March 2014 by im-mining

IM COVER MARCH_proof 25/02/2014 08:03 Page 1

www.im-mining.com

MARCH 2014

Informed and in-depth editorial on the world mining industry

PROCESS DESIGN & MONITORING WATER MANAGEMENT

OPERATION FOCUS: Venetia Malmberget

FRAGMENTATION COMMINUTION

Strong tough and reliable

The Sala series of vertical pumps The Sala series of vertical pumps are strong, tough and the most reliable sump pumps on the market. The robust cantilever design without any submerged bearings or shaft seals, has long since established this range as an industrial standard in minerals processing. The Sala series of vertical tank pumps are designed for abrasive slurry service and feature simple maintenance and robust construction. The ingenious design of the pumps and the lack of shaft seal makes them exceptionally service friendly and easy to install. Metso provides innovative and sustainable technology and services to mining, construction, and oil and gas industries. Discover more at www.metso.com/pumps

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CONTENTS _proof 25/02/2014 08:05 Page 1

CONTENTS MARCH 12

2014

OPERATION FOCUS: LKAB Malmberget Paul Moore visited the highly mechanised LKAB Malmberget underground iron ore operation near Gällivare in Arctic Sweden in October 2013, which is undergoing major changes with the development of the new 1,250 m level.

COMMINUTION Robert Pell looks at how rising energy costs and falling ore grades are driving innovations in comminution.

PROCESS DESIGN The design, monitoring and automation of mines and mineral processing facilities is a specialist area, and one that brings together state of the art technology providers, consultants, equipment OEMs and engineering firms. Paul Moore reports on new developments.

WATER MANAGEMENT John Chadwick looks at ideas and technologies to best manage water on mines and issuing from mines. The mining water and wastewater treatment market is expected to grow from $2.29 billion in 2011 to $3.60 billion in 2016, according to research by Frost & Sullivan.

FRAGMENTATION John Chadwick looks at ways to do it better and save crushing and grinding costs, and more.

OPERATION FOCUS – Venetia The future of the De Beers Venetia diamond mine in South Africa’s Limpopo province, will be secured to 2046 and beyond with its new underground mine, that will stabilise production for the long term, reports Paul Moore, who visited the operation in 2013.

54 www.im -mining. com

COVER: Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies

MARCH

Informe

Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies offers Aquamove™ mobile water treatment services for the mining market. The Aquamove™ ACTIFLO® Turbo provides mobile, compact clarification for temporary or supplemental wastewater or process water operations. Turbidity reduction along with color and organic removal and other chemical precipitation/chemical softening applications can also be achieved with the Aquamove ACTIFLO Turbo unit. This technology can treat up to 1,500 gpm per trailer. www.veoliawaterstna.com/mobilesolutions

AROUND THE WORLD

3 The Leader

4 World Prospects

72 Forthcoming events

d and in-dept h editor ial on the wo rld min ing ind ustry

PROCES S & MON DESIGN ITORIN G WATER MANAG EMENT

FRAGM ENTATI ON COMM INUTIO N

OPERAT ION FO CUS:

Venetia Malmb erget

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LEADER PAGE_final 25/02/2014 08:12 Page 1

THE LEADER

VO LU M E 1 0 • N U M B E R 3

What Mining Indaba missed Publisher John Chadwick B.Sc. Min Eng Email: john@im-mining.com Editor Paul Moore B.Sc (Hons), M.Sc. Email: paul@im-mining.com Assistant Editor Robert Pell B.Sc. (Hons) Email: robert@im-mining.com

ast month’s Mining Indaba was, on the face of

said that for Africa’s

it, a great success drawing similar delegate

abundant mineral wealth to

numbers to last year’s record 7,800 delegates.

be brought to account, the

Many hundreds more ‘attended’ without paying the

governments of the mineral-

high registration fees. They held their meetings in

rich countries and the

hotels around the Cape Town International

investors in and developers

Editorial Board Professor Malcolm Scoble Robert E. Hallbauer Chair in Mining Engineering., University of BC, Vancouver

Conference Centre (CTICC) and on The Waterfront

of those assets should

and were seen at the many cocktail parties.

recognise that their interests are closely aligned and

Jeff Roschyk Vice President – Service, P&H Mining, USA

the direction the event is taking. Many of the

Peter Knights BMA Chair & Prof. of Mining Engineering University of Queensland

relatively low number of mining company

Eleni Gabre-Madhin, an Ethiopian economist and a

registrants in the exhibition hall, but they did have

former CEO of the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange

Stephen Stone West One Management Perth, Western Australia

good networking meetings, again outside the CTICC.

(ECX). She has held senior positions in the World

Mining companies in the exhibition complained

Bank and United Nations (Geneva).

Dr. Andrew M. Robertson President, Robertson GeoConsultants Vancouver, Canada.

about the lack of financial people, and bemoaned

Ed McCord Project Consultant Caterpillar Global Mining, USA Jason Nitz Mining Engineer Dr Terry Mudder Managing Director, TIMES Ltd, USA

However, many expressed their disquiet about supplier exhibitors were unhappy about the

work together. “In other words, what Africa needs are partnerships for prosperity,” he said. An important keynote address was made by Dr

She spoke of Africa’s promise; two decades of

too many suppliers wanting to sell them equipment

policy and political reforms and two decades of

and spare parts. Fund managers complained about

democracy and stable governments. She also noted

the high registration fee to meet with mining project

the continent now hosts the majority of the world’s

personnel in the CTICC, etc. As Lawrie Williams

fastest growing economies, a billion strong

wrote on Mineweb – “there have been some

population and rising incomes and there is a

mutterings in the wings. Not everyone is happy!”

renewed focus on infrastructure and skills.

The Financial Mail’s Songezo Zibi, wrote a front

She also warned of Africa’s challenges of

Simon Tarbutt Consultant, Santiago, Chile

page editorial comment in Business Day. “The

corruption, weak skills, bureaucracy, weak

Dr. Mike Daniel Comminution Process Consultant CMD Consulting Pty Ltd

Indaba” he says "has carried on for far too long, has

infrastructure and weak institutions. There are also

achieved little to nothing and its format and

perceptions that hamper investment, those of “lazy,

relevance need serious re-evaluation”.

slow, chaotic, risky and corrupt.”

Editorial Enquiries: Tel: +44 (0)1442 870 829 Fax +44 (0)1442 870 617 Advertising Sales: Phil Playle Email: phil@im-mining.com +44 1442 87 77 77 Advertising Production Lynne Lane Email: lynne@im-mining.com

While he does miss the point to some extent, there

“Turning challenge into opportunity, she said.

is an important message there. I heard Indaba described

“Invest in people, invest in eco-systems, invest in

as “just a supplier show”, “no longer an investment

long-term and dare to dream.”

conference” but, above all “still a great networking

As an example, she explained, in 2008, “when no

event.” It certainly needs some serious rethinking.

one thought it was possible, we launched the first of

I can say it no better than Williams: “The

its kind commodity exchange in Africa,” the ECX. It

conference is squarely a platform for financial,

offers electronic warehouse receipting, real-time

Publishing Consultant Robin Peach

politico-economic and corporate presentations and

market data, next day payment clearing and

as such works very well with some excellent and

“guaranteed quality, quantity, delivery, and payment.”

Design & Production Trevor Sheldon Email: sheldonmann@gmail.com

informative speakers. The exhibition, which in the

Many speakers opined that South Africa would

early days used to be almost entirely a place for

pull through its current challenges. However, Minister

Website: www.im-mining.com

mining companies and African governments to try

Susan Shabangu’s presentation was not reassuring

and attract investment has now largely been

and seemed to make empty promises. It is not a

Annual Subscription Enquiries: Emma Smith Email: emma@im-mining.com

hijacked by suppliers and mining sector service

conducive environment for the mining companies or

companies who, in many cases have far more

the investment community that backs South Africa’

Annual Subscription UK and Europe £160, €230 Rest of the world US$270

money to spend on their displays, but would seem

mining industry. As a result, investors continue to

to be aiming at a different audience metric.” See

adopt “a wait-and-see approach to the South

http://www.mineweb.com

African mining industry,” says PWC’s Mine SA,

International Mining (ISSN No: 1747-146X) is published monthly by Team Publishing Ltd, GBR and is distributed in the USA by Asendia USA, 17B South Middlesex Avenue, Monroe NJ 08831 and additional mailing offices. Periodicals postage paid at New Brunswick NJ. POSTMASTER: send address changes to International Mining, 17B South Middlesex Avenue, Monroe NJ 08831

Printed by The Manson Group, St Albans © Team Publishing Ltd 2014

Getting into some specifics, one of the stars these days is Randgold Resources’ CEO Mark

SI units throughout, so, for example, all tonnes are metric unless otherwise stated. All dollars are US unless otherwise stated

Her speech did little to address investor concerns

Bristow, not least because of the company’s success

about labour instability and possible mining

in bringing the Kibali project in the DRC into

legislation changes, making it difficult for mining

production significantly ahead of an already fast

companies operating in South Africa to strategically

track schedule.

position themselves. Fears of resource

Speaking at the Indaba, Bristow said that growing ISSN 1747 IM -146X uses, as preference,

limiting the availability of funds for capital expenditure.

uncertainty about the regulatory environments and tax regimes in some African countries is discouraging international investment in them. He

nationalisation are still strong. John Chadwick Publisher john@im-mining.com MARCH 2014 | International Mining 3

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WORLD PROSPECTS

Analysis and optimisation of mine water management o optimise any system one needs to fully understand the effect of its various parameters. This can prove especially difficult in large scale and complex mining thermal fluid systems, where the assessment of any modifications on the actual site is often not possible or means costly downtime. Due to the nature of mining operations, even seemingly small improvements in efficiency can lead to substantial energy saving over the long term. This drives the need for a complete thermal fluid design and analysis solution. This is where new simulation technology of Flownex can provide invaluable insight, by translating the details of each process into system-level performance and energy consumption. Initially developed to solve air and water distribution networks in mines, Flownex software has evolved and been extended over the years to deal with dynamic simulations of networks with time-dependent flow and multiple fluids including non-Newtonian slurry, gas mixture and two phase flow. Flownex has full heat transfer capability as well, which extends capability to systems where water is used as a thermal energy carrier. In such systems it is not only flow and pressure that are taken into account, but temperature and heat exchange as well. Flownex works by simultaneously solving mass, pressure (momentum) and energy conservation on a system level through application of the Implicit Pressure Correction Method. This allows engineers to analyse almost any thermal fluid systems, including water management systems, from the perspective of energy usage. The value of this approach was proven in some of the world`s deepest mines in South Africa, where water is used as the energy carrier to remove up to 100 MW of heat from a mine that is 3,800 m deep. To optimise this system, an analysis of the interaction between all the various heat sources and water flow rates throughout the mine was performed. The client reported electricity savings in the megawatt-range because of improved understanding of the system. A paper presented in February, at the annual SME meeting

in Salt Lake City, by HJ van Antwerpen, entitled Combined system simulation of cooling and ventilation for the world`s deepest mine drew attention to the impact of this type of simulation. Flownex has also been used for predictive control and online optimisation of water management systems that comprise several reservoirs connected by various pumps and pipelines. An example of this is a case where it was necessary to determine the status of South African water utility Midvaal Water’s existing reticulation system in terms of flow rates, flow distribution, pressure drops and the integrated effect on pump performance in pumping stations while accounting for multiple end user demand during peak and off-peak periods. The ability to model the entire distribution network provided several benefits such as identifying areas of concern and possible future modifications. Along with establishing a basis model for pump scheduling, whereby the systems energy consumption can be optimised through shedding the load during hours when power demand is low. Flownex helped avoid any unplanned water shortages or water cut offs to nearby mines due to incorrect water reticulation system changes, that could of resulted in costly claims. The strength of the software is not limited to the assessment of existing water handling infrastructure, but has many applications during the design stage. Such as the ability to perform a lifecycle cost optimisation i.e. finding the optimal pump/pipeline size combination to minimise pumping power and capital cost. Pressure

RIEGL makes further LIDAR changes

4 International Mining | MARCH 2014

UAS/RPAS. It has a 300° field of view and produces extremely high quality LiDAR data users expect from the RIEGL product. Internal storage offers the ability to collect data for several hours at altitudes/ranges up to more than 1,000 ft. Mining and mineral exploration represents a key market for this scanner application. “By introducing the VUX-1, RIEGL is

the first to offer a LiDAR sensor that has been especially developed for the UAS and RPAS markets. We expect tremendous growth in these fields and are proud to support these with the breakthrough VUX-1,” said Dr Johannes Riegl, RIEGL’s Chief Executive Officer. RIEGL also recently announced that since the release of version 10.2 of the ESRI ArcGIS product family, the RIEGL scan database is now directly supported in ArcCatalog, ArcMap, ArcScene and ArcGlobe for data import. ESRI is based in Redlands, California and is a global supplier of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Its

▲

IEGL Laser Measurement Systems has been developing the world’s first surveygrade Unmanned Air System (UAS) LiDAR sensor, the VUX-1. Last month saw the official launch event, at the International Lidar Mapping Forum (ILMF), which took place in Denver from February 17 to 19 where the VUX-1 was presented for the first time. RIEGL states: "The innovative sensor was designed to meet the challenges of emerging surveying solutions by UAS, gyrocopters, and ultra-light aircraft, both in measurement performance and in system integration." The VUX-1 is an ultra lightweight LiDAR sensor with less than 4 kg overall weight, that can easily be mounted onto professional

fluctuations due to the water hammer effect can be investigated during a transient analysis and the results conveniently plotted to determine the required minimum pipe wall thickness and pipe material to avoid costs associated with pipes rupturing. This same transient analysis can be used for the sizing of protective equipment and identifying the best possible locations for pressure accumulators. The ability to calculate unbalanced transient fluid forces, that occur especially at changes in direction such as elbows, help limit the overdesign of pipeline support structures while still being able to guarantee safety. The Flownex solver allows fast simulation speeds (in the order of real time solution, depending on network size) and is capable of having a simulation model alongside the SCADA to do comparative fault-finding. Flownex was developed by consulting company, M-Tech Industrial, to solve real word problems and is represented in the US market by Phoenix Analysis and Design Technologies (PADT), which aims to help companies use simulation effectively and efficiently by providing the support and training they need. www.flownex.com

From underground coal mines in Queensland, Australia, to gold mines in Mali to the oil sands of Canada, you’ll find Cat products hard at work — drilling and digging, loading and hauling, grading and dozing, cutting and shearing. You’ll find Cat dealers — providing unmatched support, expert service and integrated solutions. And you’ll find our people — working alongside our customers to help them mine efficiently and productively while doing the utmost to protect the health and safety of miners, the environment and the communities where mining companies operate. M I N I N G . C AT. C O M

© 2014 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

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WORLD PROSPECTS flagship product ArcGIS is used by over a million GIS professionals worldwide, including those in the mineral exploration and mining industry. The companies stated: “Sharing the same vision of supplying the best technology to its clients, ESRI and RIEGL entered a cooperation to provide high end solutions for the geoinformation industry.” The latest release of ArcGIS has brought some major improvements to the professional GIS user. For those working with LiDAR datasets the improved pointcloud handling is one of the top picks in the change log. Along with the updates of the core software modules, the 10.2 release comes with an extended version of the Interoperability Extension, which now supports the RIEGL scan

database RDB natively. This enables the user to read in scan data stored in RiSCAN PRO or RiPROCESS projects for further analysis in the Arc software products. “We see the GIS market rapidly embracing LiDAR data, as it adds a new level of detail to the conventional GIS applications. Therefore opening LiDAR as a data source for the GIS professional is an important step for the LiDAR industry. We expect seeing very interesting GIS applications made possible through LiDAR data in the near future,” said Christian Sevcik, Manager Strategic Software Alliances at RIEGL. Furthermore the high value of a pointcloud in a GIS environment is not only based on geometric properties. Although the high point

Ruukki highlights uptime value ith the merger of Ruukki with fellow special steels group SSAB still a work in progress, a review of some of the solutions provided highlights the wide range of applications in mining for Ruukki special steels. Since loaders, haul trucks, belt conveyor systems, crushers, mills and other equipment are susceptible to extremely heavy mechanical wear, it is crucial to select the right kind of steel for mining equipment and its spare parts. Any unexpected downtime is very costly. A clear advantage is to use steel components with a predictable useful life to enable maintenance to be planned and to reduce downtime. Also, having spare parts and service easily available near the mine are important factors. Ruukki states that its Raex steels can increases useful life by up to three times compared to standard steel. Special steel products, such as Ruukki’s Raex and Optim product families, have been formulated to meet the tough requirements of the mining industry. Raex is made for ultimate endurance and is the toughest special steel in Ruukki’s range. It is wear-resistant and highstrength steel, with a hardness ideal for mining applications. The plate thicknesses range from 2 mm to 80 mm. “Raex is used for all surfaces subject to wear, such as heavy buckets, dump bodies, conveyor belt covers and wear parts in crushers and mills,” says Bogoljub Hrnjez,

Application Manager at Ruukki. “Raex prolongs the useful life of components by two to three times compared to standard steel.” Made using a direct quenching method developed by Ruukki, Raex wear-resistant steels

have a hard steel surface and strong microstructure. Ruukki Optim reduces weight and increases safety. Structures made out of ultra-thin high-strength Optim products are light and very strong at the same time. The Optim product range includes steel strip and steel plate products, steel tubes and open steel profiles. “Optim is used to support structures, for example in transport vehicles, where it is combined with Raex in the bodies to reduce vehicle weight,” Hrnjez says. “It enhances impact resistance, increases payload and reduces fuel consumption.” Special steels also increase the safety of dump

densities provide an unrivalled level of detail for any GIS analysis, the additional point attributes like reflectance, pulse width or pulse shape deviation provided by a RIEGL laser scanner can significantly improve the quality of information derived from a pointcloud. On the other hand GIS users learnt to rely on classification attributes to add semantic meaning to LiDAR data. Therefore RiPROCESS offers various filtering methods based on the point attributes which can be used for user defined classification. The implementation of the RIEGL Scan database RDB in the Interoperability Extension supports these classes and attributes for further processing in the ESRI software products. www.riegl.com

loader and haul truck drivers. “The cabin of an underground haul truck is often made of Raex or Optim steel,” says Hrnjez. “If a large rock falls on the cabin, the special steel works like a spring band and protects the driver whereas with standard steel the rock would leave a large dent, with a much higher risk of cabin collapse and personal injuries.” Hrnjez says that Ruukki customers emphasise the long useful life and consistent quality of the steel. The company says it is well known for its efficient production process in making quenched and tempered products such as Raex and Optim: “Our steel is of a very high consistent quality from batch to batch, since we carefully select the raw materials and make all our special steel at the same steel mill,” says Panu Pitkänen, Vice President, Raex and Optim Products, at Ruukki. Consistent quality enables customers to better calculate and estimate how long a part will last, which in turn is an advantage when planning maintenance shutdowns. Another key value for mining customers is Ruukki’s global network of distributors, allowing provision of steel products and technical service at short notice to mining customers. Supported by several Ruukki Certified Partners, Ruukki’s sales and distribution network covers all major mining areas in the world, such as Siberian Russia, the northern parts of the Nordic countries as well as Australia and Chile. www.ruukki.com

allmineral raises bar in WHIMS with gaustec-GHX 1400

6 International Mining | MARCH 2014

efficient and cost-effective at processing lowgrade iron ore into marketable high-grade pellet feed fines” says allmineral. Increased global demand for raw materials, combined with a steady decline in the quality of the mineral raw materials in demand, has generated new interest in the development of high-intensity magnetic separators with larger capacities. The

company said that many factors make the gaustec-GHX 1400 an innovative solution: numerous improvements, vastly simplified maintenance, reduced energy consumption, smaller plant layout, and greater flexibility through variable customised settings, as well as the high throughput capacity. Although low-grade iron ore mines will ▲

he innovative gaustec® technology from allmineral has been widely used with success in ore processing around the world for some years. Continuous R&D has resulted in further major improvements in wet highintensity magnetic separation. With an unsurpassed throughput capacity of up to 1,400 t/h, the new gaustec-GHX 1400 is “particularly

We never stop

Atlas Copco continues to innovate with the introduction of the Pit Viper 311. The PV-311 has the capability to chew through drill patterns by drilling 9-12.25 inch (228-311 mm) holes with a clean hole single pass depth of 65 feet (19.8 m). The Pit Viper 311 is the latest drill to join the numerous Pit Vipers drilling in mines across the globe. The PV-311 incorporates everything you love about the Pit Viper product line, but also includes new and innovative designs to continually lower the cost of drilling: • Our proven Rig Control System (RCS) gives the PV-311 a strong technology foundation to bring serviceability and drilling accuracy to the front lines of the mining process • The PV-311 increases productivity through increased tramming, feed and retract speeds, in addition to increasing the rates of the non-value added functions of the machine such as setting up • Downtime for preventive maintenance has been reduced by up to 50% with the introduction of the centralized filter rack and ground level service interface where all fluids can be filled, drained or sampled • Completing the PV-311 package is a world-class cabin with improved operator visibility and comfort, in addition to raising the bar when it comes to making safety integral to all of our designs • At Atlas Copco we never stop working to reduce the costs associated with drilling. Visit our website to learn how productive the PV-311 has been since its introduction at MinExpo 2012. Contact your Atlas Copco representative to learn more about how productive the PV-311 has proven to be. www.atlascopco.com/blastholedrills

WORLD PROSPECTS_visuals 25/02/2014 08:16 Page 3

WORLD PROSPECTS benefit from the new technology, the main focus is on reclaiming low-grade iron ore tailings from ponds, with huge positive environmental and economic benefits. Based on the new gaustec-GHX technology, construction work on a processing plant designed to process iron ore tailings with a 45% Fe grade began at the Itaminas mine in Brazil at the end of

2012. The plant went into operation in mid-2013 with a feed capacity of 480 t/h and has three processing stages (rougher, cleaner and recleaner) in a single unit at 2.5 mm matrix gap. The quality of the pellet feed product reaches 65% Fe with an average tailings grade of 35%, approximately equivalent to a 30% plant yield. The high performance of the first gaustec-GHX led to the construction of a second plant of the same type for further downgrading the tailings to <20% Fe. The plant is scheduled for commissioning in 2014. Plants and installations supplied by allmineral are used in Europe, India, Australia, North and South America, and South Africa. More than 750 allmineral installations for dry and wet processing are currently operating reliably and efficiently around the globe. www.allmineral.com

Murray & Roberts takes simulation to the next level he Murray & Roberts Cementation Training Academy near Carletonville in South Africa has taken the use of simulation combined with the use of other supporting technology to what it says is “the next level.” Underpinned by a battery of learner support programmes, learner trackless mining machine operators are able to progress from a novice status through a series of carefully designed stages that culminate towards operator applied competence. “We recognise that simulation has significant potential beyond what it is typically used for and we intend to fully exploit this potential,” Tony Pretorius, Risk Manager at the Murray & Roberts Cementation Training Academy, says. “Beyond purely training, we make use of simulation for pre-employment screening, learner diagnostic assessment, accident/incident reconciliation, enhancement of psychomotor skills, operator proficiency charting and engineering design. As part of our long term strategy, we intend to include simulation to support mine design and to use it to role-play incidents and accidents that have occurred in the past in the workplace to ensure that we continue mining by lessons learned.” The Training Academy is also looking at more projects focussed around trackless mining, recognising that simulation is a powerful tool to accelerate the competency journey of an operator: “It accurately tests learner proficiencies across three areas namely; health & safety, productivity enhancement and machine appreciation in that the associated examples test reflexive competencies through the simulation of common workplace and work related hazards and risks in a virtual environment at a fraction of conventional training related costs.” Learner training at the Murray & Roberts Cementation Training Academy begins with a PC-based e-learning programme developed from OEM information relating to specific machinery and actual video footage of this machinery in

8 International Mining | MARCH 2014

action. This combination of literature, diagrams and video imagery lays down the first level of foundational competence — knowledge and understanding. The learner then proceeds to the next level that comprises a series of visualbased training modules. It is here that the learner is taught that every action has a consequence. The objective is to impart consequential thinking, which ensures that once in the field, the candidate will take the correct course of action to prevent a negative reaction. For example, the health and safety modules focus on issues such as pedestrians, fire, and brake failure by testing the learner’s reactions in a “what if ” scenario. Thereafter the learner is introduced to the virtual environment by engaging in video-type games relating to the theme of machinery operation. These games, highlighting tasks such as load hauling, drilling and dumping, expose the learner to the concept of what his/her future job will entail. The next stage is the “presimulation” environment, where the learner observes the experiences of other operators on

the simulator. “The objective here is to psychologically desensitise the learner in order to remove any fear of operating the simulation equipment,” Pretorius explains. “Ultimately this process minimises time wasting on the simulator, because by the time the learner gets to this point, he/she has a very good idea of what to expect. “So instead of applying typical simulator directed training that moves from theory to a practical component and then to deployment in the field, we’ve introduced elearning components based on the OEM information, in the form of modules to which end we provide support coaching by an SME (small to medium enterprise) to ensure the necessary concepts are successfully conveyed. Coupled to that leg we provide visual based training, also with a coach, to achieve reflexive competency. Gaming and pre-simulation precede simulator training. The simulator impacts the visual, aural and haptic senses, so the learner actually experiences the tension of the controls and the yaw, pitch and roll of the machine — it’s truly an actual look and feel of the machine in work mode. This dynamic combination of practical and simulator training ultimately leads to everyday competency.” He adds: “In terms of workplace proficiency, we ensure that the learner is able to perform the task at hand within the required parameters. Training therefore includes elements such as pre-use inspection, pre-start and start procedures, brake testing, tramming, operation and end of shift procedures, which are broken down into tasks. We sequence these tasks and then implement a time and motion study for each of these tasks which the learner must perfect before entering the workplace to gain hands-on experience. This network of training pathways is more than the average training centre follows and this is what differentiates us as a leader in the industry, with the overriding objective of achieving high levels of proficiency and safety.”www.murrob.com

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WORLD PROSPECTS

New underground mining force with Komatsu-GE JV here has been a lot of speculation in the market since Caterpillar acquired Bucyrus on where further consolidation in the industry could come from, particularly with regard to any move into underground mining by Komatsu Ltd. This question has now been answered, with the announcement by Komatsu and GE Mining, a division of GE Transportation, that they have formed "a new collaboration to develop next generation mining equipment." The statement said: "By combining their expertise in mining equipment and propulsion systems, the companies will help meet the needs of customers and partners worldwide, with an initial focus on developing solutions to increase customer productivity and safety for underground mines." GE had already taken its step beyond its core involvement in drive systems for mining machines, with its purchases of Industrea and Fairchild in 2012. The new company, Komatsu GE Mining Systems, LLC, will be located at the GE Transportation facility in Erie, Pennsylvania, and operations will begin in April 2014. Komatsu and GE will each own 50% of the new company. Komatsu and GE Transportation have already been partners in Komatsu electric mining trucks for use in open-pit mines for a long time, with GE supplying the electric drive systems. The companies stated: “By further building on the existing partnership, the new company will combine GE’s electric power expertise, electric drive systems, and battery technologies with Komatsu’s vehicle and ICT technologies for mining equipment to deliver innovative solutions to global mining customers.” GE was a relative newcomer to the actual mining machines market, and a tie-up with Komatsu gives this new underground equipment venture

access to Komatsu's extensive dealer network, and relationships with major surface mines, many of which have associated underground operations, or are planning underground expansion in the future. Komatsu through the JV gets access to the vast resources and capital of a company the size of GE. It is interesting that ICT (Information and Communication Technology) is also mentioned. Komatsu owns Modular Mining, and together they developed the FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System (AHS), which has led the drive to wider surface truck automation in the Pilbara. This automation expertise is now likely to be applied in the

underground space. Komatsu told IM: “Over the long term, we see the importance of the underground mining business. We introduced the Autonomus Haulage System as a super Dantotsu - a Japanese term meaning unique and unrivalled product in open-pit mining. Komatsu would also like to enter the underground mining market with newly developed Dantotsu products. We believe that it will be possible to launch newly developed next generation mining equipment based on the knowledge and experience of both companies.” www.komatsu.com; www.ge.com

Mine Master equips new Face Master 1.7L rig with state of the art cabin system o face up to the challenge of more and more demanding working conditions in the underground mines of KGHM, Mine Master has started testing of its new Face Master 1.7L drilling rig. The company says that the rig is equipped with some unique solutions, which not only significantly improve the rig operator ergonomics and machine efficiency but also allow operators to maintain optimum performance despite changeable mine conditions. The rig features a hydraulically operated, ergonomic, “capsule-type" operator’s cabin. This cabin system as well as the front frame is certified for

10 International Mining | MARCH 2014

transmission of loads at kinematics of 60 kJ. The front operator’s window also complies with P8B according to EN-356. The cabin is equipped with air conditioning, which works both during transportation and with mine’s power grid of 500 v and is also equipped with a particle filter. Additionally, a hydrogen sulphide filter has been

installed in the cabin in order to protect the operator against gas leaks, which can occur in KGHM’s headings. The test working unit was based on an already proven design of a B40D boom and Montabert HC109 drill, equipped with water swivel and higher resistance to aggressive flushing. In order to ensure excellent traction, the rig is also equipped with a main pivot with double rotation joint (vertical with horizontal oscillation).Thanks to this solution it is possible to obtain very good stability during manoeuvering as well as to use the rig in reduced width headings. www.minemaster.eu

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OPERATION FOCUS- MALMBERGET_proof 25/02/2014 09:14 Page 1

OPERATION FOCUS

The new iron age Paul Moore visited the highly mechanised LKAB Malmberget underground iron ore operation near Gällivare in Arctic Sweden in October 2013, which is undergoing major changes with the development of the new 1,250 m level he LKAB Malmberget mine, in operation since 1888, has grown to an operation today that has some 600 km of roadways of which about 300 km are in use at any one time. Malmberget differs from LKAB Kiruna in that it has 20 distinct orebodies, of which 15 are currently being mined. Of these there are three larger orebodies which are drilled using two ITH production rigs at one time, drilling up to 50 m holes, with the remaining two rigs used on the smaller ore bodies and drilling 30-35 m holes. The Malmberget deposit was originally probably a more or less continuous ore lens which experienced at least two phases of folding and metamorphism. By strong ductile deformation it was torn into several lenses that today occupy a large-scale fold structure where the individual ore bodies stretch parallel to the fold axis, which plunge 40-50º toward the SSW. Malmberget is also distinct in having a mix of magnetite and haematite whereas Kiruna is almost 100% magnetite. The so-called Malmberget Western Field has 90-95% magnetite and 5-10% haematite; and the Eastern Field contains nearly all magnetite. Both the Kiruna and Malmberget mines use large scale sub-level caving. In 2013, the Malmberget mining department had some 525 full time employees. In addition to the LKAB workforce, contractors accounted for another 100 plus workers at any one time. The Western Field includes the following currently worked ore bodies: Josefina, Hens, Johannes, Välkomma and Baron; with the

12 International Mining | MARCH 2014

Eastern Field including Alliansen, Fabian, Printzskiöld, Viri, Kapten, Parta and Dennewitz. The names derive from influential people who made an important impact in the mine development in the early days, such as royals, investors and military staff. The main mine level to date has been situated at 1,000 m but the new mine level at 1,250 m is being phased in which takes the LOM to 2020 and beyond. M1250, as the new main level is called, is designed to handle the extraction of 18 Mt/y of crude ore, plus 1-2 Mt/y of mined waste. Workable ore reserves are estimated to be around 140 Mt of crude ore. This will yield around 84 Mt of finished product. Production is currently both just above and just below the 1,000 m level; with the main haulage level at 1,000 m. Above the main area of production is a haematite rich area in the area between 560-1,000 m that is now mined in its own right. At the 815 m level, the largest ore body Fabian has two ore passes. Further down at 1,000 m, five ore passes are needed as the ore body widens. Interestingly at Malmberget, production holes are drilled out often well in advance of actual charging and blasting such is the scale of the mine. It can be as much as six months before a production drill fan is actually blasted, to the point where the drilling process could be referred to as development/production drilling. This reflects the level of planning and scheduling needed in the extraction of ore from multiple ore bodies.

LKAB Malmberget from above In addition to the shallower Western Field haematite mining, another project covers mining of remaining ore from older worked room and pillar operation dating from the 1960s. At that time mining was carried out using slushers and ore trains. Some of these working areas have collapsed with others still intact. However, they are now a significant ore contributor – in 2013, some 10% of overall ore production came from these historic mining areas. Once ore production has started, development work is conducted by LKAB, but during new level development as well as pre-production development, contractors are used, the largest of which is Veidekke. Bergteamet (Rock Team) carries out raise boring work. Malmberget operates gyratory crushers underground, unusual but possible due to the large drift sizes used. It crushes ore to 100 mm size. The new 1,250 m level has two gyratories with associated apron feeders that feed conveyors and a temporary ore storage bin. A hoist then transports the ore up to the 1,000 m level, to the main ramp conveyor there that supplies the main production hoist on the 815 m level that transports the ore to surface via 23 t skips. There are also crushers located on the 815 m level. At the time of the visit in October 2013, the 1,250 m level crushers were already operating, but contractor NCC was still onsite completing a new personnel vehicle car park area and canteen

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OPERATION FOCUS along with management offices. The 1,050 level at the time was the deepest production area. The key levels at Malmberget are at 600 m, 1,000 m and 1,250 m. The 600 m level is used for ore transport in the Western Field, with the Eastern Field using the other main levels. The dimensions of the Malmberget operations are smaller than those at Kiruna. The Kiruna orebody is one continuous mass with dimensions of 4 km by 80 m and extending to 1.5 km deep and beyond; with Malmberget production from multiple orebodies over a wider area. Whereas Malmberget production is on several levels, Kiruna’s is from two main levels. Kiruna’s production in 2013 was about 28 Mt compared to Malmberget’s 17 Mt. Despite this, Malmberget as a site covers just as large an area

as Kiruna with a similar distance of underground road network. Both mines use large scale sub level caving with drift development, production drilling, and LHD transport to ore passes. Key differences include the use of larger electric LHDs at Kiruna (diesel smaller LHDs are used at Malmberget) and that there the ore passes load automated trains, unlike the trucks at Malmberget. Again this reflects the greater flexibility needed at Malmberget when dealing with multiple orebodies. Malmberget has one primary crusher on the 600 m level in the Western Field, and one at 815 m in the Eastern Field, with two each on the 1,000 m and 1,250 m levels. As stated, in the Western Field there is only one 600 m to surface hoist, whereas the Eastern Field has two hoists and a ramp

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conveyor. The Eastern and Western production is largely kept distinct until the pelletising phase, when there is some blending of haematite into the higher grade magnetite ore. While the Western Field ore body reaches the 815 m depth it is not currently mined at that depth, however, ongoing studies will determine if a new transport level will be established below 600 m. Malmberget has two hoists to surface – Vitåfors in the Eastern Field (approx 15 Mt/y capacity), which is now effectively two in one – the 1,250 m to 1,000 m section – then the 815 m section to surface. The Alliansen hoist (4.7 Mt/y) handles ore from the Western Field from the 600 m level to surface. This effectively means that the Eastern and Western Fields are two distinct mines, though the two are connected and it is possible to take out Western Field ore via the Vitåfors hoist, for example, if the Alliansen hoist has stopped. This does not apply to maintenance stoppages – every year both hoists and the concentrator stop production for 10 days of primary long term maintenance in May.

Equipment

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14 International Mining | MARCH 2014

In terms of the drifting and drilling equipment, LKAB operates its own equipment in the Eastern Field with the exception of some ramp work. In the Western Field all the equipment is contractor operated. The Eastern Field drifting fleet includes three jumbos, two charging rigs, four bolters, three shotcreting rigs and 4 + 2 scaling rigs as well as other ancillary equipment. In 2014 the mine plans to carry out 20,000 m of drifting of which 11,500 m will be done in-house and the rest contracted. In 2013, some 11,000 m of inhouse drifting was completed and the rest contracted. The 4 + 2 scaling rigs refers to the fact that four machines are used for both drifting and scaling but there are two dedicated JAMA scalers. As stated, in addition to the dedicated automated WL6C production rig fleet of six, in 2013, the mine began buying production drill metres from Wassara with its two rigs to make up a shortfall while allowing Wassara to carry out R&D. During the IM visit, LKAB Wassara owned drill number 698 was operating in the shallower haematite zone, with five of the mine-owned rigs in the magnetite rich main production areas. One WL6C (number 692) was operating in drift 1680 at the Fabian 880 m level (FA880); and a second at level 905 m in the 1310 drift (drill number 693). In the Alliansen ore body, on the 1,022 m level, drill 691 was working in drift 4270; and in the Viri ore body, drill 694 was working in drift 7880 at the 1,050 m level. In the Printzskiöld ore body, number 695 was working in the 2520 drift at the 970 m level. The final 696 rig was operating in the 569 m level of the haematite

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OPERATION FOCUS rich zone in the 5694 level of the Johannes ore body. For drifting, two emulsion charging trucks handle about 2,000 t of ANFO per year charging 5 m holes, while the production fleet has three charging trucks handling about 4,000 t of ANFO loading 45 m and longer holes. The main Eastern Field owned load and haul fleet consists of 13 LHDs, of which nine are Cat 2900G and four are Sandvik Toro 0011. The availability stands at about 8.5 LHDs at any one time. The contractor in the Western Field operates two LHDs. In terms of figures, in terms of overall tonnes hauled, the 2014 plan is to handle over 12 Mt with mine owned LHDs and about 3 Mt with contractor LHDs. While NCC has the drifting contract, production and waste trucking uses other contractors. In the main Eastern Field, there are five main ore passes on the 1,000 m and 1,250 m level feeding the four gyratories in that part of the mine. The ore trucks used to be Sisu 120 t trucks but today seven side tipper Volvo FH 12/13 90 t SLP and two Scania R480 8 x 4 90 t trucks are used. A further Volvo FM 12 35 t truck is used for special projects. Actual ore mucking and transport to ore passes is via the mixed LHD fleet of Caterpillar 2900 (60%) and Sandvik Toro (40%). The SLP trucks are loaded via the ore passes and deliver the ore to the underground crushers.

A schematic 3D-picture illustrating the ore bodies in the Malmberget iron ore deposit

All capital equipment maintenance is done inhouse in underground shops on the 815 m level, though this is in the process of being moved to the 1,250 m level. The mine has a very extensive micro-seismic monitoring system with over 140 geophones and more installed in 2013 as well as 1 Hz regional devices. Drifting ground support is carried out by Berg & Betong, which includes meshing, shotcreting and bolting. As the mine has gone deeper there has been a greater requirement for mesh and more dynamic bolting, such as reactive bolts. The mine is also looking at doing

simultaneous one process ground support during drifting and work is ongoing with OEMs on this concept, with the challenge being making mesh/bolting machines that can keep up with jumbos; and solutions include the use of mesh on a roll as opposed to separate mesh sections. Malmberget currently achieves one cycle of 4.8 m of drifting per day per fleet, with up to 10 fleet cycles per day but wants to speed this up. In the future, more of Malmberget production will be from fewer ore bodies, so ideally the mine would use larger and ideally electric LHDs; though there is still a limited choice in the larger

MARCH 2014 | International Mining 15

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OPERATION FOCUS

One of the Cat R2900s in the Malmberget LHD fleet capacity electric LHD range, with the Sandvik 2500 machines only operating at Kiruna.

The ITH fleet and history The Malmberget mine uses six Atlas Copco ITH drills using Wassara hammers. These are all new Simba WL6C machines delivered since April 2012, which replaced six older ITH rigs that had been delivered to the mine since 1997, with an original fleet of four W469 rigs. The six current rigs compare to a current fleet of 10 Sandvik Solo 8 ITH rigs also using Wassara hammers at the sister mine in Kiruna, which began automated drilling in 1995 (but had been using forms of remote drilling since the 1980s). Prior to 1997, Malmberget used two boom AMV ITH rigs running on compressed air; and before that large Atlas Copco and Ingersoll Rand top hammer drills drilling 57 mm holes. With the AMV drills, air had to be compressed at surface and pumped underground at very high cost. The cost savings with switching to water-powered drilling, along with the obvious upside of much longer and more accurate holes, were the main drivers behind the switch to Wassara technology. But the first water-powered drilling was done with the AMV drills – with their conversion beginning in 1989. Three of them were altered to allow water-powered hammer drilling to be used and operated up to the Atlas Copco drills coming onstream in 1997. The decision to replace the older ITH models was based on the fact the existing fleet was 15 years old but also the ability to apply the latest control and automation technology; as well as a new electric motor on the water pump. LKAB automated rig operator Andreas Larsson told IM

16 International Mining | MARCH 2014

during the visit: “The new WL6C rigs are easier to operate, are a lot more user friendly and have a much more logical interaction with the operator. The technical aspects of the rigs are much easier to understand due to the new technology – with only six main menus compared to nearly 100 on the old machines. There are less steps to go through in the everyday operation of the rig and the main boom is able to do everything much faster, making the rig more compact. It also has an enclosed cabin for moving the machine unlike the older machines which just had a steel plate roof. The rig is also easier to turn and has a smoother ride.” In addition to the main mine-owned fleet of six rigs, LKAB Wassara has two of its own rigs that are contracted to mine operations and are monitored and manually operated by Wassara engineers, and are not equipped with the new hammer carousel design. One carries out special works in the form of slot hole drilling, which involves 6.5 in holes as opposed to the normal production 4.5 in diameter holes. The advantage for Wassara in having these two machines is that it can carry out R&D on hammer technology improvements in a real mine operating environment, which ultimately benefits LKAB but also the wider mining and civil construction world that employs Wassara water-powered drilling technology. One production hole takes between 30 mins and 1 hour depending on the conditions and the hole length. The new rigs also use W100 waterpowered hammers which are capable of at least 1,800 of drilling before being sent to the onsite LKAB Wassara technology centre for maintenance and replacement of internal parts, after which they can achieve an additional 1,800 m to 2,000 m depending on the nature of the rock – some of the waste is very hard granite. During maintenance, every one of the internal

parts and dimensions of the hammer are checked to compare against calibrated ideals. Each production drill fan is angled at 80° with each fan 3 to 3.5 m apart. Waste is transported out of the mine by 40 t Scania or Volvo road trucks operated by a contractor. In production drilling, the fan layout includes 5 to 15 holes, with 8,000 t per fan blasted and 115 mm diameter holes with an average of 300 m per fan. Current production achieves 120,000 m per year per rig, with automated production drilling accounting for 90% of the total. This compares to the W469 fleet that achieved 100,000 m per year per rig. Oil consumption is about 0.04 litres per metre drilled, indicative of the environmental benefits of using water-powered drilling. Hole deviation is less than 1.5% over 50 m. In the automated drill control centre, there is one operator monitoring two drills, so three operators for the six WL6 rigs in all. The operator shift runs from 0500 to 1500; and 1400 to 0000 with a one hour shift overlap. At midnight for an hour until 0100 the only team underground is the longhole blasting crew and following the blast there is a ventilation period, though the automated rigs are still running during this period. ANFO emulsion is manufactured by Kimit in Kiruna and stored at each mine in silos. Shotcreting/meshing/bolting is carried out in production development where needed, which does not affect ore quality as any bolts are removed by magnets in the processing plant. The operations centre is at the 1,000 m level with two main rig control stations and multiple wall screens showing all production rigs on video as well as diagnostic screens indicating drilling progress and water pressure, normally 180 bar. The control stations are normally only used when there is a problem and the operator interrupts automated production; as well as rig moves between drill fans and new drill co-ordinates given to the rig. On each production drift, such as number 7700 seen during the IM visit, production starts from fan 1 and continues to the last fan, in the case of this drift fan 35, a distance of about 100 m. The nature of the orebody being drilled is already known with some confidence due to exploration diamond core drilling. In addition to this, top hammer exploration drilling is carried out after every third blast for more precise data. Each drill fan is slightly different depending on what is happening with the ore body dimensions. As stated, holes can be up to 55 m but the average is about 36 m. During the 3 m rig moves, which is manual, the operator also changes out the hammer bits, as well as the hammers and pipes as well if needed. He or she then manually inputs the drill plan, raises the boom to the required angle, and starts up the rig before returning to the control centre – after this the process is automated.

Hardline_January14_proof 13/12/2013 09:04 Page 1

OPERATION FOCUS- MALMBERGET_proof 25/02/2014 09:16 Page 5

OPERATION FOCUS Wassara is currently working on a new supply truck that will carry hydraulic fluid, steel drill pipes and hammers on one machine, being equipped with a hydraulic arm to lift the hammers.

environmental impact in a better way because of its great impact on infrastructure and buildings. The mining of orebodies underground also gives rise to openings and deformations, affecting the soil surface in several ways and requires a different type of monitoring approach.

Processing LKAB R&D

Remotely monitoring the automated Atlas Copco WL6C production drills

The typical fan drilling time is about 10 hours and each rig is capable of drilling about 350 m per 24 hours. Each rig has two carousels – one for the water-powered hammers and one for the steel drill pipes. This can be one problem area during operations in that occasionally during the hammer changeout (normally between 120 to 180 m of drilling), the carousel won’t find the correct position requiring the rig to be restarted. That said, the newer carousel is capable of changing a hammer in only 10-15 seconds. As stated, each operator is responsible for two rigs; and overnight between midnight and 0500 a production report log is generated that notes all stops or problems, which are also automatically relayed to Atlas Copco. If there are any issues or stoppages due to mechanical or hydraulic failures then it may be necessary to get one of the on-site Atlas Copco team to resolve them, as they are responsible for service and maintenance of the rigs themselves. Atlas Copco’s contractual responsibility is also tied to rig performance in terms of metres drilled. Atlas Copco has 18 engineers and mechanics underground at any one time in Malmberget, who in addition to the production rigs look after the fleet of Boomer jumbos and Robolt bolting rigs. Any hammer issues, such as excess wear due to solids getting into the water supply, can be addressed by the LKAB Wassara team; though the hammers can run without excessive wear with solids in the water up to a particle size of about 50 microns. Fresh water is used at all times in Malmberget, though at Kiruna recycled water from the main tailings pond is used. The electrical and water supply infrastructure in the production areas is put in place in advance by the production development team. The cables supply power to the rigs at 1,000 v with the water pipe pressure at only 7 or 8 bar, which is stepped up to 180 bar by the high pressure pump on the rig. In terms of rig service, LKAB

18 International Mining | MARCH 2014

The LKAB journey towards the future goal of 28 Mt/y requires a thorough R&D effort to ensure both mining capacity and quality stabilisation measures. The ore deposits being developed require extensive experimental resources in order to meet the appropriate regulations or adaptation of the existing ore processing plant, as well as evaluating future product features. The objective here is to produce functional products of a high competitive quality. Ore mining at increased depths requires both a safe working environment as well as effective sub level caving. In a SWOT analysis of the LKAB

Gyratory crusher on 1,250 m level

long-term plan, the rock stability was identified as a “specific risk” as increased mining depth increases both rock stress and seismicity. This requires new levels of mining layouts and sequences as well as enhanced rock reinforcement in order to provide a safe and stable working environment. One important area is the mining seismology, providing an opportunity to increase the knowledge in the seismicity that follows mining works. The sub-level mining causes deformation and fractures in the mine surroundings, mostly in the orebody hanging walls but it also affects the foot walls. It is desirable to predict this

Malmberget operates two pelletising plants – the newer one known as MK3, commissioned in 2006, and an older facility known as BUV commissioned in 1973. Both are equipped with a waste gas cleaning system. MK3 was built to significantly expand pellet capacity with the original plan for Malmberget to supply only pellets but the production of fines has continued, as they are popular in the steel industry as a cheap alternative to pellets for a certain proportion of production (Malmberget pellets are shipped from Lulea and fines from Narvik). Ore supply to the pellets plants is 85% from the Vitåfors shaft and 15% from the Alliansen shaft. Both routes involve a wet and dry milling process. The pellet mix is about 6% haematite, 3% additives such as olivine and silica, and the remainder magnetite. First the slurry moisture content is reduced to 8% in a disc filter (BUV) or drum filter at MK3 (five 150 t/h machines). Then bentonite binder is added in a large Eirich mixer at about 0.6% which equates to a bentonite requirement of about 42,000 t/y. This mix then passes to the pellet balling machines, through screens to get a uniform pellet size and thereafter to the straight travelling grates. Undersize pellets go back to the balling machines and oversize is sent back to the Eirich mixer. A pellet size range of 9-14 mm is deemed acceptable but the ideal is 10-12.5 mm. MK3 alone has five balling machine circuits. The straight grate kiln used in MK3 is an Outotec type. Initially for drying the hot gas comes up from under the pellets (up-draught drying or UDD) then switches to down-draught. All the heat is recycled. The pellets pass through distinct zones for drying, pre-heating and firing. The kiln itself is fuelled by six pairs of oil burners. The pellet bed is about 500 mm thick, with the heat moved through the bed following the firing zone using fans, followed by a cooling zone. Quality is maintained using online analysis, while physical samples are taken every shift for tumbling and cold press testing. Both the BUV and MK3 plants are controlled using an ABB 800xA system. The plants are maintained via one cold shutdown and two hot shutdowns per year. Overall, the plants currently have five balling machine circuits each with a 4 Mt capacity but a sixth may be added to account to allow for increased production with the Svappavaara ore. IM

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COMMINUTION_proof 25/02/2014 10:24 Page 1

COMMINUTION

Effective liberation

Robert Pell looks at how rising energy costs and falling ore grades are driving innovations in comminution ost effective and efficient ore liberation is at the forefront of the current focus by mining groups on efficiency and economy. Crushing and grinding represents the most energy intensive step in the mining process, and according to at least one source, accounts for around 3% of total world energy consumption. Thus the stakes are high to supply larger, higher capacity crusher and mill solutions to achieve greater economies of scale – but this is limited by available castings and componentry. In terms of the wider challenges in furthering the comminution process, Kevin Graney, Product Development Manager at Metso discussed the difficulties faced, stating: “A big challenge in comminution is cost. As more ore is processed, larger equipment is needed. When producing such large castings, there are tremendous pressures to provide products as cost efficiently as possible. A couple of years ago we introduced the 60-110E SUPERIOR primary gyratory crusher. The focus of the 60-110E was to efficiently use material while simplifying the manufacturing process in order to lower the purchase price of the crusher. These manufacturing efficiencies have been transferred into the MP2500 project to ensure the crusher is designed for manufacturing and Metso can offer the crusher on a cost competitive basis while maintaining the quality we are known for.” There are also limitations to how big equipment can be designed, and foundry pouring capacities can be a constraint for

20 International Mining | MARCH 2014

machine design. It is necessary to create crushers that can process more material without making the components so large that they cannot be produced. This requires more creative design processes.

Pushing boundaries Metso has developed the world’s largest cone crusher, and supplied two of them to the Sentinel copper project in Zambia. The mentioned MP2500 cone crusher is based on the industry leading MP crusher series, and was developed to improve efficiency within the comminution circuit. The MP2500 crusher dynamics offer “an efficient crusher that is capable of processing more material than ever.” Two MP2500 cone crushers have been supplied to First Quantum Minerals subsidiary Kalumbila Minerals, the Sentinel operator, which has a 55 Mt/y processing facility. The new cone crushers will be part of the secondary crushing circuit installed to maintain the mill throughput to offset a harder ore in the deeper areas of the pit. The crushers will treat a portion of the ore feeding the stockpile, crushing the top size to below 40mm. Metso has also won an order to install a 20,000 t/d crushing and screening system at Chile’s Minera Esperanza, increasing annual production of copper and gold by 15 to 20%. The new plant will bypass much of the existing grinding circuit and includes three MP1000 cone crushers. Production is expected to start in 2015. The equipment to be supplied for the new

Sandvik are carrying out projects aimed at improving the lifetime of segments and crushing teeth for the CR series of roll crushers in abrasive applications crushing plant consists of three MP1000 cone crushers, three multi-flo double deck banana screens in two sizes, seven belt feeders, two pan feeders and nine belt conveyors with a total length of 1 km. Einary Ojala, Senior Project Manager, Metso said: “Metso will provide engineering and construction of this new crushing plant from the beginning of the project. Metso is providing services in all the stages of design, civil engineering works, installation and commissioning of equipment. The work will be done using the highest safety standards in the industry.” Graney also noted “Metso is continually looking for ways to improve the equipment, but more importantly we are trying to share our knowledge with end users about how to efficiently feed and operate the crushers. With high turnover in the mining industry, tribal knowledge can be lost, so it is important to assist EPCMs and end users with our experience and knowledge to allow crushing plants to be designed as efficiently as possible.” He adds: “There are also many opportunities to reduce energy usage with existing equipment by making minor changes in how the equipment is operated. Applications in terms of the proper sizing of crushers, operations and maintenance practices are all important pieces of an efficient process. “

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COMMINUTION Metso told IM that the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries have been the most popular destinations for Metso crushers in recent times as well as a healthy market in Africa and the Middle East. “We are always looking at ways to improve our existing products whether through cost reductions or product improvements. We are also trying to focus on the services business and how to ensure our products can be adapted to simplify maintenance and maintenance processes,” said Graney.

A process plant mindset One of the major challenges with comminution is the compartmentalisation of the complete process, and the sub-optimising of process steps. Sandvik told IM that it is in a somewhat unique position in that it supports everything from drilling through crushing. “We can see the opportunities to implement the mine-to-mill concept, in particular in reducing the total cost and energy consumption. The industry will also have to come to grips with energy demands. Aside from temporary fluctuations, diesel fuel will not get any cheaper, and availability constraints of electric power will affect both permitting and operating costs. Emerging markets such as China and India struggle to keep up with surging demand, and major mining countries such as South Africa and Chile fight to produce enough power. In this environment, mining companies will have to demonstrate increased energy efficiency and reduction of total consumption. The European Union has identified an over-dependence on import of 14 critical raw materials. If they act on this, it is quite likely any new mine operations will have to be extremely energy efficient to be permitted.” Sandvik also believes that the mining community would benefit from more of the process plant mindset already at the mine site: “Mining in the future should be a more of a continuous process, including consistency in mine planning and preventive maintenance. “ Sandvik are carrying out projects aimed at improving the lifetime of segments and crushing teeth for the CR series of roll crushers in abrasive applications. Sandvik are investigating a selection of materials and alternative manufacturing methodologies for components to improve lifetimes. Some of these manufacturing methodologies can be displayed in a matrix with resistance against abrasiveness and impact on its axis. The identified solutions are then tested in partnership with actual end

22 International Mining | MARCH 2014

The new Metso MP2500 cone crusher users to determine the effectiveness and comparative performance of these solutions against standard materials and manufacturing techniques. As well as this Sandvik are looking to develop the serviceability of crushers. Fast and easy service is a key driver of both safety and productivity. One of the developments here can be seen with the quick-release system and formfitted teeth for the recently developed CR810 hybrid crusher. The crushing technology itself facilitates smaller and more mobile units than traditional gyratory crushers would, and also has a greater range in the feed materials it can handle. The newly developed CR810 hybrid crusher has one fixed roll and one loose roll which releases when “uncrushable” material enters the machine. In combination with very robust crushing elements, Sandvik believes that the hybrid crusher can efficiently handle much harder materials than in the past. The CR180 hybrid crusher has a design capacity of 11,500 t/h. Sandvik’s focus on safe and easy service is also seen in the latest designs of its crushing stations. By mounting it on rails, the entire crusher can be slid out for service, or complete replacement. An installed crane can be used to assist in the safe exchange of crushing teeth or segments during maintenance tasks. Sandvik says it aims to reduce energy consumption in the comminution process by moving the primary crusher closer to the mine. In-pit crushing and conveying (covered in detail again by this year’s IPCC event in South Africa – see http://corporate.immining.com/imevents/IPCC-2014.asp) is often

associated with waste handling. In surface mining, this usually represents the largest tonnage of materials movement. The additional cost of crushing is more than off-set by the savings from conveying rather than hauling by truck. Ore haulage may not quite have the same economies of scale as waste haulage, but primary crushing has to be done regardless and is not an additional cost. In-pit crushing and conveying of ore is simply a cost comparison of conveying versus trucking. It is nothing more complicated than moving the primary crusher as close to the mine face as practical, with an extended conveyor to the processing plant. Sandvik is a big proponent of this process solution to reduce not only the total energy consumption, but also cost and other environmental impacts.

Stirring stuff FLSmidth is launching its new VXP5000 Vertical Stirred Mill which has completed internal quality control factory acceptance testing. The VXP5000 is FLSmidth’s largest mill and was showcased to clients and employees in late 2013 at its Vancouver, Canada facilities. The VXP500 mill has been designed to have a smaller footprint than other stirred media mills which is especially helpful on brownfield projects, where equipment must fit into an existing structure. The mill speed is also an important differentiator between the low (3 m/sec) and high (15 m/sec) speed stirred mills according to David Rahal, Product Manager, FLSmidth VXPmill: “It allows the VXPmill to be used in applications where the design constraints of the other mills limit their ability to operate at the optimum stress intensity for a given application. The VXPmill bridges the gap between these two extremes.” The VXP5000 mill also has a unique, newly designed maintenance procedure designed to increase safety by eliminating workers exposure to suspended load while changing out the discs and spacers. Three VXP5000 mills have already been shipped to the MAK project in Mongolia, and one is scheduled to go to the Bozshakol plant in northern Kazakhstan, with commissioning scheduled for mid-2014. FLSmidth has also provided Katanga Mining with a new grinding mill to boost plant reliability and enable production throughput predictability. Terence Osborn, Minerals Capital Sales and Marketing Manager at FLSmidth said: “It has been well proven to be high quality and reliable equipment, and we have a growing relationship with this client.”

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COMMINUTION Katanga Mining will also implement FLSmidth’s proprietary Process Expert™ system (PXP) advanced process control mill optimisation package. This high-level process control solution is a proven method to simultaneously reduce costs and improve product quality. “The mill is running in closed circuit with hydrocyclones, and we’ve developed software that takes the milling plant operation into account holistically,” Osborn said. “Having expert knowledge of mill circuits, we’re in an ideal position to ensure that the whole system runs in a well-balanced and optimal manner, harnessing PXP to achieve a consistent throughput. Achieving consistency is particularly important at this operation, since test work data indicates that the ore from this project will be variable from a hardness perspective and this always makes mill circuit control more challenging. The best way to maximize plant productivity is to maximize stability. By running the plant as consistently as possible, the mine will achieve a better quality downstream product.”

New launches and deliveries Russian mining equipment company Uralmash has developed a crusher to be used at Yubileinaya mine of ore-dressing and processing enterprise EVRAZ Sukha Balkha. The crusher supplied was a KMD-2200T1-D which is a fine crusher with a 2,200 mm cone head base diameter, designed for fine crushing of rock product and ore mineral resources. As previously announced by IM, Uralmash also shipped a primary gyratory crusher of model KKD 1500/180 in November 2013, to ENRC’s Sokolovsko-Sarbaiskiy iron ore mining and processing production association in Rudniy, Kazakhstan. This was the second of three crushers that Uralmash will produce for the company. The KKD 1500/180 crushers are being used to develop the Kacharskiy deposit and can handle 1,900 m3//hr. These KKD 1500/180 models include high-altitude automated maintenance and grease systems and a PLCbased drive control system. Andrey Saltanov, General Director of Uralmash said “Uralmash has great experience of working with enterprises in Kazakhstan and we have got an order for these new machines in highly competitive conditions with foreign suppliers. We offered the best price and delivery terms along with exceeding their engineering needs versus foreign products.” Weir Minerals launched its new Enduron line of comminution equipment, including crushers, screens and feeders during 2013. The Enduron range significantly expands Weir Minerals’ comminution solutions portfolio, adding to its range of mill circuit products. The use of KHD HPGR equipment in conjunction with the new

24 International Mining | MARCH 2014

The new FLSmidth VXP5000 Vertical Stirred Mill

range of Enduron vibrating screens, feeders and crushers offers an effective comminution package. Weir Minerals has an emphasis on enhancing mining productivity and safety, with the new equipment being designed to maximise customers’ operational efficiency. “Screens and crushers are typically the workhorses of an ore processing operation,” said Ekkhart Matthies, Weir Minerals Global VP of Comminution. “Weir Minerals’ design and application expertise, combined with our product support resources will ensure the new products provide optimum performance as they cope with the demands of today’s mining industry, and we are already developing the next generation of crusher technology for future applications. The introduction of the new Enduron brand provides the quality, scale and breadth of product to help mine operators maximise efficiency and productivity, while maintaining field safety,” said Matthies. As mentioned by IM in 2013, Telsmith has developed the T300 cone crusher which has been engineered for maximum uptime and productivity while delivering 300 hp performance and a crushing capacity output range from 125 to 400 t/h. With an emphasis on lower operating costs and increased safety, the T300 features a large clearing circuit, which is engineered to safely and quickly allow any uncrushable materials to pass. The T300 has been designed with six cylinders,

which is fewer than conventional units, but maintains the largest crushing force availability. The unit also offers a new and improved patentpending anti-spin feature that prevents head spin to extend manganese life. This is mounted on top of the machine to offer top-service access. The T300 is also designed to operate with pressure lubrication oil, while eliminating the use of a gear box and a separate hydraulic circuit. The T300 features the largest-in-class, patentpending hybrid bearings and unlike roller bearing machines, these large hybrid bearings offer both a static and dynamic lift – resulting in far greater lift to efficiently carry the crushing forces. The hybrid bearings also have a washer and ramp design to replace the conventional use of a socket, socket liner, and head ball – all of which require time-consuming removal when servicing the machine, and to minimise downtime and reduce inventory costs, the T300 enables the use of a single bowl for all liners over its range of operation – allowing optimum versatility, flexibility, and efficiency in any aggregate application. Telsmith also showcased its new hydra-jaw crushers with their worldwide product launch at the 2014 CONEXPO-CON/AGG. The H3450 (863 mm x 1,270 mm) hydra-jaw is capable of processing up to 598 t/h. It also includes a hydraulic toggle for reduced maintenance, with fast and safe hydraulic chamber clearing. ABB recently commissioned an upgrade to Vale’s existing Clarabelle dual pinion SAG mill. The mill is used to reduce the size of the ore at the company’s nickel and copper mines in the Sudbury area of Ontario. The Sudbury operations are primarily underground nickel sulphide mines with integrated mining, milling, smelting and refining operations. The Clarabelle mill was designed to accept nickel-copper ore from various sources and companies and to produce a nickel-copper concentrate and copper concentrate for further processing. The size of the ore is further reduced in SAG mills, rod mills and ball mills where all milling is done wet. First awarded in 2010, the project is the largest of several turnkey projects completed for Vale in Canada. This complex project involved an upgrade to a SAG mill of 10 m diameter and 11.2 rpm that had reached end-of-life with a newer, more robust system. ABB replaced all of the electrical equipment including 5500KW motors, converter, transformer, motor control centres, switchgear and mechanical auxiliary equipment such as the cooling system – pump skid, chillers and fin-fan heat exchangers. As well as modifying existing foundation and air clutch coupling to adapt it to the new motors. A number of SAG mill applications were implemented to facilitate the operation and maintenance of the SAG mill.

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To learn more about Enduron® machines go to : weirminerals.com/enduron.aspx Copyright © 2014, Weir Slurry Group, Inc. All rights reserved. ENDURON is a trademark and/or registered trademark of Weir Minerals Europe Ltd; WEIR is a trademark and/or a registered trademark of Weir Engineering Services Ltd.

COMMINUTION_proof 25/02/2014 10:25 Page 4

COMMINUTION HPGR and SMMs

ABB synchronous motor AMZ1250 driving the SAG mill pinion gear at Vale Clarabelle mill

Sizer developments MMD has installed a pair of semi-mobile systems at a coal operation in Africa. These installations are fed by Euclid EH400 dump trucks into a 450 m3 hopper over a MMD D9 Apron Plate Feeder, which discharges into an MMD 1300 Primary Sizer with a short sacrificial belt to an MMD 625 Secondary Sizer. The secondary sizer is positioned in the pit just after the primary to produce a 150 mm product for the overland belt (the end user being of the opinion that larger lumps damage the belt) and the plant acceptance size. Currently the throughput is constricted by the secondary to a maximum of 3,400 t/h. MMD has also been asked to investigate installing another secondary unit in parallel, to enable running at 6000 t/hr, as the Apron Plate Feeder and Primary Sizer can easily cope with this. This project included a 500 t capacity Crawler Transporter which is the newest piece of equipment available from MMD, used initially to transport the semi-mobile structures from the construction area, outside the mine, down to the mine face. Each piece was successfully transported a distance of over 5 km and negotiating grades of up to 8% in fewer than 20 hours. The Crawler Transporter will be used to relocate the Semi-Mobile Sizer Stations as the mine develops, to maintain a short truck haul distance of approximately 500 m. MMD stated: “These are believed to be the first two truly relocatable machines of this size in Africa, with all previous machines by other suppliers using equipment that was so large, and relocation so complicated, that all attempts to move them were abandoned and the plants became fixed.” MMD also provided a Fully Mobile Sizer at the

26 International Mining | MARCH 2014

Pingshou open pit coal mine in China. This unit is a “third generation” MMD high-capacity (>5,000 t/h) fully mobile sizing unit, and the first fully mobile MMD unit to go into operation in China, where the group has already been highly successful with semi-mobile systems. This machine will process 9,000 t/h of overburden consisting primarily of sandstones. The horizons at Pingshou contain several muddy layers and are expected to get sticky in the short wet season, when the daily precipitation can exceed 150 mm. The material, produced from 15 m high benches of up to 1,700 m in length, will be loaded by 60 m3 capacity rope shovel into the MMD Mobile Sizer. The Sizer reduces the ROM material (maximum dimensions 2.5 m x 2.5 m x 2 m) to a product suitable for belt conveying (400 mm maximum). The MMD Mobile Sizer feeds an independent mobile 70 m bridge conveyor, which in turn feeds the MMD Hopper car mounted on a moveable face conveyor. The face conveyor, subsequent haulage system, stacking and spreading systems are not part of MMD’s scope of supply, having been the subject to a separate tender process.

High pressure grinding rolls (HPGRs) and stirred media mills (SMMs) have been successfully introduced into the minerals industry as an answer to the need to reduce energy consumption. HPGRs have mainly been used for tertiary fine crushing of competent and hard ores in order to produce ball mill feed, and are potential substitutes of SAG mills or conventional tertiary cone crushers in traditional comminution circuits. ThyssenKrupp states: “Experience from other industries suggests that HPGRs could even do even more to reduce power demand due to their high energy efficiency and their ability to be used as dry grinding systems. HPGR systems already have been successfully applied in the cement industry for grinding limestone, clinker and slag to a final product fineness of between 30 and 90 μm (P80) without the need to use any downstream ball milling. The energy consumption of an HPGR finish grinding plant has been found to be significant lower than in ball mill plants. This leads to the question of whether the same methodology can be adopted in minerals applications. Such a step would require the use of dry rather than wet grinding systems.” The company adds: “Dry grinding systems are so far only an exception in mineral processing, since most post grinding processes are wet. However, there are successful – mainly ball mill based – dry grinding examples in gold, nickel or iron ore. A lot of the questions which arise for HPGR finish grinding systems were already proven in the field as well as in pilot test work in the lab. Considering the conservatism of the minerals industry, a request for extended field testing – at least on a pilot scale – will be quite likely. The basic engineering work for such a pilot trial plant and even a full scale commercial installation is already available.” Outotec and Maschinenfabrik Köppern have agreed that they will cooperate in the manufacture and supply of Outotec branded MMD’s latest Mobile Sizer in operation at Pingshuo

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COMMINUTION comminution products as part of Outotec's process solutions. Köppern has experience in HPGR technology as well as briquetting and compaction solutions. Köppern's HPGR looks to complement Outotec's comminution technologies and services and strengthen Outotec's market position. Outotec's comminution product range includes autogenous (AG) mills, semi-autogenous (SAG) mills, high intensity grinding (HIGmills), rod mills, ball mills and pebble mills. "Partnership with Köppern will broaden our scope of delivery. We can offer our customers a wide range of sustainable comminution solutions and tailor the most energy efficient solution for each customer", says Jari Rosendal, President of Outotec's Non-ferrous Solutions business area. "As an independent and family-owned manufacturer and solution-supplier, we are proud to partner with Outotec on an exclusive basis to enhance our world-wide market potential for HPGR applications" says Christopher Schafer, Managing Director of Köppern. As covered in a recent edition of IM, FLSmidth’s engineers have improved their HPGR frame design. They not only looked into the roll change out time requirements, but also the actual frame design and steel requirements. The traditional FLSmidth cement HRP L-gable has proven very effective for roll change outs, and is a unique system that allows rolls to be lifted out of

28 International Mining | MARCH 2014

the machine without having to extract a top frame or incorporate an extended work platform. The L-gable incorporates a vertical side pressure beam and a portion of the top frame. It also uses a pinning system, which greatly reduces roll replacement time compared to the conventional hard bolting frames. However, with plant sizes growing due to declining grades, more optimal flow sheets with reduced footprints are being implemented. The areas around the HPGRs are more compact, while chute-work and conveyors are less retractable than in the past. With this in mind, FLSmidth engineering created the FLSmidth Express Frame, which is designed and built for the quick replacement of mineral application roll surfaces.

Mobile crushing Powerscreen has launched two new tracked mobile crushing plants within the past 12 months. The Premiertrak 300 is a new mobile jaw crusher with a 1,000 mm wide x 600 mm deep jaw chamber, which can produce up to 280 t/hr of crushed material. The Premiertrak 300 crusher has been developed with the option of a vibrating grizzly feeder (VGF) or a large fully independent hydraulically driven pre-screen, which improves fines removal and reduces chamber wear costs for the customer. To coincide with the independent pre-screen feature, an optional hydraulically folding

extended side conveyor with a stockpile height of 3.1 m has been added to the machine to improve stockpile capacity. The Powerscreen jaw chamber has hydraulically adjustable Closed Side Setting (CSS), which can be adjusted in a matter of minutes by a single operator without requiring tools. The hydraulic release chamber option (Premiertrak R300 crusher) incorporates the proven hydraulic release mechanism to allow the chamber to ‘dump’ and pass un-crushable material which is ideal for recycling applications. A hydraulically adjustable deflector plate is an option for recycling applications. The machine is highly versatile as it also incorporates a new lock-out function to allow the operator to work in hard rock quarry applications with the same chamber. The new hopper design incorporates a complete hydraulic fold and lock system which removes the need for manual wedges and can be raised/ lowered from ground level removing the need to work at height and providing rapid setup times. The Premiertrak 300 jaw crusher features a hydraulically lowering product conveyor with 3.5 m discharge height for easy removal of trapped metal in recycling applications and features full tunnelling to reducing snagging of rebar. The Premiertrak 300 can be powered by a Tier 3 CAT C9 Acer 205 kW or a Tier 4 Final compliant

COMMINUTION_proof 25/02/2014 10:26 Page 6

COMMINUTION Scania DC9 80A 202kW engine which is designed to run at the most economical speeds to reduce fuel consumption and noise pollution. Damian Power, Powerscreen Global Product Director, said: “With its exciting new features and feedback from the testing period, we’re confident that the Premiertrak 300 will set new standards worldwide. The machine was recently showcased at a preview demonstration for distributors and customers and there was a lot of enthusiasm among the attendees.” Powerscreen has also developed the Trakpactor 320, which is the latest evolution within the Trakpactor series of mobile horizontal shaft impactor machines. The Trakpactor 320 comes in both standard and closed circuit configurations. The Powerscreen Trakpactor 320SR is a mid-sized horizontal impact crusher redesigned with some key enhancements to offer operators and contractors’ excellent reduction and high consistency of product shape for performance in quarry and recycling applications. The crushing chamber features a 1,130mm x 800 mm feed opening, hydraulically assisted CSS adjustment, four bar rotor and twin apron design, and hydraulic overload protection as standard. New to this model is an optional fully independent hydraulic pre-screen which improves fines removal and reduces chamber wear costs Damian Power, Powerscreen Global Product Director, said, “Building upon the success of the Powerscreen Trakpactor 320 impact crusher for the quarry and recycling industry, the new Trakpactor 320SR crusher is set to establish itself as a class leader amongst its peers and demonstrates what is possible when we work with customers in defining features and specifications.” Power told IM: “With all the increasing costs associated with energy, plant efficiency is more important now than it has ever been before. Ore deposits are becoming more difficult to access and more difficult to process and transport, this obviously increases the energy intensity of the process. It is a well-known fact that comminution consumes around 3% of the electricity produced around the world. Other prevalent issues include safety, ore quality, sustainability and environmental impact.” Powerscreen has looked to remedy this energy challenge with recent product developments. Powerscreen has had process efficiency at the heart of the specification for each machine. Typically using the lower fuel consumption Tier 4 Final Scania engines, which operate at reduced optimum running speeds with a direct drive coupling to the crushing chamber to achieve the highest efficiency possible.

Mill linings and balls Cherylyn Stewart, External Projects Consultant, Russell Mineral Equipment (RME) told IM: “RME’s abiding focus is the development of methods to minimise maintenance downtime associated with any comminution device, including conventional tumbling mills (AG, SAG, ball, rod), HPGR and Vertical Stirred Mills.” RME is the leader in mill liner changeout equipment and has developed the RUSSELL 6V Liner Placement Mill Relining Machine, to compliment the RUSSELL 3V Vertical Stirred Mill Liner Handler. The RUSSELL 6V has been designed to service the new family of large Vertical Stirred Mills such as Metso’s VTM-3000-WB VERTIMILL. The company also offers RUSSELL Elevating Platforms which surround AG, SAG and ball mills, allowing mill relining crews to access much larger areas of grinding mill shell during knocking in and liner bolt fastening and retorquing without the need to remove safety locks and inch the mill. This innovation was developed through a constructive relationship between the Oyu Tolgoi mine, Kaltech USA Relining management and RME engineers. RUSSELL Elevating Platforms are now in service at Oyu Tolgoi and have proved a success. RME has additionally developed the RME Mill Reline Director, which is a software package aimed at defining the maximum grinding mill relining performance. The foundation of Mill Reline Director is a database, compiled

Comminuting your maintenance expenditure Köppern roller presses have been proven successful all over the world in plants for the energy-saving high pressure comminution of various ores and minerals like iron ore, copper, gold, molybdenum and diamonds, as well as cement clinker, limestone and blast furnace slag. For the comminution of abrasive materials a Köppernpatented wear protection of rollers is available. Köppern – Quality made in Germany. • • • •

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MARCH 2014 | International Mining 29

COMMINUTION_proof 28/02/2014 12:46 Page 7

COMMINUTION from data derived from video recording blows at one blow per second and has reduction of actual relines captured by RME’s been manufactured to replaces manual specialised reline cameras. The video capture sledgehammering. It is a useful tool in allows analysis of that actual reline which guides grinding mill relining as well as heavy future equipment and process changes. This vehicle maintenance. data adds to the database, constantly ME Elecmetal’s joint-venture ball increasing the accuracy of Mill Reline plant recently received its OHSAS Director for its other important use: 18001 certification, a UK Standard for aiding in the design of new mineral occupational health and safety concentrator grinding plants. In this management application, Mill Reline Director systems, can inform plant design and which means equipment selection, all that the ME assessed against rate of Long Teng return for each Grinding investment decision. Media The next 12 months (Changshu) Co will see the global Ltd plant, has rollout of RME accomplished Mill Reline a high level of Director safety controls which, in in the turn, will manufacturing of The new RME RUSSELL 6V has been designed liberate the full grinding balls. The to service the new family of large Vertical Stirred Mills such as Metso’s VTM-3000-WB performance potential of certification was VERTIMILL each and every RME Mill accredited by IQNET, Relining System delivered to date. an international network of certifiers that, since RME’s latest pneumatic recoilless hammer is its foundation in 1990, has remained the largest the THUNDERBOLT 250. The hammer weighs less and most comprehensive network of quality than 20 kg, and is designed to be easily handled certification bodies in the world. In the jointby two operators. It delivers recoilless 250 joule venture ball plant, located in Changshu, China,

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Brakes and maintenance Twiflex, which is part of the Heavy Duty Overrunning Clutch and Brake division of Altra Industrial Motion, supplies braking systems for both geared and gearless grinding mills. Twiflex told IM that their main focus over the last 12 months has been the development of a large mono spring (floating) spring applied, hydraulic release disc brake for the dual pinion direct drive geared mills. The result has been the introduction of the VMS-FL which is based on Twiflex’s popular VMS range commonly used on mine hoists. The VMS-FL has a braking force rating of 460 kN which assumes a coefficient of friction of 0.4 and 2 mm pad air gap, and the design incorporates Twiflex’s unique safety ‘parkoff’ feature meaning the brake can be adjusted so when depressurised there is zero stored energy for maximum safety. The VMS-FL is used in conjunction with a torque limiter fitted between the motor and gearbox. During maintenance when the motor is shut down and the torque limiter is disengaged, the brake is activated to hold the mill drive stationary and prevent the mill from moving due to the unbalanced load. The requirement of the brakes is to hold the mill charge at an angle of up to 45°.

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COMMINUTION_proof 25/02/2014 10:41 Page 8

COMMINUTION In normal operation, after the mill controller receives the stop command from the customer’s DCS it starts to ramp down the speed. When reaching zero speed the drive system slowly starts in the reverse direction to roll back the mill until zero torque is remaining in the system and the motor creates a positive torque to just hold the mill with the charge unbalanced. By slightly reducing the torque the direction of rotation is changed and the mill is gently rolled back until the charge is balanced. During a power failure the motors are disabled so the mill slows to a rocking mode due to the unbalanced charge. This is a critical condition whereby lubrication to the mill pad bearings is limited by the number of accumulators in the system. To prevent equipment damage the brake is used to provide a controlled stop (between 10 and 30 seconds). Twiflex and US distributors Hilliard have recently completed the installation on both geared and gearless mills at the Mount Milligan mine in British Columbia, Canada. The scope of supply for the 40 ft gearless SAG mill included two brake stations each with 3 off VMSDP brakes and a hydraulic power unit to provide controlled braking functions. For the two 24 ft dual pinion direct drive geared mills, Twiflex provided VKSDFL (floating) brakes on each mill to provide 454 kNm on the high speed shaft. The brakes act on a 1.778 m diameter disc fitted to a torque limiter. Steve Powell, Product Manager at Twiflex said: “The increase in the size of grinding mills has become a major challenge to the suppliers of drive chain components but particularly to brake manufacturers. A good example is Twiflex’s braking system on the 11.6 m gearless grinding mill at the Boliden Aitik copper mine in Northern Sweden which is required to produce a massive 38 MNm torque. The 8 off VMSDP dual piston spring applied hydraulic released brakes each weighing 1,850 kg act on a 13 m diameter flange and can stop the mill with a full process charge of 1,375 kg in less than two seconds.” Whilst the number of brakes and their size have increased to cope with the bigger mills the limiting factor is still the friction material. Twiflex have installed a dedicated test facility at their Bedford facility to investigate materials both for static and dynamic duty with this development in mind. Powell concluded by saying “Twiflex focus is on developing and introducing new products to the mining industry and the company have recently launched new spring applied, hydraulically released brakes (VBS, VCSD and VKSD large pad) for this market. We are currently working on low temperature versions of these brakes in addition to on-going product development and improvements. Our intention is to develop a larger VMSDP for gearless mills.” A number of mines globally protect their

grinding mills with Lubrication Engineers’ (LE) Pyroshield® open gear lubricant, described as “a long-lasting synthetic solution for high-load, heavy-shock applications.” Its high film strength allows Pyroshield to redistribute loads over the surface area of large open gears. The powerful formulation includes EP additives and Almasol, LE’s exclusive solid wear-reducing additive. The company states: “Converting mills to Pyroshield is a simple process for mines, with no production interruption. Pyroshield is also clear during use, so inspection of gears is easy.” Pyroshield lubricants can be used in automatic lubrication systems, which apply the lubricant to the bull or ring gear teeth at set intervals in metered amounts. Pyroshield lubricants will not clog the

lube system and there are no solids to block or abrade measuring valves. It also will not accumulate on nozzles, clog or otherwise interfere with the spraying process.

Comminution with pulse power Swiss company SELFRAG AG is known for its technology, centred on high voltage pulse power, that is aimed at “revolutionising the comminution process within the mining industry.” SELFRAG has already sold a number of batch units to institutes around the world, including the globally-renowned Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) in Australia, and is now in the process of developing an industrialised continuous system for mining applications.

MARCH 2014 | International Mining 31

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COMMINUTION

SELFRAG’s high voltage fragmentation is a comminution technique that uses electrical discharges to weaken and/or fragment rocks. Specialised high voltage generators are used to create very powerful underwater high voltage discharges, resulting in the formation of shockwaves that cause widespread fracturing inside the affected particle. Fracture patterns generated by high voltage breakage resemble those resulting from normal blasting, indicating that high voltage fragmentation can be thought of as a smaller-scale analogue of normal blasting using explosives. The company believes that the SELFRAG method has two major advantages over conventional comminution. Firstly, the interaction between minerals and the induced electrical and mechanical stress fields inside a rock matrix is highly selective. This makes SELFRAG’s high voltage fragmentation exceptional at liberating minerals – ores treated using between 1 and 10 kWh/t are generally liberated both coarser and more selectively. This has been shown to improve concentrate quality for nickel and copper ores. Alternatively, this improved liberation may be used to increase the grind size of an ore, which could represent a considerable energy saving. SELFRAG’s Lab system, sold to geology and mining institutes, has proven successful in liberating zircons and other minerals for dating of rocks. The second advantage is the ability to weaken rocks using small energy inputs; energy inputs of 1 to 4 kWh/t, have typically given weakening values of up to 160% and Bond work reductions in the range of approximately 5% to 20%. JKSimMet simulations have demonstrated that these strength reductions can result in significant overall energy savings. In the case of a SABC circuit with two ball mills (see above), power draw of the SAG mill was kept constant to produce a finer product from the weakened feed; this change in the circuit power balance was sufficient to allow shutdown of one of two ball

32 International Mining | MARCH 2014

mills, resulting in significant power savings as well as considerable reductions in other costs such as grinding media and liners (see diagram). “At SELFRAG we currently have a pilot plant capable of processing up to three tonnes per hour,” explains CEO, Frédéric von der Weid. “We have been using this plant for internal development, as well as processing of bulk samples for mining and exploration companies. In the last six months, third party projects have included platinum, copper/gold and silver applications. We have also already completed engineering work on a modular 10 t/h pilot unit; this modular design represents a scalable concept allowing for throughputs of 100 t/h or more to be reached.” SELFRAG also offers services in high voltage characterisation of ores to the mining industry. In addition to mining applications, SELFRAG is also actively developing exploration solutions for the diamond market, machines for the recycling of a wide variety of feedstocks, and units suitable for ultra-high purity fragmentation applications such as silicon rod crushing. SELFRAG’s batch lab unit is already installed in over 20 institutes around the globe, including in Australia, Japan, China, North America, and Brazil.

Mill girth gears Engineering group David Brown is a leading player in the design and manufacture of the large girth gears that drive large AG, SAG, ball and rod mills. IM spoke to Henk du Preez, Engineering Manager of David Brown South Africa, on the available technologies. Fabricated steel gears are becoming increasingly popular and represent a newer alternative to cast gear blanks, delivering the benefits of steel gears without some of the risks of casting steel. Fabrication allows the designer to use a more cost effective structural steel where the high hardness requirement is not necessary, with the structural strength of the structure being checked using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) modelling techniques. Girth gear design is stiffness limited and deflection should be controlled to ensure good load distribution over the tooth in contact. The high hardness requirement for the rim is necessary for tooth loads only. Stresses away from the tooth root and flanks are very low, making it possible to utilise normal structural steel for the gear structure. Proven forging practice and reduction ratios in excess of 6:1 are already extensively used for pinion shafts and gear wheels by David Brown,

Several technologies are available for the manufacture of girth gears for driving large mills

minimising the risk of defects. Reduction ratios in excess of 6:1 reduce segregation, eliminate centre line defects, refine grain structure and increase material toughness and integrity. Commercially proven alloys are used, giving minimum hardness values from 180 to 340 BHN, and much higher impact strengths, typically 35J, but can be as high as 90J. Du Preez comments: “Whereas some fabricated gears have been manufactured using cold formed ring segments for speed and low cost, David Brown utilises a unique hot forming process specifically developed for girth gears. This delivers greater material consistency and reduces residual stresses. Although fabricated gears are on the rise, cast steel is the traditional material used for girth gears and hardness ranges from 180 to 320 BHN. Although, there are risks associated with large steel castings, upgrading by means of welding prior to final machining eliminates the effect on the final product. Du Preez comments: “Proven David Brown procedures are used to ensure optimal quality and control any necessary upgrading. With mill power and size ever increasing, foundries have to produce larger castings with higher hardness. A higher hardness often means richer alloys, which can be more difficult to manufacture, however technologies such as liquid drenched castings, as used by David Brown enable higher hardnesses at optimum quality. Castings weighing over 20 t at a hardness of 320 BHN are now being produced for girth gears by specialist foundries.” Du Preez added that Spheroidal Graphite Iron (SGI) gears offer further material benefits when compared to cast steel girth gears. The material solidification properties allow easier casting, whilst a sound material choice enables shorter manufacturing processes and the delivery of a robust girth gear. A well designed and manufactured SGI girth gear will prove to be a reliable component in the mill drive system. SGI has a lower stiffness, meaning that the deflection under a given load is more than that for steel which improves load sharing across the face as well as between teeth. IM

Lubrication_January14_proof 19/12/2013 09:58 Page 1

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FRAGMENTATION Split-Desktop version 3.1.1 was released late last year. Split-Desktop refers to the "userassisted" version of the Split™ rock fragmentation measurement software. Digital images acquired in the field can be analysed on a laptop or at the office to determine the size distribution of fragmented rock at any stage in the process. The source of these images can be a muck pile, haul truck, leach pile, draw point, waste dump, stockpile, conveyor belt, or any other situation where clear images of rock fragments can be obtained. Within SplitDesktop, the images are manually scaled and edited for optimum accuracy

Rock breaking John Chadwick looks at ways to do it better and save crushing and grinding costs, and more an Smith, Managing Director and CEO of Orica Ltd addressed 500 guests at the Melbourne Celebrates Mining dinner at the end of October last year on the theme of innovation, noting that “65 to 80% of energy consumption in mining is consumed in processing while 20 to 35% is consumed in the actual mining itself. 98% of the energy used in comminution is lost as heat, noise and mechanical losses while only 2% is used in particle breakage. Extensive research by the industry has already identified the following methods for improvement: smart blasting, preconcentration and new grinding technology. “Chemical energy is about 25 times more effective than mechanical energy for breaking rock even though current explosives are still only 30 to 60% of their theoretical potential effectiveness for breaking and moving rock. This is an area Orica is working on through better formulation of explosives and improved application in the field.” Turning to ways that mining can be more

34 International Mining | MARCH 2014

efficient and even more socially responsible he used the example of a nonferrous open-pit metal mine. “Comminution accounts for 53% of the energy consumed on a typical metal mine site. Emissions from diesel and electricity are typically 29-32 kg of CO2e per tonne mined whereas emissions from explosives are 0.2 to 0.4. Electricity accounts for approximately 55% of this output in a typical open cut coal mine and 75 to 85% in a nonferrous metal mine. If you reduce the size of the feed material to the comminution circuit in a metal mine from 150 to 80 mm (F80) through using explosives more effectively you get about a 55% increase in throughput. This means you can increase your output without spending more

capital or you can reduce the energy consumption and emissions by around 30% for the tonnes mined. “If such an approach was applied around the world a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gases would be achieved without impacting our lifestyle. Energy efficient comminution strategies provide: 1. Improved overall environmental impact 2. Improved social license to operate 3. Improved outputs and earnings. “As we exhaust easily accessible high grade orebodies comminution efficiency will become increasingly important. Through the more effective use of the chemical energy in explosives we can mine more for less impact.”

Better blasting According to South Africa’s BME, open pit operators, unaware of the benefits of electronic blasting systems, are losing opportunities to reduce operating costs and simultaneously increase the efficiency of downstream crushing, screening and milling operations. Tinus Brits, Manager, AXXIS Detonator Technologies at BME, adds that opportunities to Aramine has a new ANFO charging pallet that is adaptable and offers five different tank capacities. The 250 litre tank has an empty weight of 220 kg; the 400 litre weighs 350 kg and the 570 litre, 500 kg. These pallets are easy to use, can be moved by forklift or crane and be made available quickly. There is an on-board, foldable platform for convenient tank filling. This unit is primarily designed for an operation where an ANFO Charging Truck is not available or as a backup in case of breakdown

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FRAGMENTATION

A typical result from an AXXIS blast – good fragmentation, even muckpile and effective throw

reduce emissions of carbon dioxide - the most common of greenhouse gases and a major contributor to global warming - are also being lost by open pit operators who continue to use older shock tube technologies in preference to electronic initiation systems. “Perceptions still exist that electronic initiation systems are more complicated and expensive to use than older technologies. The tendency amongst many operators is to directly compare costs between the two systems. As shock tube systems are cheaper than electronic systems, the assumption is made that the older technology is more cost effective. “The fact is that drilling and blasting costs in operations are transparent. This exposes drilling and blasting to become corporate targets for cost reduction. The activities become the focus area for cost-cutting and often, unwittingly, operators do more harm than good through taking actions that appear obvious. “No real consideration is given to benefits that accrue through increased production and throughput in the crushing, screening and milling operations where considerable savings can be achieved, and often become obvious after the first successful blast,” says Brits. “The benefits of electronic systems are huge,” says Brits adding that open pit operators who have moved over to the systems during the last two years have made considerable savings at their operations. “The primary benefit lies in the flexibility of electronic systems like BME’s AXXIS systems,” says Brits. “One item in the magazine can give any delay required - something that is impossible with shock tube. “The dramatic difference in accuracy between shock tube and electronic systems is not appreciated. Using the accuracy in welldesigned blast timing plan can dramatically transform operations. The accuracy allows for

36 International Mining | MARCH 2014

optimal interaction of the shock-waves between adjacent blastholes to enhance fragmentation. This is not possible with inaccurate initiation systems.” Programmability allows settings to be varied from zero to 10,000 milliseconds in 1 millisecond intervals. Blasts can therefore be modified to suit operator needs and the particular geology of an area. Electronic detonators do not suffer the problems of cut-offs that all older initiations systems have and “therefore allow for much larger blasts to be fired without risk of cut-offs and failures.” says Brits. Furthermore, two or more blasts can be fired next to each other because electronic initiation systems are impervious to rock from one blast site landing on another site. Two-way communications between the blasting box and detonators means that problems can be identified before a blast. Misfires can be prevented, as the system will identify where a possible failure will be and this can be corrected before the blast is fired. With older initiation systems, any damage to down lines will not be identified and the resulting misfires will only be discovered after digging into the muckpile has commenced. “To fully realise the potential of electronics, however, means looking beyond breaking rock at the face. Finer fragmentation in a blast means that more material passes through the crusher circuits, thus improving profitability, as more stone moves through the gate. Massive savings can be made on electricity costs at the crusher. Load and haul rates improve. Wear and tear on plant is reduced. Throughput in tons per hour increases and, as fragmentation is better, the risk of equipment breakdown is reduced.” The major, often unconsidered beneficiary of electronic initiation systems is the environment, says Brits. “The manufacture, transport and firing of 1 t of explosives will create about 4 t of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gasses. To load and haul the rock blasted by the 1 t of explosives will produce about 8 t of greenhouse gasses; to crush and process the same rock will

release about another 32 t into the atmosphere. “Effective breaking of rock during the drilling and explosive phases, will increase plant efficiency and significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions in the downstream processes.” Last year Dyno Nobel joint venture partner Buckley Powder Co conducted a Differential Energy™ blasting trial at a gold mine in the western US. The trial showed Differential Energy increased overall shovel productivity by 8%, reduced powder factor by 18%, eliminated the need to dewater wet drill holes and reduced all visible NOx after-blast fumes over traditional blasting methods. The trial was a major success; improving fragmentation, reducing fumes and increasing ore production. The customer will be implementing Dyno Nobel’s Differential Energy system throughout the mine site. To test the ability of the Dyno Nobel (DetNet South Africa) DigiShot® initiation system to deliver firing times that ensure independent detonation of the primary explosive at both ends of the column, a production blast was designed to test two techniques of initiation and determine the best method to use for fragmentation. One half of the blast was designed for both top and bottom primers to detonate simultaneously. The other half of the blast was programmed with a 25 ms delay between the bottom and top priming unit firing times. Observations of the blasted material after detonation showed a definite difference in overall fragmentation and oversize. The side of the blast with primers programmed to fire at the same time showed better fragmentation and reduced oversize. Mucking of the blasted material confirmed the initial observations made at the time of the blast event. The concept of multiple priming was originally introduced to blasting as a means of ensuring complete initiation of the explosive column in each blasthole. By using precise DigiShot detonators to instantaneously initiate firing multiple priming units or tracing the entire length of the explosive column with detonating cord, it was hoped that completed initiation of the column would enhance results. Another common technique calls for the placement of primers at opposite ends of each explosive column with a delay between primers to have bottom-hole initiation with a back-up primer for complete column detonation. Some blasters tried using identical delays for both priming units, but the inaccuracy of the traditional pyrotechnic detonator made the results inconclusive. By splitting the blast event in half and designing the primer firing sequence to have half the blast with instantaneous initiation and

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FRAGMENTATION half with a 25 ms delay between bottom and top primers, Dyno Nobel hoped to show the advantages of precision detonation and double priming each hole for instantaneous firing of both primer units. The basic firing time (both surface delay and blasthole) for the blast was determined by using Signature Hole Analysis (SHA) seismic modelling to reduce off-site impact on neighbouring properties. All holes were double primed with primers placed at opposite ends of the explosive columns. The use of multiple priming with electronic detonators can be an expensive proposition. The DigiShot system allows the blaster to confirm that each detonator is functioning before giving the firing command which may reduce the need to double prime to ensure that every explosive column will detonate. Theories regarding the use of multiple priming to enhance blast results have been hard to test with conventional detonators. With the precision of the DigiShot detonator, it is possible to prime each end of the explosive column and have independent detonation of each priming unit. This enhances explosive

“Aegis Designer represents a complete paradigm shift in underground blast design. This is exciting new technology that strongly compliments CAE’s Underground Planning Solutions” says Dylan Webb, Director of Marketing and Strategy at CAE Mining. CAE Mining is a global partner and distributor of iRing products

performance in the areas where it is most needed, at the floor and toward the collar. The collision of the two detonation fronts in the explosive column has been thought to aid fragmentation as well. While this has not been fully proven, the explosive column detonates in half of the normal time, allowing better energy release into the rock. The results of this test blast served to confirm

that multiple priming with electronic detonators can provide a fragmentation result that adds additional value to the use of electronic detonators. Down-stream production costs can be reduced and more than compensate for the cost of using multiple electronic detonators. iRing Inc. has released its new underground mining software solution, Aegis Designer. Aegis Designer is a powerful, standalone application that offers intelligent automatic ring generation, intuitive editing, effective pattern optimisation and advanced forecasting. Aegis Designer allows for the fast creation and editing of every aspect of ring design, including drilling, loading, priming, timing, slot design and more. It offers a flexible and effective reporting system, as well as direct communication with drills using the IREDES format, and helps planners go from design to production faster than before. “The mining industry is constantly evolving, and we believe that Aegis Designer is the next evolutionary step in blasting software. We’ve produced a software product that lets mining operations to get closer to turning underground

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FRAGMENTATION blasting operations into a precision manufacturing process. We see the ability to quickly design multiple scenarios and immediately compare forecasts as a total game changer,” said Mark Sherry, co-owner of iRing. Its automatic ring generation can lay out hundreds of holes in less than a second and powerful editing capabilities let mine planners get the exact designs they want in rapid time. The comprehensive template based reporting system allows for detailed metrics including fragmentation profiles, costs, tonnage, powder factor, etc. Quickly getting the correct design is facilitated by fast and flexible automatic ring generation. Planners can fine tune automatic rules on a per ring basis. Intuitive click and drag editing is combined with precise numerical editing. Aegis Designer allows better forecasting; predict break radii and fragmentation distributions; use drill, blast and recovery costs to determine production costs and predict relative profitability of a design. Users can quickly create and compare multiple plans to see the differences caused by small and major changes and se how changing financial realities will affect costs and revenues associated with drilling, blasting and recovery. Compare ‘asbuilt’ to planned scenarios, and see how deviations impact the bottom line. Maptek’s BlastLogic™ drill and blast management system harnesses under-used information to enhance dig rates and improve blast performance. Digging rates, toe and wall control and loss or dilution provide a good measure of blast performance. Aside from operator ability, material digability is the fundamental factor affecting production of excavators and shovels. A shovel productivity gain of more than 9% has been attributed to consistently easy digability, of which drill and blast is the key enabler. Geology and structure aligned with targeted blast objectives determine the drill and blast design. Many sites already implement quality checks on drilling and charge placement. However, efficient use of this data is restricted as it is often manually compiled into spreadsheets or tabular QA systems. The Maptek BlastLogic decision support system assists engineers to harness existing underutilised information to enhance dig rates. Identifying areas of a pattern that can lead to toe or oversize due to poor execution of drilling is difficult. Ambiguity associated with the actual placement of charge can result in sub-optimal dig rates. BlastLogic focuses on getting the fundamentals of drill and blast right every time. This leads to improvement on bench performance in critical areas like pattern preparation, hole depth variation, charging and stemming compliance.

38 International Mining | MARCH 2014

Blast management Of course it is essential to monitor and check successful fragmentation is being achieved. Dyno Nobel uses WipWare’s blast fragmentation analysis software as a value-added tool to enhance customer service. The Reflex technology can be used to confirm and accurately benchmark blast fragmentation. As WipWare notes, “blast optimisation is different in every situation and with every rock type. Using WipWare’s Reflex and downstream Momentum technology blast experts can quantify and optimise their blasts for the lowest cost and maximum production. “It is not unreasonable to project that WipWare’s blast fragmentation technology saves the mining and aggregate industry millions of dollars in energy consumption and other related costs while optimising productivity and efficiencies.” Some of Vale’s Sudbury (Canada) mines use WipWare’s portable Solo technology to analyse particle data in various aspects of the mining processes. Mine personnel use it to analyse particle data for various lengths of time. The portability of the unit allows them to identify where the mine’s challenges are with respect to improving uniformity in particle sizes and allows them to collect historical data in various mine locations. With this information, the opportunity exists to optimise particle uniformity and identify where best to use WipWare’s Momentum technology. At the 4th Annual WipWare Training Seminar on blasting optimisation in 2013 (a three-day event) international blasting experts Jack Eloranta of Eloranta & Associates (a regular contributor to this article in the past) and Takis Katsabanis of Queen’s University shared their extensive knowledge and experience with the gathering and related real-world examples of blast optimisation successes. Although the focus was primarily on blasting and explosives, the organisers said that a number of attendees from the mineral processing side of the industry had come away from the seminar “with a new understanding of the links between blasting and milling relating to mine to mill optimisation.” Seminar participants received hands-on training with WipWare’s WipFrag and Delta software packages and an overview of the company’s Momentum, Reflex and Solo automated systems. The hands-on sessions were extremely well-received by all participants, according to the organisers. Momentum is a fully automated analysis system for measuring the size distribution of unconsolidated material on multiple conveyor belts in real time without disrupting production. This technology is highly configurable and performs well in harsh industrial environments for process automation and historical reference.

WipWare algorithms along with the latest computers allow for its systems to analyse up to four images per second. Reflex is an automated real-time fragmentation analysis system designed to measure particle fragmentation on moving load/haul and LHD vehicles without disrupting production. Blast Movement Technologies’ BMM System has been designed for routine use by site personnel. The general concept is that remotely locatable targets (BMMs) are installed near the valuable mineral. They are located after the blast, allowing the production team to know exactly where the ore and waste is so they can be separated and sent to appropriate locations – improving mine reconciliation (IM, September 2011, p32). BMT says “this technology enables a genuine step-change in ore control and is generating significant interest from some of the world’s largest mining companies. The BMM System is the first practical method to accurately measure 3D blast movement and therefore improve ore loss and dilution and reconciliation. The system is an integrated set of hardware, software and support. The main components are BMMs, Activator, Detector and BMM Assistant software. Paul Adams of Canada’s Porcupine Joint Venture states: “[because we] can now predict ore movement much more accurately, both dilution and ore loss have decreased significantly, and profits are up.” UK-based Blue Dog Scientific, run by Dr Gary Sharpe, has developed a drill and blast system which he says can significantly cut costs and increase production rates. The basic focus is to scientifically engineer and design tailored solutions which minimise wasted explosive energy but maximise outcomes. This includes directional blasting and borehole partitioning, exploiting simple and easy to implement techniques to ensure the explosive energy is directed in the optimal way into rock breaking and rock movement and providing rapid blasthole loading systems and charge decoupling systems. The approach, according to Sharpe, prevents sending shock waves out equally in all directions, which is both wasteful and potentially damaging; and prevents explosives gas acting and escaping equally in all directions, which is wasteful and potentially detrimental. Explosive enhancement engineering exploits rock breaking geometrics, shaped charge effects and shock wave interactions to: I Very significantly increase the explosive’s rock blasting power I Reduce fumes and other negative outcomes of commercial explosives I Provide robust, cheaper and safer explosive initiation and attenuation systems

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FRAGMENTATION I Allow much lower amounts of explosives to be used per blasthole I Ameliorate the need for costly and sensitive priming systems and boosters I Improve both rock fragmentation and its control I Reduce misfires or leftover explosives, improving safety. Borehole pre-conditioning is also being explored, where the top and the bottom of blastholes receive small modifications, by explosive or mechanical means, to improve results and enable significant reductions in stemming and sub-drilling blastholes. It aims to reduce explosive costs and loading times; minimise costs and stoppage times associated with problems such as back-break, vibration, air blasts, fly-rock, fines and damage to commodities; minimise pollution (fumes); maximise rock fragmentation and rock movement; and increase safety and reduce damage caused by accidental blasts. Sharpe says: "Rock and explosives science states that enormous efficiency gains are achievable, simply by employing commercial explosives much more effectively and by ensuring blasting design is mine and rock specific. This systematic engineering approach is a set of simple techniques and methods which can potentially significantly reduce costs, while simultaneously increasing returns and productivity. The approach is based on the fundamental principles of how explosives systems and rock mechanics work together and on decades of applied R&D in this area...when these systems are applied and integrated together, the opportunities for increasing mining profitability become staggeringly large, because the knock-on effects are cumulative - less energy consumption, less machine wear and tear, less ore dilution, faster and cheaper extraction of commodities from blasted rock, faster turn around times." Blue Dog is also giving attention to dynamic rock processing, in which small amounts of commercial explosive might be used on already blasted rock to release commodities, either as an alternative or to assist mechanical crushing and milling. In November 2013, Blue Dog also commenced a collaborative service agreement with BME Mining in South Africa, whereby Blue Dog is to provide “significant modelling and knowledge expertise support”, working with Tony Rorke, BME's Blasting Technology Director, across a range of technical projects. Blue Dog Scientific is developing new generation propellant technologies with partners worldwide. Propellant technologies does not refer to using propellants as direct replacements for explosives, as has been tried in the past, but

40 International Mining | MARCH 2014

MOBA’s MDS-2000 drilling management and control system

employing propellants as the power source in revolutionary technological rock breaking “engines. The technologies Blue Dog Scientific has already developed with partners are incredibly powerful, with demonstrated results. These, says Sharp, are “revolutionising rock blasting and rock breaking.” These propellant technologies are incredibly safe. They do not explode until confined and do not require detonators. They have stand-off distances of just meters from the blast and are engineered not to produce fly rock. They also ameliorate many of the problems directly caused by explosives: I They do not produce shock waves which can cause hidden damage I Produce minimal vibrations and fumes I They result in minimal "fines" (dust). Sharp believes that “propellant technologies are definitely the future for a number of underground mining activities. “However, what is often missed is that the pressures and burning rates they produce are a far better match to the breakage and damage mechanisms of rock than explosives ever can be: I Rock is a relatively weak material with compressive strengths in the 100 MPa range I Rock has tensile strengths a tenth of compressive strength in the 10 MPa range this is all that is required to break rock effectively I Cracks propagate and develop relatively slowly in rock I Explosives generate pressures three orders of magnitude larger than the rocks’ strength, in the 10 GPa range - this is not only wasteful but highly detrimental I Explosives apply pressure so suddenly to the rock, that under these extreme dynamical conditions, the rock actually becomes ten times stronger - this is counter productive

I Different rock types and conditions require completely different explosive products I Explosives tend to cause extensive and unnecessary micro-damage around boreholes I Propellant technologies apply pressures which are commensurate with the rock strengths and apply it in a sustained and steady way until the rock breaks I Propellant technologies can very easily be tuned to any specific rock and conditions I Propellant technologies work best by keeping the charge weight as low as possible - this also prevents micro-damage. “This is why we are breaking concrete with just a spoonful of propellant in the engine and blasting significant amounts of rock with just tens of grams of powder per hole."

Better drilling A new version of the MDS-2000 drilling management and control system from MOBA launched last year has new features meaning it can now be used to record the orientation of the machine with GNSS antennae and the height by means of laser reference. With telesupport, MOBA also offers fast service via internet connection. By recording the machine orientation using two GNSS antennae, the torsion on the machine can be determined with very high accuracy and included in the calculation of the drilling angle. This simplifies and speeds up drill-hole planning. The orientation can also be determined without problems during bad weather conditions and in darkness. Another new feature is the height detection of the mount by means of laser reference. The drill holes can thereby be drilled to exactly same depth, even if the ground is uneven. The MDS-2000 determines and stores drilling angle, depth, time, GPS position and motor data of the drilling device. The system uses this

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FRAGMENTATION information for efficient application and drill-hole planning. All data can be viewed at any time and from anywhere via a web interface by means of telematics. In addition, the system now also records and stores drill-head data such as torque, driving force and contact pressure. With this information, the drilling speed can be optimised and wear minimised. CRCMining is developing a ground-breaking high-pressure water jet system to improve blasthole drilling performance. This should significantly boost penetration rates while slashing drilling costs per metre. The system uses a high-pressure water jet incorporated into a tricone drill bit. The water jet acts to cut a groove in the base of the hole ahead of the mechanical action of the bit, enabling the rock to fracture more easily along the groove. When the water jet groove is cut near the perimeter of the hole, the drill bit is able to advance more rapidly, with significantly less pull-down pressure. Dihon Tadic, CRCMining’s Hard Rock and Surface Mining Program Leader, believes there is significant opportunity for this technology. “Preliminary test results in several rock types are very encouraging,” said Tadic. “Clever integration of the water jet assisted blast hole drilling technology with existing drilling equipment will significantly improve drill performance and reduce total drilling costs.” Extensive research, development and testing using CRCMining’s full-scale laboratory blasthole drill has demonstrated significant performance gains in various rock types. Drilling rates in hard rock such as granite were improved by 35%. Drilling rates in sandstone were improved by over 100%, with drastically reduced pull-down force. Preliminary modelling indicates that a commercial system may deliver a 20% reduction in $/m drill costs. “This technology is a potential game-changer for some drilling processes,” Tadic said. “Single-

CRCMining’s pulsed water jet system also has potential application to remote operation and non-entry automated mining operations for improved safety and productivity

pass, surface blasthole drilling is the primary target, with the performance benefits offering reduced fleet sizes through productivity improvement. Also, there is added flexibility with hole sizes able to be increased – or smaller rigs utilised – due to the lower pull-down force requirements compared to conventional drilling.” CRCMining is looking to demonstrate this technology in a mine production environment in collaboration with a suitable OEM partner. CRCMining has also developed an innovative pulsed water jet system for rapid breakage of oversize rocks at drawpoints, ore-passes and sizers, to reduce bottlenecks in material loading, transport and processing. “CRCMining’s pioneering rock breakage technology employs a pulsed high-pressure water jet system to rapidly fracture hard rock boulders”, explained Tadic. “Extensive research and development has demonstrated extremely

rapid, simple and effective rock breaking capability, which importantly requires no predrilling or other rock preparation. The technology will provide the mining industry a faster and more practical solution that will significantly reduce the delays and cost of secondary breakage.” “This system has been developed in a collaborative project at CRCMining for application to oversize material at drawpoints of caving operations. The core technology has application to other rock breakage requirements including size reduction at ore-passes and sizers, and is envisaged to play a key role in processing oversize in-pit material in continuous mining and haulage systems.”

Uphole explosives delivery truck Global explosives major MAXAM has been developing Mobile Explosives Manufacturing Unit

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FRAGMENTATION

(MEMU) trucks for both open pit and underground mining projects for a number of years. However, underground projects require very specific solutions for each particular mine case, and the nature of work always requires very robust equipment, both in terms of technology and reliability. The development of a new Up Hole (UH) explosives delivery truck was aimed at achieving a new design which could not only perform reliably in underground environments, but could also accommodate all the necessary equipment for the operation, making the unit self-contained. MAXAM worked together with Getman on the project, giving it access to

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Getman’s 50 plus years of experience in the construction of equipment for underground work. The co-operation during the design and construction phase of the UH truck is described by both companies as “very fluent, and indeed and important factor in the success of the project.” The UH is a mobile underground bulk explosives delivery truck that has been specially designed to load up holes. It is self-contained and independent from other underground mining equipment, which can help to shorten mining cycles. It is capable of charging full rings and up holes safely and efficiently. The hose is positioned by a hose pusher and hose retraction is automatic and electronically controlled. The unit can deliver a wide range of densities with full control, which permits accurate loading, full monitoring and detailed reporting. The explosives are transported and handled as a nonsensitised matrix suspension, classified as an oxidiser 5.1 material. The hopper has a capacity

of 5,000 kg of matrix, and density can be adjusted to suit blasting requirements. The UH can load up to 50 m long up holes and down holes with a delivery rate of up to 70 kg/min. Remote charging provides faster charging rates and increased safety while a “reliable, low maintenance system reduces downtime.” The quantity loaded is customised for each blast hole and the material sensitised only after loading into the blast hole. The UH is capable of pumping both of the main MAXAM bulk emulsion products – Riomex and Rioflex. Riomex UP is the MAXAM emulsion product especially developed for up hole applications. This product is a gassed emulsion suitable for use in up holes of up to 50 m long and 102 mm diameter with minimised waste or reloading. This product can sleep up to a week, which allows mines to schedule blasts according to production requirements. Rioflex UP is more energetic than the emulsion and can be delivered with a wider range of densities (0.61.3). Rioflex can be used in all underground blasting applications , including development, shaft sinking and up holes. It can be used in production holes with a high density and in contour holes with a low density. This can reduce the amount of drilling required while improving wall control. To ensure safe operation the UH series has also been equipped with a full range of safety devices such as electronically controlled safety

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FRAGMENTATION parameters; pumping line pressure sensor; burst disk in pumping line; pressure relief valves in all lines; pumping line flow sensor; and pumping line temperature sensor. It also features timeout trips, emergency stop buttons, a fire suppression system, flowmeter in all lines, tank level sensor, and pressure relief valves in all tanks. The UH series is also capable of loading explosives with different densities from hole to hole â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for example, it is possible to protect the hanging wall using low density product in the perimeter holes and then use a high density product in the production holes, thus achieving optimum fragmentation and reduced dilution.

AEL improves blasting at Letseng The Letseng diamond mine, situated in the heart of the Maloti Mountain Range in Lesotho, is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest diamond mine peaking at 3,100 m above sea level. LetĹĄseng is owned by the Lesotho Government in conjunction with Gem Diamonds and is well recognised for producing some of the highest value per carat stones. Excessive damage to diamonds during the mining and beneficiation process results in the operation losing substantial revenue. This motivated the mine to request AEL Mining Services to extend blasting trials by an additional six months in order to further measure improvements in damage to diamonds. This challenge presented an opportunity for AEL to demonstrate their

W E

mining expertise, and to showcase their electronic initiating systems with the benefit of improved fragmentation uniformity, improved muckpile control, and further downstream beneficiation benefits. The initial electronic blast was carried out on October 20, 2013 based on the current bench design parameters from Letseng. The mine requested the use of a V2 chevron; however, after a calculated evaluation of the bench width, the requested blast delay design was changed to have a more optimal muckpile configuration The ore bench required minimal material movement into the bottom of the pit after blasting, as this would otherwise comprise the design life of the slope catchment berms, which is a safety concern when it comes to falls of ground, as well as loss of ore tons and delays in production. The added technical challenge was a requirement from the client to blast a ramp in conjunction with the main blast, and subsequently, the material on the ramp to be left in-situ. The use of the software Viewshot allowed for flexibility in the timing design, and the blasting team could simulate different scenarios in order

C O N V E Y

to find the optimal timing solution. The design was then transferred to the control equipment for the Digishot Plus detonators. A proficient understanding and manipulation of the timing chevron resulted in the key objective being met resulting in a blasting solution fit for purpose. The end result: â&#x20AC;&#x153;a perfectly controlled muckpile profile with minimal material thrown to the pit bottom, and an improved uniformity in fragmentation for optimal beneficiation processes - exactly as the customer requested.â&#x20AC;? The subsequent blast was custom designed to incorporate the new design parameters, based on invaluable lessons gained from the first blast. Improvements were made on the desired fragmentation size, and a marked time and cost saving advantage was seen by the mine in terms of load and haul efficiencies. IM

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PROCESS DESIGN AND MONITORING

A procession of ideas

The new Emerson iOps Centre in Austin, Texas

The design, monitoring and automation of mines and mineral processing facilities is a specialist area, and one that brings together state of the art technology providers, consultants, equipment OEMs and engineering firms. Paul Moore reports on new developments oday there are host of challenges facing mine operators: the decision of whether or not to invest in operations in a climate of economic uncertainty; trying to justify much needed upgrades to facilities, infrastructure that has become outdated and unreliable; and volatile energy prices and rising costs of maintaining legacy systems are making profitability hard to predict. Schneider Electric considers the trends of big data and modernisation emerging within the mining segment as ways to address some of the challenges. Big Data for Mining is Schneider Electric's philosophy towards implementing big data across mining operations, emphasising the importance of integration across domains, open architectures and energy management within mine sites. Big data extracts value by layering process analytics onto existing embedded capabilities to identify abnormalities and pinpoint waste, allowing mining managers to reduce operational costs by performing targeted, proactive maintenance and upgrades. Intelligent Modernisation for Mining is the approach Schneider Electric takes when consulting with mining customers on their modernisation strategies, focusing on creating efficiency through operations and distribution that use less energy, increase productivity, reduce maintenance costs and increase cost effectiveness. Intelligent modernisation focuses on ensuring that capital investments are offset by an increase in efficiency to streamline operations to keep costs low. IM spoke with Greg Magdanz, Director of the Mining, Minerals and Metals Competency Centre

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at Schneider Electric, about opportunities that big data and modernisation present for the mining industry. He highlights skill shortages, rising energy costs and the challenge of ever stricter regulations as drivers for greater modernisation and streamlining in mining. “We are optimising customer operations by enhancing the visibility of information that is already there and integrating it into one system – thereby hugely increasing accessibility and simplicity. Currently a lot of the information relating to equipment performance in mining and minerals processing is scattered; and could be employed to increase efficiencies. This could involve better use of energy, and diverting unused energy to other parts of the process. Integration will also remove the need to have people on the ground conducting video surveillance. Mines and processing plants could even integrate weather prediction technology into their management systems.” Schneider says it means starting from the ground up. As an example, its EcoStruxture process integration architecture is designed to help mining and other companies trying to cut their utility bills manage energy usage and uses data right from sensors on any equipment using power. All data and information on equipment performance will be transferred to an open network and managed by Schneider software, before giving the mine management a comprehensive view of assets in real time, including graphical and diagrammatical representation of performance, helping companies make decisions to achieve better utilisation.

Schneider has a range of offerings for the mining and mineral process industry. Process efficiency is the foundation of improving plant operational performance including timely decisions that reduce production waste, and intelligent data that help mines capture process events, quantify their impact, and diagnose their root causes. StruxureWare Plant Operation Ampla offers a complete set of tools to help mines achieve this, with 11 modules focusing on specific process areas: Ampla Downtime, Ampla Production, Ampla Energy, Ampla Metrics, Ampla Inventory, Ampla Quality, Ampla Planner, Ampla Recipe, Ampla Knowledge, Ampla Maintenance and Ampla Cost. StruxureWare Plant Operation Ampla is now part of the StruxureWare software applications and suites. StruxureWare is the brand name identifying Schneider Electric’s various software applications and suites to drive business performance while conserving enterprise resources. The StruxureWare software suite is organised within a framework of three levels: Control, Operations and Enterprise. Leading global mining and manufacturing organisations use Ampla as their Manufacturing Execution System to drive efficiency. Ampla’s mining specific functionality supports deployment throughout a mine operation from extraction, smelters and furnaces and onto storage and transportation. StruxureWare Plant Operation is an operations management software solution used to identify and improve plant effectiveness. It helps organisations improve their competitiveness by reducing costs, increasing operational efficiencies, reducing losses, and optimising energy consumption. Acquisitions have also been key to the mining offering. With the incorporation of Citect, Schneider now offers Vijeo Citect, the operating and monitoring component of PlantStruxure, the new Process Automation System from Schneider Electric. With its powerful visualisation capabilities and operational features, it delivers actionable insight faster, enabling operators to respond quickly to process disturbances and, thereby, increase their effectiveness. Vijeo Historian is the information management component of PlantStruxure. It comprises the historian and portal functionalities of the solution, enabling the customer to accurately store data while connecting their production and business systems through its active data transfers and simple, easy-to-use reporting. CitectSCADA is a reliable, flexible and high performance system for any industrial automation monitoring and control application. It delivers actionable insight faster, enabling operators to respond quickly to process disturbances for increased efficiency.

One Source for complete concentrators FLSmidth is more than just an equipment supplier, we are a solutions provider. Through our extensive global leading equipment lines, we offer the full flowsheet for complete concentrators. Through the integration of a comprehensive line of FLSmidth resources, we will work together as your One Source to develop your project while shortening your project schedule, reducing CAPEX and optimizing OPEX. FLSmidth integrates metallurgical testing, ore characterization, process development, detailed design engineering, global procurement, expert process control and localized services to ensure fully customized solutions for our clients. Along with equipment, FLSmidth provides the support you need to be sure that your plant gets up and running quickly and stays maintained for maximum performance. For more information, visit us at: www.flsmidth.com

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Schneider Electric argues that the increased ability to add more low cost sensors and more systems will need to be associated to the ability to deal with it and drive smart decisions. But the quantity of the information needs to be aligned with the quality of information Switch2Citect is a conversion tool that allows customers to simply and reliably upgrade legacy control systems to CitectSCADA. This reduces Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by minimsing conversion and ongoing maintenance costs. It also provides opportunities to take advantage of the latest technologies to improve plant productivity. Most recently, in January this year, Schneider Electric’s acquisition of Invensys was completed. This acquisition sees two of the leading players in the industrial market join forces to create a more global, innovative, technology company with a strong position in integrated industrial automation, software and energy management. Invensys in the mineral processing industry is primarily known for its Foxboro and Wonderware offerings. Wonderware provides real-time production and performance information and facilitates the more effective use of plant information, giving more refined performance indicators and better optimisation of plant operations leading to improved allocation of resources. It has been installed at Debswana’s diamond mining operations in Botswana amongst other customers. The Foxboro PAC (Programmable Automation Control) system is a high-performance automation controller solution integrated within the Wonderware System Platform using ArchestrA technology. The next-generation Foxboro Evo process automation system has evolved directly from Invensys’ industry-leading technology, entrusted to control and protect some of the world's largest, most complex process facilities. The system extends the company’s pioneering Foxboro I/A Series control system, which is known for its reliability and future-proof architecture; integrates its world-leading Triconex safety system; and provides a component object-based engineering environment. The Foxboro Evo system makes it

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easier for users to incorporate and run the operations management and productivity applications. The Foxboro PAC hardware marries high performance, reliability and high I/O density with cost-effective redundancy options. The process modules and I/O system form the basis of a complete distributed control and recording environment capable of continuous analogue, logic, and sequential control combined with secure data recording at point-of-measurement; all designed to maximise return on investment (ROI).

Modularisation With shrinking profit margins and increasing costs worldwide, companies in the mining industry are having to change their mindsets to survive. Appropriate Process Technologies (APT) believes it is helping to make this possible by providing the appropriately selected modular plants to process various minerals in a variety of orebodies. The company philosophy is to minimise start-up costs and plant installation times, as well as lowering the energy requirements and environmental impact Because of the modular design in various sizes, a project can start small and then be upgraded by having extra modules added – this means that a company can plan its capital expenditure over the life of a project without having to outlay the entire amount up front. This approach has been implemented in various ways. Some companies have chosen to start with a smaller size plant, and then once revenue has been internally generated, the next size plant is installed. Alternatively, a client starts with lower recovery plants (such as alluvial or hard rock machines) and then adds the sequential units to increase recovery percentage (crushing, milling and cyanidation). This results in internal generation of revenue and minimises equity and/or borrowing costs. APT’s Business Development Engineer, Gary McFarlane says that APT prefers to have personal interaction with clients in order to establish the best mining plants/modules for each specific project. “With our added services such as testwork programmes Graphic showing capital cost reduction with use of APT modular plant approach

and financial models, we can advocate recovery percentages with predicted cash flow returns and payoff periods. This puts into perspective whether such a plant will be economical at various processed tonnages and recoveries. We can go to the high 90’s percentile recovery range out of the gate, but this capital expenditure is often unwarranted on a fresh ore type. This phased approach also allows our clients to gain confidence in the orebody, then implement the next stage.” APT has designed a range of plants from 1.5 t/h through to 250 t/h, thus allowing a mine of any size or speciality to get started. APT’s delivery lead times for the <3t/h plant range is less than six weeks and the largest plants are less than 22 weeks, thereby materially reducing conventional lead-times; enabling earlier generation of revenue. McFarlane also stated how he sees the mining sector was changing. “With the drastic decrease in market capital and shedding of assets from the large players in the industry, we have seen a massive movement to the smaller plant ranges of up to 20 t/h. The projects are still there, but with the scarce availability of capital for projects that are not of ultra high grade, projects are forced to shift to this staged development approach.” Another concept of the APT design that makes it so attractive is the “complete package approach” of the plants. All plants larger than 10 t/h are installed and commissioned by APT, everything right down to a gold smelting room and a kitchen sink are provided. The training of the mine personnel follows the installation and then the plant is handed over. This takes the responsibility off of the mine owner, and provides a plant that will operate in any environment, irrespective of location. “The entire plant is pre-assembled in our assembly works in Johannesburg, then after the dry run, the plants are coded, packed, and shipped. We do all of the processing plant, nothing is left to the client, this way we know the plant will perform as promised. It is a complete solutions package.”

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PROCESS DESIGN AND MONITORING Flexibility of process contract types FLSmidth is one of the few companies in the minerals industry that can offer customers a total package for plant design, engineering, procurement, commissioning and start-up for complete concentrator plants. After many years of acquisitions and combining the best talent from a number equipment and technology companies, FLSmidth’s says its “global strength enables the company to provide expertise, technologies, and resources to engineer and build complete systems, whether for a complete concentrator plant with a global performance guarantee or simply single pieces of equipment, and everything in between.” Traditional project execution involves bidding out individual products. Although this is always an option for its customers where FLSmidth will bid during the basic and detailed engineering phases of plant development, FLSmidth has built upon how their equipment is traditionally supplied. They also offer the unique benefit of a range of packaging options under different contracting models that can save customers time and money, while providing a more robust solution. Each of FLSmidth’s contract models offers different strategies and benefits to a project, and all are effective in today’s dynamic market. The company says it offers unique advantages of expertise and value, providing solutions with proven equipment and leading technologies.

The FLSmidth Engineering, Procurement, & Services or EPS model is the complete solution for the supply of concentrators. This process can start with metallurgical testing and ore characterisation which is carried out at new state-of-the-art laboratories located in the Minerals Testing and Research Centre in Salt Lake City. These facilities work closely with customers to receive ore samples that are studied, characterised and tested to provide the best total optimised flowsheet solutions. With lower ore grades, harder, deeper and more complex ores, it is becoming more and more essential to offer mining companies the right mineralogy, answers, process know-how, equipment and services for optimising plant design. FLSmidth argues that companies that only provide some of these services don’t have the ability to offer all of the synergies that are realised when making all these testing, equipment and process solutions available from one source. With the FLSmidth EPS model, a mining company can take full advantage of the unique orebodies they are dealing with by best understanding what equipment they can use to get the most out of their investment. FLSmidth has a broad base of equipment options that are recommended and supplied based on the results surrounding the mineralogy. The company can then provide expert services through start-up and

all of the engineering and products in between. “This model offers the most comprehensive performance guarantee available and mitigates many of the risks involved with a large project that would normally be sourced from many unrelated suppliers.” Recent EPS projects include partial EPS Supply of a 40,000 t/d copper concentrator; partial EPS Supply of an 18,000 t/d phosphate concentrator; and EPS supply of a 2 Mt/y gold concentrator; 15,000 t/d copper concentrator; and 4 Mt/y TPA iron concentrator. The reality is, however, that for strategic and other reasons, mines often choose to source services and equipment through various companies. With competitive bidding, working through large engineering firms and the globalisation of supply chains, FLSmidth says it needs to “remain flexible to offer the mining industry any combination of equipment that may be needed for specific applications.” With the Process Island option, FLSmidth provides complete sub-sections of the concentrator plant that the customer’s engineering firm can place into the overall layout. To qualify as a Process Island, there must be some component of engineering added to the equipment. A Process Island would involve putting a number of distinct technologies together to operate as a unit process. The engineering involved in this would typically be

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PROCESS DESIGN AND MONITORING process and technology related and could involve wrap around guarantees. An example of a Process Island would be a Comminution Island (crushers, mills, cyclones, and pumps), Grinding Island (crushers and material handling), Dewatering Island (thickeners and filtration). A combination would be to provide the combined technologies along with structural support. Each process island package comes with FLSmidth’s performance guarantee within the island battery limits. This approach saves time and money and simplifies the overall project execution. Finally, the Bundled Products contract model allows customers to purchase multiple pieces of FLSmidth’s brand name equipment under a single supply contract. The benefit of this is that the customer can typically get a slightly lower capital cost (due to volume pricing or discounting) plus the customer can reduce procurement and engineering costs by working with a fewer number of suppliers. All equipment comes with FLSmidth’s standard mechanical warranty.

Advanced optimisation Yokogawa, known for its CENTUM DCS systems in mining, has supplied control systems to a number of major operations. The KCGM Fimiston gold plant had long relied on a CENTUM CS distributed control system (DCS), and experienced no major failures while it was in use. In 2009, KCGM decided to replace this legacy system with Yokogawa’s latest DCS, CENTUM VP. Yokogawa Australia successfully installed this new system and it has operated with no major problems since the completion of this project in late 2009. This commenced with the migration of the human machine interface (HMI) from a CENTUM CS Unix based system to a CENTUM VP Windows based system. The legacy information control stations (ICS) were removed and replaced with new HMI stations and large screens. The control room has eight, 50 in wall-mounted screens and each HMI station has four monitors. The CENTUM VP displays have an entirely new look & feel and the new ergonomically designed HMI stations provide access to significantly more operation data and are easier to operate. In April 2014, Yokogawa will begin offering new solutions for optimising plant operations in mining and other industries. These solutions will be provided as part of Yokogawa’s VigilantPlant Services suite to support safe, stable, and highly efficient plant operations. The technology underlying these solutions is Yokogawa’s newly developed MIRROR PLANT online simulator. The MIRROR PLANT simulator can visualise the internal state of a plant process and make nearterm predictions on plant behaviour. An industry first, this simulator operates in synchronisation with the plant control system and features the good performance required in commercial plants.

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In recent years, there has been increasing focus on improving plant safety and strengthening competitiveness by making plants more efficient. For example, in the chemical industry, plant operators need, in real time, to manage or adjust the state of catalysts and the composition of the reagents and product materials in a chemical reactor, to optimise both plant productivity and product quality. However, many of the process variables are difficult to measure or cannot be measured directly. Based on actual process information such as flow rate, temperature, and pressure, simulation technology can make predictions on items that cannot be measured in real time: for example, the amount of each component in a product, and thus simulate the state of a plant. By means of high-speed calculations, the simulator can make near-term predictions on the state of a plant. Operators can then anticipate events and take action earlier to ensure safe operation. Yokogawa and its subsidiary, Omega Simulation, jointly developed the MIRROR PLANT online plant simulator. It operates in synchronisation with the plant control system and constantly updates a process model. Based on this simulator, Yokogawa will offer support solutions that help its customers optimise their plant operations. The MIRROR PLANT simulator operates in synchronisation with the plant control system. Based on real-time manufacturing process information and using a proprietary function for adjusting model parameters, MIRROR PLANT precisely simulates the state of a plant. By using plant models, MIRROR PLANT visualises the current state of the plant, the state of the plant up to several hours in the future, and the state at plant locations where it is not possible to measure temperature or pressure. It then displays these results on screen at a CENTUM VP integrated production control system operator terminal or at a standard PC. MIRROR PLANT also has an alarm function that can alert operators to potential problems. As such, the MIRROR PLANT solution can help Yokogawa’s customers operate their plants safely and efficiently while maintaining product quality. Emerson Process Management recently introduced its Integrated Operations Initiative to address customers’ needs for streamlined decision-making, easily accessible expertise and the safe, collaborative collocation of essential personnel. “Running safe, profitable production operations is becoming increasingly challenging in the locations our customers are working in,” said Peter Zornio, Chief Strategic Officer of Emerson Process Management. To overcome these challenges and improve operational effectiveness, manufacturers are turning to a new model called Integrated Operations (iOps). While implementations vary, key ingredients include: collocation of

cross-functional teams in more desirable locales, collaboration tools like video conferencing and other applications, real-time access to process and asset data and streamlined decision making workflows. The mining and minerals industry could be a key user of the new systems. To accelerate industry realisation of the benefits iOps can provide, Emerson has developed three distinctive offerings in its Integrated Operations Initiative: the industry’s most comprehensive and scalable automation architecture; a real-world lab to experience Integrated Operations, called the iOps Centre; and consulting services to help customers envision, plan and execute their own iOps strategy. Emerson states: “Real-time access to essential information is fundamental to iOps and has been a core focus within Emerson for decades. Emerson’s innovation in key technologies is unmatched: the world’s first fully digital plant architecture, the first fully digital safety system, the most robust wireless technology portfolio, remote/low-power field communications, the industry’s broadest offering of diagnostics-based ‘pervasive sensing’ instruments, and monitoring applications to convert this data into actionable information. Each of these innovations is foundational to the Integrated Operations model as they provide real-time insight to actual conditions, giving personnel the confidence to make better decisions.” “Customers have steadily seen operational improvement for years by deploying smart automation technologies that provide them more data – more visibility – into what’s really happening,” said Jim Nyquist, Group VP for Emerson’s Process Systems and Solutions business. “But data alone isn’t enough. The real opportunity is to imagine new organisational workflows, like the formation of cross functional collaboration centres that bring together decentralised expertise to enable better, faster decision-making.” To give customers a clear sense of what’s possible in the future of Integrated Operations, Emerson has recently opened its state-of-the-art iOps Centre in Austin, Texas. A real-world, working model of a production enterprise, customers can experience the next generation of collaboration and real-time, multi-disciplinary decision making. “We worked for nearly two years on the vision and execution of the iOps Centre,” said Nyquist, “partnering with industry leaders ranging from Dell, Barco, Cisco, Mynah Technologies, OSISoft, and more. The enthusiasm and support for this project from our partner companies has been outstanding,” continued Nyquist. “We are able to showcase leading-edge technologies in virtualisation, video collaboration, telecommunications and more.

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PROCESS DESIGN AND MONITORING Customers gain a clear vision of what’s possible through an experience they can’t get anywhere else in the world.” Lastly, to help customers establish and execute their vision, Emerson has developed Integrated Operations Consulting Services. First, consultants help customers develop a vision for their operations, based on ever-growing best practices. Following human centred design methods, Emerson works with customers to define roles and work practices and to also define applications targeted to individual user requirements. Then, consultants leverage Emerson’s deep project management roots to help customers put their vision into action. These recommendations are derived through onsite visits, personnel interviews, assessments, and analysis. This service is performed by senior consultants with the right expertise to explore opportunities and alternatives for taking advantage of new integrated operations capabilities.

XPS and XT advance joint offering The Technology businesses within Glencore now includes XT (previously Xstrata Technology) the providers of equipment such as IsaMills, Jameson Cells, IsaSmelt, IsaKidd and Albion Processes; and XPS, a discipline leader in Process Mineralogy and Plant Support, Process Control, Materials Technology and Extractive Metallurgy. These technology businesses are independent

businesses within the group, separate from any commodity business. XPS says that this means it can bring to its clients “a deep understanding of a wide range of commodities, operations, and the entire value chain, while providing independent and fully confidential support for all our clients.” XPS and XT have been long-time siblings and have operated effectively in their respective areas of specialisation, while ensuring they each provide the best independent professional advice. The two businesses now plan to expand this collaboration into the new area of Engineering Services. XPS is a licensed metallurgical engineering, technology services and testwork business based in Falconbridge, Ontario, Canada that serves the global mining industry. Since 2007 XPS has provided complete flowsheet and process development services for a range of commodities including Geomet Unit selection, modelling, lab scale batch testing, pilot plant demonstrations

XPS and XT are now partnering in the area of Engineering Services

and techno-economic studies. In recent years, these activities have resulted in Process Design Basis being produced for clients who then proceed to engineering and cost estimation and in certain cases, construction of the flowsheet. Examples include, the Montcalm circuit, Kabanga Concentrator and changes to the Strathcona Mill flowsheet to treat the GeoMet Units from Nickel Rim South Mine in Sudbury. XPS has now announced that it can now incorporate mechanical, electrical and civil engineering into its product offerings by partnering with long time sibling XT (Xstrata Technology), which has a long history of engineering of large scale IsaSmelt, IsaMill, IsaKidd and Albion Process installations including all the process equipment layout, process control and electrical, structural and

MARCH 2014 | International Mining 49

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PROCESS DESIGN AND MONITORING

ABB’s AC500-XC PLC can operate in temperatures from -30°C to 70°C, with reliable system start-ups in temperatures as low as -40°C

mechanical ancilliaries. XT has engineered and supplied critical equipment to over 18 IsaSmelt installations with a total project installed value of several billion dollars in every corner of the globe. From its engineering offices in Brisbane, Australia and Vancouver, Canada, XT provides services from over 100 engineers, layout draftsman, estimators and procurement services personnel. The statement said: “The distinct advantage of the XPS-XT Engineering Service is the operations/maintenance experience we bring to the project as we are aware, first-hand, what is needed for a successful Type 1 start-up. This experience is embedded in the project team from process design to conceptual engineering to operations training and commissioning support. XPS-XT Engineering can work with other engineering firms in providing all facets of the EPCM cycle and can estimate and install all manner of process equipment. This partnership will enable XPS to provide solid process performance guarantees when appropriate.” The partnership between XPS and XT is believed to be unique to the industry where flowsheet development/testwork/piloting, process control system design, materials technology and design and process, mechanical/electrical/ structural design, and training/installation/ commissioning support can be delivered under one roof, from people with decades of experience operating the plants they design.

Mining’s automation future Product Manager Janne Kytökari is responsible for mining industry applications and global sales support at Metso Automation’s Minerals Processing Systems unit and recently outlined his thoughts on the main benefits of using new automation systems in mining. He comments: “With accurately controlled minerals processes, such as the crushing and grinding circuit, flotation and water management, the mine is able to get a steady yield without any severe

50 International Mining | MARCH 2014

deviations. A correctly tuned control system can help the plant achieve maximum throughput. The main advantage is that an automation system allows the process operators to see what is happening with the whole process – from beginning to end – in realtime. If any problems occur, the cause can be traced quickly and efficiently. All process data, like detailed figures on production and performance, are also stored for reporting and other, later use.” In addition, machine wear is often hidden until the machine breaks down. With an automation system that has integrated condition monitoring, it is easy to collect and use all the relevant maintenance information for scheduling preventative maintenance actions. This can reduce process downtime significantly. Naturally, automation also has a positive impact on workplace safety. Kytökari is convinced that automation and information technologies will have a bigger role in the future. As stated previously in this article, minerals automation can be a valuable tool in tackling many of the mining industry’s big challenges, such as limited availability of water, energy consumption, environmental responsibility and the mineralogical complexity of ore. He adds: ”In developed countries, where safety is the top priority, mining and minerals automation demand is already high, but mines all over the world need some kind of process automation in order to be able to run their processes effectively. Although in some areas where labour costs are low, a high throughput mineral process plant can’t achieve a high yield without a modern control system. This is why the demand for minerals automation is growing especially in countries like Brazil, Russia and China.” In terms of trends, he refers to the so-called industrial Internet is something that will perhaps change the way plants are run in the future. The term includes issues such as machine-tomachine communication and machine learning. With the help of machine-based algorithms and big data analytics, mining operations will be able to understand the causal patterns of machines and processes much more accurately than today. “Allowing all Metso-manufactured machines to be connected to the Internet opens a variety of possibilities. Remote support from Metso’s engineers and specialists to maintenance crews, metallurgists and operators could help solve maintenance and process issues quickly. Plus, when machine data from Metso-manufactured equipment can be gathered and analysed from

numerous plants all around the world, we may find patterns that help us enhance the design and quality of the machines.“ With the Metso DNA distributed control system, information management and integrated condition monitoring, any mineral processing plant is able to control its processes, its performance and deviations. Metso also provides performance studies that examine the customer’s process and suggest improvements. This in particular is where Metso’s know-how in minerals processing equipment, automation and minerals processes comes together.

Upgrading PLCs at Kittila ABB is currently upgrading the automation system at Agnico Eagle's Kittila gold mine in Lapland, with eight of its latest ruggedised PLCs for controlling equipment in harsh conditions and extreme climates. The PLCs will control the sedimentation process of the concentrating mill at Europe's largest gold mine, Agnico Eagle, in northern Finland which is 150 km inside the Arctic Circle. ABB won the original contract for the main automation system at the gold mine, and configured and installed electrical automation based on its 800xA Extended Automation system and industrial IT architecture. The project involved a large amount of ABB automation components including ABB's 800 series operator interface panels and AC500 PLCs for the underground control of pumps, air conditioning, and the motors used in ore crushing and processing. However, a number of items of plant equipment came with automation from other vendors, including PLCs that were supplied with the sedimentation facility that forms part of the mine's concentrating mill. The PLCs were normal industrial grade types, but housed in freezeprotected cabinets located outdoors. Since installation, however, this facility has suffered a number of process stoppages because of the environment at the mine, which includes very wet and humid conditions and winter temperatures as low as -40°C. If a process stoppage happens in winter the impact can be severe, as the weather can quickly add to the problem by freezing and blocking pipelines. There have been some four or five stoppages a year, stemming from power outages, extreme cold temperatures, or water droplets that form on the PLC modules when the cabinet doors were opened. In winter, condensation can happens in seconds – almost the instant the cabinet doors are opened and the benefits of the cabinet's ingress protection are lost – because of the very low temperatures and the moistureladen air around the concentrating mill. The same problem can also happen in springtime, as temperatures can swing between -25°C and 15°C

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PROCESS DESIGN AND MONITORING

The BSI silicon operation in Bosnia from night to day, leading to heavy condensation. The mine operators decided to upgrade this part of the control system to improve reliability and uptime. They were very happy with the PLCs that provided control in the hot and humid underground environment and turned to the supplier of these – main automation vendor ABB – who proposed a solution based on the XC PLC. XC is an 'extreme conditions' variant of the wellknown AC500 PLC family that is installed underground. It has built-in protection against a very wide variety of threats posed by harsh environmental and operating conditions including high and low temperatures, high humidity, low air pressure, salt mist and hazardous gases, and vibration and shock. In this case, the new ABB XC PLCs will be installed at the mine's above-ground processing centre – with some I/O modules located at a remote water pumping location and connected using ProfiNET. Mining is one of the key target applications for this PLC. ABB states that the harsh environment at Kittila poses no problem for the XC PLC which can operate in temperatures from -30°C, with reliable system start-ups in temperatures as low as -40°C. Its circuit boards have a conformal coating to protect against moisture ingress. And the PLC is protected against vibration and shock and will tolerate a lot of mechanical stress – such as accelerations up to four g from random vibrations up to 500 Hz, or two g from sinusoidal vibration. This built-in protection means that the ABB PLCs are being installed in standard uninsulated stainless steel cabinets – without any need for freeze-protection heaters. “Ruggedised PLC technology opens up new design possibilities, allowing automation to be sited right where the control I/O is needed, in many cases without high-specification environmental protection – as at this mine is deep inside the Arctic Circle” says Risto Haavisto of ABB Finland.

Metallurgical solutions Recent projects awarded to electric furnaces and associated plant equipment specialist, Tenova Pyromet, “are indicative of the company’s commitment to proactively meeting its client’s needs, through ongoing technological innovation,

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supported by close interaction with the client from project concept to completion”, says Tenova Pyromet Managing Director Chris Oertel. Tenova Pyromet is part of the global Tenova Mining & Minerals group. “Our clients are faced with increasing challenges in terms of harder to access and lower grade materials, escalating power costs and increasing legislative and social pressure to minimise impact on the environment. Our involvement with the client right from the study phase and our position at the forefront of technology in terms of improving efficiencies, recovering more energy and reducing operating

being provided is the automation and control system, which will allow interfacing between the smelting furnace, raw materials handling system and off-gas cleaning plant. Tenova Pyromet will provide process guarantees for the smelting furnace’s production rate and hot metal power consumption per silicon metal unit produced. “This project further cements Tenova Pyromet’s reputation as a leading supplier of cost competitive silicon metal furnaces,” says Oertel. “It highlights our ability to provide a complete peace of mind solution to the client, at a competitive price, and play an integral role as an extension to our client’s management team. Via our financial department in Milan, we also assisted Metalleghe with the arrangement of their leasing agreement.” In another recent contract award, BCL in Botswana became the first recipient of Tenova Pyromet’s new generation AutoFurn™ controller, with the software supplied and installed within three months of date of order. The many additional features of the new generation

costs and environmental impact, means that we are well positioned to deliver optimum/fit for purpose solutions that assist our clients address these factors. Our current portfolio of work includes a good mix of study work, from investigating optimal furnace smelting solutions for smelting pig iron through to ferrochrome, technology development and execution projects.” A contract recently awarded to Tenova Pyromet by Metalleghe covers equipment design, supply and supervision for a new plant to be built in Mrkonjic, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project includes an innovative new automated hot metal handling and casting system and an electrical stinger, the development of which Tenova Pyromet is working on closely with Metalleghe. The 24 month project is expected to make Metalleghe the second largest Bosnian company and is part of its expansion to its silicon metal production facilities, by developing a new smelter complex, within a few kilometres of the existing Bosnian-Herzegovinian Silicon Industries (BSI) operation. BSI is the silicon metal and silica fume production arm of the international Metalleghe Group. Tenova Pyromet’s contract comprises detail design and equipment supply of key furnace equipment and associated engineering, detail design and supply of plant electrical and automation systems, cooling water system and detail design of the furnace structural steel building, and training and technical assistance during the site construction phase. The majority of equipment supplied by Tenova Pyromet will be custom designed in full compliance with Republic of Srpska legislation, fabricated within the European Union and delivered to the project site. An important Tenova Pyromet technology

controller include enhanced furnace automation to provide automatic slipping, electrode baking after long slips and electrode sounding. By automating the process and maintaining the required furnace power and electrode resistances or currents, the controller brings consistency to an operation, allowing for rapid recovery from upsets, optimising power input and reducing furnace downtime. The controller also maximises furnace potential by allowing it to run as close to its safe limitations as possible. “Our AutoFurn controller is another example of how our ongoing innovation is a key differentiator, maintaining our position as a leader in the field of furnace technologies,” notes Oertel. “This proprietary software has been employed successfully on furnaces for many years, but we are continually improving it to accommodate the changing requirements and challenges of ferroalloy furnace operators. In addition, our many references of successful installations around the world also positions us well to win contracts. We were awarded the BCL contract based on the client’s experience of a successful installation in the USA and on our solid track record with BCL, which includes supply of copper products and study work.” The user-friendly controller can be applied to existing furnaces and to those being built, says Oertel. “Although the BCL plant is old with limited field instrumentation, the software was installed on two submerged arc furnaces at BCL’s plant in Selebi Phikwe, in less than two weeks from arriving on site to automatic control mode. The challenges related to integrating the system into the existing plant set-up were easily overcome due to the adaptability of AutoFurn, which enables it to communicate with existing control systems.” IM

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INTERNATIONAL MINING PROFILES

MULTOTEC AIMS TO BECOME LEADING GLOBAL SCREEN MEDIA SOLUTIONS PROVIDER Building on a platform of robust growth in the African market that has positioned it as the market leader, Multotec is now focusing on replicating its local successes to become the leading screening media solutions provider in the international arena. market trends and the requirements of these hodes Nelson, newly appointed Managing markets, especially in the minerals processing and Director of Multotec Manufacturing, says that beneficiation arena,” he says. “We recognise that it over the past four decades the company’s is imperative to document this knowledge and screening media activities have been key to the incorporate it into systems and support structures company’s growth. Nelson has worked within that will take the company forward into its next Multotec Manufacturing for the past 15 years and growth phase. over the past four years was deployed in various “At the same time, we’re operational roles in The innovative Multotec TeePee putting a lot of emphasis on preparation to take on screen panel which ensures developing and retaining the this leadership role. increased open area and drainage. critical technical talent among “Our vision is quite our newer staff members and simple – we want to setting them on a path become the No 1 to develop the levels of screening media technical capability technology necessary to service solutions global customers. In line provider for the with the majority market minerals processing we’ve secured in the African industry worldwide region this represents a new within a five to ten year chapter for Multotec, as we period,” Nelson says. move forward in terms of “We intend to succession planning and sustainability. As a accomplish this by drawing on our substantial maturing operation, we’re now looking at the bigger industry experience to establish structures that will picture and at the longer term and believe the appropriately service our overseas customers. This development of these skills will also boost the development will be expedited by the fact that today country’s economic sector in general.” there is a high level of connectedness in the global Nelson adds that as customers come under mining industry in terms of technology. Whether increasing pressure to extract maximum value from through industry forums, movement of personnel their existing assets the screening media between companies, or communication through market is evolving from being social media, mining industry players know what’s purely a buying market out there and aspire to keep pace with technological to one that demands advancements.” added value. “It’s an interesting The journey to international growth In 2003 Multotec embarked on the first leg of the fact that while the journey to internationalise the company in a way that actual screening media would allow it to participate in the global knowledge represents about 2% of economy, increase the skills and experience of its the total capital cost of the personnel and identify new markets and solution, the screen’s efficiency applications. Today, this is being advanced by is totally dependent on the harnessing the company’s global customer base to screening media and how it performs in leverage design innovation. Partnerships with terms of the feed envelopes that render customers are an important component of this downstream beneficiation processes optimally initiative, allowing Multotec to become far more and efficiently,” he continues. “The real spend comes integrated in a knowledge economy that is moving into play on the opex side where replacement and forward at a rapid rate. maintenance of screening media and the support “Many of our screening media personnel have sub-frame surfaces constitute the major operational been with Multotec for decades and so we’ve costs. accumulated almost a generation of wisdom and “Allied to this is that the deteriorating quality of learning that has resulted in a keen understanding of today’s ore bodies requires us to optimise screening

The injection moulded polyurethane TeePee screen panel complete with Saddle Top frame. media performance on a continual basis. While screens are originally specified for a certain grade of ore, as the grade changes over time and invariably deteriorates so the screen performance must be adjusted and improved. In a sense, the interaction of a screening media supplier with the customer is never-ending so we need to develop a sound understanding of each customer’s applications as the ROM feedstocks continuously vary over the life of mine. “In addition, as a result of the depletion of skills sets on the mines, screening media OEMs like ourselves are now called upon to be the solution providers and are being held accountable for the equipment we supply. Therefore, as the technological complexity of our products escalates we’re increasingly being measured on performance. “We’re taking all these elements into account as we move towards realising our vision to become the world’s screening media supplier of choice,” Nelson concludes.

The Multotec Saddle Top frame which offers a unique pinless panel fastening system that is growing in demand worldwide. Multotec Group PO Box 224, Kempton Park, 1620 South Africa Phone: +27 011-923-6193 Email: marketing@multotec.com Website: www.multotec.com

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WATER MANAGEMENT critical to the efficient operation of the pump, while a quick-change feature allows technicians to replace the wet end of the pump on site.” At a gold mine in southwest Ghana, a trial installation matched the performance and wear life of an existing Warman 14/12 AH metal pump and a competitor’s 16/14 primary mill discharge pump. The trial also sought to determine whether a Warman 350MCR could handle the mill’s tonnage. “The initial milestone of matching or improving on the 2,100 t/h achieved by the original pumps was quickly achieved,” Gomes says. “The second and more critical goal was to increase the wear life of the pumps and here the target of 1,000 hours of operation without failure was also achieved. The impeller lasted about 1,900 hours before requiring replacement and the R55 rubber liners continued without needing replacement. “A number of factors drove the success of this trial. Firstly, the pump design was ideally suited to the duty, compared to the pumps previously installed —notably the contribution of the MCR’s rubber lining to the substantial increase in its wear life and the consequent improved mill availability. We were actually astounded at the performance of the rubber liners versus the metal volute originally in place. At the four month inspection there was still a substantial amount of residual value on the liners and we estimate getting to about 6,000 hours — six recognising that the latest generation Warman times as long as the life of the metal volute.” MCR® rubber-lined centrifugal slurry pump from Weir Minerals offers superior safety and low In another successful installation in the West ownership costs, as well as outstanding African gold industry, a Warman 350MCR was performance and reliability. installed to compare against a Warman 16/14 AH “These pumps are recording major successes metal pump. The mill was operating at flows of globally across a broad range of commodities about 2,000 m3/h to a head of 38 m and the and in Africa we’re looking at a number of Weir Minerals Africa team had to install the MCR additional new MCR pumps going into operation to fit in with existing pipework and foundations. this year, so this technology is clearly The complete wet end was changed out after generating a substantial amount of market about 1,400 hours, which more than doubled confidence,” Rui Gomes, Product Manager: the life of the metal volute of the 16/14, Slurry Pumps at Weir Minerals Africa, says. effectively improving plant availability. “The MCR pump is specifically designed for “This particular site was experiencing the mill discharge and cyclone feed duties, fairly common problem of mill balls coming incorporating a number of elements that through the system and cracking the metal maximise performance in the most volutes,” he says. “However, the R55 aggressive wear applications. rubber liner offered an indirect, Features such as impeller design, but immediate solution to liner material, specific speed this operational issue. and bearing assembly allow The customer was also the pump to easily manage impressed by the quick large size particles in dense and easy adjustment abrasive slurries and offer capability, the reduced the right combination of cost of replacement ruggedness, durability, spares and the improved hydraulics and materials. safety levels. This MCR was “A big advantage is the full installed in 2012 and we’re front throat bush adjustment that helps getting similar feedback after 18 with pump efficiency months of Weir Minerals’ new R55 rubber components are easily identifiable by their unique branding tape operation.” and performance and is

Managing a precious resource

John Chadwick looks at ideas and technologies to best manage water on mines and issuing from mines. The mining water and wastewater treatment market is expected to grow from $2.29 billion in 2011 to $3.60 billion in 2016, according to research by Frost & Sullivan he consequences of mismanaging water can be dire, to man, beast and mining company. In just one recent example, South Africa’s Department of Water and Environmental Affairs (DWEA) has laid criminal charges against the owners of a tailings dam that overflowed and caused extensive pollution of the Selati and Olifants rivers in Limpopo. The dam, owned by Phalaborwa-based mining company Bosveld Phosphates, overflowed in late December due to heavy rains, releasing highly acidic water into the Selati River, which flows into the Olifants River, killing fish over a 15 km stretch of water. Noting that the company had contravened the National Water Act, DWEA Director for Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Nigel Adams explained that samples had revealed water quality in the dam was well below the levels stipulated in the Act. SANParks spokesman Ike Phaahla said that the environmental damage in the Kruger National Park caused by the spill was “extensive and spreading”.

Moving water Pumps in all sorts of applications can be vital to an operation’s water management. For example, while many South African plants are still running on Warman AH® series slurry pumps for highly abrasive mill duties, an increasing number of plant operators in other parts of Africa are 54 International Mining | MARCH 2014

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WATER MANAGEMENT A third gold mine in West Africa agreed to trial an MCR pump against its existing 14/12 AH pump and a full technical team from Weir Minerals Africa designed, supplied and fitted a retrofit base. This plant was poised to increase its tonnage to 3,000 m3/h to a head of 39 m to boost output. “The throatbush ran for about 2,000 hours — far more than what was being achieved with the 14/12 metal throatbush,” says Gomes. “Both the impeller and the liners were intact and are still running at the moment, after about 3,000 hours without replacement. “In brownfields applications, over the years tonnages and requirements change but the pumps very rarely change. This could be detrimental if the pump becomes too big for the duty, impacting on efficiencies and pump life, or too small, affecting wear life. We’ve now proved that we’re able to retrofit MCR pumps into existing piping and foundations to achieve significant improvements with little or no downtime and we’ve started to focus on a variety of commodity plants where there is pressure to drive costs down and improve processes.” Wilden (well known for its air-operated double diaphragm (AODD) pump technology) has attracted a lot of attention for its Pro-Flo® SHIFT. “The Pro-Flo SHIFT’s advancement in not only performance but also energy efficiency addresses many of the concerns of the modernday industry,” said Chris Distaso, Director of Engineering, Wilden. “The new Pro-Flo SHIFT represents a significant breakthrough in energy efficiency within the AODD pump category. Due to its revolutionary design, the patent-pending Pro-Flo SHIFT Air Distribution System (ADS) allows Wilden AODD pumps to achieve up to a 60% savings in air consumption over all competitive AODD pump technologies, while providing more product yield per standard cubic foot per minute (SCFM)”, the company says. While it dramatically improves energy efficiency, it also costs 50% less than an electronically actuated ADS, is submersible, and features plug-and-play operation. Its robust design makes the Pro-Flo SHIFT ideal for use in harsh operating environments and includes ATEX compliance for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. The Pro-Flo SHIFT has fewer operating parts, which equates to less downtime and simple maintenance. It is available in 38 mm, 51 mm and 76 mm sizes and features maximum discharge pressures to 8.6 bar, maximum flows to 1,056 litres/min and maximum solid-handling size to 13 mm.

56 International Mining | MARCH 2014

Wilden’s Pro-Flo SHIFT is available with maximum suction lifts to 7.2 m dry and 9.0 m wet

The Abaque Series of peristaltic hose pumps from Mouvex®, a leading manufacturer of positive displacement pumps, have been designed to meet the challenging requirements of mining, thanks in part to its seal-free design that eliminates leaks and product contamination. Mouvex Abaque pumps are ideal for handling anything from abrasive and aggressive fluids to shear-sensitive and viscous materials. These self-priming pumps can run in forward or reverse and offer suction-lift capabilities to 9 m, as well as the ability to run dry without adversely affecting performance. The Abaque pumps are available in ductile iron and stainless steel construction, allowing higher discharge pressure to 16 bar. The Abaque Series’ pumping action is achieved by the compression of a circular loop of elastomeric hose by two diametrically opposed rotating shoes. This rotational motion forces the fluid in the hose to move ahead of each shoe. When each shoe reaches the end of the loop, the reinforced hose immediately returns to its original shape, ensuring suction and priming. The housing is partially filled with lubricant, aiding the smooth running of the shoes on the hose. The inside of the hose and the hose inserts are the only pieces of equipment that come in contact with the pumped fluids, allowing aggressive and contaminated fluids to be pumped safely and efficiently. The hoses are available in natural rubber (ideal for use with diluted acids and alcohols), Buna-N (highly wear resistant to oily products), and EPDM (high chemical resistance when handling concentrated acids, alcohols and ketones). Abaque pumps are available in ten different sizes, with flow rates ranging from 0.26 to 1.283 litres/min and a choice of closecoupled or bare-shaft drive. Mouvex is an operating company within Pump Solutions Group (PSG®).

Pumping solutions Xylem has provided a complete dewatering solution, including Flygt pumps and agitators, to drain some 35 million m3 of water from a flooded mine in Sweden. The flooded Leveäniemi open-pit mine in Svappavaara is believed to contain some 110 Mt of iron ore. The mine first opened in 1961 and operated until 1983 when recession forced the cessation of work. When the world’s leading producer of processed iron ore products for steel making, LKAB, decided to undertake the challenging task of draining the mine after almost 30 years of inactivity, the company commissioned Xylem to deliver a complete dewatering solution. “We were acutely aware of the challenges involved in emptying the mine given the volume of water we were dealing with; a project like this could have serious consequences if handled incorrectly,” explained Peder Nensén, Project Manager at LKAB, “An added challenge was northern Sweden’s harsh climate which meant that any solution would have to be able to cope with freezing temperatures.” “We have a strong presence in northern Sweden and a long-standing relationship with this customer,” explains Robert Nyberg, Xylem’s Head of Aftermarket business for the Nordic region. “In addition, Xylem has [relevant] experience of dewatering projects in the mining sector, having developed similar solutions for mine dewatering projects in Sweden and Norway, for example.” The complete dewatering solution provided by Xylem consists of two submersible Flygt 3351 pumps and four LS350/450 Flygt pumps, delivering a total pumping output of more than 2.5 MW. These pumps are housed in a floating pumping station in the centre of the flooded mine and in a dry station on land. Xylem also supplied 20 Flygt agitators which are designed to prevent water around the pipelines from freezing in winter months. “Xylem worked closely with LKAB to deliver a customised turnkey solution for this project,” explained Nyberg, “This unique installation, requiring a floating pumping station, was designed specifically for this application by our team and demonstrates how we can combine our technical expertise and innovative approach to solve complex dewatering challenges.” “Floating pumping stations aren’t usually part of our everyday work! To the best of my knowledge, Xylem was in a unique position to be able to deliver a total solution which included the installation and peripheral services,” he continued. A double set of pipes, approximately 1,500 m in length, connect the floating station to the dry station, which, in turn, is connected to a 5-km long gravity pipe, leading to the discharge point.

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WATER MANAGEMENT

The Flygt floating pump station at Leveaniemi

STRAIGHT FORWARD DRILLING

The water from the mine eventually runs out into the Torne River, which flows into the Gulf of Bothnia. Since the solution became operational in September 2012, Xylem has drained about 20 million m3 of water and lowered the water level by 35 m. It is envisaged that the project will be completed by 2015 after which time LKAB intends extracting 12 Mt/y of iron ore. Roger Lundbäck, Xylem Service Manager, who, along with Nyberg, was responsible for project-managing the Leveäniemi dewatering assignment, believes that these are exciting times for the mining industry: “We’re very proud to have been asked to deliver such an extensive solution to LKAB. Xylem’s global presence enables us to respond quickly to customer needs, by providing both simple pumping solutions and more complex total solutions for projects of all shapes and sizes,” he said.

Victaulic, a world leading manufacturer of mechanical pipe-joining systems, has introduced a number of new products. First, the Style W256 Expansion Barrel is a solution for large-diameter water lines that accommodates up to 1,067 mm of in-line expansion and contraction. Victaulic says the “Expansion Barrel simplifies system design and installation, and offers durable, reliable service. “[It] simplifies the design of water lines by enabling all in-line movement to be accommodated in one location in a single unit. The Expansion Barrel eliminates the need for multiple expansion compensators along the line. Standard Victaulic Style W07 AGS rigid couplings are used to join the barrel to the pipeline, easing installation.” The Style W256 is constructed of durable ductile iron and features redundant engineered seals for reliability. An external coating on the inner barrel reduces the risk of seizing and adds a level of wear resistance. Specially designed integrated wipers maintain contact to shed away abrasive materials, reducing seal wear. The Style W256 is unlined. The new Style 177N QuickVic® flexible coupling's installation-ready™ design eliminates loose parts, ensures consistent joint reliability and provides substantial gains in installation productivity. It was specifically designed to withstand the rigours of mining environments and is ideal for utility and process piping applications in plants and underground mines. Vicataulic says this flexible coupling “can be installed up to ten times faster than other pipe-joining methods and twice as fast as standard grooved couplings. Featuring installation-ready technology, the Style 177N does not require disassembly prior to installation, eliminating loose parts. The coupling is pushed onto a grooved pipe-end as a fully assembled unit, connected to a second grooved pipe-end, and tightened using standard hand tools. The gasket’s integral central leg serves as a pipe stop, ensuring

www.wassara.com

Piping

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WATER MANAGEMENT full pipe insertion, and metalto-metal bolt-pad contact provides visual confirmation of proper assembly.” Being a flexible coupling it permits a limited amount of linear and angular movement at the pipe joint to accommodate expansion, contraction and deflection. The Style 177N is available in 50 to 200 mm sizes and accommodates pressures ranging from full vacuum 6,900 kPa. The coupling is supplied with a grade “EHP” EPDM gasket for water services or grade “T” nitrile gasket for air services. The Style 177N is an addition to the Victaulic installation-ready family, which includes the Style 107 rigid couplings. Installation-ready couplings join standard roll-grooved and cut-grooved steel pipe. The new Style 905 HDPE coupling quickly and reliably joins plain-end high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe. The coupling eliminates the need for butt fusing, saving time and money. To assemble a joint, the coupling is pushed onto a lubricated pipe-end as a fully assembled unit, connected to a second pipe-end, and tightened using a standard socket or impact wrench. Stainless steel retaining rings bite into the outer pipe-wall around the pipe’s circumference, offering 360o engagement that resists expansion and contraction. Metal-to-metal bolt-pad contact provides visual confirmation of proper assembly. With no special pipe-end preparation necessary and half as many installation steps, Style 905 couplings offer a much faster joining method than butt fusing. It is an installationready™ coupling, which does not require disassembly prior to installation. It can be installed in seconds without fusion equipment or specialty tools. HDPE pipe joined with Style 905 couplings is ready for immediate use; no cooling time is necessary. The coupling creates a union at every joint, simplifying maintenance such as fitting replacement, and enabling the pipe to be rotated to extend service life in abrasive applications. Upon pipe replacement, the couplings can be reused, saving money. The Style 905 coupling is available in 50 to 150 mm sizes and is rated for use with HDPE pipe with standard dimension ratio (SDR) of 7 to 32.5. Philip Wood, Export Sales Manager for Polypipe told IM: “In designing and implementing effective mine dewatering systems, mine operators are taking a crucial step in ensuring the long-term functionality and profitability of a mining facility. With many mines producing thousands of gallons of wastewater per minute, systems capable of coping with considerable volumes of pressurised water,

58 International Mining | MARCH 2014

Victaulic’s Style W256 Expansion Barrel is available in 600 to 1,000 mm sizes and accommodates pressures of up to 2,065 kPa and straight-line movement of up to (1,067 mm. The Style W256 does not accommodate system deflection

which may contain abrasive particles as well as chemical solutions, are essential in keeping a mine operating at optimum capacity, as well as protecting the surrounding environment from potential contamination. Any dewatering system will need to take into account not only the projected usage of water by extraction procedures at the mine, but also the local climate and environment. If a site is prone to frequent or seasonal flash flooding, which could cause a tailings pond to overflow, additional capacity needs to be planned in. Proximity to rivers and other water courses, either above or below ground, will also require a more sophisticated system. Extensive field testing, to examine a site’s hydrogeology and climate and assess the possible impacts of ineffective dewatering or accidental overflow, is therefore essential and should be completed as early into the planning of a mine as possible in order to gain the relevant permits. Consideration must also be given to the welfare needs of mine personnel – water for drinking, cooking and bathing must often be pumped in and stored on site, so care must be taken to ensure this fresh water cannot come into contact with mine wastewater in the event of excessive rainfall or equipment failure.” Both open-pit and sub-surface mining operations require effective dewatering systems, which provide more benefits than simply removing excess water from working areas. When undertaken efficiently, mine dewatering also ensures the stability of mine walls by preventing erosion, reduces wear and corrosion on drilling equipment and other machinery, and improves workplace health and safety. Properly controlled mine dewatering also helps protect the surrounding water table from contamination, protecting local ecosystems and maintaining clean drinking water for surrounding communities. While pumps, valves and sensors are the most high-profile aspects of mine dewatering systems, the whole infrastructure can collapse if not properly supported by appropriate pipework. In fact, systems relying on weak pipework without the required capacity can cause pumps to

burnout increasing operational and expensive downtime costs. In order to cope with water being pumped from a mine, particularly where it must travel up an incline or must be removed rapidly, the ability to cope with pressurised water is a key requirement for dewatering pipework. As a major use of water in mines is in the excavation of ores through erosion and wet drilling, wastewater will inevitably contain sand, grit, rock fragments and other abrasive material which is generally not removed until the treatment phase of mine dewatering. Pump these slurries from a mine at high pressure and their abrasive properties are amplified, adding to the strain placed on pipework systems. As well as the capacity to stand up to abrasive particles, pipework must also be resistant to chemical corrosion or softening. Wood comments: “For mine dewatering systems, polyethylene (PE) is an ideal solution. Its resistance to chemicals enables it to withstand even the most aggressive acids as well as abrasive particles. PE pipes have significant inherent strength and impact resistance. They can be installed both above and below ground and can cope with temperatures in the range of 40°C to 60°C. The extremely smooth bore of PE pipes offers reduced friction – meaning less drag and turbulence when large volumes of water are transported at high velocity. PE pressure pipes can be jointed using butt-welding or electrofusion techniques to form a continuous homogenous pipeline which affords no chance of leakage. Specifying the correct pipework and subsidiary storage can optimise the effectiveness of a mine dewatering system, cutting down on maintenance costs for the pipework itself as well as pumping machinery. PE in particular is ideally suited to the demands of mining operations, offering inherent strength combined with the reduced weight and flexibility needed for transport to and installation in remote mining environments.” Polypipe offers a number of product solutions for water management in mining applications such as dewatering, storage and distribution. These include PE100 pressure pipes, HDPE twinwall gravity systems – Ridgidrain and RidgistormXL – for infrastructure and site drainage, along with Polystorm cell units for water attenuation and re-use. Sustainability is always an important factor in the choice of materials used to underpin mining infrastructure, especially so on a project that is destined to have a lifespan in excess of 60 years. For the surface drainage of the rail marshalling yard at the new Tonkolili iron ore mine in Sierra Leone, operator African Minerals chose Polypipe’s Ridgidrain. The company supplied to the project over 4,000 m of 300 mm Ridgidrain

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WATER MANAGEMENT

Dealer Inquiries Welcome

Only one reel handles the toughest treatment. Polypipe Ridgidrain HDPE product being installed perforated twinwall pipe. Specifying HDPE (high-density polyethylene) as a sustainable surface drainage solution for the marshalling yard, African Minerals selected Polypipe through a competitive tender process. The company cited a number of factors that determined its choice of the UK manufacturer, including excellent and effective communications, and the ability to work closely with both African Minerals and its shipping agent to ensure that all of the materials involved were manufactured to a precise specification and that tight shipping deadlines were met. Provision of full documentation was also a key factor, as African Minerals Project Manager Gary Nel explains: “This project is extremely important to Sierra Leone and as the mine operator; African Minerals is committed to applying the highest standards to everything that we do. We are working to internationally recognised performance standards and so we place high demands on the materials we acquire for the mine infrastructure. The Polypipe product is backed up by full certification, so meets our specification in terms of documentation and traceability.” Polypipe’s Ridgidrain system features a proven structured wall construction with a reduced virgin plastic content. The structured wall design gives high ring stiffness and strength and its lower weight, compared with clay or concrete products, which means reduced transport and installation costs and improved health and safety benefits for installers. HDPE provides excellent resistance to abrasion and chemical attack and withstands ground movement and differential settlement. The longer pipe lengths available reduce the number of joints required, significantly reducing the risk of leakage, while its extremely smooth bore resists blockage and makes the pipework system more easy to maintain. The product supplied for the Tonkolili project was fully perforated to allow effective sub-soil drainage. Wood explains: “HDPE is the material of choice in many mining infrastructure applications.” It is ideally suited to rugged terrain, extreme climates and changing site environments. In another Sierra Leone iron ore operation, a twinwall drainage system from Polypipe has been installed in the first phase of the infrastructure work at the Marampa mine using 150mm Ridgidrain pipes and associated fittings. Infrastructure contractor Dawnus Construction was subsequently awarded an additional package of work to drain and stabilise an existing tailings dam. The Ridgidrain HDPE product was supplied for management of water decanting from the tailings, into a pipeline to drain water within the tailing dam wall to a local water treatment area. The Ridgidrain system offers a complete solution for non-pressurised surface and sub-surface drainage applications. It is lightweight and offers exceptional compression strength with easy push-fit installation. Flowrox has introduced the Flowrox Scaling Watch, a new product

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MARCH 2014 | International Mining 59

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WATER MANAGEMENT designed for the precise measurement of scale in pipelines and other fluid control environments. Scaling is a common problem in the minerals, metallurgy and waste water industries, where production rates can be adversely affected by the hardening of iron, salts and other minerals in pipes and valves. This device is a wafer piece of pipeline engineered for insertion between two flanges for a precise fit that allows the detection of scale that can reduce the flow of fluids through a pipeline. It uses Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) technology, which allows operators to see inside piping systems without stopping the process or opening up the pipeline, and enables 3D-imaging and measurement of non-conductive media inside process pipelines and tanks. In addition, it uses a patented algorithm that creates a 3D image of the process fluid in the piping and generates trend data as well as show free volume inside the pipe and the growth rate of the scale over time. Among other features, the Flowrox Scaling Watch can show the scale thickness, scale profile, growth rates over time, composition, and free flow volume—all of which allow engineers to understand areas where pipes are prone to scaling. It is a predictive device—rather than reactive—and allows its operators to address scale issues before they reach critical levels that can cause downtime or costly damage. Designed to be manufactured in diverse metals, the Flowrox Scaling Watch is manufactured in carbon steel, type 316/316L stainless steel and titanium to meet the needs of industries with intense scaling issues that can result in high costs of maintenance. While the device is not designed to detect scale on the entire length of the pipeline, it precisely measures scale in the exact spot where it is installed—usually in a section or segment where the heaviest scaling is known to occur. Todd Loudin, President and CEO of North American Operations for Flowrox explained that it “can model mathematically the scale build-up and also provide calculations on the free available pipe remaining.” The technology behind the Flowrox Scaling Watch was invented by Rocsole, of which Flowrox purchased a portion and assumed the responsibility for global sales, marketing and manufacturing of the device.

Containing and conserving GSE Environmental, a leading manufacturer of containment and drainage solutions, has signed a global distribution agreement with TENAX, a leading producer of reinforcement and stabilisation products. Under this agreement,

60 International Mining | MARCH 2014

Ashland’s Zalta DS21-120 surfactant can greatly reduce water use in dust suppression GSE has the exclusive right to distribute, on a global scale, TENAX geogrids used in mining and environmental applications. Geogrids are geosynthetic products used for soil reinforcement and stabilisation in a variety of applications where the native soils are too weak to support expected loads or heavy traffic. “GSE is excited to further our relationship with TENAX. With this agreement, GSE offers the broadest range of geosynthetic products and services, and we can now provide complete containment, drainage, and reinforcement solutions to our global customers, wherever they are located,” said Giovanni Capra, Vice President Business Development, GSE Environmental. “TENAX is thrilled to partner with GSE to bring our highly-engineered reinforcement solutions to a global environmental and mining customer base. GSE shares the same commitment to quality, innovation, and customer service that has been a cornerstone of the TENAX culture since our founding in 1959,” said Claudio Fenzo, Division Director, TENAX. GSE is a global manufacturer and marketer of geosynthetic lining solutions, products and services used in the containment and management of solids and liquids in mining. Greg Butlin, Ashland Water Technologies, notes that dust causes many issues including worker safety concerns, spontaneous combustion, equipment wear and ore loss, all of which impact a mine’s productivity. “Dust control programs mitigate these issues protecting mine employees and equipment as well as preventing loss of product as it is handled. Spraying water on roads, crushers, stockpiles and conveyor drop points is the most common method for controlling dust because it is easy to do and appears economically attractive. Unfortunately, in many areas, water is a scarce resource and the effect of the water lasts only until it evaporates. If the operation is not designed and well maintained, excessive volumes of water can be unnecessarily used without a positive effect on dust control due to evaporation or runoff. Excess

spray water can also cause slipping hazards, foul conveyor belts, and add unnecessary moisture to the product being shipped to the mine’s customers. “A Canadian mine used spray water equivalent to 5% moisture addition to the ore to control dust. This created muddy ore that was difficult to handle and created a dangerous situation when it prevented the doors on the skip used to transport ore to the surface from closing properly. The addition of 0.1% of Ashland’s Zalta DS21-120 surfactant to the spray water allowed the moisture addition to be reduced to 0.75% resulting in an 84% reduction in dust levels, elimination of skip door problems and a 50% reduction in the lead levels in the miners’ blood (caused by inhalation of lead bearing ore dust). The net reduction in water consumption was 594 million gallons per year.”

Purification WesTech Engineering’s Iowa office has achieved ISO 9001:2008 certification. The facility oversees the General Filter and Microfloc product lines. This certification is a process that documents and verifies that a facility consistently operates at a worldclass quality level. WesTech placed priority on gaining ISO 9001:2008 certification for its Iowa operation upon acquiring the General Filter and Microfloc product lines from Siemens in September, 2012. WesTech engineers and manufactures process equipment and working solutions for wastewater treatment as well as minerals processing. Westech says “the engineers at Microfloc and General Filter were the pioneers of some of today’s most standard and trusted water treatment processes, including the mixed media filter bed, commercially viable tube settlers, the upflow Adsorption Clarifier system, and the process of introducing oxygen into a process stream without breaking system pressure. General Filter and Microfloc still own the reputation for the most effective and valuable packaged treatment plants on the market.” Late last year, the Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Brine Concentrator System at Energy Resources of Australia’s Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory of Australia began operations as part of ERA’s long-term water management strategy. The system treats mine process water to produce 1,830 megalitres of clean water annually (1.3 Mgal/d). The project will play an integral part in the progressive rehabilitation activities at the mine. The system, based on HPD evaporation technology from Veolia, was delivered nearly three months earlier than scheduled through close collaboration between Veolia and ERA. An early delivery was important as ERA’s detailed water inventory

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Veolia’s brine concentrator system is a longterm solution to ERA's process water management modelling indicated a need for the capacity to treat large volumes of water. Despite the accelerated schedule, there were no safety incidents in the more than 700,000 man hours logged during equipment fabrication, construction, and system commissioning. “The Brine Concentrator is a critical component of ERA’s future as the successful treatment of process water is key to rehabilitating the site and ensuring our water balances are in full control,” remarked ERA Chief Executive Rob Atkinson. “Without the Brine Concentrator I don’t believe ERA has a future.” Veolia’s industrial operating group in Australia lent its assistance in the early design stages of the facility and was subsequently awarded an interim operations and maintenance contract by ERA for the system. Early involvement of Veolia Australia’s operations team allowed an operator’s perspective to be incorporated into the design. The Veolia operations team also provided for a smooth transition from system checkout and commissioning to full operation while allowing ERA to focus their staff in other areas of the mine. ERA Ranger, located 8 km east of Jabiru and 260 km east of Darwin is one of the world’s largest uranium producers and Australia’s longest continually operating uranium mine. Uranium has been mined at Ranger for three decades and it is one of only three mines in the world to produce in excess of 110,000 t of uranium oxide. Earlier in 2013, across the world, Veolia Water successfully commissioned and begun operational management of the Northern West Virginia Water Treatment Facility near Mannington, West Virginia. The Zero Liquid Waste (ZLW) facility

62 International Mining | MARCH 2014

designed and built by Veolia treats 3,500 gal/min of mine drainage water. By employing a ZLW process, water of low quality is extracted and treated, and clean water is returned to the ecosystem, improving the water balance and condition of the Monongahela River watershed. Veolia is providing operational management of the facility for 10 years, guaranteeing the owners continual performance and optimisation of the system. The ZLW treatment concept removes contaminants in the mine water and reduces them to solid salts. The process also uses a number of sustainable practices and technology applications, reducing the carbon and energy footprint of the treatment process. This environmentally sustainable design and construction approach was developed to help the customer (then CONSOL Energy) meet discharge standards for chlorides in West Virginia's waterways. The facility treats water from the Blacksville #2, Loveridge and Robinson Run mining operations, which were recently acquired from CONSOL Energy by Murray Energy in December 2013. “In partnering with Veolia on this firstof- its-kind in scale and scope project, we were able to bring the water treatment plant online on time, under budget, and in full compliance with our permits," commented Katharine Fredriksen, Senior Vice President Environmental Strategy and Regulatory Affairs, CONSOL Energy. "This demonstrates the success of partnering with a company that shares our commitment to our core values of safety, compliance, and continuous improvement.” To quantify the benefits of the water treatment

facility to the Monongahela River, Veolia conducted a Water Impact Index (WIIX) evaluation. Developed by Veolia, the WIIX 2 measures not only water volume, but the level of stress upon local water resources, overall water quality and indirect water impacts from chemicals and electricity. Measuring all these factors, the WIIX calculates the annual water impact of the new treatment facility will be 1.3 billion gallons of high-quality water returned to the Monongahela River basin, validating a positive environmental impact by the water treatment facility. “Veolia is continually working to develop sustainable solutions to meet the needs of our industrial customers while benefitting the environment,” said Kirk Schwab, General Manager of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies’ Pittsburgh office that designed and built the facility. “We are pleased to deliver this state-of-the-art project….and believe that it will be the benchmark for mine water treatment in the Appalachian region for years to come.” Steve Hopper, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Veolia Environment North America's Industrial business, said, "The partnership goes beyond meeting new regulatory requirements. It combines technical know-how with operational expertise to implement a solution which positively impacts the environment while meeting the customer’s production needs through guaranteed performance." Pentair Advanced Filtration is involved in all aspects of water treatment at mining operations from mine camp potable water treatment and waste water treatment; supply of process water for mines in dry, arid regions; treatment of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) and treatment of tailings water and recovery of precious metal s from waste streams. Aveng Water has patented the High Precipitation Reverse Osmosis (HiPRO) technology which treats AMD to potable water quality or better. The technology has been successfully using the Pentair X-Flow AquaFlex membranes since the commissioning of the first plant in 2008. The HiPRO systems use three stages of UF–RO to achieve recoveries greater than 98%. The technology has been further commercialised with references at Anglo American Coal and BHP Billiton amongst others. X-Flow’s Seaguard membranes are in operation at the Areva SWRO plant at Swakopmund. The plant

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This meeting is global in scope and as ever, the program and audience will include a mix of real case studies, technology providers, mining groups, underground contractors, component suppliers, academics/mining engineers, consultants and others. Offers of presentations are welcome from all parts of the world. Those covering real projects and studies are particularly welcome. From faster drill and blast advance, to new mechanised approaches to development, shaft sinking, the use of TBMs in mining, through to new ground support and shotcreting methods to allow for faster advance, this conference will once again cover it all.

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WATER MANAGEMENT_proof 25/02/2014 13:55 Page 8

WATER MANAGEMENT supplies process water for the Areva uranium mines that are further inland. UF membranes were selected due to the lower OPEX and superior product quality compared to conventional treatment technologies. This application is also common in Chile, where certain mines, like those in the Atacama Desert, are severely short of process water for milling, crushing or flotation. Two X-Flow references are the Sierra Gorda and Candeleria plants. These mines desalinate sea water at the coast and then pump it to the mines which are 300 km away and lie at over 3,000m above sea level. In the treatment of tailings water to achieve a responsible standard before discharge, X-Flow Tubular UF membranes are applied to meet discharge standards and create the possibility for re-use. CDE Global has set up an official alliance with the world’s largest manufacturer of organic coagulants and synthetic flocculants, SNF (UK) Ltd. It says this partnership “will ultimately allow CDE to continue to provide customers with an unrivalled level of aftersales service for those who deal with solids liquid separation, foam control and waste water treatment processes. CDE and SNF will work closely together during commissioning phase to ensure that the end user has a suitable and efficient water treatment solution on site which provides the best results possible in terms of the re-use of water following chemical treatment.” CDE Custom Care Manager Martin Jackson comments, “For us, the customer experience is key; working together with SNF enhances this overall experience for our customers as a complete solution is now available. Our customers effectively now have a single point of contact with the comfort of knowing that CDE have taken full ownership of this responsibility. We use the latest innovative technology in terms of water treatment solutions, where we continuously look to provide our customers with world beating products. Working with a leading manufacturer of polymer is the perfect way to deliver our promise.” By working with SNF, CDE has access to expert SNF chemists which will enable a support network to be established when dealing with issues associated to anti-foam, sludge, dosage levels etc. The partnership will ensure that numerous samples are taken before commissioning starts, to ensure the right polymer can be recommended, with findings produced in a documented lab report. This proactive approach has proven to ensure there is no time lost during the commission phase, enabling CDE customers to turn the key on their plant at the earliest opportunity. Following commissioning of the water treatment plant, SNF will then take additional samples to ensure that the chosen polymer is performing as it should, ensuring continuous performance monitoring to enable process optimisation at all times. Rob Long, Industrial Business Manager at SNF comments, “We have an unrivalled understanding of customers' requirements and through our extensive product research and development facilities, we have a continuous commitment to delivering the highest level of customer service and quality product support within the world of solid liquid separation technology. CDE are market leaders in water treatment technology so in this respect, we are pleased to be associated with them and we look forward to helping them in delivering many successful projects in the future”. Mining companies may need to integrate multiple sites, often in very remote locations, into one standardised information system providing management with access to real-time data from across the enterprise. To stay competitive in a regulatory environment, companies must empower operators with real time data to optimise mining and metallurgical extraction and production processes, and to streamline and document regulatory compliance efforts. Companies worldwide use the OSIsoft® PI System® to provide the realtime data infrastructure and collaboration tools needed to meet key challenges. They are leveraging the capabilities of the PI System to

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WATER MANAGEMENT drastically reduce water and energy consumption while processing all types of ore. The system can be used for tasks including: ■ Increasing energy efficiency ■ Managing water consumption ■ Maximising asset performance ■ Mitigating risk and achieving regulatory compliance. It assists the maximising of asset performance through real-time monitoring. Improve grade recovery management and future forecasting with accurate information on actual production process costs, including energy and water consumption, yields, and efficiency. Reduce waste and associated costs by having real-time updates on production status and required inventory levels. Prolong asset life and minimise long-term capital investments using condition-based maintenance programs that send scheduled-repair notifications before breakdowns occur. Reduce unaccounted-for metal losses with the ability to analyse historical data and identify the problem sources. Effectively meet regulatory requirements and achieve certification, quality assurance, and Six Sigma goals with complete and accurate reporting. OSIsoft says the PI System ensures that “mines, smelters, and refineries can run efficiently and safely with real-time monitoring that enables people to identify and prevent problems before they occur.” NanoStruck Technologies says it “has a powerful suite of proprietary nano-biotechnology solutions that can transform even the most contaminated waters into pure, safe, and drinkable water for a fraction of expected costs. Nanostruck's proprietary line of technologies is also designed to fight global water shortage problems. These technologies remove molecular sized particles using patented absorptive organic polymers.” It explains that organic polymers “are nature’s very own sponges. These versatile biomaterials are derived from crustacean shells or plant fibres, depending on requirements of their usage. Acting as molecular sponges, the nanometer-sized polymers are custom programmed to absorb specific particles for remediation or retrieval purposes. These could be to clean out acids, hydrocarbons, pathogens, oils and toxins in water via its NanoPure solutions. Or to recover precious metal particles in mine tailings.” After five years of intensive research and testing, NanoStruck Technologies has developed its low-cost and environmentally friendly NanoPure technology. NanoPure brings the most contaminated water into environmental discharge/ drinking water standards. A NanoPure unit is built in a 12 m container for handling and shipment. It contains

a primary precipitations and pH adjustment section (depending on the source of influent these steps are optional). There is a NanoStruck micro Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) with high frequency ultrasonic waves. The micro bubbles introduced at the DAF are further accelerated by the ultrasound waves down to the micronic and nano levels, exponentially breaking down organic particles. A NanoStruck electro-coagulation unit further breaks down fats, oil, grease and bio-film that produces algae. It also allows inorganics to float or to coagulate for easy removal by skimming. NanoStruck multi-media nano-filtration further clarifies the processed water removing impurities and contaminants. Nano co-polymer removes last stage odour, remaining chemicals and improves clarity. The last stage of treatment goes through the bed of NanoStruck Nano-filtration where most unchanged particles and chemicals are adsorbed. Additionally, with NanoMet, the technology can be used to recover precious and base metals from mine tailings. Currently, NanoStruck Technologies is designing and building systems to recover precious metals. It first performs a detailed analysis of both solid and liquid samples to determine the most efficient design using its proprietary technology and then builds to suit the application for clients. Ecosphere Technologies, a water engineering, technology licensing and manufacturing company, has completed its first Ozonix® Ore Recovery Equipment (ORE) system for Ecosphere Mining, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, and a new Mobile Operations Vehicle (MOV) that is designed to remain on location for extended periods of time when Ecosphere is demonstrating its Ozonix® ORE system. The patented Ecosphere Ozonix process is a revolutionary advanced oxidation process that is currently being used by customers in the oil and gas industry to reduce costs, increase treatment efficiencies and eliminate harmful chemicals from wastewater treatment operations around the US. The non-chemical Ozonix water treatment technology was proven in the oil and natural gas industry and is poised to have the same positive impact on the mining industry, the company says. “Ecosphere Mining plans to deploy Ozonix not only to increase ore recovery rates for mine operators, but also to handle the toughest water remediation problems facing the hard rock mining industry such as acid mine drainage, tailing pond wastewater treatment and leachate treatment and recovery.”

Good AMD Much of the naturally occurring radioactivity in fracking wastewater might be removed by blending it with another wastewater from acid

mine drainage (AMD), according to a Duke University-led study (North Carolina, USA). “Fracking wastewater and acid mine drainage each pose well-documented environmental and public health risks. But in laboratory tests, we found that by blending them in the right proportions we can bind some of the fracking contaminants into solids that can be removed before the water is discharged back into streams and rivers,” said Avner Vengosh, Professor of Geochemistry and Water Quality at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment. He believes this could be an effective way to treat shale hydraulic fracturing wastewater, while providing a beneficial use for AMD “that currently is contaminating waterways in much of the northeastern US.” Blending fracking wastewater with AMD also could help reduce the depletion of local freshwater resources by giving drillers a source of usable recycled water for the hydraulic fracturing process, he added. The peer-reviewed study was published in late December 2013 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Radium and Barium Removal through Blending Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids with Acid Mine Drainage, Andrew J. Kondash, Nathaniel R. Warner, Ori Lahav, Avner Vengosh. Environmental Science & Technology, Dec. 24, 2013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ es403852h Vengosh and his team blended different mixtures of Marcellus Shale fracking wastewater and AMD, all of which were collected from sites in western Pennsylvania and provided to the scientists by the industry. After 48 hours, the scientists examined the chemical and radiological contents of 26 different mixtures. Geochemical modelling was used to simulate the chemical and physical reactions that had occurred after the blending; the results of the modelling were then verified using x-ray diffraction and by measuring the radioactivity of the newly formed solids. “Our analysis suggested that several ions, including sulphate, iron, barium and strontium, as well as between 60 and 100% of the radium, had precipitated within the first 10 hours into newly formed solids composed mainly of strontium barite,” Vengosh said. These radioactive solids could be removed from the mixtures and safely disposed of at licensed hazardous-waste facilities, he said. The overall salinity of the blended fluids was also reduced, making the treated water suitable for re-use at fracking sites. “The next step is to test this in the field. While our laboratory tests show that is it technically possible to generate recycled, treated water suitable for hydraulic fracturing, field-scale tests are still necessary to confirm its feasibility under operational conditions,” he added. IM

MARCH 2014 | International Mining 65

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Going deeper underground The future of the Venetia mine in South Africa’s Limpopo province, will be secured into the 2040s and maybe beyond with its new underground mine, that will stabilise production for the long term, reports Paul Moore, who visited the operation in late 2013 enetia is today an open pit mine and South Africa's largest producer of diamonds, contributing 40% of the country's annual production. The mine is in Limpopo Province in the northeast corner of the country just south of the Limpopo River, the border with Zimbabwe. This is one of South Africa's more economically deprived areas, and De Beers is actively involved with Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) initiatives together with the local municipalities in a number of job creation projects. Venetia is located adjacent to the De Beers created 32,500 ha Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve, and the company is also involved in a variety of ecological conservation activities in and around the area. As part of the sustainable mining and rehabilitation plans, the company relocates trees and animals within the mine boundaries to assist with its goal to re-establish conservation areas on what were previously commercially farmed properties. When the mine was built in the early 1990s, indigenous trees were transplanted including the massive baobab now flourishing in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens almost 2,000 km from the Venetia mine. The mine’s two labour sending areas are Musina and Blouberg from which employees are. bussed daily. There is also a successful drive to increase the amount of local businesses involved

66 International Mining | MARCH 2014

in contracting and maintenance at Venetia, through working with the local governments in these towns. In addition, the De Beers Zimele Venetia business hub has been created. This is a De Beers small enterprises development fund, with the name derived from “Zimele” the Nguni word for “be independent” or “stand on your own feet.” The concept of Zimele is used by De Beers (and parent company Anglo American) to achieve two concurrent objectives: to instill a spirit of economic self-reliance among the unemployed in mining communities and to articulate a vision of sustainable post-diamond mining livelihoods. The project established a small business hub in the area around Venetia and entrepreneurs are supported by De Beers’

Construction of the underground decline portal, November 2013s

technically competent staff underpinned by a simplified funding application process. From 2011 to 2012 De Beers Zimele’ s Venetia Business Hub provided ZAR3.4 million in funding to 17 small businesses. As a result, a total of 207 jobs were created and/or sustained. Funding was provided to entrepreneurs, ranging from loans of ZAR1,000 to ZAR1 million, at a 6% per annum interest rate. The Venetia Hub has supported different types of local enterprises, from Mushosa Trading CC, a transport business, to Capricorn Poultry Power, a retail business which specialises in chicken.

De Beers Venetia Timeline 1903 1969 1974 1980 1988 1989 1990 1992 2012

Diamond bearing alluvial gravels are discovered near the Limpopo River, 35 km northeast of the mine on Seta Farm De Beers begin exploration to locate the source of the alluvials with a soil sampling program Small kimberlites discovered near Beitbridge over the Zimbabwe border Kimberlite pipes are discovered Feasibility study commissioned Feasibility completed and board approval for the ZAR1.1 billion project Mine construction begins Venetia opens on August 14 after 30 month construction period ZAR20 billion underground project approved. The Environmental Authorisation (EA) was issued in July, while the EMP was approved in October

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The Venetia mine also has a good record in partnership with the Department of Education in Limpopo, as it helped construct the infrastructure to 11 schools in the Musina and Blouberg areas, including classrooms, ablution facilities, administration blocks and water provision. Through the Rural Schools Programme, De Beers Venetia, again in partnership with the Department of Education, built boarding facilities for children with special needs at Ratanang Special School in Senwabarwana, Limpopo. This boarding school houses more than 300 children and has matronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quarters, dormitories and a security guard house. In another initiative, the mine introduced a teacher subsidy program to three local schools in the Musina area providing funding for additional Mathematics and Science educators. It also focuses on providing scholarships to needy, yet academically deserving, learners who struggle to pay their school fees. Finally, the teacher subsidy program provides schools with grants to help them improve the quality of education in their classrooms.

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The deposit and setting The Venetia deposit consists of a cluster of 14 kimberlite pipes. Currently the mine is exploiting two of the largest, K001 and K002 in a single, split shell open pit operation. Pre-stripping and construction commenced in 1990, phasing the mine into initial production in 1992 and full production in 1993. The Venetia kimberlite pipes vary in size from <1 ha to 12.5 ha. The two largest kimberlites, K001 and K002 being 12.5 ha and 5 ha respectively, form the basis of the mine plan, with the remainder of the satellite kimberlites being mined as the open pit expands. The kimberlites are contained within the centre of a synformal structure. Gneiss, biotite schist and amphibolites mainly comprise the complex jointed host rock, which is further complicated by unfavourably orientated metamorphic layering in the southern region, which can cause planar failures. Deformation of the country rock is extremely complex and typical of the Limpopo metamorphic terrane in which it is situated. The intact rock strength of the country rock types varies from 100 MPa to in excess of 300 MPa. Open pit design and planning at Venetia mine has, in the past, been based on a conventional concentric mining method. The concentric mining principle mines a waste cut or pushback 360Â° around the ore body. Each mining cut becomes progressively larger as the pit gets deeper. In order to maintain ore feed to the plant, waste stripping increases significantly year on year as the pit depth increases. Cost profiles mirror waste stripping profiles therefore in pursuit of better returns, mine design criteria and philosophies were investigated. As at several other De Beers operations, split shell mining was chosen, which departs from the conventional concentric method of waste stripping. The concept is based on the principle of splitting a pit shell along an axis, creating two separate push-backs and joining the opposite halves of each design. The direct benefit of the split shell design is that it allows for waste stripping to be deferred from the early part of the waste cut life, without putting exposed ore at risk for mining. The split shell presents opportunities to target higher graded areas while deferring waste which in turn defers cost and can bring revenue forward. Once the particular cut has commenced, the mine is to some extent committed to the mining of that entire cut, as capital expenditure and infrastructure will be required to maintain production for the duration of that particular cut. Whittle 4D optimisation was run on Venetia to determine the final economic pit shell. Analysis was further conducted on the optimum shell to establish optimal push back limits or waste cuts. In total, four waste cuts were established, and concentric practical pits were designed from these Whittle shells using the Gemcom mine planning software.

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MARCH 2014 | International Mining 67

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A representation of the Venetia kimberlite cluster rate ranging from 650 t/h to 900 t/h; producing over 3 Mct/y. About 15% of Venetia’s production is kimberlite ore, with about 85% waste. Budgeted waste production is about 40 Mt/y. This waste figure will increase during the remainder of Cut 4 but will then drop significantly during underground operations, though diamond production will remain stable. The entire area affected by mining works at Venetia covers 2,200 ha but the mine has control of about 32,100 ha, so about 93% of the site is

still conservation area. The K01 and K02 pipes are mined next to each other, forming basically one pit, with the K03 pit a separate and standalone pit. The main pit circumference is 6.5 km. The strata itself dips south to north, and this dip is steep in places that can cause slope failures. As a result in places, a shallower wall angle is maintained on the southern side of the mine. In the pit during the IM visit, mining was ending on Cut 3, which wound down by the end of December 2013. Work has now commenced on Cut 4 North and South, which will have slope

angles of 45° requiring careful blasting and trimming. A major operational difference between Cut 3 is that it had a single pass haul road whereas the main Cut 4 haul road allows double pass traffic, applicable to the largest haul trucks on-site. Cut 4 North will expose new K01 ore by Q2 2015 which will be depleted by Q1 2018; with Cut 4 South then exposing its K01 ore by Q2 2018 and being depleted till the end of the open pit life in 2021. The Cut 4 North and South pit redesign work implementing the steeper slope angles is underway. The project involves a pivoting bottom approach on the Cut 4N design thereby benefiting with reduced total waste but with ore tonnages remaining more or less the same. On the South design, the approach is a pivot top in order to expand the pit and benefit from more ore exposure on the open pit with the associated increase in waste. The Pivot bottom on the North design results in 12 Mt less waste that will need to be mined, a saving of ZAR468 million; while exposing 0.3 Mt more K01 ore. Pivot top on the South design will resulted in an additional 5.7 Mt of K01 accessed, with additional waste stripping of 53.5 Mt of waste. The additional waste will involve an extra cost of ZAR2.36 billion, while the extra ore accessed has a value of some ZAR9.8 billion. The adopted steeper slopes in these designs will require greater accuracy in pre-split drilling in terms of

International Mining Editor Paul Moore and Publisher John Chadwick go the extra mile to report on real mines and mining projects globally, in addition to the major tradeshows and exhibitions. So far from 2011 to early 2014, visits have included the following: COUNTRY AUSTRALIA

OPERATIONS REPORTED ON FMG Christmas Creek (iron ore) Xstrata Coal Mt Owen (coal) BOTSWANA Gem Diamonds Ghagoo Debswana Jwaneng (diamonds) BRAZIL Samarco (iron ore) Anglo American Barro Alto (nickel) BULGARIA Chelopech (gold) CANADA IAMGOLD Westwood (gold) Cameco McArthur River (uranium) Vale Orebody 114 (nickel) CHILE Anglo American Los Bronces (copper) Codelco Radomiro Tomic (copper) CHINA SD-Mining Sanshandao (gold) SD-Mining Xincheng (gold) Xinjulong Jonggu (coal) CZECH REPUBLIC OKD CSA (coal) FINLAND Northland Resources Kaunisvaara (iron ore) Dragon Mining Orivesi (gold) Endomines Pampalo (gold) Altona Kylylahti (copper-gold-zinc) Agnico Eagle Kittila (gold) First Quantum Kevitsa (nickel-copper-PGM)

COUNTRY GERMANY IRELAND MOROCCO NAMIBIA NORWAY POLAND

RUSSIA SOUTH AFRICA SWEDEN SPAIN UK USA

ZAMBIA

OPERATIONS REPORTED ON GEOMIN Erzgebirgische Kalkwerke (marble) RWE Garzweiler (lignite) Boliden Tara (zinc) Maya Zgounder (gold-silver) Diamond Coast Store Norske Svea Nord (coal) NWR Debiensko (coal) PG Silesia (coal) JSW Zofiowka (coal) LW Bogdanka (coal) KWSA Bobrek-Centrum (coal) KRU Taldinski (coal) Frontier Zandkopsdrift (rare earths) De Beers Venetia (diamonds) LKAB Malmberget (iron ore) Iberpotash Cabanasas (potash) Galantas (gold) Duluth Complex (copper and nickel) Stillwater Mining (platinum/palladium) Peabody Energy NARM (coal) Peabody Energy Rawhide (coal) ARM/Vale Lubambe (copper)

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OPERATION FOCUS achieving design vertical holes orientation as well as design spacing in order to sustain these new slopes. This pre-split drilling and trimming work is contracted to Basil Read drilling subsidiary B&E and uses crawler top hammer drills. The pre-splits and trim drilling is done using 127 mm and 165 mm blasthole diameters respectively. Barloworld supplied and maintains the surface hauling fleet utilising either Cat or VR Steel truck bodies. The mine operates six 600 t excavators, which are a mix of older Terex/Bucyrus RH340 branded models plus post acquisition Catbranded 6060 machines; with each of the six excavators having a Caterprillar D10 crawler dozer assigned to it for clean-up duties. Some of the excavators are equipped with 34m3 VR Steel buckets as the kimberlite has relatively low density. The excavators are matched with the following trucks: 13 x Cat 789 (180 t) and 26 x Cat 793 (225 t). The main blasthole drilling fleet consists of seven Joy Global P&H 250XPs. The trucks and excavators are maintained and serviced by Barloworld and the drills by Joy Global. The mine also has two Cat 994 wheel loaders. There are also additionally three Engineering Top Tech 85,000 litre water tankers for dust control, designed around Cat 775 chassis. Dust-A-Side bitumen-based emulsion products are used to help with this work. The Basil Read mining contract fleet includes smaller Komatsu and Cat (777) rigid trucks and Volvo ADTs. These are used for overspill clean ups, stockpiling handling for plant feed, in addition to K03 pit mining. The Volvo machines are supplied by Babcock South Africa, the dealer in that region. The Basil Read fleet also includes a backhoe configuration Liebherr 9350 hydraulic excavator, their largest on-site. Personnel in the mine use a fleet of Toyota Hiluxes with ROPS protection. AEL have the surface explosives supply and blasting contract, carrying out charging and detonation, though De Beers itself designs the blast themselves and works with the AEL team on implementation. AEL has ANFO emulsion storage silos on site. The Cat 793 bodies include larger capacity VR

Diagram of Venetia underground design

Steel truck bodies, which were commissioned due the lower density kimberlite requiring a more customised approach. The VR Steel truck body capacity is 150 m3 versus 137 m3 allowing truck fill factors of up to 225 t, because the VR steel bowls have a lower weight. The fuel savings on the return cycle are in the 6% range or 50 litres/h. A fully laden truck uses some 360 litres/h. Tyre costs remain high at around ZAR300,000 per new tyre, or ZAR1.5 million per truck (taking into account the fact that new tyres are migrated to rear positions). The typical tyre life is about 8,000 h, with tyre pressure monitoring a critical part of the tyre management program as well as matching sets correctly. The mine uses 100% Michelin tyres and does its own tyre management and tyre monitoring. The surface mine operates on contops running 2 x 12 hour shifts per day, 24/7, though this may be changed to three eight hour shifts once the underground project starts up. Up to 1,800 workers are bussed in daily, some of whom live up to 1.5 hours away. Annual rainfall is about 350 to 400 mm but in January 2013 the mine had 445 mm in only a week, which was well over the designed for 200 year flood event. This meant over 1 million m3 had to be pumped out from pit bottom where most of the planned high grade kimberlite for 2013 was scheduled to come from. Waste stripping on upper Cut 4N benches was heavily impacted resulting in having to stop

waste stripping operation on higher benches until the water was pumped out from pit bottom then all the remaining kimberlite at pit bottom. As a result of the scale of floods experienced in 2013, the underground mine design was adjusted to allow for more powerful pumping stations, with pumping capacity upped by 200%. The mine has a 204 ha area with all waste dumps on the northern and eastern sides of the mine. Waste at Venetia is dumped on 9 m to 18 m lifts. Concurrent rehabilitation has been incorporated in the LOM plans to significantly reduce the environmental liability during the life of the operation. As part of the final rehabilitation process on the slopes gypsum is also being mixed with top soil to encourage plant growth. The final slopes are rehabilitated and planted. In 2013 to the time of the November 2013 visit, some 32 ha had been replanted. Once rehabilitated, these areas become part of the wider Limpopo reserve.

Underground project The ZAR20 billion project will enable underground sourced production to replace the open pit in the next seven years. Open pit operations will run to 2021 and the conversion to underground mining is expected to extend the life of the mine by 25 years to 2046. The development will see some 1.7 million m3 of rock

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OPERATION FOCUS Steepening of the pit walls is making significant savings on waste mined and fuel used during Cut 4

produced with the opening up 73 km of shafts, tunnels, workshops and ventilation systems underneath the existing Venetia open pit mine. In 2016, the lateral development work begins, with the underground project workforce peaking at 1,400 people in 2017. A transition period between surface and underground will be seen between 2018 and 2021. The work on the underground project is on three main terraces in the same part of the mine. In 2013, the actual construction of the new underground mine beneath the open pit began. The UG mine shafts are located near the primary crusher in the south/southwest part of the mine. As stated, K001 is the current focus of production, with the pit in that area at 330 m currently which will continue to a 450 m depth by 2021 before accessing both K001 and K002 pipes at depth via a decline. K001 also extends well beyond the planned underground workings. Indicated reserve figures have been increased significantly through exploration drilling. These underground reserves will be converted to measured category once underground mining is underway and more extensive core drilling can be carried out. The K002 pipe is currently at a 250 m depth but will go to 350 m before going underground. K3 will be mined out on surface. The processing plant will not alter much with the UG project as the nature of the ore at depth is similar, though the aim is to keep supplying fine residue deposits (FRD) to the plant right up until LOM end. As stated, the K001 pipe is the main focus of underground workings, having indicated resources down to 756 m and inferred to 1,044 m. The K002 pipe underground is indicated to 588 m and inferred to 864 m. In addition, the K4 satellite pipe will be intersected during waste stripping, allowing it to be milled as well and fed to the processing plant with optimal material. K3 is inferred to a depth of 420 m. The underground mine loading level will be at 960 m with the pump station at 990 m and a truck loop at 900 m. Access will be via two shafts (one service, one production), with an additional access decline to the bottom of the shafts at 1,044 m. A combination of block caving and sub level caving will be used with a crusher on the 960 m level. This use of two mining methods reflects the shape of the ore body and the accessing of both the K001 and K002 pipes. Over 70 km of lateral development will be needed. The main mine commissioning period will be 2021 to 2024 and total recovered carats will stabilise at some 4.5 Mct/y. Over its life, the underground mine will treat approximately 130 Mt of ore, containing an estimated 96 Mct. The

70 International Mining | MARCH 2014

mine will also support over 8,000 jobs directly, and a further 5,000 through the supply chain – benefitting the South African economy. Inferred resources constitute 28% or 26.3 Mct of the estimated carats. The underground project concept study was completed between 2003 and 2005, the PFS between July 2009 and July 2010, and the final definitive feasibility study between February 2011 and February 2012. The decline sinking part of the project began in 2013 and will run to 2017. Sinking of the production shaft will commence in October 2014; and that for the service shaft in January 2015. Fitting out of equipment in the production shaft will be completed in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 for the service shaft. The production and service shafts are close together and be equipped with double drum winders to handle production skips and man cages. The two deck man cage capacity will be 8 t. The production shaft will have four 24 t skips capable of moving at 6 m/sec and will a 6 Mt/y capacity. Another departure from the “norm” with the underground project is that De Beers has carried out much of the overarching EPCM work itself, with others such as TWP concentrating on only specialist engineering parts of the project.

Total employees at Venetia will stabilise after underground production begins at the level of 2,500, with long term an average of 50% contractors. During the current and near term construction period this figure will peak at about 4,000. Equipment costs will account for about 50% of the cost of the project. The decline portal is being developed in four blasts. The key contractor is Murray & Roberts Cementation, which is carrying out the shaft sinking and decline development; and Basil Read, which is completing the surface infrastructure development. Both M&R Cementation and De Beers will work together on the training of equipment operators. De Beers will own the development fleet of jumbos and underground trucks, but M&R will operate it. Once the decline is completed, De Beers will retain the fleet to carry out lateral development and additionally deploy a new production load and haul fleet. The majority of the underground load and haul fleet will be supplied by Sandvik. The Sandvik load and haul fleet will be automation ready, with the block cave mine trucks on an Automine loop and consideration of the Automine Lite system for the block cave LHDs as well as the sub level caving fleet. The

Cat 793 truck with VR Steel body

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truck loop will be similar to that used at Finsch (now operated by Petra) though with a number of technical improvements. The main fleet consists of Sandvik LH514 LHDs, of which two have been delivered, and TH540 trucks, again of which two have been delivered. Sandvik has also supplied two DD421-60C jumbo drill rigs. With the decline development, the LHDs, trucks, utility machines and support vehicles can all be driven down; which allowed for a reduction in the service shaft from 10 m diameter to 7 m. In addition, as part of a continuing plan to develop its dealer service and support structure in Africa, GetmanÂ hasÂ formed a partnership with Sandvik South Africa for in-country service and support of its products, and the Venetia underground project represents the first Getman sale into the South African market. In advance of the project start, Getman and Sandvik have worked through training programs ensuring that Sandvik technicians are fully versed in the operation and maintenance of Getman products, and an inventory of spare parts has been established in South Africa to support this and future fleets. Getman and Sandvik have also worked on a dynamic inventory plan based on anticipated lifetime operating requirements to ensure that in country support is always available for these units. The fleet on site includes a Getman A64 Scissor Lift; two Getman A64 Crane Trucks; a Getman A64 Lube Truck; and

Left to right â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kawasaki cone, Joest screen, Polysius HPGR

actual 7 m diameter shaft completion date within four years.

a Getman A64 Explosive Charger fitted with an AEL emulsion package. Getman says that the Venetia units offer a high degree of commonality, allowing for an optimised mix of training requirements and inventory to support the product when in operation. The fleet is based on the A64 carrier and has been specified both to meet the current needs of the Venetia underground development operations, and to have the flexibility for growth as mining operations ramp up. At the time of the IM visit, the first portal blast had been completed. There was 8 m of friable material to solid rock, which has been reinforced using resin grouted holes. The 22 KV power brought in from an Eskom substation has involved some upgrading of the nearby main power lines. The underground mine will also be tied into a temporary power genset farm in case of power failures, which would also allow key equipment like winders to keep running in an evacuation. A surface camp lamp station is being established by M&R. The portal is 10 m wide with a 9Â° angle and 72 m length before the start of the decline proper. There is a sump to catch rainwater and a settling pond. The bottom of the decline in the K2 ore will be reached by 2021. The decline will also allow for the speeding up of infrastructure development underground. The crusher station underground will feed the hoist skips and then either a waste or ore conveyor. The production shaft collar measures 12 m by 12 m with the

Processing The surface mine has one primary gyratory crusher followed by banks of Kawasaki secondary cones (to 25 mm) and two tertiary Polysius HPGRs (to 8 mm), with a line of large Joest screens preceding the crushing circuits. As stated the underground project will have one gyratory underground. The Â crushing circuits feed both coarse and fine Dense Media Separation (DMS) plants. The primary crushing stations crush ore to 150 mm before it is conveyed to a main ore stockpile and thereafter to the plant and further crushing. The HPGRs have a major advantage over jaw crushers or other technology as they are set in such a way that there is much less risk of breaking or damaging the diamonds as the HPGRs have floating rolls that can give if necessary. Each HPGR is powered by 2 x Siemens 825 kW motors. Following the HPGRs and further screening, the material passes to the DMS system and ultimately to the highly secure diamond sorting part of the process. The whole processing plant is managed by a Citect (Schneider Electric) SCADA control system. DMS produces a diamondiferous concentrate, which is then subject to X-ray fluorescence sorting to separate diamonds from residual waste. After drying, final hand-sorting recovers the diamonds, which are sent to the offices of the Diamond Trading Company South Africa (DTCSA) for classification into some 5,000 categories based on combinations of size, shape, colour and quality. IM

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72 International Mining | MARCH 2014

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