Author: The AMR

The best day, every day

The best day, every day

IMAGINE being able to have your best production day every day. This is now a reality thanks to developments in big data acquisition and modelling, machine learning, prediction and simulation software and a dramatic increase in the accuracy delivered by all these tools. Welcome to the new era of digital twinning an entire mine. Typically, mine optimisation was conducted in silos – drilling, blasting, crushing, recovery, milling etc. – looking at individual decision choices and set points within a plant to achieve the best results in that specific centre. However, by utilising historical and current data from the entire mine value chain, modelling the whole process and then relating it back to the individual geology blocks, it is possible to…

Blast automation step closer

Blast automation step closer

ORICA and Epiroc Rock Drills are jointly developing a semi-automated explosives delivery system, enabling safer and more productive blasting operations in underground mines. As mines go deeper and ore bodies become more remote, the case for blasting automation becomes clearer. The partnership brings together the deep expertise and experience of two global industry leaders to address the growing demand from customers mining in increasingly more hazardous and challenging underground operations. Orica chief commercial and technology officer Angus Melbourne said the partnership with Epiroc allowed Orica to leverage its exclusive wireless initiating system, WebGen, to deliver the critical first steps towards the automation of drill and blast operations. “Automation is a key pillar of our technology strategy and supports our vision…

Australian mining company The Bloomfield Group champions tailings solution

Australian mining company The Bloomfield Group champions tailings solution

The mining industry is showing greater interest than ever in safe and sustainable solutions for managing tailings. We have started seeing actions within the financial and regulatory context but mostly financial and operational considerations driving the shift away from Tailing Storage Facilities (TSFs). As levels are rising of many tailings dams, and new licenses are harder to come by, we need to find cost-effective ways to dewater mine tailings. Water scarcity is another issue bringing sustainability to the forefront and is likely to accelerate the trend away from wet tailings disposal. One company leading the industry in tailings best practice is The Bloomfield Group in NSW Hunter Valley at its Rix’s Creek Mine. The Australian owned and operated mining and…

Casting for quality

Casting for quality

CASTINGS Tasmania puts a high premium on the quality of its products, and its commitment to excellence is evident in the company’s attention to detail throughout the metals casting process and in its foundry services. Indeed, foundry services are at the heart of Castings Tasmania’s business and the company has invested heavily in new technology such as 3-D scanners and modelling and graphics software to upgrade its processes. High-technology production methods ensure the Launceston foundry’s steel products remain of superior quality in a competitive market. Castings Tasmania general manager Chris Smart said product quality is an important consideration both for the company and its high-end customers. “We make high quality castings that people are prepared to pay a premium for,”…

Practice makes perfect

Practice makes perfect

What do university mining schools need most? Over the past few years increasing attention has been directed to the people employed to teach and mentor students at university engineering schools, with university departments mostly staffed by scientists and graduates with no industry experience. Emeritus Professor Odwyn Jones (OA) was principal of the WA School of Mines at Kalgoorlie and Dean of Mining and Mineral Technology at WAIT/ Curtin University of Technology for 15 years. He shares his thoughts with readers of Australian Mining Review. UNIVERSITIES too often place a premium on engineering applicants having a doctorate with little or no mention of the merit of having some industry experience. In doing so the teaching becomes too scientific and theoretical…

MACA, Liebherr consolidate partnership

Industry Profiles

MACA, Liebherr consolidate partnership

MACA Limited, known for its mine-to-mill solutions particularly in WA, welcomed three new Liebherr R 9200 hydraulic excavators recently at the Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine. These R 9200s represent the eighth, ninth and 10th purchase of this model excavator for MACA, and the 16th unit Liebherr has sold to MACA since the beginning of the partnership in 2015. Further equipment is expected for delivery in 2020. The 16 excavators, ranging from 100t class to 400t class, are used across gold, nickel, lithium and coal mines in WA, Queensland and countries in South America. The Liebherr and MACA partnership has enjoyed prosperous growth in their few years working together. Liebherr-Australia sales and marketing executive general manager Tom Juric said the partnership had…

Galileo, the next Fraser Range nickel success story?

Galileo, the next Fraser Range nickel success story?

In December 2019, Legend Mining (ASX: LEG) catapulted to a $200 million market capitalisation after exploration drilling revealed a nickel-sulphide discovery at its Rockford Project’s Mawson Prospect in the Fraser Range nickel belt in Western Australia. The stock doubled in price in a single day on speculation that the exploration drilling was the first sign of Mawson being the region’s “next Nova discovery”. Prior to this, the 2012 discovery of the Nova nickel deposit, also in the Fraser Range nickel belt, shot Sirius Resources to fame, returning shareholders a return of circa 10,000% in a matter of months and led to Sirius’ acquisition by Independence Group (ASX:IGO) for $1.8 billion. Located 50 kilometres along strike from Legend’s Mawson Prospect is…

Charlie-1 looms as potential company maker for 88 Energy

Charlie-1 looms as potential company maker for 88 Energy

Written by Trevor Hoey ALASKAN focused oil and gas group, 88 Energy Ltd (ASX:88E) provided a further update on Monday regarding the progress of the group’s Charlie-1 appraisal well on the North Slope of Alaska. With the rig mobilised and drilling to start this weekend there is the potential for near-term market moving news. 88 Energy has the support of Premier Oil Plc which sees the company fully carried up to US$23 million while still maintaining a 30% working interest. Charlie-1 will test multiple stacked targets in the March quarter assessed at 480 million barrels net to 88E. This will see the group step-out to Malguk-1, an historic discovery well drilled by BP in 1991. Consequently, the group is in…

Vulcan makes zero carbon transportation possible

Vulcan makes zero carbon transportation possible

By Meagan Evans A global shift in capital allocations is underway. Trillions of dollars are flowing into sustainable or green investments, as the, ‘environmental, social and governance’ (ESG) sector shakes off its image as simply a feel-good investment class. New evidence demonstrates that profitability and environmental footprint are not mutually exclusive — but that ESG performance does in fact correlate with good financial results. Corporate boards are cleaning up their operations and supply chains to be carbon neutral and environmentally friendly, while global fund managers are allocating to climate and eco-friendly companies, and increasingly refusing to back coal and fossil fuels. In fact, the world’s largest fund manager, BlackRock — which manages nearly US$7 trillion in assets — is reengineering…

Pyrotek lowers the heat

Pyrotek lowers the heat

CREATING a safe environment for workers in hazardous conditions is one of the biggest challenges in the mining industry. Apart from obvious hazards like rock falls, explosives and machinery accidents, vibrations, noise and heat can cause ongoing issues for workers. Pyrotek is committed to providing noise and heat reduction measures through advanced thermal insulation and vibration damping and isolation. Its range of barrier and composite products work in conjunction with each other to suit the condition, surface and industry and mitigate the effects of noise and heat on the crew and are ideally suited to mining applications. Pyrotek sound barriers work by effectively reducing noise at the source. Technical R&D manager, Michael Kierzkowski, said that testing a variety of composites…

88 Energy just weeks out from drilling 1.6B barrel Alaskan oil target

88 Energy just weeks out from drilling 1.6B barrel Alaskan oil target

By Meagan Evans DUAL listed junior oil explorer 88 Energy Limited (AIM: 88E | ASX: 88E) is just weeks away from spudding its Charlie-1 appraisal well at Project Icewine on the North Slope of Alaska. The drilling event at Charlie-1, which is on track for a late February spud, will see 88 Energy — along with its farm-in partner Premier Oil (LON:PMO), target 1.6 billion barrels of gross mean prospective oil resource, of which 480MMBO is net to 88E. The drilling event will intersect seven stacked prospects and could see Charlie-1 emerge as one of the world’s biggest oil wells of the year. While it has a long history of successful oil discoveries, Alaska’s North Slope is now seeing renewed…