VIEW FROM THE TOP |
GROWING THROUGH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS IN MINING HÉCTOR MIRANDA Mexico Country Manager of Orica
Q: How do your blasting services differ from those offered
rarely do this, so we provide a tailor-made solution to each
by other companies?
operation with each plant design already in mind.
A: We provide innovative solutions that can greatly reduce
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time and costs. For companies that are not afraid to
Q: How is your business impacted by the development
incorporate new technology, we can help them to increase
of more complex mines that are increasingly going
productivity rates considerably in the same window of time
underground?
as more traditional systems. And for those that are more
A: I believe that Mexico will experience an increase in
conservative and wish to retain their existing mechanical
underground mines over the next 20 years as many
systems, we can help them find ways to improve their
open-pit mines will shift to underground to better extract
process and reduce costs.
mineralized bodies and become more cost effective. Many mines start off underground, turn into open-pit mines, then
We have noticed that initiation systems in the industry
start underground operations once again. Big open-pits
have evolved considerably and this could change the way
more likely will convert to underground when cost requires
blasting systems work. Programmability in detonators now
that shift. That is the case of big pit in copper mine in other
allows companies to adapt blasting systems to the needs of
countries like Chile, where Chuquicamata after 100 years of
the operation on a daily basis and we use these solutions
exploitation is now moving from the largest copper open
in our portfolio. We differentiate ourselves by providing
pit to one of the largest and newest underground mines
products that no one else offers in the market that can
in the world.
greatly improve operations. For example, we are the only suppliers of i-Kon, the top-selling electronic detonator
Q: What strategies will the company deploy to maintain
globally. Just recently we introduced wireless system
its leadership in global explosives?
Webgen into our portfolio. This can be initiated remotely
A: Orica is now focusing on expanding its presence
and helps mines to fully automate blasting processes. In
by acquiring companies that can provide innovative
fact, we just carried out our first tests of these products in
technology solutions to maintain its competitive edge.
Canada with Goldcorp and we are now starting to promote
We have incorporated groundbreaking solutions to our
it in Mexico as well. Fresnillo is quite likely to adopt some of
portfolio through this strategy such as GroundProbe a
these products as it is a company that prioritizes investment
novel technology in radar that can predict movements to
in technology.
avoid surprise motions within rock structures. Orica is also starting to provide services in intelligent blasting to use data
Q: In which phase of the mine production cycle do you
to create a design and improve processes continuously, with
specialize?
a new technology called BlastIQ that includes the latest in
A: We participate in initial unitary process, which is drilling
geological data management. Finally, Orica also is offering
and blasting, and the result of this process impacts
high-level technology in ground support for underground
approximately 90 percent of performance of the following
operations. While Orica is focusing in new development in
downstream processes. Our services are dictated by
technology, we remain open to acquisitions that can help us
what size of fragmented rocks the operation requires. For
to continue growing and securing our position in the market.
example, milling processes require much finer rocks than a leaching system. Ideally, at the planning stage we can collaborate with mining operators in feasibility studies and
Orica is the world’s largest provider of commercial explosives
help them to incorporate the most cost-effective blasting
and innovative blasting systems. It is also a leading supplier of
system possible, thereby challenging output assumptions of
sodium cyanide and a specialist provider of ground support
the mine. This can effectively reduce CAPEX. But companies
services in mining and tunneling
