kirkland Lake Gold’s Fosterville mine in Australia.

CREDIT: KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD

Below left: The mill at Karora Resources Higginsville operation.

CREDIT: KARORA RESOURCES

Below right: Symbioticware’s Speedguard solution installed on a vehicle.

The company also owns the Spargos Reward gold project, approximately 20 km west of igginsville, which began feeding the mill at Higginsville earlier this year. Oliver Turner, Karora’s vice-president of corporate development, says the experience of operating assets in Australia has been “absolutely fantastic.” “Working in Western Australia has been wonderful,”

skilled workforce, but they are a dedicated one too.” Turner noted that the way Australian miners work is slightly different from their North American counterparts, which he said is primarily driven by the nature of the orebodies. “In Australia, they have large-tonnage, shallowplunging orebodies with a lot of tonnes underground,”

UNDER he said. “There have certainly been challenges with the bush fires in 20 9 and 2020 and restrictions imposed due to the Covid- 9 pandemic, but the culture and the quality of the miners there have shone through despite these challenges.” Karora acquired Beta Hunt in 2016 (under its former name C Minerals) and igginsville in 20 9. The company’s mines, he added, are fly-in-fly-out operations, and “there were numerous occasions where our miners stayed for a double shift, both during the bushfires and Covid- 9, to make sure that operations didn’t get interrupted. So not only are they a highlyDECEMBER 2021

CREDIT: SYMBIOTICWARE

Canadian suppliers looking for a piece of Australia’s lucrative mining market

he explained. Whereas, in orth America, most operations are of lower tonnage and higher grade. So, there was some adjustment to operating in a lower-grade, higher-tonnage environment that we learned from our experience in Australia. Other notable Canadian miners with assets in Australia include Kirkland Lake Gold, which owns the Fosterville gold mine in Victoria; Laramide Resources, which owns two uranium projects, Westmoreland in northwest Queensland and Murphy in the Northern Territory; and Mandalay Resources, which operates CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 13

INTERNATIONAL MINING the Costerfield gold-antimony mine in Victoria.

MacLean Engineering

Headquartered in Collingwood, Ont., MacLean Engineering is Canada’s largest mobile equipment manufacturer for underground mining operations, says Patrick Marshall, MacLean’s vice-president of technology. “We’ve been an innovator in mining equipment safety and efficiency for almost 50 years,” he said.” We have branches across Canada and in the U.S., Mexico, Peru, South Africa, and now Australia.” The company provides a range of products and services, including shotcrete and utility vehicles, explosives-loading vehicles, and mobile rock breakers and scalers, and in the last five years has developed advanced vehicle technologies such as remote-controlled vehicles and autonomous equipment. According to Marshall, the market for underground mining equipment in Australia is roughly the same size as that in Canada. “So, it makes sense to have a presence in one of the largest markets in the world,” he said. While the company initially opened a branch about 10 years ago in Perth, Western Australia, he said most of its customers are now located on the east coast of Australia. “We’ve seen a lot more penetration into the owner-operator mining space through a branch in New South Wales,” explained Marshall. The company, he said, is now provid-

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MacLean Engineering’s BH3 EV Blockholer.

CREDIT: JAMES HODGINS

ing vehicles and equipment to miners in Mt. Isa in Queensland and Broken Hill in New South Wales, as well as BHP’s Olympic Dam and Oz Minerals’ Carrapateena mines in South Australia. Maclean is now in the process of opening a second branch in Orange, New South Wales, which Marshall said ideally positions the company to serve existing customers as well as being is close to several significant underground mining operations it is targeting. These include

Newcrest Mining’s Cadia gold and copper mine and China Molybdenum’s Northparkes copper and gold mine, in New South Wales.

Hard-Line Solutions

Sudbury-headquartered Hard-Line Solutions supplies automation, teleoperation, and remote-control technologies for surface and underground mining operations. Established in 99 , ard- ine has been selling products to Australian miners since 200 . The company has offices in the U.S., Chile, and Peru and has a worldwide network of distributors. As one of the world’s largest exporters of mineral resources, Hard-Line had been paying close attention to the Australian markets for quite some time, said Phil Pelland, Hard-Lines’ vice-president of sales. “(We) realized there was a need for our products in Australia. So, it was important for us to find the perfect partner to sell our products there. We found it in Murray Engineering.” The two companies established a partnership in 2018. With headquarters in Pinjarra, Western Australia, Murray Engineering specializes in the maintenance, refurbishment, automation, manufacture, and assembly of a wide range of mechanical and electrical equipment.

www.canadianminingjournal.com

Hard-Line Solutions’ TeleOp remote control stations.

CREDIT: HARD-LINE SOLUTIONS

“We were introduced to Murray Engineering at a PDAC event in 2018,” explained Pelland. Since then, it has been distributing our RRC Radio Remote Controls, TeleOperated Remote Control Systems, FarSight Video Systems, and P 0 ow-Profile oader products to mining companies in Australia.” Pelland says that the partnership with Murray has allowed it to work with more mines and different types of technology in Australia. The company plans to increase its presence in Australia, with two big projects on the horizon that it hopes to share some of the details about soon, said Pelland.

Pacific, and the .S., Agarwal said. Symbioticware is currently working with partners in Australia on two oppor-

tunities in the country, he added. “The first is for an equipment financing company that provides heavy machinery for mining operations. The other is for (an unnamed) mining company that is looking to better manage their mobile fleet. He added that “at some point, we will have a local presence in Australia because we know that Australians are very specific around whom they do business with … they want to deal with local people and local companies.” Commenting on his experience working in Australia, he noted that Australians were “very progressive and stuck with finding solutions longer (than other countries).” The mining sector in Australia is a “large part of their economy and is more centralized there than in other countries, so the return on investment is higher than other markets,” Agarwal said. “This is another reason why we’d like to expand our presence there. CMJ Carl Williams is a former senior staff writer with The Northern Miner.

When we can’t be there, we can assess your samples remotely.

Symboticware

Founded in 2008, Sudbury-based Symboticware develops and manufactures real-time data management systems for mobile mining equipment to improve operational efficiency and safety. Ash Agarwal, Symboticware’s president and CEO, says the company has been working in the mining industry for 13 years and “provides solutions to address the connectivity issues for equipment like remote drill rigs that allow companies to gain meaningful insights into their operation.” In August, the company secured $2.8 million in seed funding. The funds “have allowed us to scale up our operations beyond Canada and pursue opportunities in Australia, New Zealand, Asia DECEMBER 2021

45 offices worldwide. Keeping up the momentum.

.com

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 15

INTERNATIONAL MINING

> By MINING.com Staff

RANKED:

TOP 10 MINES WITH THE WORLD’S MOST

VALUABLE ORE

Mining Intelligence data shows that Canada hosts several of the top mines by ore value

n mining, grade is king. Across the commodity spectrum, some of the most anticipated results – which can determine the scope of a mining project – are assay values from drill testing. As one of mining’s most influential figures, obert Friedland, sums it up: “Mining 101. High grade is good. Low grade is bad. “The higher the grade, the smaller the environmental footprint, Friedland has said. The higher the grade, the smaller

Above: Cameco’s Cigar Lake uranium mine in Saskatchewan. CREDIT: CAMECO

16 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

the plant, the less the electrical consumption, the smaller the labour force, the smaller the tailings pond, the less the global warming gas per unit of metal produced.” The value of the ore is calculated by multiplying the contained metals and minerals per tonne in the proven and probable reserves by the ruling price for the commodities. While this isn’t a measure of profitability since it does not take costs of development or operation into account or the overall size of the mine, it does offer insight into the geographical locations that host rich ore and commodities of interest.

www.canadianminingjournal.com

Alexco Resource’s Keno Hill mine in the Yukon hosts two deposits on the list. CREDIT: ALEXCO RESOURCE

Silver and gold shine on the top ten list of mines with the most valuable ore, compiled with data provided by our sister company Mining Intelligence. Top listed uranium producer Cameco’s Cigar Lake uranium mine in Saskatchewan takes top spot with ore reserves valued at US$9,105 per tonne, totalling US$4.3 billion. After a six-month pandemic induced halt, Cameco restarted operations at Cigar Lake in April. Pan American Silver’s Cap-Oeste Sur Este (COSE) mine in Argentina is in second place, with ore reserves valued at US$1,606 per tonne, totaling US$60 million. In third place is Alphamin esources’ isie tin mine in the Democratic epublic of Congo, which saw record production in the final quarter of 2020, with ore reserves valued at S , 0 per tonne, totalling S .2 billion. Fourth place goes to Alexco esource’s ellekeno silver mine in Canada’s ukon territory, one of four deposits that make up its Keno Hill operation. eserves at ellekeno are valued at S , per tonne for a total value of S 20 million. Kirkland Lake Gold, which recently announced it will merge

The processing plant at Kirkland Lake Gold’s Fosterville mine in Australia. CREDIT: KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD

with Agnico Eagle Mines, takes two spots in the top ten list, with its Macassa gold mine in Ontario and Fosterville gold mine in Australia at fifth and sixth places, respectively. Macassa has ore reserves valued at S , 2 per tonne for a total value of S . billion while Fosterville’s reserves are valued at S 9 per tonne for a total of US$5.5 billion. In seventh place is Glencore’s Shaimerden zinc mine in Kazakhstan, with ore reserves valued at US$874.7 million for a total value of S . billion. Alexco esource takes another spot with its Flame and Moth silver deposit at eno ill with reserves valued at US$846.9 per tonne, for a total value of US$610 million. ounding out the top ten are ecla Mining’s Greens Creek silver-zinc mine in Alaska with ore reserves valued at US$844 per tonne for a total value of US$6.9 billion. Western Areas Spotted Quoll nickel mine in Australia with ore reserves valued at S 2 per tonne – a total value of S . billion. CMJ This article first appeared on www.mining.com. Visit www.miningintelligence.com for more information.

TOP 10 MINES BY ORE VALUE OPERATION

COUNTRY

MAJOR OWNER/S

PRIMARY METAL (BY PRODUCTS)

Cigar Lake

2 3

PROPERTY TONNAGE

RESERVES (MILLIONS VALUE OF (USD/TONNE) TONNES)

RESERVE VALUE (USD BILLIONS)

MINING METHOD

Cameco/Orano

Uranium

9,105

0.47

4.30

Cap-Oeste Sur Este Argentina

Pan American Silver

Silver

1,607

0.04

0.06

Bisie

DRC

Alphamin Resources

Tin

1,561

3.33

5.20

4 Bellekeno

Canada

Alexco Resource Corp.

Silver (lead, zinc)

1,315

0.01

0.02

Canada

Kirkland Lake Gold

Gold

1,121

3.84

4.30

Australia

Kirkland Lake Gold

Gold

915

5.95

5.45

Macassa

6 Fosterville 7

Shaimerden

Canada

ORE

Kazakhstan

Glencore

Zinc

875

1.20

1.05

8 Flame & Moth*

Canada

Alexco Resource Corp.

Silver (zinc, lead)

847

0.72

0.61

9 Greens Creek

United States

Hecla Mining

Silver, zinc (gold, lead)

845

8.14

6.88

10 Spotted Quoll

Australia

Western Areas

Nickel

821

1.60

1.31

OP/UG

Based on reported proven and probable reserves in 2020. *This is a mine in construction.

DECEMBER 2021

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 17

> By D’Arcy Jenish

‘mountains’ WHAT TO DO WITH OF SPENT MINING TIRES? Kal Tire opens recycling facility for ultra-large mining tires in Chile

Ultra-large tires can measure 4 metres in diameter and weigh up to 5,000 kg apiece.

CREDIT: KAL TIRE

18 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

www.canadianminingjournal.com

hen it comes to waste in mining, liquid and solid tailings generally spring to mind first, but ultra-large tires – behemoths that can measure metres in diameter, weigh 5,000 kg and cost up to $50,000 new apiece – are a close second. Indeed, at some major mines, the stockpiles of used and discarded tires are so big they are visible in satellite images created by Google Earth. We’ve heard miners talking about this problem for years and years,” says Dan Allan, senior vice-president of the mining tire division with al Tire, a family-owned business based in

SUSTAINABILITY ernon, .C. The challenge has been that’s there’s never been a solution. ntil now that is. al Tire has designed, built and commissioned its first thermal conversion plant, and the first for Chile, to deal with the problem of spent tires. It is located near Antofagasta, Chile, a major mining district in the north of the country, some 1,200 km from the capital of Santiago. The plant will be capable of processing five ultra-large tires at a time in cylindrical reactors that rotate slowly. By applying intense heat, without oxygen, the reactors will convert them to , 00 litres of light and heavy oil as well as synthetic gas, ,000 kg of steel and ,000 kg of carbon black. Once the plant is operating around the clock, which is expected by year end, it will be capable of processing 20,000 kg per day, or , 00 tonnes a year – enough to begin to put a small dent in some of the

enormous stockpiles of used tires found at Chilean mines. The scale of the problem can hardly be exaggerated. I’ve seen mountains of tires in Chile,” says Scott Farnham, al Tire’s director of recycling services. Some of the large mines have 0 to 00 of these trucks, there are six tires per truck and these mines have been operating for decades.” al Tire began working on the project in 20 when the Chilean government was in the early stages of developing a comprehensive recycling program to cover everything from oil and packaging to tires and plastic. Tires happened to be the first material that they legislated,” Farnham says. “It goes into effect next year. It’s really quite forward thinking.” Thermal conversion is a well-established process, but it had never been applied to anything like the ultra-large tires used in mining. Farnham and CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

DECEMBER 2021

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 19

SUSTAINABILITY

Kal Tire is a supplier of ultra-large tires to 150 mining companies with operations around the world.

Kal Tire’s recycling plant in Chile.

CREDIT: KAL TIRE

his team had to research the engineering behind thermal conversion, determine what technology was available, what could be adapted and what they had to design and develop themselves. They worked with European manufacturers of reactors as well as companies that produce heating and condensing equipment. “We started with a clean sheet of paper,” says Farnham. “Nothing like this existed.” The equipment was developed following engineering discussions between al Tire and the equipment manufacturers. al Tire then made further improvements and developed a process control system.

How it works

The plant contains two reactors, which Farnham likens to very large ovens. Each is . metres long and . metres high. Tires are first cut into eight pie-shaped pieces using a large band saw, then those are cut into smaller pieces before being placed in the reactors. While the plant uses liquified petroleum gas ( PG) on initial startup, it then switches over to the syngas that is generated by the thermal conversion process, which the company says makes the process very energy efficient. The tires themselves provide the energy to continue the process. Processing of five tires takes 2 hours and breaks them into their constituent components of steel, carbon and hydrocarbons. The intense heat converts the hydrocarbons to gases, which are captured and cooled, yielding light and heavy

20 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

oil as well as a third substance – synthetic gases – which do not condense and are fed back into the reactors to serve as fuel. The carbon is converted to a powdery substance called carbon black while the steel is reduced to a wire mass measuring about metre thick by metres long. The next challenge is to find markets for the light and heavy oil, the steel and the carbon black. The steel is the easiest part because it comes out extremely clean and it’s a high quality, highly-engineered product,” says Farnham. “There’s a local steel recycler not far from the plant who’s looking for material like this.”

ANFO potential

The company has shipped samples of the oils to manufacturers of the explosives used for blasting in mining. Most manufacturers currently mix diesel with ammonium nitrate fertilizer to produce powerful explosives commonly known as A FO (ammonium nitrate fuel oil). If oil from recycled tires can go back into blasting, it’s a great circular economy story,” says Farnham. There are other potential uses for the oils. It can be mixed with the diesel used in generators, and some companies are experimenting with it. The oils could also be used to dilute heavy oil that is pumped through pipelines. The carbon black requires secondary processing to clean and purify it to the standard required for use in plastics or the production of rubber. It will also have to be pelletized before it can be sold. We can use established equipment to do that, but we have to develop the techniques

to use that equipment on our material,” Farnham says. The company is in the process of doing that, but in the meantime, it’s shipping the carbon black to a rubber manufacturer who is incorporating it back into rubber products. Both he and Allan are reluctant to disclose how much it cost to develop the plant, but say there were delays and cost overruns for a number of reasons. Permitting took longer than expected. Covid9 made travel to and from Chile difficult and, at some points, wasn’t possible. And, as with any new process, there were unanticipated technical difficulties and setbacks. evertheless, both see a bright future for the Chilean plant. One local mining company has already sent them 700 tires in order to clear space on its already congested property. But the real potential lies in building plants elsewhere in the world, including Canada. As a supplier of ultra-large tires to 0 mining companies with long-term operations in countries including Mexico, Chile, Colombia, South Africa, ambia, Ghana and the nited ingdom, al Tire is wellpositioned to expand internationally. Furthermore, al Tire has a big jump on potential competitors like the French multinational giant Michelin, which announced earlier this year that it will build a tire recycling facility in Chile. We decided we wanted to be first in, says Farnham. We didn’t want to be second or third in the market.” CMJ D’Arcy Jenish is an eastern correspondent for CMJ and the author of several books.

www.canadianminingjournal.com

CMJ’s Reimagine Mining Symposium charts the path forward

he pressure has never been higher on miners to deliver more of the metals and minerals the world desperately needs while also meeting higher environmental and social standards. With our inaugural Reimagine

Mining Symposium, held on Oct. 13, CMJ convened an array of industry experts to help chart the course forward for an industry that is already experiencing an exponential pace of change. We’re dedicating a few pages in this issue to coverage of the event. (Note: see our November 2021 issue for coverage of one of our keynote speakers, Tony Makuch, CEO of Kirkland Lake Gold.)

DECEMBER 2021

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 21

REIMAGINE MINING

> By Canadian Mining Journal Staff

DECARBONIZATION: Countdown to Net Zero

ecarbonization has quickly become a top priority in the mining sector, and more and more miners are setting ambitious targets for reducing their carbon footprint. But the way forward is far from clear. A panel of industry experts at the Reimagine Mining Symposium discussed what really needs to happen to get to net zero. The panel included Emily Thorn Corthay, founder and CEO of Thorn Associates; Mark Fellows, a co-founder and CEO of Skarn Associates; Brian Huff, VP technology and product line for Sandvik’s BHEV business unit; Luke Mahony, head of technology and innovation for Vale Base Metals; and Maarten van Koppen, VP product management with MacLean Engineering. The discussion was moderated by Canadian Mining Journal’s editorin-chief Alisha Hiyate.

Mission possible?

With most of the major mining companies having already committed to achieving net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions (direct and indirect emissions) by 2050, the conversation started by addressing how realistic that target is. “If you ask: ‘Can we achieve the 2050 (goal)? I think we can,” said Vale’s Luke Mahony. “But we don’t know how.” Mahony added that the interim 2030 goal that many miners have also committed to – which will see them slash emissions by a third by 2030 -- is a key goal to getting there. For most miners, the 2030 goal of a 33% reduction of absolute emissions is actually more ambitious than it seems. Under a business as usual scenario that considers declining grades and the startup of new operations, that 33% will likely become a 40% or a 50% reduction when you start to really break it down, Mahoney added. The initial reductions will be easier to achieve: “Half of our initiatives to

22 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

Alisha Hiyate | Editor-in-chief, CMJ

Luke Mahony | Head of technology and innovation for Vale Base Metals

Emily Thorn Corthay | Founder and CEO of Thorn Associates

Mark Fellows | Co-founder and CEO of Skarn Associates

Brian Huﬀ | VP technology and product line for Sandvik’s BHEV business unit

Maarten van Koppen | VP product management with MacLean Engineering

reach that 2030 goal are NPV (net present value) positive, they make sense,” Mahoney said. It’s efficiency, it’s being more efficient in how you use your electrical equipment, it’s being more efficient from a process (standpoint).” But once those initiatives are complete, he noted the incentive of a price on carbon will likely be needed to go further. Investment in technology to capture carbon also needs to be accelerated for the future to get to net zero. Emily Thorn Corthay of Thorn Associates noted that the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has excellent guidance for companies on how to get started. However, the guidance, which so far applies to Scope 1 and 2 emissions only, has changed over time and become more stringent. Initially, the SBTi targets allowed for maximum global warming of 2° Celsius, before being reduced to 1.7°. In July, the organization reduced that guidance further, to 1.5° Celsius. “If (companies) can keep up with the SBTi, which very rapidly keeps getting more ambitious, that’s already very challenging for mining companies,” Corthay

said. “If you can do that, you’re doing really well.” In addition, SBTi targets need to be between five and years in the future – meaning 2050 targets are not compliant with the initiative. In order to align with the SBTi guidance to stay within a 1.5° Celsius maximum rise, companies need to reduce their emissions by around 42% between now and 2030, Thorn Corthay said. “That’s generally possible on a corporate level – every site does not need to (achieve) that,” she said. “So I think mining companies can really strategically look at all of their assets, and choose which ones are easier to decarbonize. And then unfortunately, which ones eventually to potentially divest from.” Mark Fellows of Skarn Associates added that while the 2050 goal is achievable, miners should be prepared for the major structural impediments that will arise. “It’s easy to envisage how the equipment manufacturers’ order books are going to get pretty blocked out by the major mining companies as low-carbon

www.canadianminingjournal.com

mobile equipment becomes available,” he said. “There’s going to be a hell of a logjam when it comes to sourcing that equipment.” Other issues include deciding what to do with operations that don’t have the mine life to justify the investment in a decarbonized mining fleet, or in grid power infrastructure. “Those things are going to have a massive impact on the strategic position of various players within the industry. It is going to drive M&A, it’s going to drive financing, Fellows said. This is why our thesis for the last couple of years has been that the whole energy transition is going to be the big strategic driver of the mining sector for the next couple of decades.” While the majors’ decarbonization commitments and challenges are currently in the spotlight, MacLean Engineering’s Maarten van Koppen pointed to opportunities for junior companies in the shifting landscape. “Some of the more junior companies are already committing to net zero carbon products in the pretty near future,” he said. “The interesting thing is how that works out on the capital market where they’re all of a sudden able to attract investors that are not typically drawn to mining – which is an opportunity in itself.”

Roadmap to decarbonization

Now that the direction toward net zero has been established, companies need to put together decarbonization roadmaps. The first step is for miners to understand their carbon footprint and have it verified by an independent third party, said Thorn Corthay. After that, companies should complete a “business as usual” projection, followed by target setting. Then they should identify specific greenhouse gas abatement technologies for their roadmaps on a siteby-site basis, starting with assessing the viability of renewable energy. “The number one enabler (for decarbonization) is renewable electricity. And if that’s not possible, that’s going to make it a lot more challenging,” Thorn Corthay said. After renewable energy, electrificaDECEMBER 2021

tion of transportation should be considered. In addition to electric vehicles, the replacement of diesel trucks with conveyor technology could be a solution. “Simple cheap conveyors, they’re very proven technology,” she said. “When you can replace trucks with conveyors, that’s a really cost-effective option that’s available today.” If those technologies can’t be implemented, mine sites can look at biodiesel, and in cold climates, heat recovery. However, there is no one right path to decarbonization. Some companies, depending on their site conditions, might want to look at electrification of equipment before implementing renewable energy, said Sandvik’s Brian Huff. “You can make some dramatic gains just from electrification, he said. In cold climates, you have to heat the air going into your mine. If you can get rid of a large number of diesel particulates underground, you can decrease your ventilation flow, and less ventilation flow requires less heating. So it’s a compounding benefit on the electrical energy usage.” He added that some Sandvik customers have actually reduced their electricity consumption by converting to electric

trucks because of the savings on heating costs. “It’s a little bit counterintuitive -- that you’re now powering your fleet by electric power, but consuming less net electricity for your mine site overall,” Huff said. “That step can be taken even before you start looking at renewables.” For most mines, fuel for trucks and loaders makes up 50% of their emissions, Huff noted, so electrification can go a long way toward decarbonation goals. MacLean’s von Koppen said that even customers operating in jurisdictions without clean energy could benefit from electrification. ased on data provided by a customer that operates in a clean energy jurisdiction, the company did a “thought exercise” to see if there would still be carbon savings if they were to rely on a “dirty” diesel generator for power. “Compared to the amount of diesel that they would have burnt on a diesel truck, it would still be three times cleaner to get the power for a BEV truck from a diesel generator rather than running the diesel engine,” he said. “Part of that is regeneration – it’s just inherent efficiencies within the (BEV) system,” van Koppen said. “So CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Your partner in the field and beyond

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 23

REIMAGINE MINING

SRK panel asks

‘WHAT IF MINING WAS COOL?’

hat if mining was cool? It’s an interesting question for people in the industry – who by and large do think mining is cool, but find that their views are not shared by society at large. In a thought leadership panel at Reimagine Mining, mining consultancy SRK discussed how the mining sector could change this perception. The panel was moderated by Gary Poxleitner, principal mining consultant with SRK, and included: Daniella Dimitrov, executive vice-president and CFO of Iamgold; Erin Bobicki, associate professor of mineral processing, University of Alberta; and Siri Genik, principal and founder of Bridge Consult. Illustrating how entrenched negative views of mining are, Poxleitner shared that even his 18-year-old son, who grew up in the mining centre of Sudbury with two parents who work in the industry, decided against studying mining at university. “He chose mechanical engineering,” Poxleitner said, adding that the sector is seen as “not all that clean” and lagging in innovation behind other industries. “A lot of his friends are more interested in aerospace or automotive than they are in mining.” The perception of mining as a technology laggard is not unfounded. Daniella Dimitrov noted that while the mining sector has invested heavily in new technology in recent years, technologies such as autonomous haulage, drones and AI are still relatively new to the industry. “As a banker, when you hear that someone is using a new technology, there is certainly more concern around risk than when someone says, I’m using this processing methodology that has been in use for 50 plus years - there’s a certain degree of comfort that comes along with that,” said Dimitrov who worked in investment banking before joining Iamgold this year. “Even within our own industry, there is some ways to go around

24 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

Daniella Dimitrov | Executive vice-president and CFO of Iamgold

Siri Genik | Principal and founder of Bridge Consult

Gary Poxleitner | Principal mining consultant with SRK

Erin Bobicki | Associate professor of mineral processing

that acceptability of technology and how truly that has penetrated our industry.” That could actually be a powerful incentive to attract young people to the mining industry, Erin Bobicki noted. Bobicki, who describes herself as a “super dork,” thinks mining is cool because of the technical challenges the industry is facing and the ability to make a real impact. “There’s an opportunity for young people to come in with new ideas and change this industry and change the course of humanity, to be quite frank. That sounds dramatic, but the extraction of metals consumes 15% of global energy. If you can change that by just a little bit, you can have a dramatic impact on global CO2 emissions,” Bobicki said. “[At] Apple, Tesla, Google, you can go work in a cool office, but are you going to be able to change the lives of every-

body on the planet the way that you can in mining? I’m not sure. My message would be: if you want to save the world, you should work in mining,” she added. Telling mining’s stories in a better way is also essential to gaining acceptance. Siri Genik said mining’s full value chain, from pit to product, should be communicated. “(We have to explain) what goes into that Tesla or that rocket or hydrogen tank, from concept to consumer so people understand that it’s not just a hole in the ground, but it involves strong supply chains, logistics and it has negative and positive.” The industry should also make sure to explain it in a way that everyone can understand. “It’s more about taking the message, making it simple and transparent and helping people understand. Because everybody has a smartphone. We’re all on Zoom.” CMJ

www.canadianminingjournal.com

REIMAGINE MINING

George Hemingway’s advice for miners:

‘FIND YOUR WHY’

n another keynote address focused on society’s perception of mining, George Hemingway, managing partner and head of the innovation practice at Stratalis, discussed the importance of trust for business. “Trust is the new competitive advantage,” he said in a conversation with Canadian Mining Journal publisher Robert Seagraves. “And for mining companies, the rules of the game – the things that matter to investors, Robert Seagraves | Publisher, CMJ George Hemingway | Managing partner, Stratalis to society, to the public – have changed.” Hemingway, a leading futurist in the mining industry who has advised clients such as BHP, Anglo how to make happen, then share it. Because that’s how trust American and Vale, said that people are feeling very uncer- is built, by sharing our deeper personal purposes with the tain, and looking for answers and scapegoats. world.” CMJ “Big businesses like banking like pharmaceuticals, like aviation, like natural resources, I think are still very much in the crosshairs,” he added. “The big question is how do you build trust in a world that is increasingly focused on canceling anything it doesn’t like?” Companies must go beyond traditional marketing by big industry bodies, which won’t drive change quickly enough or resonate with people in an authentic way, Hemingway said. Citing Tesla and Apple as two companies that have been successful in building trust, he said: “They made something that was on the verge of being a commodity seem interesting, virtuous, almost as if they were doing something better for humanity and managed to insulate their brands at the same time.” What they have tried to do is build goodwill and trust by broadcasting a higher purpose – one that appeals to peoACCURATE REAL TIME MEASUREMENT ple on a personal level, Hemingway said. “When it works, it OF PRODUCTION & INVENTORY works because they don’t advocate for themselves. There is no greater advocate for Tesla or Apple than the general public… If you want to build trust, you need to connect on a deeply perTRADE sonal level.” CERTIFIED TO 0.1% To do that, Hemingway advised that people who work in the industry rather than the industry as a whole need to connect with the purpose of their work. Exceptional stability in dusty environments Improved commercial certainty & port efficiency Stainless steel construction for long term reliability in corrosive “I would ask everyone that’s listening to ask yourself this environments Above stringer design facilitates installation on all conveyors question: ‘What is my why? Why do I get up in the morning? Why do I work in mining? And I think more importantly, why does what I do matter to the grandmother down the street or the kids playing in the yard or a fisherman on the east coast? Hemingway added that people should focus on how their Leading the way in precision conveyor belt scales work helps others. “I think this is the next really key point is that we as an abetterweigh@tdmicronic.com www.tdmicronic.com industry and the companies we work for need to figure out DECEMBER 2021

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 25

REIMAGINE MINING

Drone technology key to the digital mine: Emesent CEO

espite the challenges of flying in a GPS-denied environment, drone technology can now be used underground. These advances are already being used to make mines safer by facilitating mapping and the real time capture of data. In a thought leadership interview at eimagine Mining, Stefan rabar, CEO and co-founder of Emesent, said drone technology is set to become an enabler of further digitalization and autonomy underground. Our vision of the future is that these systems will be an integral part of the underground environment, both drones and other autonomous systems, he told moderator Carl Williams, a former senior staff writer with The orthern Miner. They’ll be permanently based and deployed underground, and launched remotely as needed to do routine moni-

Stefan Hrabar | CEO and co-founder of Emesent

toring and inspection, rabar said. In the case of incidents, drones can be used to inspect otherwise inaccessible areas. They can also increase productivity. sed post-blast with a gas meter to check conditions, they can confirm when it’s safe for humans to re-enter the area. Emesent’s overmap technology uses

LiDAR (light detecting and ranging) to capture data underground through a scanning unit mounted to a drone. The data is processed using an onboard computer and the company’s S AM (simultaneous localization and mapping) algorithm to guide the drone and build a map in real time. sing that combination allows autonomous systems like drones to navigate without GPS, avoiding collisions, and at the same time capturing all that data on board to produce really detailed -D Point Clouds, rabar said. In the digital mine of the future, the data captured from drones will only become more important as the data is fed back to a centralized data management system that accumulates data, runs analytics, and tries to speed up that loop from data capture all the way through to insights, he added. CMJ

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NORCAT’s Don Duval talks technology and talent

O CAT is on the forefront of two of the most important challenges for mining – technology and talent. The Sudbury, Ont.-based mining innovation centre connects the buyers and sellers of new technology and provides skills training for the industry. In a featured address at eimagine Mining, O CAT CEO Don Duval noted that technology and talent are closely linked. Mining companies often think of emerging technology as mechanisms to improve productivity, shareholder value, competitiveness, safety, etc., Duval said. owever, with a shortage of workers in the mining sector that is only going to get worse (the Mining Industry uman esources Council of Canada estimates the industry will need more than 00,000 new workers in the next decade), mining employees have more leverage and more power over their working conditions. ounger generations in particular may be more open to operating an D

26 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

Don Duval | NORCAT CEO

if they’re able to use a tele-remote system in an urban centre, for instance. Winning the battle for talent isn’t necessarily rooted anymore in compensation. I would argue, based on what we’re seeing, that you can actually pay that prospect of worker a bit less, if they can

operate with a bit more flexibility from the creature comforts of their own home (or office) operating that D. Duval also noted that O CAT’s supervisor training program is the busiest it’s ever been because companies realize it can help them retain talent. In surveys that we’ve done, it is the number one indicator of someone will stay or go. People join a company because of the company, people leave a company because of their supervisor or colleagues, Duval said. People want to work for someone that motivates and inspires them. Duval also touched on the outsourced innovation model that has emerged in mining as the sector has migrated from a builder of technology to a buyer over the last few decades. ou’ve seen a huge growth in the capital markets to support the supply service tech ecosystem because mining has become the buyers. CMJ

www.canadianminingjournal.com

REIMAGINE MINING

DECARBONIZATION: COUNTDOWN TO NET ZERO, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

even if your power is super dirty, and you don’t have any ventilation savings, you can still cut back on your emissions significantly. That said, if the grid is powered by dirty energy, it will reduce the impact of conversion to battery electric trucks. Huff noted that conversion to BEVs at a mine in Canada will cut twice the emissions on average as conversion at a mine in the .S., where the grid relies more heavily on coal. Roadmaps are also going to evolve with technology. After a comprehensive analysis looking at where their emissions come from and how they can be reduced, Vale identified four areas of focus, Mahoney said. Those were efficiency (especially as a lot of Vale’s emissions are on the processing side), low carbon power, heat recovery and fuel switching. The hardest part is fuel switching, Mahoney said, because the technology is not there yet. For large trucks electrification and electrification of furnaces, it’s very expensive and it’s not as efficient compared to fossil fuels. As a transition, natural gas, biomass or bio carbon are possibilities, but they come with supply issues, he added.

Scope 3

The panel also discussed standardization of measurements and the measure-

Expect more innovation

ment of Scope emissions, which are generated upstream or downstream and therefore out of the direct control of the company. Thorn Corthay and Fellows both noted that even with Scope and 2, which are more straightforward to measure, there are irregularities and a lack of standardization in companies’ reported emissions. “It’s quite indicative of the fact that everybody’s on a very steep learning curve, Fellows said. Thorn Corthay said that even though GHG reporting doesn’t yet carry the same rigour and penalties as a misreported earnings statement, companies should prepare for that eventuality. ou can bet on it – one day that financial rigour will come to the GHG accounting, so might as well get it as correct as possible. While Fellows says that his firm, Skarn Associates, measures emissions from the rock in the ground through to refined metal, investors are now asking for more – particularly if they produce inputs into steelmaking (iron ore and coal). “The mining companies themselves are being held to account by investors for their Scope emissions down into the steelmaking chain. And there’s a lot of quite complicated stuff going on there in terms of is the right iron ore product or met coal product going into the most appropriate steelmaking process, and to what extent is the miner responsible for that. Suppliers are starting to look at the emissions associated with their products as well, from steel to batteries: “The greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of one of our batter-

ies is completely offset by one month of operating on electric versus diesel, said Sandvik’s uff.

Last word

Mining companies currently have a lot of guidance on GHG reporting – including G I Standards, SAS , Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and S Ti – but conflicting reporting standards initiatives and bodies are making for a confusing ESG spaghetti, said Fellows. While that is moving in the right direction – toward rationalization – the panellists warned against an overly dogmatic adherence to a reporting framework. “The engineer inside of me wants to say that the over-emphasis on how to measure things exactly to the nth degree with all the different frameworks creates so much work that it kind of distracts sometimes from actually making a difference, said Mac ean’s van oppen. It’s interesting sometimes to see companies that are really precise at reporting how much carbon they have get rewarded in those types of indexes more than companies who focus that effort on making a difference. ale’s Mahoney noted that frameworks are a good mechanism to provide consistency and help find the solutions needed for a net zero 20 0 goal – as long as they are not too rigid and evolve with the wider sector. “It’s the company policies, it’s industry support and collaboration, it’s suppliers and the whole ecosystem that needs to work together, and I think frameworks are just one part of that, he said. CMJ

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CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 27

COSTING

> By Brad Terhune

COSTING THE MINE OF THE FUTURE Costmine describes how to include ESG considerations in cost estimates

here are many reasons for which we might estimate costs in the mining industry. Several of them, representing very specific needs spanning the full life cycle of a project, starting at the early stages of a project and progressing to later stages of development and production are outlined in the graphic below.

Points of consideration

There are several points of consideration that may help us better understand this relatively new ESG lens and its effects on both mine costs and the estimating process itself. This article will briefly discuss several of them, but the list is not exhaustive by any means.

COSTING NEEDS ACROSS A PROJECT’S LIFECYCLE, FROM EARLY TO LATER STAGES Exploration Decisions

Development Decisions

Pit Optimization Studies

Contract Negotiations

Acquisitions

Research and development

Research and development (R&D) for new, ESG-friendly technologies and proTaxation / cesses costs money, and as such, suppliFinancing Appraisals Legal Royalties ers will inevitably need to pass this cost to consumers. Cost estimators should Mining Claim Resource Equipment consider this when conducting their Validity Analysis / Mineral Leasing Selection – Life Mine Closure trade-off studies for alternative ESG“Discovery” Cut-off Grade Cycle Costing friendly equipment and processes. The The reader may note that there are common threads con- good news on this front is that costs should come down over necting each of these. Cost estimates provide companies with time as ESG assumes a mainstream role. a means for making decisions. They can also provide an indication of whether a project will be profitable. Permitting Of course, success is no longer just about profitability; it is We are going to see extended permitting times for various reaalso about environmental protection and social buy-in. And as sons, including additional environmental studies, continued such, the traditional lenses through which we view projects and public pushback to mining, and government bottlenecks to companies – jurisdiction, permitting, reclamation, commodity, name just a few. What does this mean for the estimator? The geology, investor sentiment, capital and operating costs, etc. – reliability of cost predictions wanes the further into the future are not enough to gauge success. We must add environment, we make our estimates, so we will be required to deal with the social, and governance (ESG) factors to the list, because ESG is additional uncertainties (risks) associated with project timdriving the mine of the future. ing and cost predictions. One way to mitigate some of this risk ESG concepts have been around for a while now, but our would be to improve upon and add to our industry’s public and industry moves slowly and we’re having to play catch up when government outreach/education programs. This could potenwe should have been leaders from the start. Surely, there are tially stabilize or shorten the permitting period. many reasons for this, but the author suggests a leading cause is related to ESG costs, associated with both compliance and Appropriateness/practicality/reliability non-compliance. ESG initiatives are certainly driving positive and much-needed NI 43-101, JORC, CRIRSCO Guideline Compliance

28 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

www.canadianminingjournal.com

industry changes. However, we should not abandon the ideas of practicality and reliability. The cost estimator should ask themselves questions similar to the following: > Is the project timeline reasonable? > Is the new initiative both ESG-positive and profitable? Does it need to satisfy both criteria? > Is this alternative equipment selection appropriate for the task? > What might the cost be if an initiative fails? To better illustrate this concept of appropriateness and practicality, we should consider an example. Specifically, let us look at a known solar project, the DeGrussa Mine Solar Project, located 900 km north of Perth, Australia. This project was built to showcase the possibilities with mining and renewable energy, and as such, the project information summarized below is publicly available. There are obvious benefits to this solar installation, namely the significant CO2 emissions savings, as well as the financial savings related to lower diesel consumption. However, there are also obvious limitations to practicality in terms of scale – i.e. limited solar power load, large space requirement, and short mine life. A 20-hectare space requirement is very significant, particularly when you consider that only 20% of the load is met via solar. Many projects do not have this space available, and many projects would require an even larger footprint (an environmental concern in itself) than this moderately small project (power-wise). And lastly, it is our presumption that a 7- to 8-year payback on this solar plant would necessitate a longer mine life to make it economically feasible after decommissioning costs are considered. (Note: Costmine has not reviewed detailed economics for the project.) The point: companies and cost estimators must consider practical limitations when conducting their estimates to aid in determining the appropriateness of initiatives.

Project design

Cost estimators should be flexible in their project design and implement ESG initiatives as early in the project planning phase as possible. This helps to ensure an ESG focus and to minimize costly changeovers later. Additionally, estimators should conduct lots of trade-off studies that are inclusive of ESG-positive alternatives, as the importance of these studies is elevated during this industry shift. As an example, Eric Gentis of Flottweg Separation Technology indicated that relative to filter presses, their decanter centrifuges offers several benefits, including: reduced cost (20% lower capital cost and 90% lower cost to operate); a fully automatic and continuous process; higher water qualities and recoveries; and a reduction of process water and tailings storage requirements. The reduced process water and tailings storage requirements are both ESG-positive outcomes attributed to the use of decanter centrifuges, so is this a change that operators should make? Perhaps, if it is practical and appropriate for any specific project.

Difficult to obtain costs

Cost data is time consuming to gather and some suppliers are leery of providing budget numbers for early-stage projects. This is especially true for new, innovative ESG-conforming line items. While this is an understandable approach for suppliers, it dramatically slows our understanding of ESG costs industry wide. DECEMBER 2021

DEGRUSSA MINE SOLAR PROJECT Owner: Sandfire Resources Commodity: copper-gold Mine commissioned: 2012 Mine life: 9+ years (slated for closure September 2022) Average load: ~11 MW Installed power centre: ~19 MW diesel, with 25M litres/year consumption Average annual power usage: ~100 GWh Solar plant commissioned: 2016 Solar plant area: 20 hectares Solar plant annual usage: ~21 GWh (~20% of power usage) Solar plant cost: ~$40M (+50% paid for by Australian government) Savings: 5M litres of diesel fuel (~$5.4 M annually); 12K t/y CO2 emissions Solar plant payback: 7-8 years (exclusive of decommissioning)

For example, let’s say you have a medium-sized operation that you are interested in developing. You want to have an idea of whether or not it would be practical and financially feasible to move forward with autonomous haulage. You know there is an up-front cost and you know it isn’t as simple as pulling a driver out of a truck and putting them somewhere else, but what is really involved? What does it really cost? As estimators, we know it costs more to add autonomy to trucks: there are sensors, the network, the control room, annual software maintenance fees, and the tech-savvy labour replacements and additions. We can all work this general outline, but it is very difficult to start putting numbers to these components without an industry-wide improvement in cost transparency.

Cost of non-compliance

Anytime a company chooses to minimize or completely avoid the shift towards ESG compliance when practical and reliable opportunities exist, there is, at the very least, a missed opportunity to make positive industry change and to change public and government perceptions. Progressively worse possibilities are a loss of dollars, a loss of the company, and the loss of a life. It doesn’t matter what your capital and operating estimates/actuals may be -- they all blow up the moment a disaster occurs.

In summary

ESG is driving the mine of the future, and this new lens has brought much needed focus to previously minimized aspects of our industry. Each of the ESG points of consideration outlined has the potential to be significant from the cost perspective, and cost estimators must understand and work through these considerations to better navigate the risk versus reward spectrum. CMJ n Brad Terhune is a cost analyst and senior geologist with Costmine (www.costmine.com), part of the Glacier Resource Innovation Group, based in Spokane, Wash. He can be reached at bterhune@glacierrig.com or 509-328-8023.(www.costmine.com).

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 29

SUPPLIED CONTENT

MINExpo 2021 took place in Las Vegas in September. Credit: MINExpo International

WHAT YOU MISSED AT MINEXPO® 2021 M

INExpo INTERNATIONAL® returned to Las Vegas in September and showcased the mining industry’s best. Mining professionals around the world had the opportunity to get up close to cutting edge equipment, technologies and global solutions — and talk to industry experts about today’s top products. The dominant theme of the show was a celebration of the technologies on display at MINExpo®. Paul Lang, president and CEO, Arch Resources, Inc., commented on the huge advances in innovations and safety during the last several years. “The ability now to put somebody in a remote station and operate three, four or five tractors just as efficiently or more efficiently than they used to operate one is an amazing change for all of us,” said Lang. “We can also take a person from a place of high risk and eliminate that completely with remote technology.”

30 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

The opening session at MINExpo was moderated by journalist A.B. Stoddard. Credit: MINExpo International

Watch the Opening Session After the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Nevada Governor, Steve Sisolak, the show’s Opening Session powerfully covered a range of topics, including thoughts on post-pandemic lessons learned, challenges associated with recruiting talent for the future, diversity and inclusion and technology breakthroughs that promote safety. Moderated by journalist A.B.

Stoddard, the Opening Session panelists featured: Mark Bristow, President and CEO, Barrick Gold Corporation; Jimmy A. Brock, President and CEO, CONSOL Energy; Jeffrey Dawes, President and CEO, Komatsu Mining Corp.; Denise C. Johnson, Group President for Resource Industries, Caterpillar Inc.; and Paul A. Lang, President and CEO, Arch Resources, Inc. Environmental, social and governance

www.canadianminingjournal.com

The dominant theme of the show was a celebration of the technologies on display. Credit: MINExpo International

The ribbon cutting ceremony. Credit: MINExpo International

(ESG) was a major topic. Jeff Dawes, President and CEO, Komatsu Mining Corporation, discussed the new, collaborative relationship that now exists between equipment manufacturers and producers, partly as a result of ESG. “We’re going away from the transactional relationship that existed 10, 15 or 20 years ago when we just sold them machines and parts,” he said. “Now we’re collaborating together to solve problems of the future.” The panel ended with an in-depth discussion of talent and how the industry can harness the challenge and excitement of a mining career to build the next generation of leaders. Watch the Opening Session on Facebook: (www.facebook.com/ minexpo/videos/) DECEMBER 2021

Access Education Sessions

Use the Free Online Directory

Just like the Opening Session, the education at MINExpo delivered in-depth analysis on topics from safety and environmental concerns to the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and safety best practices. A session on technological advances – many of which were on display on the show floor – provided an interesting view of how today’s innovations help companies accomplish more in terms of safety, environmental responsibility and productivity.

Stay in touch with the industry’s leading brands with the MINExpo Online Exhibitor Directory. You’ll have 12-months to access top suppliers of auxiliary components and replacement parts, consulting services, electrical products and earth-moving equipment that will take your operation to the next level.

Watch all the education sessions at minexpo.com.

Year-Round Support and Advocacy

Read about the Sentinels of Safety Continuing the trend of awarding safety and encouraging progress, the National Mining Association presented its Sentinels of Safety Awards and the U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Mine Safety and Health Technology Innovation Awards. Honoring outstanding achievements in mine safety and technology, awards were bestowed on 40 mining operations. View all the awardees on the NMA website (www.nma.org)

Find mining solutions at minexpodirectory.com/directory.

MINExpo INTERNATIONAL is sponsored by the National Mining Association (NMA). The NMA is the only national trade association that represents the interests of mining before Congress, the administration, federal agencies, the judiciary and the media and provides a clear voice for U.S. mining. The NMA is also your source for the latest news and events, updates from Capitol Hill, facts and statistics and insight you need to advance your career. When you join the NMA, you won’t just be looking out for your career — you’ll will be contributing to the industry and ensuring that all aspects of mining are thriving. n

Join NMA today! CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 31

NOVEMBER 2021 | VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 11

ON THE MOVE

SPONSORED BY

ERIK BUCKLAND Senior Client Director Global Mining Recruitment

+1 416.854.8468 erik.buckland@lincolnstrategic.com W: www.lincolnstrategic.com M: E:

Executive, Management and Board Changes in Canada’s Mining Sector

MANAGEMENT MOVES

TOP MOVES IN THIS ISSUE

Allison Rippin-Armstrong

Allison RippinArmstrong has been appointed chair of Tectonic Metals. RippinArmstrong has over 25 years of experience in permitting, regulatory processes and environmental compliance working with Indigenous organizations, resource companies, regulatory agencies, territorial and federal government. She was VP sustainability at Kaminak Gold until it was acquired by Goldcorp in 2016. She was the receipient of the 2019 BC Women in Mining HR Diversity Award, among others.

Chris Buncic

Jérôme Pelletier

Chris Buncic is now president, CEO, and a director of Alto Verde Copper. Buncic, PEng, is also a founding partner of the newly created private company. He has served in senior management roles at several Canadian corporations in the resources and technology sectors for the past eight years. He also spent six years in institutional equity research at leading Canadian brokerage firms. Buncic is a CFA Charterholder, and he has an MBA from Schulich School of Business and BASc from the University of Toronto.

Jérôme Pelletier has been named president and CEO of Canadian consulting engineering firm BBA. Pelletier has over 20 years of experience with the team at BBA, where he has held various management positions. He was most recently executive director of business development and marketing since 2014. Pelletier sits on several strategic committees and associations, including the Association de l’industrie électrique du Québec and the ACEC-Canada.

32 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

» Seamus French is leaving Anglo American and will be replaced as CEO of bulk commodities by Themba Mkhwanazi, current CEO of Kumba Iron Ore. Mpumi Zikalala, currently managing director of De Beers, will become CEO of Kumba. Both appointments take effect on Jan. 1. Ruben Fernandes, CEO of base metals will add iron ore and nickel operations in Brazil to his responsibilities. » Brascan Gold has named Alex Bailey as COO of the company’s new subsidiary, Baie Verte Resources. » Calibre Mining appointed Tom Gallo as senior VP growth. » Clinton Swemmer has joined Cerrado Gold as its VP technical services. » Geoff Heggie is the new exploration manager at Clean Air Metals. He replaces Allan MacTavish who has retired. » Copper Mountain Mining’s new senior VP of exploration is Patrick Redmond. » Martin Pawlitschek will assume the role of interim president and CEO of E79 Resources following the departure of Rory Quinn. » Excellon Resources named Jorge Ortega its VP

exploration. Ben Pullinger has left the company. » Richard Parkhouse has been appointed executive director responsible for investor relations at Forsys Metals. The company also named Willem Kotze manager of the Norasa project in Namibia. » Generation Mining has hired Jeremy Dart as environmental manager and Cathryn Moffett as manager of community consultation. The company also named Gordon Lung as project services manager and Pierre Legare as senior project advisor; both are employees of LG Consulting. » James Walchuk is now COO of GoldHaven Resources. » Kimberly Newsome is now VP finance for Goldsource Mines. » Intrepid Metals (formerly Voleo Trading Systems) has added Daniel MacNeil and Alan Wainwright to its project development technical team. » Lomiko Metals has appointmented Belinda Labatte as CEO, Gordana Siepcev as COO, and Vince Osbourne as CFO. » Los Andes Copper has named R. Michael Jones as its new CEO. www.canadianminingjournal.com

BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS » Mike Ciricillo has joined Alto Verde Copper’s board of directors.

» John H. Hill has joined the board of Honey Badger Silver.

» Atac Resources named James (Jim) Gray to its board of directors.

» Ann K. Masse joined the board of Iamgold.

» CEO James Sykes has been given a seat on the board of Baselode Energy.

» The newest director at International Prospect Ventures is Jason Libenson.

» Andrew Kaip has joined the board of Blackrock Silver.

» Ian Burney, Michael Carrick and Tanneke Heersche joined the board of Japan Gold.

» Braveheart Resources appointed Peter Lacey as an independent director. » Founder and chair of Chalice Mining, Tim Goyder, has retired. Derek La Ferla has been appointed an independent non-executive director and chair. » Cordoba Minerals announced the resignation of Eric Finlayson as chairman and director. He is also president of Cordoba’s largest shareholder, Ivanhoe Electric. » Defense Metals has named Luisa Moreno a director. » Pat Forward has joined the board of Euromax Resources.

» Kodiak Copper has strengthened its board with the addition of Lana Eagle. » Eric Levy has been named an independent director of Lomiko Metals. » Mantaro Silver has named Luis Fernando Kinn Cortez a director. Dorian L. (Dusty) Nicol is now a director of Mountain Boy Minerals. » Mundoro Capital welcomed Stephen Altmann to its board. » Newcrest Mining announced that chairman Peter Hay is retiring, and Peter Tomsett will replace him.

» Excellon Resources seated Jeff Swinoga as an independent director.

» Malcolm Swallow is joining the board of Nicola Mining.

» Paul Brumit joined the Filo Mining board.

» Norsemont appointed Kyle Haddow to the board.

» Fission 3.0 has asked Steve Cochrane to become a director.

» Jason Birmingham has resigned from the board of Nortec Minerals.

» Blake Morgan was named to the board of Forty Pillars Mining after Alex Klenman stepped down.

» Samantha Shorter now sits on the board of Pacific Empire Minerals.

» Jill Donaldson has taken a seat on the board of Great Bear Royalties.

» Palladium One Mining has appointed Lawrence Roulston as non-executive chairman of the board.

MANAGEMENT MOVES

» The new president and CEO of Nevada Copper is Randy Buffington.

» The new chief sustainability officer at MAG Silver is W.J. (Jim) Mallory.

» Nouveau Monde Graphite has hired M.V. Reddy as senior professional researcher, Martin Brassard as R&D director, and Neel Rahem as lab manager of its new battery research lab.

» Maple Gold Mines has named Wilma Lee as VP compliance and corporate secretary, replacing Rona Sellers. » Mountain Province Diamonds has named Jonathan Comerford interim president and CEO following the departure of Stuart Brown. DECEMBER 2021

» Omai Gold Mines has given the permanent post of president and CEO to Elaine Ellingham, who had been serving in an interim capacity.

» Raindrop Ventures named Max Baker and Tim Barry to its board of directors. Scott Davis has stepped down from the board but will remain CFO. » Seabridge Gold has named John Sabine to the newly created role of lead director. Rudi Fronk will concentrate on his role of CEO. » Skeena Resources welcomed Randy Reichert to the board. » There are two new directors at Solis Minerals: Chafika Eddine and Michael Parker. » Spanish Mountain Gold has named Larry Yau and Darryl Steane as directors. » Mark Noppe is now chair of SRK Global. » Beverlee F. Park and Elizabeth A. Wademan have resigned from the board of SSR Mining. » Scott Rasenberg and Ron Tomlinson have joined the board of Stratabound Minerals. » Surge Battery Metals offered Bill Macdonald a seat on its board. » Thesis Gold has named Thomas Mumford to the board. » Voyageur Mineral Explorers has named Robert Cudney executive chairman replacing William Phillips, who resigned.

» Maryse Belanger, a director of the company, has stepped into the role of mine general manager at Pure Gold Mining’s PureGold mine in Ontario. » Michael Kordysz is the new VP business development and strategy at Rokmaster Resources. » Solstice Gold appointed industry veteran Mike Timmins its new CEO.

» The new exploration manager at Tembo Gold is Andrew Pedley in Tanzania. » Vanadium One Iron has named Clinton Swemmer as VP technical services. COO Ashley Martin has left the company. » Fraser Laschinger is the new president and CEO of Voyageur Mineral Explorers, replacing Brian Howlett.

» Tacora Resources has named Joe Broking as president and CEO, replacing Thierry Martel. CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 33

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Five new inductees / 5

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Canadian Mining Hall of Fame

Discipline pays off / 4

Five new inductees / 5

Mining sector forced to innovate

Liberals, Greens Q&A on mining in BY ALISHA HIYATE Canada ahiyate@northernminer.com

Five new inductees / 5

Mining sector forced to innovate TECH CONFERENCE

| New technology stokes productivity gains, but ‘no silver bullet’ BY ALISHA HIYATE ahiyate@northernminer.com

BY JOHN CUMMING jcumming@northernminer.com

he mining sector is facing a DarW delegates at the winian moment, first annual Technology and Innovation in Mining conference in Toronto heard in September. Just as species deal with changes in their climate, food sources or other circumstances, miners dealing with mounting cost, social and technical pressures must innovate if they want to survive, research group AMIRA International managing director Joe Cucuzza said. “If you look at Darwinian evolution, there are more species that go extinct than actually quickly adapt,” Cucuzza told the conference. “The point is that in our industry, we need to adapt quickly. COAL OUTLOOK: WOOD MACKENZIE SEES RAY OF HOPE / 4 Those that are slow to adapt, unfortunately, are going to go extinct.” The conference, organized by Dubai-

ith Canadians looking ahead to a federal election on Oct. 19, The Northern Miner submitted mining-related questions to the leaders of the four major political parties running across Canada. The following are the answers from the Liberal Party of Canada leader Justin Trudeau and Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May and their parties: The Northern Miner: In recent years the federal government has streamlined environmental permitting for miners by trying to avoid duplicating provincial efforts. Do you support this approach? Does the federal government have a unique role to play in avoiding catastrophic tailings dam failures, such as the Mount Polley spill in B.C. in 2014? Justin Trudeau/Liberal Party: The Harper government has eroded the credibility of Canada’s environmental reviews by narrowing their application, limiting public participation and slashing the capacity of the federal government to protect the environment. They have ended over 50 years of environmental oversight in Canada by repealing the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act so that the federal government can sidestep environmental reviews of potentially harmful projects. Without public trust, Canada’s environmental assessment processes are increasingly paralyzed. Not only are we not doing a good enough job at protecting our environment, we are not getting our resources to market. We need clear and efficient processes that have reasonable, evenhanded rules, clear beginning and end points and decisions that can be relied on. We will launch an immediate, public review of Canada’s environmental assessment processes. Based on this review, a Liberal government will

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OCTOBER 5–11, 2015 / VOL. 101 ISSUE 34 / GLOBAL MINING NEWS · SINCE 1915 / $3.99 / WWW.NORTHERNMINER.COM

Liberals, Greens Q&A on mining in Canada

Mining sector forced to innovate TECH CONFERENCE

| New technology stokes productivity gains, but ‘no silver bullet’

ELECTION 2015 | Credibility and accountability are top concerns

BY ALISHA HIYATE ahiyate@northernminer.com

he mining sector is facing a Darwinian moment, delegates at the first annual Technology and Innovation in Mining conference in Toronto heard in September. Just as species deal with changes in their climate, food sources or other circumstances, miners dealing with mounting cost, social and technical pressures must innovate if they want to survive, research group AMIRA International managing director Joe Cucuzza said. “If you look at Darwinian evolution, there are more species that go extinct than actually quickly adapt,” Cucuzza told the conference. “The point is that in our industry, we need to adapt quickly. Those that are slow to adapt, unfortunately, are going to go extinct.” The conference, organized by Dubai-

BY JOHN CUMMING jcumming@northernminer.com

15-09-29 8:10 PM

ith Canadians looking ahead to a federal election on Oct. 19, The Northern Miner submitted mining-related questions to the leaders of the four major political parties running across Canada. The following are the answers from the Liberal Party of Canada leader Justin Trudeau and Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May and their parties: The Northern Miner: In recent years the federal government has streamlined environmental permitting for miners by trying to avoid duplicating provincial efforts. Do you support this approach? Does the federal government have a unique role to play in avoiding catastrophic tailings dam failures, such as the Mount Polley spill in B.C. in 2014? Justin Trudeau/Liberal Party: The Harper government has eroded the credibility of Canada’s environmental reviews by narrowing their application, limiting public participation and slashing the capacity of the federal government to protect the environment. They have ended over 50 years of environmental oversight in Canada by repealing the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act so that the federal government can sidestep environmental reviews of potentially harmful projects. Without public trust, Canada’s environmental assessment processes are increasingly paralyzed. Not only are we not doing a good enough job at protecting our environment, we are not getting our resources to market. We need clear and efficient processes that have reasonable, evenhanded rules, clear beginning and end points and decisions that can be relied on. We will launch an immediate, public review of Canada’s environmental assessment processes. Based on this review, a Liberal government will

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Canadian Mining Hall of Fame

Discipline pays off / 4

ELECTION 2015 | Credibility and accountability are top concerns

BY JOHN CUMMING jcumming@northernminer.com

Mining sector W forced to innovate

ith Canadians looking ahead to a federal election on Oct. 19, The Northern Miner submitted mining-related questions to the leaders of the four major political parties running across CanTECH CONFERENCE | New technology stokes productivity gains, but ‘no silver bullet’ ada. The following are the answers from the Liberal Party of Canada ELECTION 2015 | BY ALISHA HIYATE leader Justin Trudeau and Green Party Credibility and ahiyate@northernminer.com accountability are of Canada leader Elizabeth May and top concerns their parties: he mining sector is facing a DarThe Northern Miner: In recent years winian moment, delegates at the BY JOHN CUMMING first annual Technology and Injcumming@northernminer.com the federal has streamlined novation in Mining conferencegovernment in Toronto heard in September. environmental permitting for miners ith Canadians looking Just as species deal with changes in byfood trying tooravoid ahead to a federal election their climate, sources other duplicating provinon Oct. 19, The Northern circumstances, miners dealing with efforts. Do you support this apMiner submitted mining-related quesmounting cial cost, social and technical tions to the leaders of the four major pressures must innovate ifDoes they want to federal government proach? the political parties running across Cansurvive, research group AMIRA Interhave adirector unique role to play in avoiding ada. The following are the answers national managing Joe Cufrom the Liberal Party of Canada cuzza said. catastrophic tailings dam failures, such leader Justin Trudeau and Green Party “If you look at Darwinian evolution, of Canada leader Elizabeth May and there are more that go extinct as species the Mount Polley spill in B.C. in their parties: than actually quickly adapt,” Cucuzza 2014?“The point is that The Northern Miner: In recent years told the conference. the federal government has streamlined in our industry, we need to adapt quickly. Justin Trudeau/Liberal Party: The environmental permitting for miners Those that are slow to adapt, unfortuby trying to avoid duplicating provinnately, are going to go extinct.” Harper government has eroded the cial efforts. Do you support this apThe conference, organized by Dubaicredibility of Canada’s environmental proach? Does the federal government See TECHNOLOGY / pg. 2 have a unique role to play in avoiding reviews by narrowing their application, catastrophic tailings dam failures, such Autonomous haulage trucks on the move at Rio Tinto’s West Angelas iron ore mine in Australia’s Pilbara region. as the Mount Polley spill in B.C. in limiting public participation and slash2014? ing the capacity of the federal governJustin Trudeau/Liberal Party: The Harper government has eroded the ment to protect the environment. credibility of Canada’s environmental reviews by narrowing their application, They have ended over 50 years of limiting public participation and slashing the capacity of the federal governenvironmental oversight in Canada ment to protect the environment. by repealing the Canadian EnvironThey have ended over 50 years of environmental oversight in Canada mental Assessment Act so that the by repealing the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act so that the federal government can sidestep enfederal government can sidestep environmental reviews of potentially vironmental reviews of potentially harmful projects. harmful projects. Without public trust, Canada’s environmental assessment processes are Without public trust, Canada’s enincreasingly paralyzed. Not only are vironmental assessment processes are we not doing a good enough job at protecting our environment, we are increasingly paralyzed. Not only are not getting our resources to market. We need clear and efficient processes we not doing a good enough job at that have reasonable, evenhanded protecting our environment, we are rules, clear beginning and end points and decisions that can be relied on. not getting our resources to market. We will launch an immediate, public review of Canada’s environmental We need clear and efficient processes assessment processes. Based on this that have reasonable, evenhanded review, a Liberal government will rules, clear beginning and end points See ELECTION / pg. 3 and decisions that can be relied on. We will launch an immediate, pubCOAL OUTLOOK: WOOD MACKENZIE SEES RAY OF HOPE / 4 lic review of Canada’s environmental assessment processes. Based on this review, a Liberal government will

905 841 5004 | geotech.ca

Editorial

OCTOBER 5–11, 2015 / VOL. 101 ISSUE 34 / GLOBAL MINING NEWS · SINCE 1915 / $3.99 / WWW.NORTHERNMINER.COM

| Credibility and accountability are top concerns OCTOBER 5–11, 2015 / VOL. 101 ISSUE 34 / GLOBAL MINING NEWS · SINCE 1915 / $3.99 / WWW.NORTHERNMINER.COM

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| New technology stokes productivity gains, but ‘no silver bullet’

ELECTION 2015

Liberals, Greens Q&A on mining in Canada

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Canadian Mining Journal December 2021

Articles inside

Costing the mine of the future

Taking the plunge Down Under

Editorial: The mine of the future won’t be cheap

Kal Tire opens a facility to recycle ‘ultra-large’ tires in Chile

SRK asks ‘What if mining was cool’?

Decarbonization: Countdown to Net Zero

Advice to miners: ‘Find your why’