Australian Mining November 2013 by Prime Creative Media

AM1113_001.pdf

Page

28/10/13,

10:54:24

VOLUME 105/11 – NOVEMBER 2013

SERVING THE MINING INDUSTRY SINCE 1908

www.miningaustralia.com.au

NO.1 FOR MINING TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT

The world’s largest mining truck

Prospect Awards

Mining’s night of nights Recognising and rewarding

P.32

Drill & Blast

Drilling and bolting Underground drilling

P.24

Vehicles

A new class in mining?

Material movement Getting around site

P.60

Print Post Approved PP100008185

Water

FINALISTS EDITION

Wastewater

Treatment and processing

P.68

AM1013_000_HIT1

2013-09-18T09:52:04+10:00

// E V O L U T I O N A R Y Bell E-Series Articulated Dump Trucks. The new generation E Series shifts ADT functionality to new industry standards. Bellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evolutionary approach to design delivers production boosting payloads, lower daily operating costs, superior ride quality and uncompromised safety. Maximum productivity. Maximum profitability.

AM1113_003.pdf

Page

28/10/13,

1:02:56

COMMENT

Mining Rolling back the sea Australian

Cirrus Media Manufacturing & Electronics Group: Associate Publisher – Martin Sinclair Email: martin.sinclair@cirrusmedia.com.au Editor – Cole Latimer Tel: (02) 8484 0652 Email: ozmining@cirrusmedia.com.au Journalists – Vicky Validakis Tel: (02) 8484 0964 Email: vicky.validakis@cirrusmedia.com.au Brent Balinski Tel: (02) 8484 0680 Email: brent.balinski@cirrusmedia.com.au Alex Heber Tel: (02) 8484 0884 Email: alexandra.heber@cirrusmedia.com.au Group Sales Manager – Tim Richards Tel: (02) 8484 0829 Mob: 0420 550 799 Email: tim.richards@cirrusmedia.com.au QLD and SA Sales Manager – Sharon Amos Tel: (07) 3261 8857 Fax: (07) 3261 8347 Mob: 0417 072 625 Email: sharon.amos@cirrusmedia.com.au WA Representative – Jamie Wade Mob: 0435 945 868 Email: jamie@wadebusiness.com.au South Africa – Bob Stephen Stephen Marketing PO Box 75, Tarlton, Gauteng 1749, South Africa Tel: 27(011) 952 1721 Fax: 27(011) 952 1607 USA – Jonathan Sismey Cirrus Media 24th Floor, 125 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Tel: (1) 212 370 7445 Fax: (1) 212 370 7441 Email: jsismey@ix.netcom.com Larry Arthur Cirrus Media Suite 203, 3700 Campus Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660 Tel: (1) 949 756 1057 Fax: (1) 949 756 2514 Email: lharthur@ix.netcom.com Graphic Designer – Dave Ashley Production Co-ordinator – Tracy Engle Tel: (02) 8484 0707 Fax: (02) 8484 0966 Subscription Rates – Australia (surface mail) $140.00 (incl GST) New Zealand A$148.00 Overseas A$156.00 Reader Services – 1300 360 126

Cirrus Media Tower 2, Level 3, 475 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, NSW 2067 Australia Locked Bag 4700, Chatswood Delivery Centre, NSW 2067, Australia Tel: (02) 8484 0888 Fax: (02) 8484 0633 ABN 80 132 719 861 ISSN 0004-976X www.cirrusmedia.com.au © Copyright Cirrus Media, 2013 All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

The government has put the wheels in motion to get rid of the mining tax, but what does it mean?

ell it happened. The promise was kept, and the Tony Abbott government has started putting in draft legislation to get rid of the mining tax. Last month treasurer Joe Hockey stated that they would introduce repeal bills into parliament to remove what he called a “signature failure” of the previous government. So what does the dismantling of the Mineral Resources Rent Tax actually mean for miners? Most likely very little, financially, for the big players. For one, strangely enough, the thing only ever touched iron ore and coal and so left many copper miners, uranium operations, zinc, lead and silver miners outside the reach of the tax.

Comment Cole Latimer ozmining@cirrusmedia.com.au More importantly, and in an even stranger turn of events an issue that put Australian Mining in lockstep with former Greens leader Bob Brown – gold was completely left out of the tax. And then of course, as we all knew what would happen, the tax raised basically nothing whatsoever. The big miners and their bigger profits that were the targets of the tax remained relatively untouched. The Mineral Resources Rent Tax was a failure, and the plans for it to eat into

individual state and territory mining royalties only created a greater animosity between the Federal and State Governments. No, as usual, it was the smaller players – the juniors and exploration companies, which were hurt by the tax. It scared off investment, damaged our position as a global hub for mining investment, and raised our sovereign risk rating. It didn’t help that the states also raised their mining royalty rates, exploration incentives were also wound

FRONT COVER

Average Net Distribution Period ending March 2013 8,038 Printed by Bluestar Print 83 Derby Street, Silverwater, NSW 2128 Tel: (02) 9748 3411 Published 12 issues a year

A M1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ K I N . p d f

www.miningaustralia.com.au

back, and the likelihood of the Diesel Tax Rebate Scheme being cut was probable. The collateral damage it caused was much more devastating than the actual aim of the tax. So this news that the tax will be wound back is good news for the juniors. But, inversely, the schemes it was designed to support are now going to suffer. It is the old governmental trick of providing with one hand and taking away with the other. Now we just wait and see if the Abbott Government will establish its own version of the mining tax, or they just accept that the great boom has passed Australia by and it’s much too late to jump on that gravy train.

Pa ge

2 5 / 1 0 / 1 3 ,

8 : 1 9 : 2 5

AEDT

ON the front cover we’ve featured what is now the largest mining truck in the world. The machine, released by BelAZ can carry 400 tonnes and may be the next generation of ultra class mine trucks. This issue is also the Prospect Awards finalist edition, where we unveil who made the cut.

AustralianMining

November 2013

AM1113_004.pdf

Page

29/10/13,

7:55:46

Contents Automation earns its stripes

November 2013 issue

Staying on trak

Vehicle and driver monitoring....p62-63

Processing water control

How automation is making an impact....p10-14

A step by step guide for site water treatment....p70-71

Features SAFETY Ensuring mine safety The new QLD mine health and safety regime ....................................................... p16 Safety on site Mine site safety showers............................ p18 WEAR RESISTANCE & LUBRICATION Choosing the right grease for your operation How do you decide what is right for you ....................................................... p20-22 DRILL, BLAST & GEOMECHANICS Narrow vein, more options New narrow vein drill rigs ........................ p24 Removing blasting risks A new way of delivering ANFO ................ p26 Breathing new life into cable-bolts Better bolting ............................................ p28 4

November 2013

AustralianMining

THE PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS Coal Mine of the Year............................... p34 Hard Rock Mine of the Year..................... p36 Contract Miner of the Year ....................... p38 Mining’s Woman of the Year .................... p40 Contribution ............................................. p42 Community Interaction ............................. p44 Excellence in Environmental Management . p46 Explorer of the Year.................................. p48 Innovative Mining Solution ....................... p50 Manager of the Year ................................. p52 Mine OH&S of the Year ........................... p54 Young Achiever......................................... p56 Minerals Processing of the Year ................ p58 MINESITE VEHICLES The world’s largest mining truck BelAZ unveils a 400T monster .................. p60 Crushing on the move Turning loaders into crushers .................... p64

Driving change Compact, efficient LHDs .......................... p66 WATER & WASTEWATER Serious step change Setting new benchmarks in water usage .... p68

HIRE & RENTAL

Getting equipment on site, online Making plant and machinery rental easier .................................................... p72-73

Regulars NEWS ......................................................... p8 PRODUCT FOCUS: PPVC .................... p74-76 JOBS ......................................................... p77 EVENTS .................................................... p78 www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM0513_000_MMD

2013-04-22T15:11:35+10:00

Innovation

through experience Established in 1978, MMD designed and patented the Twin Shaft Mineral Sizer. To complement the robust Twin Shaft Sizer, MMD has also designed and developed a range of heavy duty Apron Plate Feeders, to be used in conjunction with sizers on both static and mobile Installations.

An independent company that focuses on Sizing and developing IPCC sizing solutions, MMD works with customers to develop systems adapted to their needs and has an unmatched record for the development and supply of effective trend setting static, semi and fully mobile sizing systems for mining a wide range of minerals around the world.

An exemplary track record of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Innovation through experienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; has led MMD to being an integral part of the global mining industry and a byword for productivity and reliability.

MMD Australia Pty. Ltd. Brisbane Mackay Singleton

sizers@mmdaus.com.au

THE MMD GROUP OF COMPANIES WWW.MMD SI Z E R S. C OM

AM1113_006.pdf

Page

28/10/13,

11:16:48

INDUSTRY COMMENT

cap

Miners STRUGGLE without 457 workers Stuart Winthrope writes for The Conversation on how 457 visas are a necessity for mining.

nrealistic pay demands from Australian workers and a lack of skilled workers have led smaller West Australian resource firms to use 457 visas to fill skill gaps, according to Edith Cowan University (ECU) research. Without using the visa, small firms could not compete with majors in attracting workers and getting them to stay. Researchers from ECU’s Centre for Innovative Practice interviewed 10 managers from smaller resource industry firms and 20 workers on 457 visas to investigate how and why the visas were used in the sector. They found that while most workers at non-major firms were Australian citizens, the strong demand for skills in WA leaves smaller 6

November 2013

AustralianMining

companies unable to meet the inflated salary expectations of domestic workers. “That’s part of the problem in smaller firms – they don’t have the resources, they can’t compete in the same way,” said the report’s lead author Rowena Barrett. “So there might be a couple of people with the rights skills, they just don’t want to work for them.” Despite wide advertising, firms struggled to find skilled workers. Managers reported spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertising and receiving few responses. “What we found was that these firms couldn’t get Australians to do the jobs,” Professor Barrett said. “So it’s not as though a migrant worker worker was displacing an

Australian worker, they just weren’t available.” Several managers complained that high wages in the north-west of the state had left less-experienced workers expecting salaries appropriate for a worker with 20 years’ experience. “We find people have grown with the boom and they have all of a sudden become prima donnas and they only work for these high wages,” said an engineering firm manager quoted in the report. Managers also said domestic workers were unreliable and prone to switch jobs if they were offered even marginally higher wages, which hurt firm growth and made meeting contractual obligations difficult. Professor Barrett said that the sector’s use of the 457 visa and

the workers on it had been unduly pulled into the larger debate over immigration. “They are made to feel uncomfortable, but they are just filling a need. They’ve been employed by business. And for businesses as well it makes employers stand back and ask, ‘Is this the right thing to do, or not?’ when really, they’re just doing business.” While the 457 visa was likely to be expanded under the Coalition government, she said care should be taken that it did not damage smaller firms’ ability to compete by increasing their costs, or the costs to the workers themselves. “They’re not a cash cow… They pay taxes, just like everyone else does. They shouldn’t be used as pawns of government.” www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1013_000_SAN

2013-09-12T10:51:54+10:00

LET OUR 150 YEAR HISTORY BENEFIT YOUR FUTURE BUSINESS THIS WAY! Sandvik has been around for over 150 years, working with our customers to constantly improve operating environments. Today, Sandvik Mining is the leading supplier of equipment for both surface and underground applications, ensuring that each of our customers is matched with the best solutions for the maximum in productivity, safety and peace of mind. 2XU ORQJ KLVWRU\ HQVXUHV WKDW RXU VROXWLRQV DUH EDVHG RQ H[WHQVLYH Ă&#x20AC;HOG H[SHULHQFH JLYLQJ \RX WKH YHU\ EHVW FRQGLWLRQV for good business â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and that we are a team you can count on, for today and for the future. Read more about the Sandvik Mining offer - Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s This Way: mining.sandvik.com SANDVIK MINING Part Sales 1800 1 7263845 | General Enquiries 1300 1 7263845 info.smc-au@sandvik.com | www.mining.sandvik.com/au

Sandvik_150_Australian-Mining.indd 1

23/08/2013 9:52:37 AM

AM1113_008.pdf

Page

28/10/13,

10:13:02

HEADLINES

The latest mining news and safety Australian Mining presents the latest news and safety affecting you from the boardroom to the mine and everywhere in between. Visit www.miningaustralia.com.au to keep up to date with what is happening. FMG Christmas Creek miner loses leg A truck driver has had his left leg amputated following an accident on Fortescue Metals Group’s Christmas Creek mine. The 42-year-old man was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital after two haul trucks collided at the Pilbara site. The driver, a Macmahon Holdings contractor, was reportedly trapped in the haul truck’s cabin for a number of hours. Two inspectors from the Department of Mines and Petroleum are still conducting an investigation on site. The DMP said the inspectors will remain on site for several days following the incident, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence and inspecting the scene. DMP’s Resources Safety Executive Director Simon Ridge said it was too early to comment on causal factors.

Centennial slashes 120 NSW mining jobs

attempts to bolster the state’s mining sector. The Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Andrew Cripps said speeding up applications will make mining “simpler and more profitable”. Last month the government announced an overhaul of the coal and minerals exploration approvals process, which was billed to halve exploration permit wait times. Recognising that mining is critical to Queensland’s economy Cripps said streamlining the red tape will allow mining companies to “get on with business”. “It has only been a week since this government announced reforms to expedite the granting of exploration permits,” Cripps said. “To have 1400 exploration permits granted in that time is great news for the industry.”

800 Rio jobs to go as it outsources to IBM

Australian Mining gets the latest news Rio Tinto is expected to cut around 800 jobs every day, providing mining professionals globally after it signed a $100 million backQLD grants 1400 exploration with the up to the minute information office outsourcing deal with US technology permits in a week on safety, news and technology for The Queensland L a n e government Wo r k Shas a fapproved e _ Q P . p giant d f IBM.P a g e 1 2 9 / 0 7 / 1 3 , the1Australian 2 : 2 4 mining P M and resources Jobs in areas such as human resources, 1400 exploration permits in seven days as it industry.

Drug Testing Split-Specimen Cup™

• • • • • •

Trusted design Simple and easy to use Fast results (2 minutes) Accurate Cost effective No leakage

AS 4308:2008 Certiﬁed

Innovative drug screen cup design minimizes urine handling and donor tampering, providing a unique and efficient approach for on-site drug screening.

Selected and used by Stat e Governmen t departments Australia w ide

Breathalyser and other products available Please enquire for details

laneworksafe.com.au 1800 429 219

ISO 9001 FS 567011

November 2013

AustralianMining

finance, information technology and procurement are set to be effected, however there has been no word on how many Australian positions will go. Most of the English language work will move to IBM operations in India, eastern Europe and South America. A Rio spokesman said the deal was aimed at removing roles which did not represent the company’s core business. “Like others in the mining industry, Rio Tinto is facing the challenge of increasing costs. We are actively seeking ways to reduce costs and improve productivity across the company,” the spokesman said. “Our core business is mining and it makes sense to partner with other companies for back office and transactional work. “We are working with our partners to find opportunities to reduce our costs in support functions like HR, finance, IT and procurement across Rio Tinto’s global operations.” The move comes as Rio pushes ahead with plans to slash its operating and support costs by $4.81 billion. Chief of the company, Sam Walsh, has previously said divestments, the sale of noncore assets and the reduction of operating costs would all centre in the company’s efforts to improve its bottom dollar. This year the company has cut jobs at its WA iron ore operations, 78 positions went from its Argyle diamond mine while positions have also been axed from the miner’s Hunter Valley coal projects.

Centennial Coal is cutting 120 jobs across its New South Wales operations. Blaming the “ongoing economic downturn” for the cuts, Centennial said high production costs, weaker commodity prices and a stubbornly high Australian dollar is impacting the company’s competitiveness. “Centennial has no option other than to reduce employee and contractor numbers further,” the company stated. “Unfortunately, as there are few signs of an immediate improvement and following the conclusion of a business review of all operations, further cost reductions will have to be made in order for Centennial to sustain its business and be competitive under current market conditions.” The company said it will attempt to keep redundancies to a minimum but expects 120 employees and contractors will be affected. Warning more cost cuts are in the pipeline, Centennial said it will be looking to cut supplier costs and secure production efficiencies. A spokesperson for the company said roughly two thirds of the redundancies will be made from Centennial’s Western Operations which includes Lithgow and Mudgee. He added about one third of the cuts will be from its Lake Macquarie sites. In the last year Centennial has placed its Mannering and Airly mines into care maintenance mode. “Both mines have struggled to make a positive contribution in their own right not only through the lower coal price but a combination of difficult mining conditions, poor coal quality and, in the case of Airly, transport costs have hindered the viability of these mines,” Centennial chief operating officer Steve Bracken said at the time.

Dozer collides with light vehicle on Mt Arthur coal mine Workers were lucky to escape serious injury when dozer and a light vehicle collided at BHP Billiton’s Mt Arthur coal mine, in the Hunter Valley. BHP Billiton said it is lucky one of its employees was not seriously injured in the accident which crushed the passenger side of the smaller vehicle. The miner said it is conducting an internal investigation to determine the cause of the incident. The company said it will take any necessary actions to ensure these types of accidents are not repeated. The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union is also running its own investigation. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_SIE

2013-10-14T16:30:11+11:00

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY

MINING • ENERGY • INFRASTRUCTURE

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Shaft & Slope Hoisting Solutions Rope-Handling Applications Automation, Drive Technology and Service Mobile Shaft Winches for Inspection and Rescue Operations Pressure Exchange Systems (P.E.S.)

SIEMAG TECBERG Australia Pty Ltd. · Unit 7, 2 Eden Park Drive (PO Box 1442) · North Ryde NSW 2113, Australia info@siemag-tecberg.com.au | www.siemag-tecberg.com.au

GERMANY│POLAND│CHINA │AUSTRALIA│SOUTH AFRICA│USA 2013-01-28_ST_Anzeige_Mobile-Shaft-Winch_235x297.indd 1

28.01.2013 13:59:05

AM1113_010.pdf

Page

16/10/13,

8:22:07

AUTOMATION & REMOTE CONTROL

Automation EARNS ITS STRIPES E arlier this year Rio Tinto moved its 100 millionth tonne using automated trucks which have clocked up over one million kilometers. Rio Tinto is aiming to have more than 40 trucks operating autonomously across three sites in the Pilbara by early next year. Such a milestone proves automation is here to stay; its importance in the new mining landscape is becoming increasingly clear as miners attempt to improve productivity and reduce costs. Gold prices have plummeted in the past six months, coal margins are being squeezed, and iron ore prices are proving to be temperamental, forcing miners to implement tough spending regimes, squeeze every last drop out of capital expenditure budgets and go in search of operational efficiencies. On the back of uncertain market conditions, looking for the elusive ‘game changing’ technology is now more important than ever. “Coal is a business that 12 months ago was in a very good place, but now it’s in a very hard place,” Accenture mining program and project manager Nigel Court told Australian Mining. “We’ve seen a lot of decisions made by our clients around getting themselves to a profitable place, or a cash flow positive place. “That’s also driven capital scarcity. “That constraint has impacted every commodity.” He explained that implementing technology in a spend-thrift environment is the real clincher. “The challenge is when times are tight they need to continue to invest to get the benefits when they move into the upside of the cycle,” Court stated. He said particularly across the larger, diversified miners which have a choice about where money is spent there are “a lot more internal battles for that capital” and increased “pressure from the market place about whether that capital gets returned to investors rather than invested in future operations”. “That’s been very healthy; what it’s started to drive is great decisions about where capital should be deployed for the greatest benefit of the business,” he said. In some cases that fight for capital is translating to automation investment. 10

November 2013

AustralianMining

Automation is making an impact on every facet of the mine. Alex Heber reports.

Building capability

Court said miners aren’t automating for automation’s sake, instead the majority are looking at the return on investment. “There’s a longer, harder look at what the business case is and what the value associated with it looks like,” he said. Court urged the mining sector to look at longer term commodity price trends when determining what their mines should look like, ideally producing more tonnes within the same fixed cost base. “There’s lots more discussion about what is the right cost model for this operation in a brave new world,” he said. Miners are traditionally conservative when it comes to implementing new technology into mining. “It has been an historical issue and has a lot to do with the cyclical nature and the reactionary decisions,” Court said. Bucking this trend, BHP Billiton fast tracked the modernisation of its Pilbara iron ore division, launching its new remote operation centre in Perth earlier this year. The move was an attempt to reduce contractor spending. The centre’s launch added to the

growing trend of mine site automisation and remote control initiatives with mining and logistics work in the Pilbara increasingly being controlled in Perth. Rio Tinto already runs a similar operation out of Perth Airport and Roy Hill Holdings is also developing a remote operation centre for its iron ore mine, port and rail project. Earlier this year BHP said it will focus on automated equipment and new technology as it moves toward “next generation mining”. Court said “leadership needs to own these [automation and remote operating centres] as the new operating model and sponsor it into the business because it changes the way mining is done”. BHP vice president of mine optimisation Gavin Yeates said in March the company was looking to new technology to improve its business. “We are piloting and introducing new technologies in selected assets including integrated remote operating centres, autonomous haulage, autonomous drilling and different ways of evaluating and modelling ore bodies,” he said. “We’re actually at the cusp of moving to what we’re calling ‘Next Generation Mining’. This is driven

by technology advances in autonomy and sensing. That coincides with a drive for growth in far more complex, deeper, lower-grade ore bodies.” Technology consultancy firm Accenture told Australian Mining that the implementation of automation is not playing out how the company expected. “Where we thought it [automation] would go, and where it is going is a little bit different,” the company said.

Remote centres

Now is the time to invest in productivity and technology to reap the benefits when the cycle flips. But Court warns miners need to generate value and have control mechanisms in place to ensure budgets aren’t blown when implementing automation and centralised control initiatives. Spending for the sake of completion is not the right mindset; rather Court said it is much more beneficial to spend with value in mind. He said looking at the value proposition, business case, return on investment and putting metrics in place to hold the business accountContinued on page 12 www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM0713_000_AUS

2013-06-25T12:14:54+10:00

auslec.com.au 4405_K Auslec Minded Australian Mining (Cirrus) - 297x 235 PTH.indd 1

18/06/13 3:19 PM

AM1113_012.pdf

Page

23/10/13,

3:45:28

AUTOMATION & REMOTE CONTROL

the only way that it can be restarted is by an operator who has to go to the truck, check it and manually restart it. “There are new roles that are emerging inside the business around autonomy,” he said. “The value is not a people out proposition; it’s a production, efficiency, safety and most importantly reduced maintenance costs [proposition].”

Continued from page 10

able and measure performance are key. “The value comes from increased production, consistency of production performance and consistency of maintenance,” he said. Court added the challenge with developing control centres is that they require transformational change from the business. “Centralising all of your key decision makers around supply chains and maintenance bases takes some thinking about how you do that and execute, how you pick the right people, where you should centralise, as well as challenges around finding a facility that can be set up appropriately,” he said. “It requires the business to make some big decisions at speed.”

New heads, new ideas

This year has brought with it a changing of the guard at the helm of major miners, with Rio, BHP, and Anglo American among those with new bosses. Court told Australian Mining the new blood has been a good for technology in the sector. A“They M 1 0 1understand 3 _ 0 0 0 _ that C H Adoing mining the same way they’ve done it

Maintaining a plan

Automated and remote control drilling has seen an increase in drilling accuracy.

for the last 20 years is not the way to the challenge for miners is to undercreate a high performing business,” stand that with centralisation the he said. decisions around the mine’s plan sit Court said new management is centrally, not locally. now looking within their respective Lower skilled workers and unions organisations, consultancy firms and have both expressed concern over job non-mining businesses to “provide in- security and safety standards when it novative ideas that they can leverage”. comes to automating mine sites. Employee training is one area “Jobs change on site but they don’t that is currently being shaken up in necessarily go away,” Court said. the mining sector with the rise of on“When you move to an autonoline learning, real time collaborative mous truck there’s no longer a truck approaches and simulated learning. driver there but there still needs to Court explained the future min- be a person around.” 1 ing2 model 0 1 3 -is 0centralised 9 - 0 9 T and 0 9 :allows 2 0 : 4 4 +For 1 0example : 0 0 when a proximity defor increased access to talent but tector is activated the truck will stop,

Having very few unplanned events in a mine “is the dream” which “is not your typical mine at the moment,” Court explained. And thus the age old debate over producing tonnes and maintaining equipment erupts. “Planned maintenance is six times cheaper than unplanned maintenance,” Court claims. When commodity prices were reaching for the skies operations were focused on tonnage, creating a mentality across Australia’s mine sites to mine at any cost. “There was a whole mantra around ‘I don’t care what it costs to move tonnes’ [and] ‘get as much out as you can’,” he said. “In the past miners focused simContinued on page 14

NEXT GENERATION WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY: “Advances that will transform life, business and the global economy” Ubiquitous wireless networks are having an enormous impact in every aspect of our lives. In business, smartphones and tablets connected to cloud based services are transforming productivity. This technology is creating exciting business models and whole new ways of delivering services. Machine-to-Machine communication in specialised applications such as Autonomous Haulage and telemetry has the potential to deliver enormous productivity gains and reduce costs. Challenge Networks has taken the advances in carrier class next generation 4G (LTE) technology and adapted these to the specialised requirements of the mining industry. We can economically scale a solution from a single site covering a small mine operation to site clusters providing coverage to hundreds of square kilometers.

For further information contact us at info@challengenetworks.com.au Challenge Networks Pty Ltd | 34 Duke Street, Abbotsford, VIC 3067, Australia

November 2013

AustralianMining

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_VIC.pdf

Page

25/10/13,

V I C T A U L I C

•

8:38:08

AEDT

M I N I N G

S O L U T I O N S

VICTAULIC

HDPE Pipe Joining System • Easy bolted connection allows for fast installation • Union at every joint allows for decreased downtime during maintenance and system expansion • Reduced weight and easier assembly compared to flanges • Eliminates butt fusing – no special tools required • Unique HDPE-to-grooved or HDPE-to-shouldered steel pipe transition couplings allow for simple incorporation of grooved or shouldered fittings and valves directly into the system. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT VICTAULIC AT: +61 39392 4000 +61 89403 8500 (Callers from WA) 0-508-PIC-VIC (0-508-7425-842) (Callers from New Zealand) vicaust@victaulic.com

www.victaulic.com

CLIENT:

Victaulic

PUBLICATION:

Australian Mining

AM1113_14.pdf

Page

28/10/13,

1:05:21

AUTOMATION & REMOTE CONTROL

Continued from page 12

ply on being the biggest of the lot, but now this has changed; they are focusing on being the best, the most efficient, the most optimised,” Schneider Electric’s solutions vice president for mining, minerals and metals (MMM) Diego Areces told Australian Mining. Court said “the environment is changing” and the “world where there is endless access to capital and costs don’t matter,” is gone. But changing such an engrained culture is a tough feat; Court explains that establishing a control centre is one way to shift mind sets. “It provides one place where you change the dynamic around how decisions are made,” he said. Closely looking at the metrics around performance is another way to implement technological change in mining houses. Control centres allow miners to enhance internal communication because maintenance, production and shift plans are all devised and executed centrally. Consistency is vital for a high performance business, he advised.

Teleremote operations are becoming more prevalant on site.

mass shift to full automation across as many processes as it possibly could,” Court said. He said previously he thought all drill and blast activities would be done by an autonomous drill, all haul trucks would be autonomous, we also thought that we would see an extension into shovels. “That’s not how it’s worked, what we’re seeing is a combination Automation for everyone? of [automation and manual pro“WeAthought when automation apM 1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ S A F . p d cesses],” f P a gCourt e 1said. 2 5 / 1 0 / 1 3 , peared a few years ago we’d see a “Automation works very well in

EDGES NEW

Leading the way in high visibility impact protection, New Safepad Edges are designed to cover protruding or hazardous edges. Made from high quality EVA foam, Safepad products are durable and reduce worksite injuries and costs. Typical uses include cornices, flanges, ducting, braces, stairways and beams.

www.safepad.com.au sales@safepad.com.au (+61) 8 9474 6886

November 2013

AustralianMining

a controlled environment,” like for example pre-stripping where trucks follow the same path all day, Court explained. “Where it has struggled is when it has been a less in control process,” he said. “Where there’s variability, multiple decisions to be made.” Implementing automation is also halted by challenges around establishing technical infrastructure, in 8 : 2including 7 : 0 0 in-pit A M networks, AEDT an environment that is continually changing. “The vast majority of mines are existing mines, so you have to work out which pieces of technology are going to fit,” Court stated. “The people that have invested early understand very well how autonomy is going to be useful to them – where they deploy it and where they don’t.” He stated that when bringing all the pieces together to establish a state-of-the-art mine “the control centre is where the biggest value is right now”. “You’re collecting in one place the plans, decisions made and outcomes associated with that,” Court said. Taking that information to find out why miners aren’t being as efficient as they could be and applying that information to “enhance productivity, reduce your costs and increase your throughput”. “The solutions need to address a problem as opposed to playing with technology for technology’s sake,” he said.

Ideas fund

Great ideas are ones that add value to a business. Court said the mining sector needs to invest in great ideas, because

they can potentially save companies millions. “We’re certainly seeing signs of it; large diversifieds are looking at technology as a way to lever value moving forwards,” he said. “We’re seeing automation being executed, tested, trialled and some of those businesses trying to work out where it will work for them and where it won’t.” Along with Rio and BHP, Brazilian mining giant Vale has also flagged a focus on new technology. Last year news emerged Vale was working on removing trucks from its largest iron ore mine, Carajas Serra Sul S11D. The company also released details about a project using ‘copper eating’ bacteria to mine mineral waste. Gold miner AngloGold Ashanti is piloting a new automated drill and blast project which purports to stop all blasting activities and creates unmanned stopes at its Tau Tona mine located in South Africa, west of Johannesburg. Launched in 2010, the automated technology isn’t an entirely new invention, but rather it utilises advances around drilling and backfilling processes in an innovative way, unlocking about 100 million ounces of gold that couldn’t be mined conventionally. AngloGold said for real value to be achieved the challenge now is to amalgamate all the activities into a consolidated system. Almost three years on the program is showing promise and is expected to allow the company to realign its focus on revenue whilst keeping the site open year-round. Already the pace of tunnel boring has increased almost seven fold, from three metres a day to 20 metres and the advancements are designed to eradicate the need to leave large pillar areas unmined in order to assure safety. Although the automated operations have not been without its critics, AngloGold chief executive Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan (Venkat) explained. “A number of people were sceptical about the ability of technology to improve the long-term viability of the South African mines and we have started to prove them wrong,” he said. O’Neil added that the new technology is also well suited for platinum mining operations and the company will be looking at implementing it across a number of additional sites. “We’re able to get a good tonnage of gold from the areas where we are using the new technology and we’re currently expanding the technology to other areas within the South African mines,” Venkat said. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM0813_000_CAM

2013-07-30T16:37:04+10:00

Stockpile Feeder Dust

Excavation Site

Conveyor Transfer Point

Ball Mills

Looks Like a Safe Because It’s Crushing & Screening

Tertiary Crushing

Primary Crushing

Underground Mining Mill Conveyor Transfer Points Excavation Sites

Coal Mining Dust Processing Hammer Mills Ball Mills Coarse Ore Storage Bin Vents Rock Crushing Bin Venting of Quarry Storage And More!

Course Ore Conveyor

Fine Ore Bin Vent

Miners, the Camfil APC Farr Gold Series

is the most rugged, reliable, easy to maintain dust collector on the market—GUARANTEED! ®

Ask us how we can help you lower emissions for increased production.

02-9648-5800

apcinfo@camfil.com.au

Follow. Connect. Watch. Learn.

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL

www.camfilapc.com/ www.camfilapc.com/aus-mining

Expert Discusses Dust Collection for Mining

AM1113_016.pdf

Page

23/10/13,

4:58:39

SAFETY

Ensuring state

MINE SAFETY The Queensland Government is aiming to improve the effectiveness of its mine safety and health regime.

eleasing the Queensland Mine Safety Framework Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) in September, which outlines options to amend the legislation, Natural Resources and Mines Minister Andrew Cripps said safety is the government’s top priority for the sector. “Ensuring Queensland mine workers return home safely after each shift is of paramount importance to the Newman Government and to my Department,” Cripps said. Recognising no system is perfect, Cripps said the proposal will make mine sites even safer. “It’s time that Queensland’s mining community looked at the legislation we now have, understand where we’veA M come 1 0 1from, 3 _ 0 and 0 0 _determine CON whether we have the best system to

protect Queensland mineworkers,” he said. The list of changes includes ramping up the number of coal industry safety and health representatives from three to four, clarifying the role of such representatives, and requiring all operations to have a single safety and health management system that covers both company employees and contractors. The framework also includes changes that would see key safety positions at mine sites to become statutory roles with a Board of Examiners competency certificate required. Cripps said increasing the number of health and safety representatives 1 2will 0 1“clarify 3 - 0 9the - 1important 2 T 1 5 :role 2 4 : sentatives 3 3 + 1 0 play : 0 0in the mining industhat union safety and health repre- try”. Improving stone dusting and water barrier requirements for underground coal operations to further minimise the risk of fire or exControl plosion has been also included in the Components list of changes. Level Control The Queensland framework is suggesting standardising the management of fatigue, drugs, alcohol and fitness for work across both the quarry and coal sector. Ten people have died on Queensland coal mines over the last 10 years, and 20 have been killed in metal mining operations. The higher representation of contractors being fatally injured or involved in accidents on mine sites is said to be a driving factor behind many of the safety changes. TRIMOD BESTA LEVEL SWITCHES Cripps said he was pleased the IECEx Hazardous versions: proposals addressing the safety of increasing numbers of contract works Ex ia Intrinsically Safe Group II Zone 0/1 ers in Queensland mines. s Ex ed Flameproof enclosure Group II Zone 0 “Recent data suggests contracs PTB Certified, Function Tested pneumatic tors are more likely to be injured on our mine sites, sometimes fatally, s 3 module concept – which is why these proposals will endless configurations for top or side mounting clarify that everyone, contractor or s Industrial / Mining / Petrochemical / Marine mine employee, is required to operate under a single safety and health TAKE CONTROL management system on site,” he said. The Regulatory Impact StateCCEZY.COM.AU ment was developed following con02 9542 8977 sideration of 28 submissions received

BESTA safe

than sorry

Explosion Proof Level Switches with SIL2 Certification

November 2013

AustralianMining

in response to a 2012 consultation paper circulated to the mining industry about the review of Queensland’s mine safety and health laws. Miners will have the opportunity to have their say about the proposed reforms with a number of forums being run across the state. Mount Isa mine managers met with Queensland Commissioner for Mine Safety and Health Stewart Bell and the former chief inspector of coal mines Gavin Taylor last month to discuss the proposed legislation changes. Cripps said the State Government is working cooperatively with the unions and resource companies to improve mine site safety. But the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) says it has serious concerns about the changes. CFMEU spokesperson Stephen Smyth said the proposed changes could see safety standards slide, the ABC reports. He said the union is concerned about a proposal which could stop health and safety representatives being able to issue directives about unsafe operations. Under the new rules, representatives can only close a dangerous operation if they were present on that particular site. They will have to notify management. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_QUE

2013-10-14T16:23:54+11:00

Wherever business takes you

We’re there - in over 150 locations across Australasia At Quest, we’ve built a nationwide network of serviced apartments to provide business travellers of all kinds with exceptional accommodation, that’s located wherever you need to be.

Visit questapartments.com.au or call 1800 334 033

Your perfect travel companion

AM1113_018.pdf

Page

23/10/13,

5:09:11

SAFETY

Safety on site Protecting workers on the mine.

A M0 5 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ S P I . p d f Pa ge 1 1 5 / 0 4 / 1 3 , The safety shower incorporates solar panels to provide almost indefinite power.

November 2013

AustralianMining

esigned for the roughest, remotest and toughest conditions on the planet, Enware’s Australian made safety showers and eyewash stations are garnering international attention. Launching overseas this month, Enware Australia’s EM850 relocatable self-contained safety shower with inbuilt eye wash station is already a staple on the sites of many resources, engineering and project management companies across Queensland and Western Australia Featuring loading/unloading access for forklift tines or cranes the solar shower uses non-absorbent insulation to insulate its 1350L tank. Enware business development manager-safety, Allan Lane said the unit eliminates the “need for an integrated cooling system”, making it suitable for hot remote installations in places such as Asia, the Middle East and Africa. “Our first overseas system has already been delivered to a mine site operating in Mauritania, West Africa and we are looking forward to building on this initial sale in the near future,” he said. “The first showing of the 9 : 4 4 : 3EM850, 1 A Malong A Ewith S T that of the

broader range of Enware safety systems at recent trade events in the Middle East, generated a very positive response.” The EM850 incorporates a water storage capacity to operate both emergency shower and eyewash to international safety standards conforming to both ANSI Z 358.1 2009 and AS4775-2007 Standards. Designed for service with mining, oil and gas, defence and heavy industry applications where services are limited, or non-existent, the EM850 is ideal as it requires no mains power or plumbing connection. The EM850 incorporates 40W solar panels with maintenance free durable batteries as well as dedicated shower and eye wash pumps. The full stainless steel enclosure also maximises lifespan and failsafe operation in harsh environments even in ambient temperatures exceeding 45°C. The system offers immediate response to situations where serious injury can occur if eye and skin accidents are not treated within seconds. The inbuilt LED display shows water level, battery power and water temperature while the self-monitoring alert system is visible from a distance.

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_ELT.pdf

Page

24/10/13,

10:25:23

AEDT

ARE YOU MAKING THE MOST OF FREE RENEWABLE ENERGY

TO POWER YOUR MINE SITE?

ELTEK SOLAR HYBRID POWER SYSTEM

UP TO 80% OPEX REDUCTION

SITE CONTROLLER HE RECTIFIER SOLAR CHARGER WIND CONVERTER

Traditionally, operators use AC generator sets to provide either the primary or supplemental site power needs, because they are relatively inexpensive and easy to install. However, gen-sets typically run on diesel fuel, making them expensive to run over the long-term. They can also be noisy and harmful to the environment (CO2 emissions). With the growing focus on reducing operational expenditures

Up to 96.5% Conversion Efficiency Reduced Service Requirements Remote Monitoring & Control Fully Integrated & Modular Reduced C02 Emissions

(OPEX) and being more environmentally responsible, operators have started turning to more cost-effective and clean alternative energy solutions. Solar and wind power have been a renewable source of clean and free energy for millenia, and with current innovations in power conversion and battery technologies we are finally able to properly harness this energy for mining applications.

Explore Our Hybrid Solutions @ www.eltek.com

Tel: 02 9479 4200

Eltek’s patented HE technology will allow you to maximise the energy harvest from your solar panels, wind turbines and gensets so that every ray of sun, every gust of wind and drop of diesel isn’t wasted. As a world leader in the power conversion industry for the last 40 years, we strive to help you increase your ROI by minising energy wastage and increasing your site’s uptime.

Email: ausales@eltek.com

AM1113_020.pdf

Page

29/10/13,

10:13:21

WEAR & LUBRICATION

Choosing the right for your operation

GREASE

How do you decide what is the right lubrication for your operation? Amin Almasi explains.

good starting point for any grease lubrication application is to select the right

grease. Too often, the grease selection is oversimplified and the key properties overlooked. The grease selection is actually more complicated than the lubricating oil selection. The selection of the correct grease type for a machine using grease-lubricated bearings is one of the important factors for troublefree operation. Proper grease specification requires all of the components and details (usually a long list of specifications) such as the base oil details: base oil viscosity, base oil type; additive requirements; thickener type; and concentration, consistency, dropping point, and operating temperature range. Many operators give consideration to grease quality, where they are not sure the right grease is selected. More attention is required for the grease selection. ANot M 1 1all1 greases 3 _ 0 0 are 0 _ compatible AL E 1

November 2013

AustralianMining

with one another, even those with the same thickener type. Therefore, it is important to use the same grease or compatible substitute throughout the life of a machine. Approximately 65 per cent of the grease sold worldwide is based on either simple lithium soap or lithium complex thickener. Greases based on lithium soap usually possess many advantages compared to the other alkali metal soaps. For example, they usually have better water resistance properties compared to sodium soap greases, better high-temperature properties compared to calcium soap greases, and excellent mechanical properties. Lithium complex greases possess many of the properties of simple lithium soap greases and also have higher dropping points, allowing the greases to be used at higher temperatures. The dropping point of lithium complex greases is usually 250째C or more which is higher compared to 2 0 1 3 - 1 0 Continued - 2 9 T 0on 9 page : 5 422: 4 1 + 1 1 : 0 0

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AD_AMBACMAR_12.pdf

Page

17/02/12,

11:53

ASKNOW FORTHELATEST BACCATALOGUES ANDOURFREE PLANNI NG SERVI CE

BACMODULARWORKPLACEANDSTORAGESYSTEMS 193-195PowerSt r eet Gl endenni ngNSW 2761

T el :( 02)98322777 Fax :( 02)96753645

AM1113_022.pdf

Page

23/10/13,

5:25:26

WEAR & LUBRICATION

Continued from page 20

sue that always should be respected. This thickener is incompatible with most other thickeners. Even one brand of polyurea should not be mixed with another.

any grease exposed to prolonged vibration or centrifugal forces is also known to separate prematurely.

simple lithium soap greases (dropping point around 200°C) because Grease application of the presence of a second thickenGrease can be applied through cener component, known as the “comGrease for machinery tralised application systems, single plexing” agent. All lithium greases have good re- Vibration, time and temperature point automatic application syssistance to breakdown due to shear changes can lead to leaching of criti- tems, hand packing and a manual (good resistance to shear). This cal oil components from the grease grease gun. It is difficult to note a general property makes both simple lithium thickener, leaving a dry soap. Proper selection and correct ap- rule for the selection between the and lithium complex greases popular for use in a wide range of appli- plication of grease are both impor- continuous grease application systant. A critical characteristic is the tems and the manual grease gun. cations. A compelling argument may be Many operators prefer lithium viscosity of the base oil. At sufficomplex greases as general-purpose ciently high temperatures, the oil of made for the superiority of continulubricants. This is a good approach, grease can boil out of the thickener ous application systems for some applications. However, for some since lithium complex greases can be matrix. Accidental mixing of grease can other machinery, these continuous used in a wide range of applications and over a wide range of tempera- lead to accelerated de-gelling and application systems cannot be propoil separation. There are many ex- erly applied or fitted. tures. There are usually some practical However, for specific applica- amples of the accidental mixing, intions, simple lithium soap greases are cluding the clashing of organic clay or operational issues associated with grease with soap-thickened grease. continuous application systems. For often the most economical choice. Too much grease in a bearing, this reason, the manual grease gun Polyurea grease is popular with many bearings particular for the punishing mechanical conditions is commonly used. One requirement (high loads, misalignment, and oth- of the manual application is that electric machines. A significant percentage of ers), and starvation can lead to high the technician should normally be in close proximity to the lubricated equipment manufacturers specify running temperatures. A well-known issue is the “over- component. This allows for inspecsome type of polyurea grease in their tions to be made in conjunction machinery (particularly electric mo- greasing”. In such cases, the dropping point with the re-lubrication activity. The tor drivers). Polyurea-based grease is an ex- is reached, the bearing begins to grease line extensions (for bearings) cellent A M 1 choice 1 1 3 _for 0 0 machinery 0 _ R H I and 1 bleed, 2 0 the 1 3 grease - 1 0 -runs 1 5dry T 1and 4 : even3 2 : 0 often 2 + 1carry 1 : 0more 0 than a few shots of electric motors, but there is an is- tually failure occurs. In addition, grease.

November 2013

AustralianMining

Over-greasing can be a serious issue in any machinery. If the grease cavity is overfilled and high pressure from the grease gun is applied, the excess grease can find its way between the shaft and the inner bearing cap and press its way into the inside of the machine. Too much volume of grease will cause the bearing elements to churn the grease, trying to push it out of the way, resulting in parasitic energy losses and high operating temperatures, which in turn increase the risk of bearing failure. The grease leakage outside of the bearing has been reported for both open bearings and shielded bearings. There are several possible causes of grease starvation. The first is insufficient grease being added during installation. The second is inappropriate, elongated re-lubrication intervals. The third possibility is that the oil has been removed from the grease thickener base by excessive heat. The verification of the bearings and proper greasing procedure is an important step for grease lubrication application. The type of bearings installed in a machine should be correctly verified before the grease application.

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM0513_000_ASD

2013-04-18T10:53:39+10:00

australian owned

AM1113_024.pdf

Page

25/10/13,

7:47:37

DRILL, BLAST & GEOMECHANICS

Narrow vein, MORE OPTIONS The release of a new narrow vein drill rig is opening up mining.

he future of mining mines, and features safety is not just automa- upgrades and more autotion, it’s also opening mated processes for greater up new areas that manned efficiency. mining simply could never Johannes Valivaara, the before reach. product manager for underNarrow vein mining has ground development drills been touted by many as the at Sandvik explained that future for mining, particu- the drill has been primarily larly in Africa, although it is developed for the American unlikely to become a major and CIS markets, although component of the Austral- it does have the same safety ian hard rock mining indus- features as the rest of the try in the near future. company’s drills. Speaking to contractors Valivaara stated that “a at a recent mining event, major feature of this new rig they told Australian Mining is the electro-hydraulic conthat as mines get deeper and trols, which are designed to porates a CFX 6/12 tele- ing fast tramming (of up to more expensive and higher enable more accurate drill- scopic feed, and is designed 7 kilometres per hour) and grades are harder to come ing performance in a wide for applications where ex- precise steering functions,” by many miners will turn to range of rock conditions”. tremely high levels of ma- Valivaara said. narrow vein mining to cut It uses a single SB20 noeuvrability are required “At the same time, its costs and operate more effi- boom THC651 electro- when drilling up-holes and turning radius has been reciently as tunnels no longer hydraulic control that in- cross cuts in the smaller, duced to just 2.5 metres, have to be as large. corporates constant speed compact space environ- enabling the rig to negotiate Seeing this trend as be- drilling controls, stop and ments underground. tight curves,” which it did coming more globally wide- return automatics, and airSeeing the DD211 dur- during the test showing, takspread in the future, Sandvik mist flushing with rock drill ing a trial at Sandvik’s test ing a tight 90 degree turn in have released a new under- return. mine, the machine was front of a large crowd. ground narrow vein developThe boom provides a able to take extremely tight During the event Austrament drill. maximum coverage of up to turns at a fairly moderate lian Mining was told that it According to the com- 26 square metres. pace. operates at a higher frequenpany, the DD211 has been The DD211 can also “The carrier has been cy, and is 30 per cent faster designed for narrow vein be fitted with the new SB- designed for 2.5 metres by than the previous model. A D _ A M GinL O FEB _ 1 3 20NV . p d fboom, Pa g e 1incor3 0 / 2.5 0 1 /metres 1 3 , tunnels, 1 1 : 3provid6 AM applications hard rock which “While it is smaller, with

the new rock drill it will have a greater impact,” Australian Mining was told. The drill has a ROPS and FOPS compliant hydraulically operated canopy as well as upgraded braking systems, automatic fire suppression and indicator lights for both front and rear jacks. “Operator comfort has also been improved through the use of a more ergonomically designed seat, including the ability to turn the seat for drilling, and low effort joystick controls.”

Specialists in: ❍ AC/DC Motor & Generator Rewinds (High & Low Voltage) ❍ Submersible Pumps ❍ Transformers

❍ ❍ ❍ ❍

Electromagnets Industrial Installations Preventative Maintenance Rail Equipment Repairs

❍ Repairs to All Types of Welding Machines Including Diesel Welders ❍ Suppliers and Service Agents for Weg Electric Motors and Grundfos Pumps

Servicing the rail and mining industry for over 30 years

64 Miguel Road, Bibra Lake WA 6163 admin@globalrewinds.com.au www.globalrewinds.com.au Ph: (08) 9434 6655 Fax: (08) 9434 9955

November 2013

AustralianMining

ECL No. EC003345 www.miningaustralia.com.au

Page

25/10/13,

7:45:21

WE WE WE

AM1113_000_ACT.pdf

AEDT

DRILL. BLAST. DELIVER.

Delivering drill and blast projects on time, on budget and safely is what we do. As Australia’s fastest growing drill and blast contractor, we make it easy for you. ‣ The latest technology drill rigs and blast equipment ‣ 24/7 experienced personnel

BRANDONE2073

Friendly and professional, talk to one of our team today.

actiondb.com.au

AM1113_026.pdf

Page

23/10/13,

5:35:27

DRILL, BLAST & GEOMECHANICS

Removing blasting risks A contractor’s ANFO hopper innovation is taking some of the risk out of mine development.

s much as miners would like to operate on an even surface, the simple nature of the site rarely allows it. Contours and slopes build an undulating and uneven surface for miners to work on. This means that during mine construction and operation these contours and slopes need to be developed and blasted. However this comes with potential dangers. The ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) needed for blasting is delivered to the hole by the way of MPU either traversing less than optimum slopes to auger directly into the hole or via a large crew of personnel carrying the ANFO in buckets to complete the process. Historically one of the major risks Aassociated developM 1 0 1 3 with _ 0 0mine 0 _ P RI ment for drill and blast contractors

has been working safely on these contours, according to Action Drill & Blast. “Whilst issues surrounding drilling on contours had been addressed there remained a significant manual handling hazard to personnel due to the requirement for shot crew to physically walk the contours to prime, load, stem, and tie-in the shot,” the contractor explained. “The manual handling issues associated with these exercises can be enormous and presents one of the most frequent hazards for causing injury of any activity on a mine site.” In recognising this ever present danger on site Action Drill & Blast examined a number of questions, namely: How can we best protect our shot crew in carrying out their day 1 to 2 day 0 1 duties; 3 - 0 9how - 1 can 8 T we 0 9deliv: 5 9 er bulk explosives to the hole safely

SET TING THE STANDARDS WITH INNOVATIVE SAFE NS STORAGE SOLUTIO EFFECTIVE COMPLIANCE FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY

It removes the risk of manual handling and provides more accurate blast hole logging.

and efficiency; how can we eliminate, as far as is practical, the use of 20 litre buckets to carry ammonium nitrate fuel oil onto contours; and how can we record charge weight per hole throughout this process to better comply with increasingly onerous legislative requirements. Contractors can limit the loads : the 1 8crews + 1 0carry : 0 0to reduce the weight factor, but in doing so they increase the number of foot trips across the site, in turn increasing the potential for injury. While pumping bulk explosives can be delivered by a 40 metre hose, resolving some of the issues, the hose length and availability preclude its use in many situations. To overcome these inherent issues the company, in conjunction with International Explosives Equipment and the WA Department of

Minerals and Petroleum, has developed a hopper to carry bulk ANFO onto contours. It created two models, one up to 1.8 tonnes, which have an IT hitch and quick release couplings to allow discharge capacity on either side of the loader for differing slope conditions, a dual control capacity from the cab of the IT and the discharge point on the ground, and a variable delivery speed of up to 100 kilograms per minute. In doing so Action Drill & Blast says it has reduced the risk of the physical labour of manually loading ANFO as well as the risk of injury. It has also allowed it to reduce the number of shot crew required. Additionally, an inbuilt discharge meter enables more accurate recording of explosives used on a hole by hole basis.

'.1%#6#$.' $7.- 5614'5 #('6; %#$+0'65 #5 %;.+0&'4 5614'5 7$' 56#6+105 70&+0) #66'4; 5614#)' 7561/ &'5+)0 61 57+6 7561/ &'5+)0 61 57+6 ;174 5+67#6+10 DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN AUSTRALIA 1300 134 223 1300 307 895 5#.'5u5614'/#56#T%1/T#7 999T5614'/#56#T%1/T#7 protecting the

Prior to its development workers had to haul 20kg ANFO buckets.

November 2013

AustralianMining

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_ADV

2013-10-09T14:19:03+11:00

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF

AXXIS

™

WƚǇ >ƚĚ͘

AM1113_028.pdf

Page

24/10/13,

7:43:25

DRILL, BLAST & GEOMECHANICS

Breathing new life into cable-bolts New waterjet drilling is making cable bolting more efficient.

able-bolt or long tendon installation methods for underground roof support can prove to require significant manual handling, be highly unproductive and result in major bottlenecks when developing an underground mine. CRCMining’s new waterjet drilling tool is capable of rapidly drilling holes larger than eight meters while meeting to cable-bolt hole requirements, improving operational productivity. “The required manual handling of drill rods during the drilling process presents a hazard to cable bolting operators, as well as exposing them to unsupported rock mass,” CRCMining’s underground coal proThe tool is capable of rapidly drilling holes larger than 8 metres. gram leader, Scott Adam said. “An urgent need exists for an improved technique for mounted used for drilling cable-bolt holes in diameter control, straight trajectory) cable bolt drilling and installation underground coal mines. for cable bolt installation can be systems, to increase both safety and Using a variety of drilling ap- drilled in sandstone at appropriate productivity.” paratus to assess the functional re- drilling speeds. Teaming up with ACARP, CRC- quirements for cable bolt drilling, the “The waterjet drilling technolMining is investigating the potential investigation has successfully demonogy deploys A M1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ N O R 1 2 0 1 3 - 0 8 - 1 6 T0 9 : 3 4 : 2 5 + 1 0 : 0 0a high-pressure water for its waterjet technology to be strated that good quality holes (tight jet cutting head attached at the end

> CHARMEC M/L-SERIES

of a high-pressure hose for rapid and continuous drilling of holes of varying length, without the need for manual adding or removing of drill rods as part of the cable bolt installation process,” Adam said. Adam explained that applying the technology in underground mining will increase productivity of the cable-bolt installation process, eliminating manual drill rod handling which in turn also reduces operator risks. “The technology will also provide step improvements in Underground Roadway Development productivity,” he said. “In addition, there is strong potential for combining the waterjet technology with cable-bolt installation and eventually automating the entire installation process.” A subsequent development program is currently being proposed to engineer the capabilities demonstrated during the investigative project into a single prototype tool and deployment system.

Chargers designed around the needs of the industry

www.coray.com

> Several configurations for ANFO and local emulsion conversion > Tried and proven charge truck design (large Australian fleet) > Open or enclosed air-conditioned FOPS / ROPS cabs > Extra low profile version available (2 700 mm std / 2400mm low) > Inquire about units in stock Australia

Tell us your needs! Normet Asia-Pacific Pty Ltd • 16d Ashwin Parade • Torrensville, Adelaide SA 5031 (PO Box 772Tell Torrensville Plaza needs! SA 5031) • Australia • T +61 (0)8 8152 7700 • F +61 (0)8 8152 0667 us your 2 / 162 Duchess Road • Mt Isa Qld 4825 • Australia • T +61 (0)7 4749 5277 • F +61 (0)7 4749 5288 Normet Asia-Pacific Pty Ltd • 16d Ashwin Parade • Torrensville, Adelaide SA 5031 (PO Box 772 Torrensville • Australia • T +61 (0)8 8152 7700 • F +61 (0)8 8152 0667 12 Kathleen Street Welshpool, Perth WA 6106 (PO Box 591 Belmont WA 6984) • Australia • T +61 (0)8 9470 Plaza 2500 SA • F 5031) +61 (0)8 9470 2555 42 Old Mica Creek Road • Mt.Baar Isa QLD 4825 • Australia • T +61 (0)7 • F +61 (0)7 5288 Normet International Ltd • Neuhofstrasse 3D • CH-6340 • Switzerland • T +41 (0)41 768 52 4749 00 • F5277 +41 (0)41 768 52 4749 11 13 Ferguson Street • Kewdale WA 6105 (PO Box 592, Belmont WA 6984) • Australia • T +61 (0)8 9470 2500 • F +61 (0)8 9470 2555 Normet Oy • Ahmolantie 6 • FI-74510 Iisalmi • Finland • T +358 (0)17 83241 • F +358 (0)17 823 606 adelaide@normet.com • www.normet.com info@normet.fi • www.normet.fi

28NOR_13_normet_Ad_Product_charmec_w210xh122_e.indd November 2013 AustralianMining

www.miningaustralia.com.au 07.08.13 08:59

AD_AMPIRJAN_13.pdf

Page

29/11/12,

2:25

Pirtek and Mining... the Perfect Partnership! All Products and Services exceed MDG41 requirements Mining dedicated Service and Supply Centres with pressure testing facilities Specialists in Open Cut and Underground applications for all soft and hard rock mining All Service and Supply Centres ISO9001:2008 accredited

RTO Registered by ASQA Project Management for machine overhauls and hose refurbishment NATA certified hose testing facility Experience across all OEM mining equipment manufacturers National fleet of mining specific mobile service units

Servicing your mining needs anywhere... anytime 24 Hours - 7 Days

AM1113_030.pdf

Page

25/10/13,

7:52:21

OIL & GAS

The new GAS BOON Queensland gas is firing up contractors. Vicky Validakis writes.

A M1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ F L I

2 0 1 3 - 1 0 - 1 4 T1 6 : 2 2 : 4 4 + 1 1 : 0 0

Make GAS visible! FLIR GF-Series Thermal imaging cameras for gas detection and industrial applications Conventional leak detection equipment such as a Volatile Organic Compound meters (or sniffers) mean that the operator must visit and test each potential leak site. Using a FLIR GF-Series thermal imaging camera you get a complete picture and can immediately exclude areas that do not need any action. This means you can achieve enormous savings in terms of time and personnel. Another advantage is that systems do not have to be shut down during the inspection. Depending on the model, a wide variety of gas can be detected. All FLIR GF-Series thermal imaging cameras are dual-use systems. They not only allow the user to detect gases, they can also be used for industrial maintenance inspections.

www.flir.com FLIR Systems Pty Ltd. VIC: 03 9550 2800 NSW: 02 8853 7870 WA: 08 6263 4438 Free Call AU: 1300 729 987 NZ: 0800 785 492 Email: info@flir.com.au Disclaimer: Images for illustrative purposes only. The images displayed may not be representative of the actual resolution of the camera shown. ISO No. FLIR20870

November 2013

AustralianMining

Captured gas leak

Electrical inspection

Gas leak

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_031.pdf

Page

25/10/13,

7:53:47

OIL & GAS

DS Limited is bucking the downward trend that has hit many contracting companies of late by diversifying its business model to cater for the massive work needed in Queensland‘s gas sector, and helping mining companies stay afloat during the downturn in coal. The company, which first listed on the ASX in 2006, employs around 530 in its energy side of the business and 350 people work in its mining division, says with a mass of work in the pipeline, the only way is up for this relatively small, but highly specialised business.

Energy Division

WDS managing director Terry Chapman says his company is an “important cog in the wheel” for companies vying to develop LNG projects in Queensland. “The business has for a long time been a pipeline business and been involved in gas and petroleum and as the CSG industry developed, the gathering works was a natural progression for us,” Chapman told Australian Mining. And with the company’s work in the sector growing, so is its energy division. Posting FY13 results in August, the company said two new contracts in the first half of the year worth over $300 million in revenue had cemented WDS as a serious player in the energy sector. WDS saw 40.2 per cent growth in revenue to $233.87 million last financial year, delivering a 167.6 per cent uplift in profit before tax to $15.68 million. It is a principal contractor for Santos’ GLNG project and will carry out field installation of appraisal gathering systems for the connection of CSG wells in the Surat Basin gas fields. The Company has recently announced that it has secured contract work worth a total value of $50 million for delivery in the current financial year. The company said the scope of work is multi-faceted and includes civil, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation aspects of the management and construction of field work and trunk pipelines and CSG wellhead connections. WDS is also working to get the APLNG plant ready for action. “On APLNG we’re doing all of the work associated with gas gathering works for 345 wells, so we’re installing all the lease equipment, we’re clearing the rights of way where all the pipelines will run, and installing all the pipes and power cables, and we have a large crew of men and women working hard on this at the www.miningaustralia.com.au

moment,” Chapman explained. The APLNG contract will run for three years, with an option to extend for a further two by two year options. Chapman said the opportunities seen in Queensland’s energy sector would continue for many years to come. “The large liquefication facilities on Curtis Island represent a major investment and once they’re built, they’re built; they need to be fed with gas for the next 20 plus years,” he said. Chapman explained that as wells only having a finite number of years of gas production, the scope for his company to help in the appraisal and delivery of wells would keep WDS very busy. “When you develop a field, it has a finite life, so a well lasts let’s say 5-7 years, and 70% of the gas comes out in the first 5 years,” Chapman explained. “If a well gets gas for seven years and there’s not much gas coming out and you need another well, another seven years, and then another one.” “So for that 20 years life of that facility on Curtis Island you need to drill a number of wells and you have to keep developing the fields.” The company also have contracts with QGC and Thiess for fabrication equipment supply and also supply Arrow Energy with well head skid fabrication. Chapman said the success of the diversification of the business from pipeline-focused to successfully providing the full range of works gas companies need has ensured the success of WDS. “The projected capital expenditure requirements for the CSG sector of the next three years are significant,” he said. Over the next 20 years, Chapman said he expects companies to spend in excess of $1 billion per annum; a figure any company working in the burgeoning energy sector is keen to take advantage of. “WDS is extremely well positioned to participate in the continued development of this expanding industry. “The energy division’s result was underpinned by a number of factors including the successful mobilisation of the APLNG project, strong organic growth across a number of CSG projects, and an improvement in delivery performance and equipment utilisation,” Chapman said. Chapman said while there was some controversy surrounding the CSG industry in Queensland, WDS was committed to working with the community to minimise impacts.

cent drop in revenue to $118.67 million. The company cut costs by way of redundancies, closing its Mackay workshop, while numbers employed in the mining division fell by 49 per cent to 371. Chapman said the coal sector is sorting out issues with profitability. “Our clients need to be making profit and the industry needs to get some profitability back.” “When the slowdown came, everyone looked to cut costs and so non-essential work has been deferred, a lot of development work has been suspended, and they’ve changed staffing rosters to try and optimise their production,” Chapman. However, Chapman said WDS has maintained a good relationship with its clients, working closely with them on equipment, roster and workforce optimisation in order to maintain high levels of productivity. As a result, WDS was recently awarded a contract for surface to inseam directional and vertical drilling for gas drainage and associated services at Vale’s Carborough Downs coal mine in the Bowen Basin. Coal Division The contract includes works for The WDS mining division had a drill pad preparation, vertical protougher A M 0 year, 7 1 3 with _ 0 0the 0 _downturn B O G - in 1 duction 2 0 1 3wells, - 0 6 surface - 1 8 T to 0 9in-seam : 0 7 : 1 2 + 1 0 : 0 0 the coal sector causing a 38.5 per weels and wire-line logging.

“We always need to do these things sensitive to the environment and sensitive to people’s properties,” he said. “The last thing we want to do is cause any negative impact in the local communities.” Chapman said with the energy sector in Queensland taking off, the industry in NSW was seen to be lagging, adding that the economic benefits were clear. “I see the number of people being employed, the amount of money being spent on local services, and the tax being paid and it’s clear you can generate real wealth in the local communities, particularly in rural NSW in areas like up around Narrabri where it’s fairly sparse and spread out,” Chapman explained. However, the company is not expecting any revenue in its CSG business to come out of the state in the next financial year but hopes discussions with industry leaders and communities would help to iron out any issues. “If we could as a community come together to find a way meet everyone’s requirements I think there are a whole lot of benefits to be had.”

est f erman ngineering

FOR YOUR NEAREST DEALER VISIT www.boge.net.au OR CONTACT 03 5940 3266 AustralianMining

November 2013

AM1113_032.pdf

Page

24/10/13,

7:50:20

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

Australian Mining’s 10th Annual

PROSPECT AWARDS Celebrating a decade of the industry’s best and brightest.

his year Australian Mining celebrates a decade of recognising and rewarding excellence and innovation in the mining industry. In reaching this milestone the publication is heartened to have seen the industry go through a number of supercycles and global troughs, managing to make it out through to the next side, and in the process drag the Australian economy with it at the same time to a better position internationally. Yet, to say that this has been a difficult year is an understatement. Mass lay offs, commodity price drops, mines not get-

ting approved, cost cutting, the continual shrinking of exploration budgets, and a change of government have all rocked the industry. In the 12 months since our last Australian Mining Prospect Awards the situation remains almost as grim as it did back then. Yet, we are starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Commodity prices have started picking up and stabilising, and the job cuts have slowed as miners are operating more efficiently and smarter. Miners are prevailing. And that’s why we every year Australian Mining takes the time to recognise, reward,

A M1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ Q U I

November 2013

AustralianMining

and celebrate those who are operating more efficiently, who have gone that extra mile, who have developed that new piece of equipment or technique that is making mining that much easier. It is people like these finalists highlighted in the following pages, as well as the many others who entered our awards, who are demonstrating what an innovative and forward thinking industry mining really is. This year, despite the doom and gloom pervading the industry, it has still seen a high number of entries into the awards, with more than 100 nominations across 13 different categories.

As usual the Innovative Mining Solution award was the most heavily entered, followed closely by Excellence in Mine OH&S. Young Achiever and Mining’s Woman of the Year both saw fierce competition, while Manager of the Year has one of the highest numbers of nominations it has seen for some time. Understandably Explor-

er of the Year has shrunk due to the industry wide cuts in exploration taking place, however Contractor of the Year has seen heavy nomination. So instead of worrying about the current state of the industry – who is shrinking, growing or suffering, let’s focus on those that are making a difference on site and off, every single day.

2 0 1 3 - 1 0 - 0 9 T1 4 : 2 0 : 1 4 + 1 1 : 0 0

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AMXXXX_AD_FINAL_log.pdf

Page 1

29/10/13,

3:19

The 10th annual

AUSTRALIAN MINING

PROSPECT AWARDS Australian Mine of the Year Ã Community Interaction Ã Contract Miner of the Year Ã Contribution to Mining Ã Hard Rock Mine of the Year Ã Coal Mine of the Year Ã Excellence in Environmental Management Ã

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Excellence in Mine Safety, OH&S Ã Explorer of the Year Ã Manager of the Year Ã Minerals Processing of the Year Ã Mining’s Woman of the Year Ã Innovative Mining Solution Ã Peoples’ Choice Award Ã Young Achiever of the Year Ã

AM1113_034.pdf

Page

16/10/13,

8:19:39

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

COAL MINE OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by SEW-Eurodrive Mangoola mine GlencoreXstrata’s Mangoola mine has been nominated for the Coal Mine of the Year. The mine is a young open cut mine producing up to 10.5M ROM tonnes/ annum of thermal coal for the domestic and export markets. It consists of an open cut mine, a CHPP, and a train load out facility. A continuous 24/7 operation based around a 12 hour shift roster, it employs about 300 people. Environmental management at the mine is considered best practice and with aspects of the operation focused on minimising impacts on the community. It uses a network of real time and continuous air quality and noise monitoring stations complete with alarming and has full coverage of the entire operation, and can visually monitor the site remotely. Some of the key tasks that rely on its integrated environmental systems include the scheduling of overburden blasts around unfavourable weather conditions; allowing truck fleets to tip on high dumps to enable rehabilitation to be completed quickly without creating lagging, exposed dump areas; and ability to use coal dozers at the CHPP more effectively in terms of their productivity linked to operational speed as a result of track noise generated. It has also addressed noise control, with three bulldozers on the product coal stockpiles now adapted with shielding to reduce track ‘slap’ noises.

November 2013

AustralianMining

Clermont mine Rio Tinto’s Clermont mine has been nominated as a finalist for the Coal Mine of the Year award for its innovative use of technology on site and achieving record mining benchmarks. According to Rio Tinto the mine has realised 12Mtpa production levels by using our highly innovative in-pit crushing conveyor (IPCC) technology in combination with an efficient truck and shovel fleet to cheaply move waste and achieve one of the lowest free on board (FOB) costs in Australia. With a record low All Injury Frequency rate and one of the most diverse workforces in Queensland, the Clermont mine has turned the corner from a project to a hugely successful export thermal coal mining operation during the past year. Key to the transformation was the mindset of the people on the ground to overcome bottlenecks by implementing innovative and at times uncomfortable changes, to realise immediate and sustainable profitability. Typical examples of initiatives which have reduced the 2013 site cash costs to half that of 2012 include using chains on rear dump coal trucks to ensure ROM bin feed in wet weather, a direct engagement safety model with the work force, in-housing the electric shovel maintenance, taking MTBF for the truck fleet above 100hrs and utilisation above 70%.

Tahmoor mine For its innovative approach to environmental management and social licence to operate, GlencoreXstrata’s Tahmoor mine has been nominated as a finalist for the Coal Mine of the Year award. In 2012 the Tahmoor Colliery completed construction and commissioning of a sustainable recycled water management system to service the operation, conserving approximately one million litres of fresh drinking water per day, by treating and utilising waste mine water. The project was completed following several years of consultation and design review with several government agencies including the Office of Environment & Heritage (formerly the Department of Environment, Climate Change & Water), the Environment Protection Authority, the NSW Office of Water, and the Office of Hawkesbury Nepean. The project involved the construction of a one megalitre (ML) per day capacity Recycled Water Treatment Plant, and two 250 000 litre concrete water tanks to supply treated water to the underground mine. The plant was constructed at a capital cost of approximately $3.31 million (approximately $2 million of which was provided by the NSW State Government as part of a Water Savings Funding Agreement through the Office of Environment & Heritage).

Moranbah North For a complete turnaround in its performance within the space of 18 months, Anglo American’s Moranbah North mine has been nominated for the Coal Mine of the Year Award. In 2013, the miner recorded a number of significant safety improvements, reached record production rates, and developed best practice longwall performance. According to Anglo American in early May 2013 the Moranbah North reached 125 cutting hours in one week to produce 245 000 tonnes of hard coking coal, the best week of production ever experienced at the mine. It also stated that safety is at an alltime low following last year’s 49.8 per cent improvement in the lost time injury frequency rate. “Moranbah North has gone from strength to strength and is now on track to delivering its most productive and safe year in its 15 year history,” it said. The mine first opened in 200, with longwall operations stating 2000. From this time until the present it had an uneven safety rate that fluctuated from between 4.36 and 11.52; it took action to change its culture and bring new innovations that slashed its injury rate, and in turn saw its CHPP plant achieve six years LTI free. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_SEW

2013-10-14T16:26:37+11:00

Gearmotors \ Heavy Industrial Solutions \ Electronics \ Decentralised Systems \ Services

Proudly sponsoring the 2013 awards

No Matter What You Move: We Drive It As a key supplier to the Australian mining industry, SEW-EURODRIVE believes in quality and efficiency when it comes to drive technology. Supplying a range of industrial gear units, motors and drives for especially large torque requirements, SEW delivers more than just products to heavy industry. A team of talented engineers develop effective and timely solutions based on customers’ drive specifications, which are backed by after-sales commissioning & product support. SEW-EURODRIVE also understands that time is money, so units may be delivered within a matter of weeks from local assembly plants, rather than waiting months for items to be shipped from overseas. SEW-EURODRIVE – Driving Australian Industry

X Series • Robust gear housing • Flexible mounting capability • Worldwide service • Local stock holding and assembly • Thermal housing “Mining Drive” option • Torque range 58-475 kNm

www.sew-eurodrive.com.au 1300 SEW AUS (1300 739 287) to be directed to your nearest office Melbourne (Head Office) I Sydney I Brisbane I Townsville I Perth I Adelaide

sew am 11.13 fap X series NEU.indd 1

10/10/13 9:07 AM

AM1113_036.pdf

Page

16/10/13,

8:16:02

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

HARD ROCK MINE OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Atlas Copco Mt Todd Vista Gold has been nominated for the Hard Rock Mine of the Year award for its innovative approach to dealing with a mine’s legacy issues. It operates the Mt Todd gold mine, and developed a unique way to treat contaminated water. Previous operators of the Mt Todd site had developed the upper levels of the deposit which contained iron sulfide and other sulfide materials. Inadequate closure and rehabilitation of the project by former owners left a mine that had significant quantities of contaminated water, mostly known as acid rock drainage or acid metalliferous drainage, on site. Since Vista Gold have come on board it has developed a method to treat the water, creating a viable alternative to the more traditional, expensive processes, and setting a new benchmark both in Australian and internationally. Proven and probable reserves were estimated to be 4.1 million ounces of gold comprised of 149.9 million tonnes with an average grade of 0.85 g/t.

November 2013

Ridgeway Deeps For being the most productive and lowest cost hard rock mine in Australia Newcrest’s Ridgeway Deeps has been nominated as a finalist for the Hard Rock mine of the Year award. Newcrest’s Ridgeway Deeps gold mine reached a production rate of six Mtpa in the June Quarter 2011 and maintained this in steady state until November 2011. Capable of more, Newcrest pursued further improvements at the mine. By engaging the latest technology in fleet tracking, focusing on “back to basics” with regard to waste elimination and streamlining processes, Ridgeway aimed to achieve high standards in Australian mining for safety, productivity and cost of production. In less than 18 months Ridgeway achieved a 60 per cent increase in production, a 91 per cent increase in productivity per person, a halving of production costs and a safety profile that saw total recordable injuries fall by more than 40 per cent.

AustralianMining

Ranger The continued success of Energy Resources of Australia’s Ranger uranium mine has seen it nominated for the Hard Rock Mine of the Year award. The project is currently transitioning from an open cut mine to an underground operation, and has already begun with the construction of the Ranger 3 Deeps exploration decline. After decades of open cut mining, the operating Ranger Pit 3 was deep and steep, with the remaining high grade ore located at the bottom, where the orebody plunged deeper into the earth. This deeper orebody forms part of the Ranger 3 Deeps mineralised zone, which is estimated to contain an estimated 34,000 tonnes of uranium oxide, and represents one of the most significant recent uranium discoveries world-wide. While ERA developed plans for an underground exploration decline, the task for mining operations was to safely access and recover remaining high grade ore in Pit 3, in line with the schedule for closure of open cut mining at the end of 2013.

Hopes Down 4 The Hope Downs 4 iron ore greenfields mine site has been nominated for Hard Rock Mine of the Year. The Rio Tinto site is a conventional shovel/truck mining operation that plans on producing 15 million tonnes per annum of wet iron ore. It will use a conventional dry crushing and screening plant that is configured to maximise throughput for wet ore The mine’s approach towards operational readiness was unique as it used the operational personnel that are managing the mine at the moment during the initial part of the operational readiness phase of the project. The safety performance of the team has been exceptional considering the facilities and scope of work performed in the early stages of the project by the operational team. Rio Tinto’s engagement with the local traditional owners is also done a high level and has driven the recruitment of females and indigenous employees within the wider company, with women making up one in five workers.

DeGrussa Australia’s newest copper mine, and one of the most prospective in some time, has been nominated for the Hard Rock Mine of the Year award. Sandfire Resources’ DeGrussa Copper Mine was officially opened by WA Premier Colin Barnett on 4 August 2013, heralding its arrival as one of the standout high grade, low-cost new copper mines in the Asia-Pacific region. The $400 million project, now WA’s biggest copper mine, produced 64 017 tonnes of copper and 42 679 ounces of gold in the 2013 financial year, including a highly profitable open pit direct shipping ore operation which was completed earlier this year. This underpinned an impressive maiden net profit after income tax of $88 million for the year on sales revenue of $507.3 million. The DeGrussa operation generated strong operating cash flow of $250.2 million – highlighting the remarkable cash generating power of this extremely efficient, low-cost mine. Production for the 2014 financial year is forecast at 65-75 000 tonnes of copper and 35-45 000oz of gold. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_ATL1.pdf

Page

28/10/13,

12:03:38

AEDT

Is this the greenest rig ever?

SmartROC T45 uses up to half the fuel

A more powerful 30kW rock drill, greater precision, substantially lower fuel consumption mean SmartROC T45 has the lowest total cost of ownership and lower carbon footprint. SmartROC T45â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s automation features include: * Hole precision for hole set up with HNS (Hole Navigation System) * AutoPOS - Automatic alignment of the feed * AutoDRILL - Automatic drilling to depth * Progressive COP LOGIC - Progressive control of drilling parameters To find out more go to www.atlascopco.com/smartroct45

This is what we call sustainable productivity... Atlas Copco Mining and Rock Excavation Australia Freecall: 1300 366 880

AM1113_038.pdf

Page

16/10/13,

8:12:11

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Atlas Copco Significant Environmental Services Significant Environmental Services differs from a lot of the other environmental services companies out there as it essentially acts on behalf of multiple mining companies as a one man operation, using subcontractors as required. Owner and operator Matt Holmes started the company at the back of the mining boom, when he saw an opportunity to aid smaller mining companies and explorers in meeting their ongoing environmental obligations. At the time many of these companies were unable to afford the high prices of the major environmental contractors, or had enough work to rationalise the hiring of someone full-time. Holmes business, Significant Environmental Services, fills this void. “There was not enough work for a full-time Environmental Manager at many operations, which often amounted to only around three months of work per year; I offer value for money and practicality to fill this void for many small to medium sized mining tenement holders,” he said.

November 2013

Abergeldie Abergeldie has been nominated as the Contractor of the Year for its innovative work in developing Ulan West’s ventilation shaft. The Ulan West Ventilation Shaft contract was for design and construction of a 4.5m finished diameter, hydrostatically lined, vertical ventilation shaft to a depth of 46m to serve underground coal mine workings at GlencoreXstrata’s Ulan West Operations. Initially the client proposed that the shaft was to be sunk using a drill and blast methodology. Mechanical rock breaking equipment was to be used and lining and shoring would be carried out progressively in pace with excavation, using interlocking precast concrete segments. Abergeldie’s alternative methodology proposal that blind boring be adopted as methodology for sinking the shaft was accepted and welded steel liner segments were used in lieu of the originally proposed segmented concrete liners.

AustralianMining

ODT Australis For its work in the Whiskey Swamp mine rehabilitation project, ODT Australis has been nominated for the Contractor of the Year award. Operations at the sand mine ceased more than five years ago, with rehabilitation starting in April. The scope of work involved returning the site to its natural environment and removing any items deemed artificial to its natural state, however the challenge of this task was increased by the fact that there were several different stake holders. BHP Billiton, the Kokatha Uwankara people, the Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy (DMITRE) and former leaseholders all had a stake in its rehabilitation. ODT worked closely with the Kokatha to rehabilitate the site, with a representative present for the duration of the site’s works. It completely reseeded the site, removed all rubbish, demolished structures on site, and carried out scarification of disturbed areas to promote re-vegetation.

Orontide For its work in providing BHP’s Leinster nickel mine with a unique ore handling system Orontide has been nominated as the Contractor of the Year. Earlier this year Orontide was engaged by BHP Billiton NLN to design, supply and install a new underground orepass system for their Leinster underground operation. The underground orepass system is used to break nickel ore into smaller sizes through a rock breaker, filter it through grizzly panels and into a 20 metre deep orepass. The orepass was comprised of a series of 40 tonne liner cans made from quenched/tempered Hardox steel. Replacing orepass cans and large grizzly panels has always presented great challenges and risks to workers involved due to the requirement for the task to be performed whilst suspended over open voids/under suspended loads, and often whilst undertaking hot work tasks simultaneously. Orontide Group Limited is pleased that it not only achieved no injuries during the installation, but halved shut down times.

Action Drill & Blast Action Drill & Blast have been nominated as the Contractor of the Year for the development of new technology that is aiding efficiency on site. It created a new ANFO Hopper which fits onto a front end loader or interchangeable tool carrier and safely carriers 1.8 tonne of ANFO explosives into sloping and uneven ground where blasting activity previously required manual handling of bulk explosives. By developing this hopper Action Drill & Blast has greatly reduced the risk of injury on mine sites through repetitive manual handling and carrying loads whilst walking on rough ground. It came about after the contractor asked “how can we best protect our show crew in carrying out their day to day duties?” Direct delivery into the blast hole from the hopper also enables more accurate record keeping of explosives consumed on a hole by hole basis. The use of the hopper also reduces the number of personnel required for contour blasting and provides a quicker turn around in the delivery of product to the blast holes. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AD_AMCRKFEB_13.pdf

Page

1 25/01/13,

2:58

5,(*/ 9=

1(:

8/75$ /21* 5$1*( ' 7(55(675,$/ /$6(5 6&$11(5 :,7+ 21/,1( :$9()250 352&(66,1* With the VZ-4000 Laser Scanner and speciďŹ cally designed software packages, RIEGL provides a perfect solution for the demanding ďŹ eldwork in open pit mining and topography.

+LJKOLJKWV 5,(*/ 9= range up to 4,000m eyesafe @ laser class 1 on-board inclination sensors, GPS receiver and compass integrated connector for external GNSS receiver built-in camera HMI interface and built-in SSD data storage media for stand-alone operation multiple target capability (excellent penetration of dust and vegetation) waveform data output (optional)

+LJKOLJKWV 0LQLQJ 6RIWZDUH RiMONITOR monitoring of terrain deformations by analyzing the changes of surfaces RiMINING optimized and simplified scan data registration and processing workflow for open pit mining, offering, e.g. automatic extraction of break lines, contours, profiles, and calculation of volumes

RIEGL Distribution Partner

MELB 03 9823 1533 SYD 02 9552 8370

BRIS 07 3862 6210 PERTH 08 9489 8500

www.crkennedy.com.au/survey RIEGL VZ-4000 Advert 297x235mm.indd 1

24/01/2013 15:40:22

AM1113_040.pdf

Page

22/10/13,

2:22:14

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

MINING’S WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Orica Kym Clark She’s Empowered’s Kym Clark has been nominated as a finalist for Mining’s Woman of the Year award. Whilst working as an accountant at Anglo American’s Middlemount coal mine, 27-year-old Kym Clark saw there was a gap in the market for women’s workwear and set about ensuring women could be comfortable in PPE. The line, called Kym by She’s Empowered, provides hi-vis everyday safety workwear and maternity uniforms for the growing number of women in the mining and resources industry. “I could not believe the lack of workwear options for women in mining,” Clark said. “Until my business was developed, there were no maternity workwear options for industrial workers. I knew I had the ability and drive to change that. “Women work in all areas of the industry from administration to underground and open cut roles, and often work upwards of 50 hours a week. Women deserve to wear a well-fitted uniform just like those in any other industry,” she said.

November 2013

Liz Watts Liz Watts, the operations manager for GlencoreXstrata’s Glendell mine has been recognised for her contribution to the mining industry and the path she has carved for other women in the sector, and been nominated as Mining’s Woman of the Year. Growing up in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley, Liz Watts graduated with a Mining Engineering Degree in 2001, as the only female in a class of seventy. Watts kicked off her career with Rio Tinto, progressing quickly through the ranks to be promoted to Superintendent level within four years of graduation. In January 2012, Watts was promoted to the role of Operations Manager at Glendell Mine which last year produced about seven million ROM tonnes. Watts is now responsible for managing a site with a workforce of over 380 employees and contractors and a $200 million operating budget.

AustralianMining

Claire Stevens Claire Stevens, Anglo American’s Grass Tree mine’s technical services superintendent, has been nominated as Mining’s Woman of the Year. As a woman working in a non-traditional role in underground mining, Claire Stevens has demonstrated considerable leadership to help improve safety and working environments at two underground operations in just 12 months. After playing a key role in turning around the performance, improving geotechnical standards and implementing innovative solutions at Anglo American’s Moranbah North mine, Stevens has recently moved to Anglo American’s Grasstree mine, where she is now driving new geotechnical practices to further support production improvements that have been delivered so far this year. Stevens drives innovation and redesigned the standing roof support for the tailgate used by Anglo American’s Metallurgical Coal business, which has improved safety, lifted production hours and delivered cost benefits.

Laura Hayman Laura Hayman, a senior geomechanics engineer at Coffey has been recoginsed for her work in the industry, making it as a finalist for Mining’s Woman of the Year award. With over 10 years’ experience as a Geotechnical Engineer, including five years open pit mine site work, four years underground, and one year consulting in both Hayman has worked extensively in the Goldfields and Pilbara of W.A. She has degrees in Applied Science (Applied Geology), a Bachelor of Engineering (Geological Engineering) and a Masters in Engineering Science (Mining Geomechanics). Moving from underground to open pit mining she was the first female geotechnical ever on site, and soon became aware that she was a woman in a man’s world. This has never stopped her from achieving her goals though. After nine years working on mine sites Hayman decided she wanted to focus on mining geotechnical design work. The high achiever says over the next 12 months she hopes to become a Chartered Professional Engineer.

Yolanda Torrisi For her commitment to the mining industry and the creation of new mining networking opportunities as well as providing African miners with more support, Yolanda Torrisi has been nominated as Mining’s Woman of the Year. Yolanda Torrisi found herself in the mining sector by default. During the 2008-2009 Global Financial Crisis Torrisi set up ASIA’s Resource Connections, a mining and mineral processing equipment company.

Megan Kline With 6 years mining experience both underground and open pit Megan Kline has worked in WA and QLD in various roles within the mining industry. During her final year of study she was awarded the Atlas Copco Scholarship for outstanding achievement. Kline has excelled in her new role, leading a production crew at BHP Billiton’s new Jimblebar Mine, leading projects aimed at improving the efficiency of the truck and excavator fleet. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_ORI

2013-09-18T09:49:57+10:00

Orica is proud to sponsor Mining’s Woman of the Year Award. Orica is the world’s leading supplier of commercial explosives and blasting systems to the mining and infrastructure markets, the global leader in the provision of ground support in mining and tunnelling, and the leading supplier of sodium cyanide for gold extraction. Orica offers a dynamic, diverse and progressive work environment and we are proud to sponsor Mining’s Woman of the Year Award at the Australian Mining Prospect Awards for 2013. We thank all participants for their time and effort in submitting their entries. We look forward to meeting the finalists and celebrating women’s success in the mining industry.

www.orica.com

AM1113_042.pdf

Page

28/10/13,

A M1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ B I N . p d f

Pa ge

1:10:58

2 5 / 1 0 / 1 3 ,

8 : 0 2 : 4 5

AEDT

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

LEVEL TRACKING CONTRIBUTION SYSTEM TO MINING

A VERSATILE, SELF-CONTAINED, RELIABLE SOLUTION FOR REMOTE TANK LEVEL MEASUREMENT

Sponsored by Hitachi

FEATURES Ŕ 3&.05& 5"/, ("6(*/( 7*" 8&# #3084&3 Ŕ 5"/, -0$"5*0/ 4)08/ 7*" */5&3/&5 ."14

OPEN4U Breakfast

Trevor Tennant

Phil Enderby

Ŕ 4"5&--*5& $07&3"(& Ŕ 6/-*.*5&% /6.#&3 0' 4*5&4 Ŕ */45"/5 5"/, -&7&- "4 8&-- "4 )*4503: Ŕ -08 5"/, -&7&- &."*- "-&35 Ŕ 40-"3 108&3 015*0/

TOLL FREE 1300 363 163 sales@bintech.com.au

www.bintech.com.au 42

November 2013

AustralianMining

For its focus on helping miners fight fatigue and increasing safety, the group OPEN4U has been nominated for the Contribution to Mining award. In the small Hunter Valley township of Broke, at about 4.30am a group of about six mining stalwarts are making an effort to combat the ill effects mining has had on the region’s tired employees. The local volunteers launched the OPEN4U Breakfast about nine months ago, with no funding or connection with any mines, recognising fatigue and depression was ripping holes through their tight knit community. The initiative has evolved, starting off slowly to now average between 30 and 50 mine workers stopping for a free breakfast and a chat. Broke is surrounded by four different mines, including Bulga and Blakefield and the road side breaky is attracting a broad range of people from the sector.

Currently the managing director and one of the founders of Southern Hemisphere Mining, Trevor Tennant has over 35 years’ experience in the mining industry. Known as Mr. Manganese around the traps, Tennant’s untiring work to establish some of Australia’s best known Manganese mines is a major career accomplishment. A qualified mining engineer, Tennant has been an executive director of Portman Mining Limited, OM Holdings Limited and Territory Iron Limited. Working across Australia, Chile, and Indonesia, Tennant was general manager of Groote Island manganese mine, and was instrumental of Woodie Woodie manganese mine in the Pilbara, Bootu Creek manganese mine in the Northern Territory and the Koolyanobbing and Cockatoo Island iron ore mines.

With more than 30 years’ experience under his belt, Phillip Enderby has made a significant impression on the mining and minerals processing industry. Leading by example, Enderby has formed lasting relationships with senior management and acted as a solid role model for younger professionals throughout his extensive career. Described as “passionate” by his colleagues, Enderby has been recognised over the years for his ‘out of the box’ thinking and sharp problem solving skills. Leading the team at Bulga’s Coal Handling Preparation Plant, Enderby innovatively used flocculants to easily manage refuse material facilitating its disposal. Enderby also spends a considerable amount of his time dedicated to ensuring the continued success of the mining sector, having been nominated to the position of chair of the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP). www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1013_000_HIT2

2013-09-18T09:53:10+10:00

// B E C A U S E Y O U D O N ’ T D O T H I N G S B Y H A LV E S

Hitachi AC Drive dump trucks. Built to match Hitachi excavators. Our trucks and excavators are brothers. They’re designed by the same engineers, assembled in the same factories, and built to the same quality. If you’re running a Hitachi excavator, then you’ve already experienced half of the Hitachi advantage. Now it’s time to see what a fleet can do.

AM1113_044.pdf

Page

24/10/13,

7:53:21

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

COMMUNITY INTERACTION Sponsored by Foxtel BMA’s Buying Local Program

Rio Tinto’s Clermont Mine programs

For its focus on working closely with the community and ensuring the benefits of the industry are spread throughout the region, BMA has been nominated for the Community Interaction award. It was recognised for its Buying Local Program and its strategy focused on empowering local communities to “help them, help themselves”. BMA did through the program which sourced goods and services from local businesses in the communities where our operations are located and its workforce live. Through a purpose built online engagement tool, BMA employees can communicate supply requirements to registered local small businesses, which can now profile their capabilities right across BMA and compete for a greater variety of work opportunities.

GlencoreXstrata’s Ravensworth Mine’s Maths Clinic GlencoreXstrata’s Ravensworth coal mine has been recognised for its local Free Maths Clinic by being nominated as a finalist for the Community Interaction award. The miner holds open and free Math tutoring clinics for high school students at the local Singleton Youth Centre. Already in its second year, the program has recorded enormous success, and has more than 30 students from Year 7 to 12. The classes are taught by Ravensworth mining engineering Catherine Harrington, who taught Math while living overseas. Feedback from locals engaged in the program has been overwhelmingly positive, with one stating that “the Xstrata tutors have all A been appreciate give upe D _wonderful A M K E and R Nwe OV _ 1 2 . that p d they f Pa g their time each week to help the students”.

Rio Tinto’s Clermont coal mine has been nominated for the Community Interaction for its commitment to its social licence to operate. It has a number of long term community programs, including ones with both the local and local Indigenous community. It created an Aboriginal Community Development Fund for the Wangan and Jagalingou people, employed traditional owner groups on site, and closely manages cultural heritage sites at the mine in conjunction with the local groups. Rio Tinto has also created the Clermont Community Consultative Forum (CCC), the Clermont Preferred Future group (CPF), and the Groundwater and Environmental Reference Group (GERG).

FIFO Counselling FIFO Counselling has again been recognised for the mental health services it is providing miners on site. The program run is by Anthony Ward, who is the only remote onsite counsellor in Australia and the most capped mine camp manager in Australia, having managed 17 mine camps. It is provided in conjunction with facility management of a Pilbara iron ore mine camp and is a 24/7 onsite counselling service. A recent critical ‘self harm’ incident in the mining village highlighted the need to have onsite counselling services. A prompt response with counselling aid was provided to those immediately affected by the incident. The outgoing crew was counseled by FIFO Counselling to be deemed fit to fly before plane would take off.

Mining Family Matters

OPEN4U

Mining Family Matters, the winner of the inaugural Community Interaction award, has again been recognised, this time for expanding its FIFO family reach. The group has released new survival guides for mining and oil and gas families. The guides are small, A5 booklets that feature professional advice from psychologists as well as practical tips and first hand accounts of the fly in, fly out lifestyle which are designed to help first time families adapt to the FIFO change. “Families in oil and gas come up against many of the Family 1same 1 pressures 7 / 1 0 / as1 other 2 , FIFO 9 :families,” 2 1 AMining M Matters creator Alicia Ranford explained.

A wholly community initiative focused on ensuring miners’ safety and wellbeing after long shifts, Open4U, has been recognised for its efforts and is finalist for the Community Interaction award. Operating outside of Broke, the group sets up once a week, alternating Mondays and Friday to provide breakfast and a break for workers getting off long night shifts. It is designed to capture the workers getting off rotation and help fight fatigue and depression in the community. The local volunteers launched the OPEN4U? Breakfast about six months ago, with no funding or connection with any mines, recognising fatigue and depression was ripping holes through their tight knit community.

KERRICK...the quality is built in for powerful performance

Pressure Cleaners

Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Perth Adelaide

Hot Water Cleaners

Big Vacuum Range

98 Carnarvon Street, Silverwater, 2128 41 Pacific Drive, Keysborough, 3173 126 Robinson Road, Geebung, 4034 23 Belmont Ave, Belmont, 6104 31 West Thebarton Rd, Thebarton, 5031

Carpet Cleaners

Electric Pressure Cleaners

(02) 9737 9797 (03) 8769 1500 (07) 3865 2551 (08) 9277 9651 (08) 8340 8060

Pumps All Sizes

Material Lifts

1300 537 742 | sales@kerrick.com.au | www.kerrick.com.au 44

November 2013

AustralianMining

www.miningaustralia.com.au

FOX3924_B[CLHER4].pdf

Page

14/10/2013,

12:02

There's always more action on the ground with in-room Foxtel Even on a remote mine site, your workers will never feel isolated with a Foxtel in-room package. There are two Mining and Workforce Accommodation packages to choose from - our Standard package with 35 channels and our Platinum package with 86. Both feature an amazing range of sport, drama, news, movies and documentary channels. So install Foxtel on your site and invest in your workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; well-being and happiness.

Call 03 8325 3159 to talk to a Business Specialist today.

Django Unchained (MA15+) Showing this November

AM1113_046.pdf

Page

23/10/13,

1:56:22

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Sponsored by Metso Minerals CST Wastewater Solutions For its unique biological reactor for industry, CST Wasterwater Solutions has been nominated as a finalist for the Environmental Management of the Year award. CST Wastewater Solutions innovative and pre-engineered Titan membrane biological reactor QUBE developed by Smith & Loveless is over 65 years in the making, according to the company. Incorporating submerged flatplate membrane technology to ensure high permeability and flux rates, the combination of these technologies is yielding a dynamic MBR system that provides end-users with high quality treatment performance coupled with minimal operational requirements for applications involving flows in the range of 25-100m3 a day. The membrane design has resulted in less wear and tear than hollow-fibre types and can easily be cleaned in place. Air scouring prevents fouling and eliminates the need for back-pulsing pumping equipment.

Significant Environmental Services Consultancy firm Significant Environmental Services helps smaller miners and explorers meet ongoing environmental obligations. Owner operator Matt Holmes fulfils an acting environmental manager role for a fraction of the cost, helping miners become more economical. Holmes services have been utilised by the likes of Northern Star at its Paulsens mine and Bullabulling Gold’s project.

November 2013

Micronics For technology aiding miners in working smart and more sustainably, Micronics has been nominated for the Environmental Management of the Year award.Micronics’ EEMIS is a new way of thinking in the mining machine guidance, environmental and drill rig safety management space. The product suite uses a spatial engine integrated to a GNSS to calculate where heavy plant is in regards to GDP and heritage sites whilst the operator is creating drill pads or drilling holes. EEMIS Drill Genie guides drill machines to create drill hole without pegs (virtual pegging) and captures drill hole depth whilst measuring and displaying the distance from any rehabilitated drill holes.

Tecpro For the development of a way to control dust and minimise workers’ exposure, Tecpro has been nominated as a finalist. Centennial Coal’s NSW Mandalong mine was producing a substantial dust cloud at the point where the coal drops from the crusher to the underground bin. The dust emissions were causing severe contamination to the intake airflow and the existing dust suppression system wasn’t mitigating the issue. Tecpro’s investigations resulted in the fitting of spray nozzles and custom made dust ‘droppers’ to direct a fine curtain of water inwards from the rim towards the centre crusher, taking with it dust particles from the air.

AustralianMining

Tahmoor Coal Recycled Water Treatment Plant In 2012, Tahmoor Colliery completed construction and commissioning of a sustainable recycled water management system to service the operation, conserving approximately one million litres of fresh drinking water per day, by treating and utilising waste mine water. The project involved the construction of a 1 megalitre (ML) per day capacity Recycled Water Treatment Plant, and two 250,000 litre concrete water tanks to supply treated water to the underground mine. Since May 2013, full-time operation of the plant has demonstrated significant potable water savings, and is an example of our leading practice approach to water management and sustainable development at Tahmoor Colliery.

ODT Australis Sand mining ceased at BHP Billiton’s Whiskey Swamp operation in South Australia over five years ago. ODT Australis was contracted to return the site to its natural state which involved reseeding, removing rubbish and scrap and demolishing buildings, rehabilitating the site in the process.

GlencoreXstrata & SKM Glencore and SKM’s Air Quality Control System which is now in place at the miner’s six New South Wales open cut operations is helping to minimise the impacts of blasting, air quality and noise on the company’s neighbours.

Reynolds Soil Technologies Reynolds Soil Technology has been recognised as finalist for the Excellence in Environmental Management Award for the development of a chemical veneer that helps mines to minimise dust emanting from stockpiles and transfer points.The RT5 Superskin is an emulsion of cross linked polymer for ‘nontrafficked’ areas. Diluted at ultra-low concentration in water, the Superskin can be sprayed onto all forms of exposed stockpiles, ground, sand, minerals and tailings to create a flexible veneer, binding particles and minimising dust thrown into the mine’s atmosphere. Superskin is environmentally friendly and poses zero harm to machinery.

Vista Gold Vista Gold has been recognised and nominated for the Excellence in Environmental Management award for its rehabilitation and management of the historically toxic Mt Todd gold mine. Extensive research resulted in Vista Gold’s treatment of more than 10.3 gigalitres of contaminated water at the decommissioned Mt Todd mine. It faced a serious issue as the mine was operated when less strict environmental practices were in place. The company identified the importance of the size of limestone used was critical, ensuring that it was not too big that it sunk, and at the same time not to fine that it floated. The process has now been established as an viable rehabilitation alternative.

Echotech Increasing community awareness and government regulations have resulted in heightened pressure on mine operators to implement environmental dust monitoring activities and seen Echotech nominated. Echotech recognises that while dust monitoring technology hasn’t changed too much over the last decade, what has changed is the design of the monitoring station itself, including the use of alternative power and improvements in communication technology. The company’s recent projects in Australia’s remote mining regions demonstrate the capabilities of improvements in dust monitoring in order to meet compliance guidelines and to implement dust control activities. It is these developments that are now starting to provide the real benefits to the mining industry in their challenge to measure and control dust.

Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) and DuPont Enlisting the services of Dupont, NCIG has delivered an integrated dust management system at Newcastle’s newest coal terminal. For coal terminals some of the main factors in dust generation are materials handling, weather and moisture balance and control. This project saw the development of a moisture loss algorithm and dust risk rating system that addresses the weather conditions faced by the site on a real time and predictive basis. Dust mitigation measures based on the moisture control of the coal were also developed. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_MET

2013-10-14T16:21:47+11:00

MT309a Australian Mining Full Page Advertisement September 2013.indd 1

7/08/13 3:14 PM

AM1113_048.pdf

Page

24/10/13,

7:56:47

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

EXPLORER OF THE YEAR

A M 1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _by R E CSiemens 1 2 0 1 3 Sponsored

1 0 - 1 4 T1 6 : 2 5 : 0 3 + 1 1 : 0 0

ABM Resources

Australia’s A premier manufacturer ma an of o custom designed de & engineered en e hose ho ose reels for the th he resource sector. Call Ca al us today to t discuss your yo ou project.

www.recoila.com.au il 48

November 2013

AustralianMining

+61 61 2 96 9621 8988

A coarse gold deposit where the first shovel pays is an ore body discovery that most juniors can only dream about. But Perth based company ABM Resources have found that just in the Northern Territory desert. The company acquired the tenement, 700 km North West of Alice Springs, from Newmont in 2010 and have been pushing to develop a mine there ever since launching a bulk trial in July. With no debt and little capital expenditure required to move the project into development, managing director of ABM, Darren Holden, said the company was in a great position. “We have a high-grade system and a high-grade open-cut system should be able to survive the troughs and ride the highs of the gold market.” With a high grade deposit, an open pit with no pre-strip, and gold that liberates easily via gravity methods, Holden said the Old Pirate had key engineering advantages that give it a leg up on other gold development plays. “Because we have coarse gold it recovers very well on gravity separation which means we won’t need additional capital expenditure on cyanide or treatment plants so we can essentially have a modular based system there,” Holden explained.

Sheffield Resources Limited Sheffield Resources has been nominated for the Explorer of the Year for its work at its Dampier mineral sands project. The Dampier mineral sands project is located approximately 60km west of the port of Derby in Western Australia’s Canning Basin region. In just 14 months from being granted the Dampier Project Tenement in September 2011, Sheffield planned and executed a maiden drilling campaign, and completed subsequent testwork and resource estimations. The company managed to define its large, high grade Thunderbird deposit and a second, underexplored HMS occurrence named Argo. Thunderbird is one of the largest and highest grade mineral sands deposits to be discovered in the last decade, with a maiden mineral resource of 1.37Bt @ 6.1% HM (Indicated & Inferred) for 83Mt of contained HM (at 2% HM cut-off). This resource includes 5.7Mt of zircon, 1.3Mt of rutile, 3.6Mt of leucoxene and 24Mt of ilmenite. Originally explored by Rio Tinto between 2004 and 2009, the company identified two zones of significant heavy mineral concentration. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_SIE2.pdf

Page

23/10/13,

10:24:59

AEDT

We’re local – Servicing the Mining Industry from Queensland Introducing our Rockhampton Service Centre – Reliable and Responsive support where you need it most

AM1113_050.pdf

Page

15/10/13,

10:48:36

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

INNOVATIVE MINING SOLUTIONS

Sponsored by BASF ICMS – Bramco Electronics The Australian owned Bramco Electronics has developed a short line control and monitoring system which uses a single control unit for the integration of all monitoring points along the conveyor belts. The Integrated Control Management System (ICMS) is a microprocessor controlled system which can be used to either control or monitor the status of conveyor belts. Providing a cost effective solution to the mining sector, Bramco’s ICMS includes built in diagnostics, eliminating the need for a separate diagnostics card.

SentineX – Novecom Novecom has transformed established noise monitoring procedures to incorporate the continuous operating nature of mining activities. SentineX is a monitoring, data acquisition and reporting platform which operates remotely to provide advanced capabilities for the continuous monitoring of environmental conditions with minimal human intervention. The system enables users to manage the environmental impacts of their operations in real time, allowing quick, informed responses around noise, water, and dust monitoring.

November 2013

AustralianMining

Drill alignment – Downhole Surveys Downhole Survey’s new drill rig alignment solution, the Azimuth Aligner, utilises fibre optic gyros technology to improve drilling productivity and precision. The Azimuth Aligner enables underground and surface drilling rigs to be aligned by the driller in under five minutes, a task that traditionally takes about 1.5 hours. Requiring no foresight or backsight pins and no GPS, the aligner doesn’t require surveyors and geologists to supervise the setup process. The portable device also reduces risk associated with breakthrough holes in underground mines.

JK Keeper – Eagle Alternatives Eagle Alternatives have designed a fuse keeper that can secure a fuse from the shock caused by explosions and machinery vibration, keeping control power fuses inserted and control power on, in the electrical box. The JK Keeper is a moulded plastic two piece device, connected together in a way that allows the top paddle to spin in an upwards direction to give room for the fuses to be removed and replaced as required with an internal spring to ensure it returns to the retaining position easily.

Women’s mining PPE – She’s Empowered Recognising a lack of suitable PPE for women in the mining sector She’s Empowered has launched a line of tailored hi-vis workwear. With maternity options and sizes ranging from 6 to 16, the 100 per cent stretch cotton fabric is strong but not harsh, feels comfortable against the skin and allows for a full range of movement. The entire range is Australian Standard compliant, and even the buttons are enclosed – making ironing much easier. The flattering design aims to make women feel more comfortable in their uniforms on site.

Mining Supply Chain Suite – Quintiq The Quintiq software platform powers reality-based planning, scheduling and optimisation for complex business processes across all planning horizons. The Quintiq Mining Suite introduces methods and solutions used in other industries, which have traditionally not seen the profitability margins in boom time mining, to control production costs including optimised maintenance planning, workforce rostering, and inventory supply lines. Creating an integrated planning environment at the enterprise level, Quintiq’s software aims to optimise operations from pit-to-port.

Vertical Miner – Mancala Partnering up with German company Herrenknecht, Mancala has developed a Vertical Miner which uses field proven pipe jacking techniques to create a new approach to boxhole drilling. Typically boxhole drilling sees an operator exposed to falling rocks during drilling, the Vertical Miner operator is stationed remotely from the machine, increasing worker safety. Designed to boost productivity, the Vertical Miner provides significant time savings compared to conventional drill and blast operations or other existing raise drilling methods.

Pipe Cutter – PIHA Taking inspiration from the humble chainsaw, PIHA have developed an engineered pipe cutting solution which removes operators from the cutting zone when sawing HDPE pipe. The PCI’s saw blade is fully guarded when in an upright position, has an easy to reach fail-to-safe control, a locking mechanism to prevent uncontrolled releases, and is fitted with a physical enclosed barrier between the operator and the cutting zone. Electrically driven, it reduces exposure to noise and vibration and can be used for cutting medium to large diameter HDPE pipe. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_BAS

2013-10-29T09:55:33+11:00

AM1113_052.pdf

Page

16/10/13,

7:59:33

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by GHH Australia Adam Garde The general manager for Anglo American’s Grasstree mine, Adam Garde, has been nominated for the Australian Mining Prospect Awards’ Mine Manager of the Year Award for his strong leadership at Anglo American’s two underground operations in the Bowen Basin: the Grasstree and Moranbah North coal mines. Since his appointment as the Grasstree coal mine’s general manager, Garde has delivered a 25 per cent improvement in the operation’s production and a 60 per cent improvement in the injury frequency rates year on year compared to full year 2012. Garde also helped to break the mine’s weekly tonnage record as well as its longwall operating hours in August. He has also been nominated for his success at Moranbah North mine, where he worked in 2012, delivering a huge increase in the development metres each shift.

November 2013

Mike Stone For the successful completion of open cut mining at Energy Resources of Australia’s Ranger Mine, Mike Stone has been nominated for the Prospect Awards’ Mine Manager of the Year Award. The completion of open cut mining in November 2012 was achieved five weeks ahead of schedule, with zero lost time injuries for the year, and enabled ERA to recover the remaining high grade ore located at the bottom of Pit 3.

Nick Strong For the improvement of productivity, cost structure and safety at Newcrest’s Ridgeway Mine, Nick Strong has been nominated for the Prospect Awards’ Mine Manager of the Year Award. With Strong’s guidance, in less than 18 months, Ridgeway achieved a 60 per cent increase in production, a 91 per cent increase in productivity per person and a safety profile that saw total recordable injuries decrease.

AustralianMining

John Dumbill For steering his team from the development phase through to operational readiness and ramp up at Rio Tinto’s Hope Downs 4 mine, John Dumbill has been nominated for the Australian Mining Prospect Awards’ Mine Manager of the Year Award. Rio said Dumbill played an integral role during the design phases of the iron ore mining project including during the design of the fixed plant infrastructure, the mine profile, and HME selection process. While the focus has been on his specific mine work, his engagement with local Traditional Land Owners as well as the recruitment of females has also been highlighted, with the mine employing a 20 per cent female workforce. The next phase of the project includes the implementation of autonomous haul trucks and systems at the site, and Dumbill is expected to be leading the implementation of this initiative from an operational perspective.

Adam Stepanoff For his leadership and the development of AGL’s community relationship, Adam Stepanoff has been nominated as a finalist for the Manager of the Year award. Stepanoff counts amongst his achievements the submission of the Review of Environmental Factors for the approval of hydraulic fracturing of CSG wells in Gloucester and says this is the first approval of its kind in New South Wales since the CSG moratorium.

Liz Watts Growing up in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley, Liz Watts graduated with a Mining Engineering Degree in 2001, as the only female in a class of seventy. Watts kicked off her career with Rio Tinto, progressing quickly through the ranks to be promoted to Superintendent level within four years of graduation. In January 2012, Watts was promoted to the role of Operations Manager at the Glendell coal mine.

Anthony Ward For the implementation of providing 24/7 on-site counselling to BHP’s remote Yandi mine, Anthony Ward has been nominated for the Australian Mining Prospect Awards’ Manager of the Year award. As principal counsellor and mine camp manager, Ward says is he the only remote onsite counsellor in Australia, and has also claimed the title of the most capped mine camp manager, having headed 17 mine camps in his professional career. Ward said a recent incident on-site represents the importance of his counselling services. Immediately after a serious self-harm incident occurred on site, the outgoing crew were counselled before they were deemed fit to fly, while incoming workers were also briefed before starting shift. Ward says the service has been highly commended by employees on site as well as the operation itself. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM0613_000_GHH

2013-05-27T11:38:17+10:00

Leading the way.

AM1113_054.pdf

Page

16/10/13,

1:05:35

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

EXCELLENCE IN MINE OH&S

FIFO Counselling For the implementation of providing 24/7 on-site counselling to BHP’s remote Yandi mine, Anthony Ward has been nominated for the Excellence in Mine OH&S Award. As principal counsellor and mine camp manager, Ward says is he the only remote onsite counsellor in Australia and has also claimed the title of the most capped mine camp manager, having headed 17 mine camps. Ward said a recent incident on-site represents the importance of his counselling services.

TIKS Pre-Start – Chocolate Coded

Sponsored by BOOM Logistics Dozer Lifter – Enerpac For the development of the DLS Series Dozer Lifter System, Enerpac have been nominated Excellence in Mine OH&S Award. Enerpac say the system was developed particularly for CAT D10s and D11s – features four-point custom synchronous lift technology to provide safe, level lifting and lowering for track and side frame maintenance of the dozers, while utilising single-operator lifting. “The DLS system is designed for deployment even at remote maintenance and service locations, where it can minimise the amount of time a dozer is out of service,” Enerpac Australasia mining manager Warren Baltineshter said. Each lifting unit includes two hydraulically operated jacks with motorised locking rings for safe operation. Lifting and lowering of the jacks can be paused at any point, and the system will automatically secure the load mechanically until the operator is ready to begin lifting or lowering the dozer while a built-in alarm system will stop the synchronous lift in the event of malfunction.

November 2013

Safety Shower – Enware For the development of a battery operated shower and eyewash solution that can be used in remote locations, Enware have been nominated for the Excellence in Mine OH&S Award. The EM850 self-contained, battery powered unit incorporates a water storage capacity to operate both emergency shower and eyewash to AS4775-2007 standards, featuring a 1,350 litre tank with thermal insulation and thermal conductivity of less than 0.034 W/m/K. The EM850 does not need mains power or a plumbing connection and is contained within a robust stainless steel housing including crane connection points and a fully welded, integral pallet base to assist with transport and its relocation capabilities. Replaceable power is generated by two solar panel modules that are connected to a regulator which ensures the two maintenance-free batteries are always ready to go. The shower features a selfmonitoring system.

AustralianMining

Pipe Cutter – PIHA For the development of an engineering solution that removes operators from the direct handling of chainsaw used to cut HDPE pipe, PIHA has been nominated for the Excellence in Mine OH&S Award. According to the company the key design features incorporated into the design of the safer pipe cutting tool includes full guarding for the saw blade when in the upright position, as well as locking mechanisms on the pipe cutter’s handle to prevent inadvertent release, the fitment of a ‘fail to safe’ control switch on the drop arm of the machine which prevents unexpected or unsupported movement, and an enclosed barrier between the operator and the ‘cutting zone’. PIHA also went on to say that with the tool being electrically driven,the operator’s exposure to industrial noise and vibration is minimised, keeping operating and noise levels low to further increase operator safety.

Coal Chute – T.W. Woods A coal chute refurbishment which helps eliminate problems such as premature chute and conveyor belt wear and blocking and product spillage has seen T.W. Woods nominated for the Excellence in Mine OH&S Award. The mining engineering company explained that the service applies to both underground and overland conveyor chutes used with mine and energy plant conveyors typically between 900-1200 millimetres with and up to 1200 tonnes per hour capacity. It also applies to chutes used by quarries. Refurbishment componentry, includes soft loading chutes in hood and spoon configurations and more robust materials such as high-impact, wear resistant chromium carbides. T.W. Woods also incorporates large radius turns into the chute design, which allows material to flow easier and not hang up, reducing wear on the chute and extending its life.

For the development of a solution which allows employees to complete prestart forms on smart phones and tablets, Chocolate Coded has been nominated for the Excellence in Mine OH&S Award. Not only has the system eliminated the need for paper forms, the solution allows the workforce to capture images of any faults, identify fault patterns and set alarm notifications and complete system integration. The company says pre-start forms are custom-built for each operation and can be sent to HSEC managers, increasing safety on site.

JK Jigger – Eagle Alternatives For the development of a blast suppressor for underground mining operations, Eagle Alternatives has been nominated for the Excellence in Mine OH&S Award. The company says since fully fitting out a working mine comprising of over 100 Jumbo, Jumbo/ Pump & Pump Boxes with 50% of the boxes having two isolators handles on them there has not been a single isolator handle damaged from boxes fitted with JK Jiggers. Operators can see if the outlet can be isolated or not by ensuring the correct position of the isolator switch. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_BOO

2013-10-29T09:54:35+11:00

Lifting Solutions for Australia Safety. Service. Experience. BOOM is pleased to be a part of the annual Australian Mining Prospect Awards. Safety Always is a core value at BOOM, and we are proud to sponsor the Excellence in Mine OH&S Award again in 2013.

1300 36 2666 www.boomlogistics.com.au

AM1113_056.pdf

Page

21/10/13,

3:17:33

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

YOUNG ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Caltex Laura Hayman With over 10 years’ experience as a Geotechnical Engineer, including five years open pit mine site work, four years underground, and one year consulting in both Hayman has worked extensively in the Goldfields and Pilbara of WA and been recognised for her work as a finalist for Young Achiever of the Year. In making her move from underground operations to open pit mining she was the first female geotechnical ever on site, and soon became aware that she was a woman in a man’s world. This has never stopped her from achieving her goals though. After nine years working on mine sites Hayman decided she wanted to focus on mining geotechnical design work. Hayman says over the next 12 months she hopes to become a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) for both the Australian Institute of Metallurgy (AusIMM) and the Institute of Engineers Australia (IEAust).

November 2013

Michael Trusler For starting an online plant and machinery hire business, Michael Trusler has been nominated for this year’s Australian Mining Prospect Awards’ Young Achiever of the Year award. Working at a mine site in Queensland Trusler said he saw the difficulty that many mining operations had in sourcing the appropriate plant and equipment to hire for mine site construction projects. Seeing a huge gap in the market, Trusler developed an online portal which lists over 400,000 pieces of plant and machinery for hire from more than 700 companies Australia-wide. PlantMiner.com.au has been live for three months so far, and in that time has already received more than $20 million worth of quote requests and enquiries. Trusler hopes to expand the online machinery and equipment hire and rental site into the USA, Europe, and Asian markets this year.

AustralianMining

UNSW Mining Graduates For their collected efforts and representing mining future, the UNSW mining graduate squad has been nominated as finalists. They jetted off to the United States earlier this year to put what they learnt in the classroom to practice in some of the best mining operations. The group included students: Eleanor Calderwood, Nick Ramsden, Anya Ram, Annette Au, Allyssa Hendriks, Riley Lewis, Eshan Wickrema, Blake Ardley, Morgan Holmes, Mark Lucas, Daniel Glen, Alex Papaioanou, and Lachlan Colley. With an itinerary that would make even the most basic mining enthusiast drool, the group visited six mines where they able to experience the different operating processes of all operations. The group said the trip complemented their campus studies and as future engineers it was imperative to understand challenges and come up with the best possible solutions to optimise the outcome for all stakeholders.

Morgan Holmes The UNSW International Field trip has allowed young student Morgan Holmes to gain invaluable insight into the mining sector, paving the way for a successful career within the industry. The trip consisted of visiting six open cut/ underground hard rock and coal operations, the Colorado School of Mines and some historical mining sites. “The added exposure to overseas operations will broaden understanding, contacts and experience, ultimately leading to a more complete view of mining and its solutions in global context,” Holmes said. Holmes says it has become apparent to him that as a future mining professional, events, tours, relationships and opportunities are all important aspects of a successful career in mining. Since returning from the trip Holmes has gone onto pursue further study at leading European mining university Montanuniversitat in Leoben Austria.

Kym Clark Whilst working as an accountant at Anglo American’s Middlemount coal mine, Kym Clark saw there was a gap in the market for women’s workwear. The line, called Kym by She’s Empowered, provides hi-vis safety workwear and maternity uniforms for the growing number of women in the mining and resources industry. “I could not believe the lack of workwear options for women in mining,” Clark said.

Megan Kline With 6 years mining experience both underground and open pit Megan Kline has worked in WA and QLD in various roles within the mining industry. Kline has excelled in her new role, leading a production crew at BHP Billiton’s new Jimblebar Mine, leading projects aimed at improving the efficiency of the truck and excavator fleet. Kline is the holder of a WA First Class Mine Managers Certificate of Competency. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_CAL

2013-10-14T16:28:49+11:00

GET THE ADVANTAGE DISCOVER CLEANER, MORE ADVANCED DIESEL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES DESIGNED TO OPTIMISE THE PRODUCTIVITY OF YOUR BUSINESS. The Caltex TecDiesel Advantage is a suite of advanced diesel fuel products and services that have been developed to deliver real-world benefits to operators of diesel-powered mining, transport and industrial equipment. From advanced fuel additives and filtering processes to engineering solutions and fuel-saving low-viscosity engine oils, Caltex TecDiesel Advantage enhances your operational efficiency. And because these solutions are developed by Caltex, you know theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re underpinned by a flexible and reliable supply chain.

Get the advantage. Call Caltex on 1300 364 169 or visit caltex.com.au/tecd

AM1113_058.pdf

Page

24/10/13,

8:01:52

10TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN MINING PROSPECT AWARDS FINALISTS

MINERALS PROCESSING OF THE YEAR Anglo American Moranbah North’s CHPP

Orontide for BHP’s Leinster mine

Rio Tinto’s Clermont mine

For the amazing achievement of Orontide and BHP have been Rio Tinto has been recognised for operating for six years LTI free, Anglo recognised for the development of a its minerals processing technology American’s Moranbah North CHPP has safer orepass system. Orontide was implementation for the in pit crushing been nominated for Minerals Processing engaged by BHP to design, supply and and conveying system at its Clermont of the Year. install a new underground orepass coal mine. The Clermont mine uses In January 2012 a major restructure system for their Leinster underground an IPCC to crush and convey waste to of the Moranbah North operation was operation. The underground orepass overburden dumps at cheap rates and undertaken, resulting in high longwall system is used to break nickel ore into has realised 12Mtpa production levels by and development operational times and smaller sizes through a rock breaker, using the highly innovative in-pit crushing corresponding record tonnages and filter it through grizzly panels and into conveyor technology in combination with metres. Furthermore, the business risk a 20 metre deep orepass. The orepass an efficient truck and shovel fleet to mitigation processes were reviewed, was comprised of a series of 40 tonne cheaply move waste and produce one of leading to stringent guidelines, systems liner cans made from quenched/ the lowest free on board (FOB) costs in and leading edge innovation introduced tempered Hardox steel. Australia. to the operation to ensure the Life of Orontide Group Limited is pleased Approximately 40 per cent of all waste Mine integrity is under no circumstances that the success of its new innovative is planned to be handled via this system. compromised. The improvements have design and method of installation not Operating philosophies and maintenance been delivered across a number of areas, only achieved excellent safety results tactics on this important process of the but fundamentally, they have been with no injuries recorded during the mine assisted in achieving availabilities A M 0 by 6 1strong 3 _ 0leadership, 0 0 _ SP L 1 installation, 2 0 1 3 -but 0 it5 also - 2 halved 8 T 1 the 4 : time 3 9 : 2 above 5 + 170 0 per : 0cent; 0 allowing for produced a clear vision and increased accountability. required to shut down that section. maximum waste removal.

November 2013

AustralianMining

Newcrest’s Ridgeway mine For increasing its crushing circuit availability, increasing it nearly 20 per cent year on year, Newcrest’s Ridgeway mine has been nominated as a finalist for Minerals Processing of the Year. In November 2011 the mine was experiencing 82 per cent daily availability on the crushing and conveying circuit, additionally the mine was experiencing 24 days of planned full shut-down per year to maintain this system. In June 2013 the mine was experiencing 92 per cent daily availability and ten days of planned full shut-down per year. This is a 17 per cent improvement in hoisting and crushing capacity over the year. In every case, the solutions to the problems big and small were brought forward by the workforce.

www.miningaustralia.com.au

DFC Mining -AUS p 10/31/12 1:32 PM Page 1 AD_AMDYNFEB_13.pdf

Page

22/11/12,

2:38

PM C

Composite

CY CMY

AM1113_060.pdf

Page

15/10/13,

9:41:01

VEHICLES

The world’s LARGEST mining truck Mining is getting bigger with the release of a 450 tonne truck.

ining has taken another step forward. BelAZ has officially launched a 450 tonne mining dump truck, which has already been confirmed as the largest in operation in the world. It comes as the Belarusian machinery manufacturer, which claims to supply one out of every three mining trucks around the world, celebrates its 65th birthday. Dubbed the 75710, or ‘The 450’, it comes with a 25 per cent larger hauling capacity than the 360 tonne model, and is driven by two 16 cylinder, four cycle MTU diesel engines that provide a maximum speed of 64km per hour. The vehicle is more than 20 metres long, and from wheel base to the top of the bucket measures 8.2 metres. BelAZ have made the truck wider than it is tall, with the machine measuring close to ten metres across, coming in at 9.87 metres in total. Speaking to BelAZ at AIMEX in August, they told Australian Mining that the new truck is able to essentially carry an empty 360 tonne BelAZ truck with the company’s smaller 240 tonne 60

November 2013

truck in the back of that, or 2.5 jumbo jets, however when it is carrying less than capacity loads it only uses one engine, reducing overall fuel consumption. It has an operational weight of 360 tonnes, and a gross weight of 810 tonnes. According to the company, when fully laden on a 10 per cent gradient, the 450 can maintain a speed of 40 km per hour, providing more efficiency on site. It uses an AC electric

drive Siemens MMT500 electromechanical transmission, with two traction alternators, four traction electric motors and motor wheel reduction gears, auxiliary electric machines, adjustment, and control devices. To get around site and take the weight of the payload it is fitted with eight wheels, the same size used on the 360, with two turntables axles. BelAZ says “the outcome of this revolutionary design is a turning radius of

just less than 20 meters, with less time wasted on turning around”. It is also built from high strength, low alloyed steel for the light weight welded structure of the truck’s frame. The bucket type body also has FOPS installed while the cab has a ROPS safety system in accordance with ISO 4371, a protective canopy, and is heated by its own engine exhaust gas. Noise levels inside the cab are less than 80dB.

The truck is wider than it is tall, measuring 10 metres across and coming in at 20 metres long.

AustralianMining

In an effort to create standardisation and ease training across its range, BelAZ has built it to work with the same layout as the 360, so operators do not need additional training. The truck is currently undergoing field trials as the Bachatsky open pit coal mine in Siberia, with the manufacturer stating that it is designed to operate in temperatures ranging from -50°C to more than 50°C, and at altitudes of up to 4500 metres above sea level. BelAZ says it will on the market in around 24 months’ time. It is part of the company’s investment in research and development, which has seen it spend more than US$100 million this year alone, with the figure to increase up to US$150 million next year. “The investment is aimed at increasing the company’s competitiveness in an ever more demanding industry sector, with the company now expanding into several strategic markets, including Australia, South-East Asia, Africa, South America and North America,” it said in a company statement. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AD_AMBRIAPR_14

2013-03-25T09:14:21+11:00

Bridgestone Wheel Engineering Services

Paul and the Perth Wheel Engineering Services Team understand that there’s no room for short cuts...

...that’s because every wheel and rim that Paul Holden and the Bridgestone team repair or re-engineer, has to be subjected to the most stringent examinations and testing processes to ensure WKH ƂQLVKHG SURGXFW FRPSOLHV ZLWK WKH $XVWUDOLDQ :KHHO 7HVWLQJ DQG 5HSDLU 6WDQGDUG $6 %ULGJHVWRQH :KHHO (QJLQHHULQJ 6HUYLFHV KDV EHHQ HVWDEOLVKHG WR provide a continued focus on the safe operation of wheels and to assist customers to reduce the overall cost of wheel operations. Featuring leading methodologies, the new Perth wheel HQJLQHHULQJ IDFLOLW\ VHWV WKH VWDQGDUG IRU $XVWUDOLD LQ RIIHULQJ DQ industry leading turn around time for each repair.

www.bridgestone-earthmover.com.au

tyre-wheel-repair-ad 297x235.indd 1

14/03/13 12:35 PM

AM1113_062.pdf

Page

24/10/13,

8:52:36

VEHICLES

Staying on trak New driver and vehicle monitoring devices are making work safer, Alex Heber writes.

A M 1fleet 1 1 tracking 3 _ 0 0and 0 _vehicle S A Rperformance . pdf P a ge 1 Provides monitoring.

2 3 / 1 0 / 1 3 ,

1 0 : 1 3 : 3 7

AEDT

river safety is one of the most difficult aspects of mine site OH&S to manage. With so many uncertainties including human error and weather conditions to contend with often education and training are the best ways to mitigate driving risks. Many mining employees are driving long distances at dangerous times in remote locations, factors which make fulfilling a company’s duty of care to keep employees safe increasingly challenging. A challenge which sometimes requires a technological leg up. Adelaide-based fleet telematics company Securatrak is focusing on the resources sector, providing turnkey GPS tracking hardware and software solutions, allowing companies to track driver behaviour. Securatrak managing director Mark Holmes said the system helps improve driver safety by monitoring driver behaviour in real-time. “Vehicles are now looked at as a place of work,” he said.

• Specialists in the Australian Infrastructure and Resources sector. • A modern rental fleet of close to 3,600 4WDs, 2WDs, trucks, buses and specialised vehicles. • Over 150 qualified mechanical staff that keep our fleet moving on your site, through our mobile servicing or at our branch network. • With a network of 17 locations strategically placed across Australia, our coverage is amongst the widest in the industry. • We provide maintenance services in high demand locations to keep your fleet running.

MINE SPEC READY

For more information call your local Sargent representative on 1300 SARGENT.

www.sargent.com.au 62

November 2013

AustralianMining

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_063.pdf

Page

28/10/13,

1:14:12

A M1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ B U D . p d f

Pa ge

2 5 / 1 0 / 1 3 ,

8 : 0 8 : 2 0

VEHICLES

“We now have a real way to measure driver safety. “It’s gone from a like-to-have technology to a must-have technology. “All companies, small, medium, and large, need to be responsible for their workers’ safety, in particular when they’re driving in the field.” The GeoTab system also examines vehicle performance, enabling companies to cut costs and improve driver efficiency. The system can cut fuel costs by between five and eight per cent, slash tyre bills, wear and tear expenses, as well as maintenance overheads, Securatrak business development manager Christopher Joseph said. The little black box type device plugs straight into the vehicle, using the onboard data port Securatrak translates fuel consumption, idling times and speed into information companies can use to improve operations. It can also drill down into revs, oil pressure, carbon emissions, and can even detect if the seatbelt has been fastened. “Speed and no-go zones can be created throughout the operational area,” Holmes said. “It can record for example if people have gone into areas they shouldn’t have.” The cloud based software provides fleet tracking, mapping vehicles using GPS and transmitting data via the Telstra 3G network, building up driver profiles even in remote locations. “Reporting allows management and safety officers to see what is happening in the field,” Holmes said. Harsh breaking, acceleration and cornering are also recorded to determine how a driver is behaving both on public roads and onsite. Devising a driver scoring system, GeoTab can rank vehicles or drivers against one another, allowing for safe driving to be incentivised. In cabin systems can be configured to alert drivers or send SMS messages to managers when operators are being unsafe or may have been involved in an accident. “In-built accelerometer technology immediately identifies any vehicle impact or rollover event, sending real time emergency notifications to your senior personnel,” the company said. Joseph said the system isn’t about ‘big brother’ watching a worker’s every move, it’s about improving driver safety. “It’s not about watching where you are but a tool to improve workplace safety,” he said. “What you don’t know, you can’t manage.

“The ROI is fuel savings and safety improvements.” Insurance companies are also considering lowering premiums if these types of devices are fitted in vehicles. Insurers are able to calculate policies based on speed, braking and cornering behaviours as well as driving distances and locations. Newcastle-based AI Insurance will offer telematics insurance policies from November 1. AI Insurance chief executive Roland Lange said these types of policies allow buyers to save money by proving they are not a significant risk to insurers. “This is a chance for discerning drivers to separate themselves from other drivers,” Lange said. “There is an average of 20 per cent up front discount and then the driver behaviour over time determines the cash back level, or how much you get off your premiums going forward.” Lange said the scheme would not suit all drivers, and that “big brother” perceptions surrounding the technology “has always been a big issue”. Major insurers have examined the potential of telematic insurance locally. A spokesman for AAMI said “telematics is indeed something AAMI has been looking at closely”. He said privacy concerns and the cost of in-car black box recorders had held telematic insurance back in Australia, but that “it is an area that is still developing and one that AAMI will continue to study”. Telematic insurance could also come into the sights of safety experts looking to reduce the road toll. Richard Tooth is the president of the NSW branch of the economic society of Australia. He will discuss the potential benefits of telematic insurance at an Intelligent Transport Systems conference in Sydney on Thursday and Friday. Tooth said current insurance structures were “equivalent to a tax on safe road users and a subsidy for the unsafe”, and that there could be an insurance-based approach to road safety. “In the UK it’s just taking off with the telematics,and that is enabling people to demonstrate that they are good drivers and get very large benefits in terms of paying lower premiums,” Tooth said. “The key question is does this change behaviour? “The limited amount of evidence there is suggests very much so.” Australian Privacy Commissioner Tim Pilgrim says telematic insurance would need to operate in accordance with the Privacy Act.

MINE

SPEC VEHICLES To drive your dollar further

Call us on 13 27 27 today Budget has a wide range of mine-spec vehicles available in all of Australia’s major mining regions. To discuss your mine-spec fleet requirements, please call your nearest Budget location on 13 27 27 today. Plus earn Qantas Points or flybuys points on eligible rentals.ˆ

^Membership and points are subject to the terms and conditions of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program. A joining fee may apply. For more information about earning Qantas points on car hire see qantas.com.au. Standard flybuys terms and conditions apply and are available at flybuys.com.au BUDG1248MM

AustralianMining

www.miningaustralia.com.au DG1248_AusMiningMag_275x100_FA.indd 1

November 2013

16/10/13 5:10 P

AM1113_064.pdf

Page

24/10/13,

8:06:00

VEHICLES

Crushing on the move New buckets are turning loaders into mobile crushers.

s the cost of capital equipment rises the smaller end of the sector is beginning to feel the pinch. Junior miners and smaller operations are now having to not only make the most of their equipment, but look for efficiencies and short cuts where they can. Seeing that the outlay and materials handling for crushing aggregate and ores was a step that could be addressed, Allu developed a new bucket for wheel loaders that allows operators to crush and screen in their bucket while transporting. Known as the Allu M Series, the processing buckets, they act as an alternative to traditional crushing and The crushing buckets are designed for soft rock applications. screening. Speaking to Allu at the recent utilising three rotating crushing ele“By attaching the ALLU M SeEuro Mining 2013 exhibition, they ments so that is crushes and screens ries processing bucket onto a mining explained how the bucket works, the material while it is still in the loader or excavator, the loader or and the drivers behind its develop- bucket, meaning that there is less excavator becomes a high capacity ment. material to handle downstream,” mobile primary or secondary mateLaunched earlier this year, “the Allu told Australian Mining. rial processing machine that does bucket itself is designed specifically “It provides full screening and A M1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ B E N 1 2 0 1 3 - 1 0 - 1 5 T 1 4 : 3 0 : 5 the 5 +job 1 1in: a0one 0 step operation.” for soft rock sites, and works by crushing inside the bucket.” Regarding throughput rates,

We can help keep your vehicles moving safely! Reduce the risks of working at heights and control access

We have engineered a range of Handrails, Work Platforms and Safety Rails.

At the Bend-Tech Group we design, manufacture and supply engineered Safety Systems. Through our range of products and services we will continue to support the mining industry to protect people and property by

See, Be Seen and Be Safe

From Work Lamps and Driving Lights through to a range of Remote Area Lights, Flashlights and Intrinsically Safe Lights.

Allu said that in tests on sites in Eastern Europe they have managed to achieve up to 600 tonnes per hour on a single unit. “With this method the processing machine is brought to the material and not the material to the machine,” the company added. “This can bring big cost savings in any soft rock mining operation because of lower equipment operation costs, lower equipment investment costs, more efficient loader utilisation rates, lower material transportation costs and because the processing and loading can be done in one step directly onto a dump truck without any costly interim transportation needs and storage of unprocessed material.” It has been designed for both surface and underground operation. It comes as 7 m3 bucket for 45 to 55 tonne loaders and 90 tonne front shovel excavators and a 4 m3 bucket for larger 55 to 72 tonne excavators, the company says.

enabling you to have safe working environments. With our in-house metal fabrication, bending and processing capabilities we are able to create customised solutions that go beyond ‘standard’.

Custom Designed and Engineered

We have the experience and expertise to design and engineer the solution just for you.

bendtechgroup.com.au

573 Bickley Road, Maddington, Western Australia 6109 I P: (08) 9459 8600 I F: (08) 9459 8601 I E: sales@bendtechgroup.com.au 64

November 2013

AustralianMining

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1013_000_LOA

2013-09-23T11:18:42+10:00

LOAD VOLUME SCANNERS

AM1113_066.pdf

Page

28/10/13,

1:16:17

VEHICLES

Driving change Compact LHDs are making a big impact on underground mines.

iners are no longer focused on being the biggest; instead they are focusing on being the best. They are looking at smarter and more efficient ways of mining. This has also been impacted by the worrying factor of lower grades and operations trying to access narrower veins. With this in mind, GHH have upgraded one of their underground LHDs to not only provide more cost effective operating, but also work The LHD comes in at only 1.47 metres high and no longer requires a torque convertor for its operations. within more compact areas. Speaking to GHHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nick cally needed to be bolted on ground mine a slightly more consists of several pollution Phillips, he explained to Aus- to engines. tolerable place to work. sensors integrated into the tralian Mining that while itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really the only underâ&#x20AC;&#x153;We also reinforced the hydraulic system, with each LF-11H has been out for a ground vehicle of its kind,â&#x20AC;? he hydraulic rubber hoses so we drive pump and drive motor number of years, it now fea- said. can distribute the hydraulic equipped with a sensor for tures a more efficient drive As it no longer has the power, so there is no longer pollution detection and for system â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a central hydrostatic torque convertor attached the torque convertor just at- preventative maintenance. drive train with an attached it also gets rid of the drive tached to the engine distribuThe high pressure hoses Can bus system that allows lines and also reduces the lev- tor gearbox,â&#x20AC;? Phillips said. themselves have also been operators designed A M 1 1 to 1 3get _ 0rid 0 0of_ the A B T els . pof d fwasted P a heat g e from 1 2the 5 / 1 0 It / 1also 3 , has7 :a 4hydraulic 0 : 3 8 A M A E for D T a longer than torque convertors that typi- machine, making the under- protection system which average working life, having

been tested to more than 10 000 operational hours. On top of this, the machine has also been designed to operate in compact work areas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was the first compact LHD to operate like this, for flat veins and low seams, as it has a super low profile, coming in at only 1.47 metres high,â&#x20AC;? he added.

4"7&4 .03& 5)"/ +645 #3",&4 Advanced Braking Technology continues to lead the way with the multi-award winning braking system, SIBSÂŽ (Sealed Integrated Braking System). Developed through extensive research and patented worldwide, the unique wet brake system prevents vehicle runaways and even more importantly, it can help save lives.

Ĺ&#x201D; 'BJM 4BGF #SBLFT Ĺ&#x201D; 'PVS MFWFMT PG TBGFUZ Ĺ&#x201D; 3FEVDFT XFBS Ĺ&#x201D; %FWFMPQFE BOE QSPWFO JO UIF IBSTIFTU NJOJOH FOWJSPONFOUT Ĺ&#x201D; 4BWFT NPOFZ Ĺ&#x201D; ;FSP FNJTTJPOT

"%7"/$&%#3",*/( $0. 66

November 2013

AustralianMining

T: + 61 (08) 9273 4800 & info.perth@advancedbraking.com

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_BLA

2013-10-09T14:25:26+11:00

AM1113_068.pdf

Page

29/10/13,

7:52:38

WATER & WASTE WATER

SERIOUS step change I

ncreasingly a mine’s social licence to operate is being heralded as an intrinsic operational consideration. During the heights of the drought when water levels at Sydney’s dams fell to record lows, GlencoreXstrata’s Tahmoor was in 2006 labelled as one of the region’s biggest water users. With tough water restrictions in place the mine was facing mounting pressure from government and the community to improve its water usage record. “In 2006 when company representatives read the Sydney Morning Herald article they acknowledged that water consumption which had been historically accepted could not go on, and so set out to establish a solution which met the needs of the mine, without compromising or impacting the local community or environment,” the company said. Owned by Xstrata Coal at the time, internal targets to reduce potable water A M 0inputs 8 1 3 were _ 0 0set, 0 _the S Eminer M aimed to achieve a 15 per cent re-

November 2013

AustralianMining

The impementation of a water treatment plant has set a new benchmark for mining. duction of fresh water use over five years from 2007 to 2012. The underground coal mine, located in the New South Wales Southern Highlands 75 kilometres south west of Sydney, operates on the Bulli coal seam primarily producing hard coking coal which is on sold to European and Asian markets. to- run under1 In2 0the 1 3past - 0 7 3 0 Tits1 0 : 5 2 ground and many surface processes

the operation had to purchase about 1.5 million litres of potable water per day from the Sydney Water main supply system. Cooling and dust suppression were billed as the most water intensive activities. The miner’s initial proposal to recycle water outlined a reverse os: mosis 4 2 +plant 1 0 :which 0 0 would treat waste water. But a detailed review of the concept found the plan would see electricity consumption soar and heavy vehicle traffic within surrounding rural towns climb. “This [plan] would require eight B-double tanker return trips from Tahmoor to Port Kembla for disposal, daily via the township of Bargo, imposing heavy vehicle traffic on the previously quiet rural town,” the company said in a statement. And so it was back to the drawing board for the miner. Xstrata Coal designed a treatment plant utilising groundwater from the base of a ventilation shaft on site. Previously the water source had been mixed with process water from Tahmoor’s underground operations, pumped to the surface sedimentation ponds and discharged into the Bargo River in accordance with dewatering licences. The alternative idea was billed to be more sustainable, producing water with lower capital and operating costs as well as reduced energy requirements. Following several years of consolation and design reviews with government and environmental agencies GlencoreXstrata began

constructing a 1 megalitre (ML) per day capacity Recycled Water Treatment Plant, and two 250 000 litre concrete water tanks to supply treated water to the underground mine. Capital costs equated to approximately $3.31 million, of which $2 million was funded by the NSW State Government as part of a Water Savings Funding Agreement through the Office of Environment and Heritage. In 2012, Tahmoor Colliery completed construction and commissioning of a sustainable recycled water management system to service the operation, conserving approximately one million litres of fresh drinking water per day, by treating and utilising waste mine water. Water savings equate to about $620 000 per annum in operational expenditure at the site. “The Recycled Water Treatment Plant has offset Tahmoor’s daily potable water consumption by approximately 1 ML each day, utilising a simple and sustainable low energy water treatment process to produce fit for purpose water to the mine,” the company said. “The operating cost of the treatment plant is less than the cost of purchasing water (approximately $150 000 per year).” The company said implementing the recycled water system required a change in the way process water is used underground. “Co-ordinated through our change management process, substantial consultation and communication with employees and contractors has taken place to explain the reasons for the change and to address any concerns,” the company said. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_000_SAN.pdf

Page

25/10/13,

8:32:55

AEDT

WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT. AN EASIER WAY FOR HARSHER CONDITIONS. Introducing the Saniﬂo Commercial range

SANIBEST PRO® Macerator Pump > 1100 watt motor > Up to 7m vertically > Up to 110m horizontally

SANICOM 1® Grey Water Pump > 1300 watt motor > Up to 10m vertically > Up to 100m horizontally

SANICUBIC® Lifting Station > 2 x 1500 watt motors > Up to 11m vertically > Up to 110m horizontally

ATS 5200.101 Certificate No. 23048 Manufacturer: SFA Brand: Saniflo

To find out more about the full range of commercial products available, contact Saniflo on 1300 554 779 or visit saniflo.com.au

SA0165_MiningAd_297x235.indd 1

Yes. You can.

18/10/13 10:49 AM

AM1113_070.pdf

Page

28/10/13,

1:19:32

WATER & WASTE WATER

Processing water control Pa ge

2 5 / 1 0 / 1 3 ,

doofor.com

A M1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ D O O . p d f

Hydraulic rock drills and drifters from Finland

for mining, quarrying and bolting See our products in Conexpo, Las Vegas USA 4.-8.3.2014 booth 1587 (Gold Lot) Doofor is looking for distributors in Australia and NZ. Contact us for more information. Doofor Inc. Talttakatu 8 FI-37150 Nokia Finland

November 2013

tel. +358 3 343 0747 e-mail: information@doofor.. www.doofor.com AustralianMining

8 : 1 3 : 0 0

AEDT

A step by step guide for water treatment on site.

rocess water is an inevitability for all mine sites. But it is what a mine does with it that separates operations. The pre-treatment of the raw water provides protection and extends the service life of the filters downstream, reducing maintenance costs and energy consumption. All waste water and water treatment processes where membranes are used are fundamentally multi-stage processes, pre-treatment can ensure the reliability and economy of membrane filtration. Microfiltration and ultrafiltration require only pre-filtration of coarse contaminants (>50 Âľm), whereas nanofiltration and reverse osmosis require the raw solution to be free of particle and colloidal contamination. In addition to mechanical precleaning using conventional filters, chemical and physicochemical processes are also often used in the pretreatment for membrane processes. The first step in pre-treatment generally consists of coarse filtration; removing coarse-grained solid material which can penetrate the system from the raw water.

Screens or coarse filters in sizes one to five millimeters are normally used. In the next stage, raw water is further treated to obtain the required raw water quality for the membrane filtration which follows. This can be done both by using mechanical fine filtration and also in combination using physicochemical processes such as coagulation, flocculation and precipitation. Membrane filtration is usually followed by an after-treatment, such as disinfection. Depending on the quality of the raw water and the water quality required after treatment, the engineering processes are adapted to the special requirements. For fluid technology company HYDAC, pre-filtration upstream of membranes is an important market sector. It supplies automatic back-flush filters, strainers and an array of strainer filters and inline filters as well as high-flow fine filters which provide membrane protection. In many water treatment plants where drinking water is produced from bank filtrates, one frequently www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_071.pdf

Page

28/10/13,

1:22:32

WATER & WASTE WATER

used treatment process consists of pre-treatment using fine filtration with downstream reverse osmosis. Contamination retention capacity and service life of the fine filters can be crucial to the economy of the whole system. In order to extend the service life of the candle filters, a HYDAC automatic back-flush filter AutoFilt RF3 has been retrofitted upstream of the fine filters as part of a pilot project. The study shows that the backflush filter provided protection for the candle filters. The particle contamination which consisted of fine sand could be removed continually from the raw water and consequently a significantly longer service life was achieved in the fine filter candles. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Retrofitting with the backflush filter in the water treatment works will pay for itself after a short time and will demonstrate the economical and technical advantages of this concept,â&#x20AC;&#x153; HYDAC said. The results indicate an extended service life of the candle filter elements to several months, reducing maintenance costs and energy consumption, while increasing the process reliability by thoroughly removing sand particlesA M upstream 1 1 1 3 of _ 0the 0 reverse 0 _ R Posmosis C. p d process.

Treating of potentially contaminated water is becoming a significant issue for miners.

Additionally it has been demon- cause they have a sustained impact on strated that retrofitting the HYDAC the downstream membrane processes. AutoFilt RF3 to an existing system is This can be achieved through a comalso possible due to the small space bination of coarse screens, back-flush requirement and its versatile config- filters and candle filters. uration. The filters also have selfIf a sand filter is used for water cleaning functionality and robust treatment, the filter can also be instainless steel filter elements. stalled upstream of it in particular Delivering cost reductions in water cases. However, since the sand filter f treatment P a g ecan 1be secured 2 5 / 1through 0 / 1 well3 , 8 is: a2 depth 3 : 0 filter 5 Awhich, M A when E D T operatengineered pre-treatment methods be- ed correctly, can remove foreign mat-

ter right down to a few micrometers nominal in size, it has to be decided on a case by case basis to what extent a back-flush filter can relieve the sand filter. Increasingly membrane filters are also used in the pre-treatment stage. Here microfiltration or ultrafiltration membranes are used to treat the raw water to a degree where it can be fed to the reverse osmosis system.

When performance is everything COMPOSITE SOLUTIONS FOR RESOURCE PROCESSING

RPC Resources + Energy are the specialists in the application of composite materials in resource and energy extraction and processing industries supporting vital infrastructure projects in Australia and worldwide. With over 30 years experience working with leading process technologists, RPC Resources + Energy offers the technical know-how, proven capability and on the ground support to ensure performance in the most demanding of applications. Services:

Consultancy, design, manufacture, installation, and after sales support.

Materials:

GRP, GURP, GRE, GRVE and carbon fibre

Products:

Tanks, vessels and scrubbers Covers, vents, vent ducting and exhaust stacks Pipe systems, fittings and jointing

For further information call Eric Crooke now on +61 434 301 470 or email eric.crooke@rpctechnologies.com

www.rpctechnologies.com

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AustralianMining

November 2013

AM1113_072.pdf

Page

24/10/13,

8:11:03

HIRE & RENTAL

Getting equipment

ON SITE, ONLINE New plant rental websites are making hire capital equipment easier.

ire and rental companies traditionally provide miners with equipment they don’t need to own. With mining companies after work platforms, cranes, heavy machinery or cars, the hire and rental industry exploded with the boom and is reportedly worth $4 billion, with rental equipment the most sought after when it comes to the mining sector. However with companies often looking to hire very specific equipment for their operations, sourcing the right machinery can often be a time-consuming task. Problems around finding the right equipment and attachments, availability of machinery, the location of machinery and the plethora of portals on the net can make sourcing

the right equipment for mine sites no easy task. Working at a mine site in QLD as a civil engineer, Michael Trusler said he saw the difficulty in sourcing plant and equipment to hire for mine site construction projects. “I found the process of finding plant and equipment to hire for the mine sites to be disjointed and difficult,” said Trusler. “One reason for this was the amount of safety features and attachments which are required for any one piece of equipment,” he explained. Trusler said the lack of availability was also an issue. Seeing a gap in the market, Trusler developed an online portal which lists over 400,000 pieces of plant and machinery for hire from

more than 700 companies Australiawide. PlantMiner.com.au has been live for three months, and in that time Trusler said it has already received over $20 million of quote requests and enquiries. The site presents itself as a onestop shop for the procurement of

plant and hire equipment, stating that there is no longer the need for procurement officers to trawl through thousands of Google and Yellow Pages listings to find what exactly what they’re after. “It’s not easy,” a promotional video on the site states. “You need one place that does

Helping you minimise downtime and meet deadlines

Versatile mining & earthmoving equipment solutions

Remote location specialists

Quality low-hour machines

Transport & logistics

Dry hire, maintained / managed packages

Helping you minimise down time and meet deadlines

Reliable logistics and site support anywhere

Large fleet of well maintained equipment

Heavy haulage and general freight

Mining projects or civil projects

1300 EQUIPRENT (1300 378 477) www.equiprent.com.au 72

November 2013

AustralianMining

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_073.pdf

Page

24/10/13,

8:13:38

HIRE & RENTAL

it all for you where you can quickly search for all your plant and equipment needs along with their safety features and attachments.” The site works by connecting searchers with the specific plant and equipment for hire that they are looking for, right down to all of the safety features and attachments. The search functionality of the site features a location tracker so users are able to see exactly what plant and machinery is immediately available to them in their region. While a safety features tab means users can update their search with specific requirements including BMA compliance, hand/safety rails, and mine spec just to name a few. Search results then include the availability of equipment and machinery along with pictures, specs, descriptions and the direct contact details of the plant and equipment supplier so users can contact them. Expressions of interest can also be sent from the site, as well as tender documents. Users can also opt to send a direct enquiry where the supplier will be notified by SMS or email and get back to them. The site says it can save businesses time and AD _ Amoney M B Uby L Fhaving E B _ plant 1 3 . and pd hire equipment needs in one place.

The site makes sourcing local equipment easier for operators.

Trusler said the site is a highly cavators – the website caters for all specialised platform built specifical- the equipment. ly for searching and screening plant The easy-to-use portal breaks equipment for hire. down f Pa ge 1 2 4 / 0 1 / 1 3 , 2 : 4 2 into P M categories everything From portaloos to 100-tonne ex- a mine site may need including

forklifts, generators, lighting, site amenities, excavators and light vehicles. While specific industry categories features lists of all the equipment imaginable in that sector. For example the ‘mining and construction’ category features graders, chutes, water trucks, tractors and tanks just to name a few. While the oil and gas category also shows a list of equipment to hire including dredging hire, misc pump hire and piling equipment. And with many companies preferring to stay loyal to the tried and tested, popular brands such as Bell, CAT, Kenworth, Manitou, Hitachi, Crown and Volvo are also listed for users. Not only does the site benefit those looking for gear, but also hire and rental companies who may have been affected by the downturn in the mining sector. The portal puts hire and rental companies equipment right in front of the eyes of key decision makers – with high quality photos and company logos featuring heavily throughout the differing categories. With the initial success of the portal in Australia, Trusler hopes to expand the site into the U.S.A, Europe, and Asian markets this year.

Space Saving & Stackable

Recyclable

Lower Cost Lightweight only 4.7kg

Ease of Use – 4 way Entry

The BHA Bag Pallet™ is a revolutionary new design in export pallets – a low cost, lightweight, space efficient alternative to existing expensive wooden and plastic pallets for exporting materials in Bulk Bags and other suitable packaging materials

tel 03 9761 4433

sales@bha.com.au

www.bha.com.au

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AustralianMining

November 2013

AM1113_074.pdf

Page

24/10/13,

8:27:53

PPVC

Air SUPPLY A new radical VSD air compressor is providing power using half as much energy.

tlas Copco has released a ponents, and air intake system. flow required for cooling of the motor. new oil-injected rotary screw Suitable for a wide range of inAnd unlike traditional comVSD (variable speed drive) dustries, this radical new rotary pressors, the motor and drive train compressor with a number of key screw compressor is driven by a high share one drive shaft and are vertioperational features including less efficiency IPM (interior permanent cally aligned to allow a smaller footenergy consumption, low noise lev- magnet) motor, which exceeds IE 3 print of 55 per cent compared to the els and a very compact footprint. rating at 94.5 per cent; correspond- previous range. There are also no According to the company, the ing to IE 4 (Super Premium Efficien- gears, belts or shaft seal to maintain. GA VSD+ compressor offers a ma- cy motor class). The whole drive train is comjor leap forward in FAD (free air deThe company says the motor is pletely closed, offering IP 66 proteclivery) with improvements of up to highly efficient over a wide range tion, with one oil-circuit that cools 12 per cent, and a breakthrough in of power loads, and produces high the motor and lubricates the element energy-efficiency: requiring on aver- torque at low speeds for reliable and bearings. age 50 per cent less energy than a start-up under pressure, making it Other energy efficient compocomparable idling compressor. ideal for the GA VSD+ compressor nents of the GA VSD+ compressor With the GA VSD+ compres- which only runs when needed. include a more efficient fan, robust sor, Atlas Copco started with a The compact motor, which was air intake system and an innovative clean piece of paper back in 2007, designed by Atlas Copco, features op- air inlet valve, which is maintenance and evaluated every part of an air timal oil cooling and an oil-lubricated free. The mechanical polymer inlet compressor including the motor, motor bearing all in a sealed unit, valve uses air to open and close (no MA 0 8 1 3 _ 0 4 2 _ F E R 1 2 0 1 3 - 0 7 - 1 8 T1 5 : 1 6 : 0 9 + 1 0 : 0 0 cooling, drive train, electronic com- meaning no greasing of bearings or air spring) and with no â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;blow-offâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in

operation, meaning no air is wasted. With very quiet operation, down to 62 db(A), the machine can be placed on the workshop floor, with no need for a separate room, and can be placed against a wall or in a corner due to itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innovative vertical design and having the ducting on top. The compressor is now available in a wide range of sizes from 7 up to 37kW, and at no extra cost to the equivelant GA VSD compressor, which will continue in production alongside the new GA VSD+ model. Atlas Copco predicts VSD compressors will make up 80 per cent of its compressor sales by 2018, and as part of the world-wide promotion, the company is donating one or two trees per kW sold to a reforestation program in Africa.

P Find

November 2013

AustralianMining

Evaluate

Select

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_075.pdf

Page

24/10/13,

8:29:10

PPVC

Corrosive material pipe couplings New pipe couplings are allowing for quicker change outs.

he mining industry takes a heavy toll on pipes. The highly corrosive nature of much of the material means that moving it around the site and processing plant requires heavy duty piping. However these pipes run into a problem in particular their joints – the points where they are their weakest. Added to this the issue of pipe change outs and it becomes clear that miners need an adaptive coupling able to be quickly changed out yet at the same time still stand up to the harsh environment of the mine site. With this in focus, Victaulic have developed a new style 171 composite pipe coupling. Launching the product – which has been developed for Australian customers – at the International Desalination Association (IDA) world congress, Victaulic says the Style 171 engineered composite coupling “is perfect for use where corrosive conditions exist and is ideal for reverse osmosis (RO) skids in vertical and horizontal installations”. It features installation-ready technology, which allows for quick and simple installation of the coupling, providing substantial gains in productivity. Its design offers greater corrosion and UV resistance, and means it is lighter in weight than ductile iron and stainless steel couplings. The Style 171 coupling does not MA 0 8 1 3 _ 0 4 3 _ F E R 2 2 0 1 3 require disassembly prior to instal-

It doesn’t require disassembly and is simply pushed onto the pipe end fully assembled then tightened using hand tools.

lation; it is simply pushed onto the pipe end as a fully assembled unit and tightened using standard hand tools. “We’re excited to launch the Style 171 for our Australian customers,” Dave Sharkey, Victaulic’s vice president for Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia stated. - 0 7 - 1 8 T1 5 : 1 6 : 4 6 + 1 0 : “As a flexible joint, the Style

171 accommodates expansion, contraction and deflection in the piping system. “The coupling’s design reduces time required to complete system installation, eliminates loose components that could be dropped or lost, and reduces installation clearance requirements.” 0 0 The Style 171 coupling is avail-

able in 1½ to 4-inch (40 to 100 millimeter) sizes and joins standard roll- or cut-grooved PVC and cutgrooved HDPE pipe. It can withstand pressures of up to 150 psi (1,034 kPa) and is supplied with the new Victaulic Grade ‘E2’ EPDM gasket, and is suitable for operating temperatures of 1 to 54 degrees Celsius.

The easiest way to find products and suppliers

Manufacturing | Mining | Industrial

askferret on 1300 156 836

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AustralianMining

November 2013

AM1113_0767.pdf

Page

25/10/13,

7:57:05

PPVC

Illuminating your site New lighting towers are keeping the site bright.

aps Australia is re- urban environments who seek ic lift mechanism to elevate leasing a new range a full-featured, quality manu- the lamp head to almost eight of mine spec lighting factured machine at a very metres above the ground. Intowers from lighting tower competitive price. The Night tuitive adjustment of the lamp technology pioneer, Allmand. Lite Pro II uses a Kubota die- head allows accurate posiAllmand has strength- sel engine, four 1,000 watt tioning of the lights before exened its relationship with metal halide lamps on an ad- tending the towers, which can CAPS Australia, offering ac- justable head as well as two be raised to their full height in cess to an expanded range of 10 amp, 240 volt auxiliary 25 seconds. lighting towers to meet the power outlets. While the sectional tower surging demand. The Mine-Spec lighting has a typical design, both Richard Sweet, market- tower boasts six 1,250 watt towers incorporate nylon ing manager â&#x20AC;&#x201C; portable prod- metal halide lamps on an guide sleeves to give smooth ucts at CAPS Australia says adjustable head, powered by operation and help stabilise that two new trailer-based a 1.5 litre Caterpillar engine the tower when extended. models have been introduced driving a 15 kW generator. Together with four adjustable to the range to meet industry Built tough to withstand a stabiliser outriggers, the unit demand. The compact Night range of arduous mining oper- can withstand wind gusts of Lite Pro II meets the require- ating environments, the Mine- up to 100 kph. ment for a smaller footprint Spec features heavy duty comThough built in the US, machine, and provides safe ponents and a 265-litre fuel the mine spec lighting towworking illumination with tank, and can safely illuminate ers incorporate switches and a combined light output of an area the size of one and a circuit breakers that comply more than 440,000 lumens, half tennis courts with an out- with Australian regulations which exceeds most alterna- put of 900,000 lumens. and standards. tives of a similar size. Both Allmand lighting Sweet explains that safety lightis 1a 0priority ASweet M 0 8adds 1 3 that _ 0 0this 0 _ WE 1S towers 1use2a11:50 0six-section, 1 3AM- 0 7 -hy3 0 T : 5 3 :across 3 6 +the 1 0entire : 0 0 WA_AM_ad_final.pdf 19/07/13 ing tower is ideal for users in draulically actuated automat- Allmand range, with both

November 2013

AustralianMining

units offering environmental fluid containment systems, and battery isolation and emergency stop buttons as standard; options such as fire extinguishers and auto start/ stop controllers are also available. The two new lighting towers complement Allmand portable equipment such as the Maxi Lite ML6V and ML8V also available from CAPS, and are ideal for companies requiring temporary lighting for a variety of openair applications including events, civil construction and open-cut mining. Allmand has manufactured thousands of these reliable, quality and cost-effective portable lighting systems worldwide. Allmandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lighting towers enhance operational performance and safety around domestic, industrial and mining applications.

Built for harsh environments.

www.miningaustralia.com.au

AM1113_077.pdf

Page

29/10/13,

1:05:18

A M1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ E S S . p d f

To advertise a new job contact Hussein Azzan at 02 8484 0852

Pa ge

2 9 / 1 0 / 1 3 ,

MINING JOBS

To see the latest jobs available visit www.miningaustralia.com.au, which is updated daily. MINE OPERATIONS MANAGER We are pleased to advise that we are seeking a Mine Operations Manager for Rosebery Mine in Tasmania. With continuous production since 1936 this underground mine has continually attracted and produced world class professionals. With a strong community focus and core values including safety and integrity, we are proud of our role in community development and our economic contribution to the local Tasmanian industry. Residing in the Rosebery township and reporting to the General Manager, this role manages the underground operations at Rosebery, including all mining personnel, contractors, mining activity and ancillary works. You will ensure that the operations are carried out safely and in a timely manner in accordance with the mine plan. Key to success in the role is your ability to optimise the operations and develop capability and capacity in the workface to meet the future needs of Rosebery and the broader MMG Group. You will also play a key role in MMGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support of the Monash Mining School, including graduate rotations and site visits. To be considered, candidates must have skills, qualifications and experiences in complex mining environments that demonstrate the ability to make sound operational decisions. In addition to this, candidates must demonstrate expertise in establishing cultures and systems that imbed a safety awareness as well as managing multi-disciplinary mining teams. Candidates with past achievements in underground mine management, base metals and change management and the ability to leverage the resources and industry of the local regions in which they operate within will be viewed favourably. This is a rare and unique opportunity to join the site leadership of a global mining organisation with a vision for future growth and an enviable record of community engagement, sustainability and safety. An attractive remuneration package including an incentive scheme, accommodation and allowances will be offered. SENIOR MINING ENGINEER/ALTERNATE UNDERGROUND MANAGER We are currently recruiting an experienced Senior Mining Engineer to join us at our Southern Operations. Reporting to the Mining Manager the purpose of this role is to provide operational direction, input and advice for the safe mining of the resource while ensuring its compliance to the prescribed mine plan. In this role your key responsibilities include monitoring day to day operational issues to assist in the development and completion of schedules to achieve forecast targets; developing and reviewing design concepts to ensure safe, achievable mining practices; reviewing and improving current processes to expand the mined resource; taking a leading role in risk assessment and safety management plan development; planning and co-ordinating the design and management of capital projects and mining studies; scoping and developing mining contracts and monitor the work of contractors involved in mining operations; and acting as back up to Mining manager when off site Essential criteria for these roles include tertiary qualifications in Mining Engineering accompanied with considerable exposure to underground mining in both production and planning areas. The NSW DPI Production Managers Certificate or the necessary qualifications and experience to obtain are also required for this role. To be successful in the role you will enjoy working in a team environment and demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills. REGIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BOWEN BASIN In this autonomous, hands-on sales position you will be responsible for meeting and exceeding revenue targets and implementing key strategic account management plans to increase sales and ensure client retention. Your focus will be on relationship building through frequent site visits, attending client meetings and prompt follow up in the provision of quotes, proposals and contracts. Also critical to your success in this position is your local knowledge of Bowen Basin and extensive background in conveyor systems. What you need is a demonstrated success in a sales or account manager role within conveyor systems; strong business acumen and knowledge of the Bowen Basin area and mining industry; self-motivation with the drive to exceed sales targets and KPOs; strong time management and administration skills with exceptional attention to detail; superior communication, negotiation and verbal presentation skills; and the ability to build strong client and stakeholder relationships. What we offer you is the opportunity to represent one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most well-known and iconic brands in ECS; a varied, challenging and target driven working environment; the opportunity for career advancement as our business grows; and excellent benefits including incentive bonus, company vehicle and ongoing training and development. On offer is an exciting position, with the opportunity to work across an impressive selection of products and services whilst building on the equity of Fenner Dunlop brand. We offer recognition, progression and extensive benefits that our organisation is known for. www.miningaustralia.com.au

AustralianMining

November 2013

1 1 : 5 7 : 1 6

AM1113_078.pdf

Page

A M1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ A U S

28/10/13,

10:03:49

2 0 1 3 - 1 0 - 0 9 T1 4 : 1 7 : 1 4 + 1 1 : 0 0

EVENTS

DEVELOP NEW BUSINESS GLADSTONE, ROCKHAMPTON & CENTRAL QUEENSLAND TOWNSVILLE, THE FAR NORTH AND png

TOOWOOMBA, SURAT BASIN & SOUTH WEST QUEENSLAND

Queensland is the boom state and there are three distinct regions that are leading the way. Australian Events have three events that hit the heart of each of these regions in 2014, and you are invited to participate.

Conferences, seminars & workshops Event submissions can be emailed to editor@miningaustralia.com.au Practical Belt Conveying Courses 4-7 November Brisbane, QLD AFour day training course with a strong practical bias for engineers and is involved with the design or maintenance of high capacity belt conveyor systems for the mining or related industries. Over 1200 engineers have now attended one of these courses. The events have small class sizes, with a 300 page manual provided. • Tech Training ann.odonovan@techntraining.com.au www.techtraining.com.au

These are dynamic events with special Industry Forums, site visits, business networking functions and a comprehensive two day exposition in each location.

Major Projects Conference Queensland 2013

These events are short, sharp and focussed to allow businesses the best opportunities to grow industry connectivity and discover new opportunities for growth and development.

The Major Projects Conference Queensland will be held on Thursday 7 November 2013 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Register now to be part of Queensland’s leading infrastructure and major projects conference and hear first-hand how leading resource and infrastructure executives view the commercial horizon. This comprehensive one-day event will feature presentations about the redevelopment of the government precinct in Brisbane, the Queensland Ports Strategy and the 2018 Commonwealth Games venues. • Major Projects Conference 07 3225 8602 www.mpc.qld.gov.au

CQEXPO CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

INDUSTRY & RESOURCES

19th & 20th March 2014 ROCKHAMPTON SHOWGROUNDS

www.cqexpo.com.au

7 November Brisbane, QLD

Central Queensland Industry & Resources Expo 19-20 March, 2014 Rockhampton, QLD

27th & 28th March 2014 TOWNSVILLE ENTERTAINMENT & CONVENTION CENTRE

www.nqexpo.com.au

SURAT BASIN

ENERGY & MINING EXPO 18th & 19th June 2014 TOOWOOMBA SHOWGROUNDS

www.suratbasinexpo.com.au 78

November 2013

AustralianMining

CQEXPO is now in its third year and is firmly placed as a key trade event for Rockhampton and Central Queensland. This event is designed to support the industry and resource sectors of Rockhampton, Gladstone and the Southern Bowen and Galilee Basins, with exhibits by suppliers, service providers, government agencies and manufacturers. A new Chamber of Commerce in Rockhampton, exciting developments in the mining sector in Central Queensland, the promise of a new industry supportive Federal Government and an increased demand for energy through the Port of Gladstone are all helping to set the scene for a renewed boom time in Rockhampton, and across Central Queensland. The CQEXPO will be the meeting place for those already active across the region and for those wanting to be a part of the action.

• CQ Expo www.cqexpo.com.au

North Queensland Industry & Resources Expo 27-28 March, 2014 Townsville, QLD, The inaugural North Queensland Industry and Resources Expo is the third leg of the essential Industry and Resources trifecta of events in Queensland. Townsville is the economic hub and powerhouse for North Queensland, with direct air and sea links to Asia and the Pacific including PNG. It has brilliant rail and road transport access with plans in place for future expansion of these facilities is a dedicated trade event designed to support the industry and resource sectors of North Queensland. NQ Expo will be the showcase for this dynamic and abundant region. It will be a targeted and cost effective opportunity to network, market and generate sales, leads and industry contacts. Industry networking functions and seminars will round out a brilliant few days of business and industry interaction and information sharing. • NQ Expo 1800 671 588 www.nqexpo.com.au

Mining World Moscow 9-11 April, 2014 Moscow, Russia MiningWorld Russia 2014 is the 18th international exhibition and conference for mining and processing metals and minerals in Russia. Last year more then 430 companies from 32 countries, including Australia, exhibited at the event, with the Australian ambassador speaking at the opening. Russia is currently one of the world’s largest emerging markets, and represents a significant opportunity for Australian mining equipment and services companies to garner new work as the Australian market slows down. According to Austrade there are a number of opportunties for Australian METS companies that include mining software and systems development;investment, including joint ventures; integrated project management; contract mining; supply (including leasing and acquisition) of mining plant and equipment; technology transfer and consultancy expertise; business process consulting; general engineering and business procedures; and a range of other services including training. A delegation to the event will be lead by Austmine. • MiningWorld Russia www.miningworld-russia.primexpo.ru/en/ www.miningaustralia.com.au

UNM13793_AusMiningS.pdf

Page

1/12/2011,

2:10

If what you do depends on Lime, talk to us.

Mining operations depend on Lime. Which is why industry leaders get their Lime from Sibelco. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quicklime, Hydrated Lime or one of many other limestone products you may require, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting quality, premium Lime. Choose Limil from one of the seven Sibelco plants around Australia and you can look forward to 135 years of Lime manufacturing expertise, the security of long-term supplies and a level of quality and consistency that our ISO9001:2008 Quality Program delivers. To find out more about Limil, Sibelco and our industry-leading products, visit www.sibelco.com.au

UNM13793

AD_AMABLMAR_13.pdf

Page

3/04/13,

11:05:49

AEDT

Rollover compliant to Australian Design Rules with a Rollover Protection System to Australian Standards 1636.1 and 2294.2

Tilt cab for easy maintenance access

Quality Isuzu truck with excellent back up

Bus module transferable onto new cabchassis when required

Australian designed and built air conditioning for rugged and remote conditions

Comfortable coach seats with seatbelts

Safe as ... tough as ... comfy as ... Aussie as … an Able Bus & Coach Safety sets these vehicles apart. This includes, as standard, built-in Rollover Protection System (ROPS) to Australian Standards 1636.1 & 2294.2 and Australian Design Rule (ADR) rollover compliance. Critically all engineering tests are validated and vehicles exceed the Australian Design Rule weight standards of 65kg per person by a minimum of 53 per cent. Able vehicles are tough and engineered to deliver outstanding reliability.

The air conditioners are West Australian designed and built to withstand extreme heat and vibration experienced in Australia’s remote areas. All vehicle framework is grit blasted and primed to protect against the effects of harsh operating conditions above or below ground. Able fabricated modules are designed for a larger, more robust modified chassis. This makes for a stronger, more reliable vehicle over its lifetime. Another key feature is the ability for passenger modules to be removed

from an older cab chassis and placed onto a new cab chassis, reducing the overall replacement costs. Able not only produce quality vehicles, but provide excellent parts backup with our own 400 square meter on-site parts and components store. Able Bus & Coach is Australian owned; we don’t import modules from overseas. Our modules and much of

the componentry are proudly manufactured in Australia. Able buses have been delivering outstanding performance in tough Australian conditions since 1998. Testament to the Company’s business philosophy of building tough yet safe, reliable and comfortable vehicles that meet the highest standards are customers such as BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.