Category: Tech Talk

Underground mining operations present a raft of health and safety risks, from plant and equipment, toxic chemicals and flammable liquids, to airborne particles and other hazardous substances. However, excess mine wastewater and slurry build-up during mineral extraction or flooding events, is one risk that can threaten worker safety and blow out project costs if not managed effectively. Underground wastewater comes from a variety of sources such as drilling operations, aquifer interceptions, and external weather events. For operations tasked with moving fluids from one location to another, the process of dewatering is a familiar one. It requires specialised pump systems designed for specific applications and hydraulic duties, which means selecting the right  pump is critical to productivity and profitability. There’s also…

National Pump & Energy (NPE) provides a full range of dewatering services to the civil, construction and mining industries. As a trusted partner in the mining industry, NPE offers reliable and innovative solutions for any dewatering projects. Underground Powerhouse NPE has been at the forefront of surface dewatering in Australia for some time and, now, they are proving to be a powerhouse in the underground dewatering space. With the ability to provide solutions tailored to their client’s needs – whether it be rental units, new pump sales, spare parts or offsite repairs – NPE are being recognised as the “one stop shop” for all underground pumping needs. Aside from having “seen it all”, NPE’s underground mining team are driven to…

The Kidston Hydro Project is a clear example of how government led incentives programmes have helped to drive investment towards cleaner energy projects. The 250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project in Queensland’s north received support from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) in aloan worth up to $610 million, in addition to a $47 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Arena (ARENA). The funds helped Genex Power Limited build the first pumped storage hydro project in Australia since 1984 and the first to be used solely for energy storage and generation rather than water management. A key part of the project involved the dewatering of an abandoned gold mine, about 400km inland from Townsville, a challenge taken on by…

Choosing the right tool for the job might seem an obvious approach for getting the best result but all too often a small mistake can result in a big problem. When it comes to using the Rammer hydraulic rockbreaker, choosing the correct tool will not only boost efficiency but also prolong the life of the tool. In order to do so, it helps to understand some basic principles. There are essentially two ways of breaking with a hydraulic rockbreaker, penetrative breaking, also known as cutting, and impact breaking. Penetrative breaking involves using a chisel tool, or a moil point, which is then forced inside the material. This method is best employed for soft, layered or plastic, low abrasive material. Additionally,…

Mining and civil engineers are increasingly turning to COERCO for liquid management solutions for a range of major projects across Australia. COERCO, widely known for manufacturing industry-leading poly tanks, has successfully expanded its capabilities since it was founded more than 30 years ago. The company can take care of all aspects of liquid management and storage covering prefabricated and customised solutions for process water, potable water, chemicals and waste systems. Its broad range of solutions can be divided into three main divisions: contain; float; and, move. Well-planned liquid storage & distribution is essential for the mining and civil industry. Whether you require a single tank for storing potable water or a more complex system for mixing or processing, COERCO can…

The growth of Australian Pump Industries (Aussie Pumps) is largely a result of support from Australia’s mining industry, this did not happen by accident. This family-owned company has a philosophy of working with Australia’s key industries to build products that work well. “We know what moves the Australian economy,” says Aussie Pumps Chief Engineer John Hales. “The majority of the population know that Australia mines material, without understanding the work involved, the conditions and the safety issues faced by the industry. They are in fact blind to the chief contributor the country’s affluence.” Educating Aussie pumps Our job is educating ourselves, being students of the market. We want to understand how we can make life easier, safer, and of course…

Mitigation We all realise that climate change is a reality. Weather events are more erratic, more dramatic and have more impact on everyday life as well as the possible disruption of Australia’s leading industries, ie; mining and agriculture. The devastation and tragedy created in NSW at Lismore, the recent floods in North Queensland, South Australia and Victoria are testament to the need for action in terms of preparation before the next event. As we prepare this submission for the Mining Review Magazine we are conscious of the fact the “Big Wet” has finally started in north Australia. That means the possibility of a major impact on mining operations from Weipa in Queensland, to Groote Eylandt and further west to our…

While urine may be considered the gold standard in drug and alcohol screening (DAS), there are situations where a different solution is required in order to keep workplaces safe. Australian Clinical Labs toxicologist Dasun Suwandaratne says the company is about to launch on-site saliva testing for drugs. “Saliva can be offered to clients depending on worksite needs,” he said. “It offers an alternative matrix where typical urine setups might be logistically challenging,” he said. “In urine testing, you need to have a separate toilet, the taps must be closed off, nothing can be in the toilet while the testing takes place, and the toilet water needs to have blue stuff added to it. “There are various setups required which can…

Australian Pump Industries (Aussie Pumps) celebrated their 30th year in business in March 2023. This dynamic Australian company continues to develop great products for the Australian mining industry. Their philosophy is simple. Analyse what the customer needs, research existing methods and, come up with something which provides a safer, faster and smarter solution to meet the requirements. 2023 resulted in a number of milestones apart from the 30th anniversary of the company. Here we celebrate some of those major breakthroughs that have served the Australian mining industry so well over the last three decades. Monsoon protection … Aussie flood busters Seeing flood catastrophes cause major disruption to mining operations made Aussie’s Chief Engineer realise there was a requirement for simple,…

With the Albanese Government pledging to spend $2 Billion on supporting the Australian mining industry as it does more exploration and development, we can see Australia’s drilling industry will be flat out. Albo’s promised Mr Biden that Australia will do it’s best to find Lithium, rare earths and similar products currently sourced for the world by China, will make for an exciting time. How Aussie can help? Australian Pump has focused a huge amount of its research and development work in the last 20-30 years on Australia’s mining industry. It’s no secret that most of the Australian population doesn’t know that its mining that carries this country. They aren’t aware that only 260,000 people are doing the hard yards, from…

Servicing all areas in Australia and New Zealand, Victorian headquartered Pipefreezer is offering a specialist service that is providing major savings for mining companies in reducing costly downtime and improving water management. The Australian Mining Review recently spoke to pipe freezing specialist Richard Griffin about what makes the company’s services so valuable for companies with a pipe issue. AMR: How would you talk a potential client into using pipe freezing? RG: The main advantage of pipe freezing is that we can maintain a system’s uptime and the client doesn’t have to shut that critical pipeline down. Essentially, if people need to work on a pipeline, for example they may need to change out a faulty or damaged valve. The only…