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glencore the best commodities Glencore is one of the largest natural resource commodity companies in the world. Its diverse asset portfolio, comprising low-cost positions in commodities such as copper, cobalt, nickel, zinc and thermal coal, is well aligned with societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s changing needs.

Issue 19 2017

World Mining

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the editor

A load of hot air

Editor

The

rthur walks down the garden path with a basket of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. “They look lovely, dear,” says Martha, “but that’s more than I can say for you. Why are you wearing a face mask?” “Because of the gases,” says Arthur. “What gases?” asks Martha. “Greenhouse gases,” says Arthur. “It’s been all over the news.” “But you don’t use gas in the greenhouse,” says Martha. “The sun heats it up. That’s the whole idea. Direct solar power.” “Yes, that’s true,” says Arthur, “but the plants give off carbon dioxide, and people say it’s harmful.” “That’s a load of phooey,” says Martha. “Haven’t plants always given off carbon dioxide?” “Yes, but too much of it is bad for the planet. They’ve been calling it carbon pollution on the TV, and it’s responsible for global warming.” “What’s brought this on all of a sudden?” asks Martha. “Because Donald Trump has fallen out with Paris,” says Arthur, anticipating Martha’s response. “Is that Paris Hilton or Paris, France?” she duly obliges. “We signed a climate agreement in Paris last year, remember? But Donald Trump says we’re not going along with it anymore.” “What is it, exactly, that we are not going along with?” asks Martha.

Martin Ashcroft

A car pulls up on the drive. It’s Arthur, Jr, home from work at the mine. “Hey, Junior! Help us out will you?” says Arthur. “What’s this Paris Agreement all about and why aren’t we in it anymore?” “Well,” says Junior, “nearly 200 countries got together and agreed not to burn so much coal and other fossil fuels, so we could stop the climate changing.” “I thought the climate was always changing,” says Martha. “Why would we want to stop it?” “A lot of people would like us to believe that the earth is warming up too fast,” says Junior, “and that terrible things will happen if we don’t do something about it. There’s a whole climate change industry out there now.” “So why have we opted out?” asks Arthur. “Because we promised to cut back more than most of the others,” says Junior, “and to pay more to help them clean up their act. The President thinks that will put us at a disadvantage.” “So everybody is screwing America again?” says Arthur. “Not really,” says Junior. “Every country sets its own targets voluntarily and if they don’t meet them there won’t be any sanctions, anyway.” “You mean we screwed ourselves,” says Martha, hitting the nail on the head, as usual. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Contents Cover story glencore: the best commodities Page 34

Page: 3 • The Editor: A load of hot air 7 • Thuthukani hoists for Philippines gold mine • Silver Standard completes sale of Berenguela 9 • Government approval for New Brunswick tungsten mine

• US aluminium demand to reach 8.7 million metric tons in 2021

11 • Indonesian mine boosts productivity with Volvo EC950E 13 • Nova Nickel Project close to production

• Freegold to drill at Golden Summit 15 • Metso partners with Rockwell Automation • Lithium Exploration acquires Oil Field 17 • Eldorado to acquire Integra Gold • First ingots from Alliance Magnesium 19 • Pan American Silver acquires COSE Project

• Anglo American to fast track Quellaveco 21 • Bloom Lake Mine to reopen

22 • Dominion Diamond and Vale win 2017 TSM Excellence Awards 25 • Biodiversity loss from deep-sea mining 27 • Waterless ore processor improves mining efficiency

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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contents 29 • Axis House: From lab to plant 34 • Glencore: The best commodities 54 • PMP: Prairie Machine & Parts Renewable Transport is here 62 • Damstra Technologies: Aussie workforce management system set to go worldwide

66 • Scania Mining: Making mines smart and lean 70 • Vale: Transforming the world

80 • REMA TIP TOP: The future of mining is now 84 • Fluidmesh Networks: Wireless communication for mining automation 86 • Rio Tinto: Global footprint 112 • Eriez Flotation Division: The environmental and business case for coarse flotation 121 • Blue Rock One: Business resilience 126 • Anglo American: Refining assets 134 • Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology: The right breaker boom for every job 140 • De Beers: In pursuit of brilliance 148 • AxleWEIGHr: Weighs truck at the job site

vale: transforming the world Page 70

World Mining Magazine Contact Information, 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

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news

THUTHUKANI DESIGNS HOISTS FOR PHILIPPINES GOLD MINE

retoria based engineering firm Thuthukani Engineering has designed full service shaft hoisting infrastructure for the Philsaga Mining Corporation in the Philippines, owned by Medusa Mining. Thuthukani Engineering was tasked with the design and drafting of the headgear, shaft collar and winder house for a new service shaft at the mine. The project commenced in 2015 and was carried out in cooperation with the Tech Edge Group and W J Engineering. Thuthukani provided the infrastructure design, Tech Edge was tasked with building the winder and W J Engineering fabricated all of the infrastructure components. According to Erik de Jongh, Technical Director at Thuthukani, this project has proven the mettle of South African engineering firms. “We have proven that we can provide mining infrastructure to remote clients with minimal ‘hand holding’ needed.” The infrastructure components were fully fabricated and tested in South Africa before being disassembled and transported to the Philippines for final installation. According to de Jongh the project rolled out smoothly and on deadline with few to no installation issues at the Philsaga site. “All of the infrastructure components

“All the components are working correctly and no issues have been reported regarding their performance”

were delivered to and installed at Philsaga in mid-2016 except for the winder which was commissioned and delivered in early 2017. After being operational for several months we can now announce that all the components are working correctly and no issues have been reported regarding the performance of the headgear, shaft collar and winder house we designed,” he says.

SILVER STANDARD COMPLETES SALE OF BERENGUELA PROJECT Silver Standard Resources has completed the

sale of its Berenguela project in the Lampa Province of Puno, Peru to Valor Resources Limited for aggregate consideration of $12 million in deferred cash and a 9.9% equity interest in Valor. Valor is an Australian-based company, focused on mineral project exploration and development, listed on the ASX. “The sale of the Berenguela project demonstrates our continued focus on maximizing the value of our projects and optimizing our portfolio,” said Paul Benson, President and CEO of Silver Standard. “We retain exposure to the success of Berenguela, while we further strengthen our balance sheet for continued generation of shareholder value.”

Silver Standard is a Canadian-based precious metals producer with three wholly-owned and operated mines, including the Marigold gold mine in Nevada in the US, the Seabee Gold Operation in Saskatchewan, Canada and the Pirquitas silver mine in Jujuy Province, Argentina. The company also has two feasibility stage projects and an extensive portfolio of exploration properties throughout North and South America. Berenguela is located in south-central Peru in the Department of Puno. The property is accessible year round, with a major paved highway and a main-line railway crossing the southern claims of the property. Berenguela is a potentially bulk-minable silver – copper – manganese project. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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news

GOVERNMENT APPROVAL FOR NEW BRUNSWICK TUNGSTEN MINE

he Sisson Tungsten and Molybdenum Mine Project in New Brunswick, eastern Canada, has received approval from the Canadian government after an environmental assessment. The mine site near Fredericton sits on one of the largest deposits of tungsten in North America. The Sisson Mine project would see the development of an open pit tungsten and molybdenum mine as well as an ore processing facility. “The Sisson project will bring about significant new economic opportunities to the people of New Brunswick,” said federal Fisheries, Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard Minister Dominic LeBlanc. “During construction and operations, it will create jobs and generate business opportunities, for indigenous peoples and nearby communities. This project will also help rejuvenate New Brunswick’s mining industry and add a source of tungsten to Canada’s mineral production.”

The Sisson Partnership will invest an estimated $579 million in the mine development which will create 500 jobs during the construction phase and another 300 jobs over the

the life of the project. The mine is being developed by the Sisson Partnership, owned by Northcliff and Todd Minerals Ltd. It will be operated by Sisson Mines

“Our focus now will be on securing offtake and financing to advance the project” 27-year life of the mine. The provincial government estimates the project will result in $280 million in mineral royalties to New Brunswick, as well as $245 million in tax revenue over

Ltd. “Successful completion of the environmental assessment process is an important milestone in the development of the Sisson Mine,” said Northcliff Resources President &

CEO Chris Zahovskis. “The decision reinforces the thoroughness of the environmental assessment submitted by the Sisson Partnership, reflecting our commitment to create a project that will bring economic benefits to New Brunswick while protecting the environment. Our focus now will be on securing offtake and financing to advance the project.” If and when the mine is operational, it would be the only producer of tungsten in North America. The market is currently dominated by China. The metal is used to produce electrical wires, as well as X-ray tubes and smartphone screens. “Your government understands that creating jobs and growing the economy are important to New Brunswickers,” said Premier Brian Gallant. “The economic impact of the Sisson Mine project will be huge for New Brunswick. The federal environmental assessment approval moves this project one step closer to putting hundreds of New Brunswickers to work.”

US ALUMINIUM DEMAND TO REACH 8.7 MILLION METRIC TONS IN 2021

demand for aluminium is forecast to reach 8.7 million metric tons in 2021, according to a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Sales to the transport market will outpace other sectors as automakers increasingly utilize aluminium parts to reduce vehicle weight. The report Aluminum: United States also forecasts that production of aluminium in the US will reach 4.5 million metric tons in 2021, growing at a rate consistent with US demand, as the vast majority of domestically produced aluminium is consumed in the US. These and other key insights are featured in the report, which

forecasts US aluminium demand in metric tons to 2021. Total demand is segmented by market in terms of: • transport • containers and packaging • building and construction • electrical • other markets US aluminium production is segmented by type into primary and secondary. To illustrate historical trends, total demand, total production, the various segments, and trade are provided in annual series from 2006 to 2016. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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INDONESIAN MINE BOOSTS PRODUCTIVITY WITH VOLVO EC950E M ining contractor PT Samudera Mulia Abadi (SMA) won a tender in 2015 to handle operations at the Toka Tindung gold mine in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. In the past year, SMA has chosen Volvo as its exclusive supplier of construction equipment to the Manado gold mine, which has made a significant impact on productivity. Inspired by its initial success with Volvo equipment, SMA this year brought the first two units of the EC950E excavator to Indonesia. Volvo´s new heavyweight soon proved to be an extremely competitive machine, capable of delivering extraordinary productivity improvements. “Since we introduced the EC950E, our fleet productivity has gone up by 25 to 30 per cent,” says Ozgur Zor, mine planning and production manager at PT Meares Soputan Mining (MSM). “We have been quite excited by the EC950E’s performance onsite.” MSM is part of PT Archi Indonesia, which owns 100% of the Toka Tindung Project.

terrain, As the concession owner, MSM expects premium levels of sustainable productivity and uptime, so SMA opted for a Gold Customer Support Agreement (CSA) for its Volvo

“After we changed the entire fleet exclusively to Volvo, efficiency has increased and fuel consumption and costs have gone down significantly” Today, SMA has over 60 Volvo machines working for MSM on the Toka Tindung site, and the EC950E units are not the only big machines. There are also six 75-ton rated EC750D excavators plus more than 50 large articulated haulers – a mix of A40F and A45G units. Gold mining in Toka Tindung puts extreme demands on machinery, due to hard surfaces and undulating

machines, guaranteeing pre-eminent maintenance and parts availability. PT Intraco Penta Prima Servis (IPPS), Volvo CE´s Indonesian distribution partner for the Sulawesi region, provides much of the local support. “Our relationship with IPPS is very good. The company takes care of all our Volvo machines so we don’t have to worry about them,” notes Wilson Sastroamijoyo, commissioner at SMA.

Having highly-productive machines with excellent reliability and industryleading aftermarket support is a successful formula, as Ozgur Zor notes. ”Volvo’s aftermarket is very responsive. The significant number of spare parts onsite really helps us to reduce downtime,” he said. “After we changed the entire fleet exclusively to Volvo, efficiency has increased and fuel consumption and costs have gone down significantly. That has been a big achievement.” The satisfaction of both Wilson Sastroamijoyo and Ozgur Zor is a result of long-term investment from IPPS and Volvo. Both companies began discussing equipment needs with SMA several years ago – long before the first units were ordered. Today, SMA continues to be impressed with the performance and support it gets from its Volvo machines and discussions are underway to bring the next wave of machines to the Toka Tindung site. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

news

NOVA NICKEL PROJECT CLOSE TO COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION

he ASX-listed Independence Group has reported that its Nova nickel/copper mine in Western Australia is expected to reach commercial production by the end of June. The Nova Project is located in the Fraser Range, approximately 120km east of Norseman and 220km south west of Kalgoorlie. The loading of the first offshore shipment of nickel and copper concentrate from Esperance Port is expected to be completed shortly, with the shipment of 6,700 wet metric tonnes of nickel concentrate and 5,600 wet metric tonnes of copper concentrate. The Nova project is expected to produce some 3,400t of nickel and 1,500t of copper during the 2017 financial year, in line with the mine plan. Since commissioning in October 2016, the processing plant has been constrained by ore production from underground and, as such, has operated on a campaign basis. Campaign processing has allowed the process design and installed equipment to be tested but has not provided opportunity

for the process to be optimised. With the commencement of mining of the first of the larger stopes from the Nova underground mine, the processing plant has now transitioned to continuous operations. Operating continuously has enabled IGO’s process team to focus on optimisation of reagent addition and conditioning time, delivering a step change improvement in the separation of copper and nickel in the flotation circuits. As a result, concentrate quality has improved and is expected to continue to improve through the rampup process. Underground ore production is expected to hit name plate capacity of 1.5Mtpa in the September 2017 quarter. IGO has two nickel concentrate offtake agreements, one with Glencore where concentrate is shipped overseas, and one with BHP Nickel West where concentrate is trucked to Kambalda on an ongoing basis. IGO has a copper concentrate offtake agreement with Trafigura where the concentrate is shipped overseas.

FREEGOLD COMMENCES DRILLING AT GOLDEN SUMMIT Freegold Ventures Limited has commenced drilling

on the Golden Summit Project. The 2017 Phase One oxide expansion program is designed to potentially increase the current oxide gold resource. Drilling during Phase One will be focused to the north of the current mineral resource where previously completed RAB (rotary air blast drilling) has identified the potential for higher-grade material. Twenty to twenty five holes with an average hole depth of 80 metres are currently planned. Golden Summit is located 30 minutes drive via paved highway from Fairbanks, Alaska. A significant advantage is the excellent supporting infrastructure in the immediate vicinity of the property, as well as in the broader region, including rail and power that ultimately may allow for the staged development.

The Golden Summit project was the subject of an intensive drill campaign between January 2011 and August 2013. A total of 36,159 metres of drilling and three NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource updates were completed. A preliminary economic assessment was completed in January 2016. The initial development scenario proposed evaluated a two-phase, 24-year open pit mine generating two gold streams. Phase One contemplates a valley heap leach operation for oxide portion of the resource transitioning into a milling circuit for the larger sulphide resource. The staged approach to the overall project was designed to lower initial upfront capital costs. Both the oxide and sulphide will operate 10,000 tonnes per day (tpd) for 2,358,000 ounces of doré produced over life of mine.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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METSO PARTNERS WITH ROCKWELL AUTOMATION IN INDUSTRIAL IOT

etso has selected Rockwell Automation to deliver a global industrial Internet of Things (IoT) platform that connects, monitors and performs analytics for Metso’s equipment and services, resulting in improved efficiency and profitability for its mining and aggregates customers. The digital solution will collect and store data from Metso’s equipment around the globe, including new equipment as well as machines already in operation, providing predictive analytics, preventive maintenance and remote asset monitoring by Metso and its customers. The industrial IoT solution is built on the Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk Cloud platform, powered by Microsoft Azure. “For our mining and aggregates customers, access to real-time data enables higher uptime, faster and safer shutdowns, and ultimately more tonnage processed at lower cost,” says

Jani Puroranta, Chief Digital Officer, Metso. “Enabled by an industrial IoT platform from Rockwell Automation and global coverage with

the hands of its customers for advanced decision making.” Metso began working with Rockwell Automation on

“Access to real-time data enables higher uptime and faster and safer shutdowns” Microsoft Azure’s data centres, Metso can deliver analysed equipment data into

a pilot program in 2015, remotely monitoring an African-based mining

crusher from a location in Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation’s home state. Metso was immediately able to use the data collected to identify opportunities for improvements in machine performance. The quality of the solution and support Rockwell Automation provided during the pilot gave Metso confidence that a broader implementation of the industrial IoT platform would drive the results it was seeking on a global scale.

LITHIUM EXPLORATION GROUP ACQUIRES LOUISIANA OIL FIELD Lithium Exploration Group and White Top Oil and Gas have entered into a partnership to acquire and develop an oilfield outside of Lake Charles, Louisiana. With development rights to a 4000 acre oilfield with 13.6m barrels of oil ranging in depth from 3000 to 12,000 feet, the oilfield could produce as much as $700 million in gross revenue. “We are extremely excited about this project because it gives LEXG a tangible oil asset with existing

production and huge potential upside. Our partners at White Top have over 200 years of onshore gulf coast oil and gas experience and much of that is specific to salt dome development,” commented CEO Alex Walsh. “The additional benefit is that we now have our own oilfield to perform ongoing validation testing of the SonCav technology, not to mention the economic efficiencies we will enjoy on this oil field project delivered by the SonCav technology.” World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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news

ELDORADO TO ACQUIRE INTEGRA GOLD CORPORATION

he Vancouver-based gold producer Eldorado Gold Corporation has agreed to become the sole owner of fellow Canadian miner Integra Gold, of which it already owns 13 per cent. The transaction is valued at about C$590 million (US$433) and gives Integra shareholders the option of receiving either cash or shares in Eldorado or a mixture of the two. Integra’s principal asset is the Lamaque project near Val-d’Or, Quebec, which includes the Sigma Mill and Mine Complex, a fully permitted 2,200 tonnes per day mill and tailings facility which it acquired in 2014. A preliminary economic assessment was completed in February 2017 that envisions a high-grade underground operation producing 123,000 ounces of gold per year at all-in sustaining costs of US$634 per ounce over 10 years. Integra is currently in the process of advancing underground ramp development to facilitate underground exploration and completion of a bulk sample. George Burns, President and Chief Executive Officer of Eldorado Gold, said, “The company has been following Integra’s progress at Lamaque over the last 18 months and commends their team for the accomplishments to date.

“This acquisition complements our existing portfolio of high quality, low cost assets”

From previous experience of building and operating gold mines in Canada, I am excited about Eldorado’s entry into the Eastern Abitibi region of Canada. With our current balance sheet strength post the sale of our Chinese assets, this acquisition represents a use of the proceeds complementing our existing portfolio of high quality, low cost assets.” Eldorado is a low cost gold producer with mining, development and exploration operations in Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Romania and Brazil. This acquisition establishes an operating presence in Canada and diversifies the operating portfolio into one of the most productive mining camps in the world.

ALLIANCE MAGNESIUM PRODUCES FIRST INGOTS Alliance Magnesium (AMI) has produced its first

metal magnesium ingots at its Danville demonstration plant in Quebec. This achievement comes after four years of technological development, design and construction of a pilot plant. The ingots, which are now produced on a regular basis, are used to validate the manufacturing process developed by AMI and to collect the technical and economic information necessary for the subsequent phases of magnesium production. “This is a crucial step in the development of AMI that has just been completed,” said Dr. Joël Fournier, Chief Executive Officer of AMI. “It depends on the hard

work of all our staff, as well as our financial, technical and government partners who share our ambition to become the greenest magnesium producer on the planet. “ AMI is also announcing a $4.1 million loan from the Fonds de diversification économique de la MRC des Sources, a fund created by the Government of Quebec. The proceeds of this funding will go toward the operations of its pilot plant and the preparation of its $100 million commercial demonstration plant, which will take shape during the year and create more than 70 jobs. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

news

Pan American Silver to acquire COSE project from Patagonia Gold “Calcatreu is a non-core asset for Pan American and is a better fit for Patagonia Gold”

inera Triton Argentina, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pan American Silver Corp, is to acquire Patagonia Gold’s Cap-Oeste Sur Este project (COSE) in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. The total consideration for the COSE transaction is US$15 million, of which US$7.5 million is deferred, plus a 1.5% net smelter return royalty. At the same time, Patagonia Gold has been granted an exclusive option to purchase from Minera Aquiline Argentina (another wholly-owned subsidiary of Pan American Silver), the Calcatreu gold-silver project for US$15 million. The Calcatreu deposit is a low sulphidation epithermal style gold-

silver deposit located 60 kilometres south of the town of Ingeniero Jacobacci in the province of Rio Negro, Argentina. The option, exercisable at the discretion of Patagonia Gold, will remain available for a period of six months, during which time Patagonia Gold can complete its due diligence review of the project. “The COSE project is another high-grade satellite deposit offering synergies with our Manantial Espejo mine, similar to our Joaquin project acquired earlier this year,” said Michael Steinmann, President and CEO of Pan American. “The COSE project is within trucking distance of our plant at Manantial Espejo, which has capacity to process feed from both COSE and

Joaquin. The addition of another satellite deposit enables us to extract further value from our invested capital at Manantial Espejo and provides another opportunity for future growth in our silver production.” Regarding Calcatreu, he added: “Calcatreu is a non-core asset for Pan American and is a better fit for Patagonia Gold. We are pleased we could reach an agreement that offers both parties the opportunity to capitalize on our respective strengths.” Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Pan American Silver owns and operates seven mines across Mexico, Peru, Argentina and Bolivia and also owns development projects in the US, Mexico, Peru and Argentina.

Anglo American to fast track Quellaveco project in Peru Anglo American is expected to

bring forward the development of its Quellaveco copper deposit near the city of Moquegua, southern Peru, 3500 meters above sea level. Mine construction was originally scheduled to begin in July 2018, but commencement may be brought forward to the March quarter of 2018, meaning the mine could be in production in 2020 rather than 2021, as originally planned. Announcing Anglo’s 2016 results, CEO Mark Cutifani said in February that the company wanted to complete the clean-up of its balance sheet before it considered building new mines, but the Peruvian press has been quoting the country’s Minister

of Economy and Finance, Alfredo Thorne, as saying that he has been told by company executives that Anglo American has now decided to proceed with the investment at Quellaveco. The mine and associated infrastructure are expected to require a $5bn- $6 billion capital investment over four to five years. Anglo aims to produce up to 220,000 tonnes of copper a year at Quellaveco over a 28-year mine-life, and is said to be looking for JV partners. Mitsubishi already has an 18% stake in the project. The project has an environmental impact agreement (EIA) and early works, including camp construction, have been completed by Fluor Corporation. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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news

Bloom Lake Mine to reopen after impact benefit agreement

uebec Iron Ore, a subsidiary of Champion Iron Limited, has signed an impact and benefits agreement with the band council, Innu of Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-utenam (ITUM), concerning the reopening of operations at the Bloom Lake iron mine near Fermont, Quebec. The agreement is valid for the lifetime of the mine. A framework agreement between ITUM and QIO was approved by the community in 2008 in a referendum. The framework includes financial and socio-economic benefits, as well as training, employment and contracting opportunities for community members. The new IBA also contains provisions which recognize and support the culture, traditions and values

of the Innu of Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-utenam, including recognition of

are pleased to be working with the QIO in that regard,” said Chief Mike Mckenzie.

“The IBA contains provisions which recognize and support the culture, traditions and values of the Innu of Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-utenam” their bond with the natural environment. “Beyond the economic aspect and the benefits for the community, the protection of the environment is fundamental for the Innu. The balance between sustainable development and the preservation of the territory reflects our values and we

Mr. O’Keeffe added, “The successful conclusion of the IBA further strengthens Champion and QIO’s positive working relationship with the Innu of Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-utenam and we look forward to a beneficial future for all parties as Bloom Lake enters into its next phase, having recently completed a

positive feasibility study. The signing of the IBA is a major milestone and a significant step towards the Bloom Lake restart.” The Bloom Lake Mine is an open pit truck and shovel operation, with a concentrator. Iron concentrate can be transported by rail, initially on the Bloom Lake Railway, to a ship loading port in Sept-Iles, Québec. The mine has already been authorized for operation by the federal and provincial environmental authorities. The project was subject to an environmental impact assessment process under the Québec Environment Quality Act, which led to the first decree issued by the Quebec government in 2008 authorizing mining activities at the Bloom Lake site.

Martin Ashcroft will be pleased to receive your news stories, case studies and press releases at martin@ogsmag.com World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Dominion Diamond and Vale win 2017 TSM Excellence Awards

Environmental Excellence Award Dominion Diamond was given the environmental excellence award for transforming waste management at the Ekati Diamond Mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Since it purchased the mine in 2013, the company has worked to improve sustainability and limit environmental impacts. Various actions throughout the years have significantly

the mine’s two incinerators into the environment and keeping them well below federal guidelines. In 2015, Dominion installed an in-vessel composter—the first mine in Canada’s North to do so. Now, roughly half of organic waste generated at the Ekati mine is composted. By the end of 2016, more than 67,000 kilograms of organic waste has been diverted, reducing GHG emissions by 210 tonnes CO2 equivalent and diesel consumption by 74,000 litres.

reduced the mine’s waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and have inspired communities and other mining companies in the region to follow Dominion’s lead. In 2013, Dominion started purchasing environmentallyfriendly products for the mine, such as corn-oil based garbage bags, sugarcane take-out containers, and compostable disposable utensils to reduce the amount of chlorine-rich plastics in the waste incinerator. The company then restricted incineration to paper and organic waste and launched a twoyear educational campaign for all staff on waste management and segregation. Items such as oily rags, glass, plastics, cans, and other recyclables are removed from the mine site and sent for recycling or proper disposal. These actions have prevented nearly 75,000 kilograms of plastics and 193,000 kilograms of oily rags from being incinerated, reducing emissions from

More recently, in 2016, Dominion launched a study to evaluate the use of site-generated compost in reclamation work as a means of adding nutrients to the processed kimberlite and to promote vegetation growth. If the study shows positive results, it will create a new opportunity to transform site-generated waste into a powerful tool in reclamation. “Dominion takes our responsibility to the environment seriously, as demonstrated through our waste management program, and we are honoured to be recognized for those efforts. We are particularly proud of our teams that have worked so hard to transform how waste is managed at the site to reduce emissions, improve sustainability, and keep the environment clean and safe,” stated Brendan Bell, Chief Executive Officer, Dominion Diamond Corporation.

“Roughly half of organic waste generated at the Ekati mine is composted”

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

awards The Mining Association of Canada has awarded its 2017 Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) Excellence Awards to Dominion Diamond Corporation’s Ekati Diamond Mine and Vale Newfoundland and Labrador’s Voisey’s Bay Mine Community Engagement Award The TSM Community Engagement Excellence 2017 award was given to Vale for the recognition its shipping program gives to the lifestyle of local people. Vale’s Voisey’s Bay Development, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, is known for its large nickel deposits that also contain copper and cobalt. The operation started in late 2005 and has over 500 employees. Located at the head of Anaktalak Bay in the north-east of Canada, Voisey’s Bay is ice bound for up to six months of the year. The local residents are Innu and Inuits who refer to themselves as Sikumiut – People of the Sea Ice. During the winter, the frozen sea ice is seen as an extension of the land and is used for harvesting as well as a travel route between other coastal communities. Vale’s Voisey’s Bay mine uses Anaktalak Bay shipping route to ship its products and to resupply the site. Top priorities for both the company and the local communities are to ensure shipping has minimal interference with Aboriginal traditional lifestyles and that residents can safely cross the ship’s track. For more than a decade, Vale and local communities and stakeholders have collaborated to achieve these goals, resulting in new and innovative approaches and technologies. Years before Voisey’s Bay became operational, Vale and the Labrador Inuit Association (now the Nunatsiavut Government) developed a Shipping Agreement, incorporating Inuit traditional knowledge and requiring Inuit involvement to implement. The Winter Shipping Program launched in 2005 when Voisey’s Bay became operational. In 2007, Vale evaluated the program and, based on feedback from the local communities, worked to reduce the time it took to get safely across the ship’s track. Vale worked with Sikumiut Environmental Management, a local Inuit company that had been monitoring and supporting the winter shipping program for Vale, to develop a floating pontoon-type bridge.

Tabor Island Pontoon Crossing / Vale Archive

Ice bridge / Vale Archive

Community input has been paramount to the program’s success and is also reflected in other aspects of the agreement. For example, there are two six-week closure periods when shipping cannot take place: in the fall when ice is forming and in the spring when ice is breaking up. Closure periods have also been adjusted to reflect weather conditions and public

Vale worked with Sikumiut Environmental Management to develop a floating pontoon-type bridge” A prototype was successfully tested and a full system was implemented in 2008. The pontoon bridges are deployed across the ship’s fresh track at key locations along the 40-kilometre shipping route. Reflective markers and signage are added along the route to ensure safe crossing. When the track freezes, additional “ice bridges” are established at other locations. Once safe crossing locations are established, a multi-faceted communications system alerts residents of their locations as well as shipping activity.

holidays. “We are humbled and honoured to be recognized with the TSM Community Engagement Excellence Award,” said Jennifer Maki, Executive Director of Base Metals with Vale and CEO of Vale Canada. “This award belongs equally to the Innu and Inuit communities on the North Coast of Labrador. Their shared commitment to collaboration and positive dialogue allowed us to achieve innovative solutions together that address the needs of all concerned.” World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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biodiversity

Biodiversity loss from deep-sea mining

osses to global marine biodiversity from deep-sea mining are unavoidable and possibly irrevocable, according to a letter published recently in the journal Nature Geoscience. An international team of 15 marine scientists and legal scholars argue that the International Seabed Authority, responsible for regulating undersea mining in areas outside national jurisdiction, must recognize this risk and communicate it clearly to international governments and the public. This will enable informed discussions as to whether deep seabed mining should proceed and if so, what standards and safeguards should be put in place to minimize biodiversity loss. Dr Daniel Jones, one of the authors from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), said “Deep-sea mining for important metal resources comes at an environmental cost. We argue that offsetting the impacts of biodiversity loss, a management technique used for land-based mining, is not appropriate for the deep-sea. Ecological restoration may also be extremely challenging. Instead, focus should be placed on avoiding and minimizing impacts if we want to reduce biodiversity loss.” Industry estimates that billions of tonnes of manganese, copper, nickel and cobalt lie on or beneath the seafloor. Demand for these resources, many of which are used in the manufacture of clean technologies, such as wind turbines and hybrid cars, are set to increase. Alternative options for obtaining these resources, such as recycling, substitution and cleaning up mining operations on land, have yet to be fully explored. “There is tremendous uncertainty about ecological responses to deep-sea mining. Responsible mining needs to rely on environmental management actions that will protect deep-sea biodiversity and not on actions that are unproven or unreasonable,” says Cindy L. van Dover, Harvey W. Smith Professor of Biological Oceanography at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. Deep-sea mining has not yet begun, but there has been an increase in the

Areas of interest for cobalt mining in Pacific Ocean seabed - International Seabed Authority

“Deep-sea mining for important metal resources comes at an environmental cost”

number of applications for mining contracts. In 2001, there were just six deep-sea mineral exploration contracts. By the end of 2017 there will be a total of twenty seven projects. This includes seventeen contracts on polymetallic nodules in the Pacific’s Clarion Clipperton Zone. International scientists, including Dr Daniel Jones from the NOC, have recently shown impacts of deep-sea disturbances in this area are particularly long lived. The likelihood of future deep-sea mining underlines the importance of understanding the ecosystems that it may impact.

“The argument that you can compensate for the loss of biological diversity in the deep sea with gains in diversity elsewhere is so ambiguous as to be scientifically meaningless,” writes Professor Craig Smith, at the University of Hawaii, a co-author of the correspondence. Deep-sea scientists and legal experts from the United Kingdom, the United States, Mexico, France, the Netherlands, Poland and Australia co-wrote the peer-reviewed correspondence with van Dover and Jones. They are: J.A. Ardron of the University of Southampton; M. Gianni of the Deep-Sea Conservation Coalition; K.M. Gjerde of Wycliffe Management and the IUCN Global Marine and Polar Programme; A. Jaeckel of Macquarie University; L.A. Levin of Scripps Institution of Oceanography; H. Niner of University College London; L. Pendleton and P.J. Turner, of Duke University; C.R. Smith and L. Watling of the University of Hawaii at Manoa; T. Thiele of the London School of Economics; Elva Escobar of the National Autonomous University of Mexico; and P.P.E. Weaver of Seascape Consultants. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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innovation

Waterless ore processor improves mining efficiency

waterless ore processor is increasing iron ore recovery rates and purities. The Cyclomag has been developed by IMP Technologies (IMPTEC) in South Australia and works in conjunction with the company’s Super-Fine Crusher to deliver enhanced iron content with fewer impurities. It utilises rare earth magnets to pull the magnetic material out of an airflow, while the tailings are separated and collected at the other end of the machine. Large volumes of water are traditionally used in beneficiation processes. The Cyclomag is not only waterless but also delivers ore with an increased iron (Fe) content of up to 70 per cent after a single pass. IMPTEC plans to unveil its latest device at the Iron Ore conference in Western Australia 2017 in July. The technology is also being used by a research team from the University of South Australia to study its potential for other ores. Professor Bill Skinner from the university’s Future Industries Institute said the efficiency ratings of the Cyclomag and Super-Fine Crusher working together ranged from 80 – 90 per cent from ore to product. “The grades are high enough that they can go straight to steel production because of the combination of the crushing and dry separation,” he said. “They are as good, if not better, than what is currently being produced out of magnetite projects.” Professor Skinner said the process

was most beneficial when used on hard materials such as zircon, black sand and quartz. “It could also be used for your sulphide ores, for example copper and gold, where the combination of compression and shear could result in much better liberation at a coarser grind size.” Conventional methods include breaking down large rocks to a few centimetres in diameter, crushing them further to feed a ball mill, and grinding the minerals with the help of media and water until the material becomes a

“If we can do the same thing as the demonstration site at a commercial level it will change the way magnetite is processed” slurry. The Super-Fine Crusher shortens the process by removing the need for water and media, crushing minerals from 10mm down to 10 microns, eliminating the need for reprocessing. The Cyclomag utilises the benefits of the Super Fine Crusher to liberate and separate magnetic iron ores during beneficiation. This results in a power reduction of about 20-40 per cent and limits water use to dust suppression and slurry transport.

IMPTEC’s Cyclomag uses magnets to separate the magnetite from the tailings

Much of Australia’s minerals are mined in arid areas where water can be scarce. Magnetite Mines General Manager Gavin England said IMPTEC’s machines had the potential to disrupt the commercial beneficiation business. “We live in the driest state of the driest continent in the world and good water is limited,” he said. “With magnetite processing and beneficiation you need a lot of water, so any way to dry separate and dry crush the material is a real bonus. If we can do the same thing as the demonstration site at a commercial level it will change the way magnetite is processed, especially if it’s done in a single pass. I don’t know another technology that does this.” Former chairman at Havilah Resources and Maptek founder Bob Johnson said dry ore processing was a massive benefit. “Water is a precious resource and expensive to manage when you think of the pipelines, bore fields and infrastructure you need,” he said. “Crushing ore to such a small size and doing it without ball mills and water is a breakthrough for the industry.” The Cyclomag and Super-Fine Crusher were developed by mining technology guru Chris Kelsey, who is best known for inventing the Kelsey Jig. The demonstration system can process up to 170 kilograms of magnetite per hour but Kelsey plans to upscale the system to a commercial level. The technology, which has received significant global interest, will continue to be developed in South Australia.

IMPTEC’s Super-Fine Crusher at IMPTEC headquarters. Image: Caleb Radford World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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

axis house

from lab to plant Since its establishment in 2001, Axis House has become a major supplier and distributor of chemicals to the mining industry. Managing director Trevor McLean-Anderson and senior technical advisor Paul Woods tell Martin Ashcroft how a customerfocused approach has helped the company thrive. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

As a process for separating valuable minerals from unwanted material (known as gangue), froth flotation has been around for 100 years. The steady development of this technique has improved the recovery of copper and other minerals, effectively reducing the cost of production and allowing the recovery of minerals economically from lower grade ore than was previously possible. Axis House has forged a reputation as a world-class supplier of novel flotation and hydrometallurgical reagents for mineral processing, with a comprehensive range of proprietary collectors, depressants and frothers designed to aid recovery of mineral particles. The range is constantly expanding through research and development, and is finding new applications in the flotation of platinum

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

group metals (PGM), rare earth oxides, phosphates and lithium bearing ores. “We do research and development in our laboratories and that R&D is focused on a couple of different angles,” says managing director Trevor McLeanAnderson. “The first one is product development, where we look at trying to innovate new chemistries for existing applications. We also try to invent new applications for existing processes. And we also look at chemistry on a molecular level to try and find cheaper alternatives where we haven’t found a novel chemistry. We try to find similar molecules that are maybe more readily available, closer to market, or more economical, so that we produce a cost per output benefit to the customer. That’s the first pillar of our R&D.” The chemistry is important, of course, but it’s the focus on understanding the

customer that elevates Axis House. No two ore bodies and no two flotation plants are the same. There are too many variables involved in a flotation process for a one-size-fits-all approach to be effective, so an Axis House solution is tailor made for the customer’s application. “The next pillar is to scale down the production process at a specific customer’s site in our laboratory and work on the customer’s own ore,” says McLean-Anderson. If a cheaper reagent can be developed to lower the customer’s output cost, that’s a solution in itself, but “it’s more interesting to find ways of making mines more efficient, so they can improve their output with chemistry,” he adds. “In an ideal world we would develop a reagent package, dosing combination and dosing procedure that is cheaper

axis house from lab to plant

“We take a collaborative approach and our focus is always on increasing the yield for the customer”

going in, and gets more mineral out at a higher grade,” he says, “and we often achieve that.” When the perfect solution is not possible, however, more often than not the cost of the chemicals goes up slightly but the amount of copper produced goes up by a higher factor, meaning that the customer’s cost of mineral production still goes down. A tailored chemical recipe is produced by replicating the customer’s process and using the mine’s own ore, leading to the third pillar of the Axis House approach. “We now have a laboratory case study for the improvement of a mine’s efficiency and profitability,” says McLean-Anderson, “and that’s all well and good, but laboratory work is done in a very controlled environment. Plants are different from labs because there are a lot more variables. There’s soil dynamics, there’s water quality, there’s ambient temperature differences, operator knowledge and training. So we have a team of onsite engineers that will take the customer through the process of implementing the technology on their site, and we do that until such time as we have proved our technology on the mine site.” The market, at the moment, is mainly the central African copper belt of Zambia and the DRC, but is expanding in terms of geography and mineral range. “The bulk of our operations is in Africa,” says McLean-Anderson, “but we also have laboratories in Australia. We have staff and offices in Peru and we serve Chile also from our Peru office. We also have offices and technical people in Mexico, and we’re doing some work in Kazakhstan and Russia.” While it’s normal practice for customers to send their ore to one of the Axis House laboratories, some countries are reluctant to allow ore to be sent out, so Axis House scientists will travel there to do the test work. The company has also been busy expanding its range of chemicals. “A large portion of our business is in copper and base metals. In 2009 we bought a very novel patented copper oxide flotation technology from an Australian company called Ausmelt. That was when we first saw the cost to the customer going up by about 50 cents or a dollar per tonne of ore, but the customer getting far more at the end.

For a hundred thousand dollars more per month on chemicals, the customer would be getting $7 million more out in extra copper. So that was a no-brainer.“ Owning a technology like that allowed Axis House to improve it, and to develop it for other applications. “We have applied our knowledge into various other streams,” says McLeanAnderson. “Similar chemistries are used in the flotation of industrial minerals, so we’re now quite strong in fluorspar and phosphate flotation. We also have flotation chemistries and technologies in platinum group metals and rare earth oxides.” Mineral prices are notoriously volatile, and copper in particular has been up and down in recent years. How vulnerable is the company to this kind of fluctuation? “If you had asked me that question before 2009 when the bottom fell out of the copper market,” says McLean-Anderson, “I would have said our business was reliant on the copper price and that we were very vulnerable to it. But since then we have seen a lot more interest in the Axis House offering. “Marginal mines are struggling,” he continues. “They need to be efficient. When the price is high, it’s all about volume and they care less what it costs to get the metal out. They just want tonnes. We thought it was going to be awful for us but it was exactly the opposite.“ Although the copper price has recovered a little, the market is still somewhat uncertain, so mines are still receptive to technology and novel ideas, he explains. “When copper is at $8000 a tonne they don’t want to lose any production, but when the mines are on care and maintenance or five day weeks, they have time on their hands to invest in improving efficiencies. Technology is more interesting to customers when they need to be efficient.” Flotation works by exploiting the properties of the materials involved in relation to water. Hydrophobic materials are water-repellent, while hydrophilic materials are attracted to water. A flotation cell recovers mineral particles from a slurry when the particles attach themselves to air bubbles pumped through the mixture. The ore is initially crushed and ground to separate a proportion of the copper sulphide ore World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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axis house from lab to plant

particles from the gangue. The ore is then wetted, suspended in a slurry, and mixed with reagents which accentuate the particles’ hydrophobic properties. As air is forced through the slurry, bubbles attach to the hydrophobic copper sulphide particles, which rise to the surface where they form a froth and are skimmed off. Frothing agents, known as frothers, may be introduced to promote the formation of a stable froth on top of the flotation cell. Axis House has a range of these called Hydrofroth™, too. Paul Woods heads up the company’s Australian market developments, but is also MD of the frother business, Hydrofroth Pty Ltd, and technical advisor across the group. He endorses

the customer-focused approach as fundamental to the way the company works. “Our focus is to understand the customer’s aims and objectives and then understand their process,” he says. “So our approach is a collaborative one. Our flotation technicians and engineers out in the field will go to the customer’s site to see how the operation is run, and work with the metallurgists and operators on site to determine the best way to increase the yield. Our focus is always on increasing the yield for the customer. We don’t go to a mine site simply looking to replace the reagents they use with our own. We’re not trying to tell them how to run their operation either, but with our experience with

the chemicals, and the expertise of our technicians, we can suggest ways to increase the yield, either by using a different chemical or by changing the process slightly.” The lab work is carried out in a very controlled environment but the real work happens in the field, says Woods. “We look at it very holistically to give our chemicals and processes the best chance of succeeding,” he says. “We employ local people who have been in the field a long time. They know a lot of these plants and they know the operators well. That’s our key difference in the market.”

World Mining Magazine

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

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glencore the best commodities

company founded by entrepreneur Marc Rich in 1974 as a metals and minerals marketing company has grown by merger and acquisition to become one of the world’s largest resource traders and producers, having diversified into mining, smelting, refining and processing. The name Glencore emerged as an acronym for Global Energy Commodity Resources, after Rich’s partners

engineered a management buy-out in 1994. Subsequently operating as a private partnership, the company went public in 2011 in what was then the biggest stock exchange float in British history. Relatively unknown outside the commodities industry, Glencore was catapulted onto the world stage by the IPO. Reuters famously described it as “the biggest company you never heard of.” After a so-called “merger of equals” in 2013 with another global mining giant, Xstrata, which Glencore created, the company has become a household name. The Group’s operations now comprise over 150 mining and metallurgical sites, oil production assets and agricultural facilities, with around 155,000 employees. As for the rest of the mining industry, 2015 was a tough year for Glencore, with

profits down substantially as a result of lower prices in all key commodities and its own actions to preserve future resource value by reducing supply (and thus associated costs) in some of them. Taking what it calls “a highly disciplined approach towards supply,” Glencore curtailed production at a number of its coal, copper, oil and zinc assets in 2015/2016 to preserve value for the longer term and assist in market rebalancing. After encouraging results in 2016, CEO Ivan Glasenburg believes that Glencore is well positioned for the future, as the company is still “genuinely diversified” while focusing on the “best” commodities. “Our robust financial performance during 2016 reflects the quality of our industrial asset portfolio and the resilience of our large scale diversified marketing business,” he said World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

in his introduction to the 2016 annual report. The industrial side of the business delivered net profits of $7.3 billion in 2016, almost 22% higher than 2015, reflecting improving commodity prices as the year progressed, but also the delivery of material cost reductions and operational improvements. A debt reduction plan was adopted in September 2015 to bring down financial leverage and strengthen the balance sheet. This is now complete, with net debt reduced to $15.5 billion after a divestment programme which raised over $6 billion, including the sale in late 2016 of a 50% interest in Glencore Agriculture for $3.1 billion (to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation), and the sale of Glencore’s Hunter Valley coal rail

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

haulage business (GRail) in Australia, for $840 million. Disposals also included the sale of non-core gold and silver byproducts at a number of copper mines. Glencore now has a new net debt/ adjusted ebitda target of no higher than 2:1.

Commodity portfolio

Glencore believes that not all commodities are equal, but that it has the right ones. One of these is thermal coal – not a universally popular energy source, but necessary for the foreseeable future. The International Energy Agency’s modelling of the commitments made in the 2015 Paris climate change agreements shows that absolute demand for coal will continue to grow. Under every policy scenario set out in its calculations, demand for coal will be sustained by the building of low-

cost, coal-fired electricity generation in developing economies, underpinning the consumption of 120 to 140 billion tonnes of coal between 2013 and 2030. Glencore consequently expects its coal business to remain viable and is progressively integrating climate change challenges and opportunities into its business planning and risk management frameworks. Nickel and cobalt, two of Glencore’s core commodities, have a promising future, with demand being driven (no pun intended) by electric vehicles. Glencore produces some of the world’s purest nickel and cobalt and is one of the largest recyclers and processors of nickel and cobalt-bearing materials, including batteries. Car manufacturers are investing in electric vehicle technology to achieve regulatory emissions targets. Battery chemistry that

glencore the best commodities relies on nickel and cobalt compounds is emerging as the technology of choice. Copper is a critical modern day metal used in hundreds of everyday products and applications including electricity distribution, plumbing, healthcare and telecommunications. It is estimated that the average home contains over 100 kg of copper. After underperforming for most of the year, the copper market sprang back into life in the closing months of 2016. The much vaunted “wall of supply” failed to emerge, and stronger than expected Chinese demand propelled copper up towards $6,000/t by year end, from a low of $4,310/t in early 2016. Glencore is the third largest producer and one of the world’s largest recyclers of copper and other metals from electronic goods. Its copper assets are located in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Peru, the Philippines and Zambia. Zinc and lead play an important role in modern society, too, with the former used primarily to protect steel from rusting by coating it using a process called galvanizing. Lead is predominantly used in lead-acid batteries, which power our everyday industrial and consumer products. They also provide important emergency power supply for hospitals and mobile phone networks.

Coal assets

“Our robust financial performance during 2016 reflects the quality of our industrial asset portfolio and the resilience of our large scale diversified marketing business”

Coal is one of the most reliable, abundant and affordable energy sources, providing around one third of the world’s primary energy needs. It is used in the production of 70% of the world’s steel. Glencore has interests in coal mines in Australia, South Africa (the Goedgevonden complex, Izimbiqa coal, Tweefontein complex and iMpunzi complex) and Colombia (Cerrejón and Prodeco, which includes the La Jagua and Calenturitas mines). Its total coal production in 2016 was 124.9 million tonnes, 6.6 million tonnes (5%) lower than 2015, mainly due to the deconsolidation and subsequent sale of Optimum Coal and some scheduled mine closures in South Africa, weatherrelated constraints on production in Colombia, and some curtailment of production in Australia. Glencore’s interest in coal began

with the acquisition in 1998 of the Cumnock and Mount Owen coal mines in Australia, and it is now one of Australia’s largest coal producers. The Cumnock mine is now part of Glencore’s Ravensworth Operations in New South Wales. Glencore is the largest coal producer in New South Wales, managing the production of over 50 million tonnes of thermal and coking coal in 2016, and employing around 4,400 people in eight mining complexes across four coalfields: Hunter Valley, Newcastle, Western Districts and Southern Districts. Coal is exported from the Port of Newcastle and also from Port Kembla. Ravensworth Open Cut mine is located in the NSW Hunter Valley, between the towns of Muswellbrook and Singleton. It incorporates the open cut mine and 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. These mines are 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. Also nearby in the Upper Hunter Valley of NSW is Liddell Coal Operations (LCO), an established opencut mine approximately 25 km north west of Singleton. LCO is a joint venture between Glencore (67.5%) and Mitsui Matsushima Australia (32.5%). 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. Bulga Coal produces approximately 16 million tonnes of semi soft coking coal and thermal coal a year, which is shipped by rail to the Port of Newcastle for export to China and Japan. The coal is used predominately for steel making and power generation. Bulga World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“Taking what it calls ‘a highly disciplined approach towards supply,’ Glencore curtailed production at a number of its coal, copper, oil and zinc assets in 2015/2016 to preserve value for the longer term and assist in market rebalancing” World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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Depth of Knowledge

The Cementation group has sunk several of the deepest shafts in the world including Glencore’s Kidd Mine D No. 4 Shaft, the deepest shaft in

2016

the Americas. Our design build capabilities provide one point accountability and constructibility which is critical in carrying out complex and technically challenging projects. Guided by our “best for project” philosophy and a commitment to safe work, Cementation offers your project a valuable depth of knowledge as well as knowledge of depth.

cementation.com Process Facilities Construction • Mine Development & Construction Raise Boring • Feasibility & Design Engineering • Contract Mining Shaft Sinking • Project & Construction Management • Material Handling

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“Glencore believes that not all commodities are equal, but that it has the right ones”

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Underground is a longwall mining operation and has approval to mine coal until 2031. Mangoola Open Cut is a coal operation 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. Away from the Hunter Valley, Tahmoor

Mine is an underground coal mining operation situated in the Southern Highlands Region of New South Wales, approximately 75km south west of Sydney. The mine produces mainly hard coking coal along with small amounts of steaming blend coal. Both the coking coal, used for steel making and the steaming blend, used for power generation, are sold to European and Asian markets. Last year Glencore announced plans to close the Tahmoor mine in 2018, but a resurgence in the price of coking coal has prompted a change of mind. The mine will now be kept open, but put up

for sale, largely because of its isolation from the company’s Hunter Valleybased operations. The Ulan Mine Complex is one of the most established coal mining operations in the western coalfields of New South Wales. A joint venture between Glencore (90%) and Mitsubishi Development (10%), mining operations consist of two underground mines and an open cut. 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. In Queensland Glencore employs World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

over 2,600 people, managing the production of more than 38 million tonnes of saleable thermal and coking coal. Its Queensland coal assets include five mining complexes in the Bowen Basin, incorporating seven open cut and underground operations and four coal handling processing plants. Coal is exported via the Abbot Point Coal Terminal, Dalrymple Bay, the RG Tanna Coal Terminal and the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) in Gladstone. Collinsville Open Cut is Queensland’s oldest coal mine, having operated as an underground or open cut mine for almost 100 years. It was recently operating as a joint venture between Glencore Coal Queensland (55%), Itochu Coal Resources (35%) and

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Sumitomo (10%), but Glencore bought out its joint venture partners in Collinsville last September, along with the Newlands coal operation. Glencore owns a 55% share in Oaky Creek Coal in Central Queensland, 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. Xstrata’s acquisition of Mount Isa Mines in 2003 brought Glencore (eventually) a 75% share of the Rolleston Open Cut coal mine in the southern

part of Queensland’s Bowen Basin. At the time, Rolleston Open Cut was still in the planning stage, but development was approved in 2004 and operations began in 2005. Approval has been given to expand operations into the site’s adjacent leases to extend the operational life of Rolleston Open Cut, ideally through until 2038. Clermont is a large scale open-cut operation, located approximately 12 kilometres from the town of Clermont in central Queensland. Glencore manages operations at Clermont on behalf of a joint venture in which it owns a 25% share. After commencing operations in 2010, Clermont now produces approximately 12 million metric tonnes of high energy thermal coal with relatively low ash and sulphur.

glencore the best commodities Copper assets

“The Katanga and Mutanda operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo represented an investment of over $6 billion by Glencore at the end of 2016”

Glencore has copper assets in North and South America, Africa and Australia. Copper production of 1,425,800 tonnes was 76,400 tonnes (5%) below 2015, reflecting production suspensions in Africa, but partly offset by improved grades and volumes in South America. The Collahuasi mine in Chile produces copper concentrate and cathodes. As of December 2015, it was the world’s third largest copper operation and has one of the largest deposits of copper mineral resources (9,964 million tonnes). Collahuasi’s deposits are located on the plateau of northern Chile’s Atacama Desert, 4,400 metres above sea level. The town of Huatacondo is 40 kilometres from the operation. Glencore and Anglo American each own 44%, with a Japanese consortium owning the remaining 12 per cent. 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. Glencore has a 50% controlling stake in Alumbrera, an open pit copper - gold mine in the Catamarca Province of north west Argentina. El Pachón is a copper project located in Argentina’s San Juan Province, five kilometres from the Chilean border. 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, treating ores containing copper, zinc, molybdenum, silver and lead. Glencore’s Antapaccay copper operation is located in Espinar Province in southern Peru. The operation includes an open pit copper mine and processing facilities in addition to port loading and facilities at Matarani. In Africa, Glencore is a substantial investor in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Katanga and Mutanda operations represented an investment of over $6 billion at the end of 2016. In the last three years, Glencore’s operations

in the DRC have paid over $1 billion in taxes and royalties to the government. Katanga’s assets include the Kamoto underground mine and KOV open pit mine, providing sulphide and oxide ores respectively; and the Kamoto Concentrator and Luilu Metallurgical Plant for the onsite production of refined copper and cobalt. Katanga also has a number of other mines and plants. Katanga has the potential to become Africa’s largest copper producer and the world’s largest cobalt producer, but in September 2015, the board of Katanga confirmed the suspension of copper and cobalt production for 18 months. Katanga will continue with the planned investment of $880 million into ongoing processing plant upgrades, including the commissioning of a new leach plant to replace the existing oxide concentration process. The Whole Ore Leach (WOL) project is currently on schedule to be commissioned in Q4 2017, when production is expected to resume. This is expected to significantly improve both copper recoveries and operating unit costs. Despite the closure, Glencore has recently added an extra 10% stake in Katanga. In February 2017, Glencore purchased the Fleurette group’s remaining 31% stake in Mutanda Mining Sarl, a high grade copper and cobalt producer with operations in the province of Lualaba in the DRC, and at the same time increased its investment in Katanga. Glencore now owns 100% of Mutanda and approximately 86.33% of the shares in Katanga. This deal marks the first significant cash expenditure since Glencore started its deleveraging programme at the height of the commodity slump in late 2015, and is a sign that Glencore chief Ivan Glasenberg is back on the deal trail after a year of paying down debts and strengthening the company’s balance sheet. Zambia is another source of investment for Glencore, which is majority owner of the Mopani Mine. In 2015 the decision was taken to restructure production at the mine, to deliver more sustainable growth in the long term. Mopani worked closely with the Government and unions to put in place a plan to help minimise the impact on affected employees. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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“Coal is one of the most reliable, abundant and affordable energy sources, providing around one third of the world’s primary energy needs. It is used in the production of 70% of the world’s steel”

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One project recently completed at Mopani is the $500 million, threestage upgrade of the copper smelter. The upgrade ends a legacy issue in the region. When Glencore took ownership of Mopani in 2000, it had been releasing 100% of its sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions into the atmosphere for almost 80 years. The mine now captures over 95% of all SO2 emissions, significantly improving local air quality. Since 2014, Mopani has invested over $1 billion in site expansions and upgrades to extend the life of mine by a further 25-30 years. In March this year, Mopani chairman Moses Chilangwa told a media briefing about a new US$1.3 billion investment in capital projects that include sinking and equipping three new shafts, which are scheduled to come online by the end of 2018. These will more than double

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Mopani’s mining output from the current 3.8 million tonnes of copper ore hoisted per annum to 9 million tonnes by 2020. “The new shafts that we are constructing underline Mopani’s longterm commitment to our operations and our confidence in Zambia,” he said. “Apart from extending the lifespan of our mines by another 30 years, the new shafts will inevitably safeguard existing jobs, gain access to more copper ore with enhanced grades and provide sustainable contributions to the Treasury through taxes and mineral royalties.” In Australia, Glencore’s copper business is integrated across the entire supply chain, from resource development, mining and processing, to transport, storage and export to worldwide customers. The company’s

North Queensland copper mining and processing operations include the Mount Isa Mines complex, Ernest Henry Mining near Cloncurry, and the copper refinery in Townsville. Operating since 1924, Mount Isa Mines remains one of Australia’s largest industrial complexes, with two separate mining and processing streams, copper and zinc-lead-silver. The Mount Isa copper operations host two underground mines, including Australia’s deepest underground copper mine at 1,900 metres. Ore is processed and smelted on site before being transported via rail to the copper refinery and port operations in Townsville for further processing and export. Ernest Henry Mining is a copper and gold mining and processing operation located near Cloncurry. The operation began production in 1998 as an open

glencore the best commodities pit mine and in 2011 transitioned to underground mining as part of a $589 million life of mine extension project. Copper ore is processed at the on site concentrator and trucked to Mount Isa Mines for smelting into copper anode. With a mining history spanning over 140 years, Glencore’s CSA Mine is Australia’s highest grade copper mine, and at 1,600 metres deep, it is also the second deepest underground copper mine in the country. Located in Cobar, Central Western New South Wales, CSA Mine produces copper concentrate with a silver by-product. The product is then transported via rail to Port Waratah in Newcastle, from where it is shipped to smelters around the world.

Zinc assets

“Glencore believes that its broad range of products will be required as the global economy continues to grow, as countries develop and for the transition to a lower emissions economy”

Over half Glencore’s total zinc and lead reserves and resources are located in Australia, which also hosts the world’s No.1 and No.2 zinc resource bases at Mount Isa Mines and McArthur River Mine. Responding to challenging market conditions (low global zinc and lead prices), in 2015 Glencore announced it would reduce global zinc and lead production by about 500,000 tonnes to preserve the value of its resources. The North Queensland zinc operations include an integrated supply chain comprising mining, processing, transport and logistics, and 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 has been temporarily suspended. The processing stream treats ore from the Glencore mines to produce both zinc and lead concentrates, as well as lead bullion. The products are transported to port operations in Townsville for export. McArthur River Mine (MRM) in Australia’s Northern Territory is around 970 kilometres south-east of Darwin and includes an open cut mine and processing stream. MRM currently produces bulk concentrates and zinc and lead concentrates, which are transported by road from the mine site to Glencore’s Bing Bong Loading Facility 120km north

of MRM on the Gulf of Carpentaria. From there, product is loaded onto a barge and transported to ships at sea.

Nickel assets

Glencore’s nickel business produces some of the world’s purest nickel, ferronickel and cobalt and it is also one of the largest recyclers and processors of nickel and cobalt-bearing materials. Around two-thirds of all nickel goes into the production of stainless steel. The remainder is used for applications including super-alloys, batteries and electroplating. The company’s nickel assets are in Australia, Canada, Norway and New Caledonia. 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 north-eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia, and 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. In Canada, Glencore’s Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (Sudbury INO) include exploration, the Fraser Mine, Nickel Rim South Mine, Strathcona Mill and Sudbury Smelter. The company has been mining nickelcopper ores in the Sudbury area of northern Ontario, Canada, 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. In the far north of Quebec, Canada, the Raglan mine property has four underground mines and associated infrastructure, with high-grade ore deposits of nickel and copper spanning the nearly 70km property. Nikkelverk is a low-cost, nickel refinery and sulphuric acid plant in Kristiansand, Norway. The plant ranks among the World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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Dust Control through Wind Control Wind blows the dust, so control the wind and you control the dust. It is as simple as that. A typical wind fence dust control system is 80% efficient, and it works 24 hours a day. That is a lot of control. So do I have your attention? At WeatherSolve Structures we work to solve your dust issues. WeatherSolve wind fences are the world’s largest and most durable fence systems. Features include: • Size: Fences over 30 m tall and as long or short as needed. The largest are many kilometers long and completely surround troublesome stockpiles. The shortest are a few 10’s of meters long and block off key wind (and dust) acceleration zones. The poles are able to be 30 m apart as well lower the overall cost of the structure • Reliable: Functional in extreme weather conditions with minimal maintenance. There is over 35 years of experience and engineering development that has gone in to the design and components. They stand up and we stand behind the capabilities of the structure. The structures have proven successful in a wide range of extreme environments – from marine, to northern cold to Middle Eastern deserts. • Flexible: Able to accommodate a wide range of equipment access requirements. All of our fences are custom designed to suite the individual needs of the customer. We are able to accommodate conveyors or any other equipment, doorways for people or vehicles, gates and we also have retractable systems for areas requiring regular access. • Convenient: Can be constructed with minimal operational disruption. This is achieved because our systems have few poles or other obstructions. • Portable: For sites such as gravel crushing or sifting of small stockpiles with portable conveyors, we have a range of portable (towable) wind fences typically 30ft high. • Adaptable: Can be adapted to suit available construction materials and equipment. The fences are custom designed to match your requirements, both structurally and aerodynamically. • Economics: Installing a wind fence is good for the environment, but it’s good for the bottom line too. For example, ore dust assays many times higher than ROM material so it makes economic sense to keep it on the pile. WeatherSolve wind fence designs are optimized by considering turbulent wind flows and dust particle tracking results obtained from detailed large-scale virtual models. The models are solved using computational fluid dynamics run on a high performance computers that can take as long as 24 hours to run a single set of computations! The modeling work is performed by Midwest Research Institute Global, a not-for-profit, independent research organization internationally recognized as an expert in the field of fugitive dust emissions.

You tell us the problem and we will WeatherSolve it. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

glencore the best commodities

lowest-cost nickel refineries in the western world and produces high purity nickel in the form of cathode and crown products. Koniambo Nickel is a ferronickel mine and processing plant in New Caledonia. The operation is a JV partnership between Glencore (49%) and Societe Miniere du Sud Pacifique SMSP (51%). It includes a pyro-metallurgical nickel smelter, power station and 11km overland conveyor, seawater desalination plant and other infrastructure.

Risks and ambitions

Mining operations are dependent on the expected volumes of supply or demand for their commodities, which can vary for many reasons, such as competitor supply policies, changes in resource availability, government policies and regulation, costs of production, global

and regional economic conditions and events of nature. Glencore’s main strategic objective is to grow shareholder returns sustainably while maintaining a strong investment grade rating and acting as a responsible operator. To achieve this ambition, the company is focusing on three strategic imperatives: to fully integrate sustainability throughout its business; to maintain a robust and flexible balance sheet; and to focus on cost controls and operational efficiencies throughout its entire business. Glencore believes that its broad range of products will be required as the global economy continues to grow, as countries develop and for the transition to a lower emissions economy. Copper and steel are required for renewables-based power stations as well as energy-efficient infrastructure and the electrification of

the transport sector. Nickel and cobalt are required for energy storage and likely to play an important role in the growth of electro-mobility. Fossil fuels remain a key input for industrial sectors and a critical source of safe, reliable and secure energy. When coupled with carbon capture and storage technologies, fossil fuels can continue to play a significant role in the global energy mix. Glencore’s recent $2.55 billion bid for Rio Tinto’s coal assets in Australia’s Hunter Valley underlines that belief, and signifies the company’s return to the cut and thrust of corporate acquisition.

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Prairie Machine & Parts

renewable transport is here Miners looking to reduce maintenance costs while improving compliance with ever-tightening emissions regulations should “try the electric vehicle alternative,” says Kipp Sakundiak, general manager of PMP

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ir quality in underground mines is a hot topic. As the regulatory environment develops, it only ever goes in one direction - tighter. Under pressure to reduce the number of diesel particulates in the air, miners have a limited choice – pump in more clean air, or reduce the number of diesel vehicles used underground, with an inevitable effect on productivity.

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Manufacturers have worked wonders in their attempts to clean up the diesel engine, but you can’t eliminate emissions altogether. If only there was an alternative to diesel-engine vehicles. “We are a mining equipment manufacturer and we acquired an electric vehicle business two years ago,” says Kipp Sakundiak, general manager of Prairie Machine & Parts (PMP), based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. “We are now building electric vehicles which have zero emissions and tremendous advantages in reducing operating and maintenance costs compared to their diesel equivalents.”

PMP’s background is in mining machinery for the potash mines in Saskatchewan. The business started in 1977 doing repair and rebuild work on customers’ mining equipment. Becoming familiar with the equipment’s weaknesses, they were often able to make improvements of their own, returning a superior product to the customer. Before long they were building their own and now have a variety of mining equipment with a focus on minerals found in sedimentary rocks, including borer-style mining machines, a state-of-the-art Flexiveyor™ continuous haulage system, belt storage

prairie machine & parts (PMP) renewable transport is here and extensible conveyor deployment systems, roof bolters and other auxiliary equipment. A few years ago, not far across town, a company called PapaBravo Innovations was causing a stir with its electric personnel carriers. Aware of its success and the environmental and operational cost benefits of electric vehicles, Murray Popplewell, president of PMP, approached PapaBravo’s president Patric Byrns, and the acquisition was arranged. On 1 April 2015, PapaBravo relocated from its facility on Jasper Avenue in Saskatoon to PMP’s facilities on Miller Avenue. The first vehicles to be produced are the light-duty personnel carriers developed by PapaBravo, but if the technology proves itself in the hard rock mining environment, there would be huge potential in the development of electric versions of PMP’s range of heavy-duty mobile equipment.

“We are now building electric vehicles which have zero emissions and tremendous advantages in reducing operating and maintenance costs compared to their diesel equivalents”

“The Ontario hardrock market is a target market for PMP. Currently we have our Marmot EV on trial right now at both the Musselwhite and Fraser Mines in Ontario,” says Sakundiak. “Musselwhite’s trial started in June 2015 and Fraser’s started in March of this year; so far, both are success stories.” PMP’s electric vehicles are designed to withstand the harsh conditions of a mining environment, and offer reliable operation with low maintenance and minimal down time for repairs. The industrial grade chassis and readily available parts provide for a durable mechanical platform that takes the pressure off any company’s maintenance department. These electric vehicles provide a superior alternative to diesel/ gas vehicles; with zero emissions and zero fuel cost, they offer both improved air quality and increased production capacity. Our electric vehicles are equipped with very advanced vehicle monitoring systems. “We can provide the customer with a detailed report of how the vehicle is being used, which helps them to look at the fleet as a whole and make informed decisions,” adds Sakundiak.

The Marmot EV, on trial with PMP’s hardrock clients, is a 4-wheel drive half ton carrier originally designed for up to four but modified to seat eight people for the trial. Designed specifically for ramp access, it can navigate a 20% grade with a full payload for a total vertical elevation change of 2.5 kilometres; going down it utilizes a regenerative braking system which uses the electric motor as a brake, recharging the battery as it does so. “One customer specified the vehicle must come with a costly wet brake system – we convinced them to try the vehicle with standard dry disc brakes – they told us it will never work, the brake pads will be worn out in less than a week. That vehicle is in operation two years later and the brake pads have not been changed. The product range also includes the Badger EV, a customizable one ton EV and the Gopher EV, an allpurpose quarter ton, two-passenger (or four-passenger) light truck, available in 2wd and 4wd versions, with multiple battery module options. “These are not conversion vehicles, they are designed with purpose and ‘fuelled’ by our passion to build the very best electric powered vehicles on the market,” says Sakundiak. “This is not a conversion. We don’t take a pre-existing diesel truck and put a battery system in. It’s an electric vehicle built for mining. It has to be efficient but it also has to be mine duty,” he continues. “We strike a balance between the demands of those requirements. We have a patented modular system which means that the vehicle has been designed for very low maintenance.” It may be an electric vehicle, but you don’t need an electrician to service and maintain it. “The entire system is modular,” says Sakundiak, “so if something goes wrong with the master control module for example, the box that controls the whole vehicle, the advanced diagnostic system informs the technician of the issue, saving costly troubleshooting time and because of the patented modular design modules are swapped with ease. It’s the most fundamental part of the vehicle, but you can take the master control module out in less than two hours, put in a new World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“These are not conversion vehicles, they are designed with purpose and ‘fuelled’ by our passion to build the very best electric powered vehicles on the market” World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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“We appreciate the support of our clients and the efforts they put into learning how electric vehicles will make their operations better today and in the future” one and keep your vehicle running. You can then send the module back to us (PMP) for repair and then we will send it back to the mine. The modular concept means you don’t need specialist maintenance people to look after our vehicles.” So for mining customers in remote locations they do not have to rely on proximity to technical service people – they can educate their own people to service the vehicles which is another benefit to going PMP electric. Vehicle maintenance is a huge cost for miners, who want to keep their equipment operating for as long as they can. Diesel vehicles, however well designed and however carefully looked after, have parts that wear out and consumables that need continual replacement. “There are far fewer moving parts in an electric vehicle,” says Sakundiak. “There’s no engine, no transmission, no filters, no oil. For every electric vehicle you use, there is less diesel to manage at the mine site and less storage space required for it.” As

underground mines tend to get deeper as they get older, ventilation costs increase significantly as the air needs to be cooled before being pumped into the mine. Electric vehicles are a cost effective way to reduce these ventilation costs by reducing emissions and thus the need for the high volumes of ore. Also maintenance on vehicle braking systems takes on greater significance. On an electric vehicle, the major part of the braking is done by the electric motor. “When you’re going down a hill, the regenerative braking system kicks in so the motor turns into a generator and actually charges the batteries.” There is a small premium on the capital cost, he admits, but when you compare the total life cycle cost, reduced ventilation costs and the safety (operators not breathing in harmful diesel emissions) electric vehicles are the clear winner over diesel. The batteries do need to be recharged, of course, but this can be done rapidly while the crew takes breaks or between shift changes.

Because diesel vehicles regularly need replacement parts, new engines, transmissions, and brakes, it doesn’t take long to recover the extra capital cost of the electric vehicle. These two trials have proven that an electric vehicle, purpose-built for the mine, is at home in the mine. There is huge potential for electric vehicles, and not just in underground mines. “This is a tremendous opportunity that both clients have given us,” says Sakundiak. “They made the commitment to try out the electric concept, both clients have really bought into it and they have great teams of people supporting the initiative. They want to make it work. We want to do our part to assist them to be more cost effective and productive. We appreciate the support of our clients and the efforts they put into learning how electric vehicles will make their operations better today and in the future.”

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AUSSIE WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SET TO GO TO WORK WORLDWIDE

s the old saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. And that is nowhere truer than in the Total Workforce Management System (TWMS) developed by Damstra. From simple beginnings tracking their own workers’ skills and qualifications, Damstra is now established as a leader in workforce management, compliance, and safety management, with their TWMS delivering powerful solutions that radically transform the ease with which companies can manage and protect their entire workforce. The Australian-designed system has grown exponentially from managing workers within a NSW-based mining labour hire company to the point where Damstra’s TWMS recently attracted huge interest from companies in countries including the US, Chile, Peru, South Africa, West Africa and Canada when it was showcased at a US mining expo in October 2016.

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This interest is not surprising when you consider the comprehensive capabilities of the Damstra TWMS, a system which delivers a suite of valuable service offerings where other workforce management systems in the market deliver only a few. These include Contractor PreQualification, Online Inductions and Training, Skills and Competency Management, Asset Management and Equipment Tracking, Human Capital Management, Site and Access Control, Visitor Management, plus apps and other tools which enhance workforce visibility and control in the field. Damstra’s web-based TWMS has proven itself so valuable that its clientele has quickly expanded from the mining sector to include leading companies engaged in telecommunications, utilities, manufacturing and construction. Indeed, the statistics are impressive: over 11,000 companies now engage with Damstra, over 60,000 persons are active in the system, over 1,000,000 man hours and more than 4,800,000 skills and certifications have been tracked, more than 500,000 safety alerts have been generated and over World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

3,000,000 automatic breath tests collected – to mention just a few figures. And the roll call of clients is now set to increase, with Damstra already rolling out operations in New Zealand and preparing to establish a US base in 2017 to pursue the global opportunities which have arisen since the US mining expo. Speaking to CEO Christian Damstra, who instigated the development of the needs-based workforce management software over a decade ago, it’s easy to see why the company’s unique TWMS - and equally unique approach to working with its clients – is achieving such success. “We designed the system from the ground up and got programmers to do what we wanted, rather than programmers designing something and the business having to adapt to match their thoughts,” Christian said. “We weren’t a technology company or writing software because we saw a need in the industry; our system grew organically from actual business needs

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and that makes it extremely practical and effective and very different to other systems. “We now have an amazing technology product that’s not only the most comprehensive workforce management system available, but also unique in being a truly web-based system where we don’t have servers or such things

on clients’ sites because our terminals ‘talk’ straight back over the internet to us.” Asked why he believes the Damstra TWMS drew such interest at the US mining expo, Christian outlined the many benefits Damstra and its system offer to companies of all kinds. “This is a system for every company

with employees, whether one or thousands, because every single employee is covered by some form of legislation with particular requirements; it can be as simple as whether they’ve had a medical or they’re allowed to work in the country, through to having to have a working at heights ticket, a confined space ticket, an electrical licence or other such specific requirements. “Apart from the obvious operational benefits of our system in managing any workforce, I think companies appreciate the fact that we’re very

flexible in partnering with clients to tailor and customise the system to make it do what they need, rather than making them reinvent themselves,” he explained. “Also, a lot of software companies will say ‘We don’t care if you have one employee or 50, it’s going to cost you $100,000 to buy this software,’ however the way our pricing model is set up, we can tailor for even the smallest companies; if you’ve got 10 people you can afford us, if you’ve got 20 you can afford us, if you’ve got 1,000 people you can afford us - because

what we provide is all relevant to how many people you employ. “The other thing that is quite unique is our growth strategy and the way we develop our software,” Christian continued. “We don’t charge hundreds of thousands of dollars if a client wants a new feature which is beneficial in the overall system – we will build it and give it to them as part of our service. “We’ve always been a growth company that believes in partnering with our clients; we don’t just sell something and walk away, because it’s the service and support that goes with it that makes our system so powerful,” he concluded. “We stay with clients through the years, growing and working together to ensure they get all they need from our system and every possible benefit, because that’s what the relationship is all about.” For more on the Damstra Total Workforce Management System visit www.damstratechnology.com

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scania mining making mines smart and lean

Volatile mineral prices cause the mining industry to focus on reducing capital and operational costs while optimising production. With everyone looking for a smarter solution, the industry has been talking about lean. It sounds good on paper, but can it be done in real life? Scania Mining shows how to bring a smart and lean solution into a real mining operation through collaboration and partnership between OEM and mining operator.

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

scania mining making mines smart and lean

nder the hot sun and haze in Singrauli in the state of Madhya Pradesh in northern India, VPR Mining Infrastructure Pvt Ltd has been steadily removing over 50 million tonnes of overburden at the Jayant coal mine, owned by Coal India subsidiary Northern Coalfields Limited.

It’s a big job. After starting in 2014, they expect to finish in 2019. A team consisting of members from Scania and VPR Mining Infrastructure is currently collaborating on an 18-month Scania Site Optimisation Project, involving 160 Scania trucks, to see what productivity improvements can be made. Scania Site Optimisation is a framework of tools, methods and

information to improve mining transport operations. The core feature of this service framework is to view the mine as a factory, implementing lean principles, tools and methods. As with any lean implementation, Scania Site Optimisation examines inefficiencies with a view to minimising waste; in the mining environment this involves five key elements; time, load, road, safety and sustainability: • Time because inefficiencies such as idling, waiting and queuing affect overall productivity • Load because an optimal loading process will reduce cost and increase efficiency • Road because bad roads kill productivity, damage equipment and pose safety risks • Safety risks, not only because of their human cost, but also their potential to lead to costly hold-ups in production • Sustainability because elimination of waste means more effective and efficient use of available resources. Scania Site Optimisation depends upon collaboration with the customer. The

first step is to evaluate the current state, recognising the reality and establishing a baseline for improvement. The second step is improvement potential, in which Scania and its customer find weaknesses and wasteful practices in the current state which can be improved upon. “By looking at the big picture, we can avoid sub optimisation and make sure the improvements will impact the whole operational flow,” says Jon Fangel, Project Manager for Scania Site Optimisation. “Then comes the implementation plan, where together we plan and execute the implementation in steps, working towards continuous improvements and making sure the new ways of working become THE ways of working, in order to avoid falling back into old habits.” VPR’s “current state” at the Javant mine when the Scania team arrived was much like that of any number of similar mining operations, with a considerable amount of queuing in the loading and unloading areas. The drivers kept a tally of how many trips they completed and productivity was measured by the number of trips completed for the World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

scania mining making mines smart and lean

volume of earth shifted at the end of the day. Every month, productivity was then evaluated to see if targets were being met. “For the first three months of the project we focused on reducing idling time and queuing, as well as on driver training,” explained Fangel. “We implemented an organised loading and unloading area, as well as an optimised unloading method. We also set a rule to turn engines off after 1 minute of standing still, to reduce idling.” Scania also connected over 400 drivers to its fleet management system, the first time that number has been achieved for a single customer, to help the driver training program to tailor training to individual needs. One of the key factors in improving productivity is to reduce cycle time. As part of the optimisation project, a 24-hour test was conducted on transport flow at the mine site. The implementation of lean’s ‘just-in-time’ principle helped here. An excavator was assigned a certain number of trucks based on the total number of trucks and excavators, as well as the truck’s average cycle time. The aim of the test was to show that with the right number of

trucks per excavator and a defined takt time, queuing and waiting time can be significantly reduced and productivity increased. In lean manufacturing, takt time is the rate at which a finished product needs to be completed in order to meet customer demand. It can also be described as the average time between the start of production of one unit and the start of production of the next unit, when these production starts are set to match the rate of customer demand. In our mining example, takt time refers to the time between the first bucket on the first truck, to the first bucket on a second truck, on the same excavator. “To balance the flow, we allocated a certain number of trucks to an excavator, with a specific number of loading buckets based on our calculation of cycle time and takt time,” explained Fangel. “The results showed a more than 30% increase in productivity per truck involved in the test compared to the rest of the fleet.” So far, idling time has been reduced from 37.5% to 30%, fuel consumption has gone down and productivity per truck is increasing. The project in Singrauli is entering its ninth month with promising results.

VPR and Scania are working together in a continuous improvement process, making sure the improvements ‘stick’ by embedding them into the workflow, creating a new ‘current state’. “Years of experience in implementing lean principles in our own organization is a proof of our concept,” comments Björn Winblad, Head of Scania Mining. “The most important aspect of the project is collaboration with the customer,” concludes Fangel. “It’s about working together to find improvements, prioritising what needs to be done, and implementing the solution. Without the collaborative work, this would just be theory on paper.” Collaboration between supplier and mine operator plays a crucial role in implementing lean principles on a mine site. It’s something many people talk about, but Scania Mining manages to make it a reality. That’s Scania Site Optimisation.

Find out more about Scania Mining at www.scania.com/ Mining

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vale

transforming the world Vale, the world’s largest iron ore and nickel producer, is in the business of mining essential ores. Vale is also the world’s biggest producer of iron ore and pellets, raw materials essential to the manufacture of steel. So how and why does Vale mine these materials? World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

vale transforming the world

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rom phones to airplanes, building structures to coins, ores are essential ingredients for indispensable items in today’s world. Iron ore is found in nature in the form of rocks, mixed with other elements. By means of various industrial processes incorporating cutting-edge technology, iron ore is processed and then sold to steel companies. The iron ore produced by Vale can be found in houses, cars and household appliances. In 2016 Vale reached a new output record, producing 349 million tonnes of the steelmaking ingredient, thanks partly to the opening of its massive S11D mine, its largestever operation. The figure, which beat Vale’s own forecast, was also the result of a strong performance at its mines in northern Brazil. Vale is the also world’s largest producer of nickel, one of the most versatile

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metals in existence. Hard and malleable, nickel resists corrosion and maintains its mechanical and physical properties even when subjected to extreme temperatures. Vale’s high-quality nickel is valued for its applications in plating and batteries. It also gives your bathroom taps and shower heads their bright metallic finish. It’s in everything from coins to cars and in mobile phones and the rechargeable batteries that power them. Vale also operates in the coal sector; coal being essential for the transformation of iron ore into steel, as well as for the generation of electricity. Copper, that reddish-orange metal that has been used to benefit civilization since 8000 BC, is one of the most important metals used by modern industry. Prized for its ability to conduct heat and electricity, it is an element that helps

facilitate the world as we know it, and is another focus of Vale’s investment. Malleable, resistant to corrosion and high temperatures, recyclable and blessed with the best electrical and thermal conductivity of any commercial metal, copper is highly valued for its application in power transmission and generation, building wiring as well as electronic equipment, including mobile phones and television sets. Manganese, the fourth most widely used metal in the world, is present in the composition of paint and batteries, and many other objects of everyday life. Vale is a leading producer of manganese, an essential steelmaking input, and also of ferroalloys – combinations of iron and one or more chemical elements, such as manganese itself. Nearly 90% of manganese output is used in the steel industry, but its applications also include

vale transforming the world the manufacture of fertilizers, animal food and cars. Global demand for food is increasing, while the space available on the planet to grow crops is decreasing. The answer to this conundrum lies in fertilizers: substances that raise crop yields and enable larger harvests. The relationship between this sector and mining is simple: two of the main inputs for making fertilizers – potash and phosphates – are extracted from the ground through mining processes. The demand for Vale’s fertilizer operations continues to grow.

KEY OPERATIONS

Vale’s continued growth and success comes from carefully managed assets, investment in future prospects and from efficiency savings across its entire range of operations. Key mining sites in North and South America, Africa and Asia contribute to the bulk of this success.

In Brazil

“Carajás, the world’s largest open-pit iron ore mine, began operating in 1985, 18 years after the first discovery”

Minas Gerais: Itabira is the town in Minas Gerais where Vale was born. Its name is of Tupi origin, meaning rock (“ita”) that shines (“bira”). It is said that during full moons, one of its mountains, Cauê Peak, used to shine as if lit up by floodlights hung from the sky. However, contrary to the assumptions of the explorers who arrived to dig at the foot of Cauê Peak in search of gold, what made the mountain shine was its enormous quantity of iron. At the turn of the 20th century, Cauê Peak was mapped as the largest iron deposit in the world. This mineral reserve was expropriated by the Brazilian government and Companhia Vale do Rio Doce – now Vale – was set up in 1942. Since then, many other mineral deposits besides Cauê have been discovered and mined in the state of Minas Gerais. At the moment, Vale operates more than 20 mines, broken down into the Southeast System and South System. Together, they account for more than 60% of the company’s iron ore production. The Southeast System is made up of three complexes – Itabira, Central Mines and Mariana. The South System encompasses the Paraopeba, Vargem Grande and Itabiritos complexes. Vale also jointly

owns the Samarco Mineração Complex in partnership with BHP Billiton, but operations here have been closed since the tragic failure of two tailings dams in November 2015. In addition to iron ore and pelletizing complexes, Vale also has fertilizer and manganese operations in Minas Gerais. S11D: Located in the Brazilian Amazon and part of the Carajás complex, S11D is the largest mining complex in Vale’s history. The S11D Eliezer Batista operation is an iron ore enterprise that integrates productivity with respect for people, and technology with environmental intelligence. In addition to increasing production in the state of Pará to 230 million metric tons per year, the project brings innovative solutions such as the truckless system, which replaces traditional off-highway trucks with conveyor belts and will reduce diesel consumption by about 70 per cent. The dry processing (using iron ore’s own natural moisture) will cut water consumption by 93% and it eliminates the need for tailings dams. Investments in innovation, combined with Vale’s experience, enable a more efficient operation with less impact on the environment. Carajás complex: On 11 July 1967, on board a helicopter with room for two passengers, the history of mining in Brazil (and the world) began to change. Flying over Carajás Forest, geologist Breno dos Santos sighted some enormous clearings and suspected they were “canga” areas – meaning places rich in ore very close to the surface, impeding the growth of trees. “When I knocked my hammer into the ground, a red substance came out. I thought: ‘Wow! Everything here is iron!’” Breno later recounted. In addition to the largest iron ore reserve ever found in the world, containing 17 billion metric tons, the region was also found to have deposits of manganese, nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, copper, zinc, chromium, tin and tungsten. In 1985, 18 years after this discovery, Carajás, the world’s largest open-pit iron ore mine, began operating. That same year, Vale also started to operate the Azul manganese mine. In 2001, Vale opened its first nickel operation in Brazil – Onça Puma mine World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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vale transforming the world

“Vale is researching the potential development of an underground mine at Voisey’s Bay, which would add 400 jobs at the mine and concentrator”

in the municipality of Ourilândia do Norte. In turn, its Sossego (Canaã dos Carajás) and Salobo (Marabá) copper mines started up in 2004 and 2012, respectively.

In Peru

Located in Sechura, a desert region on Peru’s northern border with Ecuador, Bayóvar is one of the largest deposits of phosphate rock in South America. The project has existed since 1920, but for many years it didn’t attract any investor willing to tackle the challenge of mining phosphate rock in the desert. Vale took on this challenge in 2005, after winning a licence to mine in the region. The operation has a concentration plant, conveyor belts to transport the phosphate within the mining site, drying and storage areas, and a port from which to export the output. The

main markets for the product are Brazil, North America and Asia.

In Canada

Voisey’s Bay: Operations at Vale’s openpit mine and concentrator at Voisey’s Bay in Labrador began in 2005. This 6,000 tonnes-per-day facility produces two types of concentrate: nickelcobalt-copper concentrate and copper concentrate. Voisey’s Bay is a fly-in/flyout operation. Significant infrastructure is required to support the mine and concentrator and to ensure a safe and comfortable living environment for the people that work at the site. At present, the Voisey’s Bay operation employs about 450 people. Vale is currently researching the potential development of an underground mine. An estimated additional 400 people will be employed at the mine and concentrator when World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

underground mining begins. Sudbury: Located about 400 km from Toronto, Ontario’s Sudbury Basin hosts one of Vale’s biggest operational sites. The mining complex has six underground mines: Coleman, Creighton, Copper Cliff, Garson, Stobie, and Totten, which opened in February 2014 as Sudbury’s first new mine in over 40 years. Together, these mines are essential to Vale’s Base Metals business, producing mainly nickel, but also copper, cobalt, PGMs, gold and silver. The Sudbury complex includes integrated milling, smelting and refining facilities that process extracted minerals. Besides producing finished nickel here, Vale sends nickel oxide, an intermediate product, to its nickel refinery in Wales or its Asian refineries to be processed into end products.

In Mozambique

Moatize - With its extensive territory rich in natural resources, Mozambique

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is a strategic region for Vale’s business in Africa. Vale’s commercial relations in the country began in 2004, when the company won a bid to develop Moatize mine, one of the largest coal reserves in the world. In 2008, work began on constructing the Moatize operation – Vale’s first project conducted in Africa. Three years later, the complex came on stream. The Moatize mine currently has an annual production capacity of 11 million metric tons of coal. The output is sold to major overseas markets such as East Asia, the Americas, Europe and India. Over the coming years, Vale plans to invest more than US$8 billion in Mozambique. These resources will guarantee the execution of large projects such as Moatize II, which will double the mining complex’s production capacity.

In Zambia

Lubambe: Vale produces copper at the Lubambe mine through a joint venture with African Rainbow Minerals. Vale’s

history in the country began in 2010, with the launch of the Konkola North project in the African copper belt, the most promising part of the world in terms of high-grade copper deposits. In Bemba, the Bantu language spoken in Zambia, Lubambe means eagle. There are some eagle nests within the complex and it is very common to see them flying over the region. Around $400 million has been invested in getting this project off the ground and besides this mining operation, Vale is carrying out surveying and mineral development activities in Zambia.

In Australia

Carborough Downs: Vale’s Carborough Downs underground mine is located in central Queensland in the Bowen Basin, approximately 20 kilometres east of Moranbah and 180 kilometres southwest of Mackay. Vale has been operator of the mine since 2007 when the company entered the Australian market and

vale transforming the world

acquired assets from AMCI Holdings. The mine produces predominantly hard and semi-hard coking coal with pulverized coal injection (PCI) as a secondary product. Carborough Downs coal is sold to international customers primarily for use in the steel making industry. The site is expected to continue producing until 2019, with further potential for the extension of the mine life beyond that timeframe. The Isaac Plains open cut coal mine is a 50/50 joint venture between Vale and Sumitomo. Situated approximately seven kilometres from Moranbah in Queensland’s coal rich Bowen Basin, the mine is managed by Isaac Plains Coal Management, with John Holland contracted to perform full service mining operations. The current mining lease, covering an area of more than 2,900 hectares, was granted in December 2005 with first coal mined, processed and railed for export in 2006. The operation’s product split covers

pulverized coal injection (PCI), thermal coal and coking coal. Isaac Plains has five planned open cut pits positioned along a north-south striking seam subcrop. Mining is conducted through the strip mining method utilising a dragline (commissioned in June 2011) and results in production of approximately 2.8Mtpa of coal product for export. With proven resources of 44Mt and a further 22Mt of measured and indicated resources, Isaac Plains has an expected mine life of more than 10 years. Where will Vale’s next mines be? To answer that question, Vale invests in research studies all over the world in the quest for locations housing new mineral reserves. Its teams of geologists and engineers are at the forefront of this endeavour, using techniques ranging from rock-sample collection and subsoil drilling to satellite image analysis to identify the presence of minerals. Some development projects of note that

we have not yet mentioned, include the Belvedere Coal Project, located near Moura and approximately 175 kilometres from the Port of Gladstone in Australia. Vale owns 100% of the Belvedere Coal Project. Planned to be developed as an underground longwall operation, the project has immense potential, offering a large, good quality, metallurgical coal resource. The Eagle Downs Coking Coal Project in which Vale has a 50% stake, is an approved underground longwall coal mine project, currently under construction, located approximately 20 kilometres southeast of Moranbah in Queensland’s Bowen Basin. It’s estimated that when completed the Eagle Downs Coal Mine will produce an average of 4.5Mtpa of product coking coal in the first ten years of full production from one underground longwall.

World Mining Magazine

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rema tip top: the future of mining is now â&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

rema tip top the future of mining is now

In comparison to other industries, mining is often seen as simple: integrated supply chains, clear contractual relationships and strong control by individual stakeholders over all production variables. However, anyone working in or with the industry will quickly come to a different conclusion. Mineral deposits are becoming ever more scarce, and demands for environmental protection and the protection of natural resources continue to grow. Since mines usually make a significant impact on existing landscapes, operators bear a unique responsibility to respond to these demands.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

â&#x20AC;&#x201A;

â&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;81

ne solution to this challenge is truckless mining. In truckless mining, ore is placed directly on conveyor belt systems which transport the material to processing facilities. Even operators of some of the largest mining locations in the world use this method. Of course, foregoing the use of mining dump trucks also poses challenges: for instance, the need to install additional conveyor belts. That’s why many companies trust REMA TIP TOP to partner with them on major projects and handle installation, operations and maintenance for the conveyor belt systems. “All from a single source” – “one brand – one source – one system” is the motto for REMA TIP TOP’s work. Almost nowhere in the world is this commitment more clear than in Brazil – the home of the rubber tree. The company serves the customer’s entire value creation chain in Brazil: materials, installation, maintenance, training, replacement parts, engineering. REMA TIP TOP is among the top companies in Brazil when it comes to conveyor belt service and maintenance. To further expand its position on the Brazilian market, the company acquired longterm partner Norte Sul Serviços at the beginning of the year. The acquisition allows REMA TIP TOP to further expand its global presence, and the company is now represented in Brazil by a 100% subsidiary.

Over 80 years of experience

Each party to the collaboration is able to optimally supplement its own expertise, leading to a well-functioning partnership. Employees of the Brazilian service provider have been able to develop their unparalleled material and application expertise over decades. Firstclass technology by REMA TIP TOP is based on over 80 years of research and development for rubber products. Nortel Sul is more successful today in Brazil than it has ever been in its more than 30-year company history. The partners are also combining their corporate growth aspirations. In the future, they will be able to use their joint expertise in an even more targeted way to help as many customers as possible succeed with personalized solutions. As part of its partnership with REMA TIP TOP, Norte Sul also wants to provide its customers access to the comprehensive services offered by its German partner, such as the REMA M³

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

rema tip top the future of mining is now

“All from a single source” – “one brand – one source – one system” is the motto for REMA TIP TOP’s work. monitoring system. The system doesn’t just sound an alarm when the conveyor belt tears – it actually calculates in advance when the next maintenance will come up by continuously monitoring belt strength and recognizing misaligned belts and loss of tension immediately. Computer-supported worldwide service is also becoming more and more important to global companies. The advantages are obvious: Every hour of unplanned downtime a customer can save improves their accounting sheets.

Safe conveying around the clock

However, even high-tech monitoring still requires on-site personnel. REMA TIP TOP is working in numerous mines, processing operations and harbors in Brazil to ensure conveyor belt operations around the clock. With millions of tons of conveyed materials, and conveyor belts that might reach hundreds of kilometers in length, this isn’t an easy task. Maintenance, monitoring and repair for the conveyor belts essential to the operations of each location are assigned to experienced specialists.

That’s why REMA TIP TOP is always ready for action in some of the largest facilities in the country, with some teams numbering almost 100 employees, to provide 24/7 service – and not just for planned maintenance downtimes. If needed, REMA TIP TOP can also handle unplanned repairs as quickly as possible with increased manpower.

Reducing downtimes, ensuring efficient operations

With its comprehensive range of services, REMA TIP TOP makes a long-term contribution to reducing downtimes, ensuring efficient conveyor belt and port facility operations. This greatly increases the service lives of these facilities. REMA TIP TOP is a reliable partner to the mining industry, ensuring these benefits with products, technical consulting, installation, proactive, reactive and shutdown maintenance, ongoing improvement processes, and employee training – a partner for the future.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Wireless Communication for Mining Automation

luidmesh technology offers miners the fastest, most reliable connectivity for their automated vehicles

While driverless cars are still a dream for the automotive industry, driverless trucks have been in operation on mine sites around the world for some time – another step in the advancement of the Internet of Things. The mining industry is renowned as an early adopter of new technology, but internet connectivity for moving vehicles at a mine site is a different proposition from static objects. Clearly, the network must have some sophisticated technology to be effective

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

and reliable in those conditions. “Fluidmesh wireless mesh networks are specifically designed to be easily deployed, managed and maintained in harsh conditions,” says Cosimo Malesci, co-founder of Fluidmesh Networks. “The basic concept of a mesh is that there is no single point of failure. All mesh nodes are able to communicate with each other, ensuring redundancy and reliability.” Traditional wireless solutions used in mining are based on a wi-fi approach, he explains, “but wi-fi technology was developed for different applications; downloading emails, surfing the web, connecting your tablet. It’s not designed for reliable, mission critical vehicle communication.”

Fluidmesh was founded in 2005 by a team of researchers and visionaries from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Politecnico of Milan, Italy. “We started with wireless mesh based solutions for video surveillance,” explains Malesci, “and about six years ago we expanded the business by creating a new division to focus on vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicleto-ground communications. Connecting vehicles presents a set of challenges that are not present in traditional static wireless networks, so we have developed dedicated technology to address those challenges.” The network has three components, he explains. The first is a radio fitted to the vehicle itself. There can be up to four

fluidmesh wireless communication for mining automation

“If you have a vehicle without a human being on it, you want to be able to control it very carefully.”

of these. The radios connect the vehicle to the wayside network, an array of radios deployed around the pit, fitted on trailers or along an underground tunnel. The third component is the backbone, which connects the wayside radios to the main network. “Our radios are engineered with no moving parts, so we can handle stress agents like vibration, humidity and dust on the jobsite. That’s why many leading mines and oil and gas companies trust our radios.” The big advantage of the Fluidmesh network is that it uses an MPLS wireless solution (multi-protocol label switching). “This is a technology that was developed some time ago for fibre networks but we have applied it to wireless networks,” explains Malesci. “We have patents out on it. By applying MPLS to wireless communication we are able to solve a lot of the challenges that traditional wireless mesh networks have had in delivering communication and connectivity to vehicles.” One of those challenges, he explains, is latency – the delay between information being sent and received. “As soon as you put automation on a vehicle, latency plays a key role,” says Malesci. “If you have a vehicle without a human being on it, you want to be able to control it very carefully.” Clearly, if there is any delay in receiving information, even for a fraction of a second, the vehicle is out of control. “The second problem we have solved is hand-off time,” he continues. The haul truck stays connected to the network as it moves around the pit by ‘roaming’ from one trailer or wayside radio to the next. The time it takes to hand off from one to another has an impact on the stability and availability of the network. “It’s a very common issue in wireless systems,” says Malesci. “We have been able to solve that problem with MPLS. A wi-fi system has a hand-off anywhere

between 200 and 500 milliseconds. That may sound like a small amount of time, but when you apply that to controlling a machine, streaming video or sending data, it has an impact on the operation of the system and by extension, on the productivity of the mine. We are the only wireless solution that has no handoff. We can deliver a zero millisecond hand-off.” Malesci says that Fluidmesh delivers ‘five 9s of reliability’, meaning the network is 99.999% reliable. “This means your network is always up,” he insists. “That has an impact on equipment availability which then relates to productivity. If you look at most mines today they get a connectivity of about 93 or 94 per cent. This is mostly because they are using wireless solutions which are not fit for the application. By designing a solution specifically for the vehicle, we are filling that gap in connectivity.” Another string to the company’s bow is the development of antennas specifically for the mining environment. “MPLS allows us to use multiple radios on a vehicle,” says Malesci, “which means we can use directional antennas to create what some people call a beam forming approach, where the vehicle automatically selects the best radio, the best antenna to talk to the wayside. That improves the range of communication, so we can provide a lot more coverage. And it also improves the RF noise in a pit where you can have 30 or 40 vehicles all talking at the same time. By going directional we control that traffic a lot better.” The Fluidmesh network has clear advantages over traditional wi-fi solutions, but there is one we haven’t mentioned yet – bandwidth. When you remove human beings from machines and put them in air-conditioned offices, you need a tremendous amount of data to be able to do what the driver used to do. “We have the capacity to deliver up to 500 megabits per second on a vehicle,” says Malesci, “which is a massive amount of bandwidth, and that helps us support the cameras used in tele-remote operations. And we do teleremote operations underground as well as in the open pit.” The technology is very scalable, too, he concludes, so it’s equally applicable to major, intermediate and junior miners. “Anybody can use it.” World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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

rio tinto global footprint

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global footprint

he company was incorporated in 1873 and named after Spain’s Rio Tinto (Red River), where it reopened ancient copper mines acquired from the Spanish Government. It has since grown through a series of mergers and acquisitions to play a leading role in the production of many commodities, including aluminium, iron ore, copper, uranium, coal and diamonds.

Although primarily focused on the extraction of minerals from both open pit and underground mines, Rio Tinto’s businesses also include, mills, refineries, smelters and power stations, as well as a number of research and service facilities. It also owns and operates infrastructure that takes its products to its customers, including railways, ports and ships. The company has joint head offices in London, England and Melbourne, Australia, and although it has operations on six continents, it is mainly concentrated in Australia and Canada. Under its Group-wide organisational structure, its four product groups – Aluminium, Copper & Diamonds, Energy & Minerals and Iron Ore – are complemented by its Growth & Innovation group.

AUSTRALIA

Australia is home to around half of Rio Tinto’s global assets, where it produces bauxite, aluminium, iron ore, thermal and metallurgical coal, uranium, diamonds and salt from more than 30 operating sites and processing plants around the country.

Aluminium

Rio Tinto is a global leader in aluminium, one of the world’s most widely used metals. Active in the sector for more than 110 years, today it operates large-scale, high-quality bauxite mines and alumina refineries, and has the world’s most modern and competitive aluminium smelters portfolio. Bell Bay Aluminium is situated on the mouth of the Tamar River, World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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rio tinto global footprint

“As well as open pit and underground mines, Rio Tinto’s businesses also include, mills, refineries, smelters and power stations, as well as a number of research and service facilities”

approximately five kilometres from George Town and 45 kilometres from the city of Launceston in Tasmania. Bell Bay Aluminium has been in operation since 1955 and was the first aluminium smelter built in the southern hemisphere. The smelter produces around 180,000 tonnes of aluminium each year and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. Its main metal products are ingot, rolling block and T-bar. Boyne Smelters Limited (BSL) is the largest aluminium smelter in Australia. Located approximately 20 kilometres south of Gladstone at Boyne Island on the central Queensland coast, BSL produces in excess of 570,000 tonnes of aluminium per annum. Ten kilometres northwest of Gladstone is Rio Tinto’s world class Yarwun alumina refinery. Construction began in 2002 and the first shipment of alumina was made in late 2004. The refinery was the first greenfield refinery to be built in the western world in 20 years. Rio Tinto owns and operates the Weipa bauxite mine on Western Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. The mine exports over 27 million tonnes of bauxite annually. The Weipa operations consist of two continuous mining operations at East Weipa and Andoom, two beneficiation plants, 19 kilometres of railway to transport mined bauxite to the port area, two stockpiles and two ship loaders. Rio Tinto also owns and operates two diesel engine power stations, which supply the mine, Weipa town and the neighbouring community of Napranum. While some product is shipped to international customers, the majority of Weipa bauxite is supplied to the Queensland Alumina Limited and Rio Tinto Aluminium Yarwun refineries, both located in Gladstone. These refineries produce alumina as feedstock for Australian aluminium smelting operations and for sale on the international market. Rio Tinto (formerly Comalco) has mined and shipped bauxite from Weipa since 1963, but the original bauxite reserves are gradually being depleted and with continued demand for bauxite, the business has identified significant reserves south of the Embley River. A key milestone for the future of the

Weipa operations was reached with the Rio Tinto Board approving funding for the Amrun project in late 2015. The project includes the construction of a range of infrastructure including a processing plant and port near Boyd Bay, a dam, tailings storage facility, roads and a ferry terminal on the Hey River to transport workers from Weipa to the mine. Construction on the project is well under way with first shipment planned for the first half of 2019. Once operational, Amrun will replace production from Rio Tinto’s existing East Weipa mine and increase annual bauxite exports. Planned initial output is 22.8 million tonnes per year with a range of options for future expansions up to 50 million tonnes per year.

Iron ore

In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, Rio Tinto operates the world’s largest integrated portfolio of iron ore assets with industry-leading margins. Operations include a worldclass, integrated network of 15 iron ore mines, four port facilities, a 1,700 kilometre rail network and related infrastructure, but Rio Tinto is currently expanding its operations in the Pilbara to epic proportions while at the same time introducing next generation technologies to deliver greater efficiency, lower production costs and improve health, safety and environmental performance. The Pilbara infrastructure expansions were completed in mid-2015, delivering expanded port and shipping capacity at Cape Lambert, increased rail network capacity, improved power and fuel supply and distribution, as well as expanded and improved accommodation and town facilities in the Pilbara. In December 2016 Rio Tinto awarded contracts for A$90 million to Western Australian-based construction and engineering firm Decmil, for the design, construction and commissioning of new facilities at the existing Nammuldi central mine services and at the Silvergrass mine services area in the Pilbara, along with the Amrun bauxite project in northern Queensland. “The Decmil contracts are yet another example of how Rio Tinto partners with local suppliers to deliver economic World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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rio tinto global footprint benefits for Australia above and beyond taxes, royalties and direct employment,” said Rio Tinto Growth & Innovation group executive Stephen McIntosh.

Diamonds

“Australia is home to around half of Rio Tinto’s global assets, where it produces bauxite, aluminium, iron ore, thermal and metallurgical coal, uranium, diamonds and salt from more than 30 operating sites and processing plants around the country”

Rio Tinto owns and operates the Argyle diamond mine in the remote East Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is one of the world’s largest suppliers of diamonds and the world’s largest supplier of natural coloured diamonds, including the highly coveted rare pink diamonds. The Argyle diamond deposit, located in the AK1 pipe, was mined using conventional alluvial and open pit mining from 1983 to 2013. Over this period more than 800 million carats of diamonds were mined. In 2013 a new era of underground mining of the AK1 pit took over to access the pipe at further depth. Block cave mining techniques – where the ore body is undercut, allowing it to break up and ‘cave’ under its own weight – are now being employed to extend the life of the Argyle mine until at least 2020. The block cave is expected to generate on average 20 million carats per year. The Argyle underground mine is a challenge both in size and complexity. There are around 40 kilometres of tunnels. The main thoroughfares in the underground network are four tunnels – two to carry vehicles, one for ventilation and one for moving ore. There are two large underground crushers and conveyor belts transport the ore from deep in the mine to the surface. When Argyle was first established, it became apparent that purposedesigned processing machinery would be needed to recover and sort the high volume of characteristically small stones produced by the mine. This included the development of sophisticated X-ray sorting technology to assist in the efficient identification and collection of the small diamonds. Today, the Argyle processing plant is one of the most efficient in the world. It is capable of processing up to 11 million tonnes of ore per annum operating 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. Argyle produces diamonds in a range of colours, including white, champagne and pink gems. The majority of

Argyle’s diamonds are sold as “rough” or uncut diamonds. These are sorted and prepared for international sale by Rio Tinto’s sales and marketing team in Antwerp, Belgium. The majority of customers are Indian based companies and the Indian cutting industry has been an important platform for developing the market for the small, coloured diamonds that characterize the Argyle production.

Energy & Minerals

Rio Tinto’s Energy & Minerals group includes a diverse portfolio of highquality mining, refining and marketing operations and projects that contribute to the daily lives of people around the world. Its energy assets in Australia include four thermal and coking coal operations and a uranium operation. Uranium and thermal coal are a cost-effective and abundant energy source for electricity, and coking coal is a critical component in the steel-making process. Rio Tinto Coal Australia is one of Australia’s leading mining organisations with a highly successful record in developing and managing world-class coal operations. It is a wholly-owned member of the Rio Tinto Group. Rio Tinto Coal Australia produces both thermal and coking coal from four operations, two in Queensland and two in New South Wales. In Queensland, Rio Tinto Coal Australia operates the Hail Creek and Kestrel mines in the Bowen Basin region. Together the mines supply more than 10 million tonnes of coking and thermal coal for export annually. Hail Creek Mine is an open cut mine, using a dragline, truck and shovel method, and is located 120 kilometres southwest of Mackay in central Queensland, supplying international markets with hard coking and thermal coal. Kestrel Mine is an underground operation located 40 kilometres north-east of Emerald in central Queensland, supplying world markets coking and thermal coal. Rio Tinto Coal Australia manages the operation on behalf of the joint venture partners, Queensland Coal Pty Limited (80 per cent) and Mitsui Kestrel Coal Investment (20 per cent). In New South Wales, Rio Tinto Coal Australia also currently manages World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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rio tinto global footprint

“The Amrun project includes the construction of a range of infrastructure including a processing plant and port near Boyd Bay, a dam, tailings storage facility, roads and a ferry terminal on the Hey River to transport workers from Weipa to the mine”

Coal & Allied’s operations at Mount Thorley Warkworth and Hunter Valley Operations, but not for much longer. Coal & Allied Industries Limited is the holding company for Rio Tinto’s thermal coal business in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, but Rio Tinto reached a binding agreement in January this year for the sale of Coal & Allied to Yancoal Australia Limited for up to $2.45 billion. Rio Tinto chief executive J-S Jacques said, “This sale delivers outstanding value for our shareholders and is consistent with our strategy of reshaping our portfolio to ensure the most effective use of capital. Our world-class assets, strong balance sheet and relentless focus on cash will ensure that we deliver superior returns for our shareholders. We are confident that Coal & Allied will continue to contribute to the New South Wales economy and the communities of the Hunter Valley under a new owner.” Rio Tinto will continue to benefit from earnings and cash flow generated by Coal & Allied until completion of the transaction. The Coal & Allied operations will also continue to use Rio Tinto Marine freight services following completion of the transaction.

Dampier Salt

Also part of Rio Tinto’s Energy & Minerals group, Dampier Salt Ltd is a joint venture between Rio Tinto (68 per cent), Marubeni Corporation (22 per cent) and Sojitz (10 per cent). Located in the hot, dry climate of northern Western Australia, with headquarters in Perth, Dampier Salt has three salt operations located at Dampier, Port Hedland and Lake MacLeod. The sales, marketing and logistics activities are carried out in Singapore. The Dampier operation was the first DSL site and was established in 1967. This site is currently the largest producer of the three sites with a capacity of 4.2 million tonnes per annum. The first shipment was to Japan in 1972. The Lake MacLeod site was acquired in 1978 and has the greatest potential for expansion of the three sites with a current production capacity of 2.9 million tonnes per annum. The Port Hedland operation was acquired in 2001 and has a current production capacity of 3.2 million tonnes per annum.

Rio Tinto’s approach to salt production involves extracting seawater (the primary resource for Dampier and Port Hedland) or naturally occurring underground brines (at Lake MacLeod) and then using the evaporative power of the sun and the wind to crystallise pure sodium chloride salt in a series of ponds called crystallisers. Sun and wind energy comprise around 99 per cent of the total energy required to grow, process and ship the salt. Operations at Lake MacLeod and Port Hedland have been harvesting salt for over 40 years, and the demonstrated sustainability of this approach suggests that they will continue well beyond the next 40 years.

CANADA With around 15,000 people working across 35 plus locations, Rio Tinto is the biggest mining and metals company operating in Canada, and its business is as interesting and diverse as the country and its people. The company hires local people, partners with leading Canadian business and community organizations and works hard to be good neighbours. Its aluminium smelters are among the cleanest and most energy-efficient in the world and Rio Tinto is Canada’s biggest private producer of renewable hydroelectric energy. The company operates several ports, two major railways, and its research & development centres are pioneering some of the industry’s most important innovations.

Aluminium

Rio Tinto’s global aluminium business is headquartered in Montreal. Across Quebec and in British Columbia, in a variety of partnerships and joint ventures, the company operates an alumina refinery, a network of hydroelectric plants, and aluminium smelters with some of the lowest carbon footprints in the world. Vaudreuil, in Saguenay, Quebec, is considered one of the world’s cleanest, most energy-efficient refineries. It transforms bauxite to alumina, and supplies the majority of Rio Tinto’s smelters in the region. Alouette, in Sept-Iles, Quebec, is the largest smelter in the Americas and one of the world’s World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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rio tinto global footprint

“In December 2016 Rio Tinto awarded contracts to Western Australian-based construction and engineering firm Decmil, for the design, construction and commissioning of new facilities at the existing Nammuldi central mine services and at the Silvergrass mine services area in the Pilbara”

most efficient. Rio Tinto has a 40 per cent stake in the independent company that owns and operates Alouette. The Grande-Baie (Saguenay, Quebec) smelter produces aluminium that is cast into many shapes, destined for specialized applications around the world. The smelter is recognised as a leader in innovation, and health and safety across the global aluminium industry. Rio Tinto also owns 25.1 per cent of the Bécancour smelter, which is operated by Alcoa. Bécancour was the first Quebec company to become an elite member of Hydro-Québec’s Écolectrique network. Rio Tinto has had a major presence in British Columbia for 60 years. The Kitimat smelter in northern British Columbia opened in 1954. Positioned on the west coast of Canada, the smelter is located alongside a deep-water port immediately south of the community of Kitimat – well placed to serve the rapidly growing demand for aluminium in the Asia-Pacific and to serve the North American market. The Kitimat site is one of the largest manufacturing complexes in the province of British Columbia and is a significant contributor to economic and community sustainability in northern BC. Kitimat is powered by the Kemano Powerhouse, which to this day, remains the largest high pressure hydro generation facility in North America, an efficient means of generating power using the smallest amount of water. With the recent completion of a multibillion dollar modernization program, the Kitimat smelter is now one of the most efficient, greenest and lowest-cost smelters in the world. The modernised Kitimat smelter uses the company’s proprietary AP40 smelting technology. The new smelter began production in 2015 and it will effectively halve the smelter’s overall emissions.

Diamonds

Rio Tinto owns a 60 per cent interest in, and operates, the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada’s remote Northwest Territories, 220km south of the Arctic Circle. The design, construction and operation of the Diavik mine is an epic saga of success on a grand scale in the most forbidding of places. Diavik

commenced production in 2003 and has an annual production of some 6-7 million carats of predominantly large, white gem-quality diamonds.

Iron ore

The Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) is a leading Canadian producer of iron ore concentrate and iron ore pellets that serves customers worldwide. The company operates a mine, a concentrator and a plant that produces iron ore pellets – the raw material used to make steel – in Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador. The company also operates a 418 kilometre railroad that links the mine to the port of Sept-Îles, inn Quebec.

REST OF THE WORLD Copper

Although Rio Tinto may list most of its assets in Australia and Canada, its copper interests are focused elsewhere. Grasberg, in the province of Papua in Indonesia, is one of the world’s largest copper and gold mines in terms of ore reserves and production. It is owned and operated by Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), a subsidiary of US-based FreeportMcMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. Rio Tinto has a joint venture with FCX for a 40 per cent share of production above specific levels until 2021, and 40 per cent of all production after 2021. The Grasberg underground block cave project will come online in 2017 when the current open pit mine is expected to be depleted. This will transition the mine from primarily an open pit to a fully-underground operation. It is expected to ramp up to full capacity by 2022, reaching 160,000 tonnes per day of ore. In addition, Grasberg has begun construction on the Deep Mill Level Zone block cave mine, which will produce an additional 80,000 tonnes of ore per day at full capacity, expected in 2021. Together, these two projects will supply ore to the mill at 240,000 tonnes per day by 2022.

And then there’s Oyu Tolgoi

One of the most exciting developments in copper and gold mining for several decades, Oyu Tolgoi contains reserves and resources that make it one of the World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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world’s largest known copper and gold deposits. The project is expected to be a significant contributor to Mongolia’s economic development. Situated in the southern Gobi desert of Mongolia, approximately 550 kilometres south of the capital Ulaanbaatar, and 80 kilometres north of the Mongolia-China border, Oyu Tolgoi is jointly owned by the Government of Mongolia (34 per cent) and Turquoise Hill Resources (66 per cent, of which Rio Tinto owns 51 per cent). Since 2010, Rio Tinto has also been the manager of the Oyu Tolgoi project. After decades of exploration and drilling, the first major discoveries at Oyu Tolgoi were made in 2001, leading to several years of further exploration which revealed the impressive scale of the deposit. While exploration continues, even with the reserves

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currently identified, Oyu Tolgoi is expected to operate for over 50 years. To this point, all of Oyu Tolgoi’s concentrate has been produced using ore mined from the surface using open pit mining. However, the majority of the value of Oyu Tolgoi, up to 80 per cent, lies deep underground. To access this part of the resource, underground mining techniques will be used at depths of more than 1,300 metres. In May 2015, Oyu Tolgoi’s shareholders, Rio Tinto, Turquoise Hill Resources, and the Government of Mongolia, agreed a plan to progress the next stage of underground development at Oyu Tolgoi. In the United States, Rio Tinto Kennecott is a fully integrated mining operation located just outside Salt Lake City, Utah. Kennecott is a wholly

owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto. For more than 110 years, Kennecott has been mining and processing minerals from the rich orebody of the Bingham Canyon Mine. In 1989, Rio Tinto acquired the Bingham Canyon Mine and other facilities in the Salt Lake Valley. Kennecott produces copper, molybdenum, gold, silver and sulphuric acid to be shipped around the world. In Arizona, the Resolution Copper Project is a proposed world-class copper mine that is said to have the potential to supply 25 per cent of the US copper supply, or about 1 billion tons annually. Resolution Copper Mining (RCM) is a limited liability company owned 55 per cent by Resolution Copper Company, a Rio Tinto PLC subsidiary, and 45 per cent by BHP Copper, a BHP-Billiton PLC subsidiary. In 2014, resource drilling continued,

rio tinto global footprint the project completed construction of the #10 mine shaft to a final depth of almost 7,000 feet, and saw the passage of Federal legislation that will help advance the project. Resolution submitted its Mine Plan of Operations to the United States Forest Service in November 2013, kicking off the formal permitting process. In Chile, Rio Tinto has a 30 per cent interest in Escondida, which is managed by BHP Billiton, giving it regular input on strategic and policy matters. The Minera Escondida copper mine in Chile’s Atacama Desert is the world’s largest copper-producing mine. In 2012 it accounted for five per cent of global copper production and around 15 per cent of Chilean copper production. Escondida produces copper concentrate, through a flotation process of sulphide ore, and copper cathodes, using a leaching process of oxide and sulphide ore.

Iron ore

“One of the most exciting developments in copper and gold mining for several decades, Oyu Tolgoi contains reserves and resources that make it one of the world’s largest known copper and gold deposits”

In Guinea, in West Africa, the Simandou Project is currently the largest planned integrated mining and infrastructure development contemplated in Africa, with an expansive scope representing integrated mine, rail, port and ancillary infrastructure. Simandou provides Rio Tinto access to one of the world’s largest untapped high-grade iron ore resources, and is expected to sustain a mine life in excess of 40 years. The Simandou Project includes three key components: • The Mine: An iron ore exploration and mining project located towards the southern end of the 110-kilometre-long Simandou mountain range, 550 kilometres southeast of Guinea’s capital city Conakry. It is to be a conventional open pit mine with an expected capacity of 100 million metric tonnes of iron ore per annum. • The Infrastructure: Includes a new 650-kilometre trans-Guinean railway line to transport iron ore from the Simandou mine to a new deep-sea port, located south of Conakry on the Morebaya River. Both rail and port will be available for use by third parties, on prescribed terms.

•

Ancillary infrastructure: Access roads, accommodation, power generation and water systems to directly support the Simandou Project. The Simandou iron ore mine will be developed and operated by Simfer SA, a joint-venture ultimately owned by the Government of Guinea (7.5 per cent), Rio Tinto (46.6 per cent), and a consortium of Chinese State-owned enterprises. A third-party infrastructure consortium will fund, build and own multi-purpose, multi-user rail and port infrastructure. Rio Tinto’s investment will be in the mine only, and as such, it will not be an investor in the infrastructure consortium.

Energy & Minerals

Also in Africa, the Mutamba titanium dioxide feedstock project is in the Inhambane Province of southern Mozambique. This mineral sands deposit was discovered by Rio Tinto Exploration, and contains the titaniumbearing mineral ilmenite. Rio Tinto Exploration began the project in 2002, and handed the discovery over to the Energy & Minerals product group evaluation team in 2008. Rössing, in Namibia, is the world’s longest-running open pit uranium mine. Operating since 1976, Rössing has produced the most uranium of any single mine. Rio Tinto manages and owns a 68.58 per cent stake in the mine. It is located 12km from the town of Arandis, which is 70km inland from the coastal town of Swakopmund in Namibia’s Erongo Region. Walvis Bay, Namibia’s only deep water harbour, is 30km south of Swakopmund. Uranium was discovered in the Namib Desert in 1928, but it was not until intensive exploration in the late 1950s that much interest was shown in the area. Rio Tinto secured the rights to the Rössing deposits in 1966. Ten years later, Rössing Uranium, Namibia’s first commercial uranium mine, began operations. Rössing produces and exports uranium oxide from Namibia to nuclear power utilities around the world. Rio Tinto owns 74 per cent of Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) in South Africa, which produces ilmenite from mineral sand deposits. A leading mineral sands World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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producer, RBM extracts heavy minerals from the dune sands situated north of Richards Bay in Zululand, in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. The presence of the heavy sands minerals on the north coast of KwaZuluNatal was first reported in the 1920s, but it was not until 1971 that the Industrial Development Corporation began a detailed investigation of the Richards Bay area. RBM was formed in 1976 to mine the vast mineral-rich sands in the coastal dunes that extend in a two kilometre wide strip for 17 kilometres from just north of Richards Bay. Operations commenced in 1977. In 1985 the company acquired the mining rights to additional ore reserves situated both north and south of the original deposit with mining of the Zulti North deposit commencing in 1987. The largest major

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investment in capacity took place during early 1992, increasing RBM’s titania slag capacity to one million tons per year and iron production to 555,000 tons per year. The heart of Rio Tinto Borates’ business is the open-pit mine in Boron, California, one of two world-class borate deposits on the planet. Company founders began mining borates in 1872. What began as an underground mine was transformed into an open pit mine in 1957. Rio Tinto Borates mines approximately three million tonnes of borate ore every year from the Boron mine. It produces nearly half of the world’s supply of refined borate products. More than 80 different minerals are found at this geologically unique site, including the four boron based minerals in greatest

demand by industry: tincal, kernite, ulexite and colemanite. Rio Tinto Borates’ Jadar project in Serbia is a significant, world-class lithium-borate resource. The company is investing in technical, economic, and social and environmental studies to prepare for responsible development. Due to its high lithium and boron concentrations – and an assessed geological resource of more than 200 million tonnes - Jadar has been ranked as one of the largest lithium deposits in the world. If developed, it has the potential to supply more than 10% of global demand for lithium. The lightest metal on Earth, lithium is used in a vast array of products, most notably, batteries for hybrid and electric cars. The deposit also contains borates, which are essential building blocks for heat resistant glass, fibreglass,

rio tinto global footprint

“RBM extracts heavy minerals from the dune sands situated north of Richards Bay in Zululand, in the South African province of KwaZuluNatal”

ceramics, fertilisers, detergents, wood preservatives and many other household and commercial products. They are used in insulation that makes buildings energy-efficient, and to produce TV, computer and smartphone screens. The project is currently in prefeasibility stage. Rio Tinto Marine was established in 1996 to provide ocean freight services to the Rio Tinto Group. Headquartered in Singapore, Rio Tinto Marine is a critical supply chain partner to Rio Tinto’s mining businesses, adding value by providing global shipping services and acting as the central repository of maritime expertise for the Group. Rio Tinto Marine has a growing fleet of vessels which are managed and crewed by Anglo Eastern (UK) Limited and ASP Ship Management Limited. These move

a broad range of commodities including iron ore, coal, bauxite, industrial minerals, aluminium, concentrates and metal. The Growth & Innovation group operates through the entire life cycle of Rio Tinto’s mines and assets, creating value through exploration, project development and technical excellence. Growth & Innovation works in close partnership with Rio Tinto’s product groups, and is accountable for finding, shaping, developing and delivering a portfolio of options for Tier 1 assets. It also focuses on finding safer, smarter and more efficient ways to manage Rio Tinto’s resources and operations. The group was formed as part of a reorganisation of Rio Tinto’s company structure and executive team in July 2016, designed to help drive efficiency and optimise performance. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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eriez flotation division

the environmental & business case for coarse flotation

The scientific case for coarse flotation has been made in many technical papers, with volumes of laboratory and pilot scale data to back it up. Surrounded by scientific detail, it can be difficult to see the forest for the trees, so let’s step back and look at the compelling ‘green’ benefits of coarse particle flotation which emerge from an examination of the environmental and business case.

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wenty years ago, Eriez first pioneered coarse flotation in the phosphate and potash industries. This led to patents issued in the early part of this century as well as ongoing intellectual property and further technology development in recent years. The key innovation of the HydroFloat™ is flotation in a fluidized bed, which increases contact and reduces the turbulent action of a conventional stirred tank mechanical cell. A cutaway of the HydroFloat is shown here in Figure 1.

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eriez flotation division the environmental and business case for coarse flotation

Fundamental paradigm shift Coarse flotation requires the industry to take a fresh look at what was previously de rigueur for mineral concentrating. The prior approach was to grind the ore to a point where the floatable mineral was sufficiently liberated or “exposed” so that it could be floated due to the mineral’s relatively small size and hydrophobic surface character. This typically means a grind size between 20 to 150 microns, which results in a reasonably high-grade flotation concentrate. The key to coarse flotation, however, is to recover coarse particles, often an order of magnitude larger, which have a lower grade by comparison with a traditional flotation concentrate. A consequence of floating these lower grade particles is a very coarse, nearly barren gangue, which can be discarded without grinding to the usual 20 to 150 micron size. Since the volume of gangue is many times the volume of valuable mineral, that reduction in grinding is an enormous benefit. With traditional flotation we grind until the valuable mineral is liberated, while with coarse flotation we only grind until we have a tailing that is sufficiently barren of valuable mineral. That is the fundamental paradigm shift. Naturally, the secret to success is to float coarse, low-grade particles when only a small fraction of their surface area has the mineral of value exposed. The HydroFloat separator can float coarse particles with minimal surface area exposure. A recent study by Dr. Jan Miller at the University of Utah has shown that the HydroFloat can float copper ore particles as coarse as 1 mm with a surface mineral expression as low as 1% (ref 1). Coarse processing has benefits both before and after the concentrator plant. These can be estimated, but for the moment, let’s consider the concentrator and look at those economic benefits first; then, in turn, the environmental benefits of coarse flotation. To further narrow the discussion, let’s leave crushing as well as the classification system for the crushing plant out of the economics at this time. The five greatest economic inputs for the concentrator, in order of declining importance, are generally accepted to be: 1. Energy 2. Grinding media 3. Reagents 4. Capital equipment (depreciation of initial investment and ongoing maintenance) 5. Water Figure 1: (Above) The HydroFloat Separator for coarse particle mineral concentration delivers the capacity of a density separator while maintaining the selectivity of a flotation device.

Sometimes the scarcity of water places it at the top of the ‘importance’ list. Water can be a direct cost, an indirect cost, an environmental cost and a public safety ‘cost’. These issues will be discussed below. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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Figure 2: CO2 emissions as a function of various mining operations

The importance of energy consumption in the comminution step of mineral processing is possibly best illustrated in Figure 2, which considers the carbon footprint for various operations at the Leinster nickel concentrator (ref. 4). It is clear from this data that the grinding process represents the largest potential savings, as this is the largest area of energy consumption. The potential savings assume that the plant can be designed with less grinding capacity. For plants that have already been built, the reduction in grinding requirements could allow expansion of the plant throughput. So, how much can a coarser grind actually save? An example is presented for iron ore, coarsening from 20 to 80 microns (a ‘baby step’ compared to what is possible by shifting from traditional flotation to HydroFloat flotation, where we often see coarse flotation at 200, 400 and even 800 microns). In the example, by moving from 20 microns to 80 microns the energy required per tonne dropped from 20-30 kWh/t to less than 7 kWh/t. As shown in figure 3, that is a two-thirds reduction in energy costs (ref. 5).

When ore grinding is estimated to consume 2 to 3 per cent of the world’s total energy consumption, coarse flotation could save the industry tremendous expense, as well as greatly reduce its carbon footprint. Likewise, the specific reagent expense and specific grinding media expense will likewise be favorably impacted by coarse flotation. While these are the key costs per tonne, what often constrains a concentrator’s capacity, and therefore its revenue, is economic input #4, the investment in the milling circuit. Grinding equipment is normally the most capital intensive part of any concentrator and, consequently, the bottleneck for increasing throughput. By coarsening the grind for coarse flotation, more tonnes can be processed by the same installed grinding capacity. This can lead to more concentrate produced from the same fixed plant investment. A recent study by Aaron Nobel at the University of West Virginia has estimated that coarse particle flotation can increase existing plant capacity by 20-25% (ref 2). The added revenue from capacity expansion could be more than all the revenue found in

Figure 3: Product particle size (P80) as a function of energy input.

Of course, the actual reduction in grinding energy that will be possible with coarse particle flotation will depend on factors such as ore type, size, hardness and the nature of dissemination in the host rock.

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the first three cost savings (inputs of energy, media and reagents). The qualification ‘could be’ recognizes that the mining plan, the primary, secondary and tertiary crushing/screening and the downstream thickening and tailing impoundment facilities, or other constraints could limit this capacity expansion.

eriez flotation division the environmental and business case for coarse flotation

Water Water is one of the top five economic inputs in mineral processing, but it could be listed as the first factor among the environmental benefits of coarse flotation. It is clear that the water savings of coarse flotation support both the business and environmental cases. Water in most locations is not free, so it is almost always an economic input (or it should be). It has a different economic impact in each location. Where mines are desalinating sea water for use in the concentrator, water is a significant economic factor. More importantly, there are a growing number of mineral resources in the world where water permits/access make the difference between having an operation or not having an operation at all. While the availability of water is not always as extreme, all mining operations consume water and must compete with other justifiable uses like agriculture, fisheries and municipalities. All human and plant life requires water the use of water for mineral processing can often be placed secondary to these uses and, therefore, concentrator water use can impede or prevent mineral development. The statement above that ‘all human and plant life requires water’ makes a leap of faith that the water used by mineral processing can be seamlessly recycled back to support those societal and environmental uses mentioned above. Unfortunately, sometimes the water used in mineral processing has to be treated and is sequestered in the form of tailings impoundments, so it cannot be immediately reused. This water is essentially ‘lost water’, at least lost for immediate use. But what does coarse flotation have to do with wet impoundments?

(Above): Coarse particles measuring approximately 850 microns with as little as 1% mineral surface expression are recovered by EFD’s HydroFloat.

Here again, there is a paradigm shift. Many wet impoundments are created by conventional processing techniques. These are split, often at the impoundment, into two fractions: a coarse fraction that is used to build a dam and the fines fraction that is held behind the dam in a semiwet state. The coarse fraction is nearly always smaller than the fines retained by the dam. With coarse particle flotation, this relationship can easily switch and the coarse, throw-away tailings will be many times larger than the fines fraction behind the dam. In jurisdictions where wet tailings are prohibited and wet discharges must be filter pressed before disposal, the filter press work and expense is greatly reduced using coarse flotation. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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eriez flotation division the environmental and business case for coarse flotation Another important consideration is public safety. While coarse flotation will not eliminate wet tailings, it will greatly reduce the volume of retained fines and the associated risks to society. As the ratio of coarse to fine tailings increases, the likelihood of a breach sharply declines. Additionally, any break or leak that occurs will be smaller in scale. With these benefits and new paradigms in mind, many companies have begun to examine the suitability of coarse particle flotation technology for existing plants as well as green-field projects. Several of these projects have started at Eriezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; commercial test laboratory in Erie, Pennsylvania. Full-scale HydroFloat performance predictions can be made based on laboratory test results. These studies can also look at the interaction of upstream variables such as grinding and sizing as well as process variables such as flotation chemicals that have been optimized for coarse particle flotation. A number of these studies have migrated into on-site, pilot-scale campaigns. The first commercial installation of coarse particle flotation in base metals begins later this year. In many cases, the first application to be considered is conventional tails scavenging. A 2016 paper by Mankosa et al reported on the results of a pilot campaign at a world class concentrator and explained that more than 50% of all coarse copper sulfide (>150 micron) in the tailings can be recovered in the HydroFloat (fig.1). This is because the conventional stirred tank flotation process is very inefficient for floating coarse particles and therefore produces a tailings that has a very high grade in the coarse size fractions. Tailings scavenging can provide an additional global copper recovery of 3-5 per cent. In addition to this tremendous business opportunity, tailings scavenging is an obvious first application choice because tailings do not recycle to the main plant. As a result, interactions with other units in the concentrator are minimal. As the robustness, flexibility, maintainability, and operability of the HydroFloat is proven on these early applications, the lessons will be key for including the HydroFloat in a novel concentrator flowsheet of the future. This will enable the mining world to become better stewards of the natural resources required to produce the products that we all use.

To see more on how Eriez is changing the mining business, go to:

www.eriezflotation.com Article References: 1.

(Above): Eriez now has a number of a base metals coarse particle recovery pilot plants in operation around the world.

4. 5.

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Miller, J.D., Lin, C.L., Wang, Y., Mankosa, M.J., Kohmuench, J.N. and Luttrell, G.H., Significance of Exposed Grain Surface Area in Coarse Particle Flotation of Low-Grade Gold Ore with the HydroFloatTM Technology, International Mineral Processing Congress, Quebec City, Quebec, September 11-15, 2016. Mankosa, M.J. Kohmuench, J.N., Luttrell, G.H., Herbst, J.A. and Noble, C.A., Split-Feed Circuit Design for Primary Sulfide Recovery, International Mineral Processing Congress, Quebec City, Quebec, September 11-15, 2016. Mankosa, M.J. Kohmuench, J.N., Christodoulou, L. and Luttrell, G.H., Recovery of Values from a Porphory Copper Tailings Stream, International Mineral Processing Congress, Quebec City, Quebec, September 11-15, 2016. La Nauze. R D. and Temos J. 2002. WMC resources Ltd. Technologies for Sustainable operations Conference proceedings CMMI Congress, Cairns, Australia May 2002 pp 27-33. Jankovic, Alex. Journal- South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy- March 2010.

Coarse Particle Recovery

Changes Everything!

EFD’s HydroFloat™ Separator radically improves the traditional sulfide processing circuit through Coarse Particle Flotation. Unlike conventional flotation, the HydroFloat Separator recovers particles as large as 800 microns with as little as 1% mineral surface expression. By rejecting the balance as “coarse” tailings, much of the recirculating load is eliminated, thus greatly increasing mill capacity… with NO loss in mineral recovery!

Particles approximately 850 microns

HydroFloat Separator

Coarse Particle Recovery using EFD’s HydroFloat Separator can:

Overflow Coarse Mineral

Recovers virtually all particles which exhibit greater than 1% hydrophobic surface expression

• Increase mill throughput by as much as 15-20% • Reduce energy & media consumption • Produce a coarse tailing stream

Air

RECOVERY OF VALUES FROM

A PORPHORY COPPER TAILINGS

STREAM

Michael J. Mankosa, Jaisen N. Kohmuench, Lance Christodoulou Eriez Flotation Division, 2200 Asbury Road, Erie, PA 16506 USA Phone: (814) 835-6000 Email: mmankosa@ereiz.com Jaisen Hilsen and Gerald H. Luttrell Mining & Minerals Engineering, 100 Holden Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA Phone: (540) 230-7112 Email: Luttrell@vt.edu

Underflow Coarse Tails

ABSTRACT The efficiency of the froth flotation process has long been known to be strongly dependent on particle size. For sulfide minerals, good recoveries are typically achieved in industrial flotation circuits for particles in the 10 to 200 micron size range. Particles outside this critical size are typically lost in the tailings streams rejected by industrial operations due to inherent constraints associated with the physical interactions that occur in the pulp and froth phases of conventional flotation equipment. In response to these limitations, a series of experimental studies were conducted to determine whether particles LE previously lost as tailings could be economically recovered using E PARTIC a suite of novel flotation technologies developed for the upgrading SPLIT of ultracoarse and ultrafine particles IN COARS TECHNOLOGY in the industrial minerals industry. For -FEED CE AREA FLOAT the case of ultracoarse particles, a fluidized-bed flotation system called SURFA CIRCU HYDRO the HydroFloat separator was tested. IT DESIG ED GRAIN WITH THE The data obtained using this novel flotation device in both laboratory N FOR and pilot-scale trials showed that good R ORE E OF EXPOS PRIM lost sulfide values up to 0.7 mm in recoveries of previously COPPE ICANC Michae ARY SULFI diameter could be achieved. A sample Wang Sciences Eriez Flotati l J. Manko THE SIGNIFOF LOW-GRADE photograph of coarse middling and Yan particles recovered by this technology and Earth DE RECO on Divisio sa and C.L. Lin is shown in Figure 1.Similarly, for TION of Mines Miller, Jaisen Phone: ultrafine particles, a new highintensity flotation system known as FLOTA VERY n, 2200 Jan D. ring, College N. Kohmu 84112 USA (814) 835-60 the StackCell was tested. This technology, Asbury which utilizes high-shear high-energy contacting of slurry and gical Enginee Lake City, UT er@utah.edu 00 Email: Road, Erie, ench gas, was capable of recovering valuable Mining ent of Metallurty of Utah, Salt Email: Jan.Mill PA ultrafine sulfide slimes that & Minera were previously lost as waste due mmank Departm to low capture efficiencies. The objectives Universi osa@e 16506 USA ls Engine -5160 describe the unique operating principles of this article are (i) to nch reiz.co 801-581 ering, 100 Gerald H. m of these two advanced flotation technologies N. Kohmue 16506 USA Phone: Luttrel ancillary classification equipment, Phone: Holden and associated l a and Jaisen Erie, PA (ii) to present experimental test data (540) 230-71 Hall, Virgin showing the metallurgical benefits z.com J. Mankos Asbury Road, of this approach for upgrading coarse sa@erei Michael 12 Email: ia Tech, and fine sulfide minerals, and (iii) , 2200 mmanko to provide a generic cost-benefit analysis of the proposed system for Division Luttrel Blacksburg, 0 Email: upgrading Flotation tailing streams l@vt.e Mining VA 24061 historically rejected by sulfide mineral Eriez concentrators. John (814) 835-600 du Engine USA Phone: ering, 365AA. Herbst West Hall Luttrell Gerald H. ring, 100 Holden Minera Phone: Virginia Univer (304) 293-76 Enginee sity, Morga l Resources 24061 USA Buildin & MineralsBlacksburg, VA vt.edu 80 ntown, g Mining Email: Luttrell@ Tech, jaherbs WV 26506 A new Virginia 230-7112 Email: t@mai l.wvu.e deploy generation of ABST du ed Phone: (540) due to RACT microns unique during in the advanced flotatio ACT ABSTR fluidiz industr of 150-200a novel fluidized n techno ed-bed succes topsize of ns, logies sfully flotatio ial minerals industr has recentl to a particle e these limitatio for the purposelast n system scale equipm treated by lly limited y. To overcom ent indicat froth flotatio has dramat One such techno y been develo . Over the d specifica be recove s are typically ically develope n. 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For more details download these White Papers at www.EriezFlotation.com

1.604.952.2300

blue rock one As you probably understand all too well, today’s business environment is characterized by rapid, unpredictable change. Some changes bring opportunities for your business, while others bring challenges and sometimes even threats. In the United States alone, a disaster occurred every 3.5 days on average in 2016. But no matter what, your business has to be responsive and resilient, seamlessly taking advantage of opportunities while mitigating risks.

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ASSIGNING VALUE

According to a global insurer, there is an 80% chance that a business will experience a disaster in its lifetime. Research found that of those businesses that were impacted, 43% closed following the disaster and never reopened; An additional 29% of businesses would close permanently within 2 years. Of those who didn’t close, many saw long-term consequences such as a drop in stock prices, damaged reputations, and a loss in production. Preparing for and mitigating the effects of a coming disaster is the purpose of business resilience. We must protect our greatest asset, our people, and the industry that our livelihoods and communities depend on. Preparedness and resilience efforts have proven to return the

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investment made by organizations by as much as 208 times. Your teams want to confidently deliver outstanding response and recovery efforts - they need leadership, good training, and simple systems to achieve this. A company like Blue Rock can give you that return on your investment.

HERE TO THERE

Blue Rock, an international consulting firm based in Colorado, USA, has been collaborating with both large and small mining operations in business resilience for over a decade. They provide expertise in all aspects of disaster planning and management. “Hope is not an action plan” according to Ken Rost, Principal of Blue Rock One. He adds “Business resilience is a collaborative effort to join our people,

plans, and preparedness activities together to effectively rebound from events that may or may not be under our control.” Today, getting to a place of preparedness is a time and resource intensive effort. The challenge of becoming a resilient organization requires measured preparedness activities that build the framework for managing a disaster. You must develop plans that allow you to stay on course to achieve your goals and objectives. Continuity is the knowledge, skills, and preparation that allows you to recover quickly. So, how do we measure the resilience of an organization that may not have experienced a large-scale disaster? Standards, policies, legislation, practice, and smaller scale responses can give us a hint. Try to think of some of the standards this way: You use a map

blue rock one to get from “here” to “there”, but do you know where “here” is? Assessments by companies such as Blue Rock are an ideal way of finding this location. Armed with this information, getting to “there” is the collaboration between Blue Rock and the mine, choosing a path to resiliency.

The percent of businesses closed following a disaster

THE PATH LESS TRAVELLED: THE RESILIENCE BRIDGE

Quite often the term business resilience is used interchangeably with emergency response. As a low-frequency, highrisk activity in many organizations, this requires explicit skills and training. There is no doubt emergency response is a critical component of any business resilience plan. Think of business resilience as a bridge, with emergency response representing only a section of the bridge. While other sections are just as important, all are needed to navigate safely from one side to the other. Preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery create our sound bridge structure; The Resilience Bridge. Failing to build or maintain all sections of this bridge, plunges us into what lies below: Injury, fatality, environmental disasters, reduced production, reputational damage, and even complete closure. Businesses that fail to prepare for disasters are many times more likely to go out of business. As a responder during Hurricane Katrina, Ken Rost witnessed firsthand that most businesses

who failed to prepare, never recovered.

SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE

There are many challenges to business resilience. Resources, budgets, and time all present seemingly insurmountable hurdles to business resilience activities. So, let’s ask another question, does your organization have insurance? Your answer is probably yes but, is this a resource that can be implemented to prevent injury, save lives, and get back to production in an effective manner? Consider disaster and emergency response planning, training, and exercises as crisis insurance. If I asked you to think about the word ‘risk’, you would probably think of a chart depicting consequences and likelihood but, what would you think if asked about the word ‘resilience’? The answer is often met with another question. “Isn’t Business Resilience just good risk management?” And; “aren’t we already doing this?” Business Resilience planning gives organizations a better framework for qualifying risks and being better prepared for disasters that can bring a whole organization to its knees. We heard Blue Rock Principal, Ken Rost say earlier “Hope is not an action plan”; whereas an objective based strategy or course of action, is a plan. Now, being resilient does not mean a business will not experience difficulty or distress, but it does mean you’ll be better prepared for it and recover quicker.

“Blue Rock are trusted partners and excellent teachers in my business, they are committed to their clients and are dedicated to expanding the application of the life-saving and property conserving skills which excellent Business Resiliency and Emergency Response Teams provide” – Mining Operations Manager World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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The percent of businesses that will close permanently within 2 years following a disaster.

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blue rock one

DISASTER EXERCISES

One low-cost, low-risk way of building a better business resilience plan is through disaster exercises. Those who have experienced these know they play a vital role in preparedness by enabling stakeholders to test and validate plans and capabilities, and identify areas for improvement. A well-designed exercise provides a low-risk environment to test capabilities, familiarize personnel with roles and responsibilities, and foster meaningful communication across an organization. Blue Rock furthers this mission by ensuring their mission reflects that of their clients. Goals and objectives are centered on the risks that mining clients face and the stakeholders they serve. During emergencies, you will respond how you are trained. To effectively serve those who aid their facilities during a crisis, Blue Rock conducts exercises in the most realistic and relevant way possible. As experienced professional responders, team members at Blue Rock can ensure goals and objectives are in line with risk and capabilities. Your facility, your risks, your plans, your capabilities. This can never be forgotten in exercise design, evaluation, and planning.

BLUE ROCK ONE

The Blue Rock Team is comprised of experienced and trusted experts in their respective fields including business resilience, emergency and disaster management, safety, emergency response training, and continuity. All aspects of the Resilience Bridge can be built through partnerships with Blue Rock. Assessments, critical incident planning, emergency response plan development and implementation, disaster management plans and exercises, individual and team training, technical and professional emergency response skills and strategies, are just some of the many collaborations.

815 South Perry Street #110 Castle Rock, Colorado 80104 Phone: 720-389-9410 Email: info@bluerockone.com www.bluerockone.com

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anglo american refining assets Anglo American celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. After a year of austerity, its return to profitability heralds the next century in style

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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alking about Anglo American’s end of year results for 2016, Chief Executive Mark Cutifani reflected on a tough but successful year. “We got there. We delivered it,” he said, with relief and pride in equal measure.

While austerity has become a way of life in some European economies, Anglo American set out a plan at the beginning of 2016 to become fitter and leaner over the course of one year – and they did it. When investors questioned whether the company could survive the downturn in metals prices, Anglo scrapped its dividend and decided to shrink the business by selling assets, to concentrate

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on three core commodities: copper, diamonds and platinum. “The decisive and wide-ranging operational, cost, capital and portfolio actions we set out in 2016 – to sustainably improve cash flows and strengthen the balance sheet – have enabled us to reduce net debt by 34% to $8.5 billion,” said Cutifani, “significantly below our $10 billion target. “The $1.5 billion sale of the niobium and phosphates businesses further supported our balance sheet recovery goal and, combined with the sale of a number of coal and platinum assets during the year, we received $1.8 billion of disposal proceeds in 2016.” Anglo American put a number of other major assets up for sale in 2016, but despite strong interest, its reluctance to let them go cheaply meant that some prospective transactions were not

completed. The company is now in a position, however, where it no longer needs to make disposals to reduce debts.

Iron ore

Among the businesses previously considered non-core are Anglo American’s iron ore mines in South Africa. Anglo business unit Kumba Iron Ore, the fourth largest iron-ore producer in the world and the largest in Africa, owns the Sishen mine (through its subsidiary Sishen Iron Ore Company). Sishen is the company’s flagship operation and one of the largest open pit mines in the world – some 14km long. Located in central South Africa in the Northern Cape, Sishen produces a high quality lump ore and a premium fine ore, with sufficient reserves to sustain a 19-year life of mine. Mining is by opencast methods and the ore is

anglo american refining assets

“Iron ore is transported from the Sishen and Kolomela mines to Saldanha Bay along an 861km rail system linking the Sishen mine to the dedicated deepwater port and bulk loading facilities”

transported to the beneficiation plant where it is crushed, screened and beneficiated. The jig plant at Sishen mine is the largest of its type in the world. Kumba Iron Ore also owns 51.5% of the Kolomela mine. Located around 90km south of the Sishen mine, near Postmasburg in the Northern Cape Province, the name means ‘to dig deeper’ or ‘to persevere’. Kolomela lump iron ore is in demand because of its excellent physical strength and high iron content. Kolomela exceeded expectations in 2016, producing 12.7Mt, benefitting from increased throughput as a result of further plant optimisation. The mine, which was originally designed to produce 9Mtpa, is on track to produce between 13Mt and 14Mt in 2017 without significant additional capital expenditure. The mine is targeting a 20% improvement in fleet efficiency for 2017 to offset cost inflation. Kolomela’s life of mine decreased from 21 to 18 years, however, as a result of the planned ramp-up in production. Over the past two years Kumba implemented key interventions to reset the cost base and preserve cash. This entailed moving from a volume to a value based strategy by reconfiguring the mines to reduce the amount of waste mined and to reduce costs in all operational areas. A substantial workforce restructuring was completed and some 2,500 full-time employees and contractors left the company. The strong set of results delivered in 2016 reflects not only the benefit of higher iron ore prices, but the progress made in the execution of this strategy. “It has been a successful year for Kumba, despite challenging and volatile iron ore markets,” said Themba Mkhwanazi, CEO of Kumba Iron Ore. “We acted quickly to restructure the business, reset the cost base and stabilise operating performance. “The rise in prices and realising full value for Kumba’s premium product, together with our cost reductions, resulted in improved margins and strong cash flow generation. With total production of 41.5Mt, both Sishen and Kolomela exceeded operational guidance following a successful restructuring. Controllable costs were

reduced by 34% lowering our average cash breakeven price to $29/tonne. “This year’s excellent performance has enabled us to build a strong balance sheet and a net cash position of R6.2bn. This will support a conservative capital structure and place us, as a single commodity miner, in a strong position to deal with potential further market volatility.”

Logistics

Every day of the week, iron ore is transported from the Sishen and Kolomela mines to Saldanha Bay along an 861km rail system linking the Sishen mine to the dedicated deepwater port and bulk loading facilities, which are among the most efficient and advanced logistical systems in the world. The port at Saldanha Bay is the only dedicated iron ore export facility in South Africa and is larger than the country’s other four major ports combined (Durban, Cape Town’s Table Bay, Richards Bay and Port Elizabeth). The system is owned and operated by Transnet (the South African parastatal transport company) and is regarded as a model of integrated planning and cooperation between the public and private sectors in South Africa. Massive trains weighing 34,200 tonnes leave the mines every nine hours, each train having five to six locomotives and 342 wagons containing iron ore. The wagons are offloaded at the Saldanha port, and from there the ore is transported via conveyor belt to stockpiles, onto a vessel waiting in the harbour, or to the ArcelorMittal South Africa Saldanha stockpile. The ore quay at Saldanha has two berths where two vessels of 310,000 deadweight tonnage can simultaneously tie up at the iron ore jetty. The terminal operates 24/7 and has the capacity to offload 10,000 tonnes per hour onto a vessel. From arrival to departure an ore vessel carrying 170,000 tonnes will be in Saldanha Bay for just 24 hours.

Brazil

As well as South Africa, Anglo American also mines iron ore in Brazil. Minas-Rio, in Minas Gerais state, was one of the world’s largest iron ore projects when it was developed, and is now a fully integrated export iron ore World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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operation, with the mine, beneficiation plant, 529km slurry pipeline and dedicated export facility at the port of Açu. Anglo owns 100% of Minas-Rio, and 50% of the port facility. First ore on ship (FOOS) was achieved on 25 October 2014, ahead of schedule and with total project capital expenditure expected to be $0.4 billion below the revised budget of $8.8 billion. Also in Brazil is Anglo American’s nickel business unit, comprising two operating assets, Codemin and Barro Alto, both ferronickel producers in the state of Goiás. Barro Alto’s processing plant was built at a capital cost of $1.9 billion and commissioned in 2011. Located about 170km northwest of Brasilia, and 150km from the Codemin operation, Barro Alto produced 30,000 tonnes of nickel in 2015.

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The Barro Alto nickel deposit was discovered in the late 1960s and Anglo American completed its purchase of the deposit for $35 million in 2002. The company began to mine in Barro Alto in 2004, initially transporting the nickel to the Codemin plant for processing, before the Barro Alto plant was built. Barro Alto’s two furnaces were rebuilt in 2015 to address certain design flaws. Following the successful rebuild the nickel business achieved a production record in 2016 of 44,500 tonnes, an output increase of 47% compared to 2015. At Codemin, production was in line with 2015 at 9,000 tonnes.

Coal

While coal did not fit in Anglo American’s strategic portfolio in 2016, work nevertheless continued on its prestigious Grosvenor project in

Australia. The project was approved for development at the end of 2011, and delivered its first coal from its underground longwall in May last year, seven months ahead of schedule and more than US$100 million below budget. The $1.95 billion Grosvenor longwall project site is located approximately 190 kilometres south-west of Mackay, Queensland, adjacent to Anglo American’s existing Moranbah North facility. The project involved developing a greenfield underground coal mine, producing up to 5 million tonnes per annum of coking coal for export, and is the first underground coal mine in Queensland to use a tunnel boring machine to develop the drifts, or access tunnels. At full capacity, the Grosvenor longwall is capable of producing 7.5

anglo american refining assets

“Our priority for 2017 is to deliver further productivity improvements while maintaining capital and cost discipline in order to be in a position to resume dividend payments”

million saleable tonnes per year, and has an anticipated mine life in excess of 30 years. Metallurgical coal is an essential ingredient in blast-furnace steel production and accounts for around 70% of global steel output. Emerging markets, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, continue to drive demand for metallurgical coal — for infrastructure, housing and consumer goods. “We have delivered the Grosvenor metallurgical coal project ahead of schedule and below budget, with an outstanding safety record and in line with our environmental obligations,” said Seamus French, CEO of Bulk Commodities for Anglo American. “The Grosvenor mine project has taken more than seven million man hours to construct, with almost 6,000 personnel inducted onto the project. We

began the installation of the longwall just 24 days before its first shear and production of coal – a truly remarkable feat and a result of the team’s technical expertise and the modular approach we have taken to our underground longwall operations in Australia. We look forward to shipping the mine’s high quality product to our steel customers across Asia as production begins to ramp up in the months ahead.”

Copper

Copper is one of Anglo American’s core commodities, and the company has interests in four operations in Chile, producing copper concentrate, copper cathode and associated by-products such as molybdenum and silver. In Chile, Anglo has a 50.1% interest in the Los Bronces mine, which it manages and operates, and a 44% share in the World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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Collahuasi mine; Anglo also manages and operates the El Soldado mine and Chagres smelter (50.1% interest in both). In Peru, the company has an 81.9% interest in the Quellaveco project. Copper’s unique properties make it a vital material for urban and industrial growth. Around 60% of total global demand is for electrics – wire, cables and connectors, including in vehicles and consumer electronics. 20% is used in construction: water pipes and roof sheets benefit from copper’s resistance to corrosion. Copper’s thermal conductivity is also useful in air conditioning and refrigeration.

Platinum

Anglo American is the leading primary producer of platinum group metals (PGMs), providing the world with around 40% of all newly mined

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platinum. All of its operations are located in the Bushveld Complex in South Africa, with the exception of Unki mine on the Great Dyke formation in Zimbabwe. Anglo is optimising and reconfiguring its PGM portfolio, which when complete will give it a ‘best in class’ core operating footprint at the Mogalakwena and Amandelbult mines in South Africa and Unki in Zimbabwe, alongside its joint venture interests in Bafokeng-Rasimone, the Mototolo mine and Modikwa mine in South Africa. Also in South Africa, Anglo owns smelting and refining operations which treat concentrates from its joint venture partners and third parties as well as its wholly owned mines. Mogalakwena, located in Limpopo, South Africa, is the world’s largest openpit platinum mine, covering an area

of 137 square kilometres, with a life of mine expected to extend at least until 2040. Amandelbult consists of Tumela and Dishaba, two underground mines located between the towns of Northam and Thabazimbi in Limpopo, on the northwestern limb of the great Bushveld mineral complex.

Diamonds

Anglo American owns 85% of De Beers, the world’s leading diamond company. The remaining 15% is owned by the Government of the Republic of Botswana (GRB). Through De Beers and its partners the company produces about a third of the world’s rough diamonds by value, employing more than 20,000 people around the world. Anglo’s diamond mines are located in four countries: Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. In Botswana,

anglo american refining assets

the company works in partnership with the GRB through a 50:50 mining joint venture, Debswana, with operations including Jwaneng, one of the world’s richest diamond mines. In Canada, De Beers has operations at Victor in Northern Ontario and a 51% interest in the Gahcho Kué project, also in the Northwest Territories. In Namibia, De Beers operates in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Namibia through Namdeb onshore and offshore through Debmarine Namibia. In South Africa, De Beers’ mining takes place through De Beers Consolidated Mines (DBCM) in which its partner, Ponahalo Holdings, has a 26% shareholding. The majority of its South African production comes from Venetia mine, located in Limpopo, and South Africa’s largest producer of

diamonds. An underground mine is currently being developed beneath the existing open pit to extend the life of Venetia beyond 2040. In Canada, Gahcho Kué, the world’s largest new diamond mine in the last 13 years, officially began commercial production on 2 March 2017. The mine, a joint venture with De Beers Group (51%) and Mountain Province Diamonds (49%), is expected to produce approximately 54 million carats of rough diamonds over its lifetime. Anglo American’s performance in 2016 seems to have preserved its reputation as a diversified miner, which it might have lost had it sold off all its non-core assets. “Overall, it’s clear that as a result of our decisive actions in 2016, and the results delivered by our people across the company, Anglo American is now more

robust, with a stronger balance sheet and more competitive cost structure around a world class diversified asset base,” said Mark Cutifani. He also had a warning, however. “Despite our significant progress, it is critical that the lessons of recent years are applied and, although there is confidence in the long-term outlook for our products, the balance sheet must be able to withstand expected price volatility in the short to medium term. We will continue to refine our asset portfolio over time to ensure our capital is deployed effectively to generate enhanced returns. “Our priority for 2017 is to deliver further productivity improvements while maintaining capital and cost discipline in order to be in a position to resume dividend payments for the end of 2017, and to restore an investment grade credit rating.” World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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sandvik mining and rock technology the right breaker boom for every job

Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology is a leading supplier of equipment and tools, service and technical solutions for the mining and construction industries. Its comprehensive range of rock breakers and breaker booms enhances the safety, productivity and profitability of crushing operations in mines and quarries around the world. â&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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breaker boom plays a critical role in a hard rock mining process. It’s the crusher’s job to reduce the size of the ore for further processing, but a rock breaker may be deployed to keep the crusher feed moving or to reduce oversized material into suitably sized pieces. In a high throughput operation, any delay to crushing can cause supply issues downstream, so there is a strong incentive to minimise downtime and interruptions to production to avoid a significant loss of revenue. Efficient use of breaker booms is an important factor

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in improving the efficiency of crushers. A breaker boom is a hydraulic manipulator consisting of a boom assembly and a hydraulic breaker. The boom looks like an arm with three or four joints, with hydraulic cylinders acting as the muscles (a common boom structure shared by every excavator). In July 2016, Sandvik merged its Mining and Construction operations into one business area – Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology, which has a complete range of crushers, screens, drills, loaders, LHDs, etc, and also has unique expertise in breakers. “Sandvik is a global leader in complete turnkey systems for the mining industry,” says Kaj Koskela, Vice President, Sandvik Mining & Rock Technology – BU Breakers. “A very important element

of this is the breakers and the breaker booms.” Every mine site is different, and while there is some truth in the old adage that a bad workman blames his tools, it’s becoming more important in modern mining to have the right tool for the job. Sandvik’s product offering includes breaker booms under its own brand as well as the historic Rammer brand, which it owns. “When it comes to the booms, the breaker offering that Rammer and Sandvik have can cover every application on a mine site,” says Koskela, “whether it’s a gyratory, grizzly, or whatever kind of a crusher they have. We have a full package of booms, from under one tonne up to 22 tonnes. It’s a complete product offering with more than 50 models.” Sandvik provides a

sandvik mining and rock technology the right breaker boom for every job turnkey package here, too, with power packs optimised for the breaker and the boom, and options for lubrication and fire suppressants. The horizontal and vertical reach of the booms ranges from around 5 metres in the smallest versions, up to 14 metres in the largest. Compact booms are used on small range, light breakers for applications in mobile crushing plants and impact crushers. These feature a low-profile design that maintains the crusher’s low transportation height, so are also suitable for small grizzlies with limited headroom. The hydraulic power for compact range booms can be obtained either by the crusher’s hydraulics or by a Sandvik power pack. Medium range booms are typically used in quarry and mining applications to enhance the productivity of stationary crushers by feeding material to the crushers and raking the hopper area. These are designed to withstand tougher duty cycles and can also be used in more demanding applications like underground grizzlies. Large range booms are the most common boom range in heavy duty mining, and feature a shock absorbing pedestal mounting and Sandvik full electrification. Suitable breakers for the large boom range starting on BR3288, designed using a revolutionary operating principle that combines stroke length, blow energy and Sandvik’s idle blow protector, which allows the breaker to be modified to match individual

applications, thus improving hydraulic efficiency and safety. The breaker delivers massive impact energy and high blow frequency for an exceptional power-to-weight ratio. Enhanced lubrication allows for longer service intervals, reducing operating costs, and heavy-duty housing also lowers operating costs by providing improved wear life. As a global market leader in breakers, demolition tools and booms, Sandvik has also designed and produced a full range of rock breaker accessories, parts and tools to keep customers’ machinery running in optimal condition. Its huge range of breaker accessories includes automatic lubrication systems and highly efficient dust suppression systems, as well as all the parts and tools needed to carry out on-site maintenance, reducing downtime and maximising efficiency. Standardised production in state of the art facilities means that even though there are a lot of versions and varieties, the core product is essentially the same. “In some applications the breakers are in use 24/7, but in others they are only used when there’s an oversized boulder for a crusher,” says Koskela. “We have the right breaker boom for every need.” Understanding what customers need is an important factor in product development. “We keep in touch with customer needs by having a number of customer forums every year,” says Koskela. “We listen to customers and

“It’s becoming more important in modern mining to have the right tool for the job”

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sandvik mining and rock technology the right breaker boom for every job

end users about what they really need, and we try to deliver our product offering to match those needs. It’s important that we are not developing things that customers don’t really need!” One of the enhancements developed over recent years has been automation. “When we visited MinExpo last year it was ‘automation, automation, automation’ everywhere,” says Koskela, “for safety and productivity reasons. Our offering now includes tele-remote, so one operator can operate multiple booms from an office 30 kilometres away from the mine site. One person can operate five or six booms with HD quality video and the latest sound

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systems.” Automation may be all the rage, but it’s still in its infancy, Koskela believes. “I think we have just scratched the surface with automation,” he says. “The imagination is the limit. There is much more to come from the Internet of Things in terms of what can be automated, and we have many interesting projects going on in Sandvik. I think there will be some product launches before the end of the year and more coming in 2018.” The modern mining customer is concerned about total cost of ownership, and this is where the strength in depth of a leading organisation pays

dividends. As part of its commitment to the highest standards in quality, environment, health and safety, Sandvik is certified in accordance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. Every boom is built to the customer’s specifications, with lead times from two to twelve weeks, depending on the size of the machine. The equipment is manufactured for easy installation and commissioning, and every breaker is backed by a comprehensive support and spare parts service. With more than 3000 units in operation in 82 countries, expert help and advice is always close at hand through Sandvik’s extensive global dealer and distribution network.

BREAK THE LIMITS Designed and manufactured to the highest of standards, the new 9033 is the most powerful, durable and reliable hammer to ever join Rammerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s line up. Starting with its heavy duty housing, which features a reinforced and wear resistant lower boot, the 9033 also features all the key traits for which professional users have come to expect from Rammer.

Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy / Lahti, Finland / +358 205 44 151 / rammer@sandvik.com / www.rammer.com

de beers in pursuit of brilliance De Beers, the name synonymous with diamonds, is investing in the future with a series of multi-million dollar projects designed to boost diamond production and benefit the communities in the areas in which it operates. Join us for a glimpse into its sparkling future.

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he history of De Beers dates back to its foundation by Cecil Rhodes in South Africa in 1888. Run by the Oppenheimer family for most of the 20th century, De Beers is recognized internationally as the industry leader.

Now owned jointly by Anglo American (85 per cent) and the Government of the Republic of Botswana (GRB –15 per cent), De Beers is dedicated exclusively to the exploration for, and mining and marketing of rough diamonds, and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with mining operations in

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Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Canada. Diamonds are usually found in kimberlite pipes formed millions of years ago under intense pressure and high temperature, deep below the earth’s surface. Volcanic eruptions propel the diamonds upwards, embedded in the rock, which was named kimberlite after the first recognized diamond deposits were found in Kimberley, in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa in the 1870s.

South Africa

While the original ‘Big Hole’ in Kimberley is now a museum, De Beers’ flagship property in South Africa today is the Venetia Mine in Limpopo Province, the country’s largest producer of diamonds. The diamond-bearing ore at the current Venetia Mine is expected to

be depleted by 2021, so De Beers is currently investing over US$2 billion (R20 billion) to convert the open pit mine into an underground operation to extend production well into the 2040s. The underground mine is De Beers’ biggest single investment in the country’s diamond industry, and is scheduled to begin production in 2021, climbing to full production in 2025, when it will treat about 132 million tonnes of ore containing an estimated 94 million carats. The project was approved in 2012 by the De Beers and Anglo American Boards. Environmental authorisation was granted in July 2012, and the Environmental Management Plan was approved by the Department of Mineral Resources in October of that year. The final outstanding regulatory clearances were obtained in February 2013, clearing the way for excavation

de beers in pursuit of brilliance work to begin in the year that De Beers celebrated its 125th anniversary. Two vertical shafts, each seven metres in diameter, are being sunk to a depth of 1,080 metres, an operation that will take until 2018. The tunnel decline from the surface providing access to the underground mine has reached more than 1,000 metres in length. “The development of the underground mine at Venetia is a massive financial commitment in our operational capabilities, and a major investment in the safety of our people,” said Head of Venetia Underground Project Kevin Botha at the time. “It is a huge undertaking, and while we’ll need to bring in certain specialist skills from both Canada and Australia, we’ll be recruiting locally to meet the bulk of our labour requirements. We’re expecting to have more than 1,000 people from the surrounding Limpopo region employed on the project.”

Botswana

“While the original ‘Big Hole’ in Kimberley is now a museum, De Beers’ flagship property in South Africa today is the Venetia Mine in Limpopo Province”

Diamonds were discovered in Botswana in 1967, barely a year after the former British Protectorate of Bechuanaland gained its independence. In 1969, De Beers and the GRB (Government of the Republic of Botswana) formed the De Beers Botswana Mining Company, a 5050 joint venture which became known as Debswana. Fifty years later, Botswana is the second-largest diamond producing country in the world by value and third largest by volume. Debswana is the single largest contributor to the country’s gross domestic product, export earnings and government revenues, and is the largest private employer in Botswana. Debswana has diamond mining operations at four sites: Orapa, Letlhakane, Damtshaa and Jwaneng. These four mines have contributed significantly to the economic growth of Botswana, as well as producing revenues responsible for lifting the country from one of Africa’s least developed to an international development success story. Orapa itself is an open pit mine and is the largest diamond mine in the world by area. It is the oldest of the four mines operated by the company, having begun operations in July 1971. The mine is located on two kimberlite pipes that converge near the surface, covering 1.18

square kilometres at ground level. The mine was expanded in 1999, doubling its previous capacity, and now produces approximately 11 million carats (2200 kg) of diamonds a year. The processing plant at Orapa also processes the ore produced at the Letlhakane and Damtshaa diamond mines. It is in the expansion of Jwaneng, however, one of the world’s richest diamond mines by value, in which De Beers is currently investing. The name means place of small stones but Jwaneng is one of the world’s richest diamond mines and generates up to 70% of De Beers’ revenue in Botswana. Jwaneng has been expanded seven times since it opened in 1982, which is why the latest development is known as ‘Cut-8’, a project which will extend the life of mine to at least 2033. Cut-8 is expected to become the main source of ore for Botswana’s Jwaneng mine in 2018. This latest expansion will increase the depth of the mine from 400 metres to 650 metres, making the pit 2.7km long and 1.8km wide. The expansion will elevate the mine to ‘super-pit’ status, making it one of the largest open pit mines in the world. The new mine is expected to provide access to an estimated 93 million carats of mainly high-quality diamonds from about 84 million tonnes of ore mined. But before a single diamond can be found, about 500 million tonnes of rock surrounding the diamond-bearing ore must be removed. Every day, more than 340,000 tonnes of waste rock and 23,000 tonnes of ore are removed during work on Cut-8.

Canada

De Beers has carried out exploration activities in Canada since the 1960s, but it was 2008 before it opened its first mine in the country. The Snap Lake Project, approximately 220 kilometers (roughly 140 miles) northeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, just south of the tree line, was De Beers’ first mine outside Africa, but was put into care and maintenance in December 2015. De Beers’ second Canadian mine is Victor, located in the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario (the first diamond mine in Ontario), approximately 90 km (55 miles) west of the coastal community of Attawapiskat. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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“De Beers is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with mining operations in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Canada”

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Construction of the mine began in February 2006, and the official opening was held on 26 July 2008. Production at Victor continues according to plan, but the current excitement in the country’s diamond industry has been generated by De Beers’ third and largest mine in Canada, Gahcho Kué, located at Kennady Lake, about 280km northeast of Yellowknife. The mine is a joint venture between De Beers (51 per cent) and Mountain Province Diamonds (49 per cent), and is expected to produce approximately 54 million carats of rough diamonds over its lifetime. Gahcho Kué is an open-pit mine, comprising three pits and covering 1,200 hectares. Full construction started in the 2014/15 winter and the mine officially opened on 20 September 2016. Production ramp up began on 1 August 2016 and commercial production was

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officially declared on 2 March 2017. Production is expected to last 13 years, averaging 4.5 million carats a year from around 35 million tonnes of scheduled material. “Today marks a significant landmark for De Beers in Canada as Gahcho Kué becomes an important contributor to the Group’s global production,” said Bruce Cleaver, CEO, De Beers Group. “That the mine has reached this landmark, on budget and ahead of schedule, is testament to the partnerships that have worked together since construction began. It’s a result of these partnerships that the mine is set to deliver socio-economic benefits of more than C$5 billion to the economy of the Northwest Territories over its lifetime.” In any construction project, delivery of equipment and materials is a challenge to logistical expertise. The construction of a mine in the Northwest

Territories is infinitely more complex than most. Permanent roads would be prohibitively expensive to build, so an ice road was built to enable the delivery of supplies - about 2,500 loads each year of fuel, construction supplies, mining equipment and other materials. Anything the mine required that needed to be delivered by road, had to come up the ice road in an eight week window in the coldest part of the winter. To access the kimberlite deposits at Gahcho Kué, the water level is being lowered in part of Kennady Lake, one of thousands of small lakes in the region. Some sections will be partitioned off and drained to reach the kimberlite by building a series of dykes, ditches, berms and ponds. But, as the water level is lowered, clean water is pumped into another watershed north of the lake. Gahcho Kué, which means place of the big rabbits or hares in the local

de beers in pursuit of brilliance

“Anything the mine required that needed to be delivered by road, had to come up the ice road in an eight week window in the coldest part of the winter”

Chipewyan language, began in 1995 when Mountain Province Diamonds discovered the first kimberlite deposit, known as 5034. Three other deposits were discovered by De Beers Exploration two years later, with two of them, the Hearne and Tuzo kimberlites, having excellent economic potential. Extensive drilling and analysis followed and environmental permits were sought and granted for 5034, Hearne and Tuzo. Canada is the world’s third largest diamond producer by value and the fifth largest by volume. Underpinned by a US$1 billion capital investment, the development of Gahcho Kué between 2006 and 2015 has already provided a C$440 million boost to the NWT economy, according to a recent socioeconomic impact study conducted by EY on behalf of De Beers. More than 90 per cent of Gahcho Kué’s economic impact will be delivered once

the mine becomes fully operational, equivalent to a further C$5.3 billion in Gross Value Added to the North West Territories. Including its supply chain impacts, the mine supported more than 2,700 jobs in 2015, with employment at the site representing more than 10 per cent of employment in the NWT’s extractive industries. 2016 was a busy and significant year for De Beers, and for its CEO Bruce Cleaver. “I have been working closely on the Gahcho Kué project since I joined De Beers a decade ago,” he said, ”and to see it happen so soon after I took the reins as CEO made me very proud. The opening was a very special occasion, with leaders from the First Nations communities who are hosting our mining activities joining us for it. We are a business that relies on partnerships, and our partnerships with communities of this kind are critical.” World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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NEW PATENT PENDING AXLEWEIGHR IN-MOTION AXLE-SCALE - WEIGHS TRUCK AT THE JOB SITE! Rinstrum’s new In Motion Axle Scale is a fast, accurate and economical way to weigh trucks and verify your net payload. The patent pending precast concrete design is semi portable and can be moved from jobsite to jobsite. Contractors, farmers, and plant managers will find this low cost scale indispensable to their operations. At 1/3 the price of a full length scale Rinstrum’s axleWEIGHr is excellent value Payload:

Always know what payload you are carrying. Roll across the scale at 2-3 mph and the easy-to-use controller will totalize the net payload for each truck as it passes over the scale. Up to 250 different trucks can be stored in memory. A door mounted printer records all transactions and data is captured to digital memory via USB storage drive, or Ethernet connection.

Convenient: The small footprint of this scale easily

integrates into the flow of traffic. No need to stop on the scale. Simply drive across at a constant speed (2-3 mph) and the scale will automatically do the rest.

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24 YEARS

Data Driven: The system will record total gross

vehicle weight by truck ID, commodity, time and date. Use the optional truck ID clicker system to identify the truck and select the commodity on the large remote display. Each trucks tare weight is saved in memory and then recalled when the truck crosses the scale for single pass operation. Data can be printed or stored to a convenient USB storage drive for easy transport to the office PC.

Economical: About 1/3 of the cost of a full length

Safe:

An accident with an overloaded vehicle is serious business. Know your axle weights and your total vehicle weight before you leave the jobsite. Stay under the legal load limit and be safe.

Accurate: On average better than ±0.5% repeatability

can be expected. Company testing as well as extensive field trials have shown that with flat and level concrete approaches ±0.2% or better accuracy can be achieved.

truck scale, the axle scale is great value for the user that does not have legal for trade requirements. Save time and expense by not driving to a faraway truck scale and install the axleWEIGHr at the job site.

About Rinstrum Inc.: Rinstrum has been

designing and manufacturing weighing systems for over 20 years. Our global manufacturing network has facilities in the United States, Germany, Australia and Sri Lanka in addition to an extensive network of dealers, OEM’s and service companies. Our Troy Michigan facility proudly manufactures the axle scale and other weighing products in the United States.

For more information please contact us at: Call Toll Free 1 877 829 9152 or +1 248 680 0320 from outside the United States Rinstrum in-Motion Axle Scale – Proudly made in the USA www.rinstrum.com World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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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

Advanced ION EXCHANGE Technology Nickel / Cobalt

Zinc Recovery

Uranium

Copper Recovery

Nickel Laterite

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 ● ● ● ● ●

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

geotechnics

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

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• World Mining Directory mineral processing

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.

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

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

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

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/

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world mining directory process water treatment

software

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

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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

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

EUROPE United Mining Rentals Ltd. Coolfore Road, Ardbraccan, Navan, Co. Meath, C15 KXY3, Ireland.

NORTH AMERICA United Mining Rentals Ltd. Suite 1200, 220 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2W4, Canada.

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.

RENTALS AVAILABLE: Trucks and Loaders Underground Drilling & Bolting Roadheaders Exploration & Surface Drilling Lifting & Installations Scaling & Charging Underground Logistics Spraying

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.

For all mining equipment rentals visit www.unitedminingrentals.com

The next step in energy efficiency Introducing the all-new nextSTEP™ rotor/stator for forced-air flotation machines. This unique, innovative and patent-pending design provides a “step change” in both metallurgical performance and energy efficiency compared to other designs on the market. The superior metallurgical performance of the nextSTEP mechanism shows up to a 5% increase in recovery, resulting from dramatic improvements in mineral-bubble attachment rates. When installed, operators note a 10-15% reduction of power requirements and see better wear distribution for increased rotor/stator life. Upgrade to the nextSTEP™ rotor/stator mechanism in your new or existing forced-air flotation equipment and enjoy a strong positive impact on long-term operating costs. Find out more at www.flsmidth.com/nextSTEP