World Mining Magazine. Issue 32. Cover Story: Vega by World Mining Magazine

Magazine

vega

using technology to automate mining processes

Issue 32 2019

World Mining

INDEPENDENT REBUILD SPECIALIST

CAT 3508 777D Arrangement

195-9816

CAT C27 D10T Arrangement

271-2219

CAT C32 D11T Arrangement

246-5627

CAT 3516 789C Arrangement

175-5289

the editor

Licensed to drill

Editor

The

Martin Ashcroft

iners are accustomed to regulations, agreements and licences. Every year, it seems, there are more hoops to jump through. But while permits, approvals and agreements are defined in documents, the intangible notion of social licence to operate is becoming one of mining’s major concerns. Stories of mining operations being delayed, interrupted and even shut down due to public opposition are in the news every day. As Benjamin Franklin observed, ‘it takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.’ Social licence to operate is created and maintained slowly over time as the actions of a company build trust with local communities and other stakeholders. With the explosion in global communication, the world is watching as never before, so it’s important to do the right thing, and be seen to do the right thing. But deciding the right thing to do is not always as easy as it might seem. In large mining projects, it is inevitable that negative impacts will be experienced by local community

groups. Some mining companies invest heavily to mitigate these effects by upgrading local infrastructure and providing jobs, and they are to be congratulated for this, but spending money is not enough. Communities respond to involvement better than philanthropy. It has been noted that communities can feel disrespected when a mining company takes it upon itself to decide what the community needs and how to deliver it. Including them in the decision-making process would be more likely to earn their trust. An approach based on genuine community engagement, participation and collaboration would be a safer foundation for success. The social licence to operate is closely related to sustainability and the triple bottom line, but it involves concepts that are notoriously difficult to measure. One of the most famous business quotations comes from the Godfather of management theory, Peter Drucker, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” As reputation grows in value, I wonder what Drucker would have thought about social licence to operate. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Contents Cover story vega: using technology to automate mining processes Page 6 Page: 3 • The Editor: Licensed to drill 6 • Vega: Using technology to automate mining processes 19 • Komatsu to deploy 41 new haul trucks at South Flank • 1911 Gold updates exploration results from Rice Lake gold project in Manitoba • Pacton Gold plans 10,000 metre drill program at Red Lake Gold Project 23 • World Gold Council launches Responsible Gold Mining Principles 27 • Near surface, high-grade gold zone discovered at Las Conchitas • Horizon Minerals swaps assets with Northern Star Resources 31 • Blue Sky Uranium reports survey results at uranium-vanadium project • Canasil completes field exploration work at the Vega Project in British Columbia 35 • Diamond core drilling underway at FireFox’s Mustajärvi Gold Project, Finland • Funding secured for Australia’s first Aboriginal-owned iron ore producer 37 • Mineral Mountain completes purchase of Standby Mine • SSR Mining completes acquisition of Puna Operations • Zephyr discovers magnetic anomaly

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

ADVERTISERS 2 Independent Rebuild Specialist 16 Altra Industrial Motion 17 Dynapower 18 Austin 20 MoistTech Corp 21 Magna Tyres 22 Rapid International 24 ADRIA 25 Duff Norton / Phoenix Conveyor Belt Systems 26 Ritmo 28 WeatherSolve Structures 29 Irwin Car and Equipment 30 Elphinstone 32 THEJO 34 Flowrox 36 Sai Deepa Rock Drills 38 AME Intl 39 Pumps 2000 42 Phoenix Lighting 48 Keller 50 Klohn Crippen Berger 56 GE Transportation 65 Mineral Process Control 74 Jergens 77 Truflo Pumps 86 MAXAM Tire 88 Canary Systems 89 Megatraction Equipment Inc 98 World Mining Directory 101 Shaw Development 102 Rockwell Automation 103 Hilliard Brake Systems 104 Resemin Asia

news & features Page 19

40 • Phoenix Lighting: Partnership... in a good light 44 • BHP: the world’s most valuable mining brand 54 • Wabtec gains momentum in mining industries 58 • Newmont Goldcorp: A new era 68 • Glencore: Everyday commodities 80 • MAXAM Tire: Meet the MAXAM difference 90 • Telson Mining: Because it was there

glencore Page 68

World Mining Magazine Contacts, Advertising Rates & Information News & Features Editor: Martin Ashcroft martin@ogsmag.com Editor Vanessa Ward editor@ogsmag.com Sales sales@ogsmag.com General email contact info@ogsmag.com Design and Artwork artwork@ogsmag.com Managing Director Simon Ward

Advertising Rates

Double Page £6000.00 Full Page £4895.00 Half Page £2450.00 Quarter Page £1450.00 Full Page (inside cover) £6000.00 Lead Article + Front Cover £19,995.00 All advertisement rates include design free of charge. The magazine is printed in A4 format on 250gsm gloss laminated cover and 170gsm matt internal pages. The magazine is both a printed hard copy magazine and distributed electronically. Currently our global readership is approximately 93,000.

World Mining Magazine 2019 World Mining Magazine is published by Worldwide Business Media Limited, London, EC1V 2NX United Kingdom. Registered No. 6809417 England/ Wales. VAT No. 972 7492 76. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or any part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Liability: while every care has been taken in the preperation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information herein, or any consequence arising from it. All paper used in this production comes from well managed sources.

Worldwide Business Media Limited, London. EC1V 2NX United Kingdom. www.ogsmag.com Tel: +44(0)203 5751249

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

â&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

vega using technology to automate mining processes Mining has come a long way since people first figured out they could unearth valuable minerals and materials from underground. Historians have even found evidence of prehistoric humans using flint to dig and scrape at the earth to extract pebbles and minerals. In the early days, mining was labor intensive and dangerous.

oday’s mines use technology to automate many processes, and consequently, this allows mines to run more efficiently, use less energy and water, and operate more safely. VEGA, a worldwide level and pressure measurement company, has been around for a little more than 60 years, and in that small span of time, the company’s innovative instrumentation has played an integral part in revolutionizing how both large and small mining companies operate today. VEGA specializes in a handful of technologies to measure continuous level, point level, pressure, density, and even the mass flow of solids. Measuring variables throughout the mining process allows operations to improve efficiency and avoid upsets or unexpected downtime that could increase costs or decrease the amount of throughput. From conveyors and crushers to the end product, monitoring certain process variables gives operators and plant managers a window into what’s happening each step of the way and make improvements to increase total throughput. Maintaining a maximum throughput also allows mining operations to get the most out of their energy usage – easily the most expensive cost at any mine. This can be minimized and waste can be eliminated by tracking process measurements and making corrections before a problem occurs. The same can be said about another limited resource, water. Water is vital to processing and moving minerals in any mining operation, and many mines are located in deserts where water is scarce. Conserving this valuable resource and minimizing its use through proper controls affects the bottom line and shrinks the mine’s environmental footprint. Sensors and automation have also improved the safety conditions. Every mine embracing technology and a new way of doing things has seen better safety records. For instance, where people once had to climb a tall silo or tank to manually make a level measurement many times a day or every week, a level measurement sensor is installed once. Now the previous fall risk is permanently eliminated, and someone can see the level at all times from the safety of a control room. While the technology and the processes used in mining may have changed, one thing hasn’t changed – mines are unforgiving, dirty environments. VEGA designs and manufactures their instrumentation with these conditions in mind. Every sensor, controller, and component is put through vigorous testing in simulated environments to ensure they’re prepared for real-world applications. VEGA sensors are made with aluminum and stainless steel housings, and most sensors can withstand the extreme process pressures and temperatures found in mines around the world. The technologies VEGA uses in the mining industry vary, but perceptive eyes will notice three main technologies over and over again: radar, pressure, and radiometric. Each of these can be found in a number of applications within a single mining operation anywhere in the world – whether its precious metals, minerals, or aggregates. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

The 80 GHz VEGAPULS 64 radar sensor continues to accurately track level despite heavy buildup, turbulence, and steam

â&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

vega using technology to automate mining processes Radar: VEGA’s specialty

Much of VEGA’s reputation around the world is built around their worldclass radars for level measurement. To many customers, VEGA is known as the radar company. VEGA solidified that status when they introduced the latest breakthrough in radar technology: 80 GHz frequency. The latest generation of high frequency radars delivers an enhanced focus and a higher sensitivity, which provides a higher measurement certainty over the entire measurement range. The new technology is allowing radars to make level measurements in applications that were previously impossible. The VEGAPULS 64 and the VEGAPULS 69 are VEGA’s 80 GHz radar sensors. The VEGAPULS 64 measures continuous liquid level, and the VEGAPULS 69 is specifically built for measuring the continuous level of bulk solids ranging in size from large rocks and small boulders to fine powders and ash. This technology makes choosing a level measurement sensor easier than it’s ever been. The VEGAPULS 64 can measure the level of liquids and slurries, and the VEGAPULS 69 can track the level of any bulk solid. As raw materials mix with liquid for processing, it forms a sticky, muddy mixture, and it can be difficult to track the level inside the tank or vessel. One of the largest platinum mines in the world understands this firsthand. In the final concentrate collection tank, water and aeration are used to separate the valuable platinum from the rest of the materials being extracted. The platinumrich mud sticks to everything it touches, including any level measurement instrumentation, which made it difficult to provide a reliable and accurate measurement. Other technologies worked, but those instruments required constant maintenance, which resulted in additional downtime. Once the platinum mine installed a VEGAPULS 64, maintenance and downtime for instrumentation became a thing of the past. The new radar sensor uses a special algorithm built within the electronics to ignore any buildup on the antennae while still being able to reliably make this critical measurement. With a consistent measurement, the risk of overflows and resultant process

The 80 GHz VEGAPULS 69 can accurately track the level in the crusher from a distance because of the narrow beam angle shutdowns were eliminated. Now the process can continue operating efficiently with less downtime and a higher throughput. In the early stages of any mining process, crushers are used to change the size of larger rocks into smaller rocks, reducing them to a workable size. Measuring level in this application is a particularly difficult one for most technologies because of falling materials, dust, debris, loud noises, and moving parts and internal structures within the crusher itself. All of these factors can interfere with a level measurement inside a crusher, which can affect how efficiently the crusher operates. One of the largest aggregate producers in the United States knows all too well the challenges of effectively running a

crusher. At just one of their facilities, operators had been running all fifteen crushers at a fraction of their potential because they didn’t have a reliably accurate measurement. Once they replaced the old measurement technology they had been using for 80 GHz VEGAPULS 69 radar sensors, they realized the full capability of their crushers – increasing throughput by 50 percent per vessel. A small investment in a superior technological solution was able to exponentially increase the bottom line at a single facility. Every mining facility keeps a stock of dry products in storage silos, and monitoring the level in these silos is of the utmost importance for inventory and process control. However, it can be dangerous to send someone to the top of World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

The VEGAPULS 69 monitors cement in tall silos, even when thick dust is present.

â&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

vega using technology to automate mining processes the silo on a regular basis. Fortunately, 80 GHz radar does just as well with fine powders as it does with the larger rocks found in the crusher. A South African gold mine keeps cement on site for backfill and support in the mine. Cement is a fine powder, and dust clouds form and linger for a long time during filling and emptying cycles. The thick dust cloud interferes with level measurements using other technologies, but the exceptional focus and superior sensitivity of the VEGAPULS 69 provide an accurate and reliable measurement, even during filling and emptying. Mines quickly adopted 80 GHz radar because they immediately saw the benefits of the new technology: making measurements despite buildup and the ability to “ignore” any dust floating in the air. The higher frequency also provides a more focused signal, so operators can aim the radar to avoid internal structures that would otherwise disrupt the signal and cause a measurement error. Plus, radar sensors are immune to acoustical noises, unlike other non-contact level measurement technologies. The VEGAPULS 64 and the VEGAPULS 69 provide accurate and reliable measurements for notoriously difficult applications.

replacement of pressure sensors, VEGA turned to ceramic measuring cells for many mining applications. Ceramic is abrasion-resistant by nature. The material’s tight, dense matrix makes a ceramic diaphragm ten times harder than one made of stainless steel. This extra strength makes pressure sensors with ceramic cells better-equipped to withstand the harsh environments found in so many applications at a mining operation. Ceramic cells continue to perform reliably long after their metallic counterparts have been replaced over and over.

understands differential pressure and how it works. VEGA rebooted this concept with electronic differential pressure, using two separate pressure transmitters connected by an electrical cable. This setup opens up a new world of measurement possibilities. Electronic differential pressure uses two VEGABAR sensors to provide a number of different outputs, including differential pressure, level, interface, flow rates in a pipe, the changing density of a fluid, and density-compensated level. Density-compensated level uses two independent VEGABAR sensors

Manufacturing pressure sensors that last

A single pressure transmitter is most commonly used for one of two applications: process pressure and hydrostatic pressure. Process pressure simply measures the pressure of liquids, gases, and vapors in a vessel or inside a pipe or tube, like those transporting a slurry from one process to the next. Hydrostatic pressure takes an additional step and uses a known specific gravity or density measurement of a product to calculate the level inside a tank or vessel. Hydrostatic pressure can be especially helpful for monitoring inventory of liquid additives needed for processing. In the same way hydrostatic pressure takes a pressure measurement one step further, VEGA has made leaps and bounds using two pressure transmitters and electronic differential pressure.

installed at a fixed distance apart to calculate liquid level in applications where the process medium is constantly changing density. For example, two independent VEGABAR 86 submersible pressure transmitters installed at a fixed distance apart and always covered by the process medium can continuously calculate density using the two pressure measurements and the known distance between the transmitters. Those variables and the current density are then applied to the lowest sensor, which calculates the overall hydrostatic level. This never ending calculation loop provides continuous overall level feedback on a process with constantly changing density. VEGA has applied this technology to froth flotation cells at precious metals mines around the world. Flotation cells separate fine materials from a slurry by adding chemicals and aeration. The desired particles adhere to the air bubbles rising from the bottom to

Pressure is a widely used measurement for process control in a number of industries, and mining is no exception. By comparison, pressure is old technology, but that just means it’s had more time to innovate and improve. The VEGABAR series of pressure transmitters from VEGA is proof of this innovation. Today’s pressure transmitters are more durable, which allows them to last longer in harsh environments, and they’re more versatile, with the ability to use a pressure measurement to output more variables than ever before. Pressure transmitters have traditionally used an oil-filled metallic diaphragm that separates the measuring cell from the process fluid. These metallic diaphragms are thin and fragile, which leads to quick wear and tear, especially in the harsh environments found in mines. To avoid the constant

Using pressure in creative, new ways Anyone familiar with automation and process measurement instrumentation

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

(Above and below): Using electronic differential pressure to track level in flotation cells requires fewer shutdowns for maintenance

the surface where a froth is created. That froth is then raked off for further processing. Maintaining a consistent and accurate froth level is of the utmost importance to operating efficiently. If the froth is too low, mines are missing out on some of those precious metals. If the froth is too high, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using too many of the expensive chemicals required to make the froth. Finding and maintaining the ideal froth level

â&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

is where a density-compensated level system comes into play. These froth flotation cells have been notoriously difficult to measure an accurate level. Many mining operations had been using a flotation ball, elevated target, and an ultrasonic sensor to monitor the froth level, but this primitive way of tracking continuous level was overwhelmed with difficulties. For starters, the agitated surface of the

flotation cell resulted in rapid elevation changes of the target attached to the ball. Plus, the float would frequently become stuck in the sticky froth, and maintenance to unstick the float and clean it off became routine. The density-compensated level system using electronic differential pressure manages to overcome all the challenges mines previously faced. This new solution lowers maintenance costs and

vega using technology to automate mining processes

Less radiation reaches the detector as the medium blocks the source, and the detector infers a level measurement. The same principle applies for density and mass flow measurements

Measuring the movement of material

provides a higher reliability, instilling confidence in operators and increasing throughput and overall efficiency. VEGA was able to improve mining operations around the world by pioneering a new measurement concept using one of the oldest measurement technologies around.

Radiometric: A non-contact solution

Radiometric technology is right at home in abrasive and volatile environments that are otherwise unforgiving to other process measurement instrumentation, and in mining, these challenging applications are all too common. As a whole, radiometric technology is used to measure continuous level, point level, percent solids in pipes, and the mass flow of bulk solids, but mines around the world mostly use this technology as a way to measure percent solids and mass flow without interfering with the process. Radiometric sensors consist of two parts: a source and a detector. The source is a low-intensity isotope housed inside a steel or lead-lined source holder, which collimates the gamma energy, so it is directed at the detector mounted on the opposite side. Both parts of the sensor are mounted completely external to the process it’s measuring. This results in an easy, non-invasive installation, and it makes any wear and tear on the instrumentation nearly non-existent. The number and size of sources and

The MiniTrac 31 is mounted completely externally and provides a percent solids output to operators, so total throughput can be maximized

detectors will vary from application to application, but how a measurement is achieved works the same. The source is constantly emitting gamma energy aimed at the detector. As mass increases in the process, less radiation reaches the detector, and when mass decreases, more radiation reaches the detector. The internal electronics use the gamma reading to infer a measurement. This principle applies to both percent solids and bulk flow measurements.

Material being excavated from a mine has to move from one step to the next, and it has to be done as efficiently as possible without interruptions. When it comes to solids, there are two main options. Materials are either mixed with a liquid and sent through a pipe as a slurry or conveyed along a belt. A measurement is needed in these steps to ensure everything moves consistently and efficiently. Getting an accurate measurement in either of these applications has its challenges, but for VEGA’s radiometric technology, these challenges are nothing more than another day at the mine. For any pipe carrying a slurry, too many solids can lead to a blockage followed by an extended shutdown for repairs. Too few solids in the slurry, and the mine is running less efficiently, using the same amount of energy to carry less material between each step in the process. To maximize the amount of solids moving through the mine, operators need to know the percentage of solids in the slurry, and this can be done with a radiometric measurement. Traditional percentage of solids measurement methods are invasive, and installation is time-consuming. However, VEGA’s MiniTrac 31 makes this measurement without altering or cutting the pipe. A source and a detector are externally mounted on opposite sides of the pipe, and the amount World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

The WeighTrac 31 measures bulk flow, and it’s mounted around the conveyor belt for an easy installation

of radiation reaching the detector decreases as the amount of solids inside increases. Knowing this measurement gives operators a look inside the process, enabling them to increase throughput by transporting as much solid material as possible without causing a blockage. Conveyor belts move dry goods, and operators need to use the belt to its highest potential without overwhelming it. Any device measuring the weight of the conveyor or the amount of materials flowing needs to be able to withstand vibrations, falling materials, and dirty

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

environments. Traditional belt scales can measure the weight on the belt, but these instruments require costly and labor-intensive installations. Plus, these same belt scales require regular maintenance and recalibration. Using radiometric technology, operators can still understand the mass flow of solids without a lengthy setup or regular recalibrations. VEGA’s WeighTrac 31 mounts a source over the belt and installs a detector under the belt. This only requires a few bolts to the conveyor frame followed by a simple

calibration. The entire installation is done without ever having to dismantle any section of the conveyor. The WeighTrac 31 source fans out a radiation field across the belt, and as material moves through that field, less radiation reaches the detector. The internal electronics use this gamma reading to infer a bulk flow measurement. These instruments continue to operate like this for years and years with little to no maintenance. This is just one more way measurement sensors give operators a better look at

vega using technology to automate mining processes Having more data available readily and immediately will allow mines to make smarter decisions faster

their process, allowing them to make more informed decisions within the mine.

Mining’s future in Industry 4.0

New and advanced sensor technology has helped mines automate processes, improve efficiency, and save energy. Radar sensors, pressure transmitters, and radiometric detectors helped make that happen, and they’re all a part of the third industrial revolution. The next inevitable step is bringing all of this sensor data together using the industrial internet of things, or IIoT, to make further improvements to efficiency and energy usage. “Industry 4.0,” as it’s being called, will help drive smarter and faster business decisions. IIoT brings smart machines, sensors, advanced analytics, data storage, and people together in one place. The data collected from all these sources within any mining operation is stored in the cloud. Having all this data in once place

allows operations to monitor, collect, share, analyze, and deliver valuable new insights about the systems and processes in real-time. VEGA has already begun making strides to embrace Industry 4.0. VEGA sensors come equipped with digital communication protocols for easier transmission of information to the cloud. These same sensors can provide self-diagnostics with visual codes, and the event memories and historian functions allow users to compare performance over time. Plus, all VEGA sensors can be accessed wirelessly using a secure Bluetooth connection. All of these features are marching toward one inevitable goal – a mine better managed from start to finish.

Embracing technology and adapting to the changes

Technology has changed the face of mining through the course of history. Mines that embraced new technologies

have seen the benefits and flourished, while others who failed to adapt to the changes fell by the wayside. Today’s mines use level, pressure, and density measurements to monitor the various process variables within any single operation. This data gives operators and plant managers a better view of their process, allowing them to make more informed decisions. Intelligently using sensor information allows mines to operate more efficiently, increasing throughput while simultaneously decreasing energy and water usage. At the same time, mines continue to become safer overall. New technology and new ways of doing things will continue to emerge, and mining operations that make the most of these technologies and adapt more quickly will be the mines of the future.

World Mining Magazine

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Chopper Rectiﬁer, 24 Pulse 33 Kv Input: 68KA @322V Output Location: Democratic Republic of Congo

CUSTOM HIGH POWER CHOPPER & THYRISTOR RECTIFIERS ALSO OFFERING CONTROL UPGRADES TO ALL MAKES OF HIGH POWER RECTIFIERS

Dynapower designs and manufactures thyristor and fast-switching IGBT rectiﬁers for applications. These reliable, purpose built rectiﬁers come in

6, 12, 18, and 24 pulse sets with higher order combined systems available. Each multi-pulse arrangement is in an ANSI conﬁguration that is selected

for the voltage/current values of the application. Dynapower uses multi-pulse criteria to reduce the supply-side harmonic content, reduce output DC

ripple, and provide improved regulation. Dynapower’s high power chopper and thyristor rectiﬁers are engineered, designed, manufactured, and tested to internationally recognized standards. Our design and manufacturing capabilities include the complete High Power Transformer Rectiﬁer System — inclusive of fully integrated operator interfaces and control systems for a single unit or entire multi-unit SCADA network. Our chopper and thyristor

rectiﬁers can also be provided with auxiliary equipment , including switchgear, power factor correction, harmonic ﬁlters, heat exchangers, and free-

standing cooling systems. Space-saving, compact IGBT chopper rectifier designs consist of high-frequency switching technology in a modular design package that converts the transformer secondary AC voltage to a regulated output DC voltage. Larger power systems are constructed of multiple chopper modules to obtain the specified current requirements up to 60,000A. Ultra-efficient high power in a small footprint.

Have an existing aging rectiﬁer you’d like to extend the life and efﬁciency of with modern digital controls? We can help with a cost-effective controls

upgrade to modern digital controls. Our upgrades are designed, built and tested in on our South Burlington, Vermont (USA) facility and shipped directly to site to minimize rectiﬁer downtime during installation. To learn more about new rectiﬁers or control upgrades, please email adiallo@dynapower.com.

WWW.DYNAPOWER.COM/MINING

THYRISTOR RECTIFIER

IGBT CHOPPER RECTIFIER

news

Komatsu to deploy 41 new haul trucks at South Flank

1911 Gold updates exploration results from Rice Lake gold project in Manitoba 1911 Gold Corporation, formerly Havilah Mining Corporation, has provided an update for the 2019 exploration program on its 100 per cent owned properties in the Rice Lake greenstone belt of southeastern Manitoba. The 2019 program is designed to evaluate a number of priority target areas within the company’s extensive land package along the crustal-scale Wanipigow Fault. The initial phase of fieldwork in five project areas has included prospecting, geological mapping, detailed structural analysis, outcrop stripping, channel sampling and verification sampling of historical showings. This phase also included orientation surveys for surficial geochemistry and follow-up multimedia geochemical sampling. “The 2019 field program is producing exciting results from several project areas that were identified from existing datasets and re-evaluated using our updated exploration model,” said Dr Scott Anderson, vice president, exploration. “We look forward to advancing several targets to drillready status and systematically applying our methodology to other, less explored, areas of the Rice Lake belt.” With the positive results obtained from this initial fieldwork, the company expects to drill up to 10,000 metres in Q4 2019 and Q1 2020, focusing on targets identified during the 2019 field season. Work permit applications for surface diamond drilling of eight targets have been submitted to Manitoba Sustainable Development and are currently pending. The company will also continue to refine projectscale targets in ‘greenfields’ portions of the Rice Lake belt.

omatsu is raising its profile in Western Australia with a contract for an unprecedented 41 new model Komatsu 930E-5 ultra-class haul trucks, made autonomous ready, to be deployed at BHP’s new South Flank iron ore mine in the Pilbara, commencing in October 2019. “People powered technology is our central philosophy at Komatsu, and it’s this people first approach to technology that we feel we share with BHP,” said Sean Taylor, Komatsu Australia’s CEO and Managing Director. “Komatsu focuses on autonomous technology driven job creation, with focus on safety, diversity, upskilling and an innovative flexible work force that marries our people’s needs with business goals. This is our blueprint for the future.” Komatsu has a history in the Pilbara, having been the major truck supplier to Rio Tinto for some years. BHP has previously ordered Caterpillar equipment, so this order is a major change for them. Komatsu says it is committed to employing local Western Australian workers to support the workforce needs of the fleet for the BHP South Flank mine site. Technicians, apprentices, mechanics, electricians and boiler maker welders, plus more roles will be recruited, adding job opportunities for the local Western Australian workforce in both full time and part time capacities.

Pacton Gold plans 10,000 metre drill program at Red Lake Gold Project On the verge of commencing a 10,000 metre exploration drill program at its Red Lake Gold project in northwest Ontario, Pacton Gold has chosen its first priority target area at the Boyden prospect. Pacton geologists have collected surface grab samples there returning values including 19.0 g/t Au, 23.3 g/t Au and 126.5 g/t Au. Historic sampling in the prospect area also includes 6.0 g/t Au and 147.4 g/t Au. The drill program is scheduled to begin within the next month. After it received an exploration drilling permit in August, Pacton field crews are currently stripping and preparing drill sites in the Boyden area. The team is also in the final stages of clearing historic trenches and pits, as well as outcrop stripping, in other key areas of the property in order to prioritize further drill targets. The Boyden prospect lies within the Madsen-Dixie fault corridor, a 50 km long multi-fault zone that transects Pacton’s Red Lake property. The area has had limited historic exploration work including trenching and pitting with eight historic drill holes ranging from 20 to 200 meters depth. Red Lake is among the most famous mining districts in Canada, however, being home to mines owned by Newmont Goldcorp, among others. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Moisture Measurement from La to Line

INSTANTLY INCREASE PROFITS & REDUCE WASTE:

Moisture measurement is very important during mineral processing from mining to the end product. Small variations and excess moisture in mixes can result in clumping, affecting quality and consistencies. Achieve cost savings in energy & fuel with less product waste with MoistTech's IR3000 NIR sensor.

Sarasota, FL USA +1 941 727 1800 www.MoistTech.com

Call For a Free Quote

MAGNA TYRES GROUP

PREMIUM QUALITY TYRES

E3/L3

MA01

E3+/L3+

MA02

E4/L4

MA04+

MA04+ GIANT

M-TERRAIN

Magna Tyres Group P.O. Box 436, 5140 AK Waalwijk Phone +31 416 675 220 Elzenweg 7, 5144 MB Waalwijk Fax +31 416 820 037 The Netherlands

L4/L5

MA07

MA08

MA02 SCRAPER

MAGNATYRES.COM info@magnatyres.com

rapidinternational.com

HIGH VOLUME MIXING SOLUTIONS FOR MINING

RAPIDMIX

MOBILE CONTINUOUS MIXING PLANT.

Totally mobile, self-contained, fully weighed high volume mixing plant | Outputs up to 600TPH | Ideal for mine backfill, mine paste, tunnel tailings, findings, concrete paving and more... | RAPID INTERNATIONAL LTD HQ | 96 MULLAVILLY RD, TANDRAGEE, CO. ARMAGH, BT62 2LX | T: +44 (0)2838 840671 | marketing@rapidinternational.com

news

World Gold Council launches Responsible Gold Mining Principles

he World Gold Council, the market development organisation for the gold industry, has announced the launch of its Responsible Gold Mining Principles to recognise and consolidate existing standards and instruments under a single framework. The Principles represent a framework that sets out clear expectations for consumers, investors and the downstream gold supply chain as to what constitutes responsible gold mining, addressing key environmental, social and governance issues which are becoming increasingly important to consumers. Companies implementing the Responsible Gold Mining Principles will be required to obtain external assurance from a third party, independent

assurance provider. This will provide further confidence to purchasers that the gold they buy is responsibly mined and sourced. Gary Goldberg, CEO of Newmont Goldcorp, who oversaw this initiative on behalf of the Board of the World Gold Council, said: “Adherence to strong environmental, social and governance principles should be a key part of any responsible gold mining business and, as such, the members of the World Gold Council have collaborated, along with key industry stakeholders, to develop the Responsible Gold Mining Principles. “It is my hope that these Principles will be widely adopted, not only by member companies, but by the industry more broadly.” Terry Heymann, Chief Financial

Officer of the World Gold Council, said: “It is our aim that the Responsible Gold Mining Principles reinforce trust in gold and the gold mining industry. Consumers, investors and the downstream gold supply chain will be able to know, with confidence, that their gold has been responsibly sourced. The Principles incorporate feedback from more than 200 organisations and individuals over two rounds of consultation and are designed to support the efficient operation of the gold market.” The Principles can be accessed at https:// www.gold.org/about-gold/gold-supply/ responsible-gold/responsible-goldmining-principles World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

SAFETY, STRENGTH, AND SIMPLICITY JUST GOT EASIER. IVE NEW! DIRST ASSssman for Bo

LIFTING SOLUTIONS

MENT COMMIT TY TO SAFE

SPECIALTY APPLICATION

Get a quote online!

duffnortonairmotorjacks.com (406) 252-4294 P (406) 252-4812 F 2111 4th Ave N Billings, MT 59101

PHOENOCORD速 Steel-cord conveyor belts

PHOENOPIPE速 Closed conveyor belts

PHOENIX CONVEYOR BELT SYSTEMS We have the right solution for your challenges. For top performance, endurance and economy. PHOENIX CONVEYOR BELT SYSTEMS GMBH 21079 Hamburg, Germany | Phone +49-40-7667-03 E-mail info@phoenix-cbs.com | www.phoenix-conveyorbelts.com

PHX-MiningMagazine_190x131,5mm-RZ.indd 1

POLYFLEX速 Textile conveyor belts

PHOENOGUARD速 PX Continous conveyor belt monitoring

Extreme Conveyor Belt Solutions

01.12.16 16:44

news Near surface, high-grade gold zone discovered at Las Conchitas

ako Mining Corp has reported the discovery of the Bayacun Zone in the Las Conchitas area of its San Albina-Murra property in Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua. Six drill holes, totalling 314 m, were drilled around the historic Bayacun mine, approximately three kilometres south of the San Albino gold project, which is currently under construction. All six holes encountered gold mineralization, with the occurrence of visible gold in several of them. Further drilling is planned for later this year, to confirm whether the Bayacun Zone connects to surrounding zones which could significantly expand the strike and dip of the Las Conchitas area. The six drill holes mark the first modern exploration work in this area. The company had previously sampled

what appeared to be a historic stockpile near a tunnel in 2012 which returned 34.90 g/t Au and 42.4 g/t Ag. Limited underground production occurred at the historic Bayacun mine until the early 1900s, with the extracted material being transported further south to the nearby El Golfo mill for processing. The mill, along with the historic El Golfo

Horizon Minerals swaps assets with Northern Star Resources

orizon Minerals has reached agreement with Northern Star Resources on a tenement exchange in the Western Australian Goldfields for nil cash consideration. The transaction would see Horizon divest its 100% interest in the Anthill, Blister Dam, New Mexico, White Flag and Kanowna North tenements and acquire 100% interest in Northern Star’s Rosehill, Brilliant North and Gunga West projects in Coolgardie and the Golden Ridge, Balagundi, Abattoir and Mt Monger projects in Kalgoorlie.

“For Horizon, it adds contiguous tenure to the Boorara Gold Project area in Kalgoorlie and additional strategic assets in Coolgardie including the Rose Hill-Brilliant North tenements which give us the ability to unlock the full value of the Coolgardie Gold Project”

mine, are located within Mako’s El Jicaro concession, an area which the company plans to drill for the first time later this year. “Discoveries are the lifeblood of all mining companies,” said Akiba Leisman, CEO of Mako. “The fact that Mako has been able to deliver these kinds of results where only a single drill rig is focused on step-out exploration is a testament to our geological team and their increasing understanding of our rare, near surface orogenic gold belt. “This bodes very well for later in the year when the company plans to move the four drill rigs currently focused on infill drilling at San Albino to Las Conchitas and the numerous unexplored targets throughout the company’s 138 square kilometre land package.” Horizon managing director Jon Price called it a “sensible transaction” between Horizon and Northern Star that places assets within each company’s areas of interest. “For Horizon, it adds contiguous tenure to the Boorara Gold Project area in Kalgoorlie and additional strategic assets in Coolgardie including the Rose Hill-Brilliant North tenements which give us the ability to unlock the full value of the Coolgardie Gold Project.” The assets are also contiguous with Focus Minerals’ Coolgardie Gold Project, which Horizon is working to acquire. The development of the Brilliant North project area has been impeded in the past due to fragmented ownership of the leases and this consolidation transaction is consistent with Horizon’s intentions in the Coolgardie region. Should the tenement swap with Northern Star and the potential acquisition of the Coolgardie Gold Project both complete, Horizon will solely hold the key to developing 100% of the Rose HillBrilliant north gold project area where other parties cannot. The tenement exchange agreement is expected to complete in the December quarter 2019.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Answers on the wind!

What is the ideal windfence porosity? Start

Is the fence a temporary reqirement?

The most important part of any windfence is the fabric. It needs to be durable, reliable, and it needs to work! The fabric effectiveness is tied to it’s aerodynamic porosity – that is the porosity that the wind “sees”. All WeatherSolve fabrics are laboratory tested for aerodynamic porosity as their rating is different than, for example, a simple shade measurement of porosity. On this page you can see the thought process through to see how your fabric is chosen. For large fences this process is supplemented with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis for the very best design optimization.

Yes

Choose the more porous fabrics such as 70% and 80% aerodynamic porosity. This gives a modest reduction in wind speed over a greater distance, but still reduces loads on the protected zone by about half. The loads on the structure are also minimized which reduces the structural cost.

Choose mid-range porosity fabric such as 30% to 50% aerodynamic porosity. These fabrics are in the sweet spot for effectiveness as they allow enough air to pass to minimize downwind turbulence, but still give excellent shelter and excellent dust control.

A fabric of 40% aerodynamic porosity will reduce loading of the upper part of the fence.

On the lower part of a fence a lower 24% aerodynamic porosity is appropriate. There is more dust to trap and the load will be lower.

The ideal cladding fabric for these situations is usually the 24% porosity. It is porous enough to allow the enclosure to breathe, but still trap nearly all dust inside it.

A temporary fence is for situations where the reason for the fence will be short lived such as a construction site or a portable fence where the location may change frequently. These fences still need to be designed to meet agreed wind loads.

When installing a purpose built structure it is important to consider the loads generated from fabric choice and location.

24% No

What is the primary purpose?

47%

Primarily for storm damage?

Wind Protection

Dust Control

Downwind wide area?

Is the fabric for the upper or lower part of the fence?

Where is the fence in relation to the dust?

Close to it and possibly surrounding it

Yes

Upwind wide area?

2 Is the supporting structure designed for cladding?

Upper

Lower

Yes

We care about what we promise

2A - 27355 Gloucester Way Langley, BC, Canada, V4W 3Z8 T: +1 604.607.7781 TF: 800.749.2201 F: +1 604.909.1914 E: fabric@weathersolve.com www.weathersolve.com

Discover more, email: fabric@weathersolve.com

Friends

2,000-lb. Worm Duster

of Mining

Personnel Carrier

Belt Winder

Filters

Electric Constant Tension Winch

Bulk Rock Duster Locomotive

Mobile Base Fan

Scoop Flinger Supply

Low Boy Carrier

Rock Dust Storage Bin

Shield Carrier

Diesel Personnel Carrier

Customer Focused Mining Equipment Application Solutions Depend on Irwin Mine and Tunneling Supply for your conveyor belt equipment, mine ventilation, material handling, rock dust application & storage and process filtration solutions.

Our manufacturing operations at 70,000 square-foot facilities in Irwin, PA, (near Pittsburgh) and Blairsville, PA, along with stocking warehouses in Waynesburg, PA; Beckley, WV; West Frankfort, IL; Blairsville, PA: Big Rock, VA and distributors in Huntington, UT, and Warrior, AL, allow us to give you fast service. Call Dave Colussi at 705-522-9005, e-mail dcolussi@irwincar.com or visit www.irwincar.com

With 120 years of mining equipment experience and proven performance to minimize operating costs, Irwin Mine and Tunneling Supply is committed to understand and provide the equipment tailored to your specific application requirements. CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 9953 Broadway · P.O. Box 409 · Irwin, PA 15642 Phone: 724-864-8900 · Fax: 724-864-8909

www.irwincar.com

news

Blue Sky Uranium reports survey results at uranium-vanadium project

lue Sky Uranium Corp has reported near-surface mineralization at its whollyowned Amarillo Grande uraniumvanadium project in Rio Negro Province, Argentina. Exploration activities have also identified geophysical, geological and alteration patterns comparable with those associated with the company’s Ivana uranium-vanadium deposit at the Ivana Central target, as a result of initial induced polarization (IP) geophysical surveying and ongoing auger drilling. “These initial results enhance our confidence in the potential for discovery at Ivana Central,” said Nikolaos Cacos, Blue Sky President & CEO. “These compiled results from multiple techniques have revealed near surface anomalies covering an area measuring 3 by 8 kilometres which is open in all directions. These targets will be tested with an initial drilling program focused

on identifying significant near-surface uranium discoveries similar to the Ivana deposit.” Since the release of its Preliminary Economic Assessment on 27 February 2019, Blue Sky has been continuing its exploration efforts to delineate additional high-potential targets for RC drilling with ongoing auger drilling, pit sampling and IP surveying programs. The ongoing auger drilling program will be complemented with further

IP geophysics surveying at the Ivana Central and Ivana North targets, followed up by a targeted reverse circulation drilling program aimed at identifying new uranium-vanadium deposits, which is expected to be completed this fall. The Amarillo Grande UraniumVanadium Project is a new uranium district controlled by Blue Sky. The Ivana deposit is the cornerstone of the project and the first part of the district for which both a Mineral Resource Estimate and a Preliminary Economic Assessment have been completed. The project includes several other target areas over a regional trend, at or near surface. The area is flat-lying, semiarid and accessible year-round, with nearby rail, power and port access. The company’s strategy includes delineating resources at multiple areas for which a central processing facility could consolidate production.

Canasil completes field exploration work at the Vega Project in British Columbia

anasil Resources Inc has announced the completion of its 2019 field exploration work including geological mapping, rock sampling and soil geochemical sampling at the company’s 100 per cent owned Vega copper-gold property in northcentral British Columbia, Canada. The field work included extensive coverage within the project area to evaluate targets thought prospective for copper-gold porphyry-style mineralization and builds upon past project data that includes airborne aeromagnetic and LiDAR surveys. Over 300 soil samples were collected along 30 line-kilometres of contour soil survey lines and these have now been sent for analysis. Exploration interest in the region of the Vega Project has increased significantly in 2019. Several property option agreements have been signed by

“The Vega project covers a large highly prospective area located on a wellrecognized trend for hosting important coppergold porphyry deposits in north central British Columbia,”

other companies, staking has increased and numerous exploration initiatives are underway in the area. “The Vega project covers a large highly prospective area located on a wellrecognized trend for hosting important copper-gold porphyry deposits in north central British Columbia,” said Bahman Yamini, President of Canasil. “The 2019 field work is a major step forward in understanding the geology of the project area and to refine the targets outlined by previous exploration, including the airborne magnetics and LiDAR surveys. The initial alteration signatures observed are very encouraging and we look forward to the soil sample results.” Canasil is a Canadian mineral exploration company with a portfolio of 100 per cent owned silver-goldcopper-lead-zinc projects in Durango and Zacatecas States, Mexico, as well as British Columbia. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Manufacturer and Service provider for the Bulk Material Handling & M

Mineral Processing Industry

Wear & Abrasion Solutions RHINO®

THOR®

Mill Liners

Liners – Rubber, Ceramic, PU

WARDOG®

CERALINE®

Sheeting for Wet Abrasion

Ceramic Tiled Sheeting

GRATOR®

ANAKONDA®

Screen Panels – Rubber, PU

Hoses & Piping

TWISTER®

Cyclone & Pump Liners

www.thejo-engg.com marketing@thejo-engg.com

Reliable Flowrox Pumping Solutions For transferring, dosing and metering ● ● ● ● ●

High pumping efficiency Low energy consumption Pump up to 80 % solids Save up to 40 % energy Capability to pump 24/7

Don’t worry about overheating even at high continuous flow rates due to the roller design that minimizes friction and heat.

CE 197 SIN

R O X.C

ASK FOR MORE: +358 201 113 311 / 888-356-9797 (US) sales@flowrox.com

IIoT Connecting Your Equipment: ● Enhance your process performance with Flowrox Digital Services ● Flowrox MalibuTM enables online monitoring of any brand pumps, valves and filters remotely 24/7 with any mobile device / PC

news

Diamond core drilling underway at FireFox’s Mustajärvi Gold Project, Finland

ireFox Gold reports that diamond core drilling has started at its 100 per cent owned Mustajärvi Gold Project in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt, Finland. This phase of drilling consists of nine planned drill holes, with total length of approximately 1,500 metres. The program aims to follow up the highgrade mineralization intersected earlier this year, and to increase the strike length of the mineralization by stepping out beyond the historic mineralization located near the centre of the Mustajärvi property. The first four drill holes will follow up the high-grade gold mineralization intersected during the company´s Phase 1 drilling last winter. Two will target the continuation of this high-grade gold zone another 25m and 50m down dip, respectively. The remaining two holes are planned to test the strike extent of this mineralization 25m east and west. The fifth hole will test the continuation of mineralization encountered in two historical Outokumpu drill holes, one of which intersected 2.7m @ 14.6 g/t Au. Drill hole six will be an attempt to duplicate an Outokumpu hole that intersected 12m @ 2.7 g/t Au despite suffering severe core loss up to 50 per cent due to faulting and fracturing. The aim of these holes is to better understand the true width and grades of the near-surface mineralization. The remaining three holes are stepout holes further away from the central Mustajärvi mineralization. The observed gold mineralization, structural setting and work to date support the potential for a high-grade orogenic gold deposit on the Mustajärvi property.

Funding secured for Australia’s first Aboriginal-owned iron ore producer

ustralian Aboriginal Mining Corporation Pty Ltd is closer to becoming the country’s first Aboriginal-owned iron ore mining company after securing $27.1 million in debt funding for the development of the First Iron Project in the Pilbara. The Commonwealth Government’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) has approved a $12.5 million loan – its first to an iron ore mining project in Australia – to help fund development of First Iron, located 80km north-west of Newman. AAMC will mine the iron ore deposit formerly known as Wonmunna. NAIF’s support has been provided in conjunction with a $14.6 million facility from Westpac Banking Corporation, on standard commercial terms and conditions. The combined $27.1 million support from NAIF and Westpac will be used by AAMC to complete the debtfunding requirements for First Iron. “This is a landmark moment in the development of Australia’s

first Aboriginal-owned iron ore producer and a wonderful milestone for Aboriginal engagement in this country’s mining industry,” said AAMC chairman Daniel Tucker. “We now look forward to continuing our engagement with the WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety to finalise the last remaining approvals as quickly as possible so that we can start construction at First Iron.” First Iron will be a low-cost iron ore operation with an initial mine life of 11 years and substantial opportunities for both ore reserve and life-of-mine growth. AAMC has struck an arms-length deal with Carey Mining, a successful and enduring Aboriginal mining contracting businesses owned by Mr Tucker, to establish a two-milliontonne-per-year mining operation at First Iron. The iron ore will be trucked 190km to Fortescue Metals Group’s Cloudbreak hub. AAMC expects first ore to be delivered to Cloudbreak during Q1 2020.

World Mining Magazine

To promote your company in the next edition of World Mining Magazine please contact Simon Ward at simon@worldminingmagazine.com World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

news Mineral Mountain completes purchase of Standby Mine

ineral Mountain has completed the purchase of the Standby Gold Mine in the Black Hills of South Dakota, from G & D Gold Mining Co. The Standby Property consists of nine contiguous patented claims, and had previously been held in the DeLeo family for over 100 years. The historic mine and mill contributed to much of the town of Rochford’s growth in the late 1800s. “I gave Jim and Gina DeLeo my promise that if we were successful in defining a gold resource for development, we would name the deposit after their grandfather, George Beardshear, a mining engineer and the original owner of the Standby patents,” said Nelson W Baker, President and CEO of Mineral Mountain. Since 2013, Mineral Mountain has continued to expand its land position in the Rochford gold district by professional claim staking and by purchasing strategically located private properties. The company believes that the Rochford Project is vastly under-explored and has the potential to host several district scale gold discoveries. Earlier in September it was announced that Major Drilling, a company experienced in directional drilling technology for the mineral exploration industry, had begun a 4,000m drill program to target historic highgrade gold intersections and extend gold mineralization along the East Limb Shear Structure in iron formation.

SSR Mining completes acquisition of Puna Operations On 18 September 2019, SSR Mining completed the transaction to acquire the remaining 25 per cent interest in Puna Operations Inc from Golden Arrow Resources Corporation. SSR Mining now owns 100 per cent of Puna Operations, in the Jujuy Province of Argentina. Puna Operations comprises the Chinchillas mine and the Pirquitas property, which includes the Pirquitas processing facilities. The Chinchillas mine is a silverlead-zinc deposit, which achieved commercial production in December 2018. It is expected to supply ore to the Pirquitas processing facilities over an eight-year active

mining period. Open pit mining is conducted using conventional drill, blast, truck and loading operations. The ore is transported 40 kilometres to the Pirquitas processing facilities, which produce a silver-lead concentrate and a zinc concentrate that are shipped to international smelters. SSR Mining is a Canadian-based precious metals producer with two other operations, the Marigold gold mine in Nevada in the United States and the Seabee Gold Operation in Saskatchewan, Canada, as well as two feasibility stage projects and a portfolio of exploration properties in North and South America.

Zephyr discovers magnetic anomaly at El Plomo section of Dawson-Green Mountain property

ephyr Minerals has received preliminary data from the recently completed airborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey performed by Balch Exploration Consulting Inc over the Dawson-Green Mountain Property in Colorado, USA. A distinct 1.5 mile long magnetic anomaly immediately south of, and paralleling the mineralized trend, has been identified on the El Plomo section of the property. Broken Hill Type

silver-lead-zinc (Ag-Pb-Zn) deposits can be very magnetic so this anomaly is considered to be a high priority exploration target for drill testing. The east-west trending magnetic anomaly on the El Plomo section is shallow and narrow at its western extent and increases in amplitude and thickness toward the east. Historic drilling in the area intersected narrow widths of high-grade mineralization in four drill holes approximately 60 m

below surface. Loren Komperdo, President & CEO said, "We are pleased with the results of the airborne survey and subject to funding anticipate drill testing targets in the El Plomo section for BHT Ag-Pb-Zn mineralization next summer. We will be looking for structurally thickened zones of the high grade mineralization evident near surface. Success in this effort would be transformative for Zephyr." World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

MAINTENANCE SHOP EQUIPMENT COMPLETE TIRE BAY TOOLS

www.ameintl.net sales@ameintl.net

NEW

TORQIT TORQUE GUN

• Electric and Cordless • Models range from 120 ft/lbs to 3,000 ft/lbs • Digital Programmable Torque

SUPER STACKER CRIBBING

• Tested and Weight-Rated • Designed for OTR Application • Locking Stacks for Sturdy Crib

HIGH TONNAGE MINING JACKS • Designed for Mining and Safety Regulations • Heavy Duty Steel Chassis, Built to Last • Locking Collars and Stand Accessories Available

Mine Site Tool Assessment

• Professional On-Site and Detailed Audit • Troubleshooting and Maintenance Recommendations • Promote Safety and Reduce Injury in Your Shop!

VISIT US ON THE WEB AT WWW.AMEINTL.NET

TO VIEW OUR FULL LINE OF PRODUCTS AND FIND A DISTRIBUTOR NEAR YOU

P U M P S

2 0 0 0

World's First High-Volume Diaphragm Pumps

The Lightweight Dual-Diaphragm Pumps That Outperform and Outlast the Competition Pumps 2000 Yellow Series. Designed for abrasive, solid-laden and corrosive fluids and to create an alternative to heavy, maintenance-intensive diaphragm pumps.

> Less downtime and maintenance – Pays for itself > Dryer mine – Lowers indirect costs

Ask about our

TRIAL PROGRAM

> Lower air consumption – Saves on energy costs > Lightweight – Results in less injury

P50BY- 2"/50mm Ball Valve

> Low noise levels

Designed to Make a Difference

www.pumps2000.com

www.pumps2000america.com

phoenix lighting partnership... in a good light A shared pursuit

In the 1940s, Phoenix teamed up with fellow-Milwaukee manufacturer, P&H. By working together, the two hoped to tackle a long-standing challenge for the mining industry: How can a fragile glass lamp withstand the rigors of these earth moving machines? Shortly after, Phoenix designed and patented the technology to do just that. Now, 75 years later, Phoenix Lighting has continued to put innovations into the market, making mine operators safer and more productive. In that time, Phoenix has formed countless valuable partnerships with industry leaders around the world. Among Phoenix’s most valued partnerships is the one

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

they’ve formed with BHP. These two organizations have joined together in all corners of the world to bring revolutionary developments to mining.

A shared quest for greatness

Both of these companies date back to the 19th century, but their similarities certainly don’t end there. BHP and Phoenix Lighting share comparable approaches to business with respect to their ethical practices, sustainability and dedication to continuous improvement. As lighting continues to move to LED technology, these companies have joined together to support their collective values. An industry that has been relatively stagnant for decades is

now in a new era of increased efficiency, safety and innovation. BHP mine sites around the globe have been quick to explore the benefits that LED lighting has to offer.

Significant BHP Lighting Projects: Mount Arthur, Australia – Coal

One of the first mines Phoenix worked with to incorporate LED technology was Mount Arthur in Australia’s Hunter Valley. The operators at Mount Arthur were eager to take their lighting efficiency to a new high and their carbon footprint to a new

phoenix lighting partnership... in a good light

“Phoenix Lighting has continued to put innovations into the market, making mine operators safer and more productive”

low. They incorporated Phoenix’s original ModCom® LED floodlights to illuminate two electric rope shovels, as well as their workshop and fuel storage facilities. Eight years later, the LED fixtures are still working like the day they were installed – and have required no maintenance.

Cerrejón, Colombia - Coal

Cerrejón was one of the first mines in South America to invest in LED lighting for mobile equipment. Operators have been working with Phoenix over the last three years to gradually retrofit their fleets of haul trucks, bulldozers and hydraulic excavators with its Sturdilite LED fixture. The majority of Cerrejón’s mobile equipment now utilizes LED lighting, and their operators couldn’t be happier with the results. In addition to mobile equipment, Cerrejón has transformed the way it lights its electric rope shovels. Operators are using Phoenix’s newest World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

phoenix lighting partnership... in a good light

LED floodlight – the ModCom® 2 – around the exterior of the shovel and the HDL linear LED fixture in the machine houses. The conveyors at Cerrejón have also been upgraded with 50 of Phoenix’s Conveyo LED fixture. The operators at Cerrejón have recently gone even a step further with regard to safety and innovation by standardizing their fleet of shovels with Phoenix’s Danger Light™ fixtures. These lights project a distinct red beam around the shovel’s perimeter to indicate the area haul trucks should not enter to avoid collisions.

Blackwater Mine, Australia – Coal

Blackwater Coal Mine in the Central Highlands Region of Queensland has been working to set the tone for dragline lighting in Australia. In early

2019, Blackwater proudly completed a full retrofit of the first dragline in Australia with all LED lighting. It’s anticipated that this will be the first of many throughout the region. After testing several fixtures on their equipment over the past two years, the operators at Blackwater ultimately chose Phoenix because its promise of durability and longevity held true. The ModCom 2 provided the maintenancefree lighting they were looking for.

Escondida Mine, Chile – Copper

The operators at Spence Mine in Chile had a unique lighting requirement for their fleet of shovels. The location’s dry air and fine ground composition make for increased dust in the air and, subsequently, lower visibility. In some scenarios, especially for coal mining,

the cooler white of LEDs doesn’t mitigate this challenge. In order to optimize visibility in their high-dust, foggy conditions, they took advantage of Phoenix’s ModCom 2 amber option. The warm, amber light better penetrates the fog and provides Spence Mine with maximized visibility and minimized operator fatigue.

A shared outlook for the future

From the first light fixture to its latest LED innovations, Phoenix has seen a lot in the world of lighting. Throughout the past 75 years, above all else, Phoenix has revered forward-thinking partners like BHP to evolve the conversation about lighting and the mining industry as a whole.

World Mining Magazine

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

â&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

bhp the world’s most valuable mining brand BHP creates long-term shareholder value through the discovery, acquisition, development and marketing of natural resources, with a strategy to own and operate large, long-life, low-cost, expandable, upstream assets diversified by commodity, geography and market

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“Among the world’s top producers of major commodities, including iron ore, metallurgical coal and copper, BHP also has substantial interests in oil, gas and energy coal, primarily in Australia and the Americas” World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

bhp the world’s most valuable mining brand

rand recognition might be an unconventional accolade in an industry which tends to recognise the biggest or the most efficient, but as mining changes to accommodate new technology and social and environmental pressures, successful miners adapt to succeed. For the second year in a row, BHP is the standout brand in mining, according to the 2019 ranking of the Brand Finance Mining, Iron & Steel 25. Following a major rebranding exercise in 2017, BHP has seen a 51 per cent increase in its brand value. In the last twelve months BHP has grown its brand value to $6bn, maintained its AA brand strength rating and held its position as the world’s most valuable and world’s strongest mining brand, as well as Australasia’s most valuable B2B brand. Brand valuation and strategy consultancy, Brand Finance was instrumental in developing the internationally recognised standard on Brand Valuation – ISO 10668, which defines a brand as a marketing-related intangible asset. “In a sector where brand and reputation have been largely ignored, now more than ever, mining companies are realising that branding matters,” says David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance. “BHP is the perfect example of this, using a re-branding exercise to demonstrate its role in Australia’s economy and community, substantially improving its brand value over the last two years.” While branding comes under the umbrella of marketing, there must be substance behind it to give it long term viability, and substance is something BHP has in spades. Among the world’s top producers of major commodities, including iron ore, metallurgical coal and copper, BHP also has substantial interests in oil, gas and energy coal, primarily in Australia and the Americas. BHP lists its corporate purpose as the creation of long-term shareholder value through the discovery, acquisition, development and marketing of natural resources, which it achieves through its strategy to own and operate large, longlife, low-cost, expandable, upstream assets diversified by commodity, geography and market.

IRON

Mention BHP and iron ore immediately comes to mind. It contributes almost half of the company’s gross profit. After a tragic dam failure caused the suspension of operations at the joint venture (with Vale) Samarco mine in Brazil in November 2015, the company’s iron World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

â&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

bhp the world’s most valuable mining brand ore operations are now concentrated in Australia through Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO), often described as a jewel in the BHP crown. If iron ore is important to BHP, it’s vital for Western Australia. In the 2016-17 financial year iron ore accounted for 54 per cent of the total value of the state’s resource production, with Rio Tinto being the other major player. The state has the world’s largest reserves of iron ore with 29 per cent, followed by Brazil with 19 per cent, Russia with 15 per cent and China with 12 per cent. The bulk of Western Australian ore (82 per cent) is exported to China, followed by Japan with 9 per cent and South Korea with 6 per cent. WAIO is an integrated system of four processing hubs and five mines, connected by more than 1,000 kilometres of rail infrastructure and two separate port facilities in the Pilbara region of northern Western Australia. At each mining hub – Newman, Yandi, Mining Area C and Jimblebar – ore from mines is crushed, beneficiated where necessary, and blended to create high-grade haematite lump and fines products. Iron ore products are then transported along the Port Hedland– Newman Rail Line to the Finucane Island and Nelson Point port facilities at Port Hedland. WAIO’s Pilbara reserve base is relatively concentrated, allowing development to be planned around integrated mining hubs which are connected to the mines and satellite orebodies by conveyors or spur lines. This approach enables the value of installed infrastructure to be maximised by using the same processing plant and rail infrastructure for a number of orebodies.

South Flank

In June 2018 the BHP board approved capital expenditure of US$2.9 billion (BHP’s share) for the South Flank iron ore project in the central Pilbara, 75 miles northwest of Newman and approximately 5 miles to the south of the company’s existing Mining Area C operation. The South Flank project will fully replace production from the 80 Mtpa Yandi mine which is reaching the end of its economic life. The South Flank deposit itself is vast

– 26 kilometres long, and requiring significant mining infrastructure and operations. Simon Thomas, South Flank Project Director, said the project means hundreds of local jobs and billions of dollars flowing into the Western Australian economy. “We’ve committed a huge $2.1 billion in contract awards so far, with 78 per cent of work committed for completion in Western Australia – more than half of which will be Pilbarabased,” said Thomas. The South Flank project involves construction of an 80 Mtpa crushing and screening plant, an overland conveyor system, stockyard and train loading facilities, procurement of new mining fleet and substantial mine development and pre-strip work. First ore from South Flank is targeted in the 2021 calendar year, with the project expected to produce ore for more than 25 years. Set to be one of the world’s largest iron ore hubs, the South Flank project is currently a quarter way through its schedule. “It’s pretty exciting,” said Thomas. “We’re creating something big. South Flank will be the largest iron ore mining and processing facility built in more than 50 years of iron ore mining in the Pilbara. We’re also integrating the latest advances in autonomous-ready fleets, digital connectivity and modular design.” As in the other JVs which form part of WAIO, BHP has an 85 per cent interest in South Flank, with ITOCHU Minerals

and Energy of Australia and Mitsui Iron Ore Corporation collectively owning the remaining 15 per cent. “Over the past five years at Western Australia Iron Ore, we lifted plant and equipment performance to well above design capacity of 240 million tonnes a year,” said CEO Andrew Mackenzie. “In total, we have increased production by 20 per cent and reduced costs by 50 per cent. We are now the lowest cost iron ore producer and have plans to go lower, as we work towards 290 million tonnes per year on a sustainable basis.”

COAL

BHP’s Australian coal assets are on the other side of the country in Queensland and New South Wales. Its coal business produces thermal coal primarily for use in the electric power generation industry and high quality hard coking coal for use in the international and domestic steel industry. With operations strategically located in areas with seaborne access, the business delivers logistical advantages to its customers. BHP has access to dedicated deep-water ports allowing the use of large capacity vessels to further build on regional logistic advantages. Queensland Coal comprises the 50/50 BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and BHP Mitsui Coal (BMC) assets in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland. BMA is Australia’s largest coal producer and supplier of seaborne metallurgical coal. It is owned 50:50 by BHP and World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Mitsubishi Development. BMA operates seven Bowen Basin mines (Goonyella Riverside, Broadmeadow, Daunia, Peak Downs, Saraji, Blackwater and Caval Ridge) and owns and operates the Hay Point Coal Terminal near Mackay. With the exception of the Broadmeadow underground longwall operation, BMA’s mines are open-cut, using draglines and truck and shovel fleets for overburden removal. BMC owns and operates two open-cut metallurgical coal mines in the Bowen Basin – South Walker Creek Mine and Poitrel Mine. BMC is owned by BHP (80 per cent) and Mitsui and Co (20 per cent). South Walker Creek Mine is located on the eastern flank of the Bowen Basin, 35 kilometres west of the town of Nebo and 132 kilometres west of the Hay Point port facilities. Poitrel Mine is situated southeast of the town of Moranbah and began open-cut operations in October 2006. In its annual results to the end of June 2019, BHP says that autonomous truck hauling remains in feasibility across its Queensland Coal sites and its Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) operations, with potentially over 500 trucks being automated. The company says that safety

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

incidents with automated trucks are down by over 80 per cent and that it expects to make investment decisions by the end of 2019. “As part of our transformation program, we expect the gradual deployment of autonomous trucks at our Australian coal and iron ore sites to unlock further efficiencies,” said Andrew Mackenzie, CEO, in the investor briefing. “A decision to proceed with our first deployment at Queensland Coal’s Goonyella Mine is expected to be made by the end of next month.” New South Wales Energy Coal consists of the Mt Arthur Coal open-cut energy coal mine in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales. The site produces coal for domestic and international customers in the energy sector. BHP continues to optimise the mine design by re-opening the Ayredale pit to gain earlier access to a higher margin resource over the next decade. It has also constructed multiple elevated roadways to reduce haulage cycle times and increase productivity.

Cerrejón

In addition to its Australian operations, there are thermal coal operations in

South Africa, the United States and South America. In Colombia, BHP has a one-third interest in Cerrejón, which owns, operates and markets one of the world’s largest open-cut export energy coal mines, in the La Guajira province. Unique in Colombia, Cerrejón also owns and operates integrated rail and port facilities, through which the majority of production is exported to customers in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. BHP’s coal business has delivered over US$3 billion of productivity gains since 2012. Cerrejón is owned in equal parts by subsidiaries of the international mining companies BHP, Anglo American and Glencore. The mine produces over 32 million tonnes of thermal coal a year and has estimated reserves of over five billion tonnes.

COPPER

Copper is an important metal in the BHP portfolio. In Chile, BHP operates and owns 57.5 per cent of the Escondida mine, a leading producer of copper. Located in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Escondida is a copper porphyry deposit that also produces gold and silver.

bhp the world’s most valuable mining brand

Following the commissioning of the Escondida Water Supply project and ramp-up of the Los Colorados Concentrator in the September 2017 quarter, Escondida’s two open-cut mines feed three concentrator plants (which use grinding and flotation technologies to produce copper concentrate), as well as two leaching operations (oxide and sulphide). A new desalination plant, opened in April 2018, is another important step forward in Escondida’s water strategy. Construction of the plant required an investment of US$3,430 million. This included two 42" pipelines to transport the water to 3,200 metres above sea level, four high-pressure pumping stations, a reservoir at the mine and high-voltage electricity infrastructure to operate the system. To ensure the electricity for pumping the water, BHP awarded a long-term contract for the development of the Kelar Power Plant, which was originally designed to use coal but was converted into a combined-cycle natural gas plant in order to have energy from a cleaner source. Daniel Malchuk, President of BHP Minerals Americas, asserted that “this

plant reflects our deeply held belief that it is possible to practise sustainable mining, which is both an ethical imperative and a fundamental condition for the business. In Chile, we aspire to cease using fresh water altogether as from 2030. We have progressed in this transition and will continue to do so gradually over the next ten years.”

Pampa Norte

BHP has another two operations in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Spence and Cerro Colorado, collectively known as Pampa Norte. In June 2018 BHP agreed to sell the relatively small Cerro Colorado copper mine to private equity manager EMR Capital, but the deal collapsed in December when the buyer could not meet the financial terms of the agreement. The mine has approval to operate until 2023, and will remain in the Pampa Norte division, but will need a new environmental agreement to operate beyond that. Spence, on the other hand, is undergoing a major expansion. The Spence copper cathode operation commenced production in December 2006. In August 2017 BHP announced approval of capital expenditure of

US$2.46 billion for the Spence Growth Option (SGO), which will extend the mine life by more than 50 years. In the first 10 years of operation, incremental production from SGO will be approximately 185 ktpa of payable copper in concentrate and 4 ktpa of payable molybdenum, with first production expected in the 2021 financial year. “Execution of the Spence Growth Option will create long-term value for shareholders in one of our preferred commodities,” said CEO Andrew Mackenzie. “SGO has been extensively studied and we have made significant improvements to project cost and design so that it is able to compete in our portfolio of attractive development options.” The SGO project will draw on experience developed in the construction of the Organic Growth Project 1 concentrator and desalination plant at Escondida, and create up to 5,000 jobs during the construction phase. The project includes the design, engineering and construction of a conventional large-scale sulphide concentrator for both copper and molybdenum with a 95 ktpd nominal World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

ore throughput capacity. In addition, SGO will require a new 1,000 litre per second desalination plant located at Mejillones Bay and a 154 km water pipeline from the plant to the Spence mine site. These will be built and operated by a third party under a build, own, operate and transfer contract. Also in South America, BHP owns 33.75 per cent of Antamina, a large, low-cost copper and zinc mine in north central Peru. Antamina by-products include molybdenum and lead/bismuth concentrate and small amounts of silver.

Olympic Dam

The jewel in the crown of BHP’s copper operations, is, however, Olympic Dam in Australia. Located 560 kilometres north of Adelaide, South Australia, it holds one of the world’s largest deposits of copper, gold and uranium and also has a significant deposit of silver. Olympic Dam is made up of underground and surface operations and operates a fully integrated processing facility from ore to metal. The underground mine is made up of more than 450 kilometres of underground roads and tunnels. Ore mined underground is hauled by an automated train system to crushing,

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

storage and ore hoisting facilities. The processing plant consists of two grinding circuits in which highquality copper concentrate is extracted from sulphide ore through a flotation extraction process. Olympic Dam has a fully integrated metallurgical complex with a grinding and concentrating circuit, a hydrometallurgical plant incorporating solvent extraction circuits for copper and uranium, a copper smelter, a copper refinery and a recovery circuit for precious metals. In February 2018, BHP announced it was ramping up to full production after an investment of more than AU$350 million. The maintenance and upgrade of the company’s surface operations was the largest planned shutdown project ever undertaken at the mine. The project to upgrade the smelter began in August 2017 and ran for over 100 days. BHP also carried out major upgrade works on the refinery, concentrator, other key infrastructure and site technology. Smelting operations resumed in late 2017 with the first anode cast from the flash furnace in December. In December last year, BHP said it had identified a potential new iron oxide, copper, gold (IOCG) mineralised system, 40 miles south east of Olympic

Dam. In June this year, BHP successfully completed its heap leach research and development trial, confirming the viability of the technology to extract copper, uranium, gold and silver at Olympic Dam. The program began in 2012 and was conducted at a purposebuilt, small-scale heap leach facility at Wingfield run by Bureau Veritas, under direction from BHP and with support from the South Australian Government.

NICKEL

BHP is one of the world’s largest nickel miners, the fifth largest refined nickel producer and a global supplier of nickel to the stainless steel industry. Nickel West is a fully integrated mine-to-market nickel business with over 3500 employees and contractors. All nickel operations (open-cut and underground mines, concentrators, a smelter and refinery) are located in Western Australia. Low-grade disseminated sulphide ore is mined from Mt Keith, a large open-pit operation. The ore is crushed and processed on-site to produce nickel concentrate. Highgrade nickel sulphide ore is mined at Cliffs and Leinster underground mines and Rocky’s Reward open-pit mine. The

bhp the world’s most valuable mining brand

ore is processed through a concentrator and dryer at Leinster. Nickel West’s concentrator plant in Kambalda processes ore and concentrate purchased from third parties. The three streams of nickel concentrate come together at the Nickel West Kalgoorlie smelter, a vital part of the integrated business. The smelter uses a flash furnace to smelt concentrate to produce nickel matte. Nickel West Kwinana then refines granulated nickel matte from the Kalgoorlie smelter into premium-grade nickel powder and briquettes containing 99.8 per cent nickel. Nickel matte and metal are exported to overseas markets via the Port of Fremantle. Over 75 per cent of BHP’s nickel is now sold to global battery material suppliers. A nickel sulphate plant is currently under construction at the Kwinana Nickel Refinery which will produce nickel sulphate, a product used in the lithiumion batteries that power electric vehicles. First production from the nickel sulphate plant is expected at the end of FY2019, while BHP continues to explore options for a Stage 2, 200 kt nickel sulphate facility. Test work also continues on a cobalt sulphate circuit plant at the Kwinana Nickel Refinery.

PETROLEUM

Over the past 40 years BHP has produced oil and gas from its Bass Strait operations, located between 25 and 80 kilometres off the southeastern coast of the Australian state of Victoria. In December 2018 BHP announced approval to develop the western dome of the Barracouta (West Barracouta) gas field in the Bass Strait. The investment of approximately AUD$200 million (BHP

share) is in line with the company’s commitment to meeting Eastern Australian gas demand and maximising resource value. The project will see the development of one of the largest remaining sweet gas reservoirs in Bass Strait, through a two well brownfield tieback into existing Gippsland Basin Joint Venture infrastructure. “The West Barracouta project is an important investment, underpinned by strong economics and rates of return, that will unlock a high quality, new gas resource and help offset Bass Strait production decline at a vital time for the east coast market,” said Graham Salmond, General Manager BHP Petroleum Australia. “We are also assessing other potential development opportunities in the Bass Strait to bring new supply to the domestic market.” The West Barracouta development is expected to achieve first gas from 2021 and demonstrates the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture’s commitment to Bass Strait as a substantial contributor in meeting future domestic gas demand. “BHP is actively engaging with a diverse range of customers for future Bass Strait gas supply,” added Salmond. BHP and Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd each have a 50 per cent interest in the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture.

POTASH

BHP holds mineral rights in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Its 100 per cent owned Jansen Potash Project, about 140 kilometres east of Saskatoon, is believed to be one of the world’s best undeveloped potash projects. Jansen’s large resource endowment provides the opportunity to develop it in stages, with anticipated

initial capacity of 4 Mtpa. Through 2018, the company’s focus was on the safe excavation and preliminary lining of two 7.3-metre diameter shafts. Excavation of both the service shaft and the production shaft was completed by the end of August 2018, at a depth of 1,005 metres and 975 metres respectively. Both shafts reached potash in the Upper and Lower Patience Lake formations during FY2018. Jansen is intended to mine the Lower Patience Lake formation, which lies between 935 metres and 940 metres. In June 2018, the board approved further funding to cover support services at the site, upping the approved investment for the current scope of work to US$2.7 billion. Future work will include installing watertight composite concrete and steel final liners in both shafts. BHP continues to assess how to reduce risk and unlock value as it completes the shafts. At the end of FY2018, the current scope of work was 79 per cent complete. In the meantime, BHP is considering multiple options to maximise the value of Jansen, including further improvements to capital efficiency, optimisation of design and diluting its interest by bringing in a partner. An unrivalled portfolio of high quality growth opportunities will ensure BHP continues to meet the changing needs of its customers and the demand for resources of emerging economies at every stage of their growth. The diversification of the BHP portfolio continues to be its defining attribute.

World Mining Magazine

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Wabtec gains momentum in mining industries

abtec’s recent merger with GE Transportation created one of the world’s largest public rail equipment companies with robust offerings of mining equipment, marine, stationary power, drill and industrial solutions. GE Transportation has been solving the world’s toughest mining challenges for more than 70 years. The team is dedicated to transforming the mining industry by doing what the company does best — developing leading sustainable technologies to build, power and move the world. As global demands for energy and raw materials continue to grow, mining companies face ever-increasing challenges to bring these resources to market in an environmentally conscious way. To help mines achieve success, GE Transportation, now a Wabtec Company, is committed to being the preferred global supplier of premium electric drive systems.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

wabtec momentum in mining Optimized Integrated Electric Drive Systems In both propulsion and retarding, GE Transportation’s Integrated Electric Drive Systems outperform other drives of equivalent payloads. In the past 15 years, the company has delivered over 6000 drive systems, four times the closest competitor. The product line spans the 100T-400T range and reduces cost/ton over the operational life of the equipment by offering the following benefits: • • • •

“The team is dedicated to transforming the mining industry by doing what the company does best — developing leading sustainable technologies to build, power and move the world”

Faster on the level and on grade. Greater retarding range, including a continuous retarding capability to near zero speed. Fewer high-service components and longer component life. Lower operating and life cycle costs with improved horsepower utilization, reduced maintenance and enhanced tire life.

Reliable performance in the world’s most extreme conditions

The integrated electric drive systems are found working in mines around the world from Australia to Zambia, helping mines extract precious gems, minerals and metals. They operate between -60 degrees and 49 degrees Celsius. Field-proven to outperform mechanical drives, GE Transportation’s expertise in high torque inverter control was born from its locomotive pedigree. The gear design expertise, manufacturing and application expertise for mining electric drives have resulted in robust, highly reliable systems across a variety of application. Deployed worldwide in haul trucks facing extremes of temperature, humidity, elevation, terrain and wind, these rugged and reliable electric drive systems are built to withstand the toughest applications in the harshest environments.

Parts, Repair, & Remanufacturing

Optimizing production and costs (cost/ton), is part of the daily operations of mining companies worldwide. Key performance indicators, such as availability, utilization, tons per hour, mean time between failure, mean time to repair and dozens of other metrics is a reality today for mine management and planning teams. For those miners who are focused on optimizing performance and maintenance of electric drive trucks over the long haul, GE Transportation’s genuine service, parts, repair, World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

GE Transportationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s optimized integrated electric drive system. The power is inside.

GE Transportation, a Wabtec company, introduced the first commercially viable electric drive system for large mining haul trucks in the early 1960â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Since then, the company has led the industry in the introduction of new technology to improve the truckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cost per ton. These innovations have included the first solid-state control system, the first trolley assist technology for large haul trucks, the first AC electric drive system and the first demonstration of hybrid energy storage.

WabtecCorp.com

GE Transportation offers the most complete line of AC electric drive systems in the industry ranging from 100 - 400 ton capacity. With serviceproven transmission and electric components, the company is the recognized industry leader in electric drive systems.

wabtec momentum in mining

Reliable performance

in the world’s most extreme conditions Deployed worldwide in more than 6,600 haul trucks facing extremes of temperature, humidity, elevation, terrain and wind, these rugged and reliable electric drive systems are built to withstand the toughest applications in the harshest environments.

Low ambient Extreme effective grade

High ambient/extreme effective grade

High altitude

High altitude High ambient High ambient

rebuild and remanufacturing offers the right solution, backed by decades of experience and tens of millions of operating hours. In the field and at repair and overhaul locations around the world, GE Transportation, together with its OEM partners, supports thousands of operating units worldwide with the genuine parts, engineered repairs and overhauls, and factory-trained service necessary to help trucks run longer, haul more, and deliver the lowest possible life cycle cost per ton.

An Electric Future for Mine Haulage Mining is not a choice – the way we mine is. As part of the electrification journey to make mining more sustainable, GE Transportation has identified three areas of focus: 1. The Electric Drive. These drive systems have been in operation for almost 65 years. Mines have traditionally used them because of

their advantages over other systems, specifically, one third the gearing, 85-percent reduction in bearings as well as durability and low touch times. Moving forward, they will be a must-have in zero emissions systems. Reduction in metal parts reduces the environmental burden of manufacturing these drive systems. 2. Electrification of parasitic loads. In the past, cooling of the drive systems has been done via a large impeller on the alternator or hydraulically driven blowers. With alternator driven cooling, whenever one of the truck’s systems needed additional cooling, the engine would be forced to increase RPMs to spin the alternator and provide more air to the system. Each system had the ability to demand increased engine speed for cooling. With the addition of optimized cooling through electrification, each major system has its own variable speed cooling blower— allowing for cooling “on demand”. This optimization leads to great

productivity, fuel savings and a longer product life. Saving energy saves the environment. 3. Electrification of the truck. One way to accomplish electrification of the truck is to use a hybrid technology to provide energy, with the addition of batteries to supplement the diesel engine. Benefits include lower emissions and lower fuel consumption, among others. The end goal would be to eliminate the diesel engine altogether, with a more capable battery and a charging mechanism. This would allow for zero emissions and lower noise pollution as mines explore a sustainable future. The industry needs to make more sustainable choices in mining, and the path toward innovation is clear. With greater productivity, availability and lower fuel consumption, the future of mining is electric.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

newmont goldcorp a new era

In April 2019, the successful conclusion of the transaction combining Newmont Mining Corporation and Goldcorp created the world’s leading gold business, featuring an unmatched portfolio of assets with long-life operations, and profitable expansion and exploration options in some of the world’s most favourable mining jurisdictionss

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“Upon completion of the Newmont Goldcorp transaction earlier this year, the company now holds the largest reserves and resources in the gold sector, with 90 per cent located in the Americas and Australia” World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

newmont goldcorp

a new era

t’s been a hectic twelve months in the upper echelons of the gold mining industry. In January 2019 it was announced that Newmont Mining Corporation had agreed to buy Goldcorp in a $10 billion deal that would see the combined entity become the world’s largest gold producer. This was only a few months after Barrick Gold had assumed that title after its acquisition of Randgold Resources for $6.5 billion in September last year. Barrick had said it was expecting production of 4.5 million to five million ounces in 2018. Newmont (now Newmont Goldcorp) said it would target production of between six to seven million ounces of gold “over a decadeslong time horizon”. In February, Barrick livened up the BMO Global Metals and Mining Conference by launching a surprise bid for Newmont, proposing an all-share transaction valuing Newmont at $17 billion. Barrick president and CEO Mark Bristow said a Barrick/Newmont deal would be superior to Newmont’s proposed acquisition of Goldcorp, adding that he expected the proposed merger to unlock more than $7 billion in synergies, a major portion of which would be generated by combining the two companies’ highly complementary assets in Nevada, where Barrick has significant mineral resources and Newmont has processing plants and infrastructure. Newmont responded vigorously, rebuffing Barrick and sticking firmly to its guns in respect of its Goldcorp proposal. In an exchange reminiscent of rival sports managers playing mind games to gain competitive advantage, Barrick’s Mark Bristow and Newmont’s Gary Goldberg engaged in a brief war of words before finally agreeing simply to combine their interests in Nevada, which was probably their intention to begin with. In April, a mere four months after the initial proposal was made public, Newmont announced the successful conclusion of the transaction combining Newmont Mining Corporation and Goldcorp Inc into Newmont Goldcorp. Then, on 1 July, Newmont and Barrick announced the completion of their joint venture (first announced in May) to combine their respective Nevada properties into Nevada Gold Mines LLC.

Nevada

Newmont has been pouring gold in Nevada for over 50 years along a 100-mile corridor in the northern part of the state. Its Nevada properties boast the widest World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“Over the last six years, Newmont Goldcorp has successfully built 11 new mines, expansions and projects on four continents – on or ahead of schedule and at or below budget” variety of processing methods of any gold mining complex in the world, allowing maximum economic recovery of gold from a wide range of ore types and grades. In addition to gold, the operations also produce silver and copper. Nevada Gold Mines is operated and 61.5% owned by Barrick, and 38.5% owned by Newmont Goldcorp. The new JV will rank as the largest gold producing complex in the world by a wide margin, with three of the world’s top 10 tier one gold assets (Barrick’s Cortez; the combination of Barrick’s Goldstrike and Newmont Goldcorp’s Carlin; and Barrick’s Turquoise Ridge with Newmont Goldcorp’s Twin Creeks. Its assets in northeastern Nevada comprise 10 underground and 12 open

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

pit mines, two autoclave facilities, two roasting facilities, four oxide mills, a flotation plant and five heap leach facilities. In 2018 these operations produced a total of 4.1 million ounces of gold, approximately double that of the industry’s next largest gold mine (Muruntau in Uzbekistan). Newmont Goldcorp also has a mine in the state of Colorado – the Cripple Creek & Victor Mine (CC&V) in Teller County, southwest of Pikes Peak. CC&V was formed as an operating company for mining operations in 1976, with mining in its Cresson Project starting in 1995. CC&V’s modern, high-tech operations allow for responsible surface mining of various ore types. The majority of the ore is processed in a zerodischarge, valley-type, leach pad to

recover gold and silver. In 2015 CC&V commissioned a rod, ball and flotation mill which processes CC&V’s higher grade, non-oxidized ore.

Perspective

The Newmont Company was founded in 1916 in New York by Colonel William Boyce Thompson, as a holding company to invest in worldwide mineral, oil and related companies. According to company legend, the name is a portmanteau of New York, where the founder made his money, and Montana, where he was raised. Newmont grew steadily by acquisition and diversification, often through joint ventures with other well-established companies. Listed on the New York stock exchange in 1925, Newmont is one

newmont goldcorp a new era

awards, and ultimately, earned itself a merger with Newmont.

Mexico

of a select few companies to be listed continuously since that time. Now headquartered in Colorado, Newmont’s operations were initially focused within North America, but the company’s success has led inevitably to global expansion and today Newmont has mining operations in both North and South America, Australasia and Africa. Founded by Rob McEwen, Goldcorp has a shorter history, having been incorporated as recently as 1994. In common with Newmont, however, is its focus on responsible mining practices with safe, low-cost production in areas of low political risk. Through the consistent application of this business strategy, Goldcorp achieved significant growth, industry recognition, numerous

In Mexico, Goldcorp brings to the new entity its 100 per cent owned Peñasquito mine, located about 780 kilometres northwest of Mexico City and the country’s largest gold producer, which also produces silver, lead and zinc. The focus at Peñasquito is on optimization to drive consistent results. Over the next three years, mining activities in the pit are expected to be focused on lower grade ore in the upper parts of the Peñasco pit while stripping is emphasized to ensure an economically optimal pit shell design to maximize the net asset value of the operation. The Pyrite Leach Project at Peñasquito was approved by the board in July 2016 and completed under budget and ahead of schedule last year. The PLP is part of a $420 million investment to improve processing facilities at the Peñasquito operation. First gold was achieved in November 2018. The project is expected to increase overall gold and silver recovery by treating the zinc tailings before discharge to the tailings storage facility. PLP is expected to recover approximately 40% of the gold and 48% of the silver currently reporting to the tailings, adding annual incremental production of approximately 100,000 – 140,000 gold ounces and approximately 4.0 – 6.0 million silver ounces for

the life of the mine. Commissioning commenced in the September quarter and the PLP is now processing 100% of the existing plant tailings, with the PLP plant operating 24 hours a day. In June this year Newmont Goldcorp announced it was ramping up operations at the Peñasquito mine after the lifting of an illegal blockade which began on 29 April. Concentrate shipments from the mine, as well as the delivery of supplies to the site, have resumed and workers are going through orientation sessions to ensure production begins in a safe and orderly manner. During the temporary suspension of operations, the mine used the downtime to bring forward maintenance on a variety of systems and equipment.

South America

As well as the largest gold mine in Mexico, Newmont Goldcorp also counts the largest gold mine in South America, too. Yanacocha, in the province and department of Cajamarca, approximately 800 kilometres northeast of Lima, in Peru, is situated between 3,500 and 4,100 metres above sea level. The operation is a joint venture between Newmont (51.35%), Minas Buenaventura (43.65%) and Sumitomo Corporation (5%). It poured its first gold ore bar on 7 August 1993. Yanacocha has invested more than $1 billion in environmental and social responsibility projects in the Cajamarca World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

newmont goldcorp a new era

region for water facilities, education, health care, agricultural support, and small business development and training. In October 2018, Newmont’s board of directors approved full funding for Quecher Main, which is expected to extend Yanacocha’s oxide mine life to 2027. Quecher Main will also serve as a bridge to future growth options, including development of Yanacocha’s extensive sulphide deposits. If approved, the sulphides project could extend Yanacocha’s operational life through 2039. “We expect to make a full-funds decision in 2020 and the project has a three-year development schedule,” said COO Tom Palmer. Also in South America, Newmont Suriname, a wholly-owned subsidiary, reached one million ounces of gold poured at the Merian gold mine in east Suriname, two years after commercial production began. Construction of Merian commenced in August 2014, and commercial production was achieved on 1 October 2016. In 2018, the second phase of the Merian project was completed safely, on time and within budget with the construction of a primary crusher to process harder ores that will be recovered as the mine gets deeper. The Merian mine is in northeastern Suriname, approximately 150 km southeast of the capital city of Paramaribo. It is owned by Suriname Gold Project CV, a partnership between

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Newmont Suriname LLC (75 per cent), and the state-owned oil company Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname (25 per cent). Newmont Suriname operates the mine on behalf of the limited partnership. Newmont Suriname’s workforce of around two thousand people is roughly 95 per cent Surinamese, of which one-fifth are from the local Pamaka community. In August of 2016, Newmont established the Pamaka Community Development Foundation to implement development projects in the Pamaka area. “This exciting milestone was achieved thanks to the hard work, commitment and skill of our employees and business partners,” said Albert Ramdin, Newmont’s senior director for external relations in Suriname. “Our partnerships with the government, Staatsolie and local Pamaka communities form the foundation of the mine’s success and we look forward to many more years of safe, efficient and responsible gold production in Suriname.” Based on current gold reserves, Newmont Suriname projects a mine life of approximately 15 years for Merian.

Africa

Newmont Goldcorp’s Akyem operation is in Ghana, in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region, approximately 111 miles northwest of the capital, Accra. Newmont obtained the mining lease for Akyem in 2010

and began commercial production in 2013. In 2017, the Ghana Investment Promotions Council named Akyem the best company in Ghana for the second consecutive year. The operation currently employs more than 1,900 direct employees and contractors. Newmont Goldcorp’s Ahafo mine is located along the Sefwi Volcanic Belt, a northeast-southwest trending volcanic belt, also in Ghana. The mine is approximately 307 kilometres northwest of Accra. Ahafo has two primary ore zones: Ahafo South and Ahafo North. Mining is currently underway at Ahafo South, where commercial production began in 2006. In November 2018, Subika, a new underground mine which was completed on schedule and within budget, also achieved commercial production, adding higher-grade, lower cost gold production at Ahafo south. The Ahafo Mill Expansion project (AME) is designed to maximize resource value by improving production margins and accelerating stockpile processing. The project also supports profitable development of Ahafo’s highly prospective underground resource. The company has recently announced that the AME project has now successfully processed its first ore and is on track to achieve commercial production in the fourth quarter of 2019. The mill expansion will increase average annual gold production at the Ahafo mine by between 75,000 and

Mineral Process Control (MPC) is proud to support Newmont Goldcorp’s Merian Gold Project in Suriname by supplying three of our PAL1000 Gold Assay Systems for their laboratories. MPC’s PULVERISE AND LEACH (PAL) Gold Assay System can simultaneously pulverise and leach a batch of 52 large (up to 1 kg) samples enabling Gold assays to be obtained within two hours of samples arriving at the laboratory, a great benefit for grade control and exploration.

If you are interested to learn how you can benefit from the PAL1000 Gold Assay System, then please visit www.mpcwa.com or email to sales@mpcwa.com or call +61 8 9303 2334 for more information.

Using the PAL1000 Gold Assay System in combination with Assay Tabs (containing LeachWELL and Cyanide in tablet form) offers the following advantages over other gold assay methods: • Sampling errors are reduced by assaying large samples (about 1 kg) which is particularly valuable when coarse or particulate gold is present. • Simulating the commercial gold extraction process, the PAL1000 Assay Method can help to optimise cyanide-extractable gold in processing plants. • Performing fire assays on composite leach tails allows both “cyanide-soluble” and “total” gold figures to be reported more precisely. • Preg-robbing by organics or clays is reduced because gold is dissolved quickly. • Assay Tabs contain oxidising agents, and therefore sealed containers can be used when leaching. • Other elements such as cyanide-soluble Silver and Copper may readily be determined from the same solution if required. • One PAL1000 Assay Machine is capable of processing around 400 samples per 12hour shift. • The PAL1000 Assay Method is safe, simple, low cost, and convenient.

100,000 ounces for the first five years, beginning in 2020, with mill capacity expanding by more than 50 per cent through the addition of a crusher, grinding mill and leach tanks. The project is expected to deliver an internal rate of return of more than 20 per cent and, together with other projects at Ahafo, will extend profitable production through at least 2029. “Combined with Subika Underground, which was successfully completed in November 2018, the mill expansion will increase Ahafo’s production to between 550,000 and 650,000 ounces per year through 2024, while lowering life-of-mine processing costs,” said Tom Palmer. “The project also accelerates the efficient processing of stockpiled ore and supports profitable development of Ahafo’s highly prospective underground resources, which continue to demonstrate considerable upside.”

Australia

Newmont Goldcorp is involved in three operations in Australia – Boddington, Kalgoorlie and Tanami. Boddington is a large gold and copper mine in Western Australia, 16 km from the rural farming town of Boddington and 120 km from

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Western Australia’s capital city, Perth. Originally a three-way joint venture between Newmont, AngloGold Ashanti and Newcrest, Newmont acquired the shares of Newcrest in 2005, and then purchased AngloGold Ashanti’s shares in 2009 to become the sole owner of Boddington. Commercial production began in 2009, and in March 2011 the operation achieved its first one million ounces of gold produced. It is now Australia’s largest open cut gold mine after surpassing Kalgoorlie in 2016. The Kalgoorlie mine, also in Western Australia, has produced more than 50 million ounces of gold in 30 years. The mine is managed by Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) on behalf of Newmont Goldcorp and its 50:50 joint venture partner Barrick Gold Australia. KCGM brings together 100 years of mining history in the middle of The Golden Mile, once reputed to be the richest square mile on earth. KCGM operations include the Fimiston Open Pit (commonly referred to as ‘the Super Pit’), Mt Charlotte Underground Mine and the Fimiston and Gidji Processing Plants, located adjacent to the city of KalgoorlieBoulder approximately 600 kilometres

east of Perth. KCGM is a residential mine site with 1,100 employees and contractors. In the past five years, KCGM has contributed more than $2.3 billion in supply, payroll and sponsorship opportunities. The company supports local business, with around thirty per cent of KCGM suppliers being located in KalgoorlieBoulder. The current KCGM Life of Mine Plan sees gold processing until around 2034. Mt Charlotte underground mining will finish around 2024 and Fimiston Open Pit mining will conclude around 2026. On completion, the Fimiston Open Pit will measure 3.5 km in length, 1.5 km in width and up to 700 metres in depth. Several key projects are being undertaken to allow for mineral processing until 2034. These include increasing the capacity of tailings storage facilities, as well as upgrades at the Fimiston and Gidji Processing Plants to reduce air emissions. KCGM continues to look for opportunities to extend mine life even further. In 2002 Newmont Corporation acquired Normandy Mining Limited and renamed it Newmont Tanami Operations. The

newmont goldcorp a new era

Tanami mine is located in the remote Tanami Desert of northern Australia, on Aboriginal freehold land owned by the Warlpiri people and managed on their behalf by the Central Desert Aboriginal Lands Trust. Tanami is a fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) operation in one of Australia’s most remote locations, 270 km from its closest neighbours, the remote Aboriginal community of Yuendumu. Nevertheless, the region has been well known for gold since its discovery in 1898. In March 2019 Newmont Goldcorp announced the completion of its Tanami Power Project, safely and on schedule, and also the pouring of its 10 millionth ounce since operations began in 1986. The project included the installation of two power stations, a 66kV interconnected power line, and a 275 mile natural gas pipeline. The successfully completed project is expected to provide the Tanami gold mine a safe and reliable energy source while lowering power costs and carbon emissions by 20 per cent. “In addition to lowering costs and carbon emissions, the completed Tanami Power Project will pave the way to further extend the life of the

operation,” said CEO Gary Goldberg. Tanami is Australia’s second largest underground gold mine and one of the most cost competitive gold producers in the world. Continued exploration success has created the potential to extend mine life beyond 2028, and a full funding decision is also expected in the second half of 2019 on a possible second expansion project.

Prospects

In July, Newmont Goldcorp announced, as expected, that Tom Palmer will succeed Gary Goldberg on 1 October to become the company’s president and chief executive officer and join the board of directors. As previously announced in January, Mr Goldberg will retire from Newmont Goldcorp after more than seven years of exemplary service. During his tenure, Newmont continued to invest in projects and prospects with superior returns, including the addition of over six million ounces of gold reserves by the drill bit in 2018. Over the last six years, Newmont Goldcorp has successfully built 11 new mines, expansions and projects on four continents – on or ahead of schedule

and at or below budget. These projects include Akyem and the Phoenix Copper Leach in 2013, the Turf Vent Shaft in 2015, Merian and Long Canyon in 2016, the Tanami Expansion in 2017, and Twin Underground, Northwest Exodus and Subika Underground in 2018, and the Tanami power project in 2019. The company also completed a valueaccretive acquisition of Cripple Creek and Victor in 2015 and delivered a profitable expansion at the mine in 2016. Upon completion of the Newmont Goldcorp transaction earlier this year, the company now holds the largest reserves and resources in the gold sector, with 90 percent located in the Americas and Australia. These assets allow the company to sequence profitable projects in its unmatched pipeline to sustain six to seven million ounces of steady gold production over a decades-long time horizon.

World Mining Magazine

To promote your company in the next edition please contact Simon Ward at simon@worldminingmagazine.com

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

â&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

glencore everyday commodities One of the world’s largest globally diversified natural resource companies, Glencore operates in metals and minerals, energy products, agriculture and marketing. While coal is still a major component of its portfolio, the company is developing its commodity mix for the everyday needs of the modern world

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“Coal will remain an essential source of energy for the foreseeable future, and as such, will continue to be an important part of Glencore’s global commodity portfolio” World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

glencore

everyday commodities

ounded in the 1970s as a metals and minerals marketing company, Glencore has grown by merger and acquisition to become one of the world’s largest resource traders and producers. Its products play an essential role in modern life, from the copper, cobalt and nickel powering the electric vehicle revolution to the energy products helping to keep the lights on.

AUSTRALIA

Australia is an important part of Glencore’s global business as it holds significant interests in a range of commodity industries across all mainland states and the Northern Territory, including coal, copper, nickel, zinc and oil.

Australian coal

Glencore is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of coal, producing almost 130 million tonnes in 2018. Used in power generation, steel making and industrial processes, coal will remain an essential source of energy for the foreseeable future, and as such, will continue to be an important part of Glencore’s global commodity portfolio. The company operates coal mines in Australia, South Africa and Colombia. In Australia, its activities are concentrated in two major coal regions, the Hunter Valley in New South Wales and the Bowen Basin in Queensland. The company’s interest in coal began with the acquisition in 1998 of the Cumnock and Mount Owen coal mines in Australia. The Cumnock mine is now part of Glencore’s Ravensworth Operations in New South Wales. In 2018, Glencore became Australia’s largest coal miner after it acquired 49 per cent of Rio Tinto’s Hunter Valley Operations for about $US1.14 billion ($1.59 billion). It then also bought Rio Tinto’s interests in Queensland. These deals have helped put Glencore in a dominant position in the Asia Pacific market for high-quality thermal coal. Its NSW Hunter assets also include mines at Bulga, Liddell, Mangoola, Integra, Mount Owen and Ravensworth, while Glencore’s Queensland interests include Collinsville Open Cut, Newlands Coal, Hail Creek, Oaky Creek and Rolleston Open Cut.

Queensland

Collinsville Open Cut, located in the northern part of the Bowen Basin, is Queensland’s oldest coal mine, having operated as an underground or open cut mine for almost 100 years, producing a variety of coking World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“Glencore is currently progressing plans to extend the life of the Mount Owen Mine by an additional six years and provide an additional 35 million tonnes of run-of-mine coal”

and steaming coal products for both overseas and domestic markets. Collinsville mine is part of the NCA Project, a mining, processing and exporting partnership that also includes the Newlands coal operation and the Abbot Point Bulk Coal terminal. It used to operate as a joint venture between Glencore Coal Queensland (55%), Itochu Coal Resources (35%) and Sumitomo (10%), but Glencore bought out its joint venture partners in Collinsville in September 2016, along with the Newlands coal operation. The Newlands Underground operations reached the end of their scheduled mine lives in June 2016, although open cut mining continues. Glencore also owns a 55% share in Oaky Creek Coal in central Queensland,

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

which has two underground operations and a coal preparation plant. Open cut operations ceased in December 2006. The underground operations are modern, state-of-the art longwall operations with associated development works. Coal is exported through eastern seaports in Mackay and Gladstone to Japan, Asia, Europe, North Africa and South America. In 2018, as Rio Tinto sought to divest itself of its entire Australian coal portfolio, Glencore picked up its 82% interest in the Hail Creek coal mine and adjacent coal resources in Queensland, as well as its 71.2% interest in the Valeria coal resource in central Queensland for a total of US$1.7 billion. Hail Creek is a large-scale, long-life and low-cost mine producing two-

thirds premium quality hard coking coal and one-third thermal coal for export. Located 75 miles southwest of Mackay, in 2017 Hail Creek produced over 9 million tonnes of coal for export from the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal. Valeria is a large undeveloped coal project in the central Bowen Basin, about 40km northwest of Emerald. It contains 762Mt of coal mineral resources, and is expected to produce high-energy, low-ash thermal and coking coal, once developed. Both Hail Creek in Queensland and HVO in New South Wales were successfully integrated into the Glencore portfolio during 2018, revealing $185 million of cost savings/margin improvements available to be realised when the restructure plans are complete.

glencore everyday commodities

Glencore’s Rolleston Open Cut coal mine is located in the southern part of Queensland’s Bowen Basin. Due to its low ash content, the thermal coal extracted at Rolleston Open Cut does not require washing. All coal passes through the coal handling facility for crushing and sizing prior to loading onto trains for export via Gladstone, or into the domestic market.

New South Wales

Glencore is the largest coal producer in New South Wales, employing around 4,800 people in eight mining complexes across three coalfields: Hunter Valley, Western Districts and Southern Districts. Thermal coal, semi-soft and coking coal are all produced from 10 mines in the Hunter Valley, Australia’s

premier coal-producing district, and exported from the Port of Newcastle. Glencore’s Hunter Valley operations include Ravensworth open cut mine, located alongside a coal handling and preparation plant. The mine is a joint venture between Itochu 10% and Glencore 90%. The CHPP assets are owned by the JV but operated by Glencore. The Mt Owen Complex consists of the Mt Owen, Ravensworth East and Glendell open cut coal mines, owned and managed by Mt Owen Pty Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Glencore. The integration of these adjacent Glencore owned operations enables all sites to utilise existing infrastructure and coal handling facilities at Mt Owen Mine. Glencore is currently progressing plans to extend the life of the Mount Owen Mine by an additional six years and provide an additional 35 million tonnes of run-of-mine coal. Glendell commenced mining activities in 2008 and currently has approval to mine up to 4.5 Mtpa of ROM coal through to June 2024. Glencore is progressing the environmental assessment for an extension to the Glendell open cut mining operation. The project involves an extension of the open cut mine to the north and the extraction of approximately 135 Mt of ROM coal with mining continuing until 2044. Fifteen kilometres south west of Singleton is the Bulga Complex,

which includes Bulga open cut, Bulga underground operations and the coal handling and preparation plant. Bulga open cut and Bulga underground are managed by Glencore, which is also the majority shareholder, via a somewhat complex ownership structure. Mining finished at Bulga Underground in May 2018. The Ulan Mine Complex is one of the most established coal mining operations in the western coalfields of New South Wales. Until recently Ulan was a joint venture between Glencore (90%) and Mitsubishi Development (10%), but Glencore bought Mitsubishi’s share towards the end of 2018. Mining operations consist of two underground mines and an open cut (not operating since the end 2014). In 2015 Glencore secured approval to expand the underground mine to extract another 13 million tonnes of coal and extend the mine’s operational life by another two years, until 2033. Mangoola open cut is in the Upper Hunter Valley, 20 kilometres west of Muswellbrook and approximately 10 kilometres north of the township of Denman. A relatively new mine, the 100% Glencore owned Mangoola open cut commenced production in November 2010, and won the Australian Mine of the Year award in 2013 in recognition of its water, noise, air and dust management and its community engagement. Also in the Hunter Valley, Integra World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

HOIST RINGS

THE SURE WAY TO MAKE SURE

YOU’RE SURE. Visual Tension Indication System (VTIS) quickly assures the load is secure and ready to lift.

Lifting and moving heavy loads is a critical operation, both for the load and worker safety. Make Lift-Check a part of your OSHA-approved lifting plan. • Patent pending bolt clearly shows whether the bolted joint is loose or tight • Fast and hands-free inspection for reduced installation time • No torque wrench or calibration required • Proof tested to 200% of rated load capacity • Available in inch and metric Certified

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

glencore everyday commodities Underground resumed production in 2017 after being placed on care and maintenance by then owner Vale, at the completion of longwall 12 in mid 2014. Glencore acquired the assets in December 2015 via wholly owned subsidiary HV Coking Coal. Glencore is undertaking an exploration program from March to October 2019 to obtain information on another seam for possible future underground mining.

Nickel

Glencore’s nickel business produces some of the world’s purest nickel, ferronickel and cobalt. Around twothirds of all nickel is used in the production of stainless steel. The remainder is used for applications including super-alloys, batteries and electroplating. Glencore is one of Australia’s largest nickel and cobalt producers, and with more than 30 years of nickel reserves, it has one of the longest life of mine reserves. Murrin Murrin is a worldclass hydrometallurgical nickel project located between Leonora and Laverton in the northeastern Goldfields region of Western Australia. Operated by Minara Resources, wholly owned by Glencore, Murrin Murrin uses high pressure acid leach technology to recover nickel and cobalt from laterite ore. Processed nickel and cobalt is transported via rail to Kwinana, south of Perth, for export to customers worldwide.

Zinc and lead

Glencore mines and processes zinc and lead ores in Australia, South America, Kazakhstan and Canada. It also smelts and refines zinc and lead at processing operations in Australia, Canada, Spain, Italy, Germany, the UK and Kazakhstan. Over half of Glencore’s total zinc and lead reserves and resources are located in Australia, where Mount Isa Mines and McArthur River Mine host the world’s No.1 and No.2 zinc resource bases. The North Queensland zinc operations include an integrated supply chain comprising mining, processing, transport and logistics, as well as port facilities. The zinc operations at Mount Isa include the George Fisher underground mine, zinc-lead

concentrator, zinc-lead filter plant and lead smelter. Glencore also owns the high-grade Lady Loretta underground mine near Mount Isa, where production was temporarily suspended in 2015 when the price of zinc collapsed. In December 2017, after the price had recovered, Glencore appointed Redpath Australia to run the mine on a contract basis for its remaining six year lifespan. Redpath recommissioned the mine quickly, and was meeting Glencore’s production and development targets by July 2018. Monthly production grew to 100,000 tonnes, with a full production capacity targeting 133,000 t/mth. Another zinc operation, McArthur River Mine in Australia’s Northern Territory is around 970 kilometres south-east of Darwin. Established as an underground operation in 1995, MRM converted to open pit mining in 2006. MRM produces zinc and lead in concentrates which are transported by road from the mine site to Glencore’s Bing Bong loading facility on the Gulf of Carpentaria. Current mine life extends to 2036.

SOUTH AMERICA Coal

In Colombia in South America, Glencore owns a third share (along with BHP and Anglo American) in Cerrejón, one of the world’s largest and lowest-cost open-cut thermal coal

operations. Located in the southeast of the department of La Guajira, close to the border with Venezuela, the mine produces over 32 million tonnes of thermal coal a year and has estimated reserves of over five billion tonnes. Unique in Colombia, the mine has an integrated railway line and shipping terminal, which gives increased efficiency and lower environmental impact. As well as exporting coal, the port and railway are used to transport supplies to the mine. Also in Colombia, Glencore subsidiary Prodeco owns the La Jagua and Calenturitas mines, the port of Puerto Nuevo, and a 39.76% stake in the Fenoco railway. Calenturitas and La Jagua are both open-pit mines in Cesar province in the north of the country.

Copper

In South America, the Collahuasi mine in Chile produces copper concentrate and cathodes. One of the world’s largest copper operations, Collahuasi’s deposits are located on the plateau of northern Chile’s Atacama Desert, 4,400 metres above sea level. Glencore and Anglo American each own 44 per cent, with a Japanese consortium owning the remaining 12 per cent. In Peru, Glencore owns a 33.75% interest in the Antamina open pit copper and zinc mine, 4,300 metres above sea level. Antamina’s concentrator is considered to be one of the world’s largest polymetallic processing plants, World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“Glencore is one of the world’s largest and lowest-cost producers of chrome ore, ferrochrome and vanadium, and also markets manganese ore and alloys” treating ores containing copper, zinc, molybdenum, silver and lead. Glencore’s Antapaccay copper operation is located in Espinar Province in southern Peru. Acquired in 2013 when Glencore merged with Xstrata, the operation includes an open pit copper mine and processing facilities in addition to port loading and facilities at Matarani. Altonorte is a custom copper smelting operation located near the port of Antofagasta in northern Chile. The Glencore operation has the capacity to process 1.6 million tonnes of copper concentrate from third parties per year. Also in Chile is Punitaqui, a copper mine and concentrator acquired by Glencore as a brownfield development in early 2010, but sold to Vancouverbased Xiana Mining in 2018. In Argentina, Glencore’s mining interests include the copper–gold mine at Alumbrera in the far north of the country, which was until recently jointly owned with Yamana Gold and

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Goldcorp. The mine is now coming to the end of its life, but in March this year the three joint owners signed an integration agreement under which Yamana Gold’s Agua Rica project will be developed and operated using the existing infrastructure and facilities of the Alumbrera mine. Given the proximity of the assets, the parties believe the integration has the potential to realize significant synergies. Agua Rica hosts a large scale, long life copper mineral resource with associated gold, silver and molybdenum while the Alumbrera infrastructure is of significant scale and configuration to be ideally suited for the integration plan. Preliminary studies show the potential for a mine life in excess of 25 years at average annual production of approximately 236,000 tonnes of copper-equivalent metal, including the contributions of gold, molybdenum and silver, for the first 10 years of operation. A full feasibility study is expected to be completed by 2020. When the

integration is finalised, Yamana will own 56.25%, Glencore 25% and Goldcorp 18.75 per cent.

AFRICA Coal

Glencore has been mining in South Africa since 1988 and has a strong presence in both the coal and ferroalloy sectors. The company operates four coal complexes and produces thermal coal for export and domestic power generation. These include the Tweefontein thermal coal complex, consisting of three mines structured into open pit, underground and surface operations. Tweefontein is near Johannesburg in the Mpumalanga province. The iMpunzi Complex, also in the Mpumalanga province, is a large export thermal coal mining operation 110km east of Johannesburg. A third operation in the Mpumalanga province is the Goedgevonden Complex, an open cut mine producing thermal

glencore everyday commodities

1800 813 677 www.truflopumps.com.au

MINING PUMPS ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶

Electric Pontoons Diesel Pontoons Trailer Pumps Mine Dewatering Water Cart Filling Dust Suppression

▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶

Process Water Supply Flood Recovery Slurry Pumping Water Transfer Skid Mounted Pumps Evaporation Projects

CUSTOM BUILT PUMPSETS DIESEL & ELECTRIC SKIDS, TRAILERS & PONTOONS

coal, around half of which is exported. The mine is managed in a joint venture with ARM Coal. Finally, Izimbiwa Coal, 100 per cent owner of five mines near Middelburg and Kendal (Graspan, Townlands, Bankfontein, Leeuwfontein and Lakeside mines). Coal is sold both to the domestic market and exported through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal.

Ferrochrome alloys

Glencore is one of the world’s largest and lowest-cost producers of chrome ore, ferrochrome and vanadium, and also markets manganese ore and alloys. The company’s chromite assets are held through a majority stake in the Glencore–Merafe Chrome Venture, and its vanadium assets via a majority shareholding in the Rhovan-Bakwena Vanadium Venture. Through the Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture, the company interests include the Helena, Magareng and Thorncliffe chrome mines, situated on the Eastern

Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex, the Waterval and Kroondal chrome mines near Rustenburg on the Western Limb of the Complex and the Rietvly silica mine, an open-cast operation, situated near Rustenburg. Rhovan is an opencast mine 30km to the north west of Brits in the North West Province of South Africa. The mine primarily produces ferrovanadium and vanadium pentoxide. It also has a number of ferrochrome smelters, the Boshoek, Wonderkop and Rustenburg smelter complexes near Rustenburg use Outokumpu technology. Located in Lydenburg, Mpumalanga, the Lydenburg plant produces ferrochrome which is marketed to producers of stainless and special steel. Lydenburg was the first of Glencore’s operations to use the energy-efficient Premus technology. Ore for the smelter comes from the Helena and Thorncliffe mines in the eastern limb of the Bushveld Complex. The Lion smelting complex is located

close to the Helena chrome mine. Investment since 2007 has resulted in this becoming Glencore’s largest proprietary Premus smelter, with 720,000tpa ferrochrome capacity. Premus is designed to reduce electrical energy consumption by using waste gas and heat. Lion’s specific energy consumption is 28% less than the South African average smelter’s energy consumption

Copper and cobalt

Glencore is of the world’s largest producers and marketers of copper, producing 1.45 million tonnes in 2018 and selling 4.5 million tonnes through its marketing business. The company mines and processes copper ore in the key mining regions of Africa, Australia and South America, and sources and recycles copper scrap in North America and Asia, as well as smelting and refining copper around the world. As a major by-product of copper World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“Glencore is one of Australia’s largest nickel and cobalt producers, with more than 30 years of nickel reserves” production, Glencore is also one of the world’s largest producers of cobalt, primarily from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Katanga Mining (86.3% owned) is a large-scale copper-cobalt operation in the DRC’s Katanga province, producing copper cathodes and cobalt hydroxide. In the same province is Mutanda Mining, another large-scale copper and cobalt producer. In Zambia, Glencore is majority owner of the Mopani Copper Mine, an integrated copper and cobalt operation consisting of four underground mines, a concentrator and a cobalt plant in the town of Kitwe and an underground mine, concentrator, smelter and refinery in the town of Mufulira. The company also has four SXEW plants (solvent

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

extraction and electrowinning), two at Mufulira and two at Nkana.

NORTH AMERICA

Turning back to nickel, in Canada, Glencore’s Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (Sudbury INO) include exploration, two underground mines (Nickel Rim South and Fraser), Strathcona Mill and the Sudbury Smelter. The company has been mining nickel-copper ores in the Sudbury area of northern Ontario since 1928. The facilities are spread throughout the 60 kilometre-long, oval-shaped geological formation known as the Sudbury basin. Nickel and copper are the primary metals but cobalt and precious metals, such as gold, silver, platinum and

palladium are also produced. Sudbury INO is looking to develop one of the world’s first mines wholly operated by battery electric-powered vehicles (EVs). The Onaping Depth Project, currently under construction and expected to come on-stream in 2023/24, is collaborating with EVproducers to ensure all parties are fully prepared for an all-electric mining operation. Just a few years ago, Sudbury INO was at a point where, without further investment, the site’s mines were expected to reach the end of their life cycle as early as 2023. Onaping Depth offered the potential opportunity to extend Sudbury INO’s mine life, but given the depth of the deposits it demanded a commitment

glencore everyday commodities

to innovation. At 2,600 metres deep, a major portion of the expected operating costs for the mine infrastructure is for the energy used to power the ventilation required to eliminate exhaust contaminants, as well as the heat and the refrigeration needed to maintain reasonable temperatures. Caterpillar, the world’s largest construction equipment manufacturer, has been testing the proof-of-concept battery electric R1300 at Sudbury INO with the machine running in trials alongside its diesel equivalent. Caterpillar used the insight gained from its proof-of-concept testing to develop the R1700 XE – its first commercial battery electric Load-Haul-Dump (LHD). Through using EVs, Onaping Depth is

expected to reduce its energy usage by 44% for ventilation systems and by 30% for cooling equipment, compared to an equivalent diesel-fuelled operation. EVs have no emissions, resulting in less pollutants and improved occupational health benefits. They are quieter to operate, experience less wear and tear, and have lower maintenance needs due to their simpler machinery. Using EVs, Sudbury INO’s new mine will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 44% and deliver considerable cost savings through reduced fuel and energy usage. Also in Canada, in the far north of Quebec, is the Raglan mine property, which has four underground mines and associated infrastructure, with highgrade ore deposits of nickel and copper spanning the nearly 70km property. The ore extracted from Raglan Mine is crushed, ground and processed on-site to produce a nickel-copper concentrate, which is then sent to the Sudbury Smelter for further processing. The concentrator treats approximately 1.3 million tonnes of ore yearly, resulting in more than 30,000 tonnes of nickel-inconcentrate annually.

Raglan Mine’s current operations, which began in 1997, are expected to gradually cease as from 2020, but the Sivumut Project is being developed to extend the life of the mine for an additional 20 plus years. In his comments for Glencore’s half year results to 30 June 2019, CEO Ivan Glasenburg concluded: “Looking ahead, we are confident that commodity fundamentals will move in our favour and that our diverse commodity portfolio will continue to play a key role in global growth and the transition to a low-carbon economy. “Our asset teams are focused on delivering the full potential of our business, which together with our promising range of commodities, should see us well positioned for the future. Through continued constructive collaboration, we remain focused on creating sustainable long-term value for all stakeholders.”

World Mining Magazine

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

â&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

maxam tire meet the maxam difference As a major global specialty tire manufacturer and distributor, MAXAM Tire has built a strong reputation for market leading quality, reliability and undeniable value. To ensure superior product quality, the organization’s foundation is centred around world class engineering and has the most advanced manufacturing platforms within the industry. MAXAM is a rapidly growing global organization, heavily invested in its people, advanced engineering, and its manufacturing facilities to ensure unique business solutions are provided to its worldwide customer base.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

AXAM’s radial tires are produced at the company’s state-of-the-art tire manufacturing facilities, utilizing cutting-edge manufacturing techniques and production equipment. This technical excellence is complemented by the use of premium materials and the dedication of a highly skilled management team and workforce. Together, these factors ensure the production of radial tires capable of performing well in even the toughest applications. “Quality that drives productivity” is one of the fundamental beliefs at MAXAM and this applies at every level, from manufacturing, logistics, all the way to planning and distribution. The quality of the customer’s experience is of paramount importance to MAXAM and it is this that drives the company. MAXAM tires are manufactured to International Standard ISO 9001 and designed to the same exacting standards - the tires meet all commonly accepted international standards, in particular those laid down by ETRTO

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

(the European Tire and Rim Technical Organization). The proof of a tire is in its performance, particularly in some of the most demanding applications and conditions such as the mining, construction and forestry segments. MAXAM’s Giant OTR (GOTR) tires provide exceptional performance, leading to improved profitability for customers.

Engineering

The strength of MAXAM lies in its experienced team of talented and dedicated personnel. Its global engineers are continually developing new processes and products, creating and managing new manufacturing systems, and leading all engineering and manufacturing-related operations. Particular attention is given to: • Rubber compounding and tire construction for specific segments • Every aspect of product performance in order to meet safety, reliability, environmental cost, operational and maintenance

objectives • Management of the engineering and manufacturing process in order to meet the highest standards of quality

Testing

Thoroughly testing a tire before its launch is one of the most important steps in creating a high quality, reliable product. MAXAM’s comprehensive lab and field testing ensures to meet customers’ needs while satisfying an efficient timeline for a competitive edge. The group has invested heavily in its own testing equipment and laboratories and has developed dedicated procedures to ensure an efficient and accurate process.

Innovation

MAXAM believes that innovative solutions and technologies are the key components in making our business and our customers’ business successful. The Research and Development department continuously creates new revolutionary design processes with

maxam tire meet the maxam difference

the engineers to predict performance characteristics before production. As mining and construction machinery continue to evolve - faster speeds, greater payloads, etc - so too must the tires. The pace of change is everincreasing, presenting a formidable challenge to the tire manufacturer - a challenge that MAXAM’s design and engineering are always willing to accept and to overcome. MAXAM offers a variety of compounds and three tread patterns to meet specific mining site applications. The Generation 5 Giant OTR line is the result of extensive research and testing in multiple mine locations across several continents. In recent years, MAXAM Tire has expanded its product portfolio to include the company’s GOTR product lines for the first time. “The addition of the new size ranges in the MS401, MS402 and MS403 product lines marks an aggressive expansion into the North American giant OTR market for MAXAM Tire,” said Troy Kline, President of MAXAM Tire North America.

“The quality of the customer’s experience is of paramount importance to MAXAM and it is this that drives the company”

MAXAM has recruited a dedicated team to focus on offering full support for the GOTR product range. The existing product line is available for haul trucks up to 250 tons, with sizes to fit trucks up to 320 tons under development. The Generation 5 Giant OTR line has been in development for the past six years and is the result of extensive research, refinement and field testing. “The improved compounding and construction of the Generation 5 Giant OTR line will help mining companies improve productivity and reduce operating costs with higher [tons per hour] values, ultimately lowering the cost per hour,” said Matthew Fagan, Director of Research and Development for MAXAM Tire.

Detailing The Specifications MAXAM MS401

The MS401 uses a deep grooved tread design, which provides excellent traction in rigid dump truck applications. Ideal for applications World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

MS401 Description: Deep grooved tread design provides excellent traction in rigid dump truck applications. Ideal for applications requiring maximum road grip and high site TKPH.

Features: • • • • • •

Excellent traction in all off road conditions. Deep tread grooves provide cooler running tread for high site TKPH. Wide, square footprint distributes load for minimal haul road disturbance. Reinforced bead, shoulder, and sidewall for increased cut resistance. Heat resistant undertread reduces tire temperature. Multiple tread compound options target specific site requirements.

MS401+ Description: Deep grooved tread design provides excellent traction in rigid dump truck applications. Enhanced casing and sizing optimized for high load, dualmounted mining and logging trucks.

Features: • • • •

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Excellent traction in all off road conditions. Reinforced bead, shoulder, and sidewall for increased cut resistance. Heat resistant undertread reduces tire temperature. Strengthened casing allows for higher load carrying capacity.

MS402 Description: For use in higher speed applications on well-maintained haul roads.

Features: • • • • • •

Excellent traction on maintained haul roads. Solid tread centerline minimizes vibration and increases tread life. Wide, square footprint distributes load for minimal haul road disturbance. Reinforced bead, shoulder, and sidewall for increased cut resistance. Heat resistant undertread reduces tire temperature. Multiple tread compound options target specific site requirements.

MS403 Description: A versatile tread design allows flexibility in applications from smooth haul roads to rough and rocky terrain while providing maximum productivity.

Features: • • • • • • •

Excellent traction in all haul road conditions. Deep tread grooves provide cooler running tread for high site TKPH. E4+ deep tread for longest tire life. Wide, square footprint distributes load for minimal haul road disturbance. Reinforced bead, shoulder, and sidewall for increased cut resistance. Heat resistant undertread reduces tire temperature. Multiple tread compound options target specific site requirements.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

EXPANDING PERFORMANCE

MS401

MS402

MS403

E4: PRODUCTIVITY ON ROCKY TERRAIN

E4: TRACTION ON HAUL ROADS

E4: HIGH SPEED MINING APPLICATIONS

NEW GOTR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS & PRODUCT LINE EXPANSION.

maxamtire.com Your Business Solution Provider

Discover the MAXAM difference with the newly expanded product line of specialty tires and services dedicated to help mining customers improve productivity and reduce operating costs. Every product delivers top quality and undeniable value through countless hours of extensive research, globa field testing and proven engineering efforts to global provide measurable business solutions.

maxam tire meet the maxam difference

requiring maximum road grip and high site TKPH. Features: • Excellent traction in all off-road conditions • Deep tread grooves provide cooler running tread for high site TKPH • Wide, square footprint distributes load for minimal haul road disturbance • Reinforced bead, shoulder, and sidewall for increased cut resistance • Heat resistant undertread reduces tire temperature • Multiple tread compound options target specific site requirements.

MAXAM MS402

The MS402 is designed with deep grooved shoulder lugs and solid centre bar to provide strong traction and maximum tread life in rigid dump truck applications. Features: • Excellent traction on maintained haul roads • Solid tread centreline minimizes

vibration and increases tread life • Wide, square footprint distributes load for minimal haul road disturbance • Reinforced bead, shoulder, and sidewall for increased cut resistance • Heat resistant undertread reduces tire temperature • Multiple tread compound options target specific site requirements.

MAXAM MS403

The MS403 uses a versatile tread design that allows for high flexibility in multiple GOTR applications from smooth haul roads to rough and rocky terrain while providing maximum productivity. Features: • Excellent traction in all haul road conditions • Deep tread grooves provide cooler running tread for high site TKPH • E4+ deep tread for longest tire life • Wide, square footprint distributes load for minimal haul road disturbance

• Reinforced bead, shoulder, and sidewall for increased cut resistance • Heat resistant undertread reduces tire temperature • Multiple tread compound options target specific site requirements. The complete range of GOTR tires enhances the MAXAM Tire product portfolio, which already boasts (14) models that have applications across industrial, construction, agricultural and forestry industries. The team at MAXAM, is fuelled by a passion for the GOTR business as seen through its culture and people, truly differentiating MAXAM from its other competitors. Driven by core values that are centred around innovation and commitment to create an exceptional customer experience. MAXAM’s people are committed to continue advancement and to exceed expectations. It is what makes the MAXAM Difference.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

WORK & FUN! YOUR WORKSHOP INVITE Canary Systems Geomechanics & Tailings Technology Workshop

When Wednesday - Friday July 17-19, 2019 Where El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort 10,000 N Oracle Rd Tucson, AZ 85704 USA

Visit our website for more info and to register! Scan the QR code or visit www.canarysystems.com Photos of venue credit to Hilton Hotels El Conquistador Tucson.

SAFER, FASTER, EASIER

â&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

telson mining because it was there Founded in 1987 as an exploration company, Telson Mining spent twenty years developing the Tahuehueto project in Mexico to the verge of production, then went out and bought a second mine. President and Director, Ralph Shearing, tells Martin Ashcroft a story of some amazing tenacity and deal making World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“Campo Morado is an underground multimetal mine with infrastructure, installations and equipment capable of processing 2,500 tonnes of ore per day”

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

telson mining because it was there

hy did you do it? I asked Ralph Shearing. Borrowing the famous phrase from mountaineer George Mallory about climbing Mount Everest, he said, enigmatically, “Because it was there.” In 1923, you see, Everest was still waiting to be conquered. In 2017, no-one had yet conquered either the Tahuehueto mine in Durango State nor the Campo Morado mine in Guerrero State, Mexico.

Campo Morado

Campo Morado is an underground multimetal mine with infrastructure, installations and equipment capable of processing 2,500 tonnes of ore per day. Opened in 2009, it was acquired a year later by Nyrstar Mining, a Belgian zinc smelting company with a vision of becoming a vertically integrated operation. Nyrstar operated the mine until the end of 2014, but production was suspended in January 2015 and the mine was placed on care and maintenance because of deteriorating industry conditions. On 27 April 2017 Telson signed an agreement with Nyrstar to acquire 100% of the Campo Morado mine. In September 2017, Telson announced that it had secured the necessary funding to restart operations at Campo Morado through a loan facility and offtake agreement with Trafigura Mexico. In October, operations were resumed on a pre-production basis at an initial mill throughput of 1,400 tonnes per day. A positive preliminary economic assessment followed in April 2018, and commercial production was announced, three months ahead of schedule, on 15 May 2018, at an initial throughput of approximately 2,000 tpd, with the goal of increasing this to 2,500 tpd in 2019. “When Nyrstar shut the mine down, they were building a dedicated copper recovery circuit,” says Shearing. “They put about $18 million into it and they were about 80 per cent complete when they closed the mine. We now have all of that equipment. It was quite an acquisition for us. Nyrstar had put about $500 million, including acquisition costs, into the project and sold it to us for $20 million.” Nyrstar acquired several mines throughout North and South America, explained Shearing, but they all failed. “They were basically a big company going into an area where you have to mine like a small company. They were overstaffed and they were poor miners. It just didn’t work out.” Where Nyrstar lost money, Telson Mining is convinced it can do better. “While Nyrstar used a room and pillar mining method, World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“Nyrstar had put about $500 million, including acquisition costs, into the project and sold it to us for $20 million” which leaves a lot of ore behind, we are using sublevel caving,” says Shearing, “which allows us to take all of the ore. We are also doing some upgrades to the crushing circuits. We’re going to be feeding a smaller crush size into the ball mill, and that will allow us to increase production. We’re hoping to bring production up towards 2500, even trying to get it towards 3000 tonnes a day this year, with some modifications that we’re working on.” Telson is currently producing zinc and lead concentrates with gold, silver and copper as by-products. “Campo Morado is not an easy project. You have to be really careful on your costs and your personnel, simply because the precious metal recoveries are not that good. So, for example, with precious metals, we

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

only recover at the moment about 15-20 per cent of the gold and 30-40 per cent of the silver if we’re lucky. We do recover about 70 per cent of the zinc, but lead recoveries are also poor. If zinc prices get stressed, Campo Morado is not an easy place to make money in its present form.” One of the problems with recovery, Shearing explains, is that Campo Morado has refractory gold, meaning the gold is contained in the latticework of the minerals. Refractory literally means resistant, or stubborn. Tied up in the bonds of the minerals that contain it, refractory gold is hard to recover using traditional methods like cyanidation and carbon adsorption. In November last year Telson decided to conduct preliminary testing of

Glencore Technology’s Albion Process, which grinds the material down to about 12 or 15 microns then injects oxygen into a liquid slurry to oxidize the minerals, which then allows industry standard leaching technology to recover precious metals. Unfortunately, that produced only marginal gains on the material currently being mined, so testing has been suspended until higher grade precious metals are mined from other resource zones already defined on the project. In the meantime, Telson management has also been looking at historical results of testing carried out for Nyrstar at Campo Morado by a firm of UK consultant engineers in 2013. Maelgwyn Mineral Services conducted preliminary Leachox Process testing of

telson mining because it was there

optimization work. “We’re going to carry on with Leachox testing,” said Shearing, “to see if it’s viable to incorporate this technology at Campo Morado to increase our gold and silver recoveries.”

Tahuehueto

samples from process tailings, as well as fresh mineralization from the Reforma deposit, a future production zone. The results indicated that substantial increases in precious metal recoveries could be available at Campo Morado using the Maelgwyn Leachox Process. Testing resulted in a maximum recovery of 65% gold and 75% silver at a grind size of 20 microns from the process tailings sample and a maximum recovery of 45% gold and 81% silver at a grind of 40 microns from the Reforma deposit sample. These recoveries are a marked improvement from recoveries currently being achieved at the project. Maelgwyn’s report concluded that as the test work was performed at a scouting level only, higher recoveries would probably be achieved with

Meanwhile, as work continues to improve recoveries at Campo Morado, the Tahuehueto project is finally coming to fruition after a series of stops and starts. Shearing knew it was a good project as soon as he saw it. “In 1997 I was taken out to the Tahuehueto project and realised very quickly it was an excellent project,” he said. “I could see it had mine building capabilities.” The company did a small amount of work on the project, spending about $300,000, and then the bottom fell out of the market. “Gold fell to $260 an ounce and there was no way to raise money,” remembers Shearing. It’s in the nature of mining projects to be affected by market fluctuations, so Telson Mining diversified into oil and gas until favourable circumstances returned, which they did around 2004. “From 2005 through to the end of 2007 we raised quite a bit of money and we did a lot of exploration on the project. We brought it to a point where we were able to calculate a nice resource, a high grade gold resource.” The bottom dropped out of the market again at the end of 2008 because of the worldwide recession. “Those were tough years,” recalls Shearing. “We attracted

a Chinese group that funded us from about 2009 to 2013 until they ran out of money, so 2013, 2014 and into 2015 were really tough years. There were times when we thought we were going to lose the company.” Instead the company restructured after finding a Mexican partner. “I put the word out that we were looking for someone to help us. My former exploration manager, who was Mexican, contacted Antonio Berlanga and we completed a deal with his group in 2015. Antonio had known about the Tahuehueto project long before I became involved with it. So, his Mexican group came in, put about three and half million dollars into the company and we’ve been working very closely ever since.” By then, Tahuehueto was an advanced exploration project, with a preliminary economic assessment calculated by Snowden Mining Consultants. Their plan envisioned a combined open pit / underground mining operation, but the capital costs for that kind of mine were over $100 million, so it was impossible to fund in the prevailing market conditions. “Antonio quickly recognised that it was more suited to an underground mine than an open pit mine,” says Shearing, “and with an underground mine the capital costs could be cut down by at least two thirds. So, we focused efforts towards that. We commissioned an engineer out of Denver to prepare a World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“My opinion is that this Tahuehueto mine will produce for many, many years. I would say 25 easy, and more as we continue to find more ore bodies”

prefeasibility study and with that we actually started building the mine. At the same time, we made the decision to put the project into preproduction with toll milling conducted off site. We were able to secure a loan facility with one of the world’s largest commodity off-takers, Trafigura, for up to $15 million to help us build the mine at Tahuehueto.” It’s a little surprising, perhaps, for an exploration company to build the mine itself. Don’t they tend to develop a project to a certain stage and then sell it? “That’s the standard model for junior public companies up in Canada,” agrees Shearing. “We were trying to get it to a point to do something with it and if that meant a bigger company coming in to take it, that would have been fine. But I always knew the project could be a mine

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

telson mining because it was there

and I was quite happy to be involved with it as it went into mining. I’m not a miner, of course, I’m an exploration guy, so the mining stuff is all new to me. I’m learning as I go but I’ve got a good team behind me to make it happen.” To make it happen on a budget, it helps to have an eye for a deal. With impeccable timing, the Telson team managed to purchase a used mill, not far from the Tahuehueto site. “We found a thousand tonne a day ball mill with flotation cells, the whole kit and caboodle,” says Shearing. “It was sitting in Durango, really close to our project. We purchased it for about a million and a half Canadian dollars, so it was a very good acquisition for us. It saved us probably four million dollars in capital costs. That’s all on site now and

everything’s ready to be put together.” Shearing is convinced that Tahuehueto will be a very profitable mine, with fifty per cent of its value in the gold and the rest in base metals and silver. “It’s pretty high grade,” he says. “It’ll actually be within the top three or four highest grade gold producers in Mexico. Not the most gold but the highest grade. We’ve got fairly rich ore in the reserves – 3.4 grams per tonne gold. By world standards that may not be high but by Mexican standards it’s pretty high grade.” The Tahuehueto project, located in north-western Durango State, lies within the prolific Sierra Madre mineral belt, which hosts a series of historic and producing mines and most of Mexico’s active exploration and development projects. The Topia mine, owned by Great Panther, is 30 kilometres away. It has been in production for sixty or seventy years. Shearing believes the prospects are extremely good. “In my opinion as an exploration geologist we’ve only scratched the surface of Tahuehueto. It’s really a district scale project and our mining concessions that are 100% owned by Telson cover probably 80% of the prospective terrain within the district. The district itself is 12 kilometres long by eight kilometres wide. There’s another district a couple of hundred kilometres south of us called the San Dimas mining district which is owned by First Majestic now. They just purchased it from Primero Mining. It’s bigger than the Tahuehueto district and it’s been in production for over 150 years. It just carries on. They keep finding new veins. I feel that Tahuehueto, although not quite as big a district, will, over a period of time, continue to find more mineralised veins, and even in the veins we’re working on, we haven’t found the limits of mineralisation yet.” Pre-production commenced at Tahuehueto in August 2017 and is currently mining at a rate of around 150 tonnes per day, shipping ore to a thirdparty toll mill for processing. When its own processing plant is commissioned, the target is to produce at least 1,000 tonnes per day with construction completion and initial production targeted near the end of 2019.

“Tahuehueto is going to be a very slick underground mining operation and the metallurgy at Tahuehueto is excellent,” says Shearing. “We achieve 80 per cent plus recoveries of all metals. That really helps the profit margins at Tahuehueto.” What kind of mine life is it likely to have? “Right now, at a 1000 tonnes a day, our reserves give us about a12 year mine life,” he says. “And we have a similar amount of tonnage in resources that we can upgrade to bring in. My opinion is that this Tahuehueto mine will produce for many, many years. I would say 25 easy, and more as we continue to find more ore bodies.”

Growth

Shearing has not ruled out further expansion in the future. “We do have acquisitions in mind and we’re conducting due diligence on them,” he said. “Right now the only way to do an acquisition would be to use our equity. We’ve put all our cash into building Tahuehueto and buying Campo Morado, so it will be a year before we’ll be in a strong enough position to consider cash acquisitions. But if we can find projects that we are able to do a deal on and pay over time, or pay with equity, then we may go after those targets.” The restructuring of the company in 2015 brought about a change of focus at Telson, inspired by Antonio Berlanga. “Antonio is not keen on doing a lot of up-front exploration on new projects,” says Shearing. “He likes a project that you can put into production quickly and start making money right away. Then you can explore that project and expand it. It’s always nicer to grab a project and make it start earning money right away rather than going to the market and diluting your shareholders. “There is a great exploration potential at Campo Morado,” he continues. “Nyrstar spent a lot of money exploring the district. It looks really promising. We think we can double the size of Campo Morado in five years, if we can get the exploration success. And we intend to at least triple the size of our mine at Tahuehueto over five years. As an exploration geologist I have no doubt that we’ll get there.”

World Mining Magazine

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

world mining directory the directory for the global mining industries drilling & blasting

electrical equipment

Doran Manufacturing Lee Demis Director of Business Development 2851 Massachusetts Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45225 Ph: (513) 699-6230 Email: Demis_Lee@Doranmfg.com Web: www.doranmfg.com

Dyno Nobel 2795 East Cottonwood Parkway Suite 500 Salt Lake City, UT 84121 Phone: 800-732-7534 Fax: 801-328-6452 Email: marketing@am.dynonobel.com Customers in the mining industry choose Dyno Nobel for quality products, reliable service and technical expertise. Dyno Nobel is the market leader in North America with facilities in Australia, Canada, the United States, Indonesia, Mexico, South America and Papua New Guinea. With a customer driven focus, Dyno Nobel develops practical products that will benefit customers in real time. Customers can count on real solutions to their pain points of today, helping them to reduce costs and increase production. Renowned for excellent safety performance and innovative explosive products and services, Dyno Nobel continuously delivers groundbreaking performance through practical innovation.

Established in 1953, Cincinnati, Ohio based Doran Manufacturing LLC. is a global leader in tire pressure monitoring systems and other transportation safety technology. Doran 360TM TPMS continuously monitor tire pressure and temperature data using wireless valve stem-mounted tire pressure sensors. Doran TPMS data can be integrated with telematics to communicate tire pressure and temperature data off equipment via wifi, gps and more for remote visibility of tire data. LumAware Advanced Photoluminescent safety products include Personal Protective Equipment (PPE – Helmets, Safety Vests) Exit Signage and more that makes workers performing tasks in low light/no light conditions safer, and illuminates exits and escapeways in emergencies.

drivetrain solutions

mining equipment

Swanson Industries is a leading provider of

hydraulic cylinder new manufacturing, remanufacturing, aftermarket service and repair, and distribution services for the global underground and aboveground mining markets. ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Custom Cylinder Design Cylinder Exchange Program OEM Authorized Service and Repair Center Mining Equipment Rebuilds Single-Source Supplier and Distributor Industrial Chrome Plating Multiple Surface Restoration Technologies Friction and Arc Welding

2608 Smithtown Road Morgantown, WV 26508 // Tel: +1 800 327 6203 4 - 26 Verulam Road Lambton NSW 2299, Australia // Tel: +61 2 4941 1000 Lapizlazuli 425 Sector La Chimba, Antofagasta // Tel: +56 5 5255 7644

swa n s o n i n d u st r i e s.c o m

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Want to advertise in the World Mining Directory for 12 months? • Small Advertisement (12 month placement) Total price: £595.00 • Large Advertisement (12 month placement) Total price: £795.00 For more information please contact sales@ogsmag.com

mining equipment rentals

GEA Group Peter-Müller-Str. 12 40468 Düsseldorf Germany Tel +49 211 9136-0 chemical@gea.com GEA is one of the largest supplier for process technology and components for sophisticated production processes for many industries worldwide. Across a broad range of mining and mineral operations, GEA offers technologies, equipment & services in evaporation and crystallization, drying, cooling, calcining and conditioning, classification, thickening and dewatering, crud treatment and solvent extraction and wastewater management.

United Mining Rentals (UMR) was born out of a specific niche in the market for both short and longer term rentals for both new and used, Sandvik & Getman equipment for both underground & surface mining and also tunnelling applications. Coupled with +35 years of experience in the mining business, UMR provides both sales and rental of new & used mobile equipment for various mining & tunnelling operations across the world. In addition, our sister company, QME Mining Services Division (which operates as an International mining and tunnelling contractor), also operates a large fleet of predominately Sandvik equipment.

Tel. +353 (0)87 149 1945 www.unitedminingrentals.com

mineral processing

Salter Cyclones Salter Cyclones specialises in fine solids removal with its own Hydrocyclones and Multi-Gravity Separators. These achieve powerful and precise separations in practical, compact, reliable, operator friendly and economic systems. Salter Cyclones Limited Tel: + 44 1242 697771 Fax: + 44 1242 690895 Email: sales@saltercyclones.com Web: www.saltercyclones.com

MINPRO

MINPRO International have subsidiary offices in 4 countries all of which have the same business, supplying mineral processing equipment and engineering for the mineral processing industry worldwide. Our main products are AKER Flotation Machines; Hydraulic Roller Mills, Semi Mobile Modular Concentrators, Hydro Cyclone Batteries as well as Polyurethane wear parts for the mineral processing industry. We deliver complete new mineral processing installations, renovation and upgrade existing mineral processing plants, retrofitting the AKER flotation mechanisms in existing flotation machines as well as engineering services and consultancy

Tel: +48 515 368 833 Minpro International Sp. z o.o. www.minpro.com

mining technology

Adrok is a cutting edge service technology company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, with exclusive global patents to Atomic Dielectric Resonance (ADR) imaging technology. This innovative technology has been developed for use in Oil and Gas, Mining and Civil Engineering sectors. Adrok’s technology has been used in several projects around the world to explore the sub-surface geology and locate accurately and identify precisely the fluids present at great depths providing high resolution without drilling the underground. This subsurface imaging scanner generates ‘virtual borehole’ logs of subsurface geology from the surface. It is lightweight, field rugged and portable, to enable cost-effective mobilisation.

49-1 West Bowling Green Street Edinburgh, EH6 5NX (Scotland, UK) Tel: +44(0) 131 555 6662 Email: info@adrokgroup.com Website: http://adrokgroup.com/

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

world mining directory process water treatment

software

Formed in 1997, Canary Systems provides integrated geo-monitoring solutions for a broad range of mining applications, including open pit, tailings, SW-EX, and underground. We help clients better manage risk, monitor performance, and increase the safety of their operations by tying together the loose ends: the hardware required for automatic or semi-automatic data acquisition – and the software to collect, store, and analyze data in a simple and efficient way on a single combined powerful platform. We provide turnkey solutions – including system architecture, hardware and software development, telemetry, and instrumentation – as well as individual components customized to and augmenting existing project needs.

Canary Systems, Inc. Mining Group 4732 Oracle Road, Suite 112 Tucson, AZ 85705 USA Tel: 520.887.9800 info@canarysystems.com www.canarysystems.com

Salter Cyclones specialises in fine solids removal with its own Hydrocyclones and Multi-Gravity Separators. These achieve powerful and precise separations in practical, compact, reliable, operator friendly and economic systems.

sump

Salter Cyclones Limited Tel: + 44 1242 697771 Fax: + 44 1242 690895 Email: sales@saltercyclones.com Web: www.saltercyclones.com

scales & weighing equipment

IVAC Industrial Vacuum Systems Ltd., manufactures a powerful pneumatic powered vacuum/ delivery system that allows you to pick-up and deliver your most difficult materials. The materials can be wet or dry including gravel, sand, slimes, sludge’s and water. The powerful, virtually maintenance free vacuum system is able to deliver the materials short or long distances, even up too kilometres through a pipeline or hose. Its is ideal for sump & ditch clean-up, tanks, under conveyors, around crushers and mills anywhere shovels, vacuum trucks or water hoses are being used for your clean-ups today!

Contact: Brad Fryburger Brad.Fryburger@rinstrum.com +1 248 680 0320 Website: www.rinstrum.com

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

100

IVAC Industrial Vacuum Systems Ltd. 35-111 Chartrand Avenue, Logan Lake, BC V0K 1W0 Canada Phone 604-628-3367 Email zereko@zereko.com http://industrialvacuumunit.com

It makes complete sense! Autonomous Vehicles, Autonomous Refueling!

PRECISE / PROFICIENT / PROVEN ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING OF: ROBOTIC REFUELING SYSTEM (RFS) - The RFS Pitstop is a containerized system for robotic refueling of heavy duty vehicles in extreme conditions. RFS is safe, efficient, easy, environmental friendly and theft-proof. Operating speeds are between 150 – 300 GPM / (567 – 1135 LPM). Connection to begin refueling is only 25 seconds and disconnecting takes just 25 seconds. The RFS Pitstop system is a turn-key working robot, installed in a 20 foot sea-container which facilitates installation and secures the systems operation.

Robotic Refueling System

Fluid Reservoir Systems

DIESEL AND DEF RAPID REFUELING SYSTEMS - Refuel or fill

any fluid storage vessel accurately and prevent spillage or overpressurizing the storage tank.The Fast Fuel Systems mate with industry standard nozzles and 2” NPT receivers. The Fast Fuel Systems Shut off valve acts as a check valve when servicing receivers.The Fast Fuel Systems Shut off valve can be connected to multiple receivers for remote or dual fill locations.The Fast Fuel Systems Zero or low pressure systems can be used with steel, stainless steel and plastic reservoirs.

THE DIESEL AND DEF SYSTEMS PROVIDE:

• Non Pressurized Fill System • Flow Rates up to 5-211 GPM (18 LPM - 800 LPM) • Provides Dry-break Connection • Exterior Tank Mounting • Retrofit-able • Ideal application for Construction, Mining, AG, Locomotive and Marine Vehicles and closed loop refilling dispensing systems.

High Flow Filling Systems

Hydraulic Breathers with manual overrides

Quick Disconnects

Coverage in the USA and International www.ShawDev.com / teamsupport@shawdev.com Tel +1 239 405 6100

Service Lube Centers

Are equipment trips slowing down your ore? Operate to constraints to maximize flow. Pavilion8ÂŽ drives your operation to maximum potential The Pavilion8 Material Flow Management application provides real-time visibility of complex multiple conveyor systems in a mining facility. By taking advantage of existing data, the application improves performance by initiating preventive or corrective measures prior to a system trip.

Discover how a Pavilion solution can help you operate your facility at maximum efficiency.