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THERMOGRAPHY gives mine operators the ability to diagnose a multitude of problems; from a crack in a conveyor roller to the heat escaping from a poorly insulated pipe. In recent years the price of the technology has plummeted causing the industry to explode, but it hasn’t come without growing pains along the way. Over the last 30 years, thermography, or thermal imaging, has become a regular part of the maintenance, predictive diagnosis and condition monitoring on most mine sites around the world. Thermal imaging technology could detect problems invisible to the naked eye, and therefore would be able to save time, money, and create a safer environment for workers by ensuring mine equipment is not jeopardised by faulty components. A…

ON 25 January, the tailings dam collapse at Vale’s Feijão mine near Brumadinho, Brazil, sent a torrent of sludge into the miner’s administrative area and surrounding Vila Ferteco community. Traditional mineral processing methods require a significant amount of water to grind, wash and treat ore and tailings dams have been the primary waste disposal system to store slurry leftover from the plant. The thick mud, if released, not only can have negative impacts on the environment, it could also pose a major safety risk to on-site workers and nearby communities. In international operations like Brazil, the collapse of two dams in less than four years, has put wastewater management in mining to the front of discussions. In late February, Brazil’s National…

METS Ignited is an Australian industry-led organisation that aims to help Mining, Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) companies connect with the industry, and grow. Elizabeth Fabri spoke with METS Ignited chief executive Ian Dover about what the team had been up to in its recent Accelerator programs, and advice for companies looking to adopt new technologies across their business. Q: Take us through your recent Accelerator programs across Australia, and how impactful they have been for industry?   We began with the Igniting METS Accelerator pilot in late 2017. Igniting METS was an Australian-first joint initiative between METS Ignited and the QLD Government to assist Mining, Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) companies. The accelerator sought to bring SMEs with innovation…

Image: Black Rock Mining BY GERARD MCARTNEY BLACK Rock Mining has been granted two contiguous mineral licences to begin development of the Mahenge graphite mine. Mahenge Resources, Black Rock’s 100 per cent owned Tanzanian subsidiary, announced it was granted the licences by the Tanzanian ministry of minerals on 26 February, which complemented the environmental permit awarded to the company on 5 September 2018. The Mahenge project was expected to have a 32-year mine life, capable of delivering up to 250,000 tonnes per annum of 98.5 per cent graphite concentrate. Black Rock delivered its scoping study in March 2016 and, in June 2016, produced the world’s first 99.1 per cent TGC purity by lab flotation. In May 2018, the company produced…

Image: Glencore BY EMMA DAVIES AFTER pressure from investor signatories of the Climate Action 100+ initiative, global miner Glencore has announced its decision to cap coal production at current levels. In a statement, the Swiss-based coal giant said that it recognised climate change science as set out by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and realised it had a key role to play in enabling transition to a low carbon economy. “To deliver a strong investment case to our shareholders, we must invest in assets that will be resilient to regulatory, physical and operational risks related to climate change,” Glencore stated. “To meet the growing needs of a lower carbon economy, Glencore aims to prioritise its capital investment…

All images: Mineral Resources. BY ELIZABETH FABRI MINERAL Resources’ acquisition spree continues – this time a farm-in deal with Brockman Mining, the owner of the Marillana iron ore project in the Pilbara. The increasingly diversified Mineral Resources (MinRes) has been striking deal after deal in recent months. Rewind the clock back to June, and there was the landmark purchase of Cliff’s closing Koolyanobbing iron ore operations following its unsuccessful takeover bid for Atlas Iron. In October, its next deal: an acquisition of BCI Minerals’ Kumina iron ore project in the Pilbara. A month later a $1.58 billion agreement to sell half its share in its Wodgina lithium project to Albemarle followed, along with a separate JV deal to acquire a…