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COMMENT

MINING AUTOMATION GETS SET TO RAMP UP BEN CREAGH

Ben.Creagh@primecreative.com.au

AUTOMATION HAS BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE MINING INDUSTRY, AND A PRODUCTIVITY AND SAFETY INITIATIVE THAT IS ONLY GOING GROW IN VALUE.

f automation hasn’t already taken off in mining, we might be entering a phase of growth where it truly does — once and for all. Up until this point, automation in mining has primarily been the realm of Western Australia’s iron ore miners. For the likes of Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue Metals Group, the implementation of driverless trucks has been a roaring success. The autonomous vehicles have been an integral part of each miner’s productivity and safety initiatives. According to Komatsu, a leader in the mining automation movement, its driverless trucks have cut load and haul costs in the Pilbara by more than 15 per cent compared with traditional manned methods. Add to that the safety advantages of the technology and automation in mining is seemingly a no-brainer moving forward. However, the automation uptake was somewhat stalled by the industry downturn, which forced companies to put away their cheque books until improved market conditions returned. That revival has now arrived, putting the next phase of automation’s growth back on the agenda for many mining companies. As this issue explains (p16–17), Komatsu is well aware of the attractive environment that is offering an expansion opportunity for its autonomous haulage system (AHS). The iron ore industry will, again, fuel the growth ambitions of equipment manufacturers like Komatsu, or Caterpillar, to name one other. Rio and Fortescue have already set the scene for this growth. Rio launched its latest automation initiative in late 2017 by unveiling plans to retrofit 48 trucks with AHS at the Hope Downs 4 mine and another 29 at the Brockman 4 operation.

MANAGING DIRECTOR JOHN MURPHY EDITOR BEN CREAGH Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: ben.creagh@primecreative.com.au JOURNALIST EWEN HOSIE Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Email: ewen.hosie@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER NATASHA SHEKAR Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Email: natasha.shekar@primecreative.com.au

Fortescue, meanwhile, is retrofitting around 100 trucks at its Chichester Hub, in addition to an expansion project at the Solomon Hub. Automation’s key growth, however, may not occur in the iron ore industry, with other commodity sectors and mid-tier miners now better placed to commit to these increasingly more affordable projects. The industry is seeing one manufacturer after another develop new autonomous and semi-autonomous solutions for surface drilling, underground hauling, longwall activities and other mining disciplines. Northparkes Mines’ collaboration with Sandvik in New South Wales has set a standard for underground hauling and continues to develop to enhance the operational performance of both companies. In Queensland’s coal industry, Peabody Energy last month confirmed it had ordered a complete Cat longwall mining system at North Goonyella, featuring advanced longwall automation technology to enhance productivity and safety. It is developments like these that demonstrate the potential of automation initiatives at the full spectrum of Australian mines, and something that is set to intensify as the mining recovery continues to gather strength.

In this edition of Australian Mining, we look at Komatsu’s automation story and the equipment manufacturer’s growth ambitions with the technology. This issue also examines the technology collaborations that will guide mining through its digital transformation in the coming years. In a feature focusing on the financial side of mining, we look at the increase in the number of fledgling junior companies that are listing, or planning to float, on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) as optimism has returned to the industry. This edition also covers the training and education opportunities that are available to people wanting to develop a career in mining. And as usual, we review the latest mining technology and equipment with our regular coverage of the products available for mining companies. Image: Hastings Deering apprentices Heidi Daniels (left) and Natasha Stark.

Ben Creagh Editor

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AUSTRALIANMINING

FRONT COVER

APRIL 2018

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CONTENTS TECHNOLOGY

SAFETY

COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS Partnerships aid the digital transformation

A PILLAR OF SUPPORT Strata evolves around the world

12-13

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Hastings Deering’s apprenticeship program

CASE STUDY

COLLABORATION LOWERS DOWNTIME ContiTech works with an iron ore miner

AUTOMATION

INTERNATIONAL

AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION Komatsu targets AHS growth

EDUCATION OPEN MINDS MEET OPEN MINES What are mining students learning at university?

THE ALBION PROCESS Glencore Technology builds on success

16-17 PROFILE

18-20

CRC’S SHONA FITZGERALD What motivates CRC’s leader?

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK MINING DEALS REBOUND M&A has made a comeback in mining

COMMODITIES

22-23

GOLD PRODUCT SPIKES Australia’s remains the No. 2 producer

EVENT

PROSPECT AWARDS A WEALTH OF RESOURCES Dani Tamati discusses mining employment

24-25

MEGATRANS2018 Facilitating the supply chain future

40-41 FUTURE OF MINING MINING ASX LISTINGS RISE As confidence returns, so have company floats

INDUSTRY COMMENT

26-27

AUSTMINE PROMOTES MINING The potential of overseas markets

INDUSTRY FEATURE

TRACKING THE TRENDS INNOVATION MATURITY Making it part of company culture

MINERALS PROCESSING The latest activities in the sector

44-49

INVESTMENT AUSTRALIA FALLS A SPOT The latest Fraser Institute rankings

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

50-51

WHAT’S NEW? In-depth summaries of mining products

MINING HISTORY AUSTRALIA’S GOLD RUSH How it compares to the US version

32-33

REGULARS

NEWS 8-10

PRODUCTS 52-53

AUSTRALIANMINING

APRIL 2018

EVENTS 54

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NEWS

THE LATEST MINING NEWS AND SAFETY AUSTRALIAN MINING PRESENTS THE LATEST NEWS AND SAFETY AFFECTING YOU FROM THE BOARDROOM TO THE MINE AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. VISIT WWW.AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING. RIO’S AMRUN PROJECT DELIVERS $2BN BOOST TO AUSSIE BUSINESS Rio Tinto has committed around $2 billion to the more than 1000 Australian businesses it has engaged for services and expertise during development of the Amrun bauxite project in Far North Queensland. The miner expects to launch production and shipping at Amrun in the first half of 2019, with ramp-up to full capacity scheduled by the end of next year. To develop the project, Rio has focused on benefitting Australian companies and businesses, especially those based locally. By March, it had directly or indirectly involved 1095 Australian businesses through the project, including more than 700 from Queensland. A key commitment at Amrun has been to provide opportunities for local and Indigenous businesses and for community members to benefit from the project. Up to March, 17 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses had been engaged at the project. Rio Tinto Amrun project director Marcia Hanrahan said the company

committed to prioritising Australian, and in particular Queensland companies for goods, services and expertise when the project started in 2015. “The engagement of more than 1000 Australian businesses on the project so far has provided a significant economic boost with overall Australian commitments now at $1.93 billion including Queensland commitments of $1.37 billion,” Hanrahan said. “It is important to us that the benefits of our investment are returned to home soil and that we play an active role in developing sustainable Australian communities for the future.” Rio has committed $218 million to the Western Cape York region, with 70 companies awarded aspects of the project. Local company Goodline, a company founded in Weipa, was awarded a contract to deliver two significant infrastructure packages for the Amrun project — the Hey River Terminal, including the barge and ferry berths, and the accommodation village. Goodline Queensland manager Weipa

CENTURY MINE TO RESTART AS A LEADING GLOBAL ZINC PRODUCER The Century zinc mine in Queensland is on track to be a top 10 global producer of the base metal when the operation restarts this year, according to owner, New Century Resources. New Century, which secured 100 per cent ownership of the operation last year, has forecast the Century mine to produce 2.1 per cent of global zinc production once it has been ramped up to full capacity. Previous owner, MMG, closed the operation in 2016. The company expects to restart Century in the third quarter of this year. It plans to ramp up operations to produce 500,000 tonnes a year (t/y) of zinc concentrate over an initial 6.3-year mine life. This would make the Century mine the fifth leading producer of zinc in the world, according to New Century, with Hindustan Zinc’s Rampura-Agucha mine in India the top producer. Glencore’s Mount Isa mine leads all Australian operations in third position, while Glencore’s McArthur River and MMG’s Dugald River also feature in New Century’s top 10 forecast. The mine is set to restart later this year with zinc prices reaching 10-year highs in early 2018. New Century has identified potential to extend the mine life and increase production at the Century operation after defining a new indicated mineral resource at the mine’s South Block deposit. The South Block resource includes 6.1Mt at 6.8 per cent zinc and lead, containing 322,000t zinc, 90,000t lead and 8.5Moz silver. New Century aims to initiate the expansion feasibility study during second quarter 2018. AUSTRALIANMINING

Rob Potter said the company, which started out as a small locally-owned business, was proud to have secured contracts of this scale in competition with some of Australia’s largest construction companies. “The packages of work secured on the project to date have allowed us to expand our local Indigenous engagement through direct employment and partnering with local Indigenous businesses,” Potter said. Australian construction company McConnell Dowell’s Queensland branch also benefitted from working on the project after being engaged to construct the Chith Export Facility. “Via a collaborative effort we had the opportunity to use an innovative construction method for wharf building that in the future will pave the way globally for similar projects,” McConnell Dowell Queensland project manager Graeme Brown said. “We are delighted to have had the chance to work with Rio Tinto on this exciting new development.” The Amrun project, about 40km south of Rio’s East Weipa and Andoom mines, has also been a significant employer of

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people in the region. Around 900 people are currently working on the construction of the site, with the workforce having peaked at 1250 during the December 2017 quarter. According to Rio, 80 per cent of workers are from Queensland and close to 200 are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander including over 60 local Aboriginal people.

ANGLO CONTINUES COAL REVIVAL, STUDIES GROWTH OPTIONS Anglo American’s Metallurgical Coal business has continued its operational turnaround, guided by record production at three underground mines in Queensland. The Moranbah, Grosvenor and Grasstree mines all achieved record output in 2017 for Anglo. The strong performance lifted its Metallurgical Coal business to a doubling of underlying profit to $US1.977 billion ($2.52 billion). Anglo said the result reflected the productivity and cost improvements that the Metallurgical Coal business had embedded at each of the mines over the past four to five years. The company also realised a 65 per cent increase in the metallurgical coal price in 2017, as the business produced a greater proportion of high-margin hard coking coal. Anglo Metallurgical Coal chief executive David Diamond said the strong contribution of the business to the company’s overall result followed a challenging period. “We made some challenging decisions in 2016, resulting in the divestment of Foxleigh, Callide and Dartbrook mines in Australia and commencing a process to divest the Drayton mine,” Diamond said. “These portfolio changes have enabled our business to focus on producing higher-value metallurgical coal here in Australia..” Anglo’s Metallurgical Coal business is exploring ways it can improve its performance even further, including studying options to develop the Moranbah South deposit.

APRIL 2018

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NEWS

BHP GROWS OLYMPIC DAM WORKFORCE AS OPERATIONS RAMP UP BHP has continued a recruitment drive for the Olympic Dam mine in South Australia this year as it ramped up operations to full capacity during the March quarter. The diversified miner has invested more than $350 million on a smelter upgrade project at Olympic Dam since August 2017. The maintenance and upgrade of the surface operations was the largest planned shutdown project ever undertaken at the mine. Smelting operations resumed late last year, with the first anode cast from the flash furnace in December. BHP has also undertaken major upgrade works on the refinery, concentrator, other key infrastructure and site technology at Olympic Dam. The project spanned more than 100 days and created 3100 short-term jobs, according to BHP. The company has continued to grow its Olympic Dam workforce to support the development and delivery of key projects. In November 2017, the company announced the creation of 120 new jobs in trucking, operations and engineering, in addition to the asset’s rolling requirement of 250 roles at any one time. Olympic Dam asset president Jacqui McGill described the mine as a multigenerational resource that continued to make a significant contribution to the South Australian economy. “BHP is one of South Australia’s largest employers, and we continue to invest in Olympic Dam to support our sustainable growth plans,” McGill said.

PILBARA MINERALS PLANS PILGANGOORA LITHIUM EXPANSION IN 2018 Lithium developer Pilbara Minerals has forecast that the stage two expansion to more than double capacity at its Pilgangoora project in Western Australia will cost $207 million. Pilbara plans to start the stage two project within months of launching production from its stage one, 2 million tonnes a year (Mt/y) operation in mid 2018. In February, the company delivered its stage two pre-feasibility study (PFS), which assessed expanding operations to increase production and processing capacity to 5Mt/y. Pilbara believes the PFS results “clearly demonstrate the strong financial and technical merits of the expansion project, paving the way for further definitive assessment through an ongoing definitive feasibility study,” which it is targeting by mid 2018. It added that the PFS re-affirmed Pilgangoora’s scale, globally competitive forecast cash operating costs, robust operating margins, long life and economic returns. Pilbara managing director and chief executive Ken Brinsden said the “compelling results” of the PFS provided a clear pathway to unlock further value in the Pilgangoora resource. “The exponential growth which is occurring across the lithium-ion supply chain as the industry in China and elsewhere gears up for transformational growth to meet demand from the automotive and energy storage sectors is now becoming better understood,” Brinsden said. “It was against this backdrop that we commenced the stage two expansion studies at Pilgangoora last year in parallel with construction of the stage one, 2Mt/y project. “The logic of this accelerated expansion strategy was underpinned both by the remarkable growth occurring in the market and the extraordinary success of our exploration team in growing the Pilgangoora ore reserve base to a level which underpinned a mine life of more than 40 years at 2Mt/y production rate.” Brinsden said the expansion to 5Mt/y was deemed to be the optimal production rate to unlock further value in the deposit. “This decision has been fully vindicated by the PFS results, which have shown a significant improvement in several areas compared to the 2Mt/y operation currently being constructed,” Brinsden said. “Headline results include a significant increase in the project’s net present value to over $2 billion, production of circa 800,000t/y of high quality spodumene concentrate once the plant has achieved its nameplate capacity of 5Mt/y, globally competitive cash operating costs and impressive financial metrics over a 17-year mine life.” Brinsden added the stage two expansion could be undertaken quickly, efficiently and cost effectively by leveraging off the existing stage one operation. AUSTRALIANMINING

“Through this latest project and other ongoing works, we are increasing the global competitiveness of Olympic Dam through continuous improvements to our infrastructure, technology and processes.” This year marks 30 years of operations at Olympic Dam, which is around 600km from Adelaide and produces copper, uranium, gold and silver. The site has an overall workforce of 3500 people.

ACTIVITY HAS RAMPED UP AT OLYMPIC DAM.

AUSDRILL MD SAYERS TO RETIRE AFTER 30 YEARS Long-serving Ausdrill managing director Ron Sayers is to retire from the company in 2019. Sayers, who has led the company for 30 years, has given the mining contractor 12 months’ notice of his intention to retire. He will remain with the company over the next year to ensure a smooth transition to a new leader. The 65-year-old founded Ausdrill in 1987, initially establishing it as a Kalgoorliebased drilling company in Western Australia. Ausdrill has since expanded into a multi-disciplinary mining services company operating in 10 countries. Ausdrill chairman Ian Cochrane thanked Sayers for his years of service and leadership on behalf of the company’s board. “We look forward to Ron’s ongoing support of Ausdrill during his well-deserved retirement. He has left a great legacy that we will continue to build on in the years ahead,” Cochrane said. Ausdrill plans to complete an international search, including internal and external candidates, for its next managing director.

NT IRON ORE MINE SET FOR A REVIVAL The Roper Bar iron ore mine in the Northern Territory has been cleared to restart under new ownership almost three years after it was closed. Britmar, which acquired Roper Bar after former owner Western Desert Resources went into liquidation in April 2015, has secured approval from the NT Government for the project’s mine management plan. The international company, which also owns a bauxite mine in Weipa, Queensland, plans to operate the mine using a local workforce, relying less on fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers. It will also establish a head office in Darwin. Roper Bar, 55km south-east of Ngukurr, has been in care and maintenance since April 2015 after it was closed with iron ore prices falling significantly. Britmar now looks set to rapidly ramp up activities at the site. “Britmar has indicated they are keen to get things moving as quickly as possible, and it will be great to see this mine up and running again,” NT Minister for Primary Industry and Resources Ken Vowles said. Roper Bar, under its former owner, exported its first shipment of iron ore in November 2013 when the iron ore price sat at around $US130/tonne. The iron ore price for the benchmark 62 per cent fines was trading at around $US78/t during March. Minerals Council of Australia, NT Division executive director Drew Wagner said the Roper Bar revival was proof of the shifting trend of growth and confidence in the mining sector. “To see projects such as this come back on line means the Territory will finally realise results from the efforts of previous works, and for many years to come,” Wagner said.

APRIL 2018

NEWS XXX

PEABODY ORDERS AUTOMATION-ENHANCED CAT LONGWALL Peabody Energy has ordered a complete Cat longwall mining system for its North Goonyella coal mine in central Queensland. The Cat longwall system includes roof supports and a face conveyor for a 300m face, shearer and beam stage loader. The system features advanced longwall automation technology to enhance safety and production. Delivery of the system is planned for the second quarter of 2019. The regional Cat dealer, Hastings Deering, will provide technical support for installation and commissioning of the longwall and will provide operational support going forward. North Goonyella produces premium coking coal via a Cat longwall system, which was instrumental in achieving record production from the mine in 2017. The decision to move to a new Cat system was driven by technological advances that enable automated shearer steering and face alignment, reduced exposure of operators to dust, and less maintenance. The Cat EL3000 shearer for North Goonyella will be equipped with the proven Cat PMC Evo-S control system, intelligent software modules and advanced measuring technology. The automation package enables the shearer to be operated by a single operator using remote control. This package includes automation logic to minimise overload situations and diagnostic tools to maximise uptime. Software tools and sensors in the gate ends and in the shield controllers enable advanced calculations for full 3D navigation and an accurate floor profile calculation. In total, the Cat automation package enhances safety and allows improved THE CAT LONGWALL SYSTEM. use of manpower, reduces coal dilution, enables faster haulage

speeds, improves face management and increases life of all longwall equipment, including the face conveyor and roof supports. Caterpillar will supply an efficient dust suppression system, designed using a holistic approach to mitigating operator dust exposure levels. With thorough understanding of dust generation processes in longwall operations and details defining the operating environment, Caterpillar engineers will design a state-of-the-art dust suppression system for North Goonyella. Additionally, Caterpillar has developed a corrosion protection strategy to improve resistance to corrosion and to minimise maintenance activities in the North Goonyella mine environment. For example, the 153 new Cat roof supports will have specially coated rods used in the hydraulic legs, and susceptible components will be built from highly corrosion resistant materials.

KOMATSU INVESTS IN EXPANSION OF SURFACE DRILL SOLUTIONS Komatsu is accelerating the development of smaller drills for surface mining applications. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is expanding its P&H product line to include articulating boom track drills, furthering its commitment to be a full solutions provider to the mining industry. Komatsu’s first machine in the series, the 44XT, is being tested at the company’s Arizona Proving Grounds prior to release this year. The 44XT is capable of drilling 4–8 inch (102–203mm) diameter holes using downthe-hole (DTH) percussive hammers. Brian Fox, Komatsu Mining’s vice president of product management and technology, said the development of the XT series of DTH track drills complements its plans for the new XR series of rotary blasthole drills, led by the 77XR that’s also operating in Arizona. “These programs, combined with our accelerated effort on drill automation enabled by Komatsu’s experience and resources, demonstrate a strong commitment to building our drill portfolio,” Fox said.

Komatsu introduced the 77 drill model at MINExpo 2016 and has since renamed it the 77XR to reflect its versatility for the rotary blasthole market. The 77XR was designed to accommodate the largest spectrum of blasthole drilling from coal to hard rock applications. The 44XT machines in development will be used in surface mines and quarries, and are ideally suited for pre-split drilling applications. They can also be used for production drilling in smaller mines and large quarries, opening a new market segment for Komatsu. “The 44XT drill delivers upon what you would expect from a P&H machine,” Komatsu Mining product director – drills Matt Collins said. “It starts with a safety-focused ergonomic machine layout that sits on a robust core design. We matched structural integrity with increased horsepower and compressor capacity, translating into higher torque and speeds for optimal drilling performance. “The 44XT’s configuration versatility, and increased range of motion, give users a large range of options for percussive hammer drilling.”

DOWNER SECURES $600M CONTRACT AT BMA COAL MINE Downer EDI has been awarded a $600 million contract to provide mining and related services at BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance’s (BMA) Blackwater coal mine in Queensland. According to Downer, the contract extends its relationship with BMA by consolidating two existing agreements and does not have any material impact on the contractor’s existing operations at Blackwater. The three-year agreement at the Central Queensland coal mine will involve overburden removal and haulage, equipment maintenance, and drilling services. Downer chief executive officer Grant Fenn said the company was pleased to be AUSTRALIANMINING

extending its relationship with BMA at Blackwater. “Downer has been working closely with BMA at a number of mine sites for many years and we look forward to continuing to provide safe and productive services at the Blackwater coal mine,” he said. The contractor previously announced that it was awarded two contracts at Blackwater worth $225 million over three years in 2015. Fenn said Downer was providing mining services at several Queensland operations, including the Blackwater, Goonyella, Commodore and Meandu mines.

APRIL 2018

TECHNOLOGY

SIGNIFICANT STATISTICS EWEN HOSIE SPEAKS WITH SEVERAL TECH LUMINARIES WORKING IN THE RESOURCES SECTOR TO DISCUSS THE INCREASING PREVALENCE OF COLLABORATIONS THAT ARE SLOWLY BUT SURELY UNPACKING THE INDUSTRY’S ANALYTICAL QUANDARIES.

nalytics is the magic word of the moment; data is everywhere, and tech companies and businesses around the globe are falling over themselves to uncover the key to unlocking its potential. The mining industry is, more than most, at the forefront of data analytics investment, with a series of high-profile tech collaborations having sprung up in the last year or so. But how can the sheer wealth of data generated by the mining industry be unpacked, distributed, interpreted and understood? “Something like half a per cent of all data in the world is being analysed today,” explained John Duda, vice president, global solutions engineering at Birst, “so you can imagine even another half per cent would add so much analytic value. “In the next few years I think there will be a hyper-accelerated

pace of figuring out how to leverage as much data as we can to make better decisions because today there’s so much data that we don’t know how to consume it, how to store it and how to analyse it.” Richard Mathews, chief executive officer and managing director of RPMGlobal, a mining software consultant that services both tier one global and smaller mining companies, possessed views along similar lines, having recently collaborated with Komatsu-owned MineWare to develop a real-time, ultra-short term planning solution utilising RPMGlobal’s XECUTE system. Mathews said that without such collaborations, mine sites would become less productive overall, and that while integrated data and its expedient analysis was important as the industry transformed into a more autonomous future, there was still a lot of work to be done. “Integrated data starts with

integrated solutions and without integrated solutions, mining companies will struggle to reach the new levels of productivity, safety and efficiency that the digital mine offers,” he said. Birst (a subsidiary of business tech giant Infor) entered into its deal with Pulse Mining Analytics for the purpose of workforce analytics. Ash Bosworth, director at the company, admitted that the pace of tech collaborations in the resources sector was happening at a fairly glacial pace. “There’s a culture in the mining industry that everyone wants to be the first to be second,” he said, “and there’s only a few really big players with the budget to do really innovative stuff and have the megabucks to get things off the ground.” Pulse Mining attempts to stand out from its competitors through the use of a heavily customer-focused USP: agile techniques that break down points into key deliverables and promise

PULSE MINING SYSTEMS DIRECTOR, ASH BOSWORTH.

tangible benefits for operations within two weeks. The company was attracted to collaborating with Birst on its proprietary business intelligence (BI)

MINE WORKERS CHECK ON THE DAY’S PROGRESS USING PULSE’S ANALYTICS SYSTEMS.

AUSTRALIANMINING

APRIL 2018

TECHNOLOGY

software due to its similar philosophy surrounding agile implementation, while Birst was likewise impressed with Pules’s pragmatic approach to data implementation for customers. “It’s almost like a ‘fail fast’ approach,” said Duda. “Many analysts have recognised that 80-plus per cent of big data projects have failed in the past, and the big reason for that is that they are not tied to real business benefit. I think a great example of what Ash and team are doing at Pulse Mining is linking data back to business benefits.” Birst didn’t have to use pitches or direct vendor presentations to attract Bosworth’s attention; as one might expect from a forward-thinking operation, Pulse Mining discovered Birst online, and was immediately attracted to its cloud-based, single endto-end solution model — an effective one-stop shop for analytical models. RPMGlobal has identified this kind of enterprise approach as key to mining’s future. According to Mathews, the meaning of the term ‘digital mine’ varies depending on who you speak to. “Companies that take ownership of that space and realise the value of a true enterprise approach will be successful,” he said. “We have identified an enterprise approach as the key to the future of mining and have invested heavily, even during tough economic conditions, to become the leader in that space.” Another recent tech collaboration paying dividends for its participants is the deal between Caterpillar and Minetec, a company brought on to help modernise Cat’s MineStar underground mining operations. Dr Rory Linehan, executive general manager of Minetec, is originally from Dublin and has a diverse background in defence, aerospace, and now with his work at Minetec, the resources sector. He has been working at Minetec parent company Codan for four years — originally working out of the UK and now in Adelaide, where he has been living with his family for just over two years. Minetec’s collaboration with Caterpillar has seen him primarily responsible for the delivery of fast, real-time continuous underground asset tracking to Caterpillar’s business. A few years ago, when Anglo American put out a market requirement for sub metre tracking for their underground mines in South Africa, six vendors around the world said they could do it; only three could demonstrate submetre tracking

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above ground, and Minetec was the only company that could demonstrate submetre tracking underground. “And that is still the case,” he told Australian Mining. “It’s a unique capability — part of the challenge is not just delivering that kind of capability, but also realising the benefits in a real production environment.” Of particular importance to Caterpillar was how data analytics could be used to invigorate the workforce, fostering a sense of (friendly) competition and vigilance among the staff. In the case of Pulse Mining, each crew received tailored multiple dashboards with large TV screens up in the office, each crew comparing themselves with other crews and fostering a healthy sense of competition. Caterpillar’s MineStar system offers a comprehensive solution for openpit mining that encompasses several programs, including Fleet, Terrain, Detect, Health and Command. Pulse Mining’s expertise in the comms and tracking space, as well as the application of a task management service built for scoping mines made it well suited for development of Cat’s MineStar for Underground expansion. “The productivity has increased dramatically,” said Bosworth. “The cultural change of workers knowing they are being measured and unable to get around the systems introduced a change in attitude, and that’s just at one mine. AUSTRALIANMINING

THERE’S ONLY A FEW REALLY BIG PLAYERS WHO HAVE THE MEGABUCKS TO GET THINGS OFF THE GROUND.” “A cultural change is required throughout mining organisations — which as you know are currently being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century with all the new things that are available. The use of such analytics is the vanguard for implementing change across the entire organisation.” In the wake of the mining downturn, operators have become increasingly fixated with the areas of supply chain and logistics that were previously taken for granted, and in order to cut costs with maximum efficiency, operation optimisation

will become increasingly essential. Bosworth predicts a sea change coming in the next few years. “There’s gains to be had, especially combining data from all your sources and turning that into more real-time, decision-making information,” he said. “Such operators will gain much higher advantages in their mining processes than other players. ”The automation and analytics are the main areas that will bring them benefits. “For the ones who aren’t on board, they’re going to get left behind quickly.” AM

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APRIL 2018

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT

HASTINGS DEERING LOOKS TO THE FUTURE MINING EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER HASTINGS DEERING HAS THIS YEAR CONSOLIDATED ITS POSITION AS ONE OF QUEENSLAND’S LEADING TRAINERS OF APPRENTICES. BEN CREAGH REPORTS.

astings Deering’s commitment to training the next generation of workers has spanned decades. For the past 40 years, the equipment and energy solutions supplier has developed up-and-coming mining and construction workers through its apprenticeship program. Since 1989, Hastings Deering has trained almost 1600 apprentices and in 2018 remains one of the largest trainers of apprentice diesel fitters in Australia. It hasn’t mattered where the mining industry has been in its cycle, the exclusive Caterpillar equipment dealer has remained determined to maintain the strength of the apprenticeship program. And, it seems for prospective candidates, the program is more popular than ever. In February, 48 new apprentices from Queensland and the Northern Territory started work for Hastings Deering’s mining and construction divisions. The company was astounded, yet

delighted when more than 1000 people applied for its 2018 apprentice intake within 24 hours of it launching the online applications process. By the time submissions closed, the equipment specialist had received 1800 applications, with the final intake the largest at the company in four years. However, the popularity of Hastings Deering’s program was not the only aspect of the application process that pleased the company’s management. It also provided evidence of the inroads that gender and cultural diversification was making in the industry. More than 200 females applied for apprenticeships for auto electricians, boilermakers, diesel fitters, fitter machinists, mechanical fitters and electrical fitters. The final intake included five females and five Indigenous workers. Hastings Deering executive general manager – mining Mark Scott said the substantial number of applicants demonstrated why it was so important for the company to strengthen the apprenticeship program. “The 48 apprentices are more than

double the previous year and we plan to continue to invest significantly in our training programs,” Scott told Australian Mining. “We take immense pride in the fact that we’ve had 40 years of consecutive apprenticeship training within our business.” Hastings Deering, a registered training organisation with learning centres in Brisbane and Papua New Guinea, is Queensland’s third-largest trainer of apprentices behind two government organisations. The apprenticeships it offers span four years, with all apprentices receiving a nationally recognised qualification. The next intake will be in 2019 but Hastings Deering is now reviewing if it will accept a second intake in 2018 due to the high interest. Hastings Deering managing director Dean Mehmet said the doubling of last year’s apprentice intake reaffirmed the company’s commitment to equal opportunities, training and the need to continually replenish its talent pipeline. “As a country, Australia needs to remain agile and on the front foot for

HASTINGS DEERING’S 2018 APPRENTICES.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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when the resources and construction sectors pick up,” Mehmet said. “While many companies are running leaner operations than ever before we need to continue to offer both our young people and mature age workers career pathways.” Hastings-Deering’s apprenticeship program has evolved to reflect the developments and updates made to mining equipment, including the introduction of new technologies and innovations. The company has also increased the program’s focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects and the value they have in the mining and construction industries. Hastings Deering achieves this through collaborations with industry organisations like the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), which it works with to build awareness of STEM subjects and the future direction of the mining industry. “There is definitely an increased focus on technology as more and more of it becomes available on machines,” Scott said. “We will continue to add more focus on STEM subjects as well — the big push is currently around improving skills in literacy and numeracy.” And while Hastings Deering understands the importance of creating a pipeline of future workers, it is also committed to developing the skills of its existing employees through training programs. Hastings Deering’s long-term view includes its experienced personnel — many of whom have progressed through its apprenticeship program to become leaders at the company. “We have launched several front-line leadership training programs and we had more than 300 people go through those training program last year,” Scott explained. “That was very much focused on leadership skills such as communication and coaching, and business skills.” With skills shortages again emerging in mining, the industry could learn a thing or two from how Hastings Deering is working to avoid such issues. AM

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AUTOMATION

KOMATSU TARGETS NEXT PHASE OF AUTOMATION GROWTH THE MINING EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER PLANS TO ACCELERATE THE PACE OF MINING AUTOMATION THROUGH THE ONGOING DEVELOPMENT OF ITS AUTONOMOUS HAULAGE SYSTEM (AHS). BEN CREAGH WRITES.

omatsu’s aggressive expansion of its autonomous haulage system (AHS) is set to continue, 10 years after the first commercial deployment of the mining automation solution. The company, which has more than 100 driverless trucks at mines in Australia, North and South America, hopes to use its track record in various mining environments to accelerate the pace of AHS

deployment in the coming years. Komatsu first trialled AHS at a Codelco copper mine in Chile in 2005, achieving the first deployment with the miner in January 2008. A second deployment followed later in 2008 at a Rio Tinto iron ore mine in Western Australia. Rio now operates AHS trucks, which are controlled remotely in Perth, at four mines in the Pilbara region. Today, AHS operates around the clock, hauling three different commodities in six mines across

AUSTRALIANMINING

three continents. By the end of 2017, the Komatsu system had recorded a cumulative total of 1.5 billion tonnes of hauled materials. But Komatsu is keen to rapidly expand this presence, with the benefits of AHS now increasingly known throughout the global industry. The system has reduced load and haul unit costs by more than 15 per cent compared with conventional haulage methods, according to Komatsu. AHS has also improved tyre life by 40 per cent by reducing sudden

APRIL 2018

acceleration and abrupt steering through its automation controls. This won’t, however, be the first time Komatsu has taken an aggressive approach to the growth and uptake of AHS. Komatsu general manager mining & construction Leo Kaloglou said the manufacturer’s AHS growth expectations in Australia had been aggressive since it announced an agreement at Rio Tinto’s iron ore operations in 2011. “However, not long after 2012

AUTOMATION

the mining sector had a significant downturn, which did impact those expectations,” Kaloglou told Australian Mining. “I think with the uptick in commodities over the past 12 to 18 months we’re probably back on track for some consistent growth in this product.” Rio’s fleet of autonomous trucks, which includes over 80 Komatsu machines, passed the one billion tonne milestone of hauled ore and waste material in the Pilbara during January. The results of Rio’s automation program in the Pilbara has prompted the miner to expand its number of driverless trucks in 2018, giving Komatsu a kick-start in its AHS growth ambitions. Chris Salisbury, Rio Tinto iron ore chief executive, said the miner’s planned expansion of its AHS fleet would provide opportunities for new roles, retraining, upskilling and redeployment. “Hauling one billion tonnes autonomously is an impressive milestone for our business and again highlights Rio Tinto’s pioneering spirit when it comes to adopting revolutionary new technologies which are making the industry safer and more efficient,” Salisbury said. Rio’s expansion includes retrofitting 48 Komatsu and Caterpillar trucks with AHS tech, the first of which was deployed at the Hope Downs 4 mine last September. The miner also planned to retrofit 29 Komatsu haul trucks with the technology at the Brockman 4 operation, which will run entirely in AHS mode once this project has been completed in 2019. The miner’s autonomous haul trucks, on average, operated an additional 1000 hours and at 15 per cent lower load and haul unit cost than conventional haul trucks in 2016. Automation has become an integral part of Australia’s iron ore sector, with Rio, BHP, Fortescue and Roy Hill all establishing it as a key element of their haulage strategies. While iron ore will continue to be an important market that grows AHS for Komatsu in Australia, it is also hopeful of expansion into other commodities, like it has achieved on an international scale. “We were recently successful with a new AHS deployment in Canada at a large oil sands operation and continue to engage other mining houses working in varying commodity sectors for the same,” Kaloglou said. “Diversity in our customer base will always drive improvement in our product and services and I see the deployment of AHS as no different.”

The type of miner using AHS may not be limited to the major miners in the years ahead either, Kaloglou added. “As the AHS product develops and becomes more adaptable I think there are short- to medium-term opportunities for us to partner with mid-tier miners,” Kaloglou said. Komatsu extended the benefits of AHS at operations with manned haul fleets through trials of an AHS retrofit kit with Rio last year. The retrofit kit, mounted on a Komatsu electric drive standard truck 830E (nominal payload: 220t), enabled the truck to operate in autonomous mode. As a result of the trial, Rio ordered the 29 AHS retrofit kits from Komatsu for installation on 830E trucks at the Brockman 4 mine. In addition to expanding the retrofit kit to include other Komatsu models with electric drive standard trucks, the company also plans to enhance AHS’s mixedoperation functions. The planned enhancements will enable manned haul trucks of any make to safely interoperate with Komatsu AHS trucks in a blended fleet operation. Under this initiative, Komatsu has committed to providing mining customers with AHS solutions that meet the growing demand for the gradual transition from existing to fully automated mines. “The potential for AHS retrofit is high for many customers and product; however, it always depends on the age of the fleets; the mining application and the economics,” Kaloglou said. The potential of AHS is also dependent on several internal initiatives at Komatsu. For the product’s continued improvement, Kaloglou said the ongoing training of its people and clients, as well as collaborative efforts with the industry would be critical. “Collaboration is the key factor of the success of the Komatsu AHS program. This relationship between us and our customers is one of a united team and we go to great lengths to ensure this is the case,” Kaloglou said. “Of utmost importance to us is the need for the customer to be fully embedded in our team and vice versa; and for the customer to have full ownership of the project. This ensures as successful outcome for both.” Like AHS over the past decade, collaboration with mining partners has become a crucial ingredient for operational success, and one that looks set to shape the next phase of Komatsu’s automaton story. AM

AUSTRALIANMINING

APRIL 2018

EDUCATION

WHERE OPEN MINDS MEET OPEN MINES HAVING SUFFICIENT TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN PLACE FOR THE EDUCATION OF MINING TALENT IS CRUCIAL TO THE INDUSTRY’S SUCCESS. PROFESSOR STEVE HALL OF MINING EDUCATION AUSTRALIA SPEAKS TO EWEN HOSIE ABOUT THE STATE OF EDUCATION IN MINING.

ining Education Australia (MEA) is an important part of the modern fabric of Australia’s tertiary mining education, supporting around 80–85 per cent of the current crop of mining graduates. The program was borne of the Minerals Tertiary Education Council (MTEC), founded and established in October 1999 by the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) for the purpose of building a progressive tertiary learning environment for the education of minerals professionals. This was considered a crucial step following the results of a discussion paper published in 1998,

Back from the Brink: Reshaping Minerals Tertiary Education, which concluded that the MCA should fund the MTEC in order to foster international competitiveness and drive in the face of changing times. Australian mineral education, it concluded, was “fragile”, with “small student populations [and] high relative costs making mineralspecific courses vulnerable to closures”. “In the late 1990s, there was concern in the industry around the fragility of mining schools, the numbers of mining graduates, and possibly the quality of those mining graduates,” explained Professor Steven Hall, executive director of MEA. “Through funding, the MCA

AUSTRALIANMINING

THROUGH FUNDING, THE MCA DECIDED IT WOULD INTERVENE BY SUPPORTING NEW, YOUNG, ACADEMIC STAFF ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE DISCIPLINES OF GEOLOGY, MINING AND METALLURGY.” decided it would intervene by supporting new, young, academic staff across the country in the disciplines of geology, mining and metallurgy.” The result of this intervention mentioned by Hall was the formation of MEA in 2007, a collaborative partnership involving a shared third- and fourth-year curriculum across three leading universities; Curtin University

APRIL 2018

(the Western Australian School of Mines, Kalgoorlie campus); the University of Queensland; and the University of New South Wales. The University of Adelaide soon followed, resulting in four universities in partnership overall. Each year, the best-performing research students from each university are brought together to the MEA Student Conference to present their projects and findings

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EDUCATION

THE MEA SOMETIMES ARRANGES FOR ITS STUDENTS TO VISIT UNDERGROUND MINES ON FIELD TRIPS.

to an audience of peers and industry in competition for financial prizes. Hall explained that the biggest incentive for the students, however, was not the prize so much as the opportunity to demonstrate to a wider audience that they are “the best of the best”. “It’s often very tight at the top and we award a first, second and third place, though last year the results were so close we awarded two students third place,” said Hall. The four internally run competitions within the four member universities typically select the best four or five students to attend a national final, which usually takes place around the end of the academic year in October at a specially chosen location where judging can take place. Last year’s event took place in October at the WA School of Mines (WASM) in Kalgoorlie, where in addition to the conference itself, the students were arranged an underground mine visit as well as an Indigenous experience through a local Aboriginal tourist organisation, things that would otherwise be difficult to experience, particularly for east coast students.

As part of a wider aim, the MEA’s cross-curriculum benefits afford students the opportunity to scope out potential post-graduation work environments. This is particularly useful since, according to Hall, the majority of domestic Australian students study in their home states. “I think that’s a real advantage,” he said. “There has been some mobility of students who typically think they may have a greater opportunity of finding employment in Western Australia; for example if the east coast coal industry is doing it tough and jobs are not that readily available, students can transfer over to Western Australia, have a look around with much less risk, complete their degree, and develop a network to get themselves a job here after they finish, and vice versa. “If there was a boom and the Olympic Dam expansion went ahead in South Australia, you could see students moving to the University of Adelaide to complete their final year. They know all the angles on it.” Hall predicted that the 80–85 per cent figure for MEA-attributed mining engineering graduates may drop to around 60 to 65 per cent in the next AUSTRALIANMINING

few years, with lower numbers of STEM graduates and a rising sense of competition for international students. He also added that more could be done to address gender imbalance and a push for greater diversity in recruiting. “My own view is that the recent push into STEM has probably been more for the benefit of science to the detriment of engineering,” explained Hall. “We’ve seen a little bit of movement of students from one discipline to another, but it’s not really increased the pool of qualified school leavers, so I think there’s still a lot of work to be done in that space. “I think as engineers — and this is a personal view — we have to look at how and why we’re teaching mathematics, and why we’re asking for the highest level of mathematics qualifications coming from the school leavers; one reason we are predominantly male-dominated in our classroom if you look at the gender balance at the highest level of mathematics is that it’s two-thirds male in Western Australia, but at the next level down it becomes twothirds female. In addition to adapting to falling

APRIL 2018

STEM numbers, the MEA is also preparing for the increasing trend in mining towards technology, particularly in the realm of automation and data analysis. MEA members are currently at work on a new elective entitled ‘Automation and Data Analytics in Mining’, which is expected to be offered as an elective across the four MEA-participant universities later this year before becoming a winter school in 2019. “We are pedalling fast, and have already done the outlines and the basic work,” Hall explained. “We obviously have to put some quality flesh on the skeleton so that we can offer a quality program linked to industry. “In fact, we are hoping to go up to the Pilbara this winter and take the academics to see how a lot of this new technology is being applied — we will bring then bring that first-hand experience back to the classrooms. Having a board of directors that keeps me honest and is dominated by industry people, you can imagine that we’ve been hearing about this for a little while, and like all things in universities we’re a little slower to move, but at least now we are moving.” AM

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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

MINING DEALS MAKE A COMEBACK THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS OVER THE PAST YEAR. IS THIS TREND EXPECTED TO CONTINUE? BEN CREAGH FINDS OUT.

ustralia’s mining industry may have finally reached a point where it is again ripe for mergers and acquisitions (M&A). After an extended period where mining companies focused on restructuring their operations, 2018 has been flagged as the year where growth through M&A will potentially return to the agenda. Last year delivered signs that mining deals were again on the rise. According to Acuris company, Mergermarket, the energy, mining and utilities (EMU) sector last year overtook transportation as the most targeted Australian industry sector for M&A by value

($37.1 billion) with 77 deals. This was a 56.7 per cent increase in value compared with the previous year when $23.7 billion was recorded over 59 deals. The EMU sector’s inbound M&A, which involves foreign buyers, jumped almost five times to $22.1 billion across 29 deals, taking up 27.4 per cent of Australia’s total inbound value. According to an Ernst & Young report, the value of global mining and metals deals reached a four-year high in 2017. The accountancy firm revealed that mining and metals deals in 2017 were worth $51 billion, a 15 per cent increase on 2016. Deals in the coal and the steel sector were a prominent part of this AUSTRALIANMINING

activity, with Yancoal Australia’s $3.5 billion acquisition of Rio Tinto’s Coal & Allied division in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales one of the standout transactions. For the coming year, Mergermarket predicts that Australia’s mining industry may see an uptick in inbound activity as cashed-up international majors enjoy a period of high commodity prices and a projected lower Australian dollar. Adam Orlando, Asia-Pacific sector head of mining at Mergermarket, said he expected to see the increase in M&A activity to involve Australia’s mid-tier mining sector. “A lot of the majors have now finished up their divestment programs.

APRIL 2018

They’ve shored up their balance sheets and have clarity on what their production profile will look like in the years to come,” Orlando told Australian Mining. “There could be more divestments to follow but for the most part the restructuring activity appears to have eased, although there is still some activity among coal and steel companies. For example, Rio Tinto’s Queensland coal assets are still in play.” EY anticipates a similar situation globally, with deals in 2018 to be driven by mining’s return to investment-led strategies aimed at building portfolios rather than divestment-oriented transactions.

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

WILL THERE BE A RE-EMERGENCE IN GOLD DEALS?

“We expect to see more deals in 2018 as investment-led strategies begin to dominate, but the return of transformational consolidation across the industry is unlikely as capital discipline is maintained,” EY global mining and metals transactions leader Lee Downham said. EY added that there would be renewed pressure for mining companies to participate in battery technology, while reducing their reliance on fossil fuels. Mergermarket is also buoyant on the prospect of M&A in 2018 involving mining companies focused on emerging tech metals for batteries or electric vehicles (EVs). The company believes that Australia, and in particular Western Australia, is poised to lead the charge for deals in the tech metals sector, as federal and state governments open doors to capitalise on growing global demand. Electric vehicles, stricter environmental emissions legislation and household-use solar power batteries continue to drive demand for these commodities, which include lithium, boron, cobalt, vanadium, copper and nickel. Mineral-rich WA has a wealth of these metals, including the world’s largest lithium mine at Greenbushes in the state’s South-West region. The state also expects to see several new lithium operations launch production this year, with the likes of Pilbara Minerals, Altura Mining, Galaxy Resources and Tawana Resources rapidly progressing development of their WAbased projects. “It’s fair to say that with any future deal activity, Australia and WA in particular, will be in the midst of it all,” Orlando said. EY reinforced the optimism surrounding deals for tech metals like lithium, saying it expects investors in the commodity to prioritise Australian and South American assets because of the lower political risk in these regions. Another factor that may increase

M&A activity in Australia is the reemergence of exploration for several key commodities, such as gold in Western Australia and base metals in eastern Australia. Orlando agreed that the recent increase in investment on exploration may impact M&A activity in 2018 and in the following years. “Interestingly, there seems to be a lot more being spent now on exploration so whether that leads to more deals down the line, once drilling programs reveal ore structures, remains to be seen,” Orlando said. “Oftentimes, juniors and mid-caps, that have exploration programs and have nearby projects, will look to do a deal, whether a merger or joint venture, in order to drive down costs by sharing infrastructure and various risks.” As for Australia’s vibrant gold sector, Orlando said the precious metal was always on the M&A radar at Mergermarket despite the sector being “fairly disappointing” in terms of its deal volumes over the past two years. He did, however, point out that there are some cashed up Australia gold companies with the potential to secure acquisitions, naming Northern Star Resources as an example of a company having the capacity to make investments. “I think fundamentally across the board most miners have shored up their balance sheets, including gold miners, and no we’re seeing the valuations of the assets on the market increasing,” he said. “So any gold projects or companies that come into play will likely be good quality and fully priced.” Like in lithium, WA should see several new gold projects reach production over the next year, with Dacian Gold’s Mt Morgans being one operation closing in on this milestone in the coming months. Globally, EY reported that deals for precious metals, like gold, would be driven by a focus on doing business in lower risk jurisdictions, as Australia is generally regarded. AM AUSTRALIANMINING

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PROSPECT AWARDS

A WEALTH OF RESOURCES AUSTRALIAN MINING SPEAKS TO DANI TAMATI OF THE RESOURCES HUB — WINNERS OF THE PROSPECT AWARD FOR COMMUNITY INTERACTION IN 2016 — TO DISCUSS FUTURE EMPLOYMENT TRENDS.

n 2016, Western Australiabased business consultant THE resources Hub (THErh) picked up an Australian Mining Prospect Award for Community

Interaction for its Redundancy Rescue program, a service launched by the recruitment agency to help resources industry workers deal with the fallout of redundancy. The program covers several

facets of redundancy, offering help to workers looking to tailor their CVs, build their LinkedIn profiles and deal with creditors, among other things. It is a service that grew off the

DANI TAMATI OF THE RESOURCES HUB.

AUSTRALIANMINING

APRIL 2018

back of the industry downturn, which saw many miners lose their jobs, or at least see their roles shift from permanent placements to contract positions after 2012. Having set up an agency during one of the worst downturns known to the mining industry, the company has brought on new staff in the last few months, with six in the business plus contractors and labour hires that work across HR, career coaching, recruitment and resourcing. Things are improving for the industry now, but for THErh director Dani Tamati, the success of Redundancy Rescue was bittersweet. “We started seeing a decline in positions and a lot of people and roles were made null and void, or combined with different types of positions,” she explained. “Since then, with the industry picking up, there’s been a change in dynamics regarding what employment looks like; I’ve started to see an increase in clients wanting permanent employees, which was a really nice position to be in, because working shutdowns, contracts, and temp and labour hire is something that can be quite stressful for some people.” While labour hire opportunities and shutdown ops still exist within the current climate, things have started to see a shift back towards permanent recruitment. THErh’s experience as a management service allowed businesses to outsource recruitment and HR, leading to cost savings for the hiring party as well. Mining companies have generally become more frugal since the days of the downturn too, though there is evidence to suggest strong opportunities at entry level. According to information released by Mining People International (MPI) last October, unskilled workers were becoming increasingly sought after for entrylevel roles in the Goldfields region of Western Australia, resulting in salaries upwards of $82,000 for unskilled workers. However, Tamati has cited the increasingly prevalent model of managed services as the biggest change in her business since winning the Prospect Award in 2016; recruitment, she said, is more than

PROSPECT AWARDS

WE STARTED SEEING A DECLINE IN POSITIONS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE AND ROLES WERE MADE NULL AND VOID, OR COMBINED WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF POSITIONS.”

THE RESOURCES HUB RECEIVED AN AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARD IN 2016 FOR ITS REDUNDANCY RESCUE SERVICE.

just a transactional and immediate process for the client. “We’re not just a startup that’s never worked in mining before,” Tamati said. “I’ve got 24 years of experience in the industry, so having that expertise and detailed knowledge of different types of positions, instead of just being a recruiter who fills a void — that’s our main point of difference.” Tamati identified three of the biggest employment trends she has identified in the mining industry recently.

Work-life balance

Perhaps as a consequence of postdownturn adjustment, there has been an increasing desire towards

work flexibility, a trend reflected in the wider workforce, and Tamati has seen a palpable shift in attitudes and expectations in this regard. “I’m seeing a bit of a shift of people wanting the flexibility to work on contracts and projects at their own discretion,” explained Tamati. “I think that freelance gigs and agile mining will be huge in the coming years, especially as we come to terms with that mentality that not everyone needs to be employed in a permanent position.” While hiring managers and recruiters generally prefer a permanent workforce the realities of the downturn means that people are quite happy to experiment with

different methods of employment. A mix of permanent and temporary roles, mixed with a diverse work life balance is expected to play out in employment trends in the future. Tamati cites mothers who want to return to work during school hours as a specific example; capable individuals that can be utilised even if they want to work 20 hours a week, or two days from home, and can still fulfil the tasks and responsibilities that they need to. In spite of these changes, Tamati believes that there is one particular work trend that probably isn’t going to change much anytime soon. “FIFO is here to stay. We’ll probably see some mining companies want families to return to towns; I think that’s pretty imperative to the infrastructure of towns in the Pilbara, Goldfields, and Kimberley regions of Western Australia in particular.”

Apprenticeships

Tamati has lived with her husband in the Pilbara for 14 years, and her children have begun to seek apprenticeships. Her son was recently picked for a boilermaker apprenticeship out of 220 applications, and while she is

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naturally pleased for him (“I suppose it helps that his mother is a career coach!”), she also believes that there just aren’t enough apprenticeships out there. “We’ve lacked apprenticeship opportunities in the last four or five years, and that will have such a detrimental effect,” stressed Tamati. “Over the next 24 months, industry and the government are going to have to rally to find some kind of solution to the shortfall.” Tamati cites the importance of apprenticeships for employee development, especially when it comes to trade roles, and at the moment, she says, there quite simply aren’t enough opportunities out there.

Salaries

When it comes to salary, news is generally good, with wages on the up. Trades in particular have seen an increase of at least 10–20 per cent, according to Tamati. “I actually benchmarked rates for a mining company last September, comparing employee expectation back in 2012 to now,” she said. “It was a mine site with about 180 people to restart, up to 360 in the first three years, and the rates had increased. And they’re only going to keep increasing.” AM

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FUTURE OF MINING

FLOATING ON THE INDUSTRY REBOUND IN A POSITIVE SIGN FOR THE FUTURE OF THE LOCAL MINING INDUSTRY, THE NUMBER OF COMPANIES THAT HAVE LISTED OR ARE PLANNING TO FLOAT ON THE AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (ASX) HAS INCREASED. AUSTRALIAN MINING EXPLAINS.

PHOTO CREDIT:/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

s optimism has returned to the mining industry so has the number of junior companies entering the Australian market — albeit slowly. In 2017, more resources companies (25) floated on the ASX than in the previous four years combined (24), according to data from Patersons Securities. Over the 2013–2016 period, resources company listings fell to their lowest point since the last significant downturn in the late 1990s, when there were just three floats in both 1998 and 1999. Last year’s revival followed the improvement in commodity prices that was first experienced in the thermal and metallurgical coal sectors at the end of 2016. A gradual rise in gold prices has complemented the revival in most other commodities. Company listing activity has, therefore, increased in the gold industry as confidence has lifted, with several juniors floating off the back of exploration plans in Western Australia’s Goldfields region. The growth in initial public offerings (IPOs) has also been instigated by the forecasted growth in demand for tech metals, such as lithium and cobalt, which are crucial materials used in the manufacture of electric vehicles (EV) and batteries. Patersons Securities senior resources analyst Simon Tonkin said the recent IPO trends reflected a resources sector that was “definitely more vibrant” and had transitioned into a better environment for companies wanting to float stock on the ASX. “My prediction of 30–60 floats both this year and next year should be fine unless commodity prices tank again,” Tonkin said. “From what we have seen in the past that seems like a reasonable number — whenever there are around 20 floats we seem to follow that with up to 60 in the following years. “The market is fairly supportive at the moment and there seems to be plans for a lot of floats going around.” On a global scale, mining and metals IPOs also grew in 2017, with offerings on the London Stock

MORE MINING COMPANIES ARE LISTING ON THE ASX.

Exchange (LSE) at a three-year high and up 164 per cent in value on the previous year, according to research from international law firm, White & Case. In a White & Case survey of mining and metals companies, 20 per cent of participants responded that IPOs would be the major spur of industry growth in 2018. White & Case global head of mining and metals, John Tivey, said companies would push ahead to identify new opportunities to support their growth strategies in 2018. AUSTRALIANMINING

“Confidence that growth is returning is now cemented in the marketplace,” Tivey said. “The junior sector will attract new investment as exploration projects become attractive opportunities again.”

Gold rushes back

Tonkin believes the increase in goldrelated IPOs on the ASX has been influenced by a strong Aussie dollar price for the precious metal, which had been trending upwards since 2014 despite the commodities downturn. However, Tonkin also viewed

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the change in outlook from mining companies and investors, who were proving more prepared to spend cash, as another important factor contributing to the rise in companies floating or planning to IPO. “The biggest change has been the increasing money flow. There is a lot more money floating around and some of it is going into the exploration space,” Tonkin said. “There has not been a major gold discovery since Gruyere in 2013, but what has been shown historically is that for every half a billion dollars or so that is spent on exploration

FUTURE OF MINING

Source: Patersons Securities (as at late February)

from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and 98 per cent of it comes as a by-product,” Tonkin said. “So, you can’t really turn on a cobalt mine and product a lot because it has a by-product with it as well, usually something like nickel. “There are also risks in terms of recoveries, as recovery of cobalt is not known to be very high so it is difficult to extract. Companies need a chemist to extract it and that is going to cost million of dollars to set up for a lot of the companies. “But as the price has risen to around $100,000/t there is certainly a good argument for cobalt.”

More grassroots growth

THE BIGGEST CHANGE HAS BEEN THE INCREASING MONEY FLOW. THERE IS A LOT MORE MONEY FLOATING AROUND AND SOME OF IT IS GOING INTO THE EXPLORATION SPACE.” we usually start to find deposits — that hasn’t happened for more than four years. “So my theory is that we will have another new discovery in 2018 or 2019. Something will pop up from this next phase of exploration.” About half of the companies that listed in 2017 were either gold focused or owned interests in the precious metal.

It’s tech time

While gold juniors remain prominent new players on the ASX, the growing amount of tech metals-focused companies emerging on the bourse is still a relatively new trend from the past 18 months. First it was lithium, which emerged as the focus area of many new companies that listed during 2016–2017. Lithium has continued

AUSTRALIANMINING

to be an attractive commodity for fledgling companies in 2018, with IPOs being proposed off the back of Australian and international assets. Cobalt joined the tech-metal phenomenon last year as prices for the metal surged. The growing demand for cobalt was reflected in it being the best performing metal, in terms of prices, in 2017, increasing in value by 130 per cent to around $96,000/tonne. Tonkin said cobalt, which has historically been mined as a byproduct, had emerged into an exciting prospect, but companies in the sector did face challenges. “The problem with cobalt has been that 60 per cent of it comes

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While lithium and cobalt companies may no longer be exotic on the ASX, there are companies planning to list with properties in commodities still unique to Australia, including potash and tungsten. The rebound in base metals prices may also lead to additional companies listing to explore and develop Australia’s next copper, zinc or nickel mines, according to Tonkin. “There has been a sprinkling of new base metals companies but certainly the prices have been pretty good so I think we could see some more happen in that space,” Tonkin said. “I think that prices are now pushing up towards primary resistance, especially copper and nickel. What that usually means is that you need another catalyst to take them to the next level.” If that catalyst did eventuate, it would be another positive sign for an industry that continues to rebound. AM

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TRACKING THE TRENDS

INNOVATION: A PATH TOWARDS MATURITY INNOVATION MAY BE ONE OF MINING’S MAJOR BUZZWORDS, BUT AS DELOITTE EXPLAINS, ITS IMPORTANCE AS PART OF A MINING COMPANY’S CULTURE CANNOT BE UNDERESTIMATED. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

ow can Australian mining companies succeed in creating an effective path towards an innovation culture? What innovation means to mining and how it is implemented has been a fluid situation since the commodities downturn and into the recent recovery. Where innovation was once used to combat the impacts of the mining downturn, it has since evolved into a necessity for organisations in their efforts to be more productive, safer and to stay ahead of the technology curve. The concept of innovation in mining has grown to be an essential part of a mining company’s culture, Deloitte’s 2018 Tracking the Trends report explains. Despite being a common focus area of innovation strategies, technology is not the only element where value can be created. As Deloitte reinforces, innovation in mining also includes “the adoption of more innovative approaches to engaging with stakeholders, reenvisioning the future of work, and identifying the commodities that will be in greatest demand going forward.” However, Deloitte points out that mining still lacks “systematic consistency and strategic focus” when it comes to innovation, in part, because companies face several barriers to achieve their goals. For Australian mining, many innovation barriers have become specific to the country’s industry, according to Ian Sanders, Deloitte Australia’s national mining lead. Sanders pointed to institution or culture-related challenges, in particular, that Australian mining companies had to overcome to achieve their innovation targets. “Particularly here in Australia, it is about institutionalising innovation into your strategic mindset and into your leadership. Then, by achieving that it will cascade perfectly into an innovative culture,” Sanders told Australian Mining. “If mining companies are able to embed innovation into everything

they do then they will end up with far better outcomes and an organisation that is a lot happier.” Deloitte identified four key roadblocks that are stopping companies from reaching innovation maturity, including that they are traditionally averse to taking new risks that may impact cash flow or their licence to operate. The second roadblock is companies’ propensity to favour short-term cash flow generation, which works to the detriment of creating longer-term net present value. Thirdly, Deloitte believes miners often lack a clear vision to guide and enable longer-term transformation. Finally, Deloitte explains that mining’s historical inclination to operate in isolation when it comes to intellectual property (IP) and competitive advantages means they are distrustful of collaboration, hampering the development of junior and mining services companies. Despite the challenges these barriers present for innovation, Sanders believes the Australian mining industry has increased its focus on overcoming them. “I think mining companies have been looking at trying to embed innovation within their organisations over the course of the last 18 months more so than they probably did for five to 10 years before that,” Sanders said. “There are instances where it is helping to drive a cultural change. It is absolutely helping to drive productivity improvements, and it obviously pairs very nicely with the digital transformation in mining.” Sanders said the increased focus on collaboration over the past 18 months was helping Australian and international miners overcome these barriers. In Australia, collaborative agreements have commonly been signed between major miners, mining services companies, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and tech-focused organisations. Sanders added that workforce management strategies had also emerged as a central innovation focus in Australia, particularly as production activity ramped up and skills shortages started to appear. AUSTRALIANMINING

INNOVATION IS CRITICAL FROM THE PROCESSING PLANT TO THE FRONT OFFICE.

“A worker’s location is obviously important — you only have to look at some of the remote operating centres that have been built over the last couple of years and how that has changed where and how we work,” he said. The remote operating centres may have been a bold new vision at the time, but according to Deloitte, that’s exactly what’s needed to remove these barriers to innovation. Deloitte’s leading strategies for ‘overcoming innovation barriers’ include: • Develop a systematised approach to innovation: To determine the type of innovation to pursue to realise transformational change, Deloitte urges mining companies to define their innovation and rally their workforces around it. • Build the organisational support: To

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turn innovation into an organisational core capability, Deloitte believes companies must make it a leadership priority and implement governance systems to empower decision making throughout the organisation. • Secure the right resources and competencies: Deloitte explains that corporate innovation efforts must be adequately funded and supported with the right resources and capabilities for companies to progress towards more mature innovation. • Develop metrics and incentives to guide performance: Deloitte advises that organisations must have the ability to both measure the effectiveness of their innovation strategies and incentivise appropriate employee behaviours before it can be delivered as a discipline. AM

MINING INVESTMENT

AUSTRALIA FALLS IN FRASER INSTITUTE INVESTMENT RANKINGS UNATTRACTIVE GOVERNMENT POLICY HAS BEEN BLAMED FOR AUSTRALIA’S DROP TO SECOND IN THE CANADIAN THINK-TANK’S ANNUAL RANKINGS. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

ustralia is no longer the most attractive region for mining investment in the annual Fraser Institute survey of mining companies. After ranking as the most attractive region last year, Australia has fallen behind Canada to be second in the latest survey, which was conducted in late 2017. The United States and Europe were the third and fourth most attractive regions, respectively. Every Australian jurisdiction received lower scores on policy in this year’s survey, indicating increasingly unattractive government regulations across the country, according to the Canadian think-tank. Just one Australian state or territory — Western Australia — made the top 10 most attractive jurisdictions this year, finishing fifth behind Finland, Saskatchewan (Canada), Nevada (United States) and Ireland. The next best Australian jurisdictions were Queensland (12), South Australia (14) and the Northern Territory (27). New South Wales (46) dropped again in this year’s survey, finishing behind the likes of Australian neighbours such as Indonesia (35) and Papua New Guinea (40). Meanwhile, Tasmania (50) improved on last year’s ranking, while Victoria

(71) fell several positions. This year’s survey of mining executives rates 91 jurisdictions around the world based on their geologic attractiveness for minerals and metals and the extent to which government policies encourage or deter exploration and investment. Overall, investment attractiveness fell slightly around the world. The Fraser Institute reported that three Australian jurisdictions — Western Australia, Northern Territory and Victoria — saw their Policy Perception Index (PPI) decline by about 10 points. The PPI is a composite index that measures the overall policy attractiveness of the jurisdictions in the survey. “Northern Territory saw a large reduction in its score and rank, moving down to 33rd from 22nd last year, as more respondents rated the legal system, infrastructure, and the availability of labour and skills deterrents to investment,” the report stated. “Western Australia’s ratings showed a decline this year, with its policy ranking decreasing from 9th in 2016 to 17th in 2017, reflecting increasing concern over political stability, socioeconomic agreements/community development conditions, and the taxation regime.

AUSTRALIANMINING

“The PPI score for NSW was virtually unchanged from last year, and the state’s rank improved from 66th in 2016 to 53rd in 2017. Miners had more favourable views of the state’s taxation regime, labour regulations/employment agreements, and the legal system.” The Fraser Institute highlighted several reasons why Finland, Saskatchewan and Nevada topped this year’s rankings. “Rich mineral reserves, competitive

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taxes, efficient permitting procedures and certainty around environmental regulations will still attract significant investment—even with slumping commodity prices,” said Kenneth Green, senior director of the Fraser Institute’s energy and natural resource studies. In South America, Chile (8th) jumped back into the top 10 after tumbling to 39th last year. Peru, which ranked 28th last year, rose to 19th in this year’s survey. AM

MINING HISTORY

VICTORIA’S FIRST GOLD BOOM SAW AUSSIE PROSPECTORS JOURNEYING HOME FROM THE EARLIER CALIFORNIA RUSH.

THE GOLDEN DAYS PROFESSORS ERIK EKLUND AND SUSAN LAWRENCE TEACH AUSTRALIAN MINING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN GOLD RUSH IN SHAPING MODERN AUSTRALIA, AND ITS COMPARISON TO MODERN MINING.

The Australian gold rush has never been as mythologised as its American counterpart, perhaps less buoyed by the lionisation of Hollywood’s golden age. From Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, through to the Paddy Chayefsky-scripted Paint Your Wagon, it’s a well-shod story. But, according to Professor Erik Eklund, professor of history at Federation University and author of several books related to Australia’s

mining history, the two events can be interconnected. He cites the Californian gold rushes starting in 1848 as a key catalyst for the birth of Australia’s gold fever. “By the 1840s there were more free migrants [to Australia], and the prospect of a gold rush to assist colonial development was quite appealing to authorities,” he explained. “In some ways, the authorities had no choice but to open settlement to gold diggers. “News of the presence of gold AUSTRALIANMINING

had been circulating since at least the 1820s, and there may have been unofficial gold rushes if the authorities had not attempted some form of control through taxation and new mining laws.” Many white settlers from Australia who had moved to California in search of gold eventually moved back to Australia. There, they returned to find not just similarities to the countryside and topology found in California, but in some instances, an expectation of even larger hauls.

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The example set by the chaotic gold expanse in the wild west of California was also a useful precedent for Australian authorities when dealing with the subsequent rushes in New South Wales and Victoria, drawing on this earlier experience to help navigate the early days of this strange, new prospecting boom at the far end of the Earth. The context of immigration entirely changed with the wake of Australia’s gold rush as well, seeing a decisive end to the perception of the

MINING HISTORY

country as an extended penal colony. It was this change in attitude to immigration that resulted in a more positive and opportunistic image of Australia. In the decade between 1851 and 1861, the number of white settlers in Victoria alone increased from around 77,000 people to 540,000 people. “The news of gold meant that Australian colonial governments could stop subsidising or sponsoring migrants to come to Australia; the demand was so overwhelming,” explained Eklund. “The population of Victoria exploded,” said Professor Susan Lawrence, head of archaeology and history at LaTrobe University in Melbourne (and expert on the Victorian gold rush). “The new arrivals were young, literate, and multicultural, with tens of thousands of Chinese joining migrants from France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, the Pacific, and North America in addition to British migrants. “Women came as well as men, leading to a pronounced baby boom by the 1860s. Convict transportation ended because being sent to Australia was no longer a deterrent.” The gold rush helped to foster communities, leading to significant

regional development in Victoria and NSW from the 1850s, Queensland from the 1860s, and Western Australia from the 1880s. “Ballarat, Bendigo, Charters Towers, Tennant Creek, Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie – in all of these towns gold was the trigger for development,” Eklund added. In his 2012 book Mining Towns: making a living, making a life, Eklund focused on the importance of six major mining towns in the national hierarchy, arguing that the study of Australian history in the 20th century has a tendency to focus on capital cities and suburbs at the expense of mining and regional development. One area of mining history from the 19th century that does get overlooked, in Eklund’s opinion, as well as the opinion of his Federation colleague Dr Fred Cahir, associate professor of Aboriginal Studies, is the important role of Aboriginal people in the time of the gold rush. Cahir believes that in this inceptional period of great societal change, the Aboriginal people’s importance to mining expansion is often neglected in historical studies. He cites the famed ‘Kerr’s Nugget’ as an example of this

THE NEWS OF GOLD MEANT THAT AUSTRALIAN COLONIAL GOVERNMENTS COULD STOP SUBSIDISING OR SPONSORING MIGRANTS TO COME TO AUSTRALIA; THE DEMAND WAS SO OVERWHELMING.” oversight in his book Black Gold: Aboriginal People on the Goldfields of Victoria, 1850–1870, stating that the discovery’s incorrect attribution to non-Indigenes, such as the famous 106-pound nugget of gold found by Aboriginal people near the Turon, illustrates how Aboriginal people have been excised from Australian gold history. “Generally, most writers restrict their ‘Indigenous participation’ lenses to the latter part of the twentieth century and almost exclusively to the northern or arid gold-producing regions of Australia,” he explained in the book’s opening. “The importance of Aboriginal people’s participation on the goldfields cannot be overstated. Not only has the traditional story of gold (characterised by a mistaken assumption that the ‘Aborigines were swept aside’) been shown to be untrue, there is now clear

THE HISTORY OF THE AUSTRALIAN GOLD RUSH WAS AN IMPORTANT TIME FOR SETTLERS.

AUSTRALIANMINING

APRIL 2018

evidence that Aboriginal people were conscious actors and active participants in Australia’s economic history, rather than passive spectators, or pawns in another culture’s game.” Lawrence said that Aboriginal people were aware of the existence of gold in Australia for thousands of years. “With British colonisation, a new group of people who valued gold as a commodity arrived,” she explained. “Under British law all minerals were the property of the Crown so there was no incentive to exploit it and the authorities feared the social upheaval that a rush would bring. “The discoveries in California were the catalyst that made people realise that they could challenge the legal status quo and benefit from the gold themselves.” Eklund agrees that Aboriginal workers were “often quite important” to the initial Australian gold rushes; the history of active participation among Aboriginal communities in the growth of the Australian mining industry can be seen today, he said, in the current day reality of gold mines located in rural and remote Australia, which often see Aboriginal groups holding Native Title rights over mining lease areas. And speaking of current day reality, talk turns to the notion of the ‘new gold rush’ espoused by modern Aussie media, particularly surrounding prominent recent discoveries in the Pilbara and Eastern Goldfields region of WA. Eklund believes it is a nice label that doesn’t stand up to close historical scrutiny, although there is one point of synergy between the 1850s and today that he says does bear particular interest: the role of China. “Chinese miners, mostly from Southern China, were important components of the goldfields workforce,” he explained. “By 1861 there were around 24,000 Chinese in Victoria alone, and there was also Chinese investment coming to Australia. That is similar of course to today’s situation where Chinese investment houses are key players in Australian-listed gold miners, and China is the world’s largest producer of, and market for, gold.” A

SAFETY

A PILLAR OF SUPPORT STARTING OUT AS A ROOF SUPPORT SUPPLIER, STRATA WORLDWIDE HAS EVOLVED INTO A MULTI-TIERED PROVIDER NOTABLE FOR ITS UNDERGROUND MINING SAFETY SOLUTIONS.

ounded as a premier supplier of secondary, standing roof support systems for coal mines, Strata was quite literally a company founded on strong support. Launched in 1992 out of Atlanta, Georgia, its original product offerings included the Propsetter timber prop and Link-N-Lock interlocking timber crib. Today, the company is well-known globally for its technologically minded mine safety solutions, including the HazardAVERT proximity detection and collision avoidance system, which is used in many coal, metal, and nonmetal underground and surface mining operations around the world, and StrataConnect, a wireless underground communications and monitoring system. Furthermore, and perhaps one of the most predominant divisions of Strata’s portfolio is its wide range of emergency refuge chambers, designed primarily for underground workers finding themselves in potentially toxic, or otherwise hazardous, environments. Strata’s HazardAvert Proximity Detection system first came on the scene in 2007 when a South African coal mine approached Frederick Mining Controls in the United States to create a detection system that works

to prevent machinery-related fatalities and injuries in underground and surface mining environments. The system is designed to detect potential collisions and contact between personnel and machinery, and subsequently warn both the machine operator and the pedestrian. If need be the system can automatically slow, stop or disable the machinery in order to prevent an accident. It is a technology that is not only becoming increasingly familiar to mine sites, but is even becoming mandatory in some instances. In 2010, Strata Worldwide acquired Frederick Mining Controls and has since continued to enhance the performance of the technology to become the world’s leading supplier to the underground coal industry. “Proximity detection technologies have become one of the most predominant safety technologies in mining today due to the tragic number of injuries and fatalities involving heavy machinery,” said Mike Berube, chief executive officer or Strata Worldwide. “Some countries are ahead of others with implementing the technologies, but mines and regulators around the world are aware of the technology and investing resources to learn more. “Strata’s mission is to provide AUSTRALIANMINING

products and services that keep working environments both safe and productive for mining operations and its employees.” Strata has also become one of the leading global providers of emergency refuge chambers, with chambers in place underground in many different countries around the world. The company has the largest share in underground coal mines in the US, and has manufacturing facilities within the US, Mexico, South Africa and Australia. The local market in Australia is primarily focused on electric-powered chambers for metal and non-metal mining operations. The chambers can maintain indefinite access to respirable air and power through attachment to the mine’s compressor air lines and electricity generators, though chambers also come with 48 hours of backup air and battery supply stored onboard the unit. Specialised models of chambers include segmented chambers (SERC), which are delivered in equal segments for underground assembly and simplify transportation, narrow tunnelling chambers, which can be placed directly onto tunnel boring machines, and highly mobile compact

APRIL 2018

units designed for four to six people. “Strata refuge chambers rank amongst the most well known in the world,” Paul Morrish, Australian chamber product manager explained. “We have manufacturing facilities in the US, Mexico, South Africa and Australia and have sold chambers in over 23 countries. “Feedback from customers has been of a high level, with users citing qualities of reliability and highquality workmanship as particular standouts, as well as the novel approaches to CO2 active scrubbing and power management.” Overall, Strata believes the focus on automation, as well as realtime monitoring of underground operations and environments from the surface level are among the most dominant trends affecting the mining industry today. Technologies such as StrataConnect, a highly versatile underground network for communications, tracking and mine monitoring, are reflective of changing attitudes. The general ubiquity of wireless communications systems and proximity detection systems, such as those produced by Strata, reflect part of a larger trend for the use of autonomous systems in the workplace. AM

CASE STUDY

COLLABORATION REDUCES SHUTDOWN TIME A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT LED BY CONTITECH HAS HELPED A PILBARA MINER MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF PRODUCTIVITY DESPITE IT REQUIRING A CONVEYOR BELT CHANGEOUT PROJECT. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

eplacing conveyor belts is an essential requirement for the safe and efficient operation of any business that handles

bulk material. But productivity and profits almost always suffer because such tasks invariably require a complete conveying system shutdown. So, any way of reducing shutdown time is always eagerly welcomed. Not surprisingly, the client in this belt changeout project was happy to proceed with a jointly developed process when ContiTech’s Conveyor Belt Group said it could complete it in 96 hours instead of 144. The project scope required installation and splicing of 5460m of 1500mm-wide ST3150 17mm x 7mm conveyor belt on a causeway conveyor. Its owners had been considering several ways for the belt replacement program to be executed, involving different shutdown options for various methods and different scopes of work.

Joint collaborative effort

A collaborative solution was eventually developed jointly by the client with Contitech’s Pilbara conveyor belt changeout team. It effectively meant the total project was completed in 48 fewer shutdown hours than originally anticipated. “The challenge for us was to jointly develop a safe and efficient method that would enable the replacement of the entire belt within a couple of days,” ContiTech’s Scott Marvelley said. “We understood that whilst some aspects of the work would cost more upfront and need additional time in the planning and preparation phase, the overall time saving benefits for the customer would far outweigh this. “This conveyor is critical in delivering ore to the port. Each hour of gained production time would result in more train unloading. And each trainload is worth literally millions of dollars.”

“As with any large maintenance activity there will always be associated hazards. The challenge was being able to identify those hazards and implement the right controls to mitigate and, if possible, eliminate any associated risks,” he said. “For us, risk management always starts with a formal risk assessment with key project stakeholders based on a well-defined work method statement. Potential issues and hazards are identified and dealt with early in the process. The critical risks identified for this project were machine isolations, lifting operations and stored energy/ line-of-fire. “The client was provided with a full scope and documentation package including supporting engineering computations, lay-out drawings, safe work procedures, operating manuals and timelines/Gantt charts.”

Scope of works

ContiTech’s plan included the presplicing of the entire length of the new belt, then replacement of the old belt, pulling from the tail. The new belt consisted of 13 lengths at 432m that were flaked out

perpendicular to the conveyor system along an adjacent access roadway. During the shut-down, the 5478m of old belt was removed and consecutively reeled onto four ‘spider reels’ that were sitting ready in four large belt winders lined up one behind another and adjacent to the conveyor in a process that took only 12 hours. The approximate gross weight for each completed reel of old belt was 115 tonnes (t) however no lifting cranes were required at any time. This was quite an achievement and obviously contributed significantly to lowering safety hazards for the procedure. Some of the primary equipment utilised included a large modular ContiTech belt winder and foldable spider reel, a ContiTech 200kN belt pulling machine, an air-conditioned splicing station, belt flaking machinery, three large ‘DPU’ belt winders and spider reels, a 300t mobile slew crane and multiple beltturning frames which turned the new belt onto the conveyor through 100° and the old belt out of the conveyor through 180°. “In some ways you could say this could have been a potentially difficult

belt changeout,” said Ian Copeland, Contitech’s key account manager. “But by taking a fresh and innovative perspective on the tasks and methodology, with full consideration for safety and risk reduction, we were able to execute the job incident free and within the promised time-frame.” Copeland said if he had to summarise the key success factors, the first would be that the company’s own engineering and operations teams worked closely together to plan and execute the process from beginning to end. “Secondly, and very importantly, that we had a very supportive, knowledgeable and proactive client with whom we built a good working relationship right from the start,” Copeland said. “They contributed significantly to the development of the process we ended up putting in place. There is no way it could have happened without their collaborative input and suggestions. And thirdly, that we had the right equipment for the job and the right mix of skills and experience on hand in both technical and trades.” AM

Reducing risks

Marvelley said one of the other critical objectives was maintaining as safe a workplace as possible.

MULTIPLE BELT-TURNING FRAMES TURNED THE NEW BELT ONTO THE CONVEYOR.

AUSTRALIANMINING

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MINERALS PROCESSING

GLENCORE TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATES WITH GPM ON ALBION PROCESS SINCE INSTALLING GLENCORE TECHNOLOGY’S ALBION PROCESS IN 2014, GEOPROMINING’S PERFORMANCE AT THE ARARAT PROCESSING PLANT HAS IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

eoProMining (GPM) is evaluating a second line of Glencore Technology’s Albion Process following the success of the first installation at its Ararat processing plant in Armenia. Glencore Technology is collaborating with GPM to market the Albion Process after the positive outcomes it has achieved at the Ararat plant since 2014. The Albion Process is an atmospheric leaching process developed and owned by Brisbanebased Glencore Technology. It uses ultrafine grinding to reduce the activation energy needed in oxidation of the sulphides, so it can occur under atmospheric conditions. Leaching occurs in an agitated tank that uses HyperSparge supersonic gas injectors to boost oxygen capture efficiency. GPM has used the Glencore Technology process to increase overall recovery from sulphide concentrates in its Ararat plant from 20 per cent to over 95 per cent, defying expectations and targets. The miner owns and operates the Zod gold mine and Ararat processing plant in Armenia to produce gold and silver bullion. The plant was commissioned in June

2014 and achieved full capacity after three months. In order to expand the operation, GPM needed to treat the underlying sulphide material at the Zod mine, which achieved around 20–30 per cent gold recovery through an existing conventional carbon-in-leach (CIL) flowsheet. GPM approved a refurbishment project at the mine and processing plant in 2010 to increase crushing capacity to deal with harder ore, and a refurbishment and re-commissioning of the existing flotation plant. The company included the installation of a new Albion Process plant for the oxidation of the sulphide concentrate prior to its treatment in the existing CIL plant. The new flowsheet would be configured so the CIL would treat flotation tailings and oxidised residue from the Albion Process. Glencore Technology designed, supplied and commissioned the Albion Process, while also providing installation supervision assistance. The design basis for the Albion Process at GPM was oxidation of 100,000 tonnes a year (t/y) of concentrate to produce 100,000 ounces a year (oz/y) of gold from concentrate and flotation tailings. The design recovery of gold from the Albion residue was 92 per cent

THE ARARAT PLANT.

but the plant frequently achieves over 95 per cent recovery with an overall plant-wide design recovery of 86 per cent (and commonly achieving 88 per cent). GPM’s refurbishment project was commissioned in June 2014, with ramp-up occurring over the remainder of the year. The plant has since achieved and exceeded nameplate production, treating 120,000t/y concentrate with an overall production of 120,000oz/y. GPM has also achieved an overall 88 per cent plant-wide recovery, exceeding the 86 per cent design target due to better-than-design performance in the Albion Process. “The grade of concentrate has been more or less stable, and increased production might normally be expected to decrease as equipment is stretched. But in GPM’s case, they’ve successfully kept the recovery above design using the Albion Process,” Glencore Technology stated.

Albion Process collaboration

The collaboration agreement combines GPM’s expertise in the Albion Process, as well as its knowledge of the Russian refractory gold market, with Glencore AUSTRALIANMINING

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Technology’s expertise in processing technology. While Glencore Technology has three certified Albion Process testing facilities – Core Resources, TOMS Minerals in Irkutsk and XPS/Kingston Process Metallurgy – this agreement creates an entirely new collaboration. “The agreement means the GPM plant can now be used as a training facility for what is recognised as a proven combination of ultrafine grinding and oxidative leaching. And it means Albion Process clients can gain a faster ramp-up through better technology transfer,” according to Glencore Technology. The agreement gives GPM the right to market the technology in Russia in partnership with Glencore Technology. The Ararat plant will become a standout example to show potential clients the Albion Process in operation and to provide training of operations, maintenance and technical personnel. The Ararat plant will even be used to test-treat third party materials to evaluate the technology ahead of commissioning. The collaboration, which has already been launched, strengthens a six-year relationship between GPM and Glencore Technology. AM

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PROFILE

BUILDING A WELL-OILED MACHINE AT CRC SHONA FITZGERALD TELLS AUSTRALIAN MINING ABOUT HER BACKGROUND AND WHAT MOTIVATES HER AS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CRC INDUSTRIES. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE BRUTAL TO RUN A BUSINESS. YOU NEED TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS AND HAVE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS, ALL WITH A HIGH LEVEL OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE.”

ut people first and the profits will take care of themselves. That’s the golden rule for CRC Industries Australia managing director Shona Fitzgerald (pictured), who has helped transform the performances of some of Australia’s leading mining, industrial and chemical businesses by ensuring teams and culture were a priority. “People come first, the numbers will follow,” Fitzgerald said. “Seeing people grow and flourish in their roles because of the way you lead an organisation is the most rewarding

thing for me. With the right teams in place, and the right strategies, you can achieve anything.” Raised in a working-class environment on the New South Wales central coast — her father worked in a power station and her mother was a bookkeeper — Fitzgerald had early ambitions of becoming a vet before pursuing a career in chemical science, an area she excelled at in school. “I love animals but I doubt I could have coped with the lack of compassion of some of the owners,” Fitzgerald said. Her love of animals has never AUSTRALIANMINING

waned and she spends her free time recuperating native wildlife through her volunteer position with WIRES, Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organisation. The family home – a 10-acre rural property on the north central coast – is a menagerie of sick, injured and orphaned native species plus nine family pets including two cats, one blind and the other with three legs. “Working with injured or orphaned wildlife is very rewarding, it’s how I spend my downtime and it’s a way of giving back,’’ she said. Fitzgerald has a strong talent for nursing businesses back to health as well, having transformed flat-lining operations into successful entities in her previous senior management positions with Orica, BOC and now CRC Industries, which posted a record month for sales earlier this year. “CRC has been an exciting challenge. It is a great brand with a strong legacy that has benefited further from getting the right people in the right roles and setting a clear strategy that people understand,” she said. “Success comes from listening to people in the organisation and leveraging from our global network. I spend the first part of each day speaking with team members locally, as well as in the USA and New Zealand. “The main focus for CRC at the moment is new product development and we are also investigating the possibility of a future acquisition – an adjacent, complementary company to CRC that brings a capability that we don’t presently have. “My medium term goal with CRC is to continue to grow the business one step at a time, capitalising on the strong results achieved in 2017. The aim is to find a footprint into new

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market segments and grow the product range, developing our people as we go.” Fitzgerald is well aware of the challenges women face in reaching the top of the corporate tree in Australia, agreeing that they are sadly under-represented in executive and senior management positions. “This is a can of worms that has had a lot said about it. Having spent my entire life in industrial, male-dominated sectors, I have experienced it all,” Fitzgerald said. “Despite my qualifications and experience, I still have my technical capabilities doubted or questioned.” “My advice to women looking to succeed in business is to make sound decisions and gain all the skills and training that you can to be empowered and in control. If you are in an environment that is not allowing you to flourish, move on and up. “Organisations need to develop attitudes that value women from the top down. I have always operated with a gender-neutral mentality. CRC is an organisation which is a great example of this culture globally.” In business and life in general, Fitzgerald is a firm believer in treating people with respect and integrity, values that were instilled in her by her parents. “My parents are the people I look up to the most, for teaching me great base values and making me believe I could achieve anything I wanted,” Fitzgerald said. “I gravitate towards and admire people who demonstrate respect and integrity in the way they operate, people who are decisive, energetic and compassionate. “You don’t have to be brutal to run a business. You need to make tough decisions and have tough conversations, all with a high level of emotional intelligence.” AM

COMMODITIES

AUSTRALIAN GOLD PRODUCTION HITS 21ST CENTURY RECORD AUSTRALIAN GOLD OUTPUT IS RISING AND COULD REACH AN ALL-TIME RECORD IN 2018 IF GROWTH CONTINUES AS PROJECTED. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

ustralian gold output reached its highest mark since 1999 last year, maintaining the country’s place as the world’s second largest producer behind China, the latest data from Surbiton Associates has revealed. According to the Melbourne-based mining consultants, total Australian gold production was 301 tonnes (t), or almost 9.7 million ounces (Moz) in calendar 2017, a three-tonne increase on 2016. Output during the December 2017 quarter was six tonnes higher than the previous quarter at 80 tonnes. “At the average gold price for 2017, the 301 tonnes was worth almost $16 billion,” Surbiton Associates director Dr Sandra Close said. “Australian gold production is still trending upwards and the next few years look promising.” Gold prices, in both US and Aussie dollar terms, moved slowly upwards in 2017 despite the usual short-term variation, Surbiton reported. Recent spot prices for gold were around $US1315/oz or $1695/oz. “The higher output in the December quarter was due to a number of factors including the strong recovery at Newcrest’s Cadia East mine near Orange, New South Wales, which was almost 60,000oz higher,” Dr Close said. “Other operations with higher output included the Super Pit’s increase of 28,000oz, Peak, up 21,000oz and Tropicana, up 19,000oz.” Dr Close said the increase at Peak, near Cobar in NSW, was not surprising after ASX-listed Aurelia Metals acquired the miner from Canada’s New Gold for $US58 million. Often the vendor maximises production just before an operation changes hands, Dr Close explained. “Fosterville, the largest gold mine in Victoria, owned by Canada’s Kirkland Lake Gold, also increased production substantially by 18,000oz for the quarter,” Dr Close said. “Notably it had the distinction of treating the highest grade of ore for any large mine in Australia — at the outstanding grade per tonne of 21.5 grams, or more than two-thirds of an ounce, of gold.” Dr Close said there were some completely new and a number of

KALGOORLIE’S SUPER PIT PRODUCED 738,000OZ IN 2017.

refurbished projects due to come into production in the next year or two, which should lift gold output even further. “Dacian Gold is due to start Mt Morgans near Laverton, WA later this month, with average production for the first four years expected to be over 150,000oz annually,” Dr Close said. “In addition, Westgold Resources is commissioning its 1.2 million tonne (Mt) per year Tuckabianna treatment plant near Meekatharra, WA, which will ramp up to an annual output of around 100,000oz by 2020.” “As well, Gascoygne Minerals’ Dalgaranga project, northwest of Mount Magnet, is due to start up in May 2018, with production about 100,000oz/y. Also, Kin Mining, which began site clearing work at its 55,000oz/y Leonora gold project, will relocate some of the old Lawlers processing plant and should be in production before the end of the year.” Dr Close said several smaller producers were also contributing to the increased output, with Empire Resources expanding the toll treatment of its Penny’s Find ore, plus Malachite Resources at Lorena, Queensland and Anova Metals at Second Fortune, WA, in startup mode AUSTRALIANMINING

during the March quarter. “Further out, development of the Gold Fields and Gold Road Resources’ Gruyere joint venture in WA is onethird complete, with the start of mining scheduled for late this year,” Dr Close said. “The operation will commence in early 2019 at a rate of around 270,000oz/y of gold when in full production.” The only notable closure was Doray Minerals’ Andy Well mine. It commenced production in 2013 and was placed on care and maintenance in early November, after producing about 40,000oz in 2017. “Given the number of projects coming on stream and with few closures anticipated, it would not be surprising to see another 20t of

production added to Australia’s annual output,” Dr Close said. “This suggests that Australia’s alltime record annual gold production of 314t recorded in 1997 might well be exceeded.” She said however, that despite the generally upward trend anticipated, production will probably decline in the March quarter 2018 due to wet weather in Western Australia which is a common occurrence early in the year. Australia remains the world’s second largest gold producer behind China, which produced an estimated 430 tonnes in 2017. According to the World Gold Council, China’s 2017 output was nine per cent lower than the previous year. AM

OPERATION

OUNCES

Boddington

787,000

Newmont Mining

Super Pit – JV

738,000

Newmont Mining 50%, Barrick Gold 50%

Cadia Valley

545,869

Newcrest Mining

Tropicana

461,704

Tanami

419,000

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OWNER

AngloGold 50%, Independence Group NL 50% Newmont Mining

EVENT

FACILITATING THE FUTURE OF SUPPLY CHAIN AND LOGISTICS MEGATRANS2018 SHOW DIRECTOR SIMON COBURN TALKS TO AUSTRALIAN MINING ABOUT WHO WILL BE ATTENDING THE INAUGURAL SUPPLY CHAIN TRADE EXPO THIS MAY AND WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT TO SEE.

he movement of goods from A to B may seem a simple process on paper for the average consumer. But it has taken years of development, progress and innovation to reach this level of streamlining, and that process is only becoming faster and more efficient. For the industrial supply chain, this can be an intricate process, involving a variety of stakeholders with countless variables to consider along the way when moving goods from one place to another. Road, rail, air and sea transport, warehousing, packaging services – there are many different facets involved in the process and adding value to every step of the supply chain. Giving the freight and logistics providers, and their customers – manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers – the opportunity to see the businesses, technology and innovation leading the cutting edge of progress within the Australian and international supply chain firsthand is one way

to help the industry grow and reach a new level of supply chain safety, connectivity and efficiency.

The future of supply chain and logistics

MEGATRANS2018, a new multimodal supply chain trade expo, aims to provide this unique platform and bring industry together under one roof. The event, delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government, is designed to bring together those who plan, implement and control the efficient and effective forward flow and storage of goods, services and related information between the point of origin and point of consumption. In the grand scheme of things, this supply chain covers all facets of Australia’s industrial transport and logistics sectors. These specific industries comprise the main features of the trade show, which makes its debut May 10–12 this year at the Melbourne Convention and

Exhibition Centre, based in the heart of the world’s most liveable city – Melbourne. But just who will be attending the trade expo? Simon Coburn, MEGATRANS2018 Show Director told Australian Mining who would be making their way to Melbourne for the major industry event. “MEGATRANS2018 is poised to be the biggest supply chain and logistics trade event in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere. By spreading the expo across all 30,000 square metres of exhibition space at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, we’re trying to include every business, service provider and leader within the supply chain,” he said. “From warehousing to road transport, infrastructure, telematics businesses, manufacturing companies and packaging specialists –

IRON ORE FREIGHT IN THE PILBARA.

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the show is including everything and everyone involved in the movement of goods from one place to another, with significant focus on the technology driving this process.” The show is designed around the needs of the logistics firms, freight companies and various technology innovators and service providers involved in the supply chain, those coming to the event will be the retailers, manufacturers and third and fourth-party logistics providers (3PLs and 4PLs) utilising the supply chain and looking for new ways to increase efficiency and security in the movement of goods. “Those who need to move goods by sea, air, rail, road, are those who will benefit the most from hearing about the latest in

EVENT

telematics, data optimisation, freight forwarding, Industry 4.0 and future developments in the industry,” said Coburn. “Those are the people – the business leaders and decision markers – who will be making their way to Melbourne for the show, and we can’t wait to hear about all of the successful partnerships, business meetings and engagement coming off the back of this event.”

Bringing industry together

Many major industry conferences and events are being held in conjunction with the show and are aimed at drawing even more national and international leaders from across different facets of the supply chain. MEGATRANS2018 brings together a variety of international and domestic conferences, including the Australian Logistics Council’s (ALC) inaugural Supply Chain Technology Summit 2018, Australian Road Transport Suppliers Association (ARTSA) Global Leaders’ Summit, the Logistics & Materials Handling Mercury Awards, a Ministerial Breakfast delivered

in partnership with the Victorian Government, Transport Certification Australia’s (TCA) Technology Hub and the 2018 Global Shippers Forum Conference (GSF2018). The ALC Supply Chain Technology Summit, for instance, will gather key industry leaders and businesses and will take place on May 10, onsite and in partnership with MEGATRANS2018. “Technology is a major component of the logistics supply chain and will play a dominant role in the exhibitions at MEGATRANS2018,” said ALC managing director Michael Kilgariff. “The Supply Chain Technology Summit 2018 will align well with the technology theme and ensure that those who attend the integrated event can maximise their time and investment. “The dedicated Supply Chain Technology Summit will focus on the policy priorities articulated by ALC in Freight Doesn’t Vote – our submission to the Inquiry into National Freight and Supply Chain Priorities. This includes collecting greater data on freight movements, adapting to automated technologies and global labelling standards.” Peter Hart, Chairman at ARTSA, said MEGATRANS2018, and the industry players it would draw, was a good fit for the association’s annual summit. “We see this event as an opportunity to bring together international thought leaders in a world-class conference and exhibition hosted in Melbourne,” Dr Hart said. “ARTSA will be holding its 2018

Leaders Summit as part of the scheduled events, featuring industry authorities from around the globe debating the business models, systems and equipment that will continue to deliver for the customer.” The GSF2018 likewise, will host its conference and AGM in Australia for the first time. The Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA), the peak body for Australia’s containerised exporters, will host the GSF2018 in coordination with the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA), the Freight & Trade Alliance and MEGATRANS2018. Paul Zalai, Director and Founder at the FTA, the Secretariat for the APSA, said the GSF2018 was set to host policy makers and international trade practitioners from around the world, people whose decisions had a lasting effect on the way cargo was moved in Australia. As the event is run in conjunction with MEGATRANS2018, which covers all facets of the supply chain, Zalai said it would attract representatives from across the sector. “It’s quite unique to have transport operators, freight forwarders, customs officials, cargo owners and policymakers, all in the one room discussing logistics and trade issues,” he said. GSF2018 takes place alongside MEGATRANS2018 and a range of other events either running concurrently or book-ending the show. As a result, Coburn expects Melbourne will be the place to be for

MINING EQUIPMENT IN TRANSIT TO SITE. CREDIT: FRITZ16.

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leaders and stakeholders in the global and national supply-chain sectors come May. “We envisage the week of MEGATRANS2018 will set a few milestones for the national and international supply chains,” he said. “With so many industry leaders and decision makers from around the globe heading to the events, I’m confident we’ll see some positive outcomes for the future of the industry.” Coburn explained that as the borders between industries blur, new multi-dimensional concepts had to rise to the challenge and facilitate conversation between the key stakeholders in these areas, and MEGATRANS2018 was leading the way. He said a trade event with the same scope as MEGATRANS2018 hadn’t been done before in Australia, and it would be an exciting hub for representatives across the entire supply chain. “We’re inviting everyone to be a part of this game-changing expo format and we anticipate that everybody, from hands-on decision makers in the supply chain and logistics industry to CEOs, COOs, regulatory bodies, urban planners and government on all levels, will be out in force,” he added. “Watch this space for more developments – MEGATRANS2018 will facilitate the topics of discussion, networking and decisions around the future of Australia’s supply chain process.” AM

INDUSTRY COMMENT

EMERGING MINING MARKETS PRIMED FOR AUSTRALIAN INNOVATION AUSTMINE DISCUSSES HOW THE INNOVATIONS DEVELOPED BY AUSTRALIAN-BASED MINING AND METS COMPANIES CAN BE USED TO BENEFIT OVERSEAS MARKETS.

nnovation has been top of the agenda in the Australian mining sector for a number of years now, dominating discussion surrounding the critical need to improve productivity and transition to a more sustainable future for the industry. Austmine has been at the centre of these discussions, facilitating opportunities for senior industry leaders from miners and mining equipment, technology and services (METS) companies to come together and brainstorm how we effectively implement these innovations to improve operations. Other developed mining nations have also contributed to the charge in the digital transformation of the industry. Canada boasts the impressive NORCAT underground mining centre, a site that trials new technologies funded through local miners and other stakeholders, along with the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI), which undertakes a range of projects that push the boundaries of mining innovation globally. This includes the DeepMine: Heat and Rock Stress project, Findmine: Ore Discovery initiative and the SustainMine: Environmental Impact program. Meanwhile, Chile has focused on technological developments in regards to mining at extreme depths, construction and operation of megaprojects and copper processing. A number of projects are under way in Chile to further boost its standing as a leading mining innovator, which has the likes of CODELCO, BHP and Orica as active stakeholders. For Australian METS companies seeking to find opportunities in these two key markets, along with other modern mining markets, such as the USA and Scandinavia, identifying opportunities and technology gaps through involvement in such programs can be a valuable route to market. However, it is in the next tier of mining markets where Australian METS companies can find unparalleled opportunities to become key strategic suppliers to major projects and growing mining companies.

The value of advanced technologies and new solutions, such as sensors, data analytics, robotics, simulation, automation and remote control, has been proven in mine sites around the world, with significant ROI obtained by those who were early adopters of these solutions. Inevitably, this was largely demonstrated in developed mining markets which boast the most modern operations. The innovation conversation is now beginning to shift to emerging mining markets across the world. Miners in emerging markets have observed the changes being implemented by operations in modern markets and are now seeking to transform their own operations, through bringing that same expertise and technology to their projects. This search for the next wave of productivity improvements places Australian METS companies in a strong position, given the world-leading technology our suppliers possess. Peru and Russia are two key countries where this trend can be seen. Peru has ramped up the development of their mining market considerably, spurred on by a desire to rival their neighbours, Chile, for copper production and exports. World-leading projects such as Antamina and Cerro Verde are already embracing innovation and their owners are actively seeking METS companies who can partner with them to welcome in the new age of mining. Meanwhile, industry programs championing innovation have also grown in prominence, including the Supplier Development Program for Excellence and annual Hackathons, which in many cases have been modelled from initiatives in Chile, Australia or other developed markets. For Australian METS companies, Peru represents a fantastic opportunity to capitalise on a growing mining market with an eye for innovation. In particular, technologies in the areas of remote control and monitoring, environmental management, dust control, copper recovery, tailings management and UAVs and drones are attracting interest from miners. Innovative METS such as

AUSTRALIANMINING

Metallurgical Systems, RCT, Mine Site Technologies, Dingo, Safescape and Deswik have found success here and Austmine will seek to extend this Australian footprint with our Peru mining mission in May. Russia has long been a mining powerhouse and is home to some of the largest companies and projects globally, but success for Australian METS there has proven slow, until recently. Australian METS companies Duratray, Russell Mineral Equipment, MICROMINE, JKTech, Blast Movement Technologies and CSA Global are operating in the market, driving operational efficiencies for clients and leading the way for further Australian METS to enter the region. Current priorities in Russia include safety, optimising and monitoring processes, implementing in-pit communications, integrating software systems and training. Australian METS companies with these capabilities should have the market on their radar and Austmine will be leading a mission to Russia in September to further relationships with Russian miners.

AUSTRALIAN EXPERTISE IS IN DEMAND INTERNATIONALLY.

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Elsewhere, markets such as Kazakhstan, Brazil, Mexico, Zambia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Mongolia, Ghana, Ecuador and Colombia are joining the innovation revolution in mining. These economies have all benefitted from a technology and knowledge transfer, through the movement of mining professionals between different organisations and closer government and business ties with other countries. Australian METS companies are rightfully looked to as world-leaders in mining technology and innovation, and their presence around the world continues to grow. This is encouraging to see, and with the rapid pace of change in the industry, along with closer integration of global business, Australian METS companies should seek further opportunities to develop their International footprint. Austmine is the leading industry body for the Australian Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) sector, with over 450 corporate members around the country. AM

THE MINING INDUSTRY HAS MOVED TO A NEW PHASE FOLLOWING THE MINING BOOM, ONE WHERE PRODUCTIVITY, INNOVATION AND SAFETY HAVE EMERGED AS ITS KEY PRIORITIES

TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK VOLUME 110/3 | APRIL 2018

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Safety. Productivity. Profitability. Discover the benefits of total mobility solutions.

BRIDGESTONE MINING SOLUTIONS AUSTRALIA. It’s a new name, but you know us well already. We’re the united Bridgestone Earthmover Tyres and Bridgestone Engineered Products of Asia (Australia Branch) – two trusted businesses brought together with united goals: to increase your efficiency, improve your operating safety, and reduce your operational costs. Our comprehensive products, services and solutions for the mining, industrial and construction industries incorporate machinery, tyres, conveyor belts, hoses and IT. For the first time, you experience the benefits of total pit-to-port mobility solutions to keep your business moving forward. www.bridgestoneminingsolutions.com.au

INDUSTRY FEATURE Minerals processing

BRIDGING THE GAP BRIDGESTONE EARTHMOVER TYRES IS NOW BRIDGESTONE MINING SOLUTIONS AUSTRALIA (BMSA). AUSTRALIAN MINING SPEAKS TO THE COMPANY TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE REFRESH.

n January this year, Bridgestone Earthmover Tyres (BSEM) and Bridgestone Engineered Products of Asia (BSEA AU) became a single company, Bridgestone Mining Solutions Australia (BMSA) in a streamlining effort. The merger between BSEM, Bridgestone’s mining tyre company, and BSEA AU — primarily responsible for conveyor belts, marine fenders and industrial and hydraulic hosing — was the result of the company’s efforts to reflect the type of business model it now offered in the industry, according

ATTENDEES AT A PERTH EVENT FEATURING BMSA.

to BMSA chief operating officer Andrew Andreou. Originally from Melbourne, Andreou started his career with Bridgestone in 1994 as a branch manager in Victoria and was appointed COO of BSEM about three years ago. Suffice to say, he’s seen a lot of evolution at the company in that time. “We do a complete package of products that we supply to the industry and so we felt that Bridgestone Earthmover Tyres as a name did not actually reflect what we do,” he explained. “We’ve always been a supplier of tyres but we also offer a complete AUSTRALIANMINING

solution for our customer base, but also supply, testing and repair of wheels and rims, tyre repairs, onsite and offsite fitting of tyres and tyre management.” In addition to this broad spectrum of services, BMSA is also a registered training organisation (RTO), and can offer various levels of on and off-site training in all states; including a oneweek, fully accredited tyre fitting course. The course includes both practical and theory modules, and learners are afforded the opportunity to make use of sophisticated training rigs where they can learn to strip, fit, bolt and unbolt product from mining equipment in a safe and efficient

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manner. This includes general tyre knowledge and tyre fitting, useful skills for mine operators given the high risks involved with such work. “As you can appreciate, the industry we work in can be quite hazardous and there are high risks associated with the fitting of earthmover tyres,” said Andreou. “We have quite a number of tyre fitters out in the marketplace so it’s essential for us to ensure that these people are trained to an accredited level recognised within the industry.” Robbie Morrison, regional executive manager west at BMSA, has a long history with Bridgestone,

INDUSTRY FEATURE Minerals processing

A BMSA EMPLOYEE AT A COMPANY STAND IN PERTH.

having joined Bridgestone Earthmover in 1983. Prior to that, he worked for Marubeni Bridgestone and Bridgestone Australia, and his current position as regional executive manager west of BMSA encompasses WA, the Northern Territory and South Australia. When he first embarked upon his career, before he even had any association with Bridgestone, he worked as a tyre fitter, so it can be said with certainty that he knows his stuff. Despite — or perhaps because of — this long and storied history with the tyre industry however, Morrison openly expresses his enthusiasm for further diversification within the company, in particular the training courses on offer at BMSA. “Such courses are advantageous as it gives the supervisor a knowledge of tyres, a theory of tyres and understanding of constructions of the tyre,” he explained. “Even in instances where they don’t fit the tyre themselves, they certainly understand what the tyre fitter does. “We have training jigs in Perth, Mackay and the Hunter Valley where we train the guys in driving the

forklift — after making sure they have a forklift licence to start with, of course — then get them to change a few tyres and show us what they’ve learned in the course.” In addition to training, the rebranding has highlighted an expertise for maintenance and repair that is sometimes overlooked. In November 2017, BMSA launched a new venture, the Pilbara Mining Solutions Centre (PMSC), near Port Hedland, Western Australia. The PMSC is designed to offer a complete range of services for the mining industry, and we are proud to be part of and supporting the local community. BMSA hopes it can offer significant benefits as a full-service wheeland-tyre repair centre, as well as wheel and tyre stockist; the facility’s proximity to Port Hedland provides the PMSC the perfect opportunity to supply customers with significant benefits of cost and expedience. The majority of supply currently comes from Perth, roughly five times farther from the Pilbara than Port Hedland. Having the new facility near Port Hedland will allow BMSA to save significant time for its customer base. AUSTRALIANMINING

Under the previous way of doing things, product would arrive and get cleared at the port at Fremantle, part of the Perth metropolitan area, then be shipped from there to BMSA’s facility in Perth proper. Following delivery to Perth it would be offloaded and shipped to customers throughout WA and other regions. It was, all told, a rather convoluted process. “The Pilbara Mining Solutions BMSA’S PILBARA MINING SOLUTIONS CENTRE (PMSC) IN ALL ITS GLORY.

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Centre is a big investment into the Pilbara and a big investment for the industry,” said Morrison. “People are conditioned to get things out of Perth, so it’s really a mindset change as well — we’ve had the opening and people who have seen it are more than impressed by our tyre repair facility, wheel facility, and data room in the PMSC. “From Perth to Pilbara is a day-plus drive, maybe two days, or two hours on a plane then a drive after that; in reality this solution centre will save a lot of time and — we believe — a lot of costs associated with the movement of product around the Pilbara.” Eventually, a workforce expansion is planned at the PMSC, we aim to become a significant local employee and in line with our corporate CSR policies will be looking to recruit from the local community. The next step will be diversification into facets previously overseen by BSEA AU, such as conveyor belts. “The intention is for us to deliver product from Japan to Port Hedland directly,” added Andreou, “and our facilities are very, very close to the port facilities in Port Hedland — historically, Port Hedland is not a receiving port, but the scope is there for us to do that.” BMSA hopes that the PMSC will provide the scope not only to deliver product or repairs with greater alacrity than people are used to, but allow them to build better customer relations as well. “Speed of response is not necessarily just related to the delivery of product,” explained Andreou. “Speed of response allows us to attend to customer needs onsite from a closer proximity to their location.” AM

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INDUSTRY FEATURE Minerals processing

MORE THAN JUST A GLOBAL EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER AS THE MINING INDUSTRY EVOLVES TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND COMPETITIVE, SCHENCK PROCESS PLANS TO TRANSFORM WITH IT. THAT MEANS, OFFERING END-TO-END SOLUTIONS INVOLVING LEADING EDGE EQUIPMENT WITH THE LATEST DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES. AUSTRALIAN MINING WRITES.

chenck Process is determined to be a recognised participant and valuable partner in the digital transformation of the mining industry. The company, which recently became part of the Blackstone Group, is focused on becoming a ‘smarter’ organisation by offering intelligence not limited to its engineering expertise and installed base. As global market conditions have recovered from the commodities downturn, Schenck Process has reinforced its digital approach by taking strategic steps towards revolutionising its own solutions. The company plans to develop digital systems that integrate with and improve its innovations for

weighing, feeding, conveying, screening, automation, and air filtration applications. Schenck Process general manager Raja Ratnam said it was crucial for the company to meet industry demands by producing smarter assets that utilise the latest digital technologies. “The solutions we provide our customers need to be developed with the digital technology that will provide real-time updates on the condition of the equipment,” Ratnam told Australian Mining. “One initiative we have already achieved is to launch a cloud-based digital platform that collects all of our customers’ plant and process data with suitable analytics revealing what is happening with their equipment.” Ratnam said this strategy was about Schenck Process looking at the SCHENCK PROCESS IS DETERMINED TO ADD VALUE FOR CLIENTS.

AUSTRALIANMINING

CONIQ IS ASCREENING AND SEPARATION, SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR AUTOMATION AND DIAGNOSTICS.

‘big picture’ view of the miners and operations it serves. “Our aim is to make our customers’ processes work,” he said. “In the past we were mainly focused on the performance of our equipment but not on the end-to-end processes. That, in a way, can impact the effectiveness of our machines.” To progress the digital transformation, Schenck Process’s management has established a new tech-focused business known as ‘future lab’. This special unit operates independently, however, it works collaboratively with the rest of the company globally to develop digital solutions that complement its equipment. Schenck Process is currently collaborating with major miners in Australia and Brazil to expand its digital enhancements on the materials handling equipment supplied. “What we are trying to do with these collaborations is to enable us to test the benefits for our customers and for ourselves in an operating environment” Ratnam said. “One of the ways we improve our design is to collate useful data from operations with our equipment.

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Digital technology enables us to gain relevant information in real time at the same time allowing valuable correlations.” While the introduction of these digital technologies often means a move to more automated processes, Ratnam said that was not a key focus of Schenck Process’s digital transformation strategy. “In our minds, people will never be obsolete, but there is a perceived resistance by people to embrace digital transformation due to the fear of being replaced,” he said. “We want our equipment to be the solution of choice, we also want to be a supplier that complements and enhances our customer’s people to make informed decisions quickly. It is the same with our people — we are educating them to incorporate technology. “Schenck Process’s move to become a digitally savvy organisation has been backed by its new owner, Blackstone; who is committed to further invest in innovation and developing new technologies to accelerate the growth strategy across our international footprint to deliver significant value.” AM

The power to predict! CONiQ® from Schenck Process offers distinct advantages as a condition monitoring system specially designed for vibrating machines, with a unique six-dimensional vibration measurement. With CONiQ®, Schenck Process consolidates its position as a provider of intelligent Industry 4.0 applications. Schenck Process Australia Pty Ltd Ground Floor, 65 Epping Road, North Ryde NSW 2113, Australia T+ 61(0)2 98 86 6800 sales@schenckprocess.com.au www.schenckprocess.com.au

Maximum uptime. For a lifetime. CONiQ® condition monitoring in mineral processing

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

INTRODUCING THE MY SANDVIK CUSTOMER PORTAL

ue to the rapid development of digitalisation, the demand for interactive and quick-response services is growing continuously. In response to the digital needs of the mining industry, Sandvik is taking its customer service to the next level, offering accurate, up-to-date and readily available data to boost its

customers’ productivity. My Sandvik (pictured) is an interactive customer portal, designed for customers to access and manage all the vital information connected to their Sandvik fleet at the touch of a button. It is a robust, digital service solution that provides Sandvik’s customers with vital up-to-date and accurate data and interactive tools to help increase productivity, improve operational

efficiency, support safety, and assist with cost control. The portal includes information related to the customer’s equipment, including order history, electronic parts manuals with enhanced search functionality, training manuals, equipment and safety bulletins and recommended parts — all stored in one place and accessible 24/7 from anywhere in the world. The My Sandvik customer portal

enables immediate access to all parts catalogues related to the customer’s fleet, and quotations can be made and orders placed, tracked and traced via the portal. As part of the My Sandvik Digital Service Solutions range, which also includes the My Sandvik Productivity and My Sandvik Insight services, the My Sandvik customer portal is improving performance by turning data into productivity. AM

VICTAULIC OPENS BRISBANE FACILITY

ictaulic continues to strengthen its Australian offering by opening a new facility in Brisbane, Queensland. The company’s latest branch, its third Australian site, will support continued growth within the region, servicing territories stretching from the Hunter Valley to Far North Queensland, to inland industrial and mining regions, as well as the Northern Territory. The new branch at Eagle Farm will host customer care and distribution staff on a 3205-square-metre site.

Victaulic Australia operations manager Adam Kelso said the company was excited to extend its commitment to this market after many years of continuous operation in Australia. “The Brisbane branch is a significant addition to Victaulic’s portfolio, giving us the footprint and capabilities to provide next day service to all major hubs within Australia, which will enable us to have product where it’s needed, when it’s needed. It marks the next phase in Victaulic’s long-term strategy to provide a truly national service model with coverage across Australia,” Kelso said. “With our new presence in Brisbane, AUSTRALIANMINING

our stock holdings will allow immediate order fulfilment for shipments to all regions rather than a potential two- to four-day wait time from our Melbourne warehouse. This latest initiative demonstrates our commitment to all regions and allows us to better support the communities that we serve.” The Brisbane branch features a 50-square-metre visitor’s experience and training centre. The dedicated customer and employee training facility features the latest innovations from Victaulic and provides programs for training installers within the region. “We are committed to partnering with

APRIL 2018

the industry to provide local training programs for end users — including engineers, installers and contractors. Our training programs will provide continued education on installation best practices of our products across industries,” Kelso said. The Brisbane branch is the largest initiative embarked upon by Victaulic in Australia, and follows the launch of its first Australian branch almost 10 years ago in Melbourne. A Perth branch was opened in 2013 to further support growth in Western Australia, particularly within the mining sector. AM

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

FLSMIDTH LAUNCHES SAGWISE TOTAL PROCESS CONTROL

inerals processing company FLSmidth has launched a sensory and process optimisation system designed to optimise the use of the three main consumables in SAG milling — power, media and liners. The SAGwise total process control system reduces energy consumption by up to 6 per cent. This is a significant reduction considering that, by far, mills are typically the single largest consumer of power within a processing plant. Other benefits include an up to 45 per cent reduction of ball-on-liner impacts, prolonging liner life and minimising media degradation. Through specially-designed acoustic sensors and proprietary process control software, induced impacts, generated inside the SAG mill, are monitored and interpreted by the SAGwise. It registers undesirable highenergy impacts caused by steel balls

THE IMPACTMETER SENSORS.

striking the mill liners categorised as critical impacts. Then, an advanced process control solution makes small and frequent adjustments to mill operational conditions that reduce the critical impacts, improving ore reduction and energy efficiency. FLSmidth global product line manager for automation process optimisation King Becerra said the solution employed process control technologies to reduce critical impacts

top the desired targets, stabilising and then optimising the operation of the SAG mill. “Multiple process control technologies, such as model predictive control and fuzzy logic, are embedded into the solution, modelling both the process and the human operators,” Becerra said. Weighing up to four tonnes each, replacing worn mill liners requires significant effort. This is associated

with downtime to complete the replacement affecting plant productivity. “High mill availability is crucial. A gold processing plant I visited recently valued their SAG mill downtime at $US130,000 ($165,750) per hour,” global liners product manager Jack Meegan said. “Under normal conditions, the return on investment of SAGwise total process control is six months, but if we factor in reduced unscheduled maintenance, the return is a lot sooner.” Extending the life of mill liners pays off in many areas beyond prolonging the initial replacement, cost of what can be over $US1 million. Users also benefit from improved safety performance, stemming from reducing the number of times that employees are required to move the heavy equipment inside the mill, improved inventory management, and better predictive maintenance planning. AM

WEIR MINERALS UNVEILS MULTIFLO RF DEWATERING PUMP

eir Minerals has expanded its extensive dewatering solutions portfolio with the global launch of the Multiflo RF dewatering pump unit. The new Multiflo RF range is engineered in a compact package, offering customers a light and flexible solution. Weir Minerals dewatering product manager Peter Smit explained: “We developed the Multiflo RF unit following specific customer requests for a more compact dewatering pump that could move around site with ease while still retaining the same performance, reliability and robust build of our other units. “The key to the compact design is the use of close coupled pumps, which provide the added benefit of accurate pump alignment. We also designed the Multiflo RF pump with built-in skid runners and a bolt-on dozer push-bar

option to offer our customers versatility of operating configurations.” Weir Minerals has moved to the next stage in the evolution of its dewatering pumps. The new diesel driven Multiflo RF pump presents a unit that incorporates the convenience of an auto vacuum priming system with an inbuilt skid and a compact design. The range has been developed to operate effectively in a variety of harsh environments and applications, such as mining, quarrying, and water transfer. The small frame footprint allows for ease of movement around site, while the dirty water capability sets the pump above the competition. The Multiflo RF range includes seven new units, each designed to maximise efficiency no matter the application, with the same Weir Minerals aftersales service and support. The unit provides a wide range of standard inclusions and a comprehensive selection of optional features to suit customers’ dewatering needs. Daniel Bacigalupo, Weir Minerals AUSTRALIANMINING

global product manager for dewatering, added: “The Multiflo RF range is the next generation of dewatering pump units, and demonstrates our renowned attention to detail and focus on delivering a product that is powerful and efficient. “Weir Minerals’ dewatering portfolio covers a variety of dewatering solutions

for our customers, and the new Multiflo RF units complement our overall dewatering offering.” Weir Minerals offers an extensive range of mine and process dewatering products, including dewatering pumps, hydrocyclones, dewatering screens, specialty hose, tailored pontoons and barges. AM THE MULTIFLO RF DEWATERING PUMP.

APRIL 2018

PRODUCTS

MINING BENEFITS FROM GERMAN ENGINEERING German engineering company SGF (Suddeutsche Gelenkscheibenfabrik Gmbh) has shown off its SGFlex-3F coupling assembly, which can transmit torques from 100Nm to 3240Nm. Making use of a combination of cord inlays vulcanised within certain rubber compounds that can be used as ties for coupling constructions, a trait trademarked by SGF as TENPU fibre technology, these coupling assemblies utilise a tension load principle rather than pressure or shear load. This leads to reduced noise and vibration, as well as increased tolerance to shock loads and improved compensation of misalignments, whether they be radial, axial or angular in nature. The SGFlex-3F also distinguishes itself through the implementation of pilot bore flanges and flywheel adaptors available in a variety of sizes that are designed to connect a single shaft, two shafts or flywheels to shafts. A sister series to the SGFlex-3F, the TENBEX-ECO is a link coupling system designed for use with either Type D (shaft-to-shaft) or Type F (direct-to-engine) connections. This coupling can be combined with various optional hubs and flanges, providing complete fitment versatility without the need for further modification. Larger than the SGFlex-3F, the SGF TENBEX-ECO coupling is also flexible enough to be adjusted to suit torques from 4800Nm to 40,000Nm and is easy to fit into place. • sgf.de/en

DRÄGER X-AM 5000 The Dräger X-am 5000 is a gas detector designed for personal monitoring, with a one-to-five gas detector that can measure harmful levels of toxic gases and vapours, carbon dioxide (CO2), odorants and amine. This is useful not just for measurement of respirable air quality but for the detection of potentially explosive atmospheres as well. The X-am 5000 is resistant to sensor poisons such as silicone and hydrogen sulphide, ensuring accurate results. The sensor has a lifetime of over four years, ensuirng high quality and reduced operational costs. The sensor’s mobile phone-like design also ensures maximum portability; the X-am 5000 is currently one of the smallest five gas sensors available. It also includes an optional external pump with a hose length of up to 45m for use in confined spaces and pre-entry measurement scenarios. • draeger.com • 1800 372 437

AUSTRALIANMINING

APRIL 2018

PRODUCTS

CAT COMMAND FOR LOADING

FIRESTONE AIRSTROKE VALVE ACTUATOR Typically used in pipelines as isolating valves, gate valves are ideal tools for actuation purposes. An alternative form of actuation are bellowstype Airstroke actuators from Firestone (distributed in Australia by Air Springs Supply), which act like reinforced balloons without seals or internal moving parts. This is particularly useful for the actuation of materials handling technology that is exposed to hindering material such as dust and grime, which can clog more traditional hydraulic solutions. Since Airstroke actuators also lack the friction associated with more traditional piston-based cylinders, they also generate less heat. • Airsprings.com.au

CAT Command for Loading allows machine operators to utilise a remote operation console for safe operation of wheel loaders in hazardous conditions not suitable for manual operations. A line-of-sight application with range of up to 400m, Command is fully integrated with the 988K wheel loader, allowing the vehicle to continue operations in hazardous conditions with no risk to the operator.The machine’s entire motion can be stopped with the press of a switch should the operator run into problems or otherwise lose wireless communication. This will also occur if the loader’s console tilts more than 60 degrees from its normal operational position. The remote uses a Li-Ion battery that lasts for up to 18 hours on a single charge. • cat.com/en_AU/products

MECHANIX WEAR ORHD PINCH POINT GLOVES

TECH PLAS EXTRUSIONS STAR POSTS

Suitable for use in the mining and oil and gas industries, Mechanix Wear’s ORHD work gloves can protect hands from lacerations, severe abrasion, pinches and blunt force impacts. The gloves feature dual-density thermal plastic rubber (TPR) around the knuckles and metacarpals, which helps to protect these vulnerable areas from forceful impacts, while still offering flexibility and mobility. In addition to this, the fingertips have pinch-point protection as well. Underneath the TPR knuckle guards are a 2mm layer of foam for increased cushioning, leading to improved dispersion of impact. The gloves also feature PVC bonded dots and reinforced synthetic leather on the palm and underside of the fingers, which improve durability and grip.

Australian-owned Tech Plas Extrusions has been in business since 1985 and specialises in extrusions, scaffolding, traffic fencing, refrigeration profiles and piping, and its star posts are among its many notable products. Made from rigid PVC and UV-stabilised, these posts can be installed with steel post drivers and are well suited to applications such as electric wiring and temporary fencing. Pictured is the company’s Eureka picket star post, which comes with several colour options. Currently located in Pendle Hill, Sydney, Tech Plas represents local, interstate and international customers in a wide range of industries. • Techplas.com.au

• Mechanix.com

AUSTRALIANMINING

APRIL 2018

EVENTS

CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS EVENT SUBMISSIONS CAN BE EMAILED TO EDITOR@AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU

STRATEGIC MINE PLANNING & OPTIMISATION: GEOVIA WHITTLE & ISIGHT, PERTH, APRIL 16–20 A five-day course for planners, engineers, directors, scientists, metallurgists, and all other applicable industry professionals to gain knowledge in mine planning and optimisation software. Instructed by professor of mining and engineer Hooman Askari, who leads the University of Alberta’s Mining Optimisation Laboratory (MOL) team and has over 20 years of experience in open pit design and planning, this course will include lectures, computer labs, and case study presentations. Software courses will include instruction in Dassault System’s GEOVIA Whittle and Isight programs, and Excel Solver, three valuable digital tools for strategic mine planning. Other topics will include instruction in Lane’s Theory, CAPEX optimisation, Lerchs -Grossman 3D algorithms (pit optimisation), stockpiling, risk management and many more. • hooman@optitek.ca +1 780 893 9365 (Canada) VALUATION OF MINERAL PROJECTS BASED ON TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL MODELLING, VANCOUVER, CANADA, APRIL 17–20 Held at InfoMine in Vancouver, British Columbia, this course detailing the effects of market turbulence and how to build realistic financial models around mining-based quantitative finance. The organisers state that it will be of interest to mining analysts, asset management specialists, development engineers, bankers, and several other financial industry professionals. By the end of the course — supported by the University of British Columbia, University of Arizona, and University of Concepción — attendees will have learnt how to analyse data using CostMine, analyse IC-MinEval financial performance indicators, learn about the impact of technical variables and technical risk, and several more skills, and will receive

a certificate in mining studies, upon completion of this four-day course. • edumine-support@infomine.com EduMine: +1 604 683 2037 MEGATRANS2018, MELBOURNE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE, MELBOURNE, MAY 10–12 A first-of-its-kind event in Australia for supply chain and logistics, the inaugural MEGATRANS2018 event will take place from May 10–12 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), involving a whole host of renowned industry exhibitors and feature events. “MEGATRANS2018 is poised to be the biggest supply chain and logistics trade event in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere,” said event director Simon Coburn. “By spreading the expo across all 30,000 square metres of exhibition space at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, we’re trying to include every business, service provider and leader within the supply chain.” • megatrans2018.com.au AUSIMM ACHIEVE AND INSPIRE CONFERENCE, SYDNEY, MAY 18 An event dedicated to inspiring thought leadership. Speaker from the industry include Christine GIbbs-Stewart, chief executive AUSTRALIANMINING

officer of Austmine, Jacqui McGill of BHP and Minerals Council of Australia chairman Vanessa Guthrie. Topics will include ways to improve the mining and resources industry, driving cultural change and improving the industry’s reputation within the community. • achieveinspire.ausimm.com ALTA 2018, PAN PACIFIC HOTEL, PERTH, MAY 19–26 Organised by ALTA Metallurgical Services, which was founded in 1985 to serve the needs of the worldwide mining, minerals and metallurgical industries, this year’s ALTA event is now in its 23rd year, and is the longest-running metallurgical event in the country. This metallurgy-focused event gathers international speakers and exhibitors from all corners of the metal resources spectrum, including tech metals, rare earths, precious metals and uranium. • altamet.com.au/conferences/alta2018/ AMEC CONVENTION 2018, PERTH, JUNE 13–14 Taking place at Crown Perth Convention Centre, the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) convention will showcase the Australian resources

APRIL 2018

sector around a theme of building confidence. The show will involve several established keynote speakers, a large exhibitors’ trade show featuring 50 companies (including ALS Minerals, Mincor, Barra Resources, Westgold Resources, Peel Mining and many more) and lots of networking opportunities. Information on packages and pricing are available from AMEC’s website. • amec.org.au/public/events/AMEC_ Convention PROSPECT AWARDS, SYDNEY CRICKET GROUND, SYDNEY, OCTOBER 18 Celebrating its 15th year this October, the Australian Mining Prospect Awards has firmly established itself as one of Australia’s premier mining industry events. Nominations are now open for the 2018 Awards, which celebrates the best of the industry. Previous winners have included a large range of companies, from SMEs and start-up ventures to the industry’s biggest hitters, such as Atlas Copco, BGC Contracting and Roy Hill. Last year also saw iron ore mogul Gina Rinehart receive the award for Contribution to Mining. This year’s event will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday October 18. • prospectawards.com.au

NOMINATIONS NOW

OPEN For more information, please go to

www.prospectawards.com.au Sponsors

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