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Rio Tinto: Advanced mining

2015 Issue 8

World Mining

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The Editor

Last man standing

Editor

The

Martin Ashcroft

he English language is a curious beast at times, especially when Americans get their hands on it. Readers of an international magazine like this must sigh over our different usage and spelling. The British quote the price of iron ore in tonnes, but an American will refer to a metric ton. These are, in fact, two terms for exactly the same thing – a unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. Confusion sets in when we use the word ton, with a single ‘n’ and without the metric qualifier. For an Englishman, a ton is an Imperial measurement amounting to 2,240 pounds. For an American, it’s 2,000 pounds – one word with different meanings for different people. Let’s not use that one, then. Having defined our terms, what price a tonne of iron? In my editorial in May I thought that iron ore prices may be turning a corner. They didn’t. The price rose from $47 a tonne in April to $59 in May, a twitch that was enough to quicken the pulse for a few of us, but it soon came down again to a ten year low of around $44 in July, teaching us all not to be so easily excitable. More recently the price has hovered in the mid $50s but the less optimistic analysts are preparing us for a dip into the $30s.

Goldman Sachs expects prices to fall around 30 per cent over the next 18 months as iron ore supply continues to expand while steel output struggles. As editor of Oil, Gas & Shipping magazine as well as this one, I find the parallels with the oil industry are quite striking, from the unit price to the global oversupply to the market strategy of the leading players. The two commodities have been dancing to the same tune for some time. The price of a barrel of oil is currently around the mid $40s. OPEC, which could always be relied upon to adjust output to support prices, changed course last November and has continued pumping oil to maintain market share and force higher cost producers out of the sector. Despite the downturn in prices and a cooling off in demand from China, the major iron ore producers, Vale, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton are themselves searching for the Holy Grail of low cost production. Caught in the crossfire is the UK steel industry, where jobs are being lost hand over fist in the face of cheap imports of surplus Chinese steel. Who will be the last man standing? WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

Contents Page 24

Cover storyRio Tinto: Advanced mining

The Editor: Last man standing

Richwood: Staying on track

Rio Tinto: Advanced mining

Motive Group: The new approach to belt cleaning

Donna Smith: People first

Puritech: Advanced ION exchange technology

Mines of information

Booyco Electronics: Safe & productive mining

Page 6: Monthly news & features: Treasury Metals White Mountain Titanium Landore Resources West African mining Martin Engineering Durr Systems Timetric survey ICL & Yunnan Yuntianhua Aztec Metals Ritchie Bros. Alamos Gold Inc. Rio Tinto Australian Research Council IPACS

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ADVERTISERS Page: 2 Rockwell Automation 8 Wolseley Group 10 Conductix Wampfler 12 Polar Mobility Research 14 Canary Systems 16 Chemithon 18 Kentz 20 DRA Global 31 Motive Traction 34 Richwood 34 AKW 38 Atlas Copco 39 Greenfield Handlers 42 Puritech 50 Dok-Ing 51 Monarch Vulcanising Systems 54 IDS Corporation 55 Seeing Machines 59 Booyco Electronics 60 World Mining Rentals 62 Hawk Measurement 63 TerraMar Networks 64 GEA Barr-Rosin

World Mining Magazine

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Page 22

Richwood: Staying on track

Editor

Vanessa Ward editor@ogsmag.com Sales

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Monthly news & features

World Mining Magazine 2015 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.

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Monthly news & features

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News and features

News in Brief Treasury Metals has filed an NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate on its 100% owned Goliath Gold Project near Dryden, Ontario, updating the November 2011 estimate to include results from an additional 175 diamond drill holes and 27 old re-entered drill holes totalling 55,086m. P&E Mining Consultants Inc, who prepared the 2015 estimate, conclude that the project now totals 1,166,000 gold and gold equivalent silver ounces in the “indicated” and “measured” categories.

West African mining showing signs of glitter

* * *

Martin Engineering has named two new distributors in South Africa. Alco Mining & Industrial Supplies and Vandlovu Mining & Industrial Supplies are sister companies that will both serve the Phalaborwa and surrounding areas. The move will broaden the availability of high-performance bulk material handling technologies in South Africa, helping customers improve the safety and performance of their operations, while minimizing lead times. * * * White Mountain Titanium has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Chinese metallurgy company Sinosteel MECC, whereby the two entities will cooperate in the development of the Cerro Blanco project in Chile, including the ancillary desalination plant. This cooperation includes engineering, procurement, and construction of the rutile concentrator plant, rutile products off-take and helping WMTC to get financial support from certain financial service firms, as well as major Chinese banks. * * * Landore Resources Limited has completed a mineral potential investigation on the Junior Lake nickelcopper-PGE Project in Ontario, Canada, with independent engineers RPA Inc. of Toronto undertaking the review. Landore is currently in the process of completing a proposed four stage work program, with the Phase 1 work of a review of the Junior Lake geophysical surveys and investigation of the mineral potential of the property nearing completion. RPA concurs with Landore’s approach of phased work programs.

“R

ound their necks, the dogs wear collars of gold and silver.” So commented a 10th-century Arab visitor to the court of the old empire of Ghana. Gold has been produced in West Africa for at least 1,500 years; between the years 400 and 1500, the region was the world’s largest source of gold. Notwithstanding civil war, disease and poverty, West Africa continues to attract gold miners from around the world. This is underpinned by recent mineralprice movements: in the past two years, the gold price has been almost steady, in contrast to price falls for iron-ore, coal, copper, nickel, and most other minerals. For example, in the southeast corner of Mali, the Australian company Resolute Mining is planning an underground extension of its operating open-cut mine, Syama. Underground mining will incorporate sub-level caving, a method that entails the blasting of ore from above, drawing it down to tunnels under the deposit and allowing the overburden to cave in. Underground production, expected to commence by early 2017, will be around 150,000 ounces per year.

The same company is also planning an underground extension of a former open-cut mine in Ghana. Other significant gold developments in the region include Fekola in Mali (B2 Gold of Canada), Banfora in Burkina Faso (Gryphon Minerals of Australia), Wa Gold in Ghana (Azumah Resources of Australia), Mako in Senegal (Toro Gold of Guernsey) and Makabingui in Senegal (Bassari Resources of Australia). Reflecting the economic underdevelopment of West Africa, foreign engineering consultants (such as Lycopodium of Australia) and contractors play a major role in the region. The World Bank is keen to assist the development of local capabilities there. In a report of February 2015 (supported financially by the Australian government), it notes that if the resources sector “could be used to underpin broader economic development”, West Africa’s “prospects would be transformed”. Elaborating, it says that “local content has emerged as one of the main tools to avoid enclave developments, create skills, and develop a domestic industry and diversification”.

Martin Engineering has developed a family of primary conveyor belt cleaners for the world’s fastest, most heavily-loaded belts, with industrial-strength construction that delivers effective cleaning, minimal maintenance and long service life, even under punishing conditions. The Martin SHD Series was developed for super heavy-duty applications, with structural steel components to prevent bending of the main frame. The extremely durable construction helps eliminate carryback, reduce emergency outages and minimize unscheduled downtime. WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

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News and features

Dürr Systems completes world’s largest methane oxidization project

ürr Systems, Inc. Clean Technology Systems (CTS) has completed the installation and commissioning of the world’s largest ventilation air methane/coal mine methane (VAM/CMM) oxidation and utilization project at the Gaohe coal mine, owned by the Lu’An Coal Mining Group in Shanxi Province, China. The project enables 8.9 million Nm3 (normal cubic metres) of methane/ yr to be utilized for power generation, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 1.4 million tCO2e/yr (total CO2 equivalent),

n a global survey conducted by

Timetric between February 2014 and April 2015 at over 600 operating mines, miners were asked to nominate whom they perceived as the market leading suppliers for key pieces of equipment such as trucks, excavators, loaders, drills and underground equipment. Caterpillar was ranked consistently by respondents as the leading equipment supplier for trucks, excavators, dozers and loaders, typically followed by Komatsu in each of these categories. Other recognised leaders were Joy Global for longwall systems and continuous

and reduces the amount of coal dust particulates, a major source of air pollution. Methane’s global warming potential is 25 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. Up to 1,020,000 Nm3/h of ventilation air methane and 60,000 Nm3/h of coal mine methane are thermally oxidized in the project using Dürr’s regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) technology. Up to 300,000 Nm3/h of hot exhaust gas is delivered to a boiler to generate steam which is used for the generation of up to 30mW of electricity by a turbine generator.

Mine and working safety is of key importance for the project. Part of the applied multi-level safety system is a rigorous hazardous operation and safety analysis in the pre-project phase. Dürr Systems, Inc. CTS has also engineered, built, installed and commissioned the first full-scale VAM oxidation system in the United States, which has been successfully operating since 2013 and has begun the engineering phase of several new VAM/ CMM oxidation and utilization projects throughout China.

miners, and Atlas Copco for drilling equipment. This recognition was often consistent regardless of location, mining company size or commodity type. Timetric also asked respondents for their views on other factors including pricing, products, company history, reputation and services provided, to understand why the top suppliers succeed and to identify the priorities and attitudes of buyers and decision-makers when purchasing heavy mobile mining equipment. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of key criteria when choosing an equipment supplier. The

top two factors for both importance and satisfaction throughout the surveys were ‘product quality/reliability’ and ‘availability of spare parts’. “Our research not only confirms what many in the industry have long suspected in terms of ranking of the main suppliers, but it also identifies the areas where these companies have performed well. As the mining industry is currently facing a structural downturn, it is now more relevant than ever for companies to identify how they can improve their competitive position,” comments Clifford Smee, Senior Mining Analyst at Timetric’s MIC. WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

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News and features

ICL forms phosphate joint venture with Yunnan Yuntianhua of China

srael Chemicals Ltd, better known as ICL, a global producer of fertilizers and special-purpose chemical products, has formed a joint venture company with Yunnan Phosphate Chemicals Group Corporation Ltd, China’s leading phosphate producer. The YPH JV, which includes a phosphate rock mine producing approximately 2.5 million tonnes of phosphate annually, is expected to be a leading player in China’s phosphate sector, operating an integrated phosphate platform across the value chain. It will include upstream mining, bulk fertilizers and downstream businesses in specialty fertilizers, as well as in specialty phosphates for the food and engineered materials markets. The YPH JV represents a key milestone in ICL’s Next Step Forward strategy by increasing its phosphate platform by more than 50%, securing its long-term reserves and expanding its phosphate end-to-end business model focusing on Asia. The partnership is expected to transform ICL into the world’s leading specialty phosphate player and to nearly double its global phosphate market share. The YPH JV is also expected to improve the cost competitiveness of ICL’s phosphate operations by providing it with access to a low-cost phosphate rock operation with vast reserves, as well as with low-cost phosphoric acid. ICL also sees major potential for phosphates specialties in China, and through the YPH JV it will be well-positioned to capture this opportunity. The venture further adds ammonia-based fertilizers to ICL’s portfolio. The YPH JV partners expect to invest about $340 million, on a 50/50 basis over the next five years, building specialty plants and tripling their white phosphoric acid (WPA) capacity. The parties have also agreed to produce and sell WPA in China exclusively through the JV for five years following closing. The YPH JV will be controlled by ICL and its results, including

assets and liabilities, will be consolidated into ICL’s financial reports. ICL will lead the operations of the business and will merge its existing businesses in China into the YPH JV which will become a fully operating business unit of ICL. Commenting on the announcement, Mr Ta Shenghua, Chairman of Yunnan Yuntianhua, stated, “We look forward to fully

integrating Yunnan Yuntianhua’s large-scale raw material reserves and infrastructure with ICL’s expertise and technologies to create a powerful phosphates player that will conduct activities along the entire value chain - from mining to manufacturing downstream products. Together, Yunnan Yuntianhua and ICL will work to transform the phosphates industry in China and other Asian markets, as well as contribute to Chinese society and industry.”

Send your news to martin@ogsmag.com WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

News and features

Kootenay’s Cervantes project optioned to Aztec Metals

Ritchie Bros. to sell over six thousand items in Edmonton October auction

ootenay Silver has optioned its Cervantes gold/copper project in Sonora, Mexico to Aztec Metals

Corp. Cervantes is a gold/copper porphyry prospect approximately 50 km northeast of the company’s Promontorio Silver resource in Sonora, Mexico, which based on geologic observations, the company believes has potential for hosting leachable gold resources. The project is the result of Kootenay’s generative program and was staked through its wholly owned Mexican subsidiary, Minera JM. “The agreement with Aztec represents our third successful option agreement in the past 12 months of our generative program,” said Kootenay president and CEO James McDonald. “The agreement serves as a strong complement to our previously announced option agreements over this same period, including optioning the Silver Fox property to the major copper mining company Antofagasta and the San Diego property to Alamos Gold. “As we continue to advance our top priority La Negra silver discovery in Sonora, Mexico, our success finding and leveraging exciting new projects adds significantly to the intrinsic value in Kootenay, while providing maximum exposure to new discoveries and minimal share dilution through our generative program.” Previous work conducted by Kootenay shows the Cervantes concession to be underlain by a suite of mineralization styles of which the California gold/ copper porphyry is most significant. The primary prospects within the Cervantes concession were discovered or identified as a result of Kootenay’s generative discovery program. All sampling results have been previously reported by Kootenay. Kootenay Silver Inc. is an exploration company actively engaged in the discovery and development of mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico and in British Columbia, Canada.

itchie Bros, the world’s largest industrial auctioneer, will sell over six thousand items of equipment and trucks at its next unreserved public auction in Edmonton, Alberta from 27 – 29 October 2015. The sale will include hundreds of trailers, excavators, truck tractors, compactors and dozers, as well as plenty of articulated dump trucks, wheel loaders, motor graders, winch tractors, pipelayers, cranes and pickup trucks, not to mention real estate, oil & gas equipment and much more. “We’ve been conducting auctions in Alberta since 1964, and we’re really proud of the relationships we’ve developed with equipment owners across the province. Our fifth Edmonton auction

of 2015 features another great line-up of late-model, premium used equipment from hard-working Western Canadian companies, including several complete dispersals,” said Trent Vandenberghe, vice president (sales), Ritchie Bros. “With equipment from every sector, including construction, transportation, oil and gas, forestry, and farming, we certainly have something for everyone. If you’re looking to buy, this auction is definitely worth waiting for. As always, everything will be sold without minimum bids or reserve prices. All of the equipment is located right at the auction site, so you can easily test, inspect and compare items before you bid.” Bidders can participate in person, online at rbauction.com and by proxy.

Alamos Gold Inc. and Carlisle Goldfields Limited have entered into a definitive agreement for Alamos to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of Carlisle by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement. Carlisle’s primary asset is the Lynn Lake gold project, a low cost, high-grade open pit project with a large established mineral resource and strong exploration potential, located in the highly prospective past producing gold camp in Lynn Lake,

Manitoba, Canada. Lynn Lake comprises five near surface deposits which contain total measured and indicated mineral resources of 40.5 million tonnes. The deal consolidates 100% interest in the Lynn Lake gold project and diversifies and enhances Alamos’ development pipeline with average annual production potential of 145,000 ounces of gold at lowest quartile all-in sustaining costs from a favourable mining jurisdiction. WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

News and features

Rio Tinto releases strong third quarter iron ore production results

Loading of the vessel Yi Da with one billion tonnes of Rio Tinto iron ore at Cape Lambert, bound for China - Rio Tinto/Christian Sprogoe

io Tinto’s third quarter results showed a surge in iron ore shipments as it completed the key elements of its infrastructure expansion in the Pilbara region. The Anglo-Australian miner reported global iron-ore shipments of 91.3 million metric tons for the three months to the end of September, up 12% on the previous quarter and 17% higher than in the same period a year ago. Rio Tinto, the world’s second-largest exporter of iron ore, has been expanding its network of mines and infrastructure in Australia’s iron-rich Pilbara region in recent years, despite a downturn in market prices. “We continue to deliver efficient production, rigorous cost control and sound allocation of capital,” said Rio Tinto chief executive Sam Walsh. “This approach is ensuring that our tier one assets generate substantial free cash flow even during a challenging economic environment. Our expanded Pilbara infrastructure is in place, and the Iron Ore Product Group is successfully commissioning and testing the system, reflected in the increased iron ore shipments to our customers

during the period. Our cash generated from operations will enable us to deliver strong returns to shareholders through the cycle and our balance sheet will be further strengthened by recent divestment activity.” The divestment referred to is the agreed sale on 30 September 2015 of Rio’s 40 per cent interest in the Bengalla thermal coal joint venture in Australia to New Hope Corporation Limited for US$606 million. Pilbara production in the first nine months of the year was 11 per cent higher than the same period of 2014, while third quarter production was 12 per cent higher than the same quarter of 2014. These increases were achieved through the continued ramp-up of the Nammuldi operations and a number of productivity improvements, which resulted in incremental gains across most sites. Favourable weather conditions also meant that there was minimal disruption compared with the first and second quarters of 2015. The company maintained its full-year guidance and expects to ship about 340 million tonnes of iron ore during the 2015 calendar year from its operations in Australia and Canada.

Sales in the quarter exceeded production by 4.2 million tonnes, as Rio dug into its inventories at the mines. The drawdown has been a key focus in 2015 and inventories built up during the infrastructure expansion phase are expected to be largely used up by early 2016. During the first nine months of 2015, Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) showed a significant improvement in operational performance, attributed to improved haul truck and mill availability and enhanced productivity rates for haul trucks and shovels. This resulted in a 21 per cent increase in concentrates produced to 5.5 million tonnes (Rio Tinto share 3.2 million tonnes) and a 14 per cent rise in pellet production to 7.3 million tonnes (Rio Tinto share 4.3 million tonnes). Higher production flowed through to a 24 per cent improvement in sales to 13.2 million tonnes (Rio Tinto share 7.7 million tonnes) in the first nine months of 2015. Third quarter sales were particularly strong, with concentrate sales of 3.2 million tonnes and pellet shipments of 2.6 million tonnes. WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

News and features

New research hub to increase value of Australian copper

major new research hub to improve the quality of Australian copper was launched in early October in Adelaide, South Australia. The Australian Research Council Research Hub for Australian Copper-Uranium, based at the University of Adelaide, involves key industry, university and government partners in South Australia and nationally to increase the value of Australia’s $6 billion-a-year copper industry. The hub is tasked with finding new ways of removing other metals from copper deposits, which can reduce the quality of the copper, and to ensure these new methods are suitable for industry-level operations. Professor Stephen Grano, the director of the new ARC Research Hub for Australian Copper-Uranium, said much of South Australia’s copper deposits are very fine intergrowths of a range of different metals and minerals, which adds technical challenges to achieve high-purity copper concentrates ready for market. “Being able to find cost-effective ways of removing other metals from copper concentrates will provide a boost to the industry’s economic prosperity, as well as its environmental sustainability. This work will help to ensure Australia is a world leader in copper production and associated technology,” says Professor Grano.

The ARC awarded $2.52 million to the University of Adelaide to establish the research hub. In addition, industry partners are contributing a further $5.55 million in cash and in-kind support over five years. South Australian Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis welcomed the new hub, which he said would provide a boost for one of South Australia’s most significant commodities. “As one of the world’s largest copper producers, maximising the value of copper ore by the commercialisation of safe and cost-effective ways of separating uranium from copper concentrates is of enormous benefit to the State’s economy,” he said. The ARC Research Hub for Australian Copper-Uranium is led by the University of Adelaide’s Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources. It is funded by the Australian Government through the ARC’s Industrial Transformation Research Hubs scheme. Partners include mining companies BHP Billiton and OZ Minerals, the Department of State Development, Defence Science and Technology Group, Environment Protection Authority South Australia, Flinders University, Monash University, University College London (UCL) Australia, and the University of Queensland. WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

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News and features

Remote monitoring reduces maintenance costs

Advanced remote monitoring systems are helping to reduce some of the massive operational costs faced by mining operators

PACS Australia (formerly International Projects and Consulting Services) launched its Remote Asset Management Centre at Technology Park, Adelaide in March 2015 to monitor in real time the performance of mining vehicles, smelters, SCADA systems and fixed plant infrastructure. Dr Vinay Sriram, general manager of IPACS, said the sensors currently relayed data from mining operations up to 650 kilometres from the city-based centre. “Currently we have assets valued at over $10 million under remote tracking and recording,’’ he said. “We are hopeful to increase our assets under management to $100 million within the next three years with the new technology. Our focus is on reducing maintenance costs, increasing asset reliability and efficiency, identifying faults and increasing productivity.’’ The IPACS centre currently monitors dump trucks working in the Prominent Hill mine in South Australia as well as a crushing machine 400 kilometres away. “The new centre is helping create a hi-tech mining focus in South Australia which is prompting inquiries from major global, overseas operators at the moment. We are currently negotiating with two companies on how best to apply our technology to their particular needs.’’

Sriram said mining companies which were not embracing the opportunity to quickly cut operating costs would not be in business for long in the current economic climate. “The aim is to lower costs across the industry and allow companies to remain profitable and therefore competitive on the global stage,’’ he said. “Bigger companies are able to do this easily while small to middle range contract mining companies find this harder to achieve. This technology will provide an affordable opportunity to reduce their costs and get more value out of their assets. The remote sensors are also a critical tool in maximising safety standards in these environments.’’ Dr Sriram said the technology also has far reaching application opportunities in the defence industry, such as the future submarines project in South Australia, as well as the energy market. “We have also had interest from a national transport company to monitor mechanical drives and identify any potential early machine failure,’’ he said. “Operational costs for any large company contribute greatly to their overall costs. The partnerships we have forged in South Australia are helping us gain exposure to a wide range of industries and future applications.’’ WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

Staying on track Richwood solves materials handling problems with a new approach to belt training

Damage to structure from walking belt 22

WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

hen running conveyor belts for bulk material handling, belt mistracking and misalignment can be a frequent and problematic occurrence. Regardless of the cause, be it off-centre loading, carryback on components, out of level structures or other issues, belt mistracking is a major safety hazard and a maintenance nightmare. Conventional belt training idlers are designed to react to changes in the path of travel of the belt. In other words, they react to a misalignment that has already occurred, by skewing or pivoting an idler to steer the belt back to the centre. The training idler then compensates, pushing the belt in the opposite direction where it often over travels and the process repeats itself. The result is a belt that continually walks from side to side. How much better would it be to avoid misalignment in the first place? Well, Richwood has engineered a new way to solve this problem: the ON-Track™ Return Belt Tracking Idler. The new solution is designed to prevent problems occurring by consistently guiding the belt and evenly distributing tension along the belt’s entire width. No edge guides are needed. “The true arc radius of ON-Track guides the belt and doesn’t overstress the belt or the tracking rollers,” explains Scott Smith, design engineer at Richwood. “Instead of reacting to belt misalignment, the ON-Track simply guides the conveyor and keeps it in its correct path.” There are many causes for conveyor belting to track off centre.

Richwood: Staying on track

ON-Track prevents mistracking

According to CEMA, (the Conveyor Equipment Manufacturer’s Association 7th Edition) certain specific criteria must apply for a belt to remain on its correct path. The conveyor structure frame must be aligned and levelled, the tail and head pulleys of the conveyor must be square and aligned on the conveyor frame, the belting must be straight and splices must be square, belting should be in good contact with troughing rolls, all troughing and return idlers should be square with the conveyor frame, belting must be properly tensioned and material should be loaded centrally on the belt. There are times when all of these factors in a conveyor system are as good as they can realistically be, yet the problem remains. When faced with persistent belt misalignment, it’s time to think outside traditional strategies. If you are trying to guide the conveyor back into its path, you have likely already lost the battle. With the ON-Track belt tracking idler, tension is applied to both sides of the belt. The belt’s tendency is to find the place of lowest tension, or equilibrium - so it stays centred on the structure. Should the belt attempt to misalign, the gentle tension differential created by the ON-Track unit keeps the belt in place in the centre of the conveyor structure. The system works by safely controlling where the belt travels instead of reacting to belt misalignment. One of the largest coal preparation plants in northern West Virginia faced constant problems with belt tracking and misalignment. Side travel of the return belt was extreme. System

inspection confirmed that the belt tracked as far as 12” off centre in either direction entering the mid-positioned conveyor drive. Even though the conveyor was being correctly loaded in the centre, belt tracking varied depending on percentage of load on the conveyor. Approximately 75 feet ahead of the drive area there was evidence that the belt had been rubbing the structure on both sides of the conveyor (see photo). Costly belt edge damage was a major concern due to the frequent contact with the vertical I-Beam structure supporting the drive. This was not only a threat to the conveyor belt, but also created safety hazards for personnel. The belt also needed constant attention, with maintenance crew routinely trying to train the belt by adjusting return idlers on the running conveyor. Multiple conventional training idlers were replaced with a single ON-Track unit entering the conveyor drive, eliminating belt misalignment and the consistent problems on this conveyor. In a wide variety of applications the ON-Track belt tracking idler has proven to be a reliable solution. In another application, only two Richwood ON-Track belt trackers were required to replace six troughing belt trainers and multiple return belt trainers. Continual belt misalignment has been eliminated and the customer is very pleased and plans on installing the ONTrack on another 72” belt at the same location. For more information contact: info@richwood.com or visit www.richwood.com. WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

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Rio Tinto: Advanced mining

Advances in technology have helped Rio Tinto make its operations safer, reduce costs and respond to environmental imperatives. WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

ining giant Rio Tinto’s main business is the production of raw materials including copper, iron ore, coal, bauxite, diamonds, uranium and industrial minerals including titanium dioxide, salt, gypsum and borates. Rio Tinto performs processing on some of these materials, with plants dedicated to processing bauxite into alumina and aluminium, and smelting iron ore into iron. The company also produces other metals and minerals as byproducts from the processing of its main resources, including gold, silver, molybdenum, sulphuric acid, nickel, potash, lead and zinc. Rio Tinto continues to make advances in technology that are being implemented into its biggest operations and will help it to cement its position as a world leader. 26

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Pilbara

Rio Tinto’s Pilbara operations include a world-class, integrated network of 15 iron ore mines, four independent port terminals, a 1,700 kilometre rail network and related infrastructure, designed to respond rapidly to changes in demand, supported by Rio’s operations centre in Perth, Western Australia. Rio Tinto is expanding its operations in the Pilbara to epic proportions, while introducing next generation technologies to deliver greater efficiency, lower production costs and improve health, safety and environmental performance. Two of Rio Tinto’s Pilbara mines have recently become the first in the world to start moving all of their iron ore using fully remote-controlled trucks. The pits at its Yandicoogina and Nammuldi mine sites have workers controlling the driverless trucks largely from an operations centre in Perth, 1,200 kilometres away. Josh Bennett manages the mining operations at Yandicoogina mine north west of Newman and is closely involved in the running of 22 driverless trucks on the site. The two pits are the

Rio Tinto

largest of their kind in the world, he said. “To the naked eye it looks like conventional mining methods. I guess the key change for us is the work that employees and our team members are doing now,” he added. “What we have done is map out our entire mine and put that into a system; the system then works out how to manoeuvre the trucks through the mine.” The company is now operating 69 driverless trucks across its mines at Yandicoogina, Nammuldi and Hope Downs 4. The trucks can run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without a driver who needs bathroom or lunch breaks, which has industry insiders estimating each truck can save around 500 work hours a year. The technology takes away dangerous jobs while also slashing operating costs. “We have taken away a very high risk role, where employees are exposed to fatigue,” said Bennett. “It is quite challenging to get repeatability out of a human; one of the advantages we have had with autonomous haulage, particularly in the truck fleet, we notice we are getting consistency in terms of the way the machines are operating. “One of the biggest costs we have is maintaining mobile assets,

so we spend a lot of time on our operator training, education. So, there are obvious capital savings in terms of setting up camps, flying people to site; there are fewer people so there are less operating costs, but there are some costs that come into running the system and maintenance of the system as well.” Rio’s plans do not stop at trucks. It is also trialling unmanned trains and mining with robot drills with the aim of rolling out the machines across as many of its mine sites as possible. Eventually, most of the company’s supply chain from the pit to the port will be remotely controlled from Perth. That will involve the creation of new, highly skilled positions. “We have a whole dedicated team based in Perth that is looking at how to optimise the system, looking at maintenance, productivity... those are jobs that did not exist five years ago,” said Bennett. “We have roles which are being created such as a central controller and a pit controller which are essential to running the autonomous system.” At a recent investor seminar in Sydney, Rio Tinto outlined the next phase in its long-term strategy to capitalise on the growing global demand for high-quality iron ore through a relentless focus on productivity and efficiency, technology, and people development to drive costs lower at its Pilbara operations. Rio Tinto also revealed new detail on the data underpinning its projections for 2.5 per cent average annual growth for steel demand across China and the rest of the world over the next 15 years. This rigorous analysis confirms that Chinese crude steel production is expected to reach around one billion tonnes by 2030. Emerging markets will also play an increasingly significant role in the iron ore market, with non-Chinese steel demand expected to increase by 65 per cent by 2030. Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Andrew Harding said, “As we move into our 50th year of exports from Australia, Rio Tinto is embarking on a new phase in our iron ore business. We have spent the past decade building the best iron ore business in the world - a project that has come in on time and below initial cost estimates. We intend to optimise these new assets to deliver maximum value for shareholders and stakeholders as markets transition. “Our long-term strategy is supported by comprehensive market analysis, leadership in people, world-class technology and an unrelenting pursuit of productivity improvements. Rio Tinto has some of the best tier one mining assets in the world and our workplace culture of chasing new efficiencies will ensure we remain the best iron ore producer in the industry. We are also focused on realising further costs savings through some 400 efficiency initiatives across the Pilbara.” Rio Tinto Technology and Innovation chief executive Greg Lilleyman said, “Our sector-leading Mine of the Future programme is already delivering significant group-wide productivity improvements. Rio Tinto’s first-mover status in autonomous equipment has resulted in significant productivity gains while our use of big data analytics has allowed us to safely extend maintenance cycles. These productivity gains, combined with our asset management programme, have us on a pathway to safely reduce maintenance costs by about $200 million a year over the next three years. The Technology and Innovation team is also ensuring that Rio Tinto not only undertakes the right projects but when we do them, we do them right.”

Oyu Tolgoi

Oyu Tolgoi is situated in the southern Gobi desert of Mongolia. Since 2010, Rio Tinto has been the manager of the Oyu Tolgoi project and has a percentage ownership share. Oyu Tolgoi is one of the most exciting developments in copper and gold mining for several decades. As well as containing reserves and resources that make it one of the world’s largest copper-gold deposits, Oyu Tolgoi will have a transformative effect on the nation and the WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the advantages we have had with autonomous haulage is getting consistency in the way the machines are operatingâ&#x20AC;?

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Rio Tinto

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people of Mongolia and is an important long-term partnership with the Government of Mongolia. By the time it reaches full production in 2021, the International Monetary Fund estimates that Oyu Tolgoi will generate up to a third of Mongolia’s GDP. Oyu Tolgoi is expected to produce an average of 430,000 tonnes of copper and 425,000 ounces of gold per year, as well as byproduct silver and molybdenum, over its mine life. Ore from Oyu Tolgoi will be processed into concentrate on-site and, in its initial years, be shipped by road to international markets. In 2013, Oyu Tolgoi reached a major milestone when shipping commenced with trucks carrying copper concentrate leaving the mine bound for customers in China. The 100,000-tonne-perday concentrator began processing ore at the beginning of 2013, from Oyu Tolgoi’s open pit. The underground section of the mine, which Rio Tinto expects to develop in the next phase of the project, contains up to 80 per cent of the value of the project. Oyu Tolgoi is designed to be one of the most water-efficient mines of its kind in the world. As well as using water only 30

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from a previously-undiscovered, deep and saline aquifer that is unconnected to surface water, the operation will continuously recycle 80 per cent of the water used in operations and all of the water used for domestic purposes.

Bowen Basin

Rio Tinto says the automation technology being rolled out in driverless trucks and trains in the Pilbara will soon move to the Bowen Basin. Rio Tinto has real productivity concerns, with Australian miners hard to find and expensive to pay, and so is spurring the spread of automation to Queensland. The Bowen Basin contains the largest coal reserves in Australia. This major coal-producing region contains one of the world’s largest deposits of bituminous coal. The Basin contains much of the known Permian coal resources in Queensland, including virtually all the known mineable prime coking coal. The Bowen Basin covers an area of over 60,000 square kilometres in Central Queensland running from Collinsville to Theodore.

Rio Tinto

“We have a dedicated team based in Perth that is looking at how to optimise the system, looking at maintenance, productivity... those are jobs that did not exist five years ago”

Rio Tinto’s operations in the region are comprised of the Hail Creek and Kestrel mines. Together the mines supply more than 10 million tonnes of coking and thermal coal for export annually. Hail Creek is an open cut mine that has been operating since 2003. In October 2013, Rio Tinto opened the Kestrel Mine Extension. This US$2 billion dollar extension added 20 years to the mine’s life and is one of the most advanced and sophisticated underground coking coal operations ever built in Australia.

Cape Lambert

Expansion at the Nammuldi iron ore mine and Cape Lambert port continues ahead of schedule. Rio Tinto has ramped up production at its West Australian iron ore sites as a result of being ahead. $1.1 billion was allocated to increase the size of the company’s Cape Lambert port and rail facilities. The second phase of expansion, which will increase iron ore production to 360 million tons a year by the end of this year, has been the most recent focus for the company.

The extra capacity has added tremendous value to the business, Andrew Harding, iron ore boss, announced. The expansion in both phases will allow Rio Tinto to move iron through the region at a low cost. Rio Tinto has also said that the use of autonomous technology was already helping the company keep its costs down. Not only do the automated trucks mean that fewer trucks are required at the new mines, but that innovative sourcing and procurement have also delivered considerable savings, with much of the construction equipment coming from emerging supplier powerhouses, such as China, Indonesia and Thailand.

Weipa Bauxite Mine

Last month Rio Tinto and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced Australia’s first commercial diesel displacement solar plant has commenced commercial operation at Rio Tinto’s Weipa bauxite mine. The Weipa Solar Plant will generate electricity for the mine, processing facilities and township on the Western Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

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Rio Tinto Rio Tinto quick facts: Rio Tinto’s Pilbara operations include 15 iron ore mines, four independent port terminals, a 1,700 kilometre rail network and related infrastructure. The company is now operating 69 driverless trucks across its mines at Yandicoogina, Nammuldi and Hope Downs 4. When it reaches full production in 2021, the International Monetary Fund estimates that Oyu Tolgoi will generate up to a third of Mongolia’s GDP. Oyu Tolgoi is expected to produce an average of 430,000 tonnes of copper and 425,000 ounces of gold per year. Oyu Tolgoi will continuously recycle 80 per cent of the water used in operations and all of the water used for domestic purposes. The Bowen Basin in Queensland contains one of the world’s largest deposits of bituminous coal. Australia’s first commercial diesel displacement solar plant has commenced commercial operation at Rio Tinto’s Weipa bauxite mine. The modernisation of the aluminium smelter will increase production capacity by 48 per cent and result in Kitimat becoming one of the lowest cost smelters in the world.

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Rio Tinto “The Technology and Innovation team ensures that Rio Tinto not only undertakes the right projects but when we do them, we do them right”

Rio Tinto general manager, Weipa Operations, Gareth Manderson said, “This power purchase arrangement is an opportunity to trial the introduction of an alternative power source such as a solar plant into a remote electrical network like the one here in Weipa.“ At peak output, the 1.7-megawatt capacity solar plant has the capacity to generate sufficient electricity to support up to 20 per cent of the township’s daytime electricity demand. “We expect the energy from the solar plant will help reduce the diesel usage at Weipa’s power stations and save up to 600,000 litres of diesel each year. This will reduce Weipa’s greenhouse gas emissions by around 1,600 tonnes per year, equivalent to removing around 700 cars.” The solar plant is expected to produce an average of 2800-megawatt hours of electricity per year.

Kitimat

Rio Tinto is preparing its first shipments of metal from its world-class Kitimat aluminium smelter in Canada following an extensive modernisation of the facility. The modernisation of the aluminium smelter will increase production capacity by 48 per cent and result in Kitimat becoming one of the lowest cost smelters in the world. Rio Tinto is now focused on safely ramping up towards its annual production rate of 420,000 tonnes. The modernised smelter, which was delivered in line with the revised schedule and budget, is powered exclusively by Rio Tinto’s wholly owned hydro power facility and uses the company’s proprietary AP40 smelting technology, which will effectively halve the smelter’s overall emissions. Aluminium chief executive Alf Barrios said, “The modernisation of Kitimat will fundamentally transform its performance, moving it from the fourth quartile to the first decile of the industry cost curve. At full production, Kitimat will be one of the most efficient, greenest and lowest-cost smelters in the world. Positioned in British Columbia on the west

coast of Canada, Kitimat is well placed to serve rapidly growing demand for aluminium in the Asia-Pacific region and to serve the North American market.”

Mine of the Future

Launched in 2008, the Rio Tinto Mine of the Future programme is not a single mine site but a programme developed by Rio Tinto that plans to change the face of mining with step change improvements in productivity and efficiency. Rio Tinto is now rolling out a number of technological advancements across its operations to meet the three key themes of the programme: Autonomy: to achieve massive efficiency in surface bulk mining Recovery: to increase efficiency by sorting waste before it gets to process plants Tunnelling: to access deep orebodies faster. Technology is an increasingly important success factor in the mining and minerals industry. Improvements in technology have changed the way Rio Tinto looks at mineral deposits, have made its operations safer, helped it manage costs and respond to environmental imperatives.

WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

Motive Group The New Approach to Belt Cleaning

ew South Wales, Australia based Motive Traction Pty Ltd in conjunction with a major Mining Companies Development Team have recently upgraded Motives HPLV Conveyor Belt Cleaners. The HPLV (High Pressure, Low Volume) conveyor Belt Cleaners are a high end belt cleaner utilizing High Pressure and Low Volumes of Water to clean the belt surfaces. Instead of using blades or brushes to scrape the product off the belt, The Motive Traction H.P.L.V. “Samson” Belt Cleaner uses a series of high pressure, low volume water jets connected to a spray bar to clean the return run of the belt. By keeping the amount of water used very low and directing the cleaning discharges back into the product flow, the systems operates without any product spillage or build up, with the added advantage that the small amount of water introduced into the product stream acts as a dust suppressant. 36

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The control unit (incorporating water holding tank) is generally located upon the ground underneath the Conveyor or on the conveyor platform. The recently developed model, named “Samson” has a number of new features recommended by the Joint Development Team. The development team tested a Standard HPLV over a 12 month

Motive Group • • • • • • • • • •

The enclosure is Cyclone rated and suitable for outdoor service: Has a sloped roof (min 30 degree pitch) with overhang over the main access point to divert spillage and dust. Louvered panels provided in the door and/or sides: Provides adequate ventilation for the motor. Plug & Play System All Electricals to mine-site Specifications All Piping is 316 Stainless Steel Certified Lifting Lugs added Power Supply 3 Phase, 415v, 50 Hz, plus earth Control Voltage is 24V DC

Motive Traction’s “Samson” HPLV utilizes Flow Sensors and Flow Meters from Siemens; complete with Modbus. High Pressure Pumps form Speck in Germany, Mine Spec Motors from Teco and Gates Hoses and Fittings. The Motive Traction HPLV “Samson” is now being installed at three of our development partner’s new and existing conveying facilities in Western Australia; interest from other sites is heavy and is expected to produce many HPLV Samson installations in the near future. At time of writing this article Motive Traction had 51 HPLV “Sampson” Belt Cleaners on order or under manufacture in their New South Wales manufacturing facility.

period and the team included personnel from areas such as Maintenance, Electrical, Engineering, Environmental Control, Occupational Health & Safety, Finance and Design. Some of the features of the new “Samson” HPLV are:• Continuity of size: • One size fits all • Easier Accessibility to the Motor/Pump • Heavy Duty Skid Base • Duplicate By-Pass Filter • Saves downtime during filter cleaning or replacement. • Stainless Steel Filter Strainers with 80 on 20 Mesh. • Flow Meter -Sends a signal back to the PLC to confirm the pump is running and delivering water to the Spray Bar. -Keep’s records of Water Flow and Water Use using Totalizers. -Touch Pad Control installed inside unit. -Shuts the unit down when no or minimal water flow is detected. • System Overpressure Switch: -The Switch is to shut down the pump before exceeding maximum pressure thus protecting the pump from exceeding the design limits. • All maintainable equipment and instrumentation within the HPLV is readily accessible from the front of the enclosure

For further information or a presentation of the HPLV Samson Belt Cleaner, please contact Motive Traction Pty Ltd on + 61 2 4994 9999 (International) or 02 4994 9999 (Australia) Motive Traction Pty Ltd 2738 Booral Road Booral NSW 2425 Australia. Email nsw@motive-traction.com.au Web www.motive-traction.com.au

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Scan the QR code to watch the Scooptram ST18 movie!

THE NEW SCOOPTRAM ST18 The all new Scooptram ST18 is smart, hard working and easy to like. By combining advanced technology and smart features â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Scooptram ST18 means a big move for safety, maneuverability, comfort and productivity in underground operations. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the greatest ride in the mine. Enjoy the ride! Design your own Scooptram ST18 on StyleMyST18.com

People first Donna Smith examines how your people can influence your brand’s reputation

rand image is everything to a business – it can be essential to its survival. An outsider’s perception of how your company functions and how successful it seems will be a factor to potential new customers and stakeholders alike. At a much higher level, even your share price could depend on your brand’s reputation. While stock market brand bashing is, fortunately, not very common, if you are not in control of everything that might affect your reputation, there is always potential for something to go wrong. As consumers we make choices based on brand reputation every day. From clothing to home insurance our decisions are influenced by a company’s reputation – not to mention their advertising campaigns. If Kevin Bacon chooses EE then it must be good - right? We also make choices subconsciously, based on our friends’ and families’ experience, without realising how much influence they have on us. Our choice of broadband supplier (or another utility) is a good example; before switching to another company we talk to our friends and family about what they think of their supplier. Personal recommendation counts for a lot in choices like this. Many factors influence a brand’s reputation, but one that is often overlooked is the insight into the company you get from the people who work there. When meeting someone for the first time, we often say, “where do you work” or “what do you do” as

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People first

an ice breaker. What that person says about the company he or she works for can leave a lasting impression. Your people are the face of your company, unconsciously praising (or complaining about) your business to family, friends and acquaintances. What are they saying about you, and what can you do about it? When your people talk to other people, they offer a unique insight into how you run your business – what works well and what doesn’t (in their opinion), how you treat your employees and whether your company is a good place to work. You don’t get this kind of feedback from internal surveys or questionnaires. In reality, you may never know exactly what anybody says about your company in the pub, but you can influence what they are likely to say by how you treat them on a day to day basis. As well as influencing your company’s reputation, what your people say about your business also reveals a great deal about them. If they publically complain about your company’s failings, what does this say about their loyalty? If they brag about how easy their job is, does this reflect their integrity and work ethic, or is their ‘bad mouthing’ the result of feeling undervalued? It’s all too easy to take people for granted, and all too easy to underestimate the effect this might have on your reputation. What implications might it have on your future recruitment, for instance? Can you fill your vacancies with the best talent available? If you have a reputation as a good employer, the best

people may want to work for you. If you can attract the ‘pick of the bunch’ you will get the skills and attitudes to elevate your brand. A company with a great reputation attracts skilled employees and sends a message to discerning customers (like you and me) who are willing to pay a premium for top quality goods and services. Organic foods are a great example; they are more expensive but sell well because people believe in their reputation as healthy alternatives. We pay more, because we believe in the brand. Recognising individual contributions and appreciating your people will help your employees create a positive reputation for the company. Ensuring your people feel like a valued part of your company can also provide a platform for them to give constructive feedback, and enable them to play a key role in any improvements that result from it. Behind every successful company is a great workforce. Teams of people working together to deliver to the highest quality against agreed deadlines and costs. Are you doing all you can to help your people influence your brand’s reputation for the better? Donna Smith is a project manager for Hewlett Packard. She has worked in the IT service industry since 1999, undertaking a number of management roles including change manager and resource & reporting manager. WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

ION-IX

Advanced ION EXCHANGE Technology Why use ION - IX ? TM

ION-IXTM is the ideal new system for: ●

●

Highest recovery of precious metals Steady product & efluent stream Reduced chemical and water usage Lowest O&M costs

Major benefits of the ION-IXTM System are: ●

●

Reduced chemical & water usage Lower waste volumes, higher concentration of metals recovered Compact footprint Reduced resin inventory Flow rates of up to 500 m3/h per valve possible

Elution profile with metals separated by ION-IXTM

Dikberd 14 unit 10A ● B-2200 Herentals ● Belgium Tel & Fax: +32 (0) 14 70 50 41 sales@puritech.be ● www.puritech.be

ION-IX Hydrometallurgy TM

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Rare Earth

What Puritech does... Plant design The engineering of continuous countercurrent ion exchangers CCIX includes: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

PFD & mass balance Process & Instrument Diagram Technical data sheets 3D design Piping & vessel drawings Electrical & instrumentation Commissioning Start-up

Pilot trials & Process Development Puritech has developed a process design simulation package. This software package allows us to calculate process performance before pilot trials. We have several pilot systems available for: ● ● ● ● ●

Optimising of existing process applications Developing new hydrometallurgy applications Obtaining data for a full size production plant Testing of different types of resin Providing proof of high performance

Copper Recovery Advantages of ION-IXTM System over solvent extraction for copper recovery are: ● ● ● ● ●

Lower capital and operating cost No fire hazards No crud formation or handling Much smaller footprint No strong electrolyte post-treatment

After electrolyse, copper can be extracted from the solution.

ION-IX

What Puritech builds... Nickel Laterite Nickel is a hard, silver white metal. It is mainly used in the manufacturing of stainless steel, steel alloys and superalloys. Nickel laterite can be found in large amounts in the tropics and comprises 73% of the world nickel resources.

Nickel - Cobalt Separation A 200 m3/h Ni/Co Separation plant has been designed and installed in Africa by Puritech. By using a split elution, the Nickel is separated from the Cobalt stream. A double or triple adsorption zone allows removing the desired metal almost completely.

Zinc Recovery The Zinc chloride can be removed from pickling acid. ZnCl2 will form a stable complex which is removed by anion resin. The resin is afterwards eluted with water.

Uranium & Rare Earth Applications Hydrometallurgy is used more and more as the first choice to recover precious metals. Some of the applications are: Uranium Lithium Rhenium Germanium Gold & silver ● ● ● ● ●

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Mines of information

A constant thread throughout the history of mining has been the introduction of new technologies. Martin Ashcroft looks at the role of wireless automation, including mobile and remote control devices

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afety and efficiency were driving forces for the Ancient Greeks and Romans, and so they are for us today. With low commodity prices dominating the industry, improvements in efficiency are paramount, but new technology can now be found in every aspect of mining. 48

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Many factors influence the investments mining companies make in technology. These include the history of the industry in the region, the age of the equipment used, mine life, environmental constraints and factors regarding the workforce of the industry, among others. Mining analyst Timetric surveyed over 630 mines across six regions earlier this year to gauge their investment priorities in different areas of technology. The results show remarkable differences in strategy in different parts of the world. Operations throughout Asia are looking to invest in high-level minemanagement software, for scheduling and optimisation purposes. The European region, which also includes the former Soviet Union, is investing in technologies to handle fleet management and vehicle monitoring, showing a strong inclination towards improving equipment utilisation. In Africa, the majority of investment is in fatigue management technologies, and shows a strong focus on employee/operator safety and wellbeing. Improvements in remote control and

Mines of information the mine is always the highest priority for any mine operator. The haul trucks produce a steady stream of GPS and operational data that provides real-time tracking. Using the OnStream technology, Cirrus System uses this data to continuously monitor haul trucks as they move through the mine. When a truck approaches an intersection, a priority message is sent to an intelligent traffic controller, which then triggers a traffic light that stops opposing traffic and gives the haul truck the right-of-way so that an expensive start and stop is avoided. The technological advance here is that OnStream moves beyond prior generation technologies which depended upon human operators sitting in front of screens full of data to make the decisions that change the operation of devices. OnStream sets the stage for a new level of automation where the product completes its own information process and makes its own best decisions, bringing the integration of the internet of things a step closer. There is no doubt that mobile communications and wireless networks are the next step in improving safety, productivity and on-the-job efficiencies at mine sites around the world. “That’s absolutely true,” says Eric Brouillette, vice president of the Wireless Automation Control Solutions division of Laird, a global leader in wireless connectivity for the mining, telecom, automotive and other industry sectors. “Regardless of the type of mining – surface, open-pit, quarrying, or strip – reliable wireless communications networks can transform mining job sites, making them much safer work environments.”

“Research by mining analyst Timetric shows remarkable differences in technology strategy in different parts of the world”

machine automation technologies are at the top of the list for the Latin American region. In North America miners are predominantly looking to make improvements in collision avoidance and proximity detection technologies - another safety directed technology - but also want to improve equipment utilisation. OnStream, a US device intelligence framework provider, has been granted $2 million in funding from the Traynor Family Enterprise, a Nevada-based holding company that has backed various technology and industrial ventures. One of these, Cirrus Systems, used OnStream technology to integrate existing streams of data to reduce the operating costs of a huge Nevada mining operation. Giant haul trucks, some them carrying as much as 400 tons of ore, cross the mine continuously. Some of these trucks burn as much as three gallons of diesel fuel to travel a mile, and costconscious mine managers must try to reduce wasteful starts and stops. At the same time, traffic safety on busy roads throughout

Under normal circumstances, the transmission of radio waves is adversely affected by the tunnels in underground mines, and signal performance deteriorates rapidly, but consistent wireless communications can be achieved, even in underground environments, to enable voice and data communications as well as internet connectivity. For effective communication however, radio waves must be distributed consistently throughout the mine environment, both at the surface and underground. Mines need a reliable mobile network that can maintain consistent radio signalling on massive sites and deep inside tunnels that can stretch as much as four or more miles. “The best wireless solution combines conventional two-way radio technology with high-speed data transmission,” says Brouillette. “This allows mining management, supervisors and mine workers to communicate by voice and data, but it also provides consistent, reliable signal strength above and below ground for automated equipment and vehicles.” Mobile networks facilitate voice and data communications, enabling miners using wireless remote controllers to operate equipment from safe distances, improving mine safety exponentially. Data communication in the mine is used today for process control, ventilation-on-demand, blasting systems, seismic activity monitoring, tagging, email, internet connectivity and other applications. In addition to voice and data communications, a reliable wireless network also enables miners to operate giant and often dangerous equipment from a safe distance through the use of wireless remote controllers. Load haul dump portable remote control systems (often referred to as LHD) duplicate the manual controls in the cab of the load-haul-dump, allowing the operator to direct WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

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A reliable wireless network enables miners to operate giant and often dangerous equipment from a safe distance through the use of wireless remote controllers

Diagram courtesy of Laird 52

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Mines of information processing, and other applications where direct line of sight is neither feasible nor safe. Operators of vehicles in low-ceiling mines can use video monitor assists, which give them a clear view of the front or the rear of the vehicle. Driven by the transmission, the forward and reverse view is selected automatically. Laird’s contribution to the development of mobile technology is SIAMnet, a communication system designed for underground mines which allows people and computers to communicate with each other. The system is easy to configure, install and service, says Brouillette, because it is based on cable television standards. Key features include Wi-Fi access points for reliable, consistent signals for tablets/laptops, smartphones, remote controllers, and other devices, and IP cameras that provide live streaming and real-time images for miners, playing a crucial role in safety and security. Tagging systems enhance safety by identifying miner locations in the event of an emergency and other applications can be enabled by PLC and other automation systems including remote I/Os for safe-distance control of mining equipment, VOIP telephones (hardwired or wireless) and support for any ethernet-based application.

“OnStream has been granted $2 million in funding from the Traynor Family Enterprise, a Nevada-based holding company that has backed various technology and industrial ventures”

the equipment from a safer location. They offer up to five digital proportional functions, and provide smooth and precise control of the vehicle in the most demanding environment. Wireless networks can enable the use of handheld remote controllers to safely operate excavators and bulldozers that are used in dangerous conditions such as unstable terrain, blast areas, or in areas at high-risk of falling debris. Remote controllers can also be used to manage all critical vehicle functions, such as ignition, steering, transmission, acceleration, braking, blade control, dump bed control, excavator bucket and boom and other functions without the need for an operator’s physical intervention. Multiple units can share each radio frequency. Video remote control systems can give the operator clear video pictures of the work zone, when he or she is not in visual contact with the equipment. The camera system provides accurate and safe control with up to three highly accurate camera inputs, and can be used with LHDs, bolters, scoop trams, etc, chemical

In South America, Barrick Cortez used geotechnical instrumentation and real-time wireless telemetry to improve mine safety and efficiency, choosing a world-class wireless system developed by Mine Design Technologies and Newtrax Technologies which virtually eliminates manual readings by continuously monitoring over 300 instruments and relaying the data to a central interface at mine operations. Long term mine planning is particularly challenging at Barrick Cortez. Not only is the mine one of the world’s largest gold operations, but it comes with the added complexity of operating above and below ground simultaneously. To ensure safety and productivity, Barrick’s geologists and engineers rely on accurate and timely data from over 280 wells and piezometers on surface, in addition to more than 100 hydrology and geotechnical instruments underground. Monitoring so many data points in the mine required the team to travel regularly to take manual readings. This was a time intensive process and could be quite difficult as many instruments were in remote locations. Barrick engaged Mine Design Technologies and Newtrax Technologies to come up with a solution. Mine Design Technologies is focused on the development and deployment of geotechnical instrumentation for challenging mining environments, while Newtrax Technologies based in Montreal, Canada, specialises in ultra-long life wireless telemetry and networking systems. The MDT and Newtrax solution consisted of a world-class multi-hop wireless telemetry system which continuously monitors sensors and relays the information back to a central web interface using ethernet gateways, MineHop wireless nodes and geotechnical and hydrology instruments. WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

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Both above and below ground the system works as a mesh, with each node not only collecting data but also acting as a repeater to send data back to the central web server. Each wireless node can monitor multiple instruments and is completely plug and play. It begins sending data to the engineer’s desk as soon as it connects to the mesh network. Installing a MineHop node is simple. When the node is turned on, it automatically connects to the network. Status LEDs alert users where network signal is strong or weak. The user picks a location where the signal strength is good and mounts the node in place using tie wraps. The process is repeated until network connectivity is extended to the target location for instrumentation. The system at Barrick Cortez saves time and money, while ensuring that the mine engineers and geologists get the data they need to properly plan for safe and efficient operations.“Some of our piezometers can be in some pretty remote locations here, so having a wireless network allows us to download the data 56

WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

remotely, so that we don’t have to travel to every piezometer and download that data,” said mine geologist Jeremiah Larocque. “It turns a 15-minute commute into a 2-minute commute,” added underground geotechnical officer Luis Rodriguez. Pennsylvania based Rajant Corporation is a pioneer in kinetic wireless mesh technology and was brought in to resolve communication issues at the Asarco Ray mine in Arizona. Asarco Ray is a large open pit copper mine with historical underground operations dating back to the 1880s. The Ray operations consist of a 250,000-ton per day (tpd) open pit mine equipped to support both a 30,000 tpd concentrator and a 20,000 tpd concentrator. Asarco Ray covers an area of about 21 sq. miles, a coverage area roughly three miles wide and seven miles long. The site is located in a valley, with a staggering 2,400 ft. deep pit that presents a major challenge for implementing any type of mine-wide wireless network. Space constraints and little to no line-of-sight are additional difficulties.

Mines of information throughput and dealing with its challenging geography. During the period Asarco Ray spent shopping for a new wireless network, it discovered that Rajant had a proven track record of success implementing kinetic mesh networks at other operations facing similar needs for scalability and mobility. Rajant’s wireless BreadCrumb® nodes enable voice, data and video communications to “hop” from node to node with very little administrative overhead burdening the network. Finding a way to avoid network disruptions was paramount, and the team was impressed by the way the Rajant network could rebuild and “heal” itself based on whatever wireless nodes were available. The fact that the network intelligence is distributed across all BreadCrumb nodes, rather than relying on a single controller node to drive communication, was a significant differentiator. Asarco Ray deployed the Rajant network in May 2014, and it soon paid off, allowing the company to elevate its mine-to-mill process oversight to an entirely new level. Officials can now track the amount of energy it takes to drill, helping the organization determine the best ways to blast and process the rock. Sadly, after the price of copper hit a six year low at the end of August, Asarco announced it is to cut operations at the Ray complex, resulting in around 30,000 tonnes per year lower production.

“In a world-first under the next phase of its Mine of the Future programme, Rio Tinto is now able to precisely identify the size, location and quality of ore in real time by retrieving data from automated trucks and drills operating in its mines”

Diagram of WACS-SIAMnet-BRO from Laird

The vast majority of the mine haulage operation involves lifting material out of the pit to the dumps or crushers (vertical hauls up to 1,800 ft.). The elevation change adds an additional complexity and communication with trucks, shovels and other equipment can be difficult. The ability to collect complete and accurate data is critical to the company’s success. The team evaluates the performance level of drills on rocks and also uses data to determine the best scenarios in which to employ different methods, such as crushing and blasting. While the organization had multiple systems collecting data, the company’s ability to collect accurate and in-depth data was called into question. That uncertainty eroded trust. No one wanted to make decisions based on faulty data. Plagued with an inability to prove it was collecting all the data needed to make critical business decisions, Asarco Ray investigated the cause of its communication issues. The legacy wireless network was subsequently found to be inadequate. The mining company’s primary concerns were coverage,

On the other side of the world, Rio Tinto in Australia has developed a three-dimensional mapping technology to capture a crucial advantage in the recovery of mineral deposits. In a worldfirst under the next phase of its Mine of the Future programme, Rio Tinto is now able to precisely identify the size, location and quality of ore in real time by retrieving data from automated trucks and drills operating in its mines. RTVis™ creates 3D images of mine pit activities that previously could not be measured and has led to greater ore recovery through sharper boundary identification, more accurate drill blasting, reduced explosives, improved waste classification and enhanced dig rates. “This technology allows us to quickly and easily view, compare and evaluate data to paint a picture of what’s under the ground,” said head of innovation John McGagh. “It’s like an ultrasound image of the deposit delivered in real time, something that we could never do before.” Despite falling metal prices, forward-thinking mining companies continue to develop and implement new mobile technologies to protect miners and improve productivity and efficiency above and below ground.

WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

BOOYCO ELECTRONICS’ OVERALL PDS EQUIPMENT EFFECTIVENESS HELPS ENSURE SAFE AND PRODUCTIVE MINING OPERATIONS

he current economic climate is pushing mining companies to reduce their costs. Unfortunately, highly capital projects such as pedestrian detection system (PDS) technology is an area often compromised as a result, leading to safetyrelated accidents and operational downtime. The investment in a quality PDS system promises to reduce these two issues and ultimately contribute to a safe and productive mine.

Poor quality equipment compromises overall equipment effectiveness and often leads to higher running costs and capital outlay in the long run, particularly if the system does not comply with legislated guidelines or only offers machine-to-machine interaction. 58

WORLD MINING MAGAZINE www.ogsmag.com

Booyco Electronics has been and remains at the forefront of PDS technology in the South African mining industry since 2006. “Our fit-for-purpose, ISO and legislation-compliant PDS technology, which we continuously improve and upgrade, offers world class overall equipment effectiveness which in turn ensures pedestrian safety,” says Martin Vermaak, operations manager at Booyco Electronics. He believes that the mining sector’s lack of education on legislated compliance requirements for PDS technology is contributing towards their uninformed decisions when

Booyco Electronics choosing a system. “Booyco Electronics can assist customers to translate the legislated guidelines into actionable activity to become compliant as well as manage their risks. Only when customers understand compliance requirements as well as the available technology can they make informed decisions. Until then, the industry-wide implementation of PDS technology remains an issue.” “Once informed, the purchase of a reliable PDS from a reputable original equipment manufacturer such as Booyco Electronics will become a natural choice, ultimately ensuring overall, world-class equipment effectiveness and the reduction in potential pedestrian and vehicle collisions,” Vermaak continues. The Booyco PDS equips miners with two-way RFID tags and vehicles or other static danger zones with VLF antennae. This creates stable fields of a predetermined size and shape in front of and behind the vehicle. Upon entering this danger zone, either a static danger zone or an approaching vehicle, the pedestrian’s tag immediately triggers a warning signal and relays an audible and/or visual warning alarm to the equipment operator. The company’s overall PDS equipment effectiveness also offers significant production advantages, Vermaak continues, specifically performance indicator functionality. The incorporation of Booyco PDS technology can maximise production uptime by providing holistic views of equipment availability, i.e. vehicle losses or breakdowns, as well as shift and material volume performance. “In essence, our equipment should contribute towards machine availability and performance uptime while reducing loss impacting occurrences such as nuisance alarms. Further to this it also provides data to determine such sources of loss.” To ensure its system continues to perform optimally after installation, Booyco Electronics offers additional 24/7 product maintenance and repair support through its service teams, on site or in close proximity to site, again preventing operational downtime challenges when implemented. The company has offices in six mining-strong geographical locations across South Africa, offering full service level agreements and technical support from a local base. “Our core equipment is also supported with peripheral products that are engineered to help customers managing their equipment and personnel safely; such as lamp room testers which test cap lamps for battery capacity, and the visual and audible performance of the Booyco pedestrian personal device,” Vermaak concludes.

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What can United Mining Rentals offer your company? At a time when fiscal responsibility is becoming exponentially more important, in an industry where the highest safety standards and productivity must be maintained, providing your operation with the best fleet at a minimal cost is fundamental to any successful and profitable business. United Mining Rentals (UMR) has over 30 years of experience in the Mining & Tunnelling Industry and we are proud to offer rental and ownership opportunities for the full range of new Sandvik and Normet equipment. We trust you will find the product that suits your Mining or Tunnelling operation, backed by the numerous advantages associated with theUMR rental, or rent with an option to purchase models that will reduce cost of ownership and help maintain productivity.

Our full range of new Sandvik and Normet products are backed with full Factory Warranty, Technical Support, OEM Parts and a global network of local and regional OEM service centres. With such a robust range of support services, renting with UMR reduces maintenance costs and guarantees availability hence improving productivity for our customers whilst also eliminating rebuild down time. Striving to provide quality at a reasonable price, UMR offers an innovative model of flexible rental or rental/purchase options tailored to suit every kind of end user in the Tunnelling and Mining industries, allowing customers to avoid tying up capital and invest it in the future purchase of rented equipment. Our rental/purchase option offers an attractive allowance for paid rentals against pre-agreed purchase price easing upfront capital spending and is a way of investing in the ownership of the Equipment at a pre-determined date.

For all mining equipment rentals visit www.unitedminingrentals.com

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Tel: +353 87 1491945 Tel: +1 647 267 8193 Email: info@unitedminingrentals.com www.unitedminingrentals.com Our philosophy at UMR is simple – Downtime costs money. This philosophy inspired our aim to provide solutions to one of the major contributors of downtime in the mining and tunnelling industries: low availability of equipment. To ensure our customers don’t experience any downtime, we offer rentals and rent to purchase plans for new Sandvik and Normet equipment on a global basis, making use of the vast network of Worldwide Service Centres provided by two of the world leaders in Mining and Tunnelling Equipment. We also offer the option of bridging units to keep our customer’s operations running smoothly until their new rental unit arrives. We recognise that each customer has different requirements so we offer very flexible terms. Our first option is rent to purchase which allows for purchase of the equipment following a minimum one year rental period with a percentage of the rental payments deductible from the pre-agreed purchase price. Another option we offer is variable term rental from a minimum of 1 year upwards allowing the customer long term rental, consisting of 2-3 years allowing the customer to return the equipment with no commitment to purchase. We also offer a “Rolling Replacement” option, which allows the customer to return equipment to UMR following a 3 year rental and replace with new equipment for another 3 year term or pre-agreed period.

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Our business model is designed with Mining Companies & Tunnelling Contractors in mind, who often have short or long term contracts, as well as Start-up mining operations which may wish to defer spending capital on expensive equipment for use in another area until positive cash flow is realized. Fixed rental payments simplify budget planning, and can be 100% Tax deductible against business income. By using a reliable rental provider such as UMR for a long term rental the costs of acquiring, running and maintaining the right equipment for the job can be greatly reduced, as renting equipment can generate significant savings by avoiding depreciation, the total cost of the purchase price, and unnecessary unit and component rebuild costs. UMR Equipment comes with a managed service tailored to each customer’s requirements covering bridging units, full technical support and immediate reaction to warranty issues ensuring availability at all times. Making that vital decision whether to buy or rent is not just a matter of budget, but of business strategy. So weigh up the numbers, and make the right decision for your business.

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