AM May 2019 by Prime Creative Media

MAINTENANCE MINERALS PROCESSING INTERNET OF THINGS

VOLUME 111/3 | MAY 2019

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MAINTENANCE MINERALS PROCESSING VOLUME 111/3 | MAY 2019

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COMMENT

REALISING THE VALUE OF AUTOMATION BEN CREAGH

Ben.Creagh@primecreative.com.au

It also shows why platforms such as social media have become a barometer of the general feeling towards the mining industry and its activities, particularly at the ground level. As this edition of Australian Mining reports (p34-35), a negative social media response is now considered a risk that mining companies must control and mitigate. Users of social media often target autonomous technology with the perception that it is removing jobs across the mining industry. To stem the attacks, miners and METS companies have repeatedly expressed that autonomous technology is, in fact, changing workforces and bringing in new skills in fields like data analytics. Mining has traditionally been a slow mover when it comes to introducing technology and an opportunity like automation is considered by many to be overdue. It would also, perhaps more significantly, seem that the acceptance of the value that these initiatives provides remains overdue for some.

In this edition of Australian Mining, we shine the spotlight on diversity in the Australian mining industry. Our cover feature reveals that gender diversity is not just a corporate catchphrase when it comes to the sector’s forerunners, with interviews with women in leading positions at BHP, Fortescue and St Barbara. We also provide a focus on the coal industry and the potential impact of changes to trade conditions with China. This edition also reviews the South Australian mining industry and its major developments, such as OZ Minerals’ Carrapateena project. And as usual, we review the latest mining equipment and technology in our regular products section.

Ben Creagh Editor

Cover image: HATCH

AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES TO HAVE SOME CRITICS. WHEN AND HOW WILL THIS DEFIANT ATTITUDE EVENTUALLY TURN?

wo mine site incidents this year have demonstrated that the acceptance of automation in the mining industry is still a work in progress. The events involved Fortescue Metals Group and BHP, which both suffered autonomous truck collisions at iron ore operations in the Pilbara during February and March. Firstly, Fortescue revealed that an autonomous truck at its Christmas Creek mine had reversed into a stationary machine. About a month later, BHP announced that two autonomous trucks had collided at the Jimblebar mine due to wet weather. Accidents happen, but it is the response to the collisions that raised the most intrigue. On Australian Mining’s social media network, commentary on each incident persisted with the long-standing cynicism about the impact of automation on company jobs and how the accidents would not have occurred if a driver was at the wheel. However, countless truck accidents happened before the days of autonomous machines and having the technology in place at both sites has reinforced the safety benefits it provides. For the iron ore miners, as well as other companies introducing automation at their sites, this response is yet another reminder of the education process that accompanies their technology projects.

MANAGING DIRECTOR JOHN MURPHY MANAGING EDITOR BEN CREAGH Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: ben.creagh@primecreative.com.au JOURNALISTS EWEN HOSIE Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: ewen.hosie@primecreative.com.au VANESSA ZHOU Tel: (03) 9690 8766 Email: vanessa.zhou@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER JANINE CLEMENTS Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Email: janine.clements@primecreative.com.au

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MAY 2019

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CONTENTS

MINERALS PROCESSING

COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

CDE GLOBAL’S SUSTAINABLE PUSH Mining value from industrial waste

THE GOAL OF COAL New challenges in the sector

14-15

40-41

REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT

INDUSTRY COMMENT

SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S COPPER RICHES OZ Minerals on the future-proof mine

THE FUTURE OF MINING The latest from METS Ignited, Austmine and AusIMM

17-18 WOMEN IN MINING MINING FOR INCLUSION Evolution in the workplace

42-45

20-21

MATERIALS HANDLING A SILVER LINING How E-Plas is producing ‘Teflon for tippers’

INTERNET OF THINGS

A CONNECTED WORLD Schenck talks E-nizing

CRUSHING AND SCREENING

48 A REAL BREAKTHROUGH The benefit of Astec-BTI’s BreakerBoss system

22 WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT HASTINGS DEERING ON DIVERSITY Building a better balance

24 MAINTENANCE A BETTER CALIBRE OF CALIPER Hilliard’s putting on the brakes

TYRE MANAGEMENT THE BENEFIT OF TOMS Kal Tire’s future-forward technology

ENERGY

26-27 INTERNATIONAL

A TRIUMPHANT TRIO Mobile Energy’s latest welding package

28 AN ASPIRATIONAL COAL JOURNEY Aspire’s Mongolian prospect

53 PRODUCT FOCUS

INNOVATION

FAMILY MATTERS An interview with Vega Australia

GEARING UP Lubrilog and Total’s open gear service

PRODUCT FOCUS

PROSPECT AWARDS

38-39

TURN OF THE CENTURY Centennial Coal’s back in black

SELF-AUTOMATING LUBRICATORS GreaseMax’s approach offers greater control

55 REGULARS

NEWS 8-12

PRODUCTS 56-57 AUSTRALIANMINING

MAY 2019

EVENTS 58

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NEWS

THE LATEST MINING AND SAFETY NEWS AUSTRALIAN MINING AND SAFE TO WORK PRESENT THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE BOARDROOM TO THE MINE AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. VISIT WWW.AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU AND WWW.SAFETOWORK.COM.AU TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING. AIRBORNE SURVEY REVEALS RICH MINERAL DEPOSITS IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT FOR MINING IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA.

The Northern Territory and Queensland have shown significant future potential for mineral deposits, including gold, copper, nickel, lead, zinc and manganese, an airborne electromagnetic survey (AEM) by Geoscience Australia indicates. Deposits of critical minerals such as cobalt, platinum-group elements and rare earth elements have also appeared in the results. This is the second release from the AEM survey, which contains 60,000 line kilometres of data that provides insights into mineral-rich areas in Northern Australia that have not been extensively explored, according to Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matt Canavan.

“This is great news for Northern Australia, offering enormous potential for the next generation of resource discoveries,” Canavan said. “Airborne electromagnetic surveys – or AEM – use aircraft-mounted equipment to map the electrical conductivity below the Earth’s surface to a depth of several hundred metres. “This provides a detailed 3D picture – similar to a CT scan – that is used to map potential resources beneath the Earth’s surface in the prospective area between Tennant Creek and Mt Isa.” When integrated with other datasets such as gravity, magnetic and radiometric maps of Australia, the

AEM can reveal potential broad-scale groundwater resources to support communities, industries and the environment. Thirteen exploration companies have signed up to participate in infill flying during the next survey, covering an equally large area of the west of the Northern Territory and into Western Australia. “The government is committed to building a strong, growing economy that creates jobs, especially in Northern Australia,” Canavan said. “That’s why we are investing heavily in word-class geoscience data acquisition programs, which are central to de-risking exploration and attracting more investment, an aim

AUSTRALIAN MINING GETS THE LATEST NEWS EVERY DAY, PROVIDING MINING PROFESSIONALS WITH UP TO THE MINUTE INFORMATION ON SAFETY, NEWS AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN MINING AND RESOURCES INDUSTRY.

outlined in the recently released Australia’s National Resources Statement. “The aim is to have the world’s most advanced, innovative and successful resources sector that delivers sustained prosperity and social development for all Australians.” This AEM was led by Geoscience Australia in collaboration with the Northern Territory Geological survey and the Geological Survey of Queensland. Geoscience Australia will continue to release more comprehensive data and analysis throughout 2019.

THOUSANDS OF HECTARES OF QLD LAND PUT INTO REHAB Anglo American and BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) have expressed their commitment to rehabilitating key mining land in Queensland. The companies demonstrated their environmental standards by pledging to return mined land to post-mining uses. Anglo American is spending more than $162 million over a five-year period to rehabilitate five coking coal sites in central Queensland, with the majority of the spend being spent on two open cut sites. The company committed around $83 million to the Dawson open cut mine near Moura, and another $40 million for rehabilitation of the

Capcoal mine near Middlemount. Anglo American’s rehabilitation work at Dawson commenced in 2012 and focuses on rehabilitating the mine area into grazing land. “Anglo American’s Dawson Mine has been leading the way in innovative rehabilitation approaches, including the successful rehabilitation of an area previously containing void highwall, and use of rehabilitated land for cattle grazing,” Anglo American’s Metallurgical Coal chief executive officer Tyler Mitchelson said. BMA, meanwhile, has received certification from the Queensland Government 1,500 hectares of land

across two plots. They include a 1,176-hectare section of land related to the Gregory Crinum underground mine near Emerald (the largest tract of mining-affected land certified by the state government) and a 294-hectare tract at the Norwich Park mine. “It’s been a fantastic effort by our team, who’ve worked closely with the department to ensure its stringent rehabilitation standards have been met,’’ BMA asset president James Palmer said. “BMA is committed to its responsibilities to rehabilitate the land within its mining leases, and

AUSTRALIANMINING

MAY 2019

we continue to collaborate with the Department on further progressive certification. Queenslanders want to know that miners’ take their responsibilities to the environment seriously.” Queensland Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Ian Macfarlane congratulated BMA and Anglo American. “Last year, the QRC worked with the Palaszczuk Government on significant reforms to the system for the rehabilitation of mines and the development of a financial provisioning scheme for the whole resources sector in Queensland,” Macfarlane said.

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NEWS

GREGORY CRINUM COAL MINE TO RESTART FOLLOWING BMA SALE BMA HAS REDUCED ITS PRESENCE IN THE BOWEN BASIN.

administration facilities. “Sojitz will also continue with the progressive rehabilitation of the mine (returning the site to a suitable post mining landform) as per the statutory requirement,” the company added. BMA decided to sell the mine after a review found there was potential for another operator to realise greater value from the site. Asset president James Palmer praised the opportunity the sale presented for the region, as well as more broadly

IMAGE: BHP.

Japan’s Sojitz is plotting the restart of the Gregory Crinum coking coal mine in Queensland after completing a $100 million acquisition of the site from BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA). The operations, which were placed on care and maintenance in January 2016, had a capacity of six million tonnes a year when production stopped. Sojitz plans to ship its first cargo of coal from the mine during the second half (starting October) of the company’s financial year, following a proposed restart during its first half period. The company pursued the acquisition as part of a strategy to rebalance a bias towards thermal coal operations in its asset portfolio. Sojitz explained the strategy was in light of mounting environmental concerns around the globe, as well as for the long-term sustainability of its business. “The acquisition of this coking coal mine is part of that initiative, along with the agreement to sell its stake in the BAU thermal coal mine in Indonesia, announced on March 11,” Sojitz stated. Gregory Crinum, 60 kilometres northeast of Emerald, comprises the Crinum underground mine, Gregory open cut mine, undeveloped coal resources and on-site infrastructure, including a coal handling and preparation plant, maintenance workshops and

across Queensland. “We wish Sojitz well in its plans to recommence production at Gregory Crinum. This will provide new job opportunities and trade benefits for the people of central Queensland, as well as increased royalties and taxes to benefit the state,” Palmer said. BMA will provide funding for the rehabilitation of existing areas of disturbance at the Gregory Crinum site, with Sojitz to take on all rehabilitation liabilities.

Mitsubishi, meanwhile, stated the divestment of Gregory Crinum was part of a strategy to improve its assets while maintaining its size. “In conjunction with these efforts to optimise its asset portfolio, Mitsubishi Corp is committed to enhancing the competitiveness of its existing assets through continuous endeavours aimed at reducing cost and improving productivity,” the company stated. The deal was announced on May 30 last year.

NEWCREST TO SOLE FUND FIVE EXPLORATION PROGRAMS IN 2019 Newcrest Mining’s joint venture (JV) exploration programs with Encounter Resources received a boost today as the company announced it will sole fund programs this year across the highly sought after gold regions of Tanami and West Arunta in Western Australia. Newcrest confirmed it will target Tier 1 equivalent mineral deposits across the prospective provinces once recent heritage surveys have been completed.

At present the five EncounterNewcrest JVs total 5900 square kilometres. As part of the agreement, Newcrest has the right to increase its interest in each JV to 80 per cent should Encounter not elect to contribute on a 50:50 basis by sole funding exploration and delivering over one million ounces of gold. Newcrest has provided Encounter with exploration plans for over 14,000 metres of reverse circulation

and diamond drilling in the first phase program. The granted licences cover about 80 per cent of the 4400 square kilometre total represented by the five JVs. The JVs, named Selby, Watts, Lewis, Phillipson and Aileron, were approved in May 2018. Encounter managing director, Will Robinson, said the recently expanded joint ventures with Newcrest, as part of major exploration programs

across the Tanami and West Arunta sites, would test several well-defined, advanced targets in 2019. “The hunt is on for the next game changing gold discovery in Australia,” he said. “These projects have the potential to host gold deposits of scale that appeal to Newcrest and, as such, they provide Encounter shareholders with significant leverage to a pipeline of potential Tier 1 projects fully funded by a major gold producer.”

FORTESCUE AWARDS $35M CONTRACT TO PILBARA BUSINESSES Fortescue Metals Group has awarded a major component overhaul and replacement services (MCORS) contract to three contractors based in Port Hedland in Western Australia. Force Equipment, WesTrac and Komatsu received the $35 million joint contract to perform maintenance on Fortescue’s heavy mobile equipment in Port Hedland, saving the company a 1600 kilometre one-way trip to Perth

for heavy mobile equipment repairs. The contract will provide 17 fulltime jobs for local workers and infrastructure investment in the Pilbara. Six per cent of Fortescue’s spend on procurement in the last financial year went towards businesses in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, Fortescue chief executive officer Elizabeth Gaines said.

AUSTRALIANMINING

“Thriving businesses are fundamental to the economic prosperity of our communities and basing the maintenance of our heavy mobile equipment in Port Hedland is a very practical, common sense approach that has significant benefits for our community,” Gaines said. Port Hedland Mayor Camilo Blanco said he was pleased with Fortescue’s decision to award the MCORS contract

MAY 2019

to three Hedland-based businesses, as it would help to support local jobs for local residents, particularly young people. In 2018, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) cited a youth unemployment rate of 14.4 per cent in the outback region of Western Australia, which included the towns of Port Hedland, Kalgoorlie, Broome, Karratha and Geraldon.

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NEWS

INDIGENOUS STUDENTS TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS IN ROBOTICS The Tooloola Indigenous Group Robotics (TIGeR) team is set to join the upcoming robotics competition in Rockhampton, Queensland in August this year. The automation and robotics workshop will be led by Domabotics technology education expert Damien Kee in the lead up to the competition. The students, guided by Kee, took the Indigenous culture and melded it with programmed robots to replicate traditional dance steps performed by former students from the school. The workshop is part of the school’s Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) Robotics Futures Program, supported by Shell’s Queensland Gas Company (QGC) business. It will be the first time students from the Toolooa State High School (SHS) in Gladstone join the competition. “Our Investment in programs such as this supports local and Indigenous young people to grow into meaningful jobs in the future,” Shell QGC national social performance manager Simon Nish said. “The good news for these students is that last year, Indigenous employment grew by 11 per cent in Queensland’s resources sector and we hope to see many of these students come and work for us in trade and professional fields. “It’s important for students to understand the role of robotics and technology in the careers of the future and it’s a fun and hands-on way to relate their classroom learning to the real world.” Along with Toolooa SHS students, Kee also worked with Clinton, Tannum Sands and Gladstone Central state schools, upskilling both teachers and students. Manager of Toolooa SHS’s Indigenous unit Brad Eggmolesse said his students learnt more in the one-hour workshop than most people do in five. “It was fantastic to watch. All of the students are keen to continue the robotics work and aim for a great showing at the robotics competition,” Eggmolesse said. “Past students from our dance troupe will come back to help the robotics team map out the dance movements and how to combine this to programming. Everyone wants to play a role, which will put our team in a good position.” The QMEA is a partnership between the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) and the Queensland State Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program. It includes 60 schools throughout Queensland.

TOOLOOLA SHS’S INDIGENOUS UNIT MANAGER BRAD EGGMOLESSE WITH STUDENTS.

TROPICANA UNDERGROUND EXPANSION RECEIVES NOD The Tropicana joint venture has cemented the Western Australian gold mine’s future by approving the Boston Shaker underground development. JV partners AngloGold Ashanti and Independence Group (IGO) will launch the $105.7 million project in the June quarter. They have scheduled first gold for the September quarter next year. The underground development is expected to contribute an annual average of 100,000 ounces to Tropicana’s production profile from the 2021 financial year. It will allow the JV to maintain Tropicana’s production at between 450,000-500,000 ounces per annum over the next five years, with the average annual output over this period expected to be 480,000 ounces. A Boston Shaker project feasibility study has confirmed that underground mining is technically and financially viable. The cost estimate is, however,

higher than the $95 million forecast in the December 2018 project prefeasibility study. Macmahon Holdings has been awarded a five-year, $170 million mining services contract for the underground mine. The work adds to Macmahon’s existing agreement at Tropicana, which is already the site of the company’s largest mining contract in Australia. AngloGold Ashanti’s international chief operating officer Ludwig Eybers said underground mining at Boston Shaker would leverage further value from the operation, achieving pay-back in just over three years. “An ongoing focus on operational excellence has enabled Tropicana to consistently exceed expectations, and I am sure this world-class performance will extend into the underground operation,” Eybers said. The JV expects the expanded ore production from the mine to capitalise AUSTRALIANMINING

on investments made in the Tropicana processing plant, including the second ball mill, which was commissioned last November and increases annual throughput to 8.1 million tonnes. AngloGold and IGO also plan to continue to test high-grade extensions to the mineral resource beneath the Tropicana and Havana pits to assess the opportunity for further underground mining operations. IGO managing director Peter Bradford described the underground development as an important step in the continuing value enhancement at Tropicana, one of the lowest cost gold operations of scale in Australia. “This is an exciting opportunity, with the Boston Shaker underground expected to deliver improved grades and production profile at Tropicana from financial year 2021 for a modest capital investment,” Bradford said. The Boston Shaker ore reserve is estimated at 2.8 million tonnes at

MAY 2019

grades of 3.84 grams a tonne for 317,000 ounces of gold. Macmahon, which has been contracted at Tropicana since 2012, will operate both the open pit and underground mines at the site under its expanded agreement. The mining services company expects to start work on the latest Tropicana contract in May 2019, with the capital expenditure for the underground works forecast to be about $30 million. Macmahon chief executive officer Michael Finnergan commented: “The contract win is a major step towards our strategic goal of growing our underground business and capitalising on the increased level of underground opportunities with existing and potential new clients.” Tropicana is 70 per cent owned and managed by AngloGold, with IGO holding the remaining 30 per cent share.

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APRIL 2019

COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

KEEPING UP WITH COAL AUSTRALIA’S COAL INDUSTRY HAS SHOWN REMARKABLE RESILIENCE OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS BUT IT IS IMPORTANT THE INDUSTRY KEEPS ABREAST OF NEW CHALLENGES ON THE HORIZON. EWEN HOSIE REPORTS.

“

oal is dead” is a mantra that will be familiar to many miners, and it’s true enough to say that it was in a bad place for a while. Following the collapse of Australia’s mining boom in the early part of the decade, the nation’s coal industry suffered greatly, with prices falling from around $300 a tonne for much of 2011 to a low point of around $85 in January 2015. This decline in value led to notable mining operations being sold off for as little as a dollar during the lull. Stanmore Coal purchased the Isaac Plains coal mine for this miniscule figure from Vale and Sumitomo in 2015, just three years after Sumitomo had paid $430 million for a 50 per cent interest in the mine. The Blair Athol thermal coal mine in central Queensland soon followed. The Blair Athol Coal joint venture (BACJV), run by Rio Tinto, sold the mothballed operation in 2016 to junior company TerraCom for a dollar as well, a sale that came with the added bonus of $80 million from BACJV to cover the mine’s rehabilitation costs. But proclamations of the death of coal, it seems, were somewhat premature. The industry has been the subject of a buoyant recovery over the past two-to-three years, bolstered by improving prices and high demand from important Asian markets, such as China, Japan, India and South Korea. Queensland in particular has posted significant boosts for its economy through coal – the state accounted for more than half ($35.8 billion) of Australia’s $66 billion in coal exports in 2018. The state’s coal exports have also doubled in the last four years, with royalties up from $1.6 billion in 2014–15 to $4.26 billion in 2017–18. Australia can also sell itself on the high quality of both its metallurgical and thermal coal production as competition ramps up from Russian and Colombian producers, who are shuffling for space in the competitive Asian market. New Hope Group, currently ramping towards stage three production at the New Acland thermal coal site in New South Wales, predicts a positive future for thermal coal. “Demand for seaborne thermal coal in Asia has been increasing, and one thing that contributes to the strength

is slowing but still positive, and steel mill margins which have improved over the past three years on higher steel prices,” Stanmore managing director Dan Clifford tells Australian Mining. “These demand drivers are magnified by a shortage of investment in new projects and supply inconsistencies particularly from Australia and China.”

COAL BEING LOADED AT KOORAGANG ISLAND IN NEWCASTLE, NEW SOUTH WALES.

Black Watch

of the Australian coal price is that Australian producers have a good track record of reliability and quality, which helps achieve a premium price,” says New Hope Group executive general manager – marketing and external affairs, Sam Fisher. “Another factor is that Indonesia is the biggest seaborne supplier of thermal coal but its reserves of higher quality coal are decreasing. They have the ability to increase exports but it’s mainly lower quality lignite coal.” Australia’s ‘coal comeback’ has culminated in two annual records in a row for Australia’s coal export revenue, first in 2017 ($56.6 billion), and then 2018 ($66 billion), the same year coal export revenue overtook iron ore in Australia for the first time. This has paid dividends for smaller producers who were willing to take the risk on coal during the lull, including Stanmore Coal and TerraCom with their single-dollar payouts. TerraCom announced that it had upgraded the Blair Athol mine’s marketable reserves in March 2019 to 23.5 million tonnes of thermal coal and 28.7 million tonnes overall, adding three years to the mine’s expected life for eight years in total at an average of 3 million tonnes of production a year. Stanmore Coal, whose customers are primarily from Japan and South Korea, has also turned the Isaac Complex around since 2015, expanding the project through Isaac Plains East. The company even rejected a $240 million AUSTRALIANMINING

takeover offer from Indonesia-based Golden Energy and Resources in November last year. “Increasing coking coal consumption is being driven by global growth, which

This improvement of fortunes is not to suggest Australia’s coal companies should surrender to complacency, however, as global issues could potentially affect the industry. Ongoing trade sanctions between the United States and China that started over the last year have had a marginal knock-on effect to Australia’s coal output. US-imposed trade tariffs on the import of Chinese products has caused a knock-on effect to China’s demand for materials for these products and since Australia is China’s leading supplier of several materials, including

NEW HOPE’S PRIMARY EXPORT MARKETS FOR THERMAL COAL INCLUDE JAPAN AND TAIWAN.

MAY 2019

COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT

THERMAL COAL FROM THE US CURRENTLY MAKES UP A TINY PROPORTION OF CHINA’S IMPORTS, JUST 0.2 PER CENT IN 2018. IMPORTS OF COKING COAL FROM THE US ARE MORE SIGNIFICANT, MAKING UP 3 PER CENT OF IMPORTS TO CHINA IN 2018.” iron ore, copper and bauxite, as well as its second largest for metallurgical (i.e. steel-making) coal, this could lead to negative impacts for both volume and affect coal prices. There is a possibility that US President Donald Trump could secure coal supply deals with the Chinese from mines in states such as West Virginia and Ohio, where coal mining activities have been in decline. In February, media reports detailed that deliveries of Australian coal had been held up at five Chinese ports, including the northerly Port of Dalian, during the customs clearance process. Simon Nicholas, an energy analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), says

NEW HOPE GROUP’S NEW ACLAND THERMAL COAL SITE DEVELOPMENT IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

that it is difficult to tell exactly how the ongoing trade negotiations will end up, and the extent to which the tensions explain the delays placed on Australian coal exports to China. “It’s possible yet unclear that China could agree to import more coal from the US,” he explains. “Thermal coal from the US currently makes up a tiny proportion of China’s imports, just 0.2 per cent in 2018. Imports of coking coal from the US are more significant, making up 3 per cent of imports to China in 2018.

AUSTRALIANMINING

“US exports of thermal coal in particular were significantly higher in 2017 and 2018 with India responsible for much of the increase. IEEFA has predicted that US exports will start to decline again in 2019.” China – the world’s foremost air polluter – is also undergoing strict environmental reforms as the Government attempts to tackle the country’s critical emissions issues through the implementation of a carbon trading system and a shift to clean energy in order to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement. However, Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) chief executive officer Tania Constable doesn’t think these reforms will impact Australian coal exports to China. “MCA does not believe that the thresholds set in China’s environment policies are affecting imports of Australian coal, because our coal is high quality and passes China’s thresholds,” she tells Australian Mining. The latest available Resources and Energy quarterly report from the Australian Government (to the end of December 2018) predicts that thermal coal will be hardest hit, with an average decline of 5.2 per cent a year to 2024. “It’s hard to know exactly how the ongoing trade negotiations will end up and the extent to which trade tensions explain the delays placed on Australian coal exports to China,” says Simon Nicholas an energy analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). “It’s possible yet unclear that China could agree to import more coal from the US Thermal coal from the US currently makes up a tiny proportion of China’s imports, just 0.2 per cent in 2018 — imports of coking coal from the

MAY 2019

US are more significant, making up 3 per cent of imports to China in 2018. The Japanese Environment Ministry also announced in March 2019 that it would not sanction new coal-fired power plants or upgrade existing plants in a bid to improve its greenhouse gas emissions, which could affect thermal coal imports to the country. Australia is by far the leading exporter of thermal coal exports to the island nation. Nicholas explains that Japan’s coal-fired power plant pipeline was already in major decline before the announcement, with offshore wind poised to be the breakout energy source in Japan “as it is around Asia”. “From almost 12.7 gigawatts of projects in Japan’s pipeline in January 2015, the latest figures put the pipeline at under 4.6 gigawatts,” he explains. “Japan has 8.7 gigawatts of new plants under construction but there is also 8.2 gigawatts of old coal-fired power capacity due for closure over the next five years. “Even without any advanced renewable energy or carbon reduction policy, Japan’s coal demand is in decline due to decreasing electricity demand and nuclear power restarts.” New Hope’s Fisher suggests that the company expects thermal coal to remain an important fuel for Japan, which has a 2030 energy generation target of 26 per cent coal. “It’s true Japan has been building renewables capacity, but Japan doesn’t have any of its own energy resources. Its overriding concern is security of supply,” he says. “Our expectation is for coal to remain an important fuel for a long time to come in Japan.” Whichever way things go over the next few years, Australian coal is set for a dramatic ride. AM

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REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT

PROPELLING COPPER-RICH SOUTH AUSTRALIA TO THE WORLD SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S APPETITE TO MEET THE RISE IN DEMAND FOR COPPER, ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND RENEWABLE ENERGY HAS BEEN MATCHED BY THE VISION OF ITS MINERS. OZ MINERALS CHIEF EXECUTIVE ANDREW COLE SPEAKS TO VANESSA ZHOU ABOUT BEING A LEADER OF THESE GLOBAL TRENDS.

outh Australia is gearing up to meet the 21st century transition towards a low-carbon economy with major operations like BHP’s Olympic Dam site. BHP’s ambition to increase Olympic Dam’s copper production by 75 per cent to 350,000 tonnes per year is not inexplicable, given the pursuit of another company to build copper mines in South Australia that last decades. OZ Minerals is this other company, and among its focus on “half a dozen copper jurisdictions around the world”, South Australia remains the top priority. The success rate for finding copper deposits in South Australia is reportedly twice the world average, according to MinEx Consulting managing director Richard Shodde. OZ Minerals chief executive Andrew Cole specifically underlines the massive potential of the Gawler Craton, the belt of rock that stretches much of the distance between Port Augusta to Coober Pedy. BHP’s Olympic Dam mine and OZ Minerals’ Prominent Hill and Carrapateena projects all call this belt rock home. “We think [the Gawler Craton] is one of the top six jurisdictions in the world for copper deposits,” Cole tells Australian Mining. “We’re halfway through constructing [Carrapateena] at the moment, and in April 2019 we will start our underground development in the top of the orebody. “Our current base case is to build a 20-year mine life, 4.25 million tonnes processing plant and we’ll run the operation for 20 years. “But what we’re already working on is an expansion plan for Carrapateena, because Carrapateena is a very big mineralised body and our current base case is only to take about 10 per cent of that deposit. Our expansion plan is looking at how much more we can take of that.” Cole points out there are three other deposits within 10 kilometres of Carrapateena – the Saddle, Fremantle

OZ MINERALS’ HEADQUARTERS IN ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Doctor and Khamsin. OZ Minerals aspires to take more of these copper resources over the longer term and is working on future plans to bring that to fruition. “I fundamentally believe there will be more to find in the Gawler Craton.

It’s technically quite challenging to explore, but we’ve got an exploration program around Prominent Hill and one around Carrapateena and we’ll be drilling more targets throughout this year,” Cole says. “Hopefully there will be discoveries

THE TJATI DECLINE WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE COPPER-GOLD DEPOSIT AT CARRAPATEENA.

AUSTRALIANMINING

MAY 2019

made into the future. What we’re trying to work on now is to really understand the full potential.” The company envisions that Carrapateena will be mined for decades and is designing a mining operation that is future-proof. International Copper Association Australia chief executive John Fennell believes mining operations have to innovate to meet increasingly higher standards by regulators and the community. They also face challenges to find new discoveries, extend the life of existing mines and operate efficiently, he says. “We’re seeing lots of smart ideas from our members and others in precision mining, decision automation, mine autonomy, low emissions, advanced processing and ultimately in-situ mining that promise to make mining a smart, safe, export driven industry,” Fennell says. OZ Minerals not only plans to use autonomous equipment to take workers out of hazardous underground environments at Carrapateena, but also aspires to take a leading position in using renewable energy on-site. The mine is running a trial to integrate solar wind and batteries into a base load energy supply and shrink its carbon footprints. OZ Minerals will use findings from the trial in the design of the West Musgrave open-pit mine in Western Australia, which is in pre-

REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT

that capacity. This potentially involves changing the way the operations haul ore from underground, using alternatives such as conveying or shaft systems and to stop trucking, according to Cole. “It’s still going to be another year before we have any sort of guidance of whether that will be feasible or not,” Cole says. “But I think it’s potentially quite an exciting opportunity because it’ll turn Prominent Hill into a bigger underground operation than it currently is. Prominent Hill’s mine life will most likely go longer than 2030.”

More metals to discover

OZ MINERALS IS FOCUSED ON GETTING THE CARRAPATEENA COPPER-GOLD PROJECT BUILT AND RAMPED UP TO FULL PRODUCTION BY MID-2021.

feasibility study stage. The project is being developed to include a fully renewable off-grid energy solution, according to Cole. “South Australia is already taking a lead in the push for renewable energy over the last few years,” he says. “It doesn’t mean we get it right all the time. It doesn’t mean we don’t make mistakes on the journey, but having that ambitious goal is important.”

Carrapateena: mine site for generations

OZ Minerals is focused on designing a working environment that appeals to that next generation as part of its effort in building a future-proof mine. Cole says the next generation is looking for different things from the workforce than previous generations. As an example, the company is working on providing complete flexibility for the workforce. It has already instilled flexible working to its corporate office in Adelaide and is experimenting with this strategy at its Prominent Hill site. “We’re trying to design our operations to be flexible to allow people to choose and decide when they do and don’t work depending on their own personal circumstances,” Cole says. Carrapateena will source talent from local communities, such as Coober Pedy, Port Augusta and

Woomera. Getting people job-ready, training them and bringing them into the workforce makes “good business sense” and is “the right thing to do,” according to Cole. South Australia has the resources and expertise to meet the world’s increasing need for copper, the Department for Energy and Mining chief executive Paul Heithersay confirms. “More than a decade of support for mineral discoveries through the various Plan for Accelerated Exploration initiatives and the qualitative analysis provided by the Geological Survey of South Australia has underpinned the state’s attractiveness as an investment destination,” Heithersay says. “Our copper strategy continues to encourage existing producers to expand their production and foster global interest in the potential for further world-class discoveries.”

Bolstering the Hill’s prominence

OZ Minerals’ early development plan at Carrapateena follows the track of its predecessor, Prominent Hill. The company has completed exploration programs at around 100 kilometres of the Prominent Hill tenements, identifying about 80 million tonnes of inferred resources that are not included in its mine plan. OZ Minerals is speeding up this AUSTRALIANMINING

mineral exploration with energy and resources open innovation platform Unearthed by releasing two terabytes of project data for the discovery of new exploration targets at Prominent Hill. “One of our core philosophies is to use partnerships whenever we can, and that philosophy is about trying to engage all different thinking styles, different people, different backgrounds, different sectors around the world to help us achieve our objectives,” Cole says. “We’ve got a lot of data, but today we haven’t found another deposit that we can actually economically mine. So this initiative is about making available all of the data that we have and the [South Australian] government has also made data they have available – allowing everybody in the world effectively to dive in to that data and help us come out with new targets that we can drill and new ways of working on the exploration data set.” The $1 million-prize competition is engaging and motivating geologists, data scientists and mathematicians, and has attracted over 769 participants from over 60 countries. The winning exploration model will be tested in real life and the top targets will be drilled by 2019. OZ Minerals is also looking to grow Prominent Hill’s annual mining rate from what’s currently under four million tonnes a year to well above

MAY 2019

South Australia is geologically attractive for mines and exploration programs, and the state government and industry bodies would agree that the Gawler Craton is one of the highest ranked copper resource bases in the world, Cole says. BHP’s discovery at Oak Dam west and drilling campaigns including the Lake Torrens joint venture between Aeris and Argonaut highlight South Australia’s potential for new worldclass copper discoveries. Proposed expansions at both Olympic Dam and Carrapateena and the extension of Prominent Hill’s mine life will put South Australia in the box seat for further investment towards reaching a target of one million tonnes of year of copper production, according to Heithersay. The South Australian Government has also adopted a growth agenda that will rely on increased exports to help pick up its gross state product (GSP) – with copper set to play a key role in achieving the state’s three per cent growth target. “The South Australian Government recognises that development of our copper potential will require support from beyond our borders,” Heithersay says. “Other copper jurisdictions have lessons that can be learned here and South Australia is keen to widen its connections to share information, knowledge and capital to overcome challenges and identify opportunities for further develop our mineral wealth. “The world will need more copper in the future. We want to work with other copper-exporting countries to meet that need.” The South Australian Department for Energy and Mining will host the Copper to the World conference in Adelaide on June 17-18. The event will fly in international experts to share global perspectives on the future of copper, and delve into trends, opportunities and developments across the value chain. AM

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WOMEN IN MINING

MINING FOR DIVERSITY GENDER DIVERSITY IS NOT A CORPORATE CATCHPHRASE WHEN IT COMES TO THE MINING SECTOR’S FORERUNNERS. WOMEN IN LEADING POSITIONS AT BHP, FORTESCUE AND ST BARBARA LAY OUT THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS, BUT ALSO POINT OUT THAT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE. VANESSA ZHOU WRITES.

ccording to the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Australia is the first country in the world to achieve 30 per cent gender diversity in its top 100 boardrooms – an achievement made without regulatory intervention or quotas. Companies are voluntarily making their commitment to gender diversity, with women occupying nearly 30 per cent of all ASX200 companies’ board position last year, a 10 per cent improvement since 2015. Accordingly, mining companies are starting to realise the benefits of having a workforce that’s reflective of the communities where they operate. BHP has seen the results its diverse teams deliver, where these operations outperformed the company average on safety, productivity and culture, according to BHP head of planning and Women in Mining and Resources Queensland (WIMARQ) chair Maria Joyce. “You can see from the companies which are doing this well that they know the value [diversity] brings. People are much more engaged, more willing to share ideas and work together to solve challenges,” Joyce says. BHP in 2016 set an aspirational goal to achieve gender balance across the company globally by 2025. The public announcement of this goal was a disruptor to the industry status quo and challenged the thinking of the sector, according to Joyce, the winner of BGC Contracting Contribution to Mining Award at the 2018 Australian Mining Prospect Awards. “By the end of the 2018 financial year, 915 more women were employed at BHP than the same time the previous year – it’s something we are proud of, but we remain laser focused on the challenge we’ve set ourselves. We still have a long way to go,” she says. Unfortunately, female turnover remains comparably high across the entire mining industry. This remains an obstacle to companies that are trying to achieve a gender diverse culture. To combat the issue, BHP has

WIMARQ CHAIR MARIA JOYCE SAYS 2019 IS A NEW ERA FOR THE WOMEN’S NETWORKING GROUP.

focused on promoting flexible work options, something Joyce has seen make a real impact on lifting the industry’s attractiveness. However, a flexible work schedule is only one of many factors that fosters inclusive environments that are supportive of women. “It is important to work for a leader and organisation that is aligned with your values and genuinely understands the balance of wanting a challenging and fulfilling career while balancing it with valuable family time,” Joyce says. Fortescue’s first female chief executive Elizabeth Gaines echoes this message. Gaines says that setting the tone for an inclusive, flexible workplace starts with leaders “genuinely understanding the needs of individual team members.” This can come in a variety of flexible working options including job share, part-time and flexible start and finish times. “These options should not just apply to an office-based workforce, but should extend to all roles, including those on shift work or a fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) roster,” Gaines says. In fact, she’s proud to be “part of a company that has introduced a number of leading workplace diversity initiatives,” including the 24-hour Fortescue Family Room and flexible working arrangements. Flexible work has seen a corresponding positive effect in the form of employee retention at St Barbara, recipient of the Workplace AUSTRALIANMINING

ST BARBARA STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKERS’ PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IN CREATING A SECURE WORK ENVIRONMENT.

Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) ‘employer of choice for gender equality’ citation for the fifth consecutive year. St Barbara extends its flexible working arrangements to accommodate the needs of both male and female employees through parental leave provisions, talent acquisition strategy and leadership development programs. These are all geared towards achieving greater diversity and inclusion. The result has seen the number of women in corporate-based roles increasing from 30 per cent in 2010 to 50 per cent currently, and the number of women in operational roles quadrupling since 2010, according to company general manager HR and HSEC Val Madsen. One hundred per cent of St

MAY 2019

Barbara’s Australian employees have returned to work following a period of parental leave since 2009. Moreover, the number of females in leadership roles has lifted by five per cent over the last 12 months. St Barbara’s has achieved 25 per cent representation of women in its Australian operation and 50:50 gender composition in corporate offices – a big achievement in itself. But this trend is difficult to maintain in sites that rely on a FIFO workforce, Madsen says. There is a “deception” of the mining industry that often portrays “a big hole of dirt and a big truck” and communicates long periods away from family in FIFO arrangements. “We’ve really tried to address that to change the perception of women in mining, right down through to

WOMEN IN MINING

people in early age,” Madsen tells Australian Mining. “We’re doing work in primary and secondary schools to encourage children to think about careers in mining, because we are certainly concerned about the drop in children taking STEM subjects but also those in mining engineering – that’s all impacting our mining industry.” St Barbara has also conducted gender safety audits at its Simberi operations in Papua New Guinea over the last three years, and introduced the concept to the Australian sites last year. The audits are designed to raise awareness of gender-based risks and to ensure safety – including psychological health – for women working in remote site environments. Meanwhile, WIMARQ expanded its regional connections and digital presence with the aim to connect women in the isolated environments. “2019 represents a new era for WIMARQ. With branches now in Brisbane, North West Queensland, the Bowen Basin and shortly the Surat Basin, we are in a strong position to affect positive change across the state,” Joyce says. “While we will continue to remain true to our core to connect, nurture and support women in the sector … our long term strategic focus will expand. Just last [month] we proudly launched our new [WIMARQ] website. Our podcast series will continue and … our objectives will be strongly geared towards a theme of inclusion in 2019.” As Gaines says, “While we are pleased to see the steady increase in our female participation rate, diversity is not simply about filling a quota. “To achieve a truly diverse workplace, an embedded culture of inclusion is critical and this is a responsibility which lies with the entire workforce and society more broadly.”

WHILE WE ARE PLEASED TO SEE THE STEADY INCREASE IN OUR FEMALE PARTICIPATION RATE, DIVERSITY IS NOT SIMPLY ABOUT FILLING A QUOTA.”

foundational knowledge in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), according to company managing director Michael Parker. “We need both men and women participating in STEM if we are to continue to innovate and prosper as a society,” he adds. “The same logic applies beyond our sector. The increasingly important role that STEM is playing across all areas of the economy is well understood.” But there isn’t one solution, says Jan Kwak, WGEA pay equity ambassador and Hatch regional managing director, Australia-Asia. Kwak – who signed a pledge committing to regular analysis of equity in pay – says the industry needs to ensure it is filling all gaps along the pipeline. This means putting focus and providing support at the primary and secondary school as well as tertiary levels. “Within Hatch, we focus on creating opportunities for women to operate in all segments of our business from

HATCH FIRMLY BELIEVES A COMPANY CAN’T HAVE DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT IF THERE IS A MONOLITHIC CULTURE.

junior to senior, from studies to projects to operations,” he says. “If you truly are a gender equal and genuinely inclusive business, there’s no problem bringing in people that feel like they belong.” When Joyce started her career more than 10 years ago, embracing diversity and harnessing its strength has been “somewhat of a challenge”. She believes that while there are clear benefits to including diverse perspectives in the workplace to solve problems, the focus has been on how “we ‘fix’ women in the workplace,” rather than embracing the unique leadership traits that women bring. “Throughout my career, I have been

fortunate enough to have had several senior male sponsors that inspired me to progress my career; to jump in and embrace the uncertainty,” she says. “They looked past my appearance, my gender, and could see the enormous strength and capability I brought to the team, long before I [earned] my stripes with the operational teams. “Creating the right environment and culture is vital to embrace diversity but to also ensure it is sustainable. Those male figures fostered the environment over a decade ago, and it taught me that sometimes people are just fearful of change and it is important we take them on that journey.” AM

ALCOA CHAIRMAN MICHAEL PARKER IS EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE PROGRESS ITS COMPANY HAS MADE IN CREATING AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE.

Drilling equality at its STEM core

STEM professionals are key to Australia’s future productivity and economic competitiveness, and quoting the words of Gaines, “the resources industry in particular.” “In order for our economy to continue to thrive we must harness the skills of the largely under-utilised pool of talent – women – who tend to be under-represented in the areas of STEM,” she explains. Alcoa, employer of choice for gender equality 2018-2019 by the WGEA for the 17th year running, also claims to build its business success upon the technical expertise of its employees. This is underpinned by their strong AUSTRALIANMINING

MAY 2019

INTERNET OF THINGS

SCHENCK PROCESS GREETS A CONNECTED WORLD GERMAN-LOCAL KRALL CAME TO AUSTRALIA TWO YEARS AGO TO ADVANCE WHAT WAS FORMERLY AN IDEA BASED ON A PEN AND A PIECE OF PAPER.

he ambition to create a connected world is not a vain hope after all. A “young and intrepid lateral thinker”, together with his team, has found a solution that connects all machines and data with one app called E-nizing. That thinker is Jan Krall, vice president – E-nizing GmbH, a former dual degree student in mechatronics who has founded the future lab with former company chief executive Andreas Evertz. Under their leadership, the future lab’s small group of developers has not only pooled together the expertise of Schenck Process’ employees for the past three years but also that of its customers. “I founded the future lab together with our former CEO to start a movement in the company that can bring in a wave of ideas much faster than the market,” Krall says. He tells a story of people normally having to place a piece of paper on the machine, position themselves next to it

and then hold a pen to draw a picture of the vibrations to indicate the way the machine worked. “But someone internal turned around and said, ‘Why can’t we develop and attach a phone sensor to the large vibrating machine to measure all its movement? You will get a full picture of the machine, including its running speed, within 20 seconds,’” Krall says. The idea was, of course, taken on board. Within three months, the app was released to the market. It was met with plenty of downloads and requests from the industry. “They like the idea of having a wireless centre set up in the machine that links back to the cloud system, so one can login and see how well his or her machines are performing globally,” Krall adds. The team subsequently recognised vast potential in this technology and chose to take it further. People wouldn’t like to have their phones sitting on the machine at all times, so they recommended for the team to

E-NIZING IS DESIGNED TO MONITOR ANY DATA AND ANY MACHINE IN OPERATION.

AUSTRALIANMINING

E-NIZING PROVIDES A SOLUTION FOR PEOPLE WHO USED TO MONITOR A MACHINE’S PERFORMANCE BY DRAWING THE VIBRATIONS.

not repeat the mistake everybody else did in creating a solution: developing a system that worked only for one machine or one vendor. Thus, E-nizing was launched 11 months later with the ability to visualise any data and any machine, analytics or sensors – in one clearly structured user interface. This gives users the freedom to integrate all Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and eliminates the need to manage a mass of data. “We decided to create an open system where you can have all the different mechanisms from the different vendors up and running in one platform,” Krall says. “Everybody has around a thousand machines or more. Nobody has only one machine. That means if you scale that and think a little bit further, you’ll have a thousand apps for one plant, which never works out. “So that’s the first value that E-nizing tries to provide. Everything is pooled in one system. You log in once and you’ll get everything. That’s the distinctive selling point and the unique story of E-nizing.” Users also need not fear – a large number of machines can be integrated to E-nizing in no more than two weeks’ time, because “if we want to beat the system where all the machines in the world are in, we need to be fast.” “We’re taking the vision of Industry 4.0 to reality. We’re not stopping

MAY 2019

at building an isolated solution for a machine. Our dream is really connecting the whole world together and [now] we’re providing a solution to make that happen,” Krall says. According to Krall, other vendors and suppliers have created similar apps like E-nizing. The apps gather data from their running machines, but the issue is no producer or end user is willing to share or give away their data. This is where E-nizing comes onto the scene as an “independent IT service provider” such as Dropbox – it is not interested in the data, cannot view the data and data ownership remains secure with the user. The app also ensures every user can see only his or her own data using the highest security standards: E-nizing is run with end-to-end payload encryption, and every device has a unique ID and encryption key, twofactor authentication and certified data security. The gathered data is then able to tell users the condition of their machines, where orders for spare parts or maintenance can happen automatically. E-nizing can also trigger a phone call, email or application programming interface (API) call when an event does occur. E-nizing is easy and user-friendly, where training is not needed to work with the platform. Users can enjoy peace of mind and the website is at everyone’s disposal to test how straightforward E-nizing is. AM

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WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT

BUILDING A BETTER WORKFORCE HASTINGS DEERING HAS SET A TASK TO IMPROVE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION WITHIN ITS WORKFORCE THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW BUSINESS-SHAPING INITIATIVE CALLED ‘TOGETHER AS ONE’. EWEN HOSIE REPORTS.

ining has become increasingly cognisant of improving diversity and inclusion. The sector has lagged somewhat when it comes to such discussions compared with other industries, though it has been working to improve its reputation. Gender balance in particular has come to the fore, with Tier 1 companies like BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group recognising the need for greater female participation in the industry. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported that around 16 per cent of workers in the mining industry were female in 2017–18. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency, meanwhile, produced statistics last year suggesting that remuneration for males is 14 per cent higher than females in the Australian mining industry. Indigenous participation within the Australian mining industry is another strong focus – Rio Tinto participates in a local and indigenous participation strategy at its Amrun project in Queensland, for example, while BHP has the Reconciliation Action Plan 2017–2020. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and mining suppliers have also joined this prevailing trend. Brisbane-headquartered Hastings Deering, one of the nation’s foremost

suppliers of Cat equipment, parts, service and technology solutions in the mining and construction industries, introduced a flexibility and inclusion initiative, entitled ‘Together as One’, last year. Hastings Deering launched the initiative to recognise the need for a greater variety of voices within the company, to promote its values by fostering a culture of acceptance and inclusion among staff. The company shaped the initiative into five action areas: culture, gender, abilities, LGBT and generational. The five action areas represent characteristics recognised as putting people at risk of workplace discrimination and prejudice. Hastings Deering executive manager – safety and sustainability, Suzannah D’Juliet, leads the ‘Together as One’ initiative. She says the program ensures that everyone within the company gets the right to a fair go at work. To improve innovation of thought, D’Juliet believes diverse perspectives are a requirement. “If we can cover that kind of participation across all five of our initiative areas we’ll get better outcomes. We understand that’s how we get peak performance,” D’Juliet tells Australian Mining. “The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that the 3,500 people who come to work at Hastings Deering every day know no matter their race, gender identity, abilities, sexual orientation or age, they belong at the

HASTINGS DEERING SAYS IT IS WORKING TOWARDS IMPROVING GENDER BALANCE ACROSS THE COMPANY.

AUSTRALIANMINING

A MONTAGE SHOWING THE FACES OF VARIOUS EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE COMPANY.

company and have a right to feel safe and supported so they can do their best work. “The program was launched in January 2018 and is designed for our people by our people – we have executive sponsors, but our action groups are teams of people from a wide variety of job roles who participate across all levels of the business.” The five action areas are designed to integrate with Hastings Deering’s four existing enterprise values – no harm, integrity, transparency, and care. The program is sponsored by the company’s chief executive officer, Dean Mehmet, and its executive team and supported by a D’Juliet-chaired flexibility and inclusion council that sets out the terms of reference for the program enterprise-wide. The council guides the respective action groups in the execution of actions they want to take on behalf of an interested group of employees. The culture group, for example,

MAY 2019

focuses on the diversity of cultural beliefs, values and backgrounds within the organisation, with an overall aim to make employees feel both heard and valued. The gender group focuses on increasing the awareness of the valuable contribution of all genders and is working on promotion and facilitation of equal opportunity to support balanced participation. D’Juliet says Hastings Deering is just starting its journey towards better representation for women. “We’re working towards a gender balance because it makes good business sense to do so,” D’Juliet says. “We want our business to reflect our communities, markets and customers. It is through valuing our difference and embracing our diversity of thought that we will be able to achieve no harm, build value for our shareholders, create great jobs for our people and provide exceptional service for our customers.” AM

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P R OT E C TA N T S

S P E C I A LT Y

TYRE MANAGEMENT

TYRE INSPECTIONS WILL HAVE A FORWARD-LOOKING APPROACH WITH TOMS.

KAL TIRE TAKES TYRE MANAGEMENT INTO THE FUTURE KAL TIRE IS ROLLING OUT A TYRE OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ACROSS AUSTRALIA THAT WILL TRANSFORM TYRE MANAGEMENT AT MINE SITES INTO FORWARD-LOOKING OPERATIONS. BEN CREAGH WRITES.

yre management is developing into a proactive maintenance activity that provides consistent and useful data to mining companies wherever their operations are based around the world. Historically, tyre management has involved periodical reporting that created a large amount of data on performance, inventory, consumption, repairs and condition. The data, while a useful way to evaluate the past, didn’t provide opportunities to look ahead and improve future tyre performance or help manage fleet availability. Mine sites around the world have also generally used a number of different tyre management systems to assess these processes and data.

TOMS IS TAKING US FROM HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE TRACKING TO BEING MORE PLANNING FOCUSED AND FORWARD LOOKING.” This usually left larger, diversified companies with siloed datasets for their operations, often located across multiple jurisdictions. Since 2016, Kal Tire has been developing a system for mining companies that not only provides reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs), but also analyses and recommends actions on tyres and fleets. The system, known as TOMS (Tyre Operations Management System), is currently being rolled out across Kal Tire’s global sites, including in Australia. AUSTRALIANMINING

Kal Tire’s main focus during the development of TOMS has been to improve fleet uptime and productivity. As TOMS has evolved, however, the potential of the system as a major driver of predictive maintenance emerged. TOMS has demonstrated it can offer predictive standards already known for other maintenance activities, but not previously found at tyre management operations. Kal Tire director, business insights Mark Goode says TOMS is turning tyre management into more of a proactive service like these other

MAY 2019

equipment maintenance activities. “TOMS is taking us from historical performance tracking to being more planning focused and forward looking,” Goode says. “A key part of inspections will not be to just record present pressure but to look at condition monitoring and how inspections can be driven into the planning mix.” Kal Tire’s roll out of TOMS initially focused on its sites in Canada, the country where the company was founded. Gradually, Kal Tire has in the past two years introduced TOMS to its global operations, which span across five continents. In Australia, Kal Tire launched TOMS to a third site during March. The company plans to unveil the system at a minimum of six

TYRE MANAGEMENT

operations by the end of the year. Kal Tire Australia operations support specialist Ian Campbell says the Australian roll out has so far focused on smaller sites. “Once we have further developed our skills (in Australia) we will tackle the bigger sites,” Campbell says. “We are migrating sites to TOMS and then once the sites are on board and up and running we are going to continue to support those sites.” Campbell says the Australian operations can expect to see a major expansion to the capabilities traditionally offered by tyre management systems. He points to the ability of TOMS to give Australian mine operators the opportunity to analyse and make decisions using real-time performance data. The information will enable them to readily integrate decisions into the work plans for both same-day and future shifts, Campbell adds. “The big difference between TOMS and other tyre software out there is that it is basically what I would describe as a planning tool that makes use of tyre history data so it can plan ahead,” Campbell says. “Most of the other software is capturing data in order to do reporting and to analyse tyre performance. Of course TOMS does that as well, but it also generates a plan.”

KAL TIRE’S TOMS IS BRINGING TYRE MANAGEMENT IN LINE WITH OTHER MINING MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES.

Kal Tire started with both internal and external aspirations during the research and development (R&D) phase of TOMS. Internally, the company has increasingly needed a system that consistently manages and services its more than 150 sites around the world. The company had previously used a number of tyre management systems and therefore didn’t

have a uniform method for the communication of its tyre reports. “We wanted a way to get all of the operations on one platform in one language for consistent reporting and consistent measuring internally,” Goode recalls. Goode says having this consistent language is particularly valuable for diversified mining companies that operate across multiple jurisdictions.

“By having that consistent language also allows Kal Tire to offer benchmarking to customers. We can compare all the sites around the world on an even footing, which is something we could never do previously,” Goode says. “As an example, one of our customers has operations in Africa, America and Australia. With TOMS, we can offer these miners a consistent, standardised way of managing tyre performance and service delivery across all their global operations.” The standard language covers the gamut of management processes, including tyre descriptions, inspection findings, dashboard reporting and operational standards for inspections and rotations – all of which can be shared to sites throughout the world. Kal Tire has also maintained its focus on safety in the development of TOMS by incorporating the company’s equipment-specific safe work procedures directly into the system. The program records the results of condition-based inspections and will alert personnel of any safety risks. For Kal Tire, the capabilities of TOMS will continue to evolve in these areas, a process that Australian mines are set to be a part of in the coming years. AM

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ASPIRE MOVES MONGOLIAN PROMISE TOWARDS A REALITY ASPIRE MINING IS HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO BECOME A KEY SUPPLIER OF HIGH-QUALITY COKING COAL IN THE COMING YEARS FROM A MONGOLIAN PROSPECT. BEN CREAGH WRITES.

igh-quality hard coking coal has become one of the mining industry’s most sought after products. The world’s top reserves of hard coking coal are limited, however, with the likes of Australia, Canada and Mongolia the major jurisdictions capable of offering output of the highest standards. A long way from its headquarters in Perth, Aspire Mining owns the world-class Ovoot coking coal project in Mongolia. The project is a major prospect for the future mining of a relatively low ash, low strip ratio and high yielding ‘fat’ coking coal. Mongolia may indeed be a significant distance from Aspire’s home base, but on the flipside the Asian country neighbours the world’s leading consumer of hard coking coal to the south – China. Encouragingly for Aspire, a Fenwei

WE HAVE LOOKED AT HOW WE CAN BRING PRODUCTION FORWARD. THERE AREN’T MANY PROJECTS OUT THERE AND THERE IS NO MONEY GOING INTO EXPLORATION. SO WE ONLY REALLY HAVE PROJECTS THAT WERE FOUND IN THE LAST BOOM AND THERE ARE ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF THOSE.”

Energy Information Services report earlier this year identified an annual fat coking coal supply gap of 16 to 22 million tonnes in China over the period to 2025. While the Fenwei report focused on the Chinese marketplace, the location of Ovoot also means there are viable markets for the proposed mine’s product in Eastern Europe and Russia. Market factors such as these have created an urgency for Aspire to move Ovoot into production as

AN ASPIRE MINING DRILL RIG IN ACTION AT THE OVOOT SITE.

AUSTRALIANMINING

quickly as possible, something it hopes to do in mid-2021. Aspire chairman David Paull says time has become “very important” for the company as it advances the Ovoot project. “We have looked at how we can bring production forward,” Paull tells Australian Mining. “There aren’t many projects out there and there is no money going into exploration. So we only really have projects that were found in the last boom and there are only a small number of those.” Aspire delivered a pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the Ovoot early development project (OEDP) this year and expects to release a definitive feasibility study (DFS) in the September quarter. The OEDP would focus on a starter pit that sits within the site’s 255 million tonne JORC ore reserve, according to the PFS. Aspire would deliver the washed coal via a 560 kilometre special purpose haul road that would be constructed to connect to a rail head at Erdenet, north-east of Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar. The coal would then be delivered on the Mongolian rail network, which has confirmed capacity for the OEDP product, to the border with China for end customers. Aspire’s base case Ovoot starter pit would be a 36.8 million tonne JORC ore reserve carve out from the overall project reserves. The pit would support an initial 9.2-year mine life at Ovoot, at four million tonnes a year, while a proposed rail connection between the site and Erdenet is developed in parallel.

MAY 2019

Aspire’s inclusion of the road in the PFS emerged as a key move that would rapidly push the project into production. However, Paull says the addition of the road is a case of ‘back to the future’ for the company. “When we first looked at starting Ovoot back in 2011-12 we did look at a road connecting the site up to the local provincial capital,” Paull says. “So there is a well-honed path for how this would go. We have been finding that the local communities are very supportive, in particular, as the road is something they will also access and can use. “I think that is a good way to start to get that support and this is a country that is heavily underinvested in terms of infrastructure so it all helps.” Aspire would transform into a significant coking coal producer with the base development, but the company also has an extended case to expand the site into a longer life operation. The company would undertake an additional cutback of the OEDP pit that increases the mine life to 12.5 years at an annual rate of four million tonnes under the plan. Aspire has also flagged the potential to extend the mine life even further through future cutbacks with additional mine planning. “How we extend Ovoot will depend on the infrastructure that we build, so if we have the road and rail connection develop over the next few years a very large scale expansion is possible,” Paull says. “The value proposition is maximised with railway. The volumes could lift from four million tonnes to a 10 million tonne level with the rail. “What the OEDB does is pays for all on site capital, pre stripping and the road such that we don’t have to go back again and do any further material investment over a long period.” Mongolia may be a considerable way from Aspire’s roots in Western Australia, but as promise in Ovoot grows, another producer of highquality coking coal moves closer to being established every day. AM

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MAY 2019

INNOVATION

THIRD-GEN FAMILY BUSINESS BOLSTERS ITS LEGACY THE VEGA FAMILY KEEPS ITS EYES ON INNOVATION IN OVER 80 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. VEGA AUSTRALIA MANAGING DIRECTOR JOHN LEADBETTER TELLS VANESSA ZHOU ABOUT THE SUCCESS STORY.

he longest standing member of Vega Australia is none other than its managing director John Leadbetter. A large part of his career is built on the instrumentation business, whether in entrepreneurship or the mining sector. Australian Mining speaks with Leadbetter about staying relevant in today’s age and trends.

What innovation is Vega currently setting its sights on? Everything’s heading towards Industry Internet of Things (IIoT) 4.0. So our software development,

our added features and our communication parts are gearing us toward a future with the IIoT. We continue to look at our equipment’s performance in the field and add adjustments or modifications to beat the current or future application areas.

How do you make sure Vega develops products to meet market needs?

A lot of what we develop is based on market research and customer feedback. One of the things that we look at is the actual setting up of the instruments. Four years ago, we started the development of

VEGA AUSTRALIA MANAGING DIRECTOR JOHN LEADBETTER HAS WATCHED THE PROCESS INSTRUMENTATION COMPANY GROW SINCE 23 YEARS AGO.

Bluetooth communication through a platform or tablet. If you can give the technicians or operators the ability to communicate with the instrument without involving any specialised equipment, you’re making it easier for them to do their job. Our ultimate goal is to make people feel easy when dealing with the instruments. The easier you can make it, the more familiar they become and the happier they will be with the instruments.

How does Vega continue to innovate over time?

Vega’s research and development (R&D) team in Germany is always watching what the next generation is looking out for. What will be the next technology? For example, in the Australian mining industry, companies are shifting to autonomous mining. We then ask ourselves what we can do to our instruments so that they’re compatible to those trends. We’re also collaborating with our customers to make sure we’re developing the product that meets their specifications.

Is Vega’s core offering consistent with that of its Germany headquarters?

We are the sales and service arm of the factory in Germany, so we operate on teamwork. What they develop in Germany is the same thing you’ll find in our 22 daughter companies around the world. The only thing you change may be certain features or applications to fit the specific needs of customers. I invite various product specialists to come over from the HQ and meet their Australian customers, look at Australian manufacturing and see its production at different times during the year. So you’re really attuning them to Australian conditions. If you want to be a worldwide entity, you have to understand your market.

What is that working relationship like?

The word that we use at Vega is “we”, not “I”. So we’re a team of people. We’re owned by a AUSTRALIANMINING

MAY 2019

family. The owner of the Vega Corporation worldwide is very interested in what you’ve got to say and in what’s going on. They’re very interested in the day-today operation but also how you’re faring in the marketplace. They’re one of the things that our owner says – without communication, we don’t have information. They call us the Vega family, and in a family situation, everybody communicates. So we don’t all just communicate with Germany. I might talk to my colleague in the UK or the US to understand how they handle particular challenges or to refer them to a successful company that we’re dealing with here that has an office over there. More interaction and sharing of information means better collaboration and better teamwork.

How did Vega’s predecessors pass this culture of communication down?

They want to know more about you. You’re not just an employee. You’re a family member. They’re not only always asking how you are but how your family and life is too. During lunch, they’ll come over and sit with you. When you’re having your meeting in Germany, the owner will come in, excuse themselves for the interruption and sit down to join the meeting – they want to hear what you’ve got to say, your ideas, your feedback. They’ve never made you feel as if you’re less than them. Everybody is on an equal level.

What’s your personal career journey like in Vega?

It’s been a good, long journey – 23 years. I’m now the longest serving person in Australia. My ultimate goal is to build long-term employees. I want people to look at this as a career, not a job. In my current staff of 26 now, nine people have been with the company for longer than 10 years. You’re also trying to make the work environment as compatible as possible for people – you reward people to build a strong company, a positive company and a company that’s everchanging and developing for the better. AM

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TRACKING THE TRENDS

SHIFTING TO A DIGITAL APPROACH FOR RISK MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING HOW MINING COMPANIES CAN MANAGE RISK. BUT IS THE INDUSTRY TECH-READY TO PREPARE FOR THE DIVERSE RISKS IT NOW FACES? BEN CREAGH FINDS OUT. and royalty regimes, rising input costs, heightened scrutiny from investors, environmental disasters, infrastructure concerns that suspend operations, social media attacks and geopolitical perils in less stable regions. With such as extensive list of risks in modern-day mining, how do companies control and mitigate each of them at the same time? Deloitte partner Darren Gerber says the foundation of risk management in today’s mining environment is nothing new, as companies first need to establish a proper understanding of what they face. “If you have a look at the

significant events that have impacted miners, whether it is a tailings dam failure or whether it is bribery or corruption in parts of the world, those risks have been around for a long while,” Gerber tells Australian Mining. “But how do you actually truly understand those risks and improve the management of them for better outcomes?” Like most areas of the mining industry, digital technology is emerging to play a major role to help companies improve their understanding of the risks. Mining companies have historically addressed risk as a tractable concern where issues and opportunities they

faced have been ranked using a risk register and then considered in a cyclical nature. Change in the mining industry has however accelerated, making this approach itself a risky technique. Digital technology offers a way to move from this tradition by providing unparalleled access to enterprisewide information and the capabilities to use external data. Mining boards and management can apply digital tools to anticipate risks, changing a previously backward-looking process into a proactive, predictive function that builds awareness of what could happen before it does. Gerber says mining companies TAILINGS DAM BREACHES ARE AN ONGOING ENVIRONMENTAL RISK.

IMAGE: FLICKR - FELIPE WERNECK/IBAMA.

isk is a constant consideration in the mining industry. Miners have been addressing risk since the primitive days of the Middle Ages when commodities such as iron, lead and silver were in demand. While risk may be a relentless consideration in mining, the type of risks impacting the industry consistently change as the market environment evolves. As Deloitte’s 2019 Tracking the Trends explains, the risk landscape is currently characterised by mounting tariffs and sanctions, potential trade wars, cyber threats, uncertain tax

AUSTRALIANMINING

MAY 2019

TRACKING THE TRENDS

have identified the opportunity to make this change to how they manage risk, with analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) key parts of what will drive the new approach. “It is early days, no doubt, but the vision and the willingness is there,” Gerber says. “Analytics and AI, they are not new concepts, but they are rapidly being deployed into organisations; they are also being deployed into the risk functions of these organisations.” Technology’s influence is also leading the mining industry towards the next generation of internal auditing, known as Internal Audit 3.0, according to Deloitte. Internal Audit 3.0 offers new features and functionality, while retaining the best of the previous versions, Tracking the Trends explains. The latest version is being shaped by a range of drivers, including the speed at which organisations are now expected to evolve and innovate for the fourth industry revolution. “Internal Audit 3.0 gives internal audit functions the opportunity to think about how they leverage technology to do their task better,” Gerber says. “How can data be used to enable better testing and better insights? It is about using data to predict and anticipate control failures and when

ANALYTICS AND AI, THEY ARE NOT NEW CONCEPTS, BUT THEY ARE RAPIDLY BEING DEPLOYED INTO ORGANISATIONS; THEY ARE ALSO BEING DEPLOYED INTO THE RISK FUNCTIONS.” risk events will occur.” Gerber urges mining companies to broaden their outlook of the risks they face by using the new approach. The aforementioned list of risks that characterise the modernday industry primarily focus on the dangers that could potentially confront mining companies. However, focusing only on the negative impacts can be a limitation of the risk management function at some companies, according to Gerber. He says mining companies should not limit their management to just the downside risks, but instead also include growth opportunities like mergers and acquisitions in their scope. “With risk there comes reward – it is not just about stopping the bad things from happening but also enabling the good too,” Gerber says.

AUSTRALIANMINING

“There are organisations out there that overmanage what could be better, either from conservatism or lack of confidence. “Risk management is still absolutely about the downside, but it is also about enabling the confidence for the upside. Good risk management using quality data in the right business model can enable both of those.” Regardless of the type of risk, mining companies now have a pathway for addressing them at an enterprise-wide level rather than in an isolated, reflective way that occurs after the fact. “Can all these amazing systems be used to do things more effectively and in an insightful way? It’s early days but organisations are trying this,” Gerber concludes.

Deloitte’s leading strategies: See the future

Risk sensing, which combines advanced analytics with human judgement, provides a panoramic view of risk, extending well beyond traditional risk registers of identified risks.

Reducing the unknown unknowns

Risk learning applies analytics to risk events to tease out casual

MAY 2019

relationships. If a risk event occurs, analysts can examine what else occurred before, during and after.

Raise accountability

One way to link risk management to real-world controls is by making management and the board accountable for risk assessment.

Skill up

To effect change, internal audit functions need people with a mix of business and technology skills that allow them to understand new cognitive technologies in a business context.

Go outside

Often, operators either do not or cannot provide an objective view of prevailing risks due to biases or the role they played in adopting lessthan-effective controls. To overcome this challenge, consider asking external auditors or risk advisors to conduct an independent risk assessment.

Learn to share

With mining companies, risk management expertise tends to be dispersed across functions and geographic locations. To strengthen a risk management, companies should aim to share lessons learned and leading practices. AM

OIL & GAS

AUSTRALIAN LNG PRODUCERS LAY OUT PLANS FOR THE FUTURE HOW WILL AUSTRALIA MAINTAIN ITS PLACE AS A COMPETITIVE FORCE IN THE LNG INDUSTRY NOW IT HAS REACHED THE TOP? AUSTRALIAN MINING FINDS OUT AT THE 2019 AUSTRALIAN OIL & GAS CONFERENCE. THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WHEN INDUSTRY WORKS TOGETHER. THIS IS BIGGER THAN WOODSIDE.” second LNG train at Pluto. Woodside then proposes to bring the resources from Browse through 900 kilometres of subsea pipeline to the North West Shelf’s Karratha gas plant (KGP). The company believes this move makes commercial sense because it optimises the emerging capacity in KGP and a cost-effective approach for LNG production from Browse. Finally, Woodside proposes to build a pipeline linking Pluto and KGP to create an integrated seventrain LNG production centre on the Burrup Peninsula.

Woodside chief operations officer Meg O’Neill says the company’s chief executive officer, Peter Coleman, has described 2019 as the year of the deal as it gets these plans moving. In 2019, the Perth-based company will need to position itself to ensure alignment of joint venture partners, continue to engage with communities, governments and contractors and negotiate with potential customers and partners, O’Neill explains. “The year of the deal will be followed by the year of decisions in WOODSIDE HOPES THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY CAN WORK TOGETHER TO UNLOCK GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES.

IMAGE: WOODSIDE.

eading liquefied natural gas (LNG) producers Woodside Energy and Chevron are pushing for a future of collaboration in Australia as they seek to unlock the industry’s next growth opportunities. Woodside has big development plans in the coming years as its vision for the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia takes shape. The company’s ambitions for the Burrup Hub include to bring the Scarborough gas resources to the Pluto LNG plant, with front-end engineering and design activities on the upstream portion of the development already under way. To develop the resources, Woodside proposes to expand the Pluto LNG facility and has already started work on the design of the

AUSTRALIANMINING

MAY 2019

2020. That’s when we are targeting final investment decisions on Scarborough and, late in the year, Browse,” O’Neill says at AOG 2019 in Perth. “In reality, every year between now and startup of these projects is going to be a year of delivery – and that has already begun.” Woodside plans to take an agile and innovative approach to executing the commercial and operational terms with partners. O’Neill says what Woodside is proposing is different to the sort of mega-project that the industry in Western Australia knows so well. “Yes, the scale is big: we are proposing the development of some 20 to 25 trillion cubic feet of gross dry gas resources – more than the entire volume processed through the Karratha gas plant since its startup in 1984,” O’Neill says. “But we are not proposing to build new processing infrastructure, nor do we plan to restrict use of our operated infrastructure to the development of resources where Woodside is a titleholder.” Woodside is instead proposing major investments to upgrade and connect the facilities it operates and bring new resources through them, O’Neill continues. The company would also look to open up those facilities to other players with collaborative partnerships. “By bringing the Scarborough and Browse resources through these facilities as anchor tenants, we will be in a position to facilitate the potential development of smaller gas reserves that would otherwise be stranded,” O’Neill says. “This is a great example of what can be achieved when industry works together. This is bigger than Woodside.” O’Neill says arrangements such as this are common in major international oil and gas regions, including the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. “In the North Sea and in the Gulf of Mexico, operators, contractors and service firms are developing new business models as a way to lower

IMAGE: CHEVRON.

OIL & GAS

CHEVRON’S GORGON OPERATIONS IN PRODUCTION MODE.

costs and keep the local industry moving forward,” O’Neill says. “But it’s the first time in Australia that gas processing facilities have been opened up to other resources. “It’s an approach that makes sense for all parties – and it’s the only approach that offers the opportunity to develop the extensive resources of the Carnarvon Basin.” Chevron Australia major capital projects general manager

Australia. “It’s no surprise that the history of the development of WA’s Carnarvon Basin has been one of ‘point-topoint’ developments,” Schmoll says. “Individual players have traditionally brought their product to market with their own plants via their own infrastructure. “The infrastructure has often been bespoke and ‘right-sized’ to the individual user’s requirements.

Jeff Schmoll also highlighted a partnership and collaboration theme in his address at the event. Schmoll believes the industry is going through a transition that is vital for securing future energy solutions, something that will focus on collaboration. He says collaboration can not only secure future growth in the industry, but also its jobs, especially in the Carnarvon region in Western

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What’s resulted has been a highly successful industry in WA.” Schmoll, however, questions Australia readiness to maintain its leading global position, citing the rise and fall of Blockbuster Video as an example of how time at the top can be temporary. He says collaboration is an important part of lowering development costs to stay competitive on an international scale. “Specifically: sharing infrastructure, sharing logistics, filling and maintaining existing plant capacity, and building right-sized infrastructure which is multi-user,” Schmoll says. “It also means further developing technology to ensure a strong local service industry, and to improve the availability and utilisation of our LNG plants in the operations phase. “And, ultimately, it means building Australia into an LNG Technology Centre of Excellence – exporting its know-how to the world. The good news is the industry recognises how collaboration can help accelerate the development of the nation’s resources.” With so much growth potential still on offer for Australia, already a world-leading LNG nation, the likes of Woodside and Chevron have set the scene for how this opportunity can be taken. AM

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MAY 2019

PROSPECT AWARDS

A GOAL FOR BETTER COAL CENTENNIAL COAL IS IN A STATE OF TRANSFORMATION AS IT PREPARES TO MAKE A NEW MARK IN THE SOLAR SPACE. AUSTRALIAN MINING REPORTS.

entennial Coal, like many mining companies, has had its ups and downs over its four-decade history. One of New South Wales’ premier coal companies, Centennial provides around 40 per cent of the state’s coal-fired electricity capacity, with five operational underground mines across the state. There is perhaps no better sign of the company’s resilience than the Myuna colliery in NSW, which was purchased by Centennial in 2002. The mine was facing closure at the height of the industry downturn until the implementation of the sophisticated Herringbone mining method helped to turn the mine’s fortunes around. This unique approach, which went through significant research and development, allowed the team to implement unsupported cuts in order to improve strata control, improved productivity and lower costs. Centennial was recognised at the 2017 Australian Mining Prospect Awards in the Innovative Mining Solution category for Herringbone’s ability to provide a safe and sustainable solution to the highly constrained site. The Herringbone method allowed the mine to continue to supply and meet the coal quality needs of its customer, Eraring Power Station, and continue to provide long-term, secure employment for its workforce of nearly 300 people. “Myuna implemented the dual-bolter miner super panel as the optimum mining method and designed a herringbone layout involving unsupported cuts for improved strata control, which lowered costs and increased productivity at the site by 80 per cent,” says Katie Brassil, Centennial executive general manager corporate communications. “This mining method resulted in a significant improvement in workforce culture with less manual handling and musculoskeletal injuries and improved safety conditions.” In 2018 Myuna produced 2.17 million tonnes, its highest production year in the nearly 40-year history

THE MYUNA COAL TREATMENT PLANT IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

IT IS EMPOWERING THE WORKFORCE TO HELP DRIVE IMPROVED SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY PERFORMANCE.” of the mine — while also recording improvement in injury rates, with a 12-month moving average lost time injury frequency rate of 10 in 2018, down from 28 in 2017.

Shining bright

As a large industrial energy user, Centennial is not immune to the significant increase in electricity supply costs and as a result has undertaken a feasibility assessment for solar generation. Centennial holds significant land holdings with substantial existing electricity reticulation systems, the combination of which forms a solid basis for the establishment of solar systems. Centennial is progressing a twomegawatt solar farm at the Airly mine in the Western Coalfields of NSW, representing a capital AUSTRALIANMINING

investment value up to $5 million and a solar installation project at the disused Awaba Colliery, which was closed in 2011. Safety issues, such as tailings management, are another strong focus for the company. Centennial has three tailings management facilities – Northern Coal Services, Western Coal Services and Clarence Colliery. Clarence was privy to an environmental incident involving coal fines in 2015 and Centennial has endeavoured to do better since. The company uses a tailings process that is quite different to the materials involved in well-publicised and significant environmental incidents at an international level. More commonly called ‘rejects’, Centennial has both coarse and fine variants that are emplaced in walls

MAY 2019

(for coarse rejects) or dams (for fines rejects) in facilities called reject emplacement areas (REA). Centennial has been closely assessing reject emplacement risks and have driven changes in the approach to tailings facility management, Brassic says. “Over the past few years, Centennial has implemented an REA Oversight Committee that has carriage of an REA Standard and the management of an audit process,” she says. “All REAs are designed by external experts and are periodically inspected by experts, with reporting to the CEO through the REA Oversight Committee.” With a 60/40 domestic vs. export split of coal sales, the company’s coal contracts with domestic generators tend to be for longer-term projects, with volumes and prices negotiated and settled in advance. This provides a high degree of business certainty for a substantial portion of output. It remains Centennial’s priority to productively and efficiently grow the business to ensure continued

PROSPECT AWARDS

commercial viability, whilst striving for continual improvement in environmental and social performance, states Brassic. “Global demand for coal is strong — in providing high-quality coal to growth markets, Centennial has a role in ensuring access to secure, reliable and affordable energy,” she says. “It is more evident than ever that, to remain sustainable, there must be a balanced financial returns with environmental and social concerns. Strong and positive environmental, social and governance outcomes are critical, together with the deployment of new technologies and capabilities.”

The digital journey

The company has grown over the last four decades from what was originally Preston Coal Company – a $2 million mine with 30 employees and a capacity of 150,000 tonnes a year – into Centennial Coal, a five-mine operation with over 1,600 employees that produced nearly 15 million tonnes per annum and over $1.3 billion in revenue in 2017–18. An important part of the company’s growth and development came in 2010 when Centennial became a wholly owned subsidiary of Banpu, a major integrated energy solutions company in the AsiaPacific that operates in 10 countries and employs over 6,000 people. The company is currently undertaking what it has referred to as a journey of digital transformation, which introduces concepts of agile thinking, rapid deployment of new ideas, real-time data analysis and advanced technology at its mines.

THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AT THE AIRLY MINE.

“It is empowering the workforce to help drive improved safety, environment and productivity performance,” explains Brassil. A tool that has been developed to this end is Centennial’s Underground Mining Assistant (UMA). UMA is a mobile device to allow access to real-time operational data, and was developed using agile management techniques that included site visits, interviews, workshops, software development and site trials. “Deployment of the UMA at mine sites has commenced and work is continuing to refine any remaining pain points,” Brassic says. Increasing transparency into the contracting process is improving Centennial’s efficiency by flagging contract expirations and giving the company the ability to properly plan for upcoming projects. In February 2019, Centennial’s

Digital Capability centre was also officially opened, providing a central catalyst for business improvement at Centennial and creating business value using both conventional and digital levers. Centennial’s supply chain has also been subject to review as part of its digital transformation program, resulting in a procurement project with a renewed focus on category management. This project has targeted two key areas in this respect, namely equipment overhauls and longwall move equipment, and labour hire. Centennial has also streamlined its contracting process through technology, while driving efficiency and transparency across the group. It is playing a role in accelerating buy-side contracting, improving compliance and optimising commercial mining contractors’ on-

site performance. This focus, Brassic says, will realise considerable savings and a consolidation of suppliers. “The integration of two new software components will further the digital transformation journey by better managing suppliers’ performance and introducing contract management to reduce labour intensive paper based processes currently used within procurement. “It is the next step towards ensuring Centennial maintains the level of innovation that saw the company recognised at the Prospect Awards in 2017.” The 2019 Australian Mining Prospect Awards will take place in Brisbane on October 10. To register for the event or to submit your nomination please go to: www.prospectawards.com.au AM

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MAY 2019

MINERALS PROCESSING

SUSTAINABLE MINING A MUST TO MEET DEMAND INDUSTRIAL RECYCLING – CREATING VALUE FROM WASTE – IS FAST BECOMING A NECESSITY AND INCREASINGLY PRESENTS BOTH INCREDIBLE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND PRACTICE, WRITES DAN WEBBER, CDE REGIONAL MANAGER, AUSTRALASIA.

rotecting finite natural resources and extracting value from what has typically been considered waste is essential in the face of increasing demand for quality materials, growth in the power and energy sector, and increased environmental legislation. The mining waste management market is estimated to reach 233.56 billion tons at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1 per cent from 2017 to 2022, according to Markets and Markets’ Mining Waste Management Market by Mining Method – Global Forecast to 2022, and forecasts from the United Nations predict resource consumption will double by 2060. CDE Meta is the mining-focused sector of CDE – the world’s largest wet processing company with some 2,000 projects around the world cocreated with customers over the past

where the company was a finalist in the Excellence in Environmental Management category alongside household names Rio Tinto and Roy Hill Holdings. CDE Meta made the shortlist for its “pioneering approach to mining waste” transforming more than 17 million tonnes of overburden waste in South Australia into high grade iron ore for steel production.

Pioneering approach to mining waste

CDE REGIONAL MANAGER, AUSTRALASIA, DAN WEBBER.

25 years – and operates in Australia under registered company CDE Australia. The sector focuses on delivering sustainable mine operations through ore upgrade, tailings diversion and

waste dump reprocessing in line with CDE’s commitment to creating a new world of resource. This expertise has already been recognised by the Australian Mining Prospect Awards 2018,

That pioneering approach to mining waste was paramount in 2017 when CDE Meta delivered two turnkey wet processing plants to upgrade 100-plus years of legacy overburden waste from the mining of the Iron Monarch and Iron Princess deposits situated in South Australia’s Middleback Ranges. The plants, located at the previously Arrium-owned Iron Knob and Iron Baron sites, were acquired by the GFG Alliance and renamed SIMEC Mining. The two wash plants were designed to convert 17 million tonnes of lowgrade iron ore stockpiled as tailings in waste dumps to a saleable product. The low-grade iron ore to be processed has been accumulated over the life of mining of the Iron Monarch and Iron Princess deposits which first began in 1899 and the Iron Baron deposit in 1930. These beneficiation plants take low-grade iron ore, stockpiled as tailings and convert it to a 63per cent grade. The wash plants have a 950 tonnes-an-hour combined feed throughput and are upgrading a 43.4–52.7 per cent iron ore up to 63 per cent iron at a 50 per cent product yield.

Boost for SIMEC Mining and local economy

Operating around the clock, this project, funded by a $49.2M loan from the South Australian government, provides a vital revenue source to SIMEC, Whyalla and the wider SA region. A thousand jobs have been created and $25 million

A CG MODEL OF CENTREX METALS’ ARDMORE PHOSPHATE PLANT IN QUEENSLAND. AUSTRALIANMINING

MAY 2019

MINERALS PROCESSING

create concentrate from the company’s phosphate rock deposit at its Ardmore phosphate rock project on the Mount Isa-Boulia highway in North West Queensland. This plant, which is currently in factory pre-assembly, will prove the value of the concentrated ore as a 70-tonnes-an-hour pilot plant before moving to full-scale production at 140 tonnes per hour in 2020.

injected into the local economy. Not only does this provide extensive return on investment through iron ore upgrades, the byproduct aggregate produced from ore recovery is stockpiled and sold to the construction industry, further minimising waste while 90 per cent of water used for washing is recycled for immediate reuse in the system.

Mining juniors seek capex reductions and opex control

The company is committed to providing an alternative to the high level of imports of fertilisers – around a million tonnes per year – mainly from Morocco. The project is significant, considering Australia’s economic demonstrated resources (EDR) of phosphate rock comprises about one per cent of the world’s resources, ranking 10th in the world.

While CDE Meta provides solutions for top mining companies with legacy waste for processing or tailings dams containing valuable fractions, which can be extracted with CDE equipment, junior mining companies are now turning their sights to the company for solutions. An integral element to CDE design is a fully modular solution with a small plant footprint. This ‘plug-and-play’ approach delivers faster, safer installation requiring minimal civils and creating significant capital expenditure (capex) cost reductions. It also requires considerably less energy to operate versus traditional stickbuild operations. That, combined with innovative high efficiency equipment, reduces electric usage providing maximum operational expenditure (opex) control. The result is a bespoke modular wet processing solution designed to customer requirements and built exactly to meet production needs.

Phosphate plant reduces imports from Morocco

Take, for example, Centrex Metals, which has invested in a state-of-theart CDE wet processing solution to

SIMEC MINING’S IRON BARON IRON ORE BENEFICIATION PLANT IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

In fact, the Ardmore site is one of the few remaining under-developed phosphate rock deposits in the world focused on producing high quality phosphate rock concentrate to deliver this vital commodity to fertiliser plants in Australia. Centrex expects to produce 776,000 tonnes of premium-grade phosphate rock concentrate, equivalent to 800,000 wet tonnes a year at the target shipping level of three per cent moisture. To ensure perfect results, the pilot plant will wash, scrub and de-slime a free-digging ore material to produce premium 35 per cent phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) and ultra-low cadmium phosphate rock concentrate ready for the manufacturing of phosphoric acid. CDE has also provided a water recycling system comprising its innovative AquaCycle technology to ensure maximum water recovery in this challenging remote location. Centrex managing director and chief executive officer Ben Hammond said at the time of the investment: “To deliver this target over the estimated 10-year lifetime of the mine, we required a reliable and resilient wet processing solution to remove the fine gangue after the high-grade ore has been crushed to meet sizing specifications. Our research showed that CDE could deliver a solution that fully met our requirements.” CDE Meta is transforming the world’s approach to mining operations, challenging companies to rethink what they consider a low value or waste product and paving the way towards a zero-tailings mining economy. AM

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MAY 2019

INDUSTRY COMMENT

AUSTMINE 2019: MINING INNOVATION CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION AUSTMINE 2019: MINING INNOVATION – THE NEXT HORIZON, A WORLD-LEADING CONFERENCE, IS SET TO TAKE OVER THE BRISBANE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE FROM MAY 21-23 2019. AUSTMINE 2019 WILL BRING TOGETHER THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST OF THE AUSTRALIAN MINING AND METS SECTORS.

he next horizon for mining is an exciting phase for the entire mining value chain, with technology improvements set to revolutionise future decisions in the sector. Austmine 2019 is specifically for those who are passionate about innovation, working within mining companies, mining equipment, technology and services (METS) companies, and relevant academia and government, at a conference that brings together all parts of the industry. In addition to hands-on workshops, lively panel discussions, exciting ideas exchanges, and networking opportunities, Austmine 2019 is set to feature over 40 thought provoking presentations and interactive workshops relating to a range of important topics for the modern mining industry. The conference themes are set to uncover new ways of working, and the requirements to drive the step change in the next frontier, while providing delegates with the opportunity to

help shape the future of the sector. In addition to The Next Horizon, topping the subjects to be covered will be insight relating to Intelligent Equipment: Earth Shattering Technologies, with a focus on new machinery and techniques, including autonomous heavy vehicles, sensors, drilling and AI. The Human Element of Technology: The Embers that Light Innovation will cover how companies are enabling their workforce to embrace new solution thinking, by creating a culture of ideas and efficient processes. Focus will be placed on the field of Analytics, Data and Security: The Changing Winds, with the latest developments in digital efficiencies, analytics, and data systems that are leading the transformation of the mining industry. Austmine 2019 will unearth the latest in digital innovations, with a theme of Integration and Connectivity: A Breath of Fresh Air, which will challenge the status quo of the industry, with the push towards fully connected mining. AUSTRALIANMINING

Finally, Striving Towards Sustainability: A Sea Change is Coming, will examine how the industry is moving towards sustainability with the adoption of new technologies, renewable energy sources, and world-class processes for water and waste management. Delivering these key themes will be a world-class line-up of thought leaders, gathered from across six continents, including a high-calibre selection of international and Australian speakers, specifically addressing the Next Horizon theme with an emphasis on current planning decisions to ensure optimal future planning. Speakers confirmed as part of The Next Horizon theme include: Rag Udd from BHP, Natascha Viljoen of Anglo American, Barry Fitzgerald from Roy Hill Holdings, OZ Minerals managing director, Andrew Cole, Angus Melbourne of Orica and Ann Burns from Accenture. The three-day Austmine 2019 program will open with workshops on 21 May, with the conference then running in parallel to the sold-out

MAY 2019

exhibition from May 22-23. A focal point of the extensive workshop program at Austmine 2019 will be the marketing for METS session, featuring insights from marketing and communications experts. Topics to be covered include Tightening up your VP: communicating the value of your offering to the market, Free marketing! Disclaimer – will only cost you blood, sweat and tears, as well as Data, data, data: sifting through the deluge. The networking highlight of the event will be the Austmine Industry Leader’s Dinner and Awards, which will take place on the evening of 22 May. Following sold out dinners in 2015 and 2017, the prestigious Austmine Awards recognises and celebrates the most innovative and successful METS and miners of the year. Awards will be presented in the categories of Austmine Champion of Innovation, Austmine Innovation for METS, Austmine Innovation for Miners, as well as the Craig Senger

INDUSTRY COMMENT

Excellence in Export award. Utilising innovative technology to fast track both the exploration and exploitation of mining sites is the key to success in the modern age, according to Independence Group (IGO) managing director and chief executive officer Peter Bradford. Austmine sat down with Bradford to get an understanding of some of the drivers of change and the new technologies being implemented successfully by IGO to improve site productivity and outcomes.

It has been stated that ‘exploration and discovery is core to the IGO DNA’. With regards to this, what have been some of the key drivers of change and new technologies utilised in this space in recent years?

From an industry point of view and as it relates to IGO, the biggest challenge is exploring deeper search spaces around our mining activities, so that’s a challenge, and to meet that challenge what we’ve done is explore in some very large areas. We’re exploring under cover, with anything from 20–150 metres of sand that we have to look through to understand what the geology is doing. We’re adopting all of the latest geophysical and geochemical tools to do that. I think it’s fair to say that we are fast followers. That geophysics, especially electromagnetic (EM), has been a strong suit of IGOs for many years, and at various times we’ve been fast followers as we are today, or have been leading edge, and have been developing EM technology in-house in collaboration with some of the academic institutions. Where we see ourselves going forward is exactly that again, be at the forefront of involving new tools for the understanding of EM. The other area where we’ve been an early adopter is with the 3D seismic as it relates to trying to better understand ground fill systems.

THIS YEAR’S EVENT WILL FEATURE OVER 40 PRESENTATIONS AND INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS.

Regarding improved productivity in underground mines, what have been the biggest technological drivers for IGO?

Focusing on NOVA, it’s the one asset that we operate and manage 100 per cent ourselves. Commercial production commenced there in July 2017, which is only five years following the discovery of the project in July 2012 – you can join the dots there and see that this project has been developed very quickly. Our primary focus through that period has been getting the mine up and running, fully developed, and as we’ve done that, we’ve designed it in such a way that it will allow the easy deployment of technology to drive increased productivity going forward. We’re now starting to see some

AUSTRALIANMINING

of that, so we’re starting to put in place a fibre-optic backbone underground at Nova with a wi-fi system in place, an we’re currently using that to facilitate remote logging from the surface, and in the coming months we will start doing some remote firing using wi-fi. From my understanding, that will be one of the first applications of remote firing over wi-fi systems ever.

How do you see the further adoption of automation changing underground mining? When we’ve developed a mine, we’ve designed it in such a way that we can quickly deploy technology going forward, but the end game for us is really getting to the point where we can move to more and more autonomous remote drilling

MAY 2019

underground and autonomous haulage, and our infrastructure there is designed to facilitate that. The obvious benefits are the improvements in safety, we’re not exposing people to the same level of risks they otherwise would have been exposed to if they were manning the equipment, and then we would also expect efficiency and productivity improvements as a result. We’ve got work programs underway on how we could understand how we could implement remote drilling and autonomous haulage at Nova. Hear Peter Bradford share his thoughts on enhancing productivity through people and technology in underground mining, when he takes to the stage as a special guest speaker at Austmine 2019. AM

INDUSTRY COMMENT

THE BEST OF THE METS METS IGNITED ACTING CEO DR IAN DOVER EXPLAINS HOW 2019 IS PROVING TO BE A BANNER YEAR FOR THE ORGANISATION.

ETS Ignited is determined to make its mark in 2019 by delivering impactful results in the mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector. The industry-led, governmentbacked growth centre has confirmed two additional years of funding and intends to hone its focus up to 2021 on the programs that have made the greatest impact, explains acting chief executive officer Dr Ian Dover. “There’s been no program in the past like our growth centres, so we’ve had to develop the template to work from,” Dover tells Australian Mining. “What we’ve found in the first couple of years is that some parts of our program are more impactful than others and we are now refining our focus down to a few key initiatives so that we’re likely to get more impact but over a smaller range of activities.” Dover cites both the Australian and global uptick in mining, rapid digital growth, and increasing importance of social licence to operate as the key trends in the industry at the moment, and METS Ignited will move forward in this vein. The organisation will develop its supply chain capability to 2021 in forward-focused areas such as analytics, automation and robotics, as well as continuing its development of more industry-driven research programs such as the CRC program. “We are looking seriously at enhancing Australia’s mining supply chains through digital capabilities like analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), automation and robotics,” Dover continues. “There are different companies working in Australia that are well advanced in each of those areas. If there is one thing that is likely to disrupt the industry on the basis of international trends coming and presenting themselves in Australia, then I’d say digital disruption will have the biggest impact in the next 10 years.” Last year, METS Ignited, together with its sister Growth Centre National Energy Resources Australia (NERA) commissioned an economic analysis regarding the potential impacts of automation and robotics on the resources sector.

FOR METS IGNITED, 2019 IS A YEAR OF RENEWED FOCUS AND NEW POTENTIALS.

WE ARE LOOKING SERIOUSLY AT ENHANCING AUSTRALIA’S MINING SUPPLY CHAINS THROUGH DIGITAL CAPABILITIES LIKE ANALYTICS, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI), AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS.” NERA and METS Ignited are foundation partners of the CORE Resources Innovation Hub in Perth, Western Australia. The hub is the first in a planned series of resources sector think tanks, having launched in July 2016. The results of the analysis suggested that Australia had the capability to seize on the opportunity to reap the benefit from developing the digital capabilities of METS companies in supplying the mining industry so long as it acted within the next couple of years. Dover says that there is already good progress in this regard, with cluster groups forming around robotics, capability developments, and combinations of companies, researchers and mining company customers around the METS scene – including analytics and AI professionals – all getting involved. “We found in a recent update on AUSTRALIANMINING

the Australian METS sector that there are some tens of thousands of companies that supply the mining industry in all sorts of sizes and colours, but just over 6,000 of those companies are responsible for around 90 per cent of the revenue of the METS sector, so they are the ones that we need to be focused on,” he explains. METS Ignited is also making an appearance at this year’s Austmine Conference at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from May 21–23. The theme for Austmine is Mining Innovation: The Next Horizon, providing an ideal platform for METS Ignited to stress the importance of its industry development. The organisation will run a workshop on the topic of machine learning the day prior to the event, which Dover explains is about how METS companies can use these

MAY 2019

techniques to grow their value proposition as well as make or save money for themselves and clients through a data science and analytics approach. “METS Ignited’s economic analysis has identified that the greatest benefits for the Australian mining industry in the near future will come from data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) and AI, even before we move into robotics and automation,” he explains. In addition, there will be a showcase of the companies featured in METS Ignited’s RISE Accelerator program, which started as a pilot in Brisbane in 2017 before expanding to Brisbane and Perth this year. Seventeen scale-up small-to-medium enterprise (SME) companies are ready to present their innovations at the event. “We will be giving them the opportunity to come along, talk to other METS and mining companies, and give their presentations so that the rest of the industry becomes aware of the innovations they have developed – it’s a great opportunity for SMEs to display their innovations to an interested industry audience,” Dover concludes. AM

INDUSTRY COMMENT

AUSIMM LEADS THE CONVERSATION ON BEST PRACTICE FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN MINING THE AUSTRALASIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY (AUSIMM) ENCOURAGES THE RESOURCES SECTOR TO RENEW ITS FOCUS ON SOCIAL LICENCE TO SUSTAIN ITS GROWTH.

ustainable development is at the forefront of modern mining policy. Australia’s resources sector has the capacity to lead the way as a stable, profitable and considerate industry. The Australian resources sector wants to grow, and for the benefit and prosperity of the Australian economy, it needs to grow. But part of this growth must have a renewed focus on sustainability and social licence to ensure that growth is in line with environmental best practice and community expectations. Globally, the mining industry faces escalating disruption from a variety of sources, including societal expectations, digital transformation, rising costs and changing commodity markets. If these disruptive sources remain unaddressed or are poorly managed, they will have a profound effect on the future of the industry. The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), as the peak body for professionals, is leading the conversation on sustainability by bringing experts together at two upcoming events: the Sustainable Development in the Minerals Industry Conference (SDIMI) and a Social Licence to Operate (SLTO) Forum. AusIMM chief executive Stephen Durkin says that SDIMI, to be held in Sydney from May 27-28, will give a platform for professionals to share their learnings and best practice in sustainability. “If we want sustainable growth in the resources industry, we need to encourage transparent conversations about any environmental impacts, and how we offset and minimise them to safeguard the communities we work in, sector employment and economic growth,” Durkin says. “At our SDIMI conference, this will involve open discussions on the development of modern, innovative technology and the positive implications this will have on the

STEPHEN DURKIN SAYS SDIMI WILL GIVE PROFESSIONALS A PLATFORM TO SHARE THEIR LEARNINGS ON SUSTAINABILITY.

future environmental sustainability of the sector.” Presentations by key experts at SDIMI will discuss how the sector can create a new working paradigm for social licence and propose new approaches for improving global practice in sustainable development. SDIMI keynote speaker Deborah

Shields says the discussion holds one vital importance. “The conference theme of social license is both timely and critical. Stable, prosperous, healthy and equitable societies and economies require minerals, but mineral extraction is increasingly controversial,” Shields says. “Delegates at SDIMI will have the opportunity to learn more about concepts such as minerals in the circular economy, supply chain management and shared value creation, and how these are linked to corporate social responsibility and how they can support social licence to operate.” According to Ernst and Young’s (E&Y) annual survey of extractive sector leaders, the number one risk facing the industry in 2019-20 is (Social) ‘Licence to Operate’ (SLTO). While some mining companies have developed internal SLTO strategies that deliver competitive advantage, a sometimes narrow and static focus means SLTO remains elusive and

THE SECTOR MUST ENSURE ITS GROWTH IS IN LINE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL BEST PRACTICE AND COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS.

AUSTRALIANMINING

MAY 2019

generally poorly understood, requiring more education and emphasis. AusIMM believes in the need for this renewed focus, which has led to the inaugural Social Licence to Operate Forum being held in Melbourne in May for AusIMM members. The objective is to obtain advice from AusIMM professionals and to develop SLTO policy recommendations to contribute to the institute’s ‘Trusted Voice’ initiative. The forum and its recommendations will align to AusIMM’s vision, mission, values and charter, and deliver value for the AusIMM, the industry and the community. “We need to accelerate our thinking on social licence when it comes to the resources industry if we are to stay competitive and relevant,” Durkin says. “This is an area that is of critical importance to our members and the industry at large.” For more information on SDIMI visit http://sdimi.ausimm.com/ AM

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rivers and hauliers face common problems in their day-to-day jobs. These include sticky materials, incomplete offloading, steep tilt angles and uneven ground, all of which can pose a safety risk, loss of time and revenue. A successful hauling operation would mean that materials are offloaded completely without caking, freezing or manual cleaning required. A trailer lining can ensure this ease of operation and the QuickSilver liner is recognised as one of the leading products in this field. Through distributor E-Plas, the QuickSilver tipper liner has been available to Australian mining and bulk handling operations for 15 years. The liner provides a slick surface that promotes accelerated dumping from tippers whilst protecting the trailer body. “QuickSilver has proven to be an exceptional product in many bulk handling applications, due to its durability and ability to handle a diverse range of materials, from mineral sands to snow, sludge and clay,” E-Plas director Lisa Marshall says. The product is made from a complicated mix of state-of-theart, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) and specialised additives that make it virtually self-cleaning and “extraordinarily slippery”. The load doesn’t stick to the liner, so layers don’t build up from previous deliveries, helping to reduce material compaction and carry-back. “I described it once to a colleague in the industrial building sector it’s like ‘Teflon for tippers’,” Marshall says. The ‘slippery’ feature also offers safety advantages as material doesn’t cling to the surface. Rocks, rubble and other loads will slide out of a trailer at a 45-degree angle seamlessly. Most loads dump clean by the third ram stage with no additional release agents. This reduces tip-over

risk and protects the integrity of the original equipment. “We have seen unlined trucks go over when tipping heavy loads that have hung-up in trailer bodies, and this is not something an operator wants to encounter especially when carrying tonnage,” Marshall says. AM

WE HAVE SEEN UNLINED TRUCKS GO OVER WHEN TIPPING HEAVY LOADS THAT HAVE HUNG-UP IN TRAILER BODIES, AND THIS IS NOT SOMETHING AN OPERATOR WANTS TO ENCOUNTER, ESPECIALLY WHEN CARRYING TONNAGE. ”

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MAY 2019

CRUSHING AND SCREENING

NON-EXPLOSIVE MACHINERY DELIVERS EXPLOSIVE RESULTS ASTEC-BTI BREAKERBOSS REIMAGINES MOBILE ROCKBREAKING IN UNDERGROUND MINES, SOLVING THE CONCERNS OF MANAGING OVERSIZE ROCKS IN A SAFE YET VIGOROUS MANNER.

iners have long faced the challenge of managing oversize rocks without involving

explosives. Their list of concerns extends to keeping people away from underground mines without hurting operational productivity and production schedules. A remotely operated rock breaker that reduces reliance on explosives, while removing people from the dangers of underground mines is addressing both problems. Astec-BTI’s rollout of the BreakerBoss 5D provides workers with a safe and comfortable solution for managing oversize rocks from the safety of a remote surface location. According to Astec Australia national product manager – mining John Williams, the BreakerBoss 5D is a natural development integrating the latest technologies with all the hard lessons the company has learnt from over 20 years manufacturing mining vehicles. The BreakerBoss replaces the well-known mobile rockbreaker series, while deriving the concepts of Astec’s successful Boss series mobile scaling vehicle. “The biggest development

ASTEC-BTI IS KNOWN FOR ITS STRENGTH IN PROVIDING AN ERGONOMIC CABIN FOR OPERATORS TO WORK FROM, WHETHER REMOTELY OR NOT.

between (the mobile rockbreaker) series has been in the cabin ergonomics and remote-control options, (considering) miners’ growing emphasis to eliminate workers from hostile environments and look after them in the cabin,” Williams says. The BreakerBoss provides a relief to both with an oversize rollover protection system (ROPS) and falling object protection system (FOPS) cabin, which is centrally mounted over the articulation point with up-toceiling safety glass. This design gives operators maximum visibility, comfort and control over their workspace. It is considered the most outstanding

THE NEW BREAKERBOSS 5D TAKES ASTEC-BTI’S MOBILE ROCKBREAKER SERIES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH.

AUSTRALIANMINING

feature that resonates with users, according to Williams. The cabin features airconditioning and an ergonomic airride seat with integrated joysticks for boom control, as well as a relatable steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedal for tramming. “Whilst comfort and control is the new toy, the breaker is still more than suited to do the job at hand with a capability of carrying up to an 8800 joule hydraulic breaker (2200 kilograms) and reaching five metres from the front of the vehicle,” Williams tells Australian Mining. “A hammer of this size can break the toughest of oversize (rocks) in seconds without the need for explosives, allowing the mine to keep on working.” Williams says the BreakerBoss 5D is an innovation that reflects advances in technology – some of it is recent and others that have been around and tested in other industries. “Astec-BTI (has) been producing rockbreaking solutions for miners since 1958, and mobile rockbreaking vehicles have been in our product mix for over 20 years,” Williams says. It should be no surprise that the BreakerBoss 5D’s next generation controls have been revolutionary to many mine managers. The machine can be operated remotely from a small distance away via radio, or from the surface via the mine’s communication system. The remote-control system can

MAY 2019

be controlled either by line of site radio remote or configured into the Astec-BTI BreakerIntel long distance remote control system and other surface control systems. This BreakerIntel system not only includes long distance controls, but also offers force and speed control, automated movements, collision avoidance, monitoring and diagnostics and the ability to operate multiple rockbreaker stations with a single remote. The remote-control options give the mine the ability to access and operate the equipment in areas previously deemed hazardous. It also means the vehicle can operate in mine zones that are being developed, and in unstable and hazardous environments such as open stopes and hung up draw points in sub-level and block caves. The BreakerBoss, being a non-explosive option to handle oversize rocks, also shares the same hydrostatic Poclain drivetrain that has proven itself effective in the Minerunner all-purpose utility vehicle, which can tram above the production flow of traffic. The drive train features a single hydraulic pump that drives four independent wheel motors. This reduces maintenance cost significantly as braking and transmission is all achieved without any wear parts or mechanical linkages. The hydraulic drivetrain provides a tramming speed of 15 kilometres every hour, providing enough speed to keep up with the rest of the fleet and mining tyres that will not carve up the drives. From a maintenance and service perspective, the BreakerBoss is designed with access to the engine (Deutz 129 horsepower). Its hinged access doors allow the cooler and electrical panels to be easily worked on. System updates are easily transferrable via a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection through the BreakerBoss’ performance monitor (PM) four, which has the dual functionality of a reversing camera. 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 MAINTENANCE MINERALS PROCESSING VOLUME 111/3 | MAY 2019

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MAY 2019

MAINTENANCE

A CLEAN BRAKE FOR MINING AUSTRALIAN MINING BREAKS DOWN THE VARIOUS MINING APPLICATIONS OF THE HILLIARD CORPORATION’S BRAKEBOSS HYDRAULIC CONTROL SYSTEM.

raking systems are essential to the safe and efficient operation of a slew of mining machines. Everything from draglines and shovels to grinding mills, railcar dumpers and positioners benefit from high-quality braking applications. The Hilliard Corporation has released a series of brakes that integrate with the company’s BrakeBoss control systems. The power units are designed to accommodate a variety of braking applications. The BrakeBoss line is split into four models, the BBH1, BBH2, BBH3 and BBH4 power unit, which provide a wide degree of versatility when considering the required level of brake controls. “When designing brakes, Hilliard listens to the voice of the customer, taking suggestions on features and benefits and incorporating them into the standard product designs,” a spokesperson from The Hillard Corporation tells Australian Mining. “Fewer spare parts and parts commonality allows users to keep minimal parts inventory, while also allowing Hilliard to keep on-hand inventory for immediate delivery.” BBH1, the base BrakeBoss model, comes with simple on/off and ramped braking options. The simplest of the four models, it is well suited for rail car dumpers, crane hoists and overland conveyors. BBH2 adds torque controls via an engineered hydraulic circuit for extra versatility and is useful for overland and underground conveyors. It is also equipped with manual overrides and a hand pump to allow brake operation

during a power outage. The BBH3 power unit adds more advanced control options, including the capability to continually adjust brake pressure following a preselected profile (“closed-loop” brake control). The BBH4 power unit, meanwhile, is designed for brakes with pressures above 3,000 pounds per square inch (207 bar). High-capacity, semi-autonomous grinding (SAG) mills, which are driven by gearless mill drives requiring powerful spring-applied hydraulic brakes to stop mills from rotating in cases of emergency or power failure, are well suited for this power unit. Hilliard’s safety systems for its brakes incorporate a maintenance mode allowing users to lock the brake off in place. The systems also monitor pad wear to notify the operator that pads need to be changed or air gaps need to be adjusted. “Hilliard brakes have been designed to make maintenance as simple as possible, which helps in personnel safety,” the spokesperson says. Hilliard’s spring-applied M900SH brake caliper has been tested in extreme environments for hardiness. It uses a floating design that accommodates 20 millimetres of axial movement to compensate for thermal expansion of mills caused by high operating temperatures. The calipers apply controlled braking applications to stop the mill when it is rotating at full speed – such as in an emergency stop scenario – or quick applications to stop the mill during inching, creeping and in instances of power failure. For dumpers and positioners designed to unload ore from rail cars

THE A400 ARM-STYLE CALIPER BRAKE IS WELL SUITED FOR DRAGLINE APPLICATIONS.

FEWER SPARE PARTS AND PARTS COMMONALITY ALLOWS USERS TO KEEP MINIMAL PARTS INVENTORY, WHILE ALSO ALLOWING HILLIARD TO KEEP ON-HAND INVENTORY FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY.” or barge unloaders, Hilliard’s A300T300SH arm-style caliper offers two stages of hydraulics when combined with BrakeBoss – a lower torque setting for emergency stopping (to minimise cable stress) and a higher torque setting for parking. The design of the A300 also allows for a fast conversion between rightand left-handed calipers.

THE M500 MODULAR BRAKE IS COMMONLY USED ON CONVEYOR SYSTEMS. AUSTRALIANMINING

MAY 2019

Draglines and shovels also benefit from the use of the spring-applied braking systems by using Hilliard’s A400-T300SA and A400-T400SA pneumatic release braking systems, in place of drum and plate brakes of diameters above 610 millimetres. These systems achieve full brake retraction using less than 90psi (6.2 bar) of air pressure and are available in two sizes to accommodate disc thicknesses of 25 and 38 millimetres, respectively. The brakes are generally placed at the three o’clock and nine o’clock positions to prevent thrusters from pulling on the caliper arms and cause one pad to drag on the disc. “By keeping the brakes equally spaced around the brake disc allows for even heating and cooling of the brake disc,” the spokesperson adds. “If the application doesn’t allow for the mounting in those positions, Hilliard has an adjustment mechanism as a standard feature on the caliper to compensate for the mounting.” AM

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