Canadian Mining Journal | May 2022

CMJ CELEBRATES

140 YEARS OF CANADIAN MINING

> PLUS CYBERSECURITY, DIGITIZATION AND DATA MINING

MAY 2022 | www.canadianminingjournal.com | PM # 40069240

REPUTATIONS ARE

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MAY 2022 VOL. 143, NO.4

FEATURES 38 On its anniversary this year, CMJ celebrates the past 140 years of Canadian mining.

15 Costmine offers a renewed approach to estimating the cost of an open pit mine.

24 Reap the benefits of battery electric vehicles from Sandvik.

17

MINING IN THE DIGITAL AGE 17 Taking action now to increase cybersecurity and keep your data out of the hands of hackers.

19 The experts at Hexagon tell you how to make digitization work for you.

22 By mining the data from your mine, you can extend its life and profitability.

30 SRK modernizes exploration in Africa with advances in technology.

35 Sharpen your digital skills to optimize your operations.

30

MINERAL PROCESSING 27 Stephen Beamond of Stantec discusses how to boost processing efficiency and cut waste in the mill.

32 How SRC is meeting the challenges of the rare earths sector.

DEPARTMENTS 4 EDITORIAL | The Digital Age is now.

6 LAW | The legal ramifications of being hacked.

7 CSR & MINING | Using technology and data to strengthen your social license.

10 FAST NEWS | Updated technology for the mining industry.

36 ON THE MOVE | Tracking executive, management and board changes in Canada’s mining sector.

35 About the cover: THIS MONTH’S COVER SUPPLIED BY SANDVIK.

Coming in June/July 2022 Canadian Mining Journal goes to the delayed PDAC convention. We take a look at the latest products and techniques to improve predictive maintenance. And we take a look at closure and reclamation.

For More Information

www.canadianminingjournal.com MAY 2022

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 MAY 2022 Vol. 143 – No. 4

The Digital Age is now Marilyn Scales

T

his month CMJ takes a further look at mining in the Digital Age. Whatever we think about the rapid pace of change in the mineral industry – cleaner, greener, more transparent, digitization – there is no doubt that it is here today. Miners now have more options to sort, parse and share their data than ever before. And suppliers will be introducing even more productive and digital improvements in the near future.

If any of our readers need another reason to embrace the Digital Age, investors demand it. From choosing the most likely drill targets, to cutting the carbon footprint of production, to tracking your ESG performance, all will be examined before funding is forthcoming.

This is the year CMJ celebrates 140 years of publication. Born as the Canadian Mining Review, the first editor not only transformed it into the must-read monthly our readers know as CMJ, but he also organized the scattered professional associations into a national organization that is the today’s CIM. What a long way we and Canada’s mineral industry have come. The story starts on page 38.

For today’s mineral producers, we offer a number of features rooted in the Digital Age. Learn how to keep net-zero at the top of your agenda, beginning on page 13. Dive deep into cybersecurity (page 17), digitization (page 19) and data mining for the exploration sector (page 22) as well as how it can be a game changer in Africa (page 30).

We also take a look at mineral processing. Find out how one company is helping its clients boost efficiency and cut waste in the mill (page 27) and how the SRC is advancing its rare earth recovery process (page 32).

Costmine has provided readers with a renewed approach to estimating open pit costs (page 15).

Finally, read our regular columns on law (page 6), the social licence to operate (page 7) and the thriving BC economic recovery (page 9). CMJ

ERRATUM: Our apologies to our friends at SRK for the misspelling of their name in

the article about social engagement and tailings in our April issue. The error has been corrected online.

4 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

225 Duncan Mill Rd. Suite 320, Toronto, Ontario M3B 3K9 Tel. (416) 510-6789 Fax (416) 510-5138 www.canadianminingjournal.com Interim Editor Marilyn Scales mscales@canadianminingjournal.com Interim News Editor Jackson Chen jchen@mining.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 President, The Northern Miner Group Anthony Vaccaro Established 1882

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

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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.

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LAW

How to manage the risk of cyber attacks

By Ruth Promislow

C

ybersecurity attacks remain a primary business risk for mining companies. These attacks typically involve encryption of the company s data, e filtration of the data, demands for payment of a ransom fee, and public ‘shaming’ – a newer technique – where the criminal actor reaches out to employees, c stomers or vendors to advise that their confidential information has been stolen.

Cybersecurity preparedness is key to minimizing both the risk of being victim to an attack and the impact of such attack. elo are five ey steps that mining companies or any company) can take to manage the risk of cybersecurity incidents.

1 | Do not delegate cybersecurity preparedness to IT Managing the risk of cybersecurity incidents is not simply a matter of information technology . ris management framework that engages various divisions of the company, incl ding , is re ired. t a senior o cer level, an individ al responsible for ris management should review the following and then make informed decisions about how best to manage the risk: > the specific ris s of attac the company faces e.g. ho could an attacker compromise the company either through a direct attack or an attack on a third party, and what harm to the company or third parties could arise from such incident); and > the potential dollar val e impact of those ris s e.g. costs of business interruption, containment, remediation, risks of regulatory inquiry and litigation).

With a framework of the risks and consequences, the mining company can then develop relevant policies and protocols to control for the risks that are particular to the organization. For example, an attack on a supplier or vendor whose operations are integral to the business of the mining company could interrupt the ability of the mining company to operate. The relevant policy and protocol would involve the insertion of key contractual provisions in the agreement with this third party to control for this risk. Such provisions may require the supplier or vendor to employ a certain level of security safeguards, to notify the mining company of relevant sec rity incidents, provide indemnification of specified ris s, and or proc re cyber ins rance.

2 | Patching The failure to patch software to control for known vulnerabilities remains a frequent gap in cybersecurity preparedness. atching involves a modification to soft are to improve among other things its sec rity based on imperfections or v lnerabilities that have been identified.

6 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

The absence of a strategy to address patching is often the source of cybersecurity incidents. Mining companies should ensure they have a written policy and protocol to address the key elements of patching incl ding ho is responsible for overseeing the patching, the timeframe within which they are required to patch, and a list of all software used by the company).

3 | Backups Having off-line, off-site and tested backups of data is key to being able to recover from a ransomware attack without the need to pay the ransom demand. Management should speak ith the person responsible for to nderstand hether and hy is confident that the mining company can recover sing backups in the face of a ransomware attack, approximately how long it would take to recover from backups and how the recovery process would affect operations.

4 | Employee Training Human error accounts for a substantial percentage of cybersecurity incidents. Typically, the human error involves an employee clicking on a malicious link, leading to the installation of malware onto the company network. Regular training of employees is critical to minimizing this occurrence. Further, if organizations track the nature of attempted attacks, they will be better e ipped to tailor the training for specific gro ps within the company to address the particular risks they face.

5 | Land mines in the face of an attack n the face of an attac , there are ey steps to ta e on an rgent basis including the following: > remove the intruder and any hidden traps set by the criminal actor; > preserve forensic evidence to inform how the intruder compromised the company and what they did while they had access to the network; > comply ith reg latory compliance obligations hich may involve multiple jurisdictions and short timeframes within which to report); > control the narrative in the public domain; and > manage litigation ris avoid damaging paper trails and preserve legal privilege). cting at an early stage ith the assistance of e perts incl ding external counsel and a forensic team) can help reduce the costs associated with containment, recovery and response to the attack. CMJ RUTH PROMISLOW is a partner at Bennett Jones, Toronto.

www.canadianminingjournal.com

CSR & MINING

Using technology and data to strengthen your social license to operate

By Carolyn Burns

I

n this digital age there are so many opportunities to use technology and data to improve stakeholder engagement. From video calls to social media platforms, mobile apps, group chats and data portals, it has never been easier to connect with a wide group of people. In 2021, 88% of Canadians used mobile internet. Globally, almost 66% of the population has a cellphone and 60% were active internet users. ere are five of the best ays yo can se technology and data to strengthen your social license to operate.

1 | Share more information with more people.

Companies can use digital platforms to provide updates on mine site activity, summaries of meetings, as well as access to company reporting and grievance mechanisms. In many cases, it might also be appropriate to share pictures or videos of mine site visits or meetings with community members.

At the corporate level, most companies now use data portals to share annual sustainability and ESG information. These portals are being expanded to include more timely data related to mining impacts, community concerns and the company’s social performance. We can also use video and virtual reality (VR) tools to share visual representations of mine plans or current mining activity. Videos are also an important way we can summarize complicated information or show the significance of incidents.

The great thing about communications for local stakeholders is that they can be re-purposed for other stakeholder groups like investors and governments to highlight your approach to communication and engagement.

2 | Learn about the people you are engaging with.

Social media also presents opportunities to gather more information about the people you are engaging with. Desk top research through LinkedIn, Facebook and community websites can give you a good sense of who you are working with, what their background is and how to connect on a more personal level. Regularly listening to local stakeholders on social media can provide useful information about the issues and opportunities that are important to them.

3 | Get feedback from a broader set of people.

In-person discussions and events are extremely important and provide a certain type of information about community dynamics and interests that you cannot get from technology.

But social media and technology can help balance out the power dynamics that play out at in-person events and allow MAY 2022

Listening to community comments and discussion on open social media platforms will give the company a sense of community concern about a broad range of activities including mining.

us to reach a much broader group of people. This is particularly true when it comes to connecting with women, kids or racialized people. It can provide opportunity for them to voice their opinion and be especially helpful if their opinion differs from community leadership. You can use the usual social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to build polls, or questionnaires for people to respond to.

Work with community representatives to make sure that digital tools are appropriate for the group. In some regions, communities are super comfortable with What’sAp groups, or online polls and surveys. In other regions you might have to se specific apps that or on basic phones, ith limited internet, and use the right terminology and language. Ulula is a great example of an organization that works with companies and community groups to design and implement apps so that communities can provide feedback on impact assessments, grievance mechanisms and health and safety audits.

4 | Learn more about yourself.

Social media and data can provide a company with great insight about their relationships with stakeholders and how effective their social performance is. As noted above, listening to community comments and discussion on open social media platforms will give the company a sense of community concern about a broad range of activities including mining. Some mining impacted communities in Canada have closed Facebook groups, but many also use Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to express their opinions. Using these tools, you can get a sense if you are sharing the right information, if it is resonating, and what are the general opinions or questions that community members have.

Companies can also use their own data to determine if they are meeting commitments and expectations around social performance. Regular tracking and reporting on impacts like CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 7

CSR & MINING

Companies can use digital platforms to provide updates on site activity and meetings.

local hiring and procurement, water, community development programs can help track how well you are hitting targets. Likewise, tracking and reporting grievances, attendance at community meetings, social incidents will tell you much about how effective your engagement with communities is.

For example, a decrease in the number of grievances might mean that less people are aware of or using your grievance mechanism. Growing attendance at community meetings can indicate that more people are interested in learning about mining activity and people feel comfortable and confident to engage with the company.

years, UNICEF has used RapidPro and UReport as a real time tool to collect credible, up-to-date information from youth.

Their tools integrate with popular channels, including Facebook Messenger, Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber to help them reach people in 36 countries. UNCIEF then works with governments and the private sector to interpret massive data sets and share results that can drive action. This is a great example of an entry point for companies and NGOs to work together, to form relationships and share resources required to support good outcomes for communities and build a strong social license to operate. CMJ

5 | Work with partners.

NGOs are also using technology and data to connect with comm nities and hear abo t specific iss es. ver the past si

CAROLYN BURNS is executive director of the Devonshire Initiative. The Devonshire Initiative is a multi-stakeholder forum focused on improving development outcomes in the mining context. You can learn more about the DI at www.devonshireintiative.org .

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UNEARTHING TRENDS

BC exploration thriving in the post-pandemic economic recovery

By Iain Thompson

A

rene ed optimism filled the air in as domestic marets reopened, s pply chain net or s began to recover and restrictions that had previo sly disr pted on site operations ere grad ally lifted. anada s e ploration e pendit re sa the highest gro th and attracted the largest share of global b dgets ith an increase of , ahead of stralia and the . . With e pendit re increasing across all b t one risdiction, there s lots to celebrate. t one region in partic lar is catching eyes. espite local di c lties in the form of forest fires and infrastr ct re disr ptions from flooding, the e ploration ind stry in ritish ol mbia e perienced a record setting year, entering in f ll s ing. he ann al ineral and oal ploration rvey sa the province achieve a increase in e pendit re year over year. imilarly, the total n mber of pro ects and drilling increased by and , respectively. With e ploration reaching a near year high since spending pea ed in , e set o t to analyze the contrib ting gro th factors and ey trends for the coming year.

as placed on developing a more rob st orth merican s pply for critical minerals. art of this incl des advancing the oint ction lan on ritical inerals ollaboration bet een anadian and . . governments. he lan highlights a list of select minerals considered essential to technologies that ill enable a s ccessf l transition to a greener economy. With many of these metals fo nd in . . copper, molybden m, zinc and nic el the province has a ripe opport nity to be a ey player in the global energy transition, s pporting the development in rene able energy and clean technology, ranging from electric vehicle batteries to permanent magnets and ind t rbines. his sentiment as certainly echoed last year, as critical metal e pendit re ent p. opper e ploration sa the largest increase, ith prices contin ing to rally to ne highs to ard the end of . imilarly, nic el and zinc bo nced bac from previo s spending declines.

Dominant spending trends remain he north est region contin ed to hold its place as the premier destination for e ploration spending in the province, evidenced by interest from both local companies and ma or international prod cers incl ding e mont s p rchase of old and e crest ining s investments into the region. dditionally, anco ver based scot eso rces is c rrently developing the remier gold pro ect in the area, hile eena eso rces contin es its investment into the s ay ree pro ect. his activity, in part, led the north est region to acco nt for of all e ploration spending in , gaining a increase in spending from the previo s year. he largest mp in spending occ rred in the so th central region, hich sa a increase from levels. ogether, the north est and so th central regions acco nted for three arters of all e ploration spending in the province. s anticipated, gold e ploration as also a dominant contrib tor to e ploration e pendit re gaining even more last year than the po erf l ptic it e perienced in as many investors floc ed to the metal as a safe haven investment. ploration e pendit re contin ed to increase as mar et variability drove demand for the metal and prices rose to more than , per oz. thro gho t the year.

Advancement towards late-stage exploration to maximize proven assets ltho gh as a year of nprecedentedly high levels of spending, e ploration contin ed its trend to ards the advanced and mine eval ation stages improving the economics of e isting discoveries rather than to ards finding ne deposits. rassroots and early stage e ploration acco nted for of total e ploration, compared to of late stage and or mine lease e ploration. his may be attrib ted to pro ects ith significant previo s or nat rally advancing thro gh the e ploration lifecycle. r it co ld be that favorable mar et conditions have allo ed an inventory of pro ects ith promise to be contin ed no that capital can be more readily raised. egardless, it s enco raging to see s ch positive gro th across all facets of the ind stry. nd this gro th is e pected to contin e deep into as post pandemic recovery, reopening of global economies and record high commodity prices are e pected to drive demand for critical metals. ec ring and developing s pplies of these minerals ill position anada for long term, s stainable economic gro th, and . . has the opport nity to be at the forefront of this effort. ot only to provide materials for ne technologies, b t to drive f rther ob creation, economic development and investment that ill position . . as a global leader in mineral and e ploration development. CMJ

Critical mineral security strengthens in the digital age n the a e of ongoing geopolitical t rb lence and pandemic ind ced s pply chain disr ptions, a stronger national foc s

IAIN THOMPSON is the mining and metals consulting leader at EY Canada, based in Vancouver.

For more information visit www.ey.com/en_ca/mining-metals.

MAY 2022

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 9

FAST NEWS • DATAMINE |

Updates from across the mining ecosytem

Ordo partnership offers intelligente shift planning

DATAMINE has entered a new partnership with Ordo to provide supervisor-centric software to modernize traditional shift planning processes by facilitating the navigation of complex planning interactions.

Ordo was developed from the ground up by mining professionals with a passion for planning and execution.

With extensive experience in underground metal mining, they have planned, supplied, trained, operated, consulted and managed mining operations throughout Australasia and Africa.

Built for true customization of ser defined f nctionality, nomenclat re and or flo s, the rdo sol tion can support shift planning applications across many industries. The software motivates supervisors to develop improved planning outcomes and engages the workforce through plan

10 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

Ordo shift planning software is a natural fit for Datamine’s technology suite. CREDIT: ORDO

visualization. cient planning and reporting makes real-time feedback and transpar-

ency possible, particularly during the intense periods that occur prior to and at the start of each shift. Ordo software creates valuable time for the supervisor that can be used for face-to-face contact and engagement with the workforce.

“This partnership complements Datamine’s existing suite of technology used in operations. Ordo is a robust tool that stabilizes and de-risks shift planning, allo ing companies to e ciently plan and deploy the shift. Enhanced execution planning will ultimately lead to improved compliance to plan and overall better operational outcomes,” Andrew Weynen, Ordo product manager, stated in a press release. CMJ

www.canadianminingjournal.com

• WATER TREATMENT |

BQE, First Nation form mine water services venture

BQE WATER and Nuvumiut Development, an Inuit community-based company serving the mining industry, have formed a joint venture to provide water management and treatment services for natural resource development projects north of the 55th parallel in Nunavik, northern Quebec.

BQE has been involved with Glencore’s Raglan copper mine for 16 years, managing and treating water at the site in Labrador. Nuvumiut Development is looking forward to playing a more active role in the northern aquatic environment. The new company also expects to build trust and support for mining projects with a cleaner and greener futures.

“Our mission at BQE Water to produce clean water is very much aligned with those of the communities in which we work.

We believe local communities have an active role as stewards of clean water for mining projects,” said president and CEO David Kratochvil. “Our role as technical experts … is to share our knowledge and train members of local communities.”

• BLOCKCHAIN |

BQE and First Nations are collaborating on clean water at minesites.

CREDIT: BQE WATER

The joint venture company is also registered with Makivik Corporation, an Inuit land claims organization that administers and invests the funds, promotes economic growth and the preservation of Inuit culture, language, health, welfare, relief of poverty and education of Inuit communities. CMJ

Minmetals, Zijin, BHP embrace MineHub platform in the transaction settlement. As this unique innovation matures and the adoption of the blockchain platform continues to increase in the copper market, it has the potential to become the de facto standard for post-trade settlements in the industry, believes MineHub. CMJ

BHP’s Spence copper-molybdenum mine in northern Chile.

CREDIT: BHP GROUP

MINEHUB TECHNOLOGIES announced that metal miners China Minmetals, Zijin Mining and BHP have concluded a twostep transaction on the company’s blockchain-based platform.

MineHub is an open, enterprise-grade platform for digital trade, ith the aim of bringing e ciency, transparency and responsibility to supply chains. It connects the many parties involved in a physical commodity transaction in a digitally integrated or flo , operating on the basis of shared a thentic and validated information secured by a global blockchain network. he digital trade by the three miners is the first transaction of its kind, in which a copper concentrate shipment was purchased by China Minmetals from BHP, then on-sold to Zijin Mining for smelting, with both the purchase and the sale transactions completed on the same platform. t also mar s the first transaction involving a smelter for their procurement. The companies shared greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions estimates and data, including estimates of the Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions associated with the production of the cargo, down the chain to the end buyer Zijin Mining.

The parties also used MineHub’s assay exchange application MAY 2022

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DECARBONIZATION

> By Carol Johnston

nearthing challenges ahead Can technology supply the tools to enable mining to thrive in a maturing landscape?

A

s we move further into 2022, there are many challenges ahead for the mining industry. More evidence of the sector’s environmental damages means global pressures from COP 26 and pledges for net-zero carbon emissions are squeezing the mining industry from all angles. The combination of rising exploration costs, increasing customer pressures and diminishing reso rces, the search for better e ciencies this year ill be a top industry priority. Despite these pressures, there are more successes to unlock, underpinned by the developments in infrastructure and digital innovations that are set to reshape the mining industry going forward.

Putting net-zero emission targets at the top of the agenda – before it’s too late

With most of the international community pledging to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the pressure is on; though at our current pace, the world will fall behind by 60%.

Fortunately, we still have time to turn things around and for the mining sector, this ill re ire significant commitments.

Encouragingly, countries are stepping up. In Canada, not only are commitments to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 underway, but the country has pledged to reduce emissions by 40% to 45% relevant to 2005 levels, by 2030.

However, as with any major transformation the road isn’t always smooth and a transition from fossil fuels to renewables will require the Canadian electric power sector to simultaneously decarbonize. The transition is already afoot – Canada leads the charge in North America and worldwide, as a global producer of hydrogen, and as a recognized world leading nation in mining and natural resources.

s operational e cienc the silver bullet or sustainable activities

These ambitious targets will require large-scale infrastructure commitments, not only to achieve the end goal but to manage the transition. The digitization of operations will deliver realtime data for real-time results and allow mining organizations to accurately answer important questions.

In tandem, organizations must become good stewards of their own operations, controlling, and reducing carbon emissions generated thro gho t their s pply chain and in the field.

Again, technology will play a critical role. For example, predictive maintenance and sched ling ill drive operational e ciencies to help organizations achieve these goals.

The world must work together to hit our target by 2050.

nvestments set to soar but is it enough

s e sa in the first prediction, infrastr ct re m st be modernized and strengthened to accommodate the sustainable energy goals we’ve set. This will require a complete overhaul of existing transmission facilities. In Canada, investment into the MAY 2022

minerals sector reached $12.6 billion for construction and new machinery and equipment and within the next decade, a predicted $82 billion will be spent on major natural resource mining related projects.

While the race to cut carbon emissions is a global effort, every country has their own unique set of challenges to overcome. These wholesale changes will transform mining infrastructure from (below) the ground up. For many organizations, even with help from governments and investors, funding for these projects will fall short, placing a greater onus on internal e ciencies. hese incl de better management of critical assets, optimizing field or forces, and cond cting b siness operations quickly and accurately.

According to a recent IDC report, technology plays an important role. With modern infrastructure in place to manage assets, field service activities, and reso rce planning, organizations will see an increase in productivity by at least 18%. This represents meaningful savings that can be redirected to large infrastructure projects.

t s all in the oment o

ervice

tech helps boost e periences

The pandemic continues to impact how the mining sector interacts with its customers and suppliers – with many experts predicting we will never go back to old ways. As with most industries, interactions have shifted to remote and digital models, forcing mining companies to increase their investment in new digital solutions. Many mining organizations have been able to mechanize their operations, apply digital equipment sensors and nified net or s to transmit data.

Despite this, the mining sector lags behind. Research has suggested that currently, the mining and metals industry is 30-40% less digitally mature than comparative industries such as automotive or chemicals.

Technology will continue to underpin how we meet and exceed expectations, allowing us to deliver meaningful moments of service. With AR, AI, machine learning, IoT and other advances, customer interactions are enhanced. The adoption of new technologies will be essential to keep pace with customer and supplier demands.

etting on the right path means success or ears to come

Canada faces its own unique set of challenges and organizations within the mining sector have a long road ahead to deliver on sustainable practices with the current investment policies.

But the future looks promising, and technology is ready and waiting to help mining organizations reach net-zero emission targets and improve operational e ciencies. CMJ Carol Johnston, VP industries for energy, utilities and resources at IFS (www.IFS.com).

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 13

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COSTMINE

> By Sam Blakely

A RENEWED APPROACH TO

Surface mining cost estimating

S

herpa for Surface Mines has been reinvented as Costmine’s Sherpa Surface, an improved, cloud-based mining-cost-estimating application. The transition of this unique application to the web gives anyone with an internet connection, and a need to estimate the capital and operating cost associated with surface mining, instant access to a powerful engineering-based tool with a new easy-to-use interface.

The original Sherpa for Surface Mines was created to allow mining cost estimators to use advanced cost engineering procedures at the pre-feasibility level and earlier. The program was designed to be both highly fle ible, so e perienced engineers co ld f lly tilize their e pertise, and easy to se, so that those not fully versed in cost engineering techniques could produce reliable estimates. These design principles have endured the application’s transformation into the new Sherpa Surface.

Rather than relying on obscure statistical relationships, Sherpa Surface takes a cost engineering approach. As it was with Sherpa, this updated application uses established engineering procedures and algorithms to calculate all the engineering parameters necessary to estimate the costs associated ith s rface mining and development. a l cycle times, e cavator prod ctivity, e plosive cons mption rates, p mping requirements, and a host of other engineering parameters are determined using accepted mathematical procedures. Finally, these engineering parameters are coupled with up-to-date itemized cost data, provided by Costmine’s Mining Cost Service and a variety of other sources, to arrive at complete surface mining capital and operating cost estimates.

Sherpa Surface can accomplish all of this (including data entry, determination of engineering parameters, application of itemized costs, and detailed reporting) in a matter of seconds. o ever, hen site specific data is available and or the ser is e perienced, the application enco rages yo to over rite any and all intermediate calculations, estimates, and costs that it provides. This allows the user to tune his or her cost estimate to their pro ect s specific characteristics, bolstering the reliability of their cost estimate; and making the Sherpa Surface capable of estimating the costs of projects located around the globe.

FIGURE 1. Minimum Required Data to Estimate Costs

The application then goes through an optimization process to determine the most economically attractive e cavator ha ler combination. ipment availability, b c et fill factors, material densities and s ell, fi ed cycle times, and travel speeds (adjusted for load and gradient) are all considered when determining productivity. nce e cavators and ha lers have been selected, the herpa rface e amines the specified po der factors, bench heights, and production requirements to select the type and determine the size of the blasthole drills. Requirements for ancillary equipment, including graders, pumps, dozers, lighting plants, ater tan ers, pic p tr c s, maintenance tr c s, and e plosives loaders are also provided. A summary of the primary and ancillary e ipment fleets is displayed on the ettings mmary page of the application, shown in Figure 2. As with all fields in the application, yo may alter any or all of the fleet

Equipment selection

Figure 1 shows us the minimum amount of data entry required to estimate the capital and operating costs associated with a surface mining project, covering basic project, production and deposit data. After the minimum data entry has been saved, the Sherpa Surface begins the process of selecting the primary e ipment fleet. o can re est that the application specify the fleet for yo , or yo can specify yo r o n fleet if more appropriate for your project.

If you choose to let the Sherpa Surface determine your fleet, standard engineering techni es are sed to select the types and determine the sizes of the e cavators and ha lers.

MAY 2022

FIGURE 2. Ore, Waste, and Ancillary Equipment Summary CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 15

COSTMINE related parameters, or even specify new equipment, by simply overwriting the values suggested by the application.

With the e ipment fleet specified, the herpa rface begins the task of determining the requirements for all other aspects of the operation. The numbers of hourly and salaried or ers re ired to meet the specified prod ction rate are estimated. Consumption rates for all pertinent supplies are calc lated. he sizes of the shop, mine o ce, change ho se, and areho se are provided, as are re irements for e plosives storage facilities and the electrical distribution system. The Sherpa Surface also estimates pre-production development and haul road requirements, as well as working capital, engineering, and management parameters.

Once all necessary engineering parameters have been determined, they are used in conjunction with the information contained in the itemized cost database to calculate all relevant capital and operating costs. Overall costs are displayed in an easy to read ec tive mmary. etailed costs are displayed in four menus, including a Total Project Cost Summary (see Figure 3) displaying annual average operating costs by category and a schedule of annual capital costs incurred. All the reports and the ec tive mmary are do nloadable as a ith one click. Finally, the data can also be transferred to other applications, such as your favourite spreadsheet application, for further analysis.

A unique approach to mining cost estimating

The cost estimating techniques used by the Sherpa Surface rely on n mero s pro ect specific engineering parameters, along

FIGURE 3. Total Project Cost Summary

with user entered resource data and ore and waste production rates, provide the foundation upon which the cost estimate is based.

Sherpa Surface will suggest entries that allow you to complete reasonable estimates with a minimal amount of information in a small amount of time. The only items that absolutely m st be specified are daily prod ction rates, shift sched les, and the total resource size. CMJ Sam Blakely is a mining engineer and cost analyst at Costmine (www.costmine.com).

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CYBERSECURITY

> By Kelsey Rolfe

CYBER (IN)SECURITY

TAKE ACTION NOW TO ENSURE YOUR DATA DOESN’T GO ASTRAY

IMAGE: MATEJMO/ISTOCK

M

ining companies cyber threat profile is rapidly evolving as the industry undergoes a massive digital transformation, introducing automation, digital technologies and even artificial intelligence and machine learning to their operations. Companies are also facing additional risk as hackers increasingly target critical infrastructure and begin to recognize mining’s place in the supply chain.

But according to experts, companies are largely unprepared to address the changing nature of cyber attacks.

We tend to thin abo t mine development and mine life in decades. And so to have such a rapid shift in risk in less than 10 years, a lot of the industry hasn’t caught up to that being a board-level or senior management team-level risk that needs addressing, said ob abbe, fo nder of the ining and etals Information Sharing Analysis Center, an industry group dedicated to improving mining and metals companies’ cybersecurity. he as fo nded in in response to a series of cyber attacks against eight mining companies.

Cyber attacks can have costly consequences for miners: MAY 2022

according to research from Accenture and the Ponemon Institute, in 2018 Canadian companies faced an average US$2.96-million cost from attack-related business disruptions, and US$3.8 million in information loss.

Recent publicized attacks have clearly demonstrated the operational and financial cost. ast ay, olonial ipeline paid hackers connected with Russia-linked cybercrime group DarkSide US$4.4-million after suffering a ransomware attack that halted all pipeline operations for six days. In October, engineering firm Weir ro p as the victim of a sophisticated ransomware attack that forced it to delay shipments worth more than £50 million.

Operational technology challenges

Operational technology (OT) — the hardware and software that controls physical and industrial processes — has only become more important in the mining industry as companies digitalize and automate their operations.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 17

CYBERSECURITY But OT systems are on the whole less cyber mature than information technology systems, and attacks targeting them are on the rise. Vulnerabilities in OT devices increased 46% in the first half of over the previo s year, according to an annual mid-year vulnerability and threat trends report from enterprise cybersec rity firm ybo ec rity, released in eptember. Justin Berman, Skybox’s technical director, said these assets are incredibly easy to attac beca se they re r nning on outdated operating systems that were designed by engineers without security in mind.

He added that companies have increasingly integrated their OT and IT networks, often to better understand their production or other key metrics. This poses a major security threat, as it could allow hackers to gain access to key company data through assets such as an automated haul truck or a site heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. anada s rvey of large mining companies headquartered in North America demonstrates just how at-risk these assets are. According to the survey, 36% of companies don’t have a complete inventory of their critical assets, 63% don’t regularly report on OT cybersecurity, and 35% have no cybersecurity monitoring of OT devices. Almost half (46% of respondents) only applied security patches in an ad hoc manner or never patch operating technology. o can t protect hat yo don t no yo have, said ri erg, cybersec rity partner at anada. ompanies need a clear understanding of their IT and data assets, and that’s not f lly nderstood. eaving systems v lnerable to cyber attac s has far reaching implications. A successful attack could halt production for days or weeks. But, more than that, it could put employees at risk, said Owen Key, director of risk consulting for cybersecurity at anada. ome systems are directly related to health and safety, s ch as fire s ppression systems in ndergro nd mines. eople co ld lose their lives, he said. erg said a pragmatic and ris based approach for hardening critical OT assets is to regularly patch old legacy software.

Companies planning to introduce new automation software should implement security by design and information management protocols.

In a November blog post, Berg and Key also recommended miners better integrate OT into their overall cybersecurity program, identify all critical OT assets and regularly report on threats, vulnerabilities and any actions taken. erman emphasized that miners need to introd ce segmentation, or disconnect their and net or s.

ee ng up suppliers securit

Digitalizing mining operations has come with the use of more third-party service providers that connect into companies’ internal systems. It’s a major risk, Berman said, as in-house IT or cybersecurity teams don’t often have visibility into manufacturers’ proprietary equipment. ccording to abbe, hac ers are ta ing notice. he has seen a growing trend of cyber attacks directed at suppliers and service providers, with the aim of using those companies as Trojan horses into miners’ IT and OT infrastructure. iners e pectations of their s ppliers cyber governance is starting to change, Berg said, and more are asking important estions. While ey noted some companies ill decline to dis-

18 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

THERE IS A GROWING TREND OF CYBER ATTACKS DIRECTED AT SUPPLIERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, WITH THE AIM OF USING THOSE COMPANIES AS TROJAN T T IT AND OT INFRASTRUCTURE.

close internal cybersecurity policies, miners can ask them to prove their sec rity thro gh a certification, s ch as the nternational Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) standards on information security management. Companies can also negotiate the right to conduct a security audit into a contract. abbe said the is loo ing at ho to bring more s ppliers into its fold. In February, the group launched a supply chain resiliency program, which is meant to assess suppliers’ current practices and help them improve their security. He said the program will also reduce due diligence work for all miners.

Why does every mining company have to assess a s pplier individ ally We can do that once, he said. he goal isn t to create a list of bad and good suppliers; the goal is to support the ind stry in getting better.

Breaking down silos

Berg said companies need to break down the silos between their IT/cybersecurity department and the engineers that have designed their systems and operate as one entity against adversaries, tho gh he ac no ledged it s a partic larly di c lt challenge. ining e ec tives also need to recognize that b siness decisions have an impact on their companies’ cyber risks, abbe said, and co ordinate ith their cybersec rity team on announcements. These business decisions can be things such as operating in a new country, moving into a new commodity or releasing financial res lts and environmental, social and governance commitments.

He gave the example of a company that just announced a major acquisition. Attackers may see that as a period during which the company will be vulnerable and distracted, and more li ely to pay a significant ransom if their financial systems have been taken down ahead of the deal closing. yber attac ers, especially financially motivated ones, are reading our annual reports, are reading our disclosures, they’re showing up at investor calls and are getting informed on the organization, he said. he decisions and comm nications e ma e have an impact on them. When yo re thin ing abo t how to communicate these announcements, you need to think abo t ho s reading it. CMJ n Kelsey Rolfe is a freelance writer formerly with the Financial Post and the CIM. She can be reached at kannerolfe@gmail.com.

www.canadianminingjournal.com

DIGITIZATION

ANSWERING THE NEED FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

M

ines worldwide are under increasing pressure to cut costs and improve productivity, all while becoming safer and more sustainable. These expectations are set against the backdrop of a global pandemic, a highly competitive landscape, volatile fuel and commodity prices, and greater scrutiny by authorities, shareholders and the public.

Digital transformation is widely accepted as the answer to many of these challenges, but digital transformation demands more than niche technology and partial solutions. This is where one technology partner, capable of connecting sensor, software and autonomous technologies, becomes valuable. ines empo ered ith technology to become sit ationally aware, self-learning and autonomously connected are safer, more productive and can make sense of their data.

The key to empowering this digital transformation is a holistic, life-of-mine approach built on connected sensors, software, infield apps and clo d are. single onboard ecosystem comMAY 2022

prising a smart computer, antenna and display wields the power to connect the mine to the boardroom.

For customers this means a scalable, platform-wide answer to challenges previously addressed by point solutions and multiple vendors: drill and blast, collision avoidance, operator alertness, fleet management, operator assist, machine control, asset health and more. For the industry, it points the way to a safer, more productive and sustainable future.

Incremental digitalization for mining

Incremental digitalization is helping many mines to become more e cient and prod ctive. ost operations are already sitting on mountains of data, which raises the question – are we leveraging this information to its fullest extent?

This question increases in complexity when the data silos and various operational roles are contracted throughout the mine.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 19

DIGITIZATION

This, combined with the fact that job roles and responsibilities are changing more quickly than ever, makes it hard to assess.

In this context, partnering with a life-of-mine technology provider can help. Focusing on an autonomous connected ecosystem can support all mining companies, regardless of their operational maturity, allowing them to take small steps. n integrated safety portfolio, connecting systems for collision avoidance, operator alertness, vehicle intervention and personnel protection, is a good example of this. First, an operator alertness system can combat fatigue and fatigue-related events.

Second, incidences can be reduced with a proven collision avoidance system. This can be upgraded to automated vehicle intervention, taking over the vehicle’s propulsion system in defined sit ations hen the driver does not react to an alert.

Ultimately, mines can introduce a fully autonomous solution, removing the human element altogether through self-driving vehicles. The precursor to autonomy involves identifying and processing the right data at the right time to make the right decision with the proper feedback, and this is where many mines are now.

For example, an autonomous mission management system launched by Hexagon and Liebherr, orchestrates autonomous fleet and nmanned mine tra c movements thro gho t the

mine for optimized autonomous haulage.

The autonomous mission management system offers customers the vision of what their mine could be.

Accuracy, precision keys to digitization drill and blast process

lobally, t o certainties face any mine first, small errors at any stage of the complex drill and blast cycle compound to create costly consequences later; second, declining ore grades mean mines are digging deeper, removing more earth for less ore.

Both challenges call for a tailored drill and blast technology portfolio with seamless data collection at every step. This datadriven feedbac loop enabled by machine learning and artificial intelligence to a tomate blast designs and optimize the blast o tcome can be calibrated to increase profit from every blast: drillhole and blast design effectively executed accounting for geology and geometry, using machine-guided, high-precision drills; proven fragmentation analysis and blast monitoring that minimizes loss and dilution.

This holistic pit-to-plant approach addresses the small errors that can compound with costly consequences throughout the complex drill and blast cycle, as well as the sustainability of our resources. CMJ This article supplied by Hexagon AB.

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EXPLORATION

> By James Cormier-Chisholm

Mine data mining ow to nd the metals for a sustaina le economy

T

he world economy needs a massive injection of base metals to enable it to convert from an oil and gas economy to a sustainable economy (see below).

emand side metal pro ections are high. estimates copper demand for battery-powered electrical vehicles (EVs) will need 80 kg of copper, four times as much as an internal combustion engine. forecasts by there co ld be million s on the road of the global fleet , vers s million today. pro ects . million tonnes more copper is needed, a third more than today’s total global copper demand. Nickel demand for EV battery manufacturing projections show growth of 29% per ann m ntil . o enable this mining boom, investors and explorationists need a present-day exploration effort that leverages existing data to increase odds of exploration success and massively shorten the time required to open new mines.

Present situation in mining exploration

resent mining e ploration consists of drilling geophysical anomalies identified by vario s geochemistry and geophysical techniques. This current process is slow, expensive, and risky and is not finding and prod cing eno gh mines. he rospectors evelopers ssociation of anada calc lates the odds of finding a mine from e ploration to mine s commercialization as 0.01%.

The very low odds of successful exploration mean mines are harder to find and th s ta e years to find and develop ith typical quoted time lags for exploration to opening a mine of 15 years. The odds continue to get worse, and the supply of new mines is pl nging. et een ntil , there has been a 67% drop in mines the United States, and between 2011 to 2020, there has been a drop in ne gold mines, and a drop in new base metal mines worldwide.

Existing exploration companies take a balkanized exploration approach. Some explore only next to old mines in mining districts. They anticipate luck will rub off from those old mining district deposits. reenfield e plorationists have s odds.

22 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

We have nothing against both approaches – we wish them well.

But this hasn’t stopped a decrease in new mines.

Geological data and exploration companies

Industry and governments approach this exploration time lag issue like a gambler at a horse race who gathers data about each horse and jockey. The “horses” are various types of geological data being gathered, and the “jockeys,” are companies with skill levels to ride a resource race. This horse and jockey data gathering approach is done to find o t hat or s to find deposits, and ho best finds economic mines. orses alone carry the jockeys, but it is horses – the geological data – that win the races.

Thousands of terabytes of data to “help” with a low odds exploration success process is piling up. Until recently, no one took a look at all this public data, from a data mining perspective, to find hat or s and does not or , sing a s percomp ter capable of loo ing and finding economic deposits across vast areas.

The Eureka Maps approach: look for ore deposits both around old deposits, and in entirely new places, using data mining algorithms that scale to a planetary level. This approach presents opportunities for novel discoveries of orebodies at a different scale, the planet.

Using sophisticated data mining techniques and supercomputers, at slightly better accuracy levels than IBM gets on data mining in other industries, we are able to predict geological anomalies holding resources with better than 95% accuracy.

This massively reduces the risks, costs and time associated with the current 15-to-20-year cycle of exploration to mine opening.

The techniques include decision tree algorithms, solving both regression and classification problems to high acc racy levels.

Decision trees create a training model that predicts the class or value of the target variable by learning simple decision rules inferred from prior data (training data). Decision trees, for predicting a class label for a record start at a root of the tree. Algorithms compare values of the root attribute with the record’s attribute. On the basis of comparison, branches corresponding to a value are then added and then jump to the next node while improving the overall algorithm fit to the dataset. est conf sion matrices are then run on new known data predicting the accuracy of decision trees. Actual ground truthing by assay, using various methods, on predicted deposits, then follows, providing a data miner’s version of geological ground truthing.

Decision trees come in two broad flavors

Categorical and/or binary decision trees. This type trains on a categorical target variable or binary targets, in our case, economic levels of minable deposits across wide areas of exploration as these algorithms can handle both various statistical distributions and ground faults.

www.canadianminingjournal.com

Look for ore deposits both around old deposits, and in entirely new places, using data mining algorithms that scale to a planetary level. This approach presents opportunities on a large scale.

Regression algorithm style decision trees. This type works on continuous grade variables, similar to kriging, i.e. ore grade changes. egression algorithms are applicable on specific orebody statistical distributions within fault boundaries.

Eureka’s approach to wide area exploration focuses most on the first type of decision tree. t is an approach developed over many years. n , e p blished a ritish ol mbia province-wide exploration decision tree data mining prediction result for high production oil and gas wells in he il and as ournal. his as the first time a data mining techni e applied to e ploration in geology as p blished. n , geological data mining work on Exxon Mobil’s $12.5-billion program revealed three deposits within a 50-sq. km study area.

These deposits today are working heavy oil sand mine at Kearl Lake, Alberta. Between 2020, until present, this approach was scaled up using a supercomputer to planetary level searches for gold, nickel and copper.

What does the res lting data mined metal classification loo li e he first e ample is a g t gold classification in so thern ova cotia, as compared to a simplified geological picture (See Fig. 2). e t is a greenfield gold reso rce, ne t to a high tension power line in British Columbia. This data was mined using BC litho-geochemistry data trained to see what gravity anomaly map portions contain potential gold resources (See ig. . his approach also or s to e pand on reso rce discovery aro nd bro nfield sites.

An interesting point: the data mining algorithm shows a folding rock pattern of orebodies typically found in quartz in metasedimentary rock of Meguma Group geology which is associated with high grade visible gold in Nova Scotia (Fig. 6).

The data mining algorithm has independently discovered a deposit shape at Rawdon mine that geologists in Nova Scotia are familiar as an observed deposit fold shape that holds visible gold in quartz.

What to expect with better exploration forecasting?

There will be a much shorter lag time from exploration to commercial mines with the improved forecasting of deposits. A more accurate method to forecast mines means much shorter lag times for mine development.

Exploration programs using traditional methods for base metals typically have 15-to-20-year lag periods before beginning prod ction. he lag time is e pected to be less than five years from prospected resource to mine development using a method that gets drilling programs onto the resource quicker, and f nding, hen combined ith the process hich re ires a company to file a technical report at certain times, prepared in a prescribed format.

MAY 2022

Figure 2

Figure 3

Conclusion

To meet the upcoming demand for electrical vehicles and the decarbonization of our mining industry, the world needs far more metals. Supercomputer-level data mining across wide areas is one way to meet upcoming metal base metal demand. CMJ ames ormier hisholm, eo., BSc geology, en ironmental diploma, and BA, owns ure a aps, a geological data mining company. e ecame interested in data mining after wor ing on the oisey’s Bay nic el pro ect as a consultant. ontact him ia amescormierchisholm eure amapincorporated.com CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 23

SUPPLIED CONTENT

SANDVIK’S TH665B TRUCK RAISES THE BAR FOR BEVS B

attery electric vehicles are the vehicles of the future in underground mining and Sweden’s Sandvik Group is at the forefront of the movement to phase out diesel-powered loaders and haulage trucks.

Over the past several years, Sandvik has introduced ever larger vehicles – not to mention an extensive offering of battery electric drills – but now the company is raising the bar with the TH665B. It will be capable of hauling 65 tonnes, making it the world’s largest underground batterypowered haulage truck.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) of all sizes offer several advantages over diesel-powered vehicles, which have been the backbone of underground fleets for decades. BEVs are quieter, they generate far less heat and, above all, they are emissions-free, which reduces ventilation requirements and makes for a far healthier environment for workers.

“The number one thing our customers are looking for is health and safety,” says Alex Willows, Sandvik Canada’s business line manager for load and haul products.

“We’re also seeing a sustainability push from a lot of the big mining companies.

And their investors are looking at them to drive sustainability.”

For the past several months, Sandvik has been testing the operational capabilities of the TH665B at its research facility in California. Once those tests are complete, the prototype will be shipped to AngloGold Ashanti’s underground Sunrise Dam mine in western Australia for field tests. A preliminary production run is tentatively scheduled for late 2023 and the vehicles should become commercially available by 2024.

Sandvik is using the frame and cabin of the TH663, a diesel-powered hauler capable of handling 63 tonnes per load, as the platform for its new 65-tonne battery electric truck although the company is making some significant modifications.

“We’re using Sandvik’s latest vehicle control system and a new large operational display to make the driving experience the best in class,” Willows says.

An upgraded version of the company’s patented quick swap battery pack, including AutoSwap and AutoConnect functions, will provide the energy necessary to power the TH665B. Similar technology is already in use in its load-haul-dump (LHD)

Sandvik’s new TH665B haulage truck. CREDIT: SANDVIK

vehicles as well as a 50-tonne, battery powered haul truck.

The life of a battery pack charge is determined by a number of factors such as the length and grade of the ramps in any given mine. “We’re expecting customers will be able to get a number of trips or duty cycles out of a single charge,” says Willows. “But the number can vary dramatically as you can imagine if you have a ramp that’s two kilometres versus one that’s seven or eight kilometres.”

Sandvik recommends that users acquire two battery packs per truck, so that one can be charging while the second is in use, allowing any given vehicle to work non-stop, except for the time it takes to quick swap the batteries. The swap can be done in a matter of minutes and without overhead cranes or other installed infrastructure.

A pack can be charged in a little as an hour, but charging as quickly as possible is not recommended. “If a truck is operating and the battery will last four hours, we recommend that the customer charge the other battery for 3.5 hours,” says Willows. “A slow charge actually helps prolong the life of the battery and reduces the peak electrical draw from the mine’s grid system.”

Battery electric vehicles typically cost more to purchase than their diesel-powered counterparts and the TH665B will be no exception. But more and more buyers are looking at total cost of operation, not just price. On that basis, the lifetime cost of

owning a BEV is equal to or slightly less than a diesel vehicle.

Electrics have far fewer moving parts and require far less maintenance, meaning less downtime and more time hauling ore. As well, BEVs can be 30% to 50% faster. “Where a diesel truck goes up a ramp at nine kilometres per hour, we’re seeing 12 kilometres per hour for battery electrics,” Willows says. “When you start doing simulations, it definitely increases productivity.”

The truck’s superior performance is due to Sandvik’s industry-leading drivetrain systems. The TH665B’s drivetrain delivers 640 watts of continuous power and each of the truck’s four wheels are equipped with independent drives.

Sandvik’s development of the TH665B positions the company to play a lead role as companies around the world move to emissions-free underground mining.

“It’s an exciting field to be in,” says illows.

“In Canada, mining groups or consultants are all doing battery electric trade-off studies for almost every new mine that’s in development or being looked at.” n D’Arcy Jenish

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MINERAL PROCESSING

> By Stephen Beamond

The scoping study for a potential iron ore mine defined the multi-disciplined engineering needed for the mill.

CREDIT: STANTEC

TREATMENT TRENDS How to boost mineral processing efficiency and cut waste

O

ften depicted in media by historical pictures of coal miners with a pickaxe or prospectors panning for gold, the mining industry has not modernized, thinks the average citizen. This is an unfair and inaccurate depiction of one of the most innovative industries on the planet. Today, we use complex extraction processes and machines that are created for a specific tas li e sorting different sizes of ore for cr shing and automated ventilation systems for underground mines.

Sometimes the sought-after mineral is so small that it’s nearly invisible to the naked eye. This means mineral processing is a huge component of the mining industry, but it isn’t always top of mind when an average person thinks about mining.

We will need more mined materials and increasingly esoteric metals as society decarbonizes. For example, compared to a conventional car, building an electric car uses approximately six times the amount of minerals.1

Trends we’re seeing and work we’re doing

Due in part to the increased demand for minerals and metals, there is also an increasing requirement for new mines and bro nfield e pansions. nvestors and cons mers are both demanding more sustainably sourced products. So, how can we be more sustainable in the mining industry? We can start by increasing e ciency and red cing aste d ring mining and MAY 2022

Rendering of a vanadium electrolyte plant that will boost redox flow batteries capacity. CREDIT: STANTEC

mineral processing. When the opportunity allows, a mine site, including its processing plants, can utilize renewable energy.

1 | Increasing Efficiency One way to operate in a more environmentally friendly way is to ens re processing systems are r nning ith ma im m e ciency. A process that’s been working well for years might be due for a checkup to see if there are ways to optimize both the CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 27

SUPPLIED CONTENT

MINING THE POTENTIAL OF DIGITAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT

T

o increase companies’ confidence in successfully achieving their business objectives, they should take advantage of the full range of digital solutions available. Digital solutions enable people, processes, and data to be managed and analyzed in an intelligent and efficient manner. And that means companies can improve their business and operational performance, end-to-end.

Similarly, digital can be deployed in all aspects and all phases of the project management lifecycle. As an example, even from before construction starts, using available 3D-modelling and visualization capabilities could not only optimize the design and allow for virtual constructability reviews, but also identify risks and debottleneck process inefficiencies.

By streamlining data and information management systems and processes, companies can develop and benefit from more efficient, integrated working processes. For example, they can bring together various teams and sources of engineering data, traditionally separated and siloed, and combine them in an integrated manner to develop, review, refine and communicate. This allows for meaningful, accurate, and up-to-date information that can be accessed fast and easily.

Digital solutions can be used very effectively to drive performance KPIs, monitor metrics and determine and observe performance and compliance thresholds. They allow for an advanced degree of specificity, right down to individual elements. For example, contractor management might be identified as one of the biggest risks to cost and schedule. To address it, projects can use, among others, people-tracking technology, centralized document repositories, and online training and competency verifications. Technology solutions also provide projects with the ability to validate invoicing as part of the contractor management process, not only to control costs and reduce claims from a commercial point of view, but also to ensure scope-management governance and compliance.

Collaborative partnerships can often be overlooked, but digital platforms can be used to enhance business value and achieve project objectives. They are a very effective way for projects to bridge the skills and capability gaps while in the planning and design phase, by seamlessly collaborating on the project without navigating aspects such as bulky and cumbersome document management

systems, lengthy multi-party approval processes, and version control.

Every project must achieve its objectives and performance thresholds.

Put simply, that means delivering on-time and on-budget. And at the end, the mine will be handed over to someone else to operate. So, it is critical for all stakeholders across all project stages – development, design and execution – to not only engage and collaborate during all stages of the lifecycle, but place emphasis and value on the operational benefit of data which streamlines the handover and provides the operator with enhanced confidence in “what they are getting” to operate, maintain and sustain the mine.

Digital technologies make it possible to stay on top of every phase of the project lifecycle, from laying out and aligning on the project and business objectives to ensuring on-time and within budget deliverables, by understanding the overall project status and managing potential bottlenecks. The result? Better performance across the entire project lifecycle. n Learn more about digital project management with Accenture at www.accenture.com.

MINERAL PROCESSING

energy use and material yield.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen a spi e in demand for e ciency related or li e energy a dits and debottlenec ing pro ects. f done right, s stainable designs and practices can save energy, drive costs down, and improve recovery rates. For example, a copper mine in Arizona completed a debottlenecking study and found they could save energy costs by modifying their grinding and crushing circuit. This also reduced their greenhouse gas emissions and increased their recovery.

How we handle materials before and d ring processing can also increase e ciency. Streamlining transportation or reconsidering what needs to be transported makes a big difference. For example, there is an underground gold mine in Turkey that has an underground crushing chamber. By beginning the minerals processing journey as close to the mined ore as possible, it maximizes materials handling e ciency.

2 | Reducing waste We know that the natural resources on this earth are finite. he mining ind stry has a duty to operate within the concept of sustainable development. We must treat our resources responsibly. Resource scarcity can be lessened by reusing or recycling waste materials and tailings.

Many sites have deployed innovative ways to reuse water at mine sites. Roy Hill’s Pilbara operation in Western Australia built an aquifer recharge system.

The mine site consists of a conventional open pit bulk mining operation with a 60 million tonnes per year processing plant. Managing groundwater is a consistent challenge for mine operators. Storing and recycling the water is the most sustainable option and mitigates any environmental ris to local flora and fa na.

Our team managed the detailed design of a pipeline to transport dewatered saline water from the remote mine to an aquifer approximately 45 km away. n the ind stry it is becoming more popular to re-process tailings or waste rock to extract other minerals (not the original sought after resource). A great example of this is a gold adsorption pilot plant, built to maximize gold recovery from tailings waste. The plant trialed bac end recovery of a ne flotation tailings stream through the existing gold MAY 2022

plant. The client wanted to know if the existing carbon-in-leach circuit, a part of the gold extraction process, had the additional capacity to accept flotation material and recover s cient gold. he pilot plant was a success. Now the client will be able to replicate this tailings waste recovery solution, thus maximizing gold collection e ciency.

3 | Replace conventional energy sources Energy is a key factor in processing plant operations. t is a ma or cost, often around a third of the total cost, and is becoming more critical as an environmental consideration. The plant can minimize energy consumption by using processes such as high-pressure grinding rolls and autogenous or semi-autogenous grinding or vertical milling.

Once a plant has reduced its energy consumption, the next step to becoming more sustainable is transitioning to a greener, cleaner energy source.

Renewable energy in mining operations is becoming more common thanks to increasingly cost-effective energy storage. A great example is the rapidly maturing solar energy project from Alinta Energy. Stantec consulted on the design and construction of this solar energy project. When complete, it will provide up to 60 MW of generation capacity in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Where the industry is headed – new standards

t s e citing to see ho ic ly the mining industry is evolving. Ten years ago, discussions around renewable energy or reusing tailings were rare. Now, we’re seeing mining companies being proactive and making these things happen every day. Even though many renewable energy projects are still in initial concept, permitting, and design stages, it’s great to see how much progress has been made in the last decade. t s very li ely e ill see greater reglation and licensing aro nd energy e ciency, waste management, and overall, renewably energy or greenhouse gas emissions. Process plants traditionally measured by demand, schedule, grade, recovery, and yield, will likely have optimization and sustainability-related targets to hit as well (if they don’t already!)

So, it’s important for mine owners and operators to act now to develop energy e cient and effective mineral processes.

This will help them be more prepared for both the greater demand for minerals and metals and increased regulation in the future. CMJ Stephen Beamond is Stantec’s regional leader for energy and resources in Queensland, Australia and internationally.

1. https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/ minerals-used-in-electric-cars-compared-toconventional-cars

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 29

EXPLORATION

> By Bill Kellaway, Colin Rawbone and John Paul Hunt

Modern exploration opens potential in Africa

A

s the pace of mineral exploration picks up in Africa and elsewhere, geologists can dra on significant advances in technology – not only to uncover new deposits but to extend or rejuvenate old ones.

Global economic recovery and the focus on battery minerals is seeing greater interest in mineral exploration, not least in areas of central and southern Africa. The digital revolution is paving the way for this exploration to proceed much quicker than it could a few decades ago, according to Bill Kellaway, executive chair and principal consultant (exploration and mining) of SRK Exploration Services.

Kellaway pointed, for example, to the power of global positioning system (GPS) technology. Now available on ‘everyday’ devices like mobile phones, this technology has really changed the game for prospectors and geologists.

“Geological exploration can today be cond cted m ch more e ciently, as many of the traditionally manual, time-consuming tasks can be avoided,” he said. “The ability to load geological data directly into

30 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

a digital, transferable format has made the world of difference.” his has partic lar significance for regions like the Copperbelt, where mining has been conducted for over a century. Ever more powerful modelling software allows historical exploration data to be revisited and more intensively analysed, according to Colin Rawbone, director and principal exploration geologist at SRK Exploration Services.

“This allows us to go back over old data and uncover new opportunities,” said Rawbone. “Most often, the quality of field or done decades ago as very good, giving us a competent basis for re-examination. At the time the data was collected, geologists were limited by the technology available for data handling and analysis.”

Large quantities of data can be managed by today’s digital tools, so that geologists can readily integrate it and create models in three dimensions. This speeds-up the pace of reaching vital decision-points in a prospecting or expansion project, making the whole process

The modern focus of exploration is on risk awareness, efficiency, precision and leveraging technology. CREDIT: SRK

more streamlined and opening the door to cost-effective options for taking projects forward.

“These techniques and technologies have also led to higher levels of precision, which themselves help to mitigate risk in what is usually a most uncertain phase of mineral development,” added Rawbone.

Precision is a vital factor in an age when the focus of much exploration is on lower grade deposits – or less valuable portions of deposits where the rich segments have been mined out.

In SRK’s experience, well-established mines can bring new technologies to bear when looking at the scope for extending mine life, said John Paul Hunt, principal exploration geologist at SRK Exploration ervices ohannesb rg o ce.

“SRK Exploration Services undertakes prospectivity studies to introduce new perspectives, making use of the latest technology to generate new geological

www.canadianminingjournal.com

models,” said Hunt. “Such an approach can open up possibilities that the mine has not yet considered and unlock considerable value for investors.”

Some governments in Africa have also taken a more active role in promoting mineral exploration, recognizing the economic and social benefits that flo from responsibly managed mining. SRK has worked with state agencies in countries like Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea – helping to examine the potential of under-explored areas. By leveraging the value of historical exploration data, there is potential to attract funding from international markets.

Kellaway emphasised that the rapid exploration progress enabled by modern technology was also crucial in meeting the permitting deadlines facing prospectors. With most countries applying time limitations to their exploration permits, the sooner investment decisions can be reached, the better. He warned, however, that exploration – like mining itself – was increasingly governed by environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations.

MAY 2022

Owing to technology, exploration geology has been released from many of the costly and timeconsuming tasks traditionally associated with this field. CREDIT: SRK

“These focus on key areas like environmental impact, health and safety, labour practices, quality control and precision,” he said. “Best practice demands that exploration projects comply with international standards, and this also means being transparent in dealing with stake-

holders and providing robust and validated data sets.” CMJ Bill Kellaway is executive chair, Colin Rawbone is principal exploration geologist, and John Paul Hunt is senior exploration geologist at SRK Exploration Services.

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 31

RARE EARTHS

RARE OPP o

T

he rare earth element maret has e perienced impressive and nprecedented gro th over the past co ple of years, and it is e pected to contin e that gro th in the coming fe years. here are many reasons incl ding a move to ard electric vehicle adoption, net zero goals at both domestic and international levels, and a sec red s pply of REEs that is no longer dependent on foreign so rces. he as atche an esearch o ncil hopes to be a contrib ting factor in this contin ed ind stry gro th as it b ilds its rare earth processing facility and REE hub. But with growth in any sector, partic larly a relatively ne sector, there are both challenges and opportunities. For the REE industry, the key to

32 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

s ccess ill come from the development and sec rity of its o n independent s pply chains.

The rare earth supply chain

What is important to understand is that reso rces aro nd the orld are not act ally all that rare. o ever, most of the world has been dependent on foreign so rces of these critical materials for the past n mber of decades. his import dependence can be a concern beca se it p ts s pply chains and material users at risk. With the evolution in both the auto and energy industries, hydrocarbon demand is diminishing and demand is increasing. he sec re s pply of rare earth elements and the resiliency of their s pply chains

is meeti

are essential to meeting this demand. nd hile ind stry has made significant progress to ard this over the past co ple years, it is not yet s cient and still leaves a number of vulnerabilities.

Another important thing to understand is that the s pply chain is comple and poses many challenges to develop. hat is beca se there are many individual stages of the full REE prod ction chain incl ding mining, beneficiation, hydrometall rgy, separation, metal alloys, magnets, original equipment man fact rers and finally end use.

Challenges

he development of ne s pply chains does not come easy. ne real challenge

www.canadianminingjournal.com

> By Rebecca Gotto and Muhammad Imran

PORTUNITY

ing the challenge that is being observed worldwide is the speed at hich pstream operations can get p and r nning to the point here the beginning of a s pply chain can develop. hese types of e ploration pro ects typically re ire both time and significant financial bac ing to get to prod ction. ne pstream company hich has fo nd a ic er ro te to mar et is heetah eso rces the only operational mine in anada. heetah eso rces commenced prod ction of its echalacho mine in the orth est erritories in ne . t ill ship rare earth concentrate from its mine to its rare earth e traction plant in as atoon located ad acent to s facility to be processed into a mi ed rare earth carbon-

ate before being shipped to or ay and the U.S. for separation.

But with the massive demand required in the coming years, the echalacho mine ill need to e pand significantly and many more REE mines will need to begin prod ction in order to meet the need and create a sec re s pply beginning from the upstream portion of the s pply chain. nother challenge is that the mar et can be ite volatile and ncertain. When rare earth o ide prices are too lo , this affects the ability for ne pstream mining pro ects to be economical. When rare earth o ide prices are high, this leads to constraint for magnet man fact rers or even impacts for the end ser ind stry. his contin o s fl c-

t ation of pricing can lead to instability for industry. rrently, the biggest ris for the ind stry is mar et s stainability ill prices contin e to trend p, ill they level out, or will they drop? What is evident, is that the swift development of transparent and sec re s pply chains ill lead to more certainty and less volatility for the RE industry going forward.

Opportunities

While there are many challenges to b ilding a ne s pply chain, it also presents many opportunities. This starts with the demand. The annual demand for rare earth metals is pro ected to at least do ble by , creating both CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

Rare earth oxide samples. CREDIT: SASKATCHEWAN RESEARCH COUNCIL

MAY 2022

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 33

RARE EARTHS Recovering rare earths at the SRC using solvent extraction.

CREDIT: SASKATCHEWAN RESEARCH COUNCIL

enormous pressure and opportunity for global prod ction. n order to meet this demand, international collaboration ill be re ired something e are already seeing on many levels already mainly being pushed forward by the need to achieve net zero since rare earths offer a great opport nity to achieve those goals. caling p and commercializing ne technologies can often be a challenge ho ever, research and development is act ally ell positioned to address long term sol tions to the s pply chain. , led by some of the orld s leading e perts in processing and separation technologies, is especially e perienced to help validate and demonstrate ne technologies in its research laboratories and pilot scale facilities.

Finally, the vulnerabilities in the REE s pply chain can be addressed thro gh a variety of mechanisms incl ding a foc s on e ploration, prod ction, alternatives,

Working with rich data and remote sensing methods puts us on site — virtually. .com

34 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

recycling, reprocessing, ind stry incentives, international collaboration and investment. ll of these areas create opportunities and, in the end, will help red ce the dependence on foreign so rces, enco rage technological inno-

vation, s pport ob creation and most importantly, will foster a strong and vibrant ind stry for years to come.

SRC’s role in the supply chain

n anada, s facility is playing a leading role in addressing some of the issues in the s pply chain, providing rare earth prod cers ith a potential ro te to maret and completing the important mid stream piece of the s pply chain by completing concentration and separation at the early stage of pro ect development a previo s place of bottlenec for ind stry ithin the s pply chain. s a first of its ind in orth merica, the facility ill lay the fo ndation for a s pply chain in as atche an and form an industry model for future REE reso rce e pansion in the province. s facility is c rrently being completed in t o phases. he first, hich incl des a monazite processing nit, ill process the ore and prod ce mi ed rare earth, and be operational in early . he second phase, hich incl des a separation nit, ill prod ce individal rare earth o ides and ill be operational in early 2024. or more information on s are arth rocessing acility or the services it offers to ind stry, go to .src.s .ca ree. CMJ Dr. Muhammad Imran is VP rare earth elements and Rebecca Gotto is a communications advisor at the Saskatchewan Research Council.

www.canadianminingjournal.com

DIGITIZATION

DIGITAL SKILLS

> By Adam Brumwell

Using data to optimize operations

M

ining is on the verge of a digital transformation. It is taking place around the world as miners drive towards safer, more sustainable and productive operations. The impact of the pandemic also created a need to look at operations differently due to changes to the workforce, remote work and supply chain. The industry is increasingly turning to technology to guide their business strategy.

Technological enhancements in operations and equipment are creating the ability to capture vast amounts of information in real time. These endless streams of data can be daunting – and organizing all that data into valuable insights is one of the biggest challenges for mines today. Unlocking the potential of this vast amount of data requires a balance between industry expertise and an understanding of how to organize the data into meaningful insights.

Finding the right technology and properly implementing it to harness the benefits is not easy. nd ithin mining this can be a daunting task because the geology, design, commodity and social economic factors are unique to each operation.

There can be an underestimation of the commitment and costs associated with developing and implementing a digital strategy. single machine can have millions of data inputs, producing massive amounts of information every second. How will this information be used?

Is the right infrastructure in place to handle the data? How can insights be turned into tangible benefits or companies working on a digital strategy, small steps MAY 2022

in selecting new technology, and rethinking how the company plans to track and execute on the data-delivered insights can offer substantial results. But this needs to be well thought out to understand where the key areas of focus need to be and how those benefits ill be achieved.

Even for those further along in their digital journey, there are still some hurdles to overcome for better data optimization and learning how to unleash the power of the data insights. Companies that have the ability to unlock insights can increase safety and operational e ciencies, reduce costs, better react to ever-changing market conditions, and plan for s pply chain fl ct ations. he operational data available will support quality decision making. Taking steps in a phased approach allows learning to be captured and implemented to support the overall transition, minimize risks and increase the likelihood of success.

Solutions for better data insights

When data is harnessed correctly, companies can be better prepared to think proactively and quickly react to changes in the business. Information can be extracted and used to understand the implications across the entire mining value chain. To do this, you must ensure that there is a model in place to help decision makers understand the information and how it will impact the entire operation vers s a specific area of the b siness. s more companies loo to pit to port or drill-to-mill solutions, there isn’t always a structured way to see the up and downstream effects of decisions. When

data is only accessible by one department and isolated from the rest of the business, it can lead to poor decision making.

Understand that technology adoption and data insights are only as good as the change management required for implementation. When data-based insights are sourced correctly and everyone has access to one single source of information, it can lead to better collaboration and business decisions. Companies can go beyond lagging indicators and start using leading indicators with predictive capabilities. o be effective, a significant investment needs to be made on change management as for many companies this digital evolution will mean a change to how employees do the work. This initial phase can be challenging as companies may discover that their current technology or data platforms are ins cient, as the information required may show insights not previously available.

Skillset is another element that needs to be addressed in the change management process. Finding balance between knowledge and experience in technology and a deep mining ac men can be di cult and putting this experience, knowledge and insight to work remotely from an o ce h ndreds of miles from a mining site adds another level of di c lty.

To be successful, leaders need to invest in both the right people and scalable technology to help support the transition and integration into their business. CMJ Adam Brumwell is senior director technology solutions, Finning Canada.

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 35

APRIL 2022 | VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 4

ON THE MOVE

SPONSORED BY

ERIK BUCKLAND 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

» Asante Gold COO David Anthony replaced founder Douglas MacQuarrie as the company’s president and CEO, with the latter being appointed executive chairman.

Benjamin Gelber as VP exploration.

» Austral Gold accepted the resignation of CFO Jose Bordogna.

Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan

Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan was appointed independent nonexecutive director and chairman of the board at Endeavour Mining.

Venkatakrishnan has over 30 years of experience across the natural resources sector in finance, strategy, restructuring, senior executive and board leadership positions. He was the CEO of AngloGold Ashanti from 2013 to 2018, and was the group CEO of Vedanta Resources from 2018 to 2020.

Venkatakrishnan is a chartered accountant and holds a commerce degree.

Larry Radford

Jaimie Donovan

Larry Radford became president, CEO and director at Argonaut Gold. Radford has over 35 years of experience, most recently as the COO of Gold Standard Ventures. Before that, he held the role of senior VP and COO of Hecla Mining, and prior to that, Radford was with Kinross and worked with Barrick, including 14 years at the Goldstrike mine in Nevada. Radford is a secondgeneration miner who holds a BSc in mining engineering from the University of Idaho and an MBA from the University of Alaska.

Jaimie Donovan is the newest board nominee at Wheaton Precious Metals, and is expected to fill the seat vacated by the retiring Doug Holtby.

Donovan has over 20 years of mining experience, spanning roles in operations, technical services, capital allocation and corporate development, having worked at mines in Australia and Canada for Barrick, Goldfields and Western Mining. Donovan holds bachelor degrees in mine engineering and commerce from the University of Western Australia.

36 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

» Clean Air Metals named Kris Tuuttila as director of sustainability, permitting and community relations.

It also promoted Geoff Heggie as VP of exploration. » Coast Copper hired Jesse Collison as exploration manager.

» i-80 Gold named Jon Laird project manager of the Cove mine to oversee its development in Nevada.

» E3 Metals appointed Leigh Clarke as director of corporate strategy and sustainability, replacing Liz Lappin. » Steve Stakiw became president, CEO and a director of Element 29 Resources. » David Soares is the new CFO of First Majestic Silver.

» FPX Nickel appointed Kyle Marte as the company’s principal metallurgist. » Fausto Di Trapani stepped down as CFO of Galiano Gold, to be succeeded by senior VP Finance Matt Freeman. » Gold Line Resources named former Barrick Gold exploration manager

» Rob Henderson of Great Panther Mining resigned as president and CEO, as well as vacating his seat on the board. » Group Eleven Resources CFO Shaun Heinrichs departed from the company and joined 1911 Gold as president, CEO and director.

» Anthony Esplin took on the role of COO at Discovery Silver.

» Jeff Reinson was named COO of First Mining Gold.

» GR Silver Mining founder Marcio Fonseca became president and COO, while chairman Eric Zaunscherb took on the role of CEO. The company also appointed Trevor Woolfe as VP of exploration and corporate development.

» IsoEnergy appointed Graham du Preez as its new CFO to replace Janine Richardson, who joined the board of Golden Shield Resources. » Ivor Exploration named Vivien Chuang as its new CFO, replacing Brent Hahn. » Steve Swatton stepped down as CEO of K2 Gold, with president Anthony Margarit assuming this role.

The company also named Eric Buitenhuis VP of exploration. » David Thomas took on the newly created role of general manager of US operations at Laramide Resources.

www.canadianminingjournal.com

» Libero Copper & Gold named Matthew Wunder as VP exploration. » Lion Copper and Gold appointed Steven Dischler as VP of ESG. » Andre Oliveira is the new VP of exploration at Lundin Gold. » MAS Gold named Karen Frisky CFO and corporate secretary. » Mason Graphite named Carmelo Marelli its new CFO. It also appointed Henri Wilhelm as advanced applications and products specialist, and Julie Gravel as director of environment and sustainable development. » Metallis Resources appointed Nickolas Dudek as its chief geologist. » Muzhu Mining appointed Rodney Stevens as vicepresident. » PolyMet Mining announced the departure of senior VP and project director Richard Lock, who joined Oroco Resource as CEO. » Greg Davis replaced J. Stevens Zuker as president, CEO and director of Pucara Gold. » QC Copper and Gold named Derek Teevan as VP of strategic engagement for its Opemiska copper mine development in Quebec. » QuestEx Gold & Copper named Darren Lefort as VP of exploration. » Strathmore Plus Energy has a new VP exploration, Terrence Osier. » Dean Hanisch was appointed CEO at Stria Lithium. » Suncor Energy appointed Peter Zebedee as executive VP of mining and upgrading. » Tarachi Gold appointed Todd Roth as VP of operations to oversee its mining assets in Mexico. » Peter Kleespies replaced Eric Buitenhuis as VP exploration at Tectonic Metals. » White Metal Resources named David Speck as CFO, a role vacated by Nikolaos Tsimidis.

MAY 2022

BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS » Andean Precious Metals made two board appointments: Ramiro Villarreal Morales and Felipe Canales Tijerina.

» Power Metals appointed Zhiwei Wang as director and the resignation of Brian LaRocco from the board.

» BluMetric Environmental added Wanda Richardson to its board and appointed Jeffrey Talley as chair.

» Quantum Energy welcomed Craig Kitchen as its newest board addition.

» Caledonia Mining announced John McGloin’s resignation as a non-executive director. » Casa Minerals added Anita StevensonPatterson to its board of directors. » Dolly Varden Silver welcomed Tim Clark and Michael Henrichsen as new directors, while Thomas Wharton, Donald Birak and Annette Cusworth all departed from the board. » Endeavour Mining appointed Ian Cockerill as senior independent non-executive director. » Rob Carpenter joined the board of Ethos Gold as co-chairman. » Gunpoint Exploration senior board member Gerald Sneddon passed away. » Horizonte Minerals added Gillian Davidson and Vincent Benoit to its board. » Peter O’Hagan joined the board of Iamgold. He is also a director at Triple Flag Precious Metals. » International Battery Metals appointed Maria Echaveste, Foy Wyman Morgan and William Webster as independent directors, while CFO Logan Anderson, David Ryan and Rodger Cree left the board. » John Robins became executive chairman of K2 Gold. » The board of Lundin Mining welcomed Juliana Lam as its newest member. Adam Lundin will also stand for election at the company’s next annual meeting, succeeding the retiring Peter Jones. » Kurt Forrester replaced Daniel Mamadou on the board of Medallion Resources. » Nevada Zinc welcomed Igor Danyliuk as its new board member. » Newcrest Mining named Philip Bainbridge as an independent non-executive director. » NorthWest Copper appointed David Smith to its board of directors.

» Patrick Levasseur replaced Aeron Kawakami on the board of Quebec Silica Resources. » Ranchero Gold welcomed Chris Bradbrook and its president Brian Szeto to the board, while director Steve Ristorcelli stepped down. The company also added Ken Balleweg to its technical advisory team. » Reunion Gold added Pierre Chenard to its board of directors. » Rio Tinto non-executive director Hinda Gharbi gave notice of her intention to step down. » Rock Tech Lithium named Esther Bahne a director. She is also chief marketing and strategy officer. » Morgan Tincher replaced Yana Bobrovskaya on the board of Ross River Minerals. » Sherritt International appointed Maryse Bélanger as deputy chair and Chih-Ting Lo as director. » Christopher Westdal resigned as director and chair of Silver Bear Resources. » Ross Glanville retired from the board of SilverCrest Metals. » Aaron McBreairty joined the board of Sky Gold to replace Catherine Fitzgerald, who resigned. » Snowy Owl Gold appointed Luticia Miller as director, replacing Michael Rosatelli. » Solstice Gold added Lisa Doddridge to its board of directors. » Leigh Ann Fisher became SSR Mining’s latest board addition. » Traction Uranium appointed Lester Esteban as director and CEO of the company, replacing Michael Malana. » Voltage Metals director Darryl Levitt resigned. » Wheaton Precious Metals board chairman Doug Holtby is retiring and will be replaced by current director George Brack.

» Perpetua Resources welcomed Laura Dove to its board.

» Whitehorse Gold announced the appointments of Alex Zhang as director and Lorne Waldman as board chairman, the latter replacing Dr. Mark Cruise. Also, Nikki Graham resigned as general counsel and corporate secretary.

» Sam Kiri joined the board of Platinex, replacing Graham Warren, who will continue to serve as CFO.

» Zacatecas Silver welcomed Nancy La Couvee, corporate secretary of K92 Mining, to its board.

» Orogen Royalties appointed Justin Quigley as board chairman.

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 37

140TH ANNIVERSARY

> By Jane Werniuk, P.Geo.

A Point in Time

CELEBRATING CANADA’S MINING HISTORY AND THE 140TH ANNIVERSARY OF CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL – ONE OF CANADA’S OLDEST CONTINUOUSLY PUBLISHED MAGAZINES

W

hen this publication was born in 1882 (no, Marilyn Scales and I were not around then!), it was a very slim newsletter named The Canadian Mining Review. Within five years it had taken on a Dawson City hot-headed and bold young Scottish cricketer/editor, B.T.A. Bell.

Port Radium He not only transformed The Lac de Gras Review into a national mustread monthly, but organized Yellowknife Voisey’s Bay and energized the fledgeling Beaverlodge Lake Stewart mining groups across the counLabrador Wollaston City Tumbler Lake try. He tried his best to rout out Ridge Fort McMurray the scoundrels, while cajoling Barkerville Buchans Thompson Fort Saskatchewan the country’s politicians and Sherridon Murdochville Kamloops associations to get together.

Flin Flon Sydney RouynSquamish Trail Kimberley In researching for this artiTimmins Noranda Bathurst Red Lake cle, I dove down many rabbit Saskatoon Val-d’Or Lawrencetown Crows Nest Elliot Cobalt Montreal holes and came up extremely Hemlo Pass Lake impressed with the work of Bell.

Sudbury Ottawa Thetford Mines He was my predecessor as editor Isle Royale by a century (he started at The Review Goderich Port Hope in 1887, while I started at CMJ in 1986).

Windsor This piece is a timeline pointing to the major events and mining camps that have shaped Canada’s mining industry to 2022.

It was hard to choose the keepers, but boiled down to an intense (1901 to present) nickel-copper mines in Sudbury. The hisdiscussion with my husband George Werniuk (P.Geo.). The sidetory of each mineral project remains incredibly valuable and bars are memories from a few of the many former editors. will not be lost as the paper decays. In the archives you will My research was made easier by librarians who have resalso find many of the hot topics of the day, that are still being cued old print publications by making them digitally availdebated. able, often online. Now that it’s easy, take the opportunity Thank you to Nean Allman and the Vintage Women in Minto look back into the old mining publications. Considering ing for ideas and leads, and to Johanne Roux at the Geoscience the thousands of mines that have come and gone, and someLibrary of the Ontario Geological Survey in Sudbury, Mark times come back, it makes one appreciate how special the Pellegrino of The John P. Robarts Research Library at Univerlongest-lived mines are, like the Dome gold mine in Timmins sity of Toronto Libraries, and Michel Brideau of the Public (1910 to 2017), the Sullivan silver-lead-zinc mine in Kimberley Services Branch of Library and Archives Canada for locating (1895 to 2001), and the Stobie (1886 to 2017) and Creighton and scanning past issues for this article.

Sources of archives of Canadian mining publications At www.canadiana.ca you can find digital versions of The Canadian Mining Review, The Canadian Mining & Mechanical Review and The Canadian Mining Journal from 1883 through 1920.

A full collection of the bound issues or microfilm of The Canadian Mining Journal, The Northern Miner and other Canadian mining publications can be found in the National Library in Ottawa as well as the libraries of provincial geological surveys and universities. There is a delightful summary of the previous sixty years of mining (“The Pattern of the Years”) published in the November 1939 issue of CMJ. All volumes up to 2000 include an annual index. CMJ’s digital archives dating from 2000 to the present can be found at https://www.canadianminingjournal.com.

38 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

“A Chronology of Minerals Development in Canada” is a detailed timeline of Canadian mining events that stretches from 9,000 years ago to 2005. This was first published in the CIM Bulletin and can now be found at https://publications.gc.ca/site/ eng/100601/publication.html. It also formed the appendix to CIM Special Volume 52, 2000, A Century of Achievement – The Development of Canada’s Minerals Industries, published to commemorate the centennial of the CIM’s founding in 1898.

The oral history project From Rock to Reality includes 82 interviews (and counting) of Canadian mining notables that itself is part of the Mining and Metallurgy Legacy Project. The latter’s organizers included the CIM MetSoc and the Canada Museum of Science & Technology. Check out this URL for links to the articles and interviews: https://ingeniumcanada.org/centre/the-mining-and-metallurgy-legacy-project

www.canadianminingjournal.com

CARIBOO GOLDFIELDS

SYDNEY

ISLE ROYALE From 4000 BC to 1000 AD, mining of native copper from up to 5,000 pits in the Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale, Lake Superior; First Nations trading in copper in Lake Superior area about 4000 BC.

Start of mining coal seams at Sydney, NS in 1672; in 1720, mining of coal by “regular methods” at Cow Bay, Cape Breton Island, NS; in 1830, first mine shaft sunk at Sydney.

Coal and steel industries decline after the Second World War; the steel plant and last coal mine close in 2001.

LAWRENCETOWN Gold discovered in Lawrencetown, NS in 1848; almost 100 operating gold mines in Nova Scotia by 1899.

Discovery of rich gold deposits in the Cariboo district of BC in 1861. The Barkerville placer gold mines were worked from 1864 to the 1930s, producing 4.5 million oz of gold. In 2020, Osisko Development Corp. proposed to construct and operate the Cariboo Gold Project, an underground gold mine and associated infrastructure, in the historic Cariboo mining district.

1861

1672

Cariboo goldfields

Sydney 4000 BC

1848

Isle Royale

1867

Lawrencetown

1842

1866

Montreal 200 BC to 200 AD

Goderich; Windsor

1860

Cobalt

1870

Montreal

COBALT

MONTREAL

GODERICH; WINDSOR

MONTREAL

From 200 BC to 200 AD, First Nations trading in native silver from Cobalt, ON area.

Geological Survey of Canada founded in Montreal in 1842 by William Logan; moves to Ottawa in 1880.

Salt bed discovered at Goderich, ON in 1866 while drilling to explore for oil, and salt has been mined from the Goderich site since then. The Windsor salt mine opened in 1893.

Both mines are still in operation.

Canada’s first school of mines established in 1870 at McGill University in Montreal.

Start of railway building period in the 1860s, linking communities and providing efficient means of shipping mine production.

MAY 2022

Canada born as a Dominion in 1867

CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 39

140TH ANNIVERSARY

THETFORD MINES

KIMBERLEY

Johnson Asbestos Co. mine opens in 1878 at Thetford Mines, QC followed by WH Jeffrey mine at Danville and the Bell Asbestos and other mines in area. Peak annual production of chrysotile asbestos in Canada in 1973, totalling 1.7 million tonnes. No asbestos mining in Canada in 2022.

TRAIL OTTAWA The Canadian Mining Review first published in Ottawa in 1882. From 1887, BTA Bell is editor and later owner of The Review until his death in 1904.

Lily May orebody staked in 1889 at Trail Creek, the start of the Red Mountain (Rossland) camp in West Kootenay region; mine opens in 1891. Trail smelter begins smelting ore from Rossland in 1896, and is still in operation.

Staking of claims on Sullivan silver-lead-zinc deposit in 1892, marking beginning of the Sullivan camp in Kimberley, BC. Sullivan mine opens in 1895, and is at one time the largest underground leadzinc mine in the world; large-scale development of mine in 1947; the mine closes in 2001.

1882

At the urging of Canadian Mining Review editor BTA Bell, in 1896 all existing provincial groups affiliate to form Federated Canadian Mining Institute, with Bell as its first Secretary.

Renamed Canadian Mining Institute in 1898; renamed Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) in 1990

1895

Ottawa

Kimberley

1878

1891

Thetford Mines

1896

Trail

1886

1879

1896

Dawson City

Sudbury

Crows Nest Pass

1904

Squamish

Thomas Baycroft – old time prospector for Canadian Copper Co. – discovers traces of nickel ore.

CREDIT GEO A. CUTHBERTSON,

CROWS NEST PASS Opening of Crows Nest Pass coal fields in 1879, BC; followed in the early years of the 20th Century by the Elk Valley coal mines, four or which are in operation today.

40 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

FORMER CMJ STAFF ARTIST, S UPPLIED BY JOEY BRAY.

SUDBURY Copper-nickel ore uncovered in Sudbury, ON area in 1882, near future Murray mine. Copper Cliff, Stobie (closed in 2017) and Evans mines started up in 1886. In 1888, Copper Cliff smelter blown in; still in operation as Canada’s longest operating smelter.

Victoria and Creighton (still operating) mines open in 1901 and Little Stobie in 1902. Falconbridge mine opens in 1929; Falconbridge smelter blown in, in 1930.

DAWSON CITY

SQUAMISH

Discovery claims staked in 1896 on Bonanza (Rabbit) Creek near Dawson City, YT leading to Klondike staking rush in 1898 – one of the greatest gold rushes in history. Production of placer gold from Klondike peaked in 1900.

Britannia copper-zinc orebody staked in 1898 near Squamish, BC; production begins in 1904, and mine closes in 1974.

Now a mining museum.

www.canadianminingjournal.com

COBALT Discovery of silver and cobalt in 1903 along railroad line in Timiskaming region, leading to a staking rush and building of town of Cobalt, ON. Production begins in 1904 at Trethewey, LaRose, McKinley-Darragh and Nipissing mines. In 1911 there are 34 mines producing over 30 million oz. silver annually.

Production slows to a trickle after the 1930s. By the 1960s, the area has produced over 420 million oz. of silver. There is no production after the 1980s.

KIRKLAND LAKE

“ 1904

Cobalt

Congratulations to the Canadian Mining Journal on its 140th anniversary – a breathtaking span that covers nearly the entire history of mining in Canada.

When I became editor in 1984, that posting turned out to be a crucial phase in my life journey. It was my first management role in a career that later led me to start several mining companies, with operating mines in four countries and thousands of employees.

Discovery in 1911 of gold and staking of WrightHargreaves and Sylvanite deposits, Kirkland Lake, ON. Production years for the Kirkland Lake area gold mines include Tough-Oakes (Toburn) (1913-53), Teck-Hughes (1915-65), Lake Shore (1918-87), Kirkland Lake (1919-60), and Wright-Hargreaves (1921-65). Kerr mine opens in nearby Virginiatown in 1911, becomes Kerr-Addison mine in 1938 and closes in 1996.

– KERRY KNOLL, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN AND DIRECTOR, GENERATION MINING

The Northern Miner weekly newspaper established in Cobalt, ON; moves to Toronto in 1929

ROUYN-NORANDA Discovery of Horne copper-gold deposits at Rouyn-Noranda, QC in 1920 leads to a staking rush.

The Horne mine (1927-76) recovers 11.6 million oz. gold and 1.13 million tonnes of copper. The Horne copper smelter opens in 1927, still in operation.

1915

RouynNoranda

1910

1927

Timmins

1907

First issue of The Canadian Mining Journal published in 1907 in Montreal, incorporating The Canadian Mining Review

1927

1913

Kirkland Lake

Flin Flon 1928

1914

Buchans

TIMMINS

FLIN FLON

BUCHANS

The Dome, Hollinger and McIntyre gold deposits staked in 1909 at Porcupine Lake near Timmins, ON. Dome mine opens in 1910; destroyed by fire along with Hollinger mine and Porcupine camp in 1911 with great loss of life. Mines restart in 1912.

Dome mine closes in 2017.

Discovery in 1914 of copper-zinc mineralization at Flin Flon, MB; mining begins in 1927.

Concentrator, copper smelter and zinc plant start-up in 1930. Mining begins at Trout Lake mine in 1982, and at 777 mine in 2004.

Discovery in 1905 of lead-zinc-copper deposits at Buchans, NL is first discovery using geophysical methods; copper-lead mine opens in 1928 and closes in 1979.

World War I (1914-18) increases demand for metals, but also takes labour for war effort, e.g., Dome mine closed from 1917 to 1919 due to labour shortage

CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

MAY 2022

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 41

140TH ANNIVERSARY

RED LAKE

SHERRIDON; FORT SASKATCHEWAN

Stock market crash on October 29, 1929 leads to weakness in investment and Great Depression

Sherritt Gordon claims staked in 1919, Amisk Lake, SK; Sherridon mine operates from 1931 to 1951. In 1952, Sherritt relocates new nickel refinery to Fort Saskatchewan, AB; it starts up in 1954.

Ontario Prospectors Association founded in 1932; becomes Prospectors and Developers Association in 1957, and Prospectors & Developers Assoc. of Canada (PDAC) in 1987

Discovery of gold including the Howey deposit in 1925 leads to staking rush in Red Lake, ON; among the earliest to use air transport. The first rush results in five gold mines including the Madsen mine (1938-76 and re-opens in 2021 as Pure Gold mine) and the Cochenour-Willans mine (1939-71).

Second gold rush results in 10 more mines including Campbell mine in 1947 and adjacent Dickenson mine in 1948.

These two mines join as one operation under one owner in 2006, and are still in production.

“

1931

1938

Sherridon

1929

Congratulations CMJ! What a rewarding 45-year career this magazine has been. The industry is ever changing, and my travel bug has been satisfied from the Arctic to the Andes and Europe. I have seen corners of Canada I never would have thought to visit without the lure of the minerals industry. Everyone I met patiently answered my questions, especially Richard Fish, the first editor I worked with. I thank every one of them for contributing to the success of CMJ.

Red Lake

1932

– MARILYN SCALES, CMJ STAFF WRITER SINCE MID-1970s

1938

Yellowknife 1929

Val-d’Or

VAL-D’OR Sigma and Lamaque gold deposits staked in 1920 in Val-d’Or, QC. Siscoe gold mine operates 1929-49. Lamaque mine opens in 1935 and Sigma in 1937, together producing more than 10 million oz. gold; now combined as one project, which re-opens in 2019. Peak year of gold mining in AbitibiTemiscamingue region of Quebec in 1942, with 42 mines operating. Louvicourt copper-zinc-gold mine operates 1994 to 2005; Kiena gold mine 1981 to 2002. In nearby Cadillac area, Thompson Bousquet gold mine opened in 1978, the Doyon gold mine in 1979, and the LaRonde polymetallic mine in 1988. LaRonde remains in production as well as Bousquet (now called “LZ5”).

42 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

1933

1939

Port Radium

PORT RADIUM; PORT HOPE Discovery in 1930 of pitchblende deposits, at Port Radium, Great Bear Lake, NT. Eldorado uraniumradium mine opens in 1933 as well as refinery in Port Hope, ON to treat concentrate and cobbed ore. Mine supplies uranium to the US WWII effort, notably the Manhattan (atomic bomb) project. Mine closes in 1982; the refinery remains open today.

YELLOWKNIFE Staking rush in Yellowknife, NT in 1934 leads to Con gold mine opening in 1938 (closes 2003). Second staking rush in 1944 leads to Giant gold mine opening in 1948 (closes in 2004).

World War II (1939-45) increases demand for certain metals, and causes labour shortages.

www.canadianminingjournal.com

LABRADOR CITY MURDOCHVILLE Copper deposits discovered in 1921 in Murdochville, Gaspé region, Quebec. Mining begins at Gaspé Copper Mines in 1951, with copper smelter starting up in 1955. Mining began at Needle Mountain in 1955, and at Copper Mountain in 1968. Mining operations cease in 1999, and smelter closes in 2002.

Iron ore mining begins in 1954 at Ruth Lake No. 3 and Gagnon C mines, in Labrador Trough of Quebec’s North Shore and western Labrador, near Labrador City. Wabush mine opens in 1960, and Smallwood (Wabush No. 5) and Carol Lake iron mines in 1962.

THOMPSON Thompson nickel deposit discovered in 1956 at Mystery Lake, MB. Thompson mining, smelting and refining operations begin in 1961. Smelting and refining close in 2018, but mining continues.

Mont Wright mine opens in 1974 and continues to operate. The Scully mine closes in 2014, but later re-opens. The Bloom Lake mine opens in 2010, and re-opens in 2018.

“

For almost a century and a half, CMJ has been the predominant mining authority in Canada and around the world, and I am proud to count myself as one of its editorial alumni.

The magazine left me with memories – from the Polaris Mine, the most northerly base metal mine in the world, to the Barrick Gold operations in Nevada, and production facilities in Japan.

1954

Labrador City

1951

Murdochville

Windfall Oil & Mines scandal, leads to a Royal Commission investigation into stock price manipulation

1961

Thompson

1964

– SCOTT ANDERSON, CMJ MANAGING EDITOR, 1988-91

1955

1953 Wollaston Lake; Beaverlodge Lake

WOLLASTON LAKE; BEAVERLODGE LAKE Discovery in 1950 of uranium in the Beaverlodge Lake, SK area. Ace uranium mine opens in 1953, and Rix mine in 1954. Discovery of Rabbit Lake uranium deposit in 1967 in Athabasca Basin; Rabbit Lake mine opens in 1975 (closes 2016); Cluff Lake mine opens in 1981 (closes 2002); Key Lake mine opens in 1983 (closes 1999).

McClean and McArthur River mines open in 1999, Cigar Lake in 2014; all three continue to operate.

MAY 2022

1962

Elliot Lake

Kamloops 1958

1964

Saskatoon

Bathurst

ELLIOT LAKE

SASKATOON

KAMLOOPS

BATHURST

Blind River uranium deposit discovered near Elliot Lake, ON in 1953.

Pronto mine opens in 1955, Quirke Lake mine in 1956, and Denison mine in 1957. Elliot Lake uranium production peaks in 1959. Last mine in operation, Stanleigh mine, closes in 1996.

Potash discovered in Saskatchewan in 1946; initial production is in 1958 at Patience Lake mine near Saskatoon, SK. Shaft completed in 1962 at K-1 mine at Esterhazy, which becomes the world’s largest potash mine; Allan, Cory and Lanigan mines open in 1968.

Highland Valley porphyry copper deposit discovered near Kamloops, BC in 1955.

Bethlehem (Valley Copper) mine opens in 1962, Lornex mine in 1969, and Highmont mine in 1980. Highland Valley operations continue. Afton copper deposit discovered nearby in 1972, and mine opens in 1977, followed by Ajax, Crescent and Pothook pits in 1978. Afton-Ajax mine closes in 1997.

Discovery of massive sulphide deposit in 1952 in Bathurst, NB area leads to opening of Brunswick No. 12 zinc-lead mine in 1964 and Brunswick No. 6 in 1966 (closes in 1983). Lead-zinc smelter opens in 1967 at Belledune, NB. Operations cease in 2013.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 43

140TH ANNIVERSARY

TIMMINS Discovery in 1963

by Texas Gulf Sulphur of Kidd Creek zinc-coppersilver massive sulphide by airborne and ground geophysics, near Timmins, ON. Mine opens in 1965; development of Mine D begins in 2000. Smelter and refinery close in 2010; mine remains open.

TUMBLER RIDGE HEMLO Gold first discovered in the Hemlo, ON area in 1869 and then 1944; re-staked in 1979. Golden Giant and David Bell gold mines open in 1985, and Williams mine in 1986. Golden Giant closes in 2005.

The first report of coal fields in Peace River district, BC is in 1879.

Production begins in 1983 at Bullmoose coal mine near Tumbler Ridge, BC (closes 2003); Quintette mine opens in 1983 (closes in 2000).

Bre-X scandal: the company’s 50-million oz. gold deposit in Busang, Indonesia is revealed as an elaborate fraud, negatively affecting mining stocks and investments for many years

1979

VOISEY’S BAY Discovery of major coppernickel deposits in 1994 at Voisey’s Bay, Labrador; acquired by Inco in 1996.

Mine opened in 2005 and continues to operate.

1997

Hemlo 1965

1983

Timmins

2005

Tumbler Ridge

1978

Voisey’s Bay

1998

1983 1995

Fort McMurray

Stewart

FORT MCMURRAY

STEWART

Production begins in 1978 at Syncrude, the world’s largest oil sands mining operation near Fort McMurray, AB.

Discoveries in 1988 led to the opening of Eskay Creek gold-silver mine in 1995, Stewart, BC; closed in 2008. It was the highest grade gold mine in the world when in production, with average grades of 45 g/t gold and 2,224 g/t silver.

US EPA plans to ban key products containing asbestos, resulting in staged end to the uses of asbestos in manufacturing

44 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

Lac de Gras

LAC DE GRAS Kimberlite pipes discovered at Point Lake near Lac de Gras, NT in 1991 triggering a diamond staking rush in 1992; Ekati, Canada’s first diamond mine, opened as a pit in 1998, adds underground mining in 2002, and continues today. Diavik diamond mine opens in 2003, the year Canada becomes third most important diamond-producing country in the world; Diavik continues operating. Snap Lake mine operates from 2008 to 2015 as an underground mine. Gahcho Kwé mine opens in 2016 and continues.

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GET DISCOVERED BY MINING’S LARGEST AUDIENCE Get your products and services in front of the right people. Our new platform allows you to build and optimize a listing that is targeted specifically to the search terms that mining companies use to find suppliers.

DIG UP THE RIGHT SUPPLIERS, FAST Save time by utilizing our powerful, targeted search tools to find the right suppliers for your project. Narrow your results by category, products & services, as well as region so you don’t waste time researching suppliers that don’t have what you need.

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BUYERSGUIDE.MINING.COM

Compatibility can be challenging But not with Komatsu retrofit solutions that are compatible with all major bolter and jumbo OEMs. Scan to learn more

Replacing vital components on existing machines can be like trying to find the right cord for the right device. Our retrofits are brand-agnostic and an ideal way to address aging or underperforming hard rock machines. It’s the perfect fit if you’re looking to plug into performance. Reimagine your fleet. komatsu.com/retrofits

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Timberock bolting head

Timberock feed

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J-LOK P pumpable resin injection system