ISSN 0308-6631 June 2012 www.miningmagazine.com

Established

1909

The mining industry’s leading magazine

Block caving Underground communications Rapid development

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June 2012www. .com

CONTENTS

Readers will no doubt notice the ‘underground mining theme’ permeating this issue of Mining Magazine. To coincide with the return of the MassMin bulk mining conference in June, we have chosen to focus the majority of this month’s features on underground mass

mining methods.

The event, hosted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, will be held in Sudbury, Ontario (Canada) from June 10-14. This is MassMin’s sixth incarnation, and the organisers have promised a technical mining conference that will attract over 700 mining professionals from around the globe.

Underground bulk extraction methods are currently experiencing a surge of interest within the mining community. The high production rates these methods offer are allowing mining compa-nies to take advantage of favourable metal prices, and high supply and demand forecasts.

Methods such as block and panel caving also provide an economical alternative (where the orebody is suitable) for large-scale surface mines to continue production where increasingly high-strip ratios and material movement costs force them to consider closure. To learn more about cave mining techniques, and the projects/operations that are leveraging the benefits, turn to page 46.

It is almost impossible to examine the equipment used at caving mines, and the latest technological advancements available without straying into the field of rapid mine develop-ment.

Most mass mining projects require a significant amount of capital expenditure on the development of long-term infrastructure before production activities can begin. The quicker the infrastructure can be established, the faster that production can begin.

Equipment that provides a speedy and safe alternative to drilling and blasting, and enables the rapid development of mine infrastructure is therefore a hot topic for manufacturers and mining companies alike.

Continuous-cutting equipment for use in hard-rock applications is something of a holy grail in the mining industry. Nevertheless, a few brave innovators have taken up the challenge and the results so far are extremely promising. Turn to page 68 for more information.

In addition, our assistant editor, Ailbhe Goodbody, got in touch with a number of key manufacturers this month, to find out about the different applications of communications systems at underground mines.

Improving safety and increasing production are the two top concerns for every mine operator, and with miner tracking and equipment monitoring capabilities, these are just two of the benefits that a good-quality, reliable communications system offers under-ground. To read about the full range of capabilities, turn to page 77.

And from one high-profile event to the next, Mining Magazine is preparing for MINExpo 2012, which will be held in Las Vegas, US in September. If your company is exhibiting at the show and you would like to be included in our MINExpo Preview (published in MM’s July-August joint issue) please contact me at carly.lovejoy@miningmagazine.com.

CARLY LOVEJOY, EDITOR

Mining en masse

News 4

FeaturesSpecial report: Dassault buys Gemcom 22

Special report: Jiangxi Copper 26

Mine of the Month: Veladero 28

IPCC 33

Block caving 46

Rapid development 68

Interview: Trolex 74

Underground communications 77

Flashback & contacts 87

Classified advertising 88

COVERCubex is an industry-leading drill rig manufacturer focused on the design, service and support of in-the-hole (ITH) and geotechnical drilling equipment. Over 30 years in business, the company, based in Winnipeg, Canada, has expanded progressively with leading-edge equipment designed for a wide variety of applications, including underground mining.

www.cubex.net

“Continuous-cutting equipment for use in hard-rock applications is something of a holy grail in the mining industry”

benefits that a good-quality, reliable communications system offers under-

Next month

MINExpo previewMineral analysis Surface coalTyres and tyre managementFiltration

01MM1206.indd 1 25/05/2012 11:01

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Honeywell has announced the global launch of Intuition Executive, the flagship product in its new Intuition software portfolio.

The solution delivers enterprise-wide information management, decision support and collaboration tools to help firms achieve operational excellence.

Honeywell explained that organisations often use dozens of applications and hundreds of spread sheets to manage complex production operations, monitor processes and make operating decisions. These systems are usually isolated or connected with complex, bespoke interfaces that are difficult to maintain.

Andy Coward, director of portfolio innovation at Honeywell Advanced Solutions, told MM: “We wanted to solve the problem of remote operations and the fact that there’s currently a drain on expertise. We wanted to guarantee our customers optimal operating conditions all the time and look after the safety of their people, the integrity of their operations, the environment and therefore their reputation. We also wanted to help with data manage-ment, sharing of intellectual property and institutionalise better decision-making.”

He continued: “Intuition Executive enables enterprise-wide sharing and visualisation of information. It helps

to identify problems early, prepare for them and tackle them head on.”

Intuition Executive is based on standard Microsoft technologies, such as Microsoft SharePoint 2010, SQL Server and StreamInsight. Its collaboration tools are designed to highlight and capture expert knowledge, share information, help users to make more agile decisions and take the proper action. This will result in better efficiency and the ability to manage and respond to volatile energy costs, complex regulations and safety challenges, the company said.

Mr Coward explained: “Intuition Executive offers connectivity – you can pull data from any source, manufacturing execution system, control system or historian into a unified environment for analysis. It has tools that help to describe how the data relates to one another. It can then turn the raw data into information. At mines, there can be information coming from millions of points. You need to distill that data and present it clearly to the relevant people.

“You can trend the data, analyse it and turn it into key performance indicators so you know which aspects of the operation need to be focused or improved on. You can also link this to the web so that you can share the information with peers. The system can show where problem areas might

be. We are trying to break down the functional silos that exist within organisations.”

Mr Coward said mining companies can use the asset management tools to look at the state of their equipment. “For example, if I showed you a particular workflow sheet, each square might represent a truck. Click on it and among other information you will be able to see the oil level and operating temperature for the engine on that truck. This information can be used to predict maintenance intervals, and by having the necessary parts ready you can minimise the downtime.”

He added: “If a piece of equipment drops out of operation, the system can calculate how this will impact the other equipment and production levels at that mine. Asset management can also link to overall planning and delivery. You don’t have to analyse at the end of the month why you missed a production target – you know in advance why that is going to happen and can prepare accordingly.”

Powered by Matrikon, Intuition Executive will connect to any control system or data source. Mr Coward explained: “The package is vendor neutral. We acquired Matrikon nearly two years ago to obtain the open connectivity and enable our solutions to work with any equipment and any operational system.”

The solution can also be applied across multiple sites, allowing organisations to analyse each site’s performance.

Mr Coward said that on average, Intuition Executive would take 18 months to implement at a site depending on the complexities. The system is scalable and can be rolled out gradually to address bottlenecks as and when they occur.

Honeywell said it has seen productivity increases of 4-6 % from some of its customers using Intuition Executive.

The company plans to expand the Intuition portfolio over time to include solutions for operations monitoring, alarm management, asset management, remote operation centres and business process optimisation.

June 2012 www. .com

4 NEWS

In Brief GE opens Chile plant

GE Energy’s Industrial Solutions business opened a new manufacturing facility in Santiago, Chile, in May. Mining companies across Latin America are among the customers for the products assembled at the plant – includ-ing Industrial Solutions’ low- and medium-voltage switchgear and motor control centres. Recognising local companies’ need for advanced technology to provide a reliable electrical infrastructure, GE opened the facility to localise operations and cut delivery time and costs for its customers. Alfonso Teplizky, general manager of Morgan Industrial South America, one of the region’s leading distributors to mining companies, com-mented: “Many of our customers’ sites are in some of the most extreme environments in the world, and we count on Industrial Solutions’ rugged, reliable systems to power operations. By having GE’s global resources and expertise available at the local level, we are able to help our customers find better ways to increase output, improve quality and uphold the highest safety standards while decreasing costs.”

Los Bronces awardMutual de Seguridad, a health and safety organisation regulated by Chilean Workers Compensa-tion Law, has recognised Bechtel Chile for its performance on Anglo American’s Los Bronces project, naming it the country’s safest major mining project of the last 10 years. Los Bronces involved the construction of a copper concentrator with grinding plant in Confluencia at 3,400m above sea level, and 54km of slurry pipe to a flotation facility in Las Tortolas. José Ivo, Bechtel’s mining and metals general manager for Latin America, said: “I commend all our workers and subcontractors. They, together with Anglo American’s unwavering support for a culture of safety excellence, made this recognition possible by working 48 million hours safely.”

Intuition Executive is a tool for combining and visualising information from multiple sources to improve monitoring and decision-making

Honeywell launches Intuition Executive

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Anglo American Platinum launched a mine locomotive prototype in May powered by a platinum-based fuel cell.

The project was delivered in collaboration with Vehicle Projects, Trident South Africa and Battery Electric.

The partnership will deliver five fuel-cell locomotives, which will be tested for underground use at one of Anglo American Platinum’s mines.

A fuel cell is essentially a gas battery that produces electricity as long as it is fed with hydrogen gas. Anglo American stated that the fuel cells provide 24-7avail-ability, and there is no need to change or recharge the battery it replaces, which means less downtime and increased productivity.

In 2011, Anglo American Platinum identified uses for fuel cells in its own operations, and mining locomotives were acknowledged as an ideal opportunity.

The company believes that the new technology offers a more environmentally friendly and safer means of underground transport than conventional power sources.

The company demonstrated a platinum-based fuel cell generator to attendees at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17), held in Durban, South Africa, in December 2011.

The 150kW zero-emission fuel cell system was used to supply power to the local electricity grid during the demonstration.

Cynthia Carroll, CEO of Anglo American and chairperson of Anglo American Platinum, commented: “This event marks a leap forward for fuel cells. The platinum-based hydrogen fuel cells used to power the locomo-tive offer one of the most exciting opportunities for South Africa in the green economy.

“At Anglo American, we

believe that with platinum at its heart, a South African fuel cell industry would support the country’s drive for jobs and help to meet its energy challenges.”

Anglo American Platinum is also collaborating with the South African government and technology partners to further explore the prospects for fuel cells to contribute to a reduced carbon footprint.

The company has helped to establish the Platinum Group Metals Development Fund (PGMDF), which partners with innovators and entrepreneurs in PGM technologies.

Fuel cell technology is seen as a strategic and emerging industry that is aligned with the vision and purpose of both the PGMDF and that of the South African Department of Science and Technology.

The organisations are working together to encourage and support greater local develop-ment of platinum.

The collaboration is intended to enable the development of a local fuel cell manufacturing, distribu-tion, marketing and servicing

industry that will be globally competitive.

Surface testing of the fuel cell-powered locomotive is planned to take place at the mine during the September quarter this year. After initial testing, the locomotives will be integrated as part of a mining operation.

The announcement comes shortly after Anglo American’s annual general meeting, at which chairman Sir John Parker said the company will carry out a “top-to-bottom review” of its platinum operations this year to ensure they will deliver value in the long term.

“Even though our platinum business is performing in line with the rest of the platinum industry, we recognise that the current level of returns is not acceptable to our investors,” he explained.

The company said that refined platinum production fell 24% to 402,800oz in the March quarter due to planned converter plant maintenance.

Platinum operations accounted for about 8% of Anglo American’s operating profit in 2011, making it the fifth-largest division for the miner.

June 2012 www. .com

NEWS

In Brief Sulzer expands in Russia

Sulzer Pumps has opened its second service centre in Russia. The new facility, in the city of Oktyabrsky, Bashkortostan, follows the opening of Sulzer’s Khimki centre in Moscow in September 2011. The Oktyabrsky centre is fully equipped to overhaul and repair all types of rotating equipment. It houses service technicians, engineering, contract administration and sales staff providing services for a wide range of pumps used in many applications. Russia is a significant market for Sulzer and the company aims to further expand its presence.

Sander expands air fleetSander Geophysics has taken delivery of a second Eurocopter AS350 B3 helicopter for its airborne geophysical services. The company, based in Ottawa, Canada, flies surveys worldwide for petroleum and mineral exploration, and for geological and environmental mapping. It is fitting the helicopter with a stinger for magnetic surveying, cabin alterations for radiometric surveying and Sander’s AIRGrav airborne gravity system. Sander said the helicopter is well suited to hot and high conditions, and heavy load requirements.

ASA unveils ToughCamASA Electronics has introduced its Voyager ToughCam 7” digital wireless observation system, featuring WiSight technology. Designed to eliminate blind spots for machinery operators on construction sites, the system could also find applications in mining. The large screen gives viewers a clear picture of their surroundings, allowing safe manoeuvring. The monitor fits on the windscreen with a suction cup. The system supports up to three cameras, one wireless and two wired. The camera features wide angles, infrared LED illumination for low light, a built-in microphone and mirror image orientation. The camera connects to any 12-volt power source.

Anglo American Platinum trials locomotive powered by fuel cellMining company enters partnership working to develop a flourishing fuel-cell manufacturing industry in South Africa and make more use of its native platinum resources

A platinum grain formed during refining at Anglo American Platinum’s precious-metals refinery in South Africa

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Pike forecasts renewables increase for mining

URS scores oil-sands contract

Joy has shipped its 6,000th continuous miner, the 12CM12, to Patriot Coal in West Virginia, US. Patriot Coal currently operates more than 90Joy continuous miners.

Joy produced its first continuous miner unit (the 3JCM) in 1948. Early improvements to the company’s continuous miners include the transi-tion from on-board operation to operation via radio remote control, reducing exposure to dust, reducing

vibration and the addition of an unsupported roof.

Recent innovations include improvements in operator interface

ergonomics. For example, Joy’s current remote-control stations are more than 80% lighter than the

original designs and allow a more natural placement of the hands.

Continued focus on operator-to-machine interaction has also led to

the release of products such as the Smartzone proximity detection system, Wethead spray systems and the SmartConveyor.

Smartzone proximity detection is an operator awareness feature that teaches the operator to control the continuous miner from safe working zones. If an operator breaches these zones, certain machine functions are disabled until the operator retreats into an acceptable zone.

June 2012 www. .com

8 NEWS

In Brief BioteQ starts up Minto

BioteQ Environmental Technologies has begun its 2012 operating season at the Minto mine in the Yukon, Canada, providing water treatment services for Minto Explorations. BioteQ’s staff are commissioning the treatment system. This is a fee-based contract where BioteQ earns revenue for labour provided and water treatment fees for volume of water treated. The company expects to treat 500,000m3 of water in 2012, which may vary with precipitation and snow melt at the site.

ERIKS at HillheadERIKS will showcase tools to improve plant efficiency and reliability at Hillhead 2012, at Hillhead quarry, near Buxton, UK, from June 19-21. ERIKS will show a demo version of its new motor calculator, an online tool for engineers facing a motor breakdown. Using customer-spe-cific information such as motor running costs, along with other data including replacement costs, it estimates the best of three options: repair the motor, replace with a standard motor or replace with an energy-efficient motor. ERIKS condition-monitoring solutions (including a new cloud-hosted system) will also be showcased at Hillhead, along with its latest fluid power products, bearings, motors, drives and lubrication technology.

Aggreko expands in SAAggreko has opened its new service centre in Cape Town, South Africa. This is Aggreko’s fourth service centre in the country alongside Johannesburg, Durban and Port Elizabeth. The new facility in the Montague Industrial Park, Milnerton, is well located to serve mining customers in the Northern Cape. Aggreko now has a presence in all the country’s major industrial/commercial centres. Martin Foster, head of local business, South and East Africa, said: “The investments we have made in the country have allowed us to build a solid foundation for continual growth in the region.”

Joy delivers 6,000th continuous miner

Joy’s 12CM12 continuous miner

Decmil scoops FMG rail contract Decmil Australia has won a new contract with Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), plus amendments to several existing contracts, worth US$134 million in total.

The new contract will involve the development of the T155 Rail infrastructure network which is designed to increase FMG’s iron-ore export capacity from its mining operations in Western Australia. The award follows Decmil’s work on the US$147m Karntama resort-style village at FMG’s Christmas Creek mine. Decmil will deliver a new railcar workshop, amenities building and administration centre. It will also carry out modifications to an existing workshop, co-ordinate the fit-out of the new railcar workshop, and design and construct a locomotive provisioning building and rail operations office.

In addition to the new contract, Decmil has secured variations to two current contracts: additional accommodation will be added to a rail camp being constructed for FMG in the Pilbara, and additional rooms will be added to the Fly Camp for the Chevron-operated Wheatstone LNG project near Onslow, Western Australia.

Worldwide investment by the mining industry in renewable energy and energy conservation will reach around US$8.4 billion by 2016, and nearly US$20 billion by 2020, according to a new report from Pike Research, ‘Renewable Energy in the Mining Industry’.

Under a more aggressive scenario, in which the global economy expands more rapidly and policy mandates pertaining to climate change are more robust, the market intelligence firm estimates that spending could reach US$15.6 billion by 2016 and US$30 billion annually by 2020.

Research director Kerry-Ann Adamson commented: “Buoyed by consistent increases in major mining commodity prices, overall market capitalisation in the mining industry has soared by 26%, and mining company executives are

becoming increasingly sensitive about rethinking traditional approaches to obtaining and consuming energy. Accordingly, the mining industry is positioned to address energy costs and climate change from a position of economic strength.”

The Asia Pacific region, which has seen its market share of the worldwide mining sector increase to 44% in the last decade, will see the greatest investment in renewable energy in the mining industry up to 2020, at US$9.4 billion. In the US, the market will reach US$4.6 billion in the same year, said the report.

In general, Pike Research anticipates that investments in, and purchases of, renewable energy technologies from the mining industry will range from 10% to 20% of energy expendi-tures during the forecast period.

URS Corp’s Oil & Gas division has been selected as the contractor for pipeline construction at a major steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) oil-sands project in the Wood Buffalo Region near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. The contract, worth US$130 million, began in the June quarter and will continue until mid-2013.

URS will be responsible for the construction of both below-ground

and above-ground pipelines, as well as access platforms and valve stations. The project will need over 70km of gas, oil, water and steam lines, with diameters of 20-60cm.

On May 14, URS completed its acquisition of Flint Energy Services, which has become the company’s new Oil & Gas division. William Lingard, Flint’s former president and CEO, became president of URS’ Oil & Gas division.

Miners at Fortescue’s Christmas Creek camp in the Pilbara region of WA

Photo: Bloom

berg

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June 2012www. .com

NEWS

Codelco has awarded the continuous mining EPCM contract for its Andina Division in Chile to Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM), a global engineering and project delivery company.

The scope of the work includes engineering studies and the implementation of a new system in underground mining devised by Codelco. This system, which SKM has called a technological

breakthrough, allows simultaneous and continuous automated ore extraction in all active sites of a block.

The company said that this system can ultimately increase the average production rate.

Once the development of the technology is finalised, the next step will be to apply it to Andina’s

operations, and possibly to other Codelco underground structural projects where SKM has previously applied its knowledge and skills.

Letter to the editorDear Mining Magazine,

I read with interest your article on ‘Practical Protection’ (April 2012) but have to say that the article was misleading. Reliance on personal protection against some hazards in our industry is a problem and the last thing that should be considered for risk control.

Mines should be managed to enable hazards to be designed or engineered out where possible. Relying on personal protection encourages poor health and safety management.

I am a technical director with Wardell Armstrong International and have audited health and safety in many mines where personal protection has been relied upon to reduce the risk from hazards – in particular, dust and noise.

In terms of gas in coal mines, the biggest cause of mine disasters, I would contend that personal protection is positively dangerous, as detection and action should be systemic and not rely on the individual.

It is lazy management to do so, and I have spent many hours advising where economic engineered solutions or changes to systems can have a far better impact in reducing risks than solely relying on personal protection.

Robin Dean

SKM scoops Andina EPCM contract

Immersive Technologies has added simulators for the Sandvik DD420 jumbo drill rig and the Atlas Copco MT6020 articulated underground truck to its product range.

The simulator provides an accurate and comprehensive recreation of the Sandvik DD420, with a cabin which includes

tramming controls, drill and boom controls, jack controls, dials, gauges and a variety of the ancillary functions. The controls are all based on the fully-hydraulic version of the machine, with the software supporting both closed-cab and open-cab arrangements.

It also features a new type of

‘special view’ in which the operator can use an integrated dash-control to walk around the outside of the cab and navigate within the 3-D virtual world to inspect aspects of the development heading. Immersive said this is a key feature for jumbo operators, where regular external inspections can form part of their daily routine in ensuring correct drill-hole alignment.

The simulator utilises the full 360º display of the Immersive Technolo-gies UG360 simulator platform in order to provide a realistic underground setting within which to conduct training. Other aspects of machine operation such as tramming and jack operation are covered by a comprehensive set of scenarios, resulting in a complete training experience for all jumbo drill operators.

The first of the simulators for the Atlas Copco MT6020 articulated underground mine truck will enter service with a mining contractor in August. The new simulator will create a safe environment for training new operators.

Immersive simulators head underground

Finnish nickel producer Talvivaara Mining Co said that it would invest more than US$17 million in new technology to improve the quality of effluent waters, reduce odour emissions and limit dust emissions.

In April, the company said it lost production in the first quarter due to the installation of a water-recycling system at its metals-recovery plant and unscheduled safety improve-ments.

Talvivaara retained its 25,000-30,000t nickel output guidance for the year, but said that production was likely to be nearer the lower end of the range.

It has signed a contract for delivery of a US$5.1 million reverse osmosis-based water treatment system, which will be commissioned by the end of November.

The company will spend a similar amount on a catalytic burning unit, primarily to treat hydrogen sulphide odour-generating gases, although the unit would also reduce Talvivaara’s consumption of chemicals.

Over the past year, it has increased the recycling of process waters and started constructing drilled wells at the open-pit mine; these measures should reduce water intake from nearby lakes.

The drilled well-system and water recycling, costing US$3.9 million, became fully operational at the end

of May. Talvivaara also plans to invest about US$2.5 million on a dust-removal system.

Talvivaara invests in environmental technology

The Sandvik DD420 jumbo drill rig: one of the units Immersive Technologies has recreated as a simulator

Codelco’s Andina mine

Talvivaara has already increased the recycling of its process waters

Photo: Bloom

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June 2012 www. .com

12 NEWS

Cummins announces dual-fuel enginesCummins has announced plans to produce dual-fuel engines from 597-2,610kW for high-horsepower markets.

The first in the portfolio, the QSK50 Tier 2 – for oil and gas well servicing applications – will begin production in mid-2013, while other QSK series engines are set to follow, including those capable of meeting forthcoming EPA Tier 4 final emissions regulations.

The dual-fuel engines will operate with common integrated controls, making a seamless transition from diesel fuel to dual-fuel operation. By default, an

engine will run on diesel until the operator selects the option on the control panel to run the engine on a mix of diesel and natural-gas fuel. The engine will switch to dual-fuel mode and automatically select the substitution rate for the operator.

Cummins said that, in traditional operating conditions, a maximum substitution rate of diesel fuel with natural gas of 70% can be expected, with average substitu-tion rates of over 50%, depending on application and duty cycle.

The Cummins dual-fuel solution will be applicable to new QSK family engines and a retrofit on

existing QSK engines already in the field. The Cummins global distribution network will handle up-fit, commissioning and warranty on dual-fuel solution engines.

The company will release further details on the product introduction timelines by market in the coming months.

FLSmidth is supplying a 5.5m x 1.5m Blair multi-rope (BMR) production hoist, incorporating four drums to Glencore’s Mopani copper project in Zambia. There are only about 50 BMR hoists of this type in the world. FLSmidth stated that it has supplied more than 80% of them.

The manufacture of the BMR production hoist is under way and the FLSmidth team will move on site in early 2013 to begin the installation, which is anticipated to take four to five months. Most of the smaller components will be sourced from South Africa, with the balance sourced globally.

FLSmidth has installed over 500 hoists worldwide over a period spanning more than 100 years. This includes machines from the previous GEC Alstom mine hoisting business in South Africa, bought by FLSmidth in October 1997.

Wendy Naysmith, of FLSmidth, said: “We have extensive experience

in the supply of hoists in the three principal categories of friction/Koepe hoists, single and double drum hoists and BMR hoists.

“Each drum of a BMR hoist is divided into two or more compart-ments, with a single rope per compartment and each rope on the drum being attached to the same conveyance. Systems are incorpo-rated to ensure load sharing between ropes and protection

against mis-coiling.” She added: “The BMR system

significantly increases the hoisting capacity of a drum hoist. Hoists with end loads of 32t at depths of 2,500m are common. The Moab Khotsong BMR hoist, supplied by FLSmidth to AngloGold Ashanti Vaal River operations in South Africa, was the first hoist to operate to a depth of 3,150m in a single wind, with an end-load of 23t.”

Komatsu has announced it will begin direct marketing and product support of mining equipment in Brazil beginning April 1, 2013 under its new subsidiary Komatsu Brasil International.

The company has begun setting up new facilities, parts operation, systems and hiring and training the necessary personnel. Komatsu will continue to market and support its mining products in the region through Distribuidora Cummins Minas until March 31, 2013 and certain resources will be transferred to Komatsu Brasil under the agreement.

The company said that the popularity of Komatsu mining equipment in Brazil has been growing, and it is becoming ever more important to improve machine utilisation and enhance productivity. By becoming more directly involved in the marketing and sales support of its machines, Komatsu hopes to improve its technical support capability and product support services, such as timely overhaul and parts supply.

Komatsu turns its attention to Brazil

FLSmidth manufactures Mopani hoist

BHP Billiton-Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) said it will stop production indefinitely at its Norwich Park coking-coal mine in Queensland, Australia, because the operation has been losing money for several months.

BMA, a 50:50 joint venture between BHPB and Mitsubishi Development, said the closure is a result of lower production, a

significant increase in costs and lower coal prices.

Norwich Park, which produced 734,000t of coal in 2011, is one of seven mines that the joint venture operates in the Bowen Basin.

BMA was compelled to declare force majeure for all of its Bowen Basin products in May as a labour dispute continued and rains hampered production.

Rolling strikes at the seven mines have been taking place since February 15.

“While recent industrial action has had an impact on production, the mine has been unprofitable for some months,” said Stephen Dumble, BMA asset president. “As a result, we have had to take urgent steps to both stop the losses and find the best way to

secure the operation’s longer-term future. Importantly, this decision on Norwich Park mine is not reflective of the broader quality of our world-class Queensland coal operations,” Mr Dumble added.

The decision to close the mine follows a seven-week review.

BMA produces around a quarter of the world’s coking coal that is used in steelmaking.

BHP Billiton closes Norwich Park coal mine after months of losses

The QSK50 is the first in Cummins’ new engine portfolio

The FLSmidth hoist at Mopani is one of 50 of this kind in the world

Komatsu: enhancing productivity in Brazil

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14 NEWS

GE plans to acquire underground equipment makersGE is pursuing acquisition of two underground mining equipment manufacturers.

The company has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of Australia-based Industrea, a provider of safety- and productivity-enhancing mining equipment and services.

The transaction is valued at US$693 million. GE has also signed a binding letter of intent to acquire Fairchild International, an independently owned and operated underground mining equipment manufacturer in Virginia, US.

GE said the acquisitions will expand its product offering to

address 35% of the underground mining value chain. Industrea and Fairchild International are well positioned in dynamic growth regions for mining, including Australia, China and the US.

Both companies will become part of GE Transportation’s global mining business.

Rockmore International has added the ROK 500DH, a new down-the-hole hammer, to its Deep Hole series. The 127mm-range hammer is designed to drill 140-152mm diameter holes, and features Rockmore’s patented SonicFlow technology. This optimises airflow by streamlining the air path to minimise backflow and turbulence, thus delivering more energy to the piston.

The ROK 500DH has been designed specifically for deep hole drilling applications (greater than 300m depth) in challenging conditions. The hammer is rated for use with large compressors (24.1bar at 25.2m3/min), but it can also accept greater air volumes and pressures from larger air compressor packages. The upper and lower hammer air chambers have been modified accordingly to achieve optimum drilling efficiency. Rockmore said the advanced piston design also offers maximum blow energy with each stroke to the bit,

allowing for greater hammer and bit

penetration rates in all drilling conditions.

Rockmore has developed a new bit retention system for the ROK 500DH to alleviate broken bit heads falling to the bottom of drilled holes when shanks fail. A new bit shank has also been added to the retention system, eliminating the need for the bit retaining rings used in conven-tional hammer designs. The bit is retained in the driver sub by lobes on the bit shoulder. If the bit breaks

from the shank body during drilling,

the bit head can be retracted out of the hole and replaced.

Rockmore said that conventional hammers often exhibit low penetration rates when high water volumes exist during drilling. However, the ROK 500DH can cope with both dry conditions and high water volumes, even those exceeding 9.5L/s flow rates at the hole annulus.

Lead threads on the top sub and driver sub ensure easy coupling and uncoupling of the hammer, and optional back reaming buttons on the top sub have been added to increase hammer life.

Six Safety Systems, a provider of ‘operator fit for duty’ safety solutions, and Tobii Technology, which provides solutions for eye tracking and gaze interaction, have announced their partnership to develop an intelligent ‘operator fit for duty’ technology.

The companies stated that the technology, called LUCI, will help companies in the mining and oil and gas industries to reduce the risks associated with operator drowsiness and distraction, while improving operational productivity.

LUCI is a proprietary monitoring and analysis system that can intelligently monitor ‘operator fit for duty’ status in real time, analyse incoming data and recommend improvements. It will integrate Tobii’s eye tracking to monitor driver drowsiness and distraction, negating the need for operators to wear specialised equipment such as glasses.

LUCI is also able to contribute to the Six Safety Systems’ analytical database with operator performance profiles that will be used for forecasting and greater risk management insight.

Six Safety Systems said its ‘operator fit for duty’ solutions are turn-key and based on a cycle of continuous improve-ment, reducing the safety hazards and business risks associated with drugs, alcohol, fatigue and distraction in the workplace.There are six key elements of the cycle, and when applied properly to the specific needs of an organisation, form a successful and cost-efficient ‘operator fit for duty’ strategy.

Human factors and safety professionals provide the Assess, Develop and Educate elements of the continuous cycle of improvement.

LUCI powers the real-time operator monitoring, analysis and reporting functions – the Monitor, Analyze and Recom-mend elements of the cycle.

Six Safety and Tobii Technology join forces

Rockmore launches ROK 500DH

Fluor has been awarded a contract by Teck to provide engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services for the Highland Valley Copper mill optimisation project in British Columbia, Canada.

Rick Koumouris, head of Fluor’s mining and metals business line, said: “Building on the success of our early study work for Teck, Fluor is pleased to continue with the next phase of the mill optimisation project.

“As part of the new life of mine plan, these new facilities and upgrades of existing infrastructure will help extend the life of Highland Valley Copper through to 2026.”

Highland Valley Copper is an open-pit mine operation that uses a milling and flotation plant to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates. The optimisation project is expected to increase copper recovery by 2% and increase mill output by 10%.

Fluor’s scope of work includes a new pebble crushing facility and a new flotation building with 300m3 tank cells.

The company will also upgrade the existing grinding circuit, tailings and water supply system.

Fluor recently completed the pre-feasibility study for the modernisation project. The project will be managed by Fluor’s office in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Fluor wins Teck contractClean mining bodyThe Clean Mining Alliance has launched a new industry association to support technological advance-ments to make the industry more environmentally responsible.

The Clean Mining Alliance is a non-profit organisation based in Vancouver. Founding members include American Manganese, CERM³ (The University of British Columbia’s Centre for Environmen-tal Research in Minerals, Metals and Materials), Kemetco Research and Nevada Clean Magnesium.

The alliance promotes technolo-gies such as membrane-based water filtration, hydrometallurgical processes, biologic remediation, carbon capture, near-zero emissions processes and closed-loop systems.

Rockmore’s new ROK 500DH deep-hole hammer

14MM1206.indd 14 22/05/2012 14:50

15NEWS

Mining Magazine presented its 2011 awards – miniature miners’ lamps – to winners at the SME 2012 conference in Seattle, US

Left: Jim Humphrey of Caterpillar and Carly Lovejoy. Caterpillar’s MineStar won the 2011 Ancillary Equipment Award

Carly Lovejoy presented Dave Pitchford and Paul McCarthy of MMD with the Editor’s Award for MMD’s work with US miner Drummond

Right: Don Michaluk accepted NL Technologies’ Underground Mining (Soft

Rock) Award for the Polaris cap lamp

Above: ThyssenKrupp Robins and Siemens Industry Solutions jointly

won the Bulk Handling Award. From left to right: Luis Galarza, Christian Dirscherl and Vincent Matthews of Siemens Industry

Solutions, MM editor Carly Lovejoy, and Peter Sehl and Steve

Kasper of ThyssenKrupp Robins. Special thanks to Steve Kasper for

his photography expertise

Mining Magazine presents awardsMTU’s Series 4000 mining engine won the Environmental Excellence award. The MTU team celebrated at their Tier 4 Mining Event on May 3, at the MTU Aiken plant in South Carolina, US. With a Series 4000 are: Scott Woodruff, Dr Ingo Wintruff, Klaus Pöpsel, Dr Ulrich Dohle and Bernd Krüper

Photo: Todd

Lista

15MM1206.indd 15 22/05/2012 14:51

June 2012 www. .com

16 NEWS

Sandvik has completed work for a crushing plant at Randgold Resources’ Gounkoto gold mine in Mali.

The project requires the crushing of the primary run-of-mine (ROM) gold ore that is then transported to a secondary crushing station to be stacked by a slewing stacker.

In January 2011, Sandvik was awarded the contract, which included civil, electrical, mechanical and structural design, procurement, fabrication and ex-works delivery of the plant, as well as commissioning assistance. Time Mining erected and commissioned the plant in December 2011.

Gounkoto is a greenfield project located 25km south of Randgold Resources’ Loulo gold mine. Sandvik’s scope of supply started from the top of the tip bin, designed to suit a Caterpillar 777 dump truck. Ore is withdrawn from a 100t bin via a 1.8m-wide and 7m-long apron feeder, which deposits the ore into a CJ815 Jawmaster primary crusher at a rate of 800t/h.

The crushed ore that is smaller than 350mm is deposited via a chute onto a 1,200m-wide transfer

conveyor, which in turn transfers the ore to the secondary crushing station. The product that is smaller than 100mm is stockpiled using a 1,200m-wide slewing conveyor capable of creating a stockpile of over 20,000t.

The discharge chutes from the primary sizers are fitted with 16mm VRN400 liners to reduce maintenance down time in this high-wear area.

Sandvik’s Marnus Fick said: “When it comes to design, the traditional 2D approach with detailed construction drawings is

invariably associated with fabrication errors and mechanical equipment not fitting well onto the structural components.

“On this project we effectively removed a lot of this uncertainty by creating a 3D representation in a data managed environment, using a product called Teamcenter that controls the various revisions the design went through.”

He added: “The critical factor is that all revisions to the 3D design were carried out in a managed environment. This means that we completely captured all associated

design data, including vendor data sheets and 2D designs, to reduce errors.

“In the end, we were able to supply Time Mining with a very easily interpretable representation of the plant that made the construction drawings so much easier to understand. It also greatly facilitated the identification of the steel members that arrived on site, effectively shortening the time to project completion.

Combining the 3D design with the data management system also allowed Sandvik to compile a bill of quantities and manage it through the various lifecycle stages, from concept through fabrication into logistics control and construction. This allowed the company to reduce the likelihood of errors and boost the ability to control materials on site, ultimately increasing the speed of construction.

Hazards and operability studies were incorporated into the design to ensure safe and efficient operation of the plant. Sandvik also set up a local supply of critical spares through its office in Mali and will continue to support the life of plant via this office.

Sandvik delivers Gounkoto plant

Gemcom Software International has released Gemcom GEMS 6.4, the latest version of its geology and mine planning software.

GEMS ensures the accuracy and integrity of data for exploration, open-pit and underground operations. It is used to quantify, model, plan and schedule the extraction of mineral deposits.

Gemcom said the most significant feature of GEMS 6.4 is its patent-pending block-model conversion engine. The engine allows data sharing flexibility by providing direct conversion between different block model formats, delivering better collaboration and improved data integrity while saving time.

Justin Meade, technical product manager for GEMS, said: “With many mining organisations facing staff shortages, it is becoming increasingly common for collaboration to occur between site users and outside parties who may be using different software products. Thanks to the new block model conversion engine,

it is possible for a user to work in one software package on a task such as resource estimation and deliver the block model in the format of another software package, while also ensuring data integrity between the two.”

In addition to the block model conversion engine, GEMS 6.4 contains enhancements to existing features requested by its users, including: enhanced block modelling capabilities; increased line, surface, and solid import and export options; and two-point transformation profiles to transform solids and surfaces.

Ventyx has announced that Ambre Energy, a thermal coal mining and export company with operations in Australia and the US, has licensed its Ventyx Ellipse 8 software package in a deal valued at US$2 million.

Ambre Energy will standardise on the Ellipse 8 package for enterprise asset management

(EAM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) across all of its US mining operations.

Darin Adlard, corporate controller at Ambre Energy, said: “Ventyx Ellipse 8 will help manage our complex assets and distributed workforce while reducing risk.

“It possesses the scalability and functionality we need as we develop long-term mining operations and build out the logistical infrastructure to expand our markets.”

Ambre Energy will deploy Ellipse 8 modules for asset and work management, human resources and supply chain management.

The agreement also includes full application, implementation, hosting and ongoing maintenance services provided by Ventyx’s managed services team.

Gemcom releases GEMS 6.4Ambre Energy selects Ventyx Ellipse 8

Ellipse 8

GEMS 6.4

Sandvik crushing rolls

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18

Schlumberger Water Services has released Visual MODFLOW Flex (VMOD Flex), its groundwater flow, heat and contaminant transport modelling software.

Schlumberger said that VMOD Flex can improve modelling efficiency by integrating 3D hydrogeologic conceptual modelling and industry standard numeric engines in a single, easy-to-use software environment.

Ole Christian Meldahl, software business manager, added: “Groundwater modellers are now able to build larger and more complex models more efficiently

than before. In addition, the ability to easily generate multiple numerical models from a single grid-independent conceptual model gives modellers the freedom to evaluate alternative scenarios, leading to more accurate models and a better understanding of the groundwater system.”

VMOD Flex can help conceptualise the groundwater system, prior to simulation. The geological formations, property model and boundary conditions are all designed outside the numerical grid. This provides users the flexibility to adjust the interpretation

of the groundwater system before applying the numerical grid and converting to a numerical model.

The software can help build the model with minimal data pre-processing. This allows operators to maximise the use of existing grid-independent GIS data, and incorporate physical geology and geographic conditions before designing the grid.

VMOD Flex can also simulate regional and local-scaled models. Its support for MODFLOW-LGR allows users to refine the grid around multiple areas of interest for running local-scale simulations within a

larger regional-scale model. Users can leverage 64-bit

computers to build larger, more complex models and run simulations significantly faster.

Also, within a single project, multiple models can be generated in parallel for making direct comparisons and evaluating alternative hydrogeologic interpretations.

The programme has a complete selection of finite difference-grid types, so users can choose a grid type that best accommodates the geologic structures for the most reliable and stable simulation.

Mechel, one of the leading Russian mining and metals companies, has acquired 15 BelAZ dump trucks as part of a long-term partnership agreement signed by the companies in November 2011.

The trucks were acquired on behalf of the Yakutugol and Korshunov Mining Plants on lease contracts signed with Sberbank Leasing. The contracts are worth a combined US$29.5 million and the trucks will be delivered before the end of the June quarter 2012.

Yakutugol will receive 11 trucks of 220t, 130t and 55t capacity for transporting overburden and coal. The dumpers will be used at the Nerungrinsk open-pit mine and Elga coal complex in eastern Siberia.

The Korshunov Mining Plant will operate four 130t trucks, which

will be used to transport soil and iron ore at the Korshunovsk mine, also in eastern Siberia.

Igor Zyuzin, CEO of Mechel Mining, said: “BelAZ trucks are widely used at our mining plants and have proven themselves well. As such, the 10-year agreement with BelAZ, which guarantees us supplies of these trucks, is highly important for us, especially considering the growing production volumes at the Elga deposit.

“Systematic efforts for technical re-equipment enable the company to increase production, cut operational costs, and create a significant safety margin for its production assets, which guarantees uninterrupted and co-ordinated work of all our mining enterprises.”

Booyco Electronics has become one of the first South African manufacturers to be granted an Inspection Authority (IA) number (soon required by law) for its centralised blasting systems.

The IA number was awarded by a SANAS Accredited and Approved Test Laboratory for Booyco Electronics’ C3 system, making it the only approved alternative on the market to electronic-detonator driven centralised blasting technology.

Anton Lourens, managing director of Booyco Electronics, said: “The C3 is a simple system that can be configured to fire any non- proprietary initiator or detonator with precision from a remote location. It allows for a single power point on surface and draws an extremely low current, while delivering a guaranteed output.”

Booyco originally designed the C3 system for the safe electric blasting of Shurstart Instantaneous Electronic Detonators, but as the electronic-detonator market grew

the system was increasingly used to fire electric detonators such as Shock Tube Starters (Handistarts) and Statsafe Carricks.

The system comprises three components – a centralised blasting control unit, a level isolator and a centralised basting booster. The control unit is typically situated on surface and monitors the status of the CBS network. It incorporates a cable fault detection system that provides an audible and visual warning of short circuit faults.

Mr Lourens added: “The system has been developed for the unique requirements of the South African mining industry.

“Even in the deepest mine, it does not need repeaters. It’s safe, cost effective, reliable and low maintenance. We’re able to offer a everything from installation to commissioning, including operator training. The C3 can be upgraded, making for a low cost transition from electric to electronic detonation.”

Leighton Contractors has been awarded a three-year contract by the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) for the provision of services at the Peak Downs mine in the Bowen Basin, central Queensland, Australia. The contract is worth approximately US$620 million.

The contract extends the services provided at Peak Downs mine and includes project management, fleet maintenance and operational services for overburden mining at the project.

Greg Fokes, general manager, Leighton Contractors’ mining division, said: “This demonstrates our ability to work closely with our clients and add value to their operations, and recognises the hard work the mining team has put into the project over the years at Peak Downs.

“Our relationship with BMA at Peak Downs has now entered its 11th year and we look forward to continuing to work with BMA and developing future opportunities in the region.”

Schlumberger introduces Visual MODFLOW Flex

electronic-detonator market grew

Mechel receives BelAZ truck orders

Booyco centralised blasting system accredited

Leighton awarded BMA contract

Booyco Electronics’ C3 system

NEWS

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NEWS

What are some of the main infrastructure challenges faced by mining operations

today and how can technology help to address them?

With an increasing global demand for minerals and the depletion of existing known and accessible deposits, mining exploration and project developments are becoming more removed and in much more extreme locations.

The industry has harvested ‘easily’ accessible resources and is being challenged to mine deeper and in more remote areas. In some of these areas, mines are hundreds of miles from civilisation, and inadequate infrastructure – from roads to water and energy production systems – becomes a major obstacle. In Northern Chile, for example, we are working with customers to put in place adequate infrastructure for power distribution and water supply.

GE’s Industrial Solutions business delivers electrical distribution and control products – including switch gear, transformers, power management systems, motor control centres, circuit breakers and control components – to mine sites in Latin America that address our clients’ need for a reliable electrical infra structure.

The market for these kinds of products in Latin America is so great that the Industrial Solutions business recently opened a manufacturing plant in Santiago that assembles these technologies and ships them to customers in the region, including Codelco. By localising these operations, GE can reduce delivery time and costs for its customers.

In northern Chile, and at other sites in dry environments round the world, miners are overcoming water scarcity issues by tapping into a previously unusable source of water: the sea. As you can imagine, transporting water from the sea over vast areas of land to remote mine locations poses a significant infrastructure challenge.

GE’s portfolio of pumps can give the industry the technology it needs to ensure the sea water required for a mining operation can consistently be transported from the ocean to

these locations. Once the water is on site, our reverse osmosis platform products are able to treat the water so that it is useable in mining operations. Our customised solutions can produce anywhere from 100m3 of water daily to up to 100 million litres daily.

Please tell us about the range of services and products GE offers to the mining industry.

GE offers a wide range of solutions. The GE Energy Manage-ment and Power & Water business portfolios consist of products and services that address three areas essential to the successful operation of a mining facility: energy, power and productivity.

With the formation of the GE Mining Solutions organisation, we are bringing to the industry engineering and commercial teams to create synergies from our broader portfolio to address these key areas.

GE Energy hosted the Latin America EPC Mining Summit in Santiago in March. Tell us

about the event, its aims and main themes this year.

The Santiago event gave us a fantastic opportunity to bring together mining companies and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies to discuss some of the more pressing issues facing the industry today.

Given the importance of mining to the Chilean economy, and the growing influence the Latin American region is having on the industry as a whole, it made sense to hold the event in Chile.

We covered a broad range of themes at the summit, including:• The global mining landscape

– challenges and opportunities;• Policies/regulations and the

mining industry;• Water: Challenges facing the

mining industry and opportunities to address these challenges;

• Mining investment strategies;• Energy efficiency and carbon

footprint reduction; and• Mine expansion.

With keynote addresses from prominent figures such as Karen Poniachik, director of Columbia University’s Global Centre in Santiago, Chile (and former Minister of Mining, Republic of Chile), and Diego Hernandez, CEO of Codelco, the event was a great success.

I noticed your present ation focused on three main areas: power, water and productiv-

ity. Please tell us about some of the work GE is doing in these areas and some current project initiatives.

We’re working with our global customer base to achieve great advances in these areas.

In the power sector, we have been focusing on power generation for remote mining sites. Customers in remote locations have a need to store power for use at a later time, and rely less on more traditional diesel generators. For one such customer, we were able to implement an energy-generation and management solution thanks in part to our GE Smart Grid technologies. This solution reduced annual diesel consumption by 200,000L and greenhouse gas emissions by 600t/y.

Mining companies are constantly seeking ways to reduce the amount of water used in processes and/or to reuse water in additional processes. At one customer site, we installed advanced filtration membranes and thermal water treatment technology. This enabled saltwater purification by removing salt from the mine discharge water and allowed for 120t of salt to be recycled and reused for de-icing daily.

As mines age, technology becomes less reliable. Ageing circuits can result in communications failures and the inability to detect aberrations. GE’s Proficy MaxxMine technology allows for anomalies to be quickly and consistently identified, increasing operational reliability and, in one case, resulting

in a 15.7% improvement in the feed rate for a zinc concentrator (including the milling circuit).

Current areas in mining for which we are focusing on developing innovative solutions include: locomotives; infrastructure systems in energy, power, water and communications; system optimisa-tion and integration of electric drives; power electronics; energy management systems; batteries, and diesel engines.

Is R&D an area in which GE invests heavily? What sort of facilities/resources do you

have dedicated to this?R&D has always been a part

of our DNA at GE. We still hold our founder Thomas Edison’s philosophy: “I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent.”

We have four Global Research Centres (GRCs) positioned around the world, with a fifth to be opened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this year.

Our research facilities are staffed with 2,600 research employees, including more than 1,000 PhDs. With a technology spend of US$5.7 billion, we’re fully investing in solving big challenges.

How do you see the need for mining infrastructure solutions developing in the

next 5-10 years? The need for innovative mining

infrastructure solutions is only going to increase over the next decade. As demand for minerals continue to rise with a growing and more productive society, mining companies will need to find new ways to establish facilities in parts of the world rarely explored until now.

Additionally, upgrading current facilities to make them more productive, while lowering the cost of operations, will be essential to the long-term financial viability of mining organisations, especially considering the likelihood that they will be supporting more locations than they are today.

We’re committed to this space and intend to work alongside organisations in the mining industry to ensure that new products and technologies are available to solve their energy, power and productivity challenges, while minimising the environmental impact of doing so.

Five minutes with…Peter Carter, global general manager, GE Mining Solutions

Q

Q

Q

Q

QQ

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21MM1206.indd 21 22/05/2012 14:54

June 2012 www. .com

22 SPECIAL REPORT

Mining software provider Gemcom will form a new brand within Dassault, with the intention of expanding into other natural resource sectors and sharing the companies’ products, capabilities and networks

France-based 3D software and solutions provider Dassault Systèmes announced on April 26

its intention to acquire Gemcom Soft-ware International.

The deal, set to close in July, is worth approximately US$360 million and will see the formation of a new brand, GEOVIA, under which the Gemcom team will continue to market its existing products, eventually expanding beyond the mining sector with a range of new offerings.

Gemcom is a privately owned firm, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, and formed in 1985 to provide software for geological modelling and mine planning. The company has since grown to become a leading provider of software

solutions to the mining industry.Bernard Charlès, president and CEO

of Dassault Systèmes, commented: “With the acquisition of Gemcom, coupled with our 3D Experience platform capabilities, our objective is to model and simulate our planet, improving predictability, efficiency, safety and sustainability within the natural resources industry and beyond. To support this ambitious goal, we have created a new brand, GEOVIA.”

LEAdIng-EdgE SOfTwARERick Moignard, president and CEO of Gemcom, explained to Mining Magazine: “The underlying reason for this deal on both sides was to allow Gemcom to access a portfolio of

leading-edge software used in industries such as aerospace and automotive, and then to bring that into the mining sector.”

He continued: “Historically, mining hasn’t had the necessary financial backing to build this kind of software, but by being able to leverage software used in other industries, it allows us to bring new benefits and solutions to the mining arena.”

The acquisition will also allow Dassault to use Gemcom’s expertise in the mining industry. Publicly owned Dassault (which is listed both in Europe and the US) is a global software producer with key focuses on the engineering and scientific sectors. Its yearly revenues are around US$2.5 billion, with one third of this reinvested into R&D.

Mr Moignard added: “Dassault is profitable because of the long-term view it has used when developing products. It is looking at moving into the mining industry with a similar view – as a long-term project.

“The company has about 10,000 employees and 31 R&D labs. All R&D activities are co-ordinated on a global basis, which is good from Gemcom’s perspective.”

MARkET LEAdERShIPMr Moignard said Gemcom’s leadership in the mining market was a key attraction for Dassault.

“We will make close to US$100 million revenue from our software portfolio this year,” he explained. “We closed last year at about US$95 million, up 28-29% year on year.

“We have experienced a high rate of growth and we have worldwide coverage, with 17 offices and upward of 360 employees globally. About half of those are mining professionals – engi-neers, geologist, surveyors – who help customers maximise the value of our software and support them in the field.

“So when Dassault looked at the market, it saw a company that has a great software and services portfolio, but also a strong distribution network.”

Mr Moignard continued: We are close to our customers and have dealt with all the top 10 mining companies globally.”

Two views of Gemcom’s

Surpac software, which offers

geological modelling, mine

planning and production tools

Rick Moignard, president and

CEO of Gemcom

dassault Systèmes confirms plan to acquire gemcom

22-25MM1206.indd 22 23/05/2012 14:58

June 2012www. .com

23SPECIAL REPORT

STAkEhOLdERSHe added: “I have three constituents when doing a deal like this: it must give a good return for my shareholders, and it must be a good deal for our staff and customers.

“The acquisition came about primarily because we were approached by a few companies who asked us if we were interested in doing a deal – you have to explore each opportunity and this was one of them.

“As the deal became more concrete from a Gemcom perspective, we realised that this could become an industry-changing event, and we decided to work with Dassault and really figure out whether we could make it work for all three of my stakeholders.

“From a staff point of view, this is a great deal. We are not looking at cutting, we are looking at building.”

Mr Moignard continued: “Dassault wants to increases its footprint in the natural resources space, and it realised that it doesn’t have the industry depth to do that, which is one of the reasons that it looked at Gemcom. Our staff will get more opportunities and a bigger portfolio of products to work with. This really is a win-win situation for everyone.”

Dassault also took into account both companies’ locations around the globe and found that there wasn’t much overlap.

“We are in all of the major mining centres, and this gives Dassault an opening to take its products into new markets,” added Mr Moignard. “From a customer point of view,

Dassault’s Catia computer-aided design software

“Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to partner more deeply with major mining companies in the future”

Gemcom mine software in action

• RiMONITOR: monitoring of terrain deformations by analyzing the changes of surfaces

• RiMINING: optimized and simplified scan data registration and processing workflow for open pit mining, offering, e.g., automatic extraction of break lines, contours, profiles, and calculation of volumes

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22-25MM1206.indd 23 23/05/2012 14:58

24 SPECIAL REPORT

there will be new products and enhance ments to Gemcom’s product line that involve cutting-edge modelling and simulation technologies.

“We won’t get this to the market overnight, but in a relatively short time we are going to introduce products that will really help mining companies understand their ore bodies and how to mine them optimally, how to simulate changes that occur, react to those changes, stay within safety compliance and address environmental issues. This is a very broad set of technologies – from pit to port and even further.”

PARTnERShIP wITh MAjORSThe deal will also put Gemcom in a better position to partner with major mining companies, something that it states major miners have been reluctant

to do in the past. “I think the trouble is they saw us as being too small,” said Mr Moignard, “and I understand that, but now our combined company has more to offer.

“Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to partner more deeply with major mining companies in the future. This will benefit everyone, particularly our customers, as we will gain a better understanding of what we can do with our technology and want they want.”

He continued: “This is one of those

deals that doesn’t come along very often, and once we understood the full extent of what we could do, we really pushed from a management point of view to bring this to fruition.

“Dassault has a broader vision – they see harmonising of what they call ‘product, nature and life’. We fall under the nature category. Once we get things moving in the mining space, Dassault would like to expand our portfolio outside of mining as well.”

Referring to MM’s interview with Mr

Above: Dassault’s

Solidworks division

specialises in 3D design/

visualisation software

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25SPECIAL REPORT

Moignard, which appeared in the March 2012 issue, he added: “In March we talked about challenges facing the industry, and when we look at the skills shortage, for example, Dassault has a full set of tools that should allow us to have operations folks at a mine site in Australia and corporate people in Vancouver or London collaborating online in real-time in a virtual mine setting.

“Gemcom already has tools in this area that are great, but this will help us to take

them to the next level. Fly-in, fly-out operations are a big deal in the mining space. If we can centralise more functions, we can solve that problem.”

TAkIng uP ThE REInSWhen the Gemcom-Dassault deal closes subject to regulatory approval, which is expected in early July, Gemcom’s management team will take up the reins at GEOVIA. Mr Moignard will become CEO, and the company’s existing staff will transfer over.

“The new brand GEOVIA was established because over time Dassault wants to expand from just mining into other natural resource industries such as water,” said Mr Moignard.

“Gemcom’s management team will run the natural resources area. Our focus is on the mining space initially. We are committed to building and delivering new products and will add new functionalities to existing ones. We will continue to support our products and build on them.”

Left and centre left: Gemcom’s Minex software

“As the deal became more concrete, we realised that this could become an industry-changing event”

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T he attention given to innovation in water-treatment technologies is on the rise. One project that has

drawn the interest of governments and industry observers is Jiangxi Copper Co’s (JCC) Dexing mine in Jiangxi province, China.

Dexing is the site of a new ion-exchange water-treatment plant that has been developed as a partnership between JCC and Canada-based BioteQ Environmental Technologies.

The ion-exchange plant recovers nickel and cobalt from low-grade solution to produce a saleable Ni/Co product and

clean water that can be recycled for onsite use or discharged safely to the local environment.

BioteQ’s relationship with JCC is longstanding. The parties started their co-operation in 2006 with a 50/50 joint venture project to design, build and commission a water-treatment plant for copper removal and recovery using BioteQ’s ChemSulphide process.

This plant uses sulphide precipitation technology to treat acid mine drainage while recovering copper during treatment. Not only does the plant successfully treat mining effluent, but it also generates

revenues from the copper recovered in the wastewater.

`The project was awarded the 2008 China Mining Environmental Protection Award for its application of innovative water-treatment technologies to protect and preserve the environment.

The Dexing mine was once again in the news when an ion-exchange plant, focused on the removal of nickel and cobalt from mine waters, was completed. In March 2012, it was announced that the plant had been awarded Yu$3.5 million (approximately US$555,000) from the Jiangxi Provincial Development and Reform Commission.

The award, handed out in the Green Technology/Environmental category, recognises high-tech innovations that deliver significant environmental, economic and social benefits for the region. The commission is the governing body overseeing economic and social development in Jiangxi province of China.

ion exchangeThe initial ChemSulphide water treatment plant has a design flow of 1,000m3/h and recovers copper from surface water run-off, mixed with drainage from waste dumps and low grade stockpiles.

These stockpiles are processed upstream of the site’s high-density sludge (HDS) lime neutralisation plant that is used to remove aluminium prior to discharge into the environment.

During the construction and operation of the copper recovery plant, nickel and cobalt (Ni/Co) were found in the ChemSulphide plant effluent. The concentration levels of nickel and cobalt ranged from 5-8mg/L.

When combined with a high water flow, the recovery of these metals was a potentially attractive opportunity. This recognition prompted JCC and BioteQ to evaluate using selective ion-exchange technology to recover nickel and cobalt from the discharge of the existing copper-recovery treatment plant.

The ion exchange uses resins to load the target metals, and is particularly effective where metal concentrations are low and wastewater flows are high.

Jiangxi copper: turning wastewater into profitsJonathan Wilkinson explains how BioteQ is helping Jiangxi Copper Co improve wastewater treatment at the Dexing mine

“This plant uses

sulphide precipitation

technology to treat acid

mine drainage

while recovering

copper during

treatment”

The Dexing ChemSulphide

water-treatment plant

Ion exchange can be used to selectively recover dissolved metals that are in low concentrations in large flows of wastewater, and is particularly effective where metal concentrations are very low but still exceed discharge limits.

Ion exchange recovers metals in a three-stage process: • In the first stage, metals are selectively loaded

onto a custom resin. • In the second stage, metals are stripped from

the resin and concentrated into a regenerate solution.

• In the final stage, the concentrated metals are precipitated from the solution in a saleable form.Ion exchange offers a number of advantages, not

least of which is the ability to produce wastewater streams that are compliant with strict water-quality criteria for discharge or re-use.

This ability to extract metals into a saleable form from the wastewater streams also allows operations to maximise resource recovery of dissolved metals in low-grade solutions. Operations can ultimately generate a revenue stream from waste to offset water treatment costs.

At the same time, it reduces or eliminates sludge production and the associated long-term environmental and financial liabilities. In some projects, ion exchange for metal recovery has been effectively combined with sulphide precipitation to deliver cost-efficient recovery of dissolved metals in low-grade solutions.

What is ion exchange?

26 Special report

26-27MM1206.indd 26 23/05/2012 16:56

27Special report

Once the resins are fully loaded, they are regenerated by stripping the metals from the resin and concentrated in solution. This concentrated metal- bearing regenerant solution is then treated to precipitate the metals from the solution in the form of a saleable metal by-product.

A 2010 pilot at the Dexing site demonstrated that it was technically feasible to use ion exchange to recover nickel and cobalt from the mine water. In the following year, a full-scale plant was designed and constructed to operate downstream of the copper recovery plant and upstream of the HDS plant.

The ion-exchange plant, which receives a flow of approximately 800m3/h from the copper recovery plant, can produce a commercial grade metal concentrate product and is moving into commercial production.

The ion-exchange plant will enable JCC and BioteQ to produce metal concentrate. In addition, a secondary benefit for JCC is that the plant contributes to a reduction in the amount and toxicity of waste sludge produced by lime neutralisation.

The recovery of copper, nickel and cobalt from the ChemSulphide and ion-exchange plants results in the production of significantly less waste sludge that must be disposed of.

running the numberSIn commercial production since 2008, the ChemSulphide copper recovery plant treats on average more than 6.3 million m3 of wastewater, while recovering just less than 1.8Mlbs of copper per year.

The ion-exchange plant will move into commercial production in the June quarter of 2012 with measured ramp-up throughout the year. At full operational capacity, the plant is projected to recover approximately 50,000lbs of nickel and 50,000lbs of cobalt per year.

The developments undertaken by BioteQ and JCC at the Dexing mine show that effective water treatment can be highly cost effective. Working with BioteQ, JCC has found innovative ways to turn a cost centre into a profitable enterprise.

The Dexing example illustrates that revenues generated from the recovery of

dissolved metals can, in many instances, significantly offset wastewater treatment costs. Funds generated through the recovery of such metals can be used to offset operating costs, as well as eventually offset costs associated with mine reclamation and closure costs – while at the same time providing stable, productive employment for local communities.

Jonathan Wilkinson is CEO of BioteQ Environmental Technologies, a Vancouver-based water treatment company that applies innovative technologies and operating expertise to solve challenging water treatment problems. See: www.bioteq.ca.

Ion-exchange technologies are also used at Dexing to enhance metal recovery

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28 MINE OF THE MONTH

Off the beaten trackYou could be forgiven for thinking that Veladero in Argentina is just another open-pit gold mine, but look closely and you will find a fascinating history, and logistics to make you marvel at the everyday challenges faced by workers and machinery to make this a successful mining operation. Adriana Potts reports

The Veladero mine is operated by Minera Argentina Gold SA (MAGSA), a subsidiary of Barrick,

one of the world’s leading producers of gold. Located in San Juan Province, about 350km northeast of the city of San Juan, Veladero sits in the high Andes at an

altitude of between 4,000m and 4,850m above sea level. It is very close to the Chilean border and immediately south of the Pascua Lama gold project, which straddles the border between Chile and Argentina and is currently also being developed by Barrick.

Veladero is accessed by a purpose-built

156km-long road that passes elevations of over 5,000m above sea level. Depending on the weather, it takes about seven hours in a 4x4 vehicle to drive from San Juan, the nearest city, to the mine. Conditions can be so severe that special shelters have been built every 20km along the access road to safeguard workers and travellers in extreme weather.

At this altitude, the temperature is highly variable and drops 2°C for every

Veladero is located in the

high Andes

28-31MM1206.indd 28 23/05/2012 15:03

29

June 2012www. .com

MINE OF THE MONTH

300m increase in elevation. During winter, which lasts from July to Septem-ber, the average daily temperature is -10°C, dipping as low as -16°C during the night. Add to that the wind-chill factor and the night temperature can drop to -40°C, a figure that has been recorded several times.

“Winds blow from west to east and can be very strong, sometimes 80-100km/h. Even extreme winds of up to 220km/h have been recorded by the weather station,” says Jose Luis Fornés, mining superintendent at Veladero, explaining that the average winds are 20-30km/h during the day but that this increases substantially as the day wears out.

“Weather conditions can be very hard, especially in winter, to the point where the access road can be blocked and we have to declare an alert,” says Mr Fornés. He

adds that among its facilities, the mine has an operating theatre with a surgeon, should any medical emergency happen while the road is closed.

Because of the remoteness of the mine, operators at Veladero work a pattern of 14 days in and 14 days out. Of the 14 days at the mine, seven are worked during the day and seven are worked during the night.

“We have special conditions here that complicate our logistics. There’s nothing within a 100km radius around us, so we expect reliability from our equipment and suppliers,” says Mr Fornés.

HIsTORyAlthough mining activities around the San Juan Province can be traced as far back as the early 19th Century, Veladero represents the arrival of true large-scale mining to this part of Argentina and it is Barrick’s first operation in the country.

After a programme of exploration in the mid-1990s, it was not until May 1997, in the middle of snow storms and cut-off roads, that gold and silver was discovered

Inset below: Veladero boasts the highest-altitude wind turbine in the world

Left: blast hole drill rigs working at Veladero.

28-31MM1206.indd 29 23/05/2012 15:04

June 2012 www. .com

30 MINE OF THE MONTH

in an area called Federico. The winter of 1997 was especially bad due to the El Niño weather phenomenon, making it even more difficult to access and continue work in some key areas. After four years of exploration, in 1998 two very significant holes were drilled in an area called Amable: Hole V76 and Hole V90, which revealed excellent mineralisation and showed the quality of the project.

Soon after this, MAGSA’s then parent company, ARP, sold its shares to Homestake Mining Co, which in turn merged with Barrick in 2001. The environmental impact assessment for Veladero was approved in November 2003 and construction started that same year. After an investment of US$540 million in the construction of the mine, commercial operations finally began in September 2005 and the first gold bar was produced in November that year.

MININg aNd prOcEssINgVeladero is an open-pit mine extracting gold and silver from three ore bodies: Filo Federico, Amable and Argenta. Federico, to the north and Amable, to the south, are the original open pits. Extraction at Argenta, located in the southeast sector of the field, commenced in 2010. Exploration has also been carried out at a fourth area, Cuatro Esquinas, which is located in the

centre and will eventually become a working pit. Veladero is a low-grade mine producing about 1g/t of gold, with an ore-to-waste strip ratio of 3:1. Metal recovery is achieved through heap leaching and cyanide processing methods.

Veladero’s gold production in 2011 was 0.96Moz at a total cash cost of US$353/oz. Proven and probable mineral reserves currently stand at around 11.3Moz of gold.

Rock extraction is carried out through drilling and blasting, with the mine currently extracting an average of 230,000t/d of rock. Higher-grade ore is crushed to a size of 32mm in a two-stage crushing process and then transported via overland conveyor and trucks to the leach pad area. On the other hand, very low-grade, run-of-mine ore is hauled directly to the leach pad area.

All the ore is then stacked in a lined containment area behind a retention dam. A cyanide leach solution is applied to the top of the stacked ore and allowed to per-colate through the heap. As the solution travels through the ore, it dissolves gold and silver from the rock. This gold-rich solution is collected at the base of the leach pad and pumped to a conventional Merrill-Crowe process plant in order to recover the gold and silver.

“Ever since we started operations, we’ve been looking for ways to increase production,” says Mr Fornés, explaining that crushing capacity was expanded from 50,000-85,000t/d in 2009. Heap leaching capacity and transport capacity have also been increased.

Veladero’s fleet of loading and hauling equipment includes Caterpillar 793 and 785 dump trucks, Liebherr 996 hydraulic shovels, Komatsu PC5500 hydraulic shovels and Caterpillar 994 wheel loaders. Veladero uses Modular Mining’s IntelliMine GPS and DISPATCH mine management systems, a MasterLink wireless communications backbone for increased data bandwidth throughout the site and field communication.

WINd pOWErVeladero boasts a world-record wind turbine. Power at the mine is provided mainly by diesel generators with a total capacity of 13.5MW. However, in 1998, the company installed a DeWind D8.2 wind turbine, which currently produces 2MW, or around 20% of the energy needed at the site. At over 4,000m above sea level, this is the highest wind turbine in the world. The D8.2 has a rotor diameter of 80m and is installed on a specially developed 56m-high tower.

According to DeWind, at an elevation of 4,300m, air pressure is only about 600mbar (compared with 1,013mbar at

sea level), and the air density drops to 0.797kg/m3 (1.225kg/m3 at sea level).

Normally, a wind turbine operating at this altitude would have a significantly lower yield than a turbine operating at sea level at a site with the same wind speed.

One of the problems found by DeWind was the effective cooling of the turbine equipment, as traditional power converters and other electronic components no longer function reliably at this altitude. The company’s solution was the use of a four-pole synchronous generator without slippage, connected directly to the grid. Frequency regulation on the DeWind D8.2 is by means of a gearbox developed by Voith Turbo, the WinDrive, which is used as the third transmission stage. The need for a secondary power converter is eliminated, allowing the generator to be connected directly to the grid.

“The use of wind energy provides a clean source of power for the mine and also helps us to cut down on fuel transport,” says Mr Fornés. He adds that, following a trial period, the turbine’s capacity was gradually increased to 2MW.

drIllINg aNd blasTINgCarlos Cabanillas, drilling and blasting general supervisor, and Ramón Arjona, drilling and blasting senior supervisor, explain the daily routine for their area.

“We have a meeting first thing in the morning to check what the night shift is leaving us with; for instance, if there were any incidents or problems with the machines,” says Mr Cabanillas. This is followed by a visit to the working area for a general inspection. “We check the areas that are going to be blasted that day and determine whether there will be blasting or not,” says Mr Arjona, explaining that normally blasting happens twice a day, at 14:00 and 18:00. Veladero uses ANFO for blasting with Orica providing the service in this area.

The severe weather can interrupt operations. Indeed, as Mr Cabanillas points out, the mine receives an updated weather report every day: “If there’s the possibility of a thunderstorm that day, we don’t blast – it could be catastrophic!”

Veladero’s current drilling fleet is composed of 11 diesel rigs, some drilling pre-split holes and some drilling production holes. This includes Sandvik D90 drill rigs and an Atlas Copco Pit Viper 271 drill rig. There are also some Ingersoll Rand DM-M2 rigs.

ExTrEME cONdITIONsThe PV-271, which arrived at Veladero in May 2010, is currently deployed in pit Amable drilling 105/8” production blast holes to a depth of 15m. The mine

Veladero has an Atlas Copco Pit

Viper 271 rig digging

production holes

Aerial view of the mine site

28-31MM1206.indd 30 25/05/2012 15:16

31MINE OF THE MONTH

employs standard 15m-high bench drilling with a hole spacing of 7x8m in waste rock and 6.5x7m in ore.

Veladero has a silica-rich host rock, the quality of which varies throughout the site. “We have areas where the rock is hard, others where it is quite fragile and others where it is not only hard but also highly compressive,” says Mr Arjona.

Victor Astudillo, the operator of the PV-271, knows this only too well. He explains that, depending on the area where they are working, drilling a production blast hole can take anywhere from 18 minutes to one hour: “Most of the rock is hard, so on average, it takes about 45 minutes to drill a hole.”

Working at high elevations can present a number of problems for any machine. With every additional metre in elevation, air density and pressure decrease and traditional electronic components no longer function reliably. “Also, our severe winter can affect a machine drastically,” says Mr Arjona, explaining that some areas of the machine such as the air and water circuits can easily get frozen.

To work under the weather conditions at Veladero, the PV-271 had to be equipped with several special features such as a more powerful engine and compressor, as well as a cold-weather

package, which includes additional covering of the machinery housing and allows for warm start-up and drill operation in extremely cold conditions.

And how has the PV-271 fared in this harsh environment? “Very well indeed and with good reported availability times, too,” says Mr Arjona. He adds that when comparing forecast versus real availability and utilisation, the real figures normally come on top. “The PV-271 has given us good levels of availability. We can rely on that machine, and for us that’s what’s important,” says Mr Cabanillas.

MOTIvATEd by TEcHNOlOgyThe PV-271 is poised to please Veladero even more once it is fitted with the Rig Control System (RCS) technology; this will give the mine a series of highly auto-mated options, including autolevelling, autodrilling, GPS hole navigation, rig remote access and communication, wireless remote tramming, measure-while-drilling data log files and tele-remote operation.

“We’re going for the full set of RCS functions and are looking forward to using this technology at Veladero,” comments Mr Cabanillas.

The managers at Veladero have also decided to acquire a second PV-271

drilling rig and this will feature RCS technology right from the start.

“The idea is that both machines will have the same configuration, avoiding the need for different spare parts and operations,” says Atlas Copco technician Osvaldo Gil from the company’s Argentina office.

With both PV-271 machines featuring full versions of the RCS system, Veladero will be able to take its drilling to the next level. “Our idea is to be able to drill remotely from a fixed distant point. We want to be at the forefront when it comes to mining technology,” says Mr Cabanillas.

Using the latest high technology in drilling automation will certainly help Veladero achieve this goal.

Veladero’s load and haul fleet includes Caterpillar 793 and 785 trucks

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IPCC

In-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) has been in existence for several dec-ades as an efficient means of material

processing and handling. With the introduction of significantly

larger haul trucks, innovative electric drive systems and correspondingly larger loading shovels during the early 1960s, mining operations gradually evolved their material-loading and -handling strategies to accommodate large shovel-truck packages.

Stationary crushing plants, especially those equipped with pre-screening and jaw crushers, could no longer handle the required capacities of ore or harder waste materials in surface mines. As a result, other crushing units such as gyratory or double-roll crushers were developed in parallel with the ability to locate the plant near the mining front, in order to reduce truck transportation distances and minimise energy requirements.

Many mines have not embraced IPCC technology until recently. This is mainly due to economic pressures, as well as the development of new technologies. Modern advancements mean that IPCC can now be used at most surface coal and hard rock mines. In-pit crushers, spreaders and conveyors combined provide a continuous process that can result in long-term savings.

IPCC has been gaining popularity for several reasons. Environmental regulations in many countries are pushing for cleaner, more environmentally friendly technolo-gies, and economic pressures in the form of greater global demand for minerals and coal are driving mines into higher production. This boost in production combined with higher fuel, personnel and infrastructure prices have led to a re-emergence of interest in IPCC systems.

IPCC has a number of advantages over conventional truck and shovel operations. These include reduced personnel requirements, a potentially reduced carbon footprint (depending on where and how the electrical power is pro-duced), reduced operating costs and the potential for reduced capital costs when a smaller haulage fleet is considered, as well as reduced dependence on truck tyres and diesel fuel.

With fuel prices escalating, many mines are currently experiencing significantly higher operational expenses (OPEX) to run the large haul truck fleets needed for

production, and there is also a serious shortage of truck tyres.

Truck operating costs can swing widely, and are also closely tied to the varying cost of labour, road construction and maintenance, truck replacement and the distance hauled – the greater the haul distance, the more trucks are required.

IPCC systems are an alternative to haul trucks that have less exposure to fluctuations in diesel and tyre costs and greater availability.

Additionally, government pressure in many countries to reduce the carbon footprint of mining operations is propelling the IPCC industry forward. Glenn Davis, global product manager at FLSmidth IPCC, explains: “The multiple electric drive packages utilised in a traditional IPCC system can reduce overall CO2 emissions by as much as 80% in some cases over the diesel-powered units used in traditional truck haulage.”

Scot Szalanski, product manager, in-pit crushing and conveying at P&H Mining Equipment (part of Joy Global), says: “The global mining industry continues to analyse the economics of options other than 100% truck-based material-handling systems, as they face the ‘perfect storm’ of long lead times for trucks, difficulty in obtaining tyres and difficulty in having an adequate resource of trained equipment operators.”

David Morrison, manager of integrated mining systems at mining consultancy Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM), adds that conveyors can transport material much more cheaply than trucks. Now that sizers of sufficient capacity to match the

production rates of large shovels are available, there is a chance to employ the low transport cost option of conveying material in the pit. Without the large sizer, the systems would not be economic.

Recovery of the additional capital required for an IPCC can be seen in as little as two to five years, and the incremental costs of adding distance to an IPCC conveyor system are relatively small. Labour requirements are also substantially reduced, and energy efficiency is gained when replacing the cost of fuel with the cost of electricity. Energy is only required to move the product in an IPCC system, whereas with truck and shovel, the weight of the truck both loaded and when travelling empty consumes extra energy.

Mr Davis of FLSmidth explains to Mining Magazine: “The trade-off between truck and IPCC is modestly increased initial capital versus greatly reduced operating costs. When looking at the annual cash flow (CAPEX [capital expenditure] plus OPEX) of the two types of systems, the advantage of IPCC over truck and shovel can be measured in dollars per tonne, rather than cents per tonne. This quickly grows into hundreds of millions or even approaching a billion dollars of cost savings over the life of a mine when utilising fully mobile systems.”

Total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis for IPCC systems generally reveals the strong potential for significant lower operating costs over haul truck-based material handling strategies. Return on investment (ROI) is typically dependent on the capital cost of the IPCC System.

Creative crushingThere has recently been a resurgence of interest in in-pit crushing and conveying systems. Ailbhe Goodbody speaks to some leading manufacturers and consultants about its advantages and applications

remember cap-tions from ailbhe

Graphic of a semi-mobile IPCC system from Joy Global

“The trade-off between truck and IPCC is modestly increased initial capital versus greatly reduced operating costs”

33-35,37-38, 40-41MM1206.indd 33 25/05/2012 14:31

June 2012 www. .com

34 IPCC

Ulrich Mentges, senior manager, mine planning and sales at ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik, says: “Based on several studies done for IPCC systems, it reduces the operating costs between three and five times compared with truck and shovel. The ROI point can be calculated to around 1–3 years after commissioning.”

Doug Turnbull, principal mining engineer at Sandvik Mining Systems, agrees: “The operating cost of an IPCC system is typically 25% less than truck and shovel for a fixed IPCC, 40% less for semi-mobile IPCC, and up to 60% less for fully mobile IPCC.”

ACCePtAnCeHowever, there are challenges facing the acceptance of IPCC system solutions. While the IPCC concept has significant advantages and lower operating costs than trucks and shovel mining, the initial high capital cost is a key application hurdle in many cases.

If it is considered early enough, an IPCC system may compare well for capital costs against a non-IPCC mining system. A spokesperson for SRK Consulting explains: “The primary crusher is considered a requirement in both scenarios, and the IPCC system is simply a relocation of the crusher and a conveyor connection. Fewer trucks will be required for the IPCC scenario, hence it is possible to reduce the total project capital.”

Overall, operational flexibility is one of the main reasons why many mines have not veered too far from a truck-based system. An IPCC system is focused on minimising haulage costs, which form a significant part of the unit mining costs. In truck and shovel mining, however, the operation can be re-orientated quickly to address operational demands or changes in commodity pricing.

SRK’s spokesperson says: “Redesigning cutbacks or focusing attention on other production areas can mean the IPCC location is no longer optimal, and the savings/payback targeted may not be realised. It is a lot more challenging to re-schedule to meet new objectives. The use of an additional primary crusher helps overcome a lot of these issues, but at high capital expense.”

Competition between IPCC system manufacturers is fierce, and not all of them have completed installations yet. Mr Turnbull explains: “The number of people experienced in actual IPCC operations is limited to the 207 operations around the world that use these systems – so the mining industry knowledge base (consultants and in-house) is limited when it comes to real-life data or exposure to IPCC systems.”

New technological innovations are needed to propel IPCC to the next level. However, with the tightening of environmental restrictions, some mines may have no choice but to implement an IPCC system as an economic material handling strategy.

Mr Davis comments: “We at FLSmidth believe that, with the world’s continued uncertainty about future fuel prices, the mining industry will more fully embrace IPCC and all of its advantages. FLSmidth is certainly doing its part to innovate.”

SeleCtIng IPCCIPCC systems are most suited to applications that have long haul distances and require a crushing process. For example, coal has to be crushed before it can be shipped or processed. As haulage comprises the largest percentage of operating costs at any mining operation, it makes sense to crush the ore near the pit and convey it in order to reduce truck costs. The same can be said for other commodities that require crushing, such as copper and iron ore.

The major individual pieces that make up an IPCC system are usually designed to allow for future relocation. In the case of a semi-mobile IPCC system that utilises a small truck fleet to feed the crushing station, relocation of the major compo-nents will usually be timed with the progressing excavation face. As the mine gets deeper and/or wider, relocation of the system can help to maintain a short haul distance for the truck fleet, thus reducing overall operational costs.

Pit configuration plays a major role in selecting the correct IPCC system. Generally, large, open cut mines with wide and straight excavation faces are ideal for IPCC systems.

However, it is inaccurate to say that circular-shaped pits are not conducive to IPCC, as they can also be adapted for use in such mines. Additionally, IPCC can be used at sites where grade control is

required prior to input to a processing plant – an overhead gantry stacker can be installed to separate the ore into multiple stockpiles.

However, it is not as easy to implement IPCC in situations where potentially acid-forming (PAF) waste needs to be treated separately from non-acid-forming (NAF) waste.

Mr Davis says: “FLSmidth has identified a growing trend in mines selecting IPCC systems based on moving the overburden material that generally covers the precious minerals. These mines are selecting this method based on the large overburden-to-minerals ratio.

“Due to the higher initial CAPEX of a conveyor-based IPCC system, mine life also plays a major factor in its selection. In some cases, the system can have a short five-year payback, but generally a 10-year or more mine life is needed to get the most value out of the system.”

One of the issues with mine design is that most scheduling software packages are truck-based and are not conducive to IPCC.

Mr Turnbull of Sandvik notes: “The mining industry has viewed big mines and big throughputs as being more suited to IPCC; but it must be considered why many quarries use IPCC, when they have tiny throughputs per annum in compari-son with major mines. The reason is that for long-term assets, normally over 50 years, they want the predictability of planned production and are more than willing to forego the flexibility factor for certainty in costs and throughput.”

New developments in the industry have made IPCC systems much more flexible, but they are still not as flexible as purely truck-based haulage systems. Mr Davis explains: “This is a major hurdle in implementing conveyor-based IPCC systems. Many mine operators like the freedom and extreme flexibility of traditional truck haulage, even at the expense of loss of revenue. Our focus at

Sandvik semi-mobile crushing

plant mine conveyors at

Aitik, northern Sweden

“We believe, with the

continued uncertainty about fuel prices, the

mining industry will

more fully embrace

IPCC”

33-35,37-38, 40-41MM1206.indd 34 25/05/2012 14:31

35IPCC

FLSmidth has been on developing fully mobile technology that enhances the flex-ibility in the interface between trucks and conveyors in order to address this issue.”

In the case of equipment breakdown, at a truck-based operation another truck can be quickly dispatched to take its place in production. However, with a conveyor-based system, contingency management plans need to be put in place to minimise costly shutdowns. Mine planning, as well as maintenance planning, are key to the successful implementation of an IPCC system.

“IPCC use can limit operational

flexibility, so planning is critical,” says a spokesperson for SRK Consulting. “Cutbacks and staged development needs to consider access to the IPCC locations unless multiple primary crushers are being considered. Larger-scale cutbacks and longer-term ramps will make IPCC operations simpler to use and maximise the cost advantages.”

They add: “For these reasons, larger projects and those with a longer mine life are often more amenable to IPCC technologies.”

Factors that need to be taken into account when planning an IPCC

installation include: the geology of the area; the size, shape and depth of the deposit; the hardness and abrasiveness of the material; desired annual production; initial investment required; operating costs; and environmental factors, such as the proximity of the mine to population centres requiring noise and dust reductions, or its proximity to protected or agricultural areas that require minimal footprint.

The type and size of crusher chosen for an IPCC system depends on a number of factors, such as the material hardness and abrasiveness, the grain size distribution of the feed material, product size and the required capacity.

Mr Turnbull of Sandvik says: “Our crushers can be used for different kinds of applications and materials such as overburden, coal, iron ore, copper ore and oils sands.” However, he cautions that bigger installations are not necessarily better. He explains: “There are many extremely successful IPCC operations with multiple ‘smaller’ crusher stations around 5,500t/h in size that are paired with the largest shovels. These have the ability to be relocated far quicker, more cheaply and easily than those that are over 10,000t/h.”

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“IPCC use can limit operational flexibility, so planning is critical”

33-35,37-38, 40-41MM1206.indd 35 25/05/2012 14:31

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IPCC

IPCC applications, as equipment efficiency can be maximised and the mining plan built around it. Brownfield implementation of IPCC can be a little more challenging due to having to adapt the IPCC equipment configuration to the existing mining plan.

The decision-making process is often more complex at brownfield operations, and the mine development sequence and geology play important roles in this. Utilisation of existing equipment to reduce initial capital cost can complicate implementation. However, with environ-mental restrictions becoming tighter, some brownfield mines are finding the IPCC process more appealing.

The upfront CAPEX of IPCC means that it can be difficult to justify replacing an existing truck fleet that is operating effectively; moving the material by truck may not be as cheap as IPCC, but stopping production can be expensive. The ideal time to assess the implementa-tion of IPCC at an existing mine is when the truck fleet is due for near-complete replacement, or when a mine is assessing an expansion. It is important to incorpo-rate an IPCC-friendly mine plan into the system, rather than making it fit into a truck-and-shovel mine plan.

Examining the economic benefits of an IPCC system is best considered at the project feasibility stage, although careful analysis needs to be conducted, as this method is site-specific.

A 3-D or computer simulation should be used as an assistant tool for planning and development advance; especially if selective mining is required. Experienced suppliers should be involved in research-ing the most appropriate equipment for a particular site, as they have would have more detailed knowledge of the available design and capacity options.

Mr Szalanski states: “The P&H application-optimising process can help planning. It includes ‘4-D’ visualisation tools that combine a mine’s 3-D topography and time with IPCC system application scenarios that include the interplay of all of the components of an IPCC system in either fully mobile or stationary configurations.”

Mr Turnbull says: “Sandvik works with its in-house mine planning department so that critical mine operating data is developed, which allows us to create a 3-D IPCC mining plan. The mine planning step is crucial to establishing the basis for a cost-effective design of the IPCC system.”

A poorly designed and/or poorly implemented system can be disastrous for the supplier as well as for the mine. Consequences could include loss of

production, high operational costs and risks in mine safety.

One of the effects of a poorly designed system could be a lack of co-ordination between the loading equipment (such as rope shovel, hydraulic excavator, truck) and the crushing unit. An inability to co-ordinate these assets can result in significant shortfalls between actual and required production requirements.

“Even a successfully commissioned system operating at rated capacity could cause continual frustration in the day-to-day mine operations if, for example, the conveyor routing was poorly selected,” explains Mr Davis. “Mine operators have to live with the delivered systems for as long as 20 years or more, so at FLSmidth we prefer to work closely with the client throughout all stages of the project to ensure success.”

Underperformance to expectations would be another issue, along with disillusionment with the worth of the system. Many mining companies have a lack of knowledge and exposure to operating IPCC systems. Mr Turnbull says: “Sandvik has the capacity to work with those who want IPCC for a fixed period, until they can see for themselves the ease of operation.”

Fully mobIle or semI-mobIleSome operations are more suitable for fully mobile IPCC systems, and others are more suitable for semi-mobile systems; a TCO analysis is required to make that decision. The fixed- and variable-cost factors over several years should be examined, along with an analysis of how frequently the IPCC system will need to be moved, to choose the best option.

In fully mobile systems, shovels/excavators feed the crushers directly and

trucks are confined to a clean-up fleet. The mobile crushing plants are mounted on tracks and move with the shovels. Connecting the fully mobile crusher to a main conveyor requires mobile beltwag-ons, a mobile bridge or conveyors.

The large gyratory crushers used by many operations are not flexible, so small-scale jaw crushers with lower throughputs are used in fully mobile systems, along with higher-capacity sizers that are limited in material strengths. This effectively means that high-capacity fully mobile crushers for hard rock are not readily available at this stage, therefore very hard and abrasive deposits must use semi-mobile or fixed crushing plants.

Mr Turnbull of Sandvik notes: “Fully mobile crushing stations usually use hybrids, sizers or double-roll crushers, all of which have traditionally been more suited to softer rock, but changing crushing technology is driving their move into harder and harder rock types. Hybrid systems can now cope with rock with a uniaxial compressive strength up to 225MPa.”

Mr Davis of FLSmidth comments: “Our fully mobile crushing stations generally utilise the newly developed low-speed sizer as a base for the crushing circuit. The low-speed sizer has an overall height of 1.5–2m; this low head height lends itself to adaptation into a fully mobile system. These systems will normally utilise an apron feeder to meter material into the top of the sizer, and a discharge conveyor and chute underneath the sizer to move the material to the adjoining conveyor system. This mix of equipment helps reduce the overall height and mass of the system, thus allowing for its mobility. Current sizer technology can crush material with a hardness of around

Graphic of a fully-mobile IPCC system from Joy Global

“Even a successfully commission- ed system could cause continual frustration if, for example, the conveyor routing was poorly selected”

33-35,37-38, 40-41MM1206.indd 37 25/05/2012 14:32

June 2012 www. .com

38 IPCC

120MPa, and can process very high throughputs over 12,000t/h.”

Fully mobile systems allow a limited ability to selectively mine or blend at the face, so are more adaptable to bulk mining situations. They can also be used for waste stripping as often no selectivity is required.

For semi-mobile IPCC systems, the crusher stations are located near the working face, requiring a smaller number of trucks shuttling between the shovel/excavator and the crusher. Semi-mobile IPCC systems require truck loading, so there is more flexibility, as a truck can either feed the IPCC system or it can travel up the ramp to take the ore to stockpile or an alternative destination.

Semi-mobile stations are not usually as height- or mass-restricted as fully mobile stations, so they allow for a greater range of crushing circuits. Semi-mobile stations can be installed in a much broader range of mines and may be installed with a gyratory, cone, jaw, sizer, double-roll or hybrid unit as the main crushing circuit.

Crushers can be relocated to keep pace with an advancing face (vertically or horizontally) or relocated strategically, but the increased range of flexibility means that the semi-mobile station can be expensive to move with its added mass and expanded footprint. It is usually only economical to relocate a semi-mobile station every 3–10 years. Semi-mobile systems are often used in large, deep, long-life mines where capital investment makes long-term sense.

Mr Turnbull of Sandvik explains: “Semi-mobile and fixed IPCC systems could be easily retro-fitted into existing open-pit operations without major redesign or rescheduling of the pit. It’s more about the mine operator’s corporate philosophy, and whether they will take a perceived risk on a system they may not be familiar with.

“Some prefer at least an element of familiarity, so a semi-mobile system with

trucks and shovels is easier to accept than a fully mobile system. In reality, however, it should only be the deposit that decides.”

Current/Future InstallatIons The companies that MM spoke to were all very positive about the future of IPCC in the mining industry. Several installations in different deposits and different sizes worldwide show the advantages of the technology, and provide a reference point for those who are considering such a system.

Mr Szalanski of P&H says: “We have seen an increase in fully mobile IPCC systems for coal, which is an extremely uniform material that is easy to crush and haul by conveyors. We also have also seen a more gradual move to ‘soft rock’ IPCC systems to move overburden. Why use high-value, limited resources such as trucks, tyres and manpower to move a waste product that has no value to the mine owner? In both cases we feel that Joy Global’s experience makes us well positioned to respond to the market’s

increased interest in the IPCC process.”As long as there is a desire to produce

ore as economically as possible, IPCC will have a place in the mining industry. However, Mr Turnbull of Sandvik cautions: “The end user market’s interest is constantly increasing. However, it will only be sustained if the industry accepts that very few people actually know what they are talking about when it comes to IPCC. Choose carefully.”

Currently, FLSmidth is in the construc-tion phase on one of the world’s largest semi-mobile truck dump stations in Mexico. This station utilises the ABON 16/350 low-speed sizer and will have a throughput of 12,500t/h.

FLSmidth is also finishing some warranty work on four fully mobile stations in the Pilbara, Australia. These stations will operate in conjunction with fully mobile bridge and waste stacking conveyors to move overburden, exposing iron ore. The company says that it anticipates these stations will be commissioned in the September quarter of 2012.

In 2011, FLSmidth won a contract to supply IPCC equipment to PT Adaro Indonesia’s coal mine in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, and the construction of equipment and components is currently in progress. A few major milestones have recently been achieved, such as testing of the 1,200t crawler transporter used to relocate each 6,000t/h station, as well as recent testing of the apron feeders. Onsite, the bulk earthworks and retaining walls that each station will nest into are nearly completed.

Mr Davis comments: “The coal market in Indonesia is currently a very hot topic, and we are very excited to be building a complete IPCC system in this part of the

Graphic of an FLSmidth

semi-mobile installation

Graphic of Sandvik’s PF300

fully mobile crushing plant

with belt bridge

“Why use high-value,

limited resources to

move a waste product that has no value to the mine

owner?”

33-35,37-38, 40-41MM1206.indd 38 25/05/2012 14:32

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40 IPCC

world. The PT Adaro project will be a major link to potential work in the near future.”

ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik has a number of fully mobile IPCC systems in operation. The Yimin He coal mine in Inner Mongolia, China, has been successfully

operating a fully mobile crushing system with double-roll crusher since 2007.

The Bayinhua and Datang coal operations, also in China, will increase their crusher capacities in the coming years. The engineering is nearly finished on three high-capacity fully mobile

crushing plants with design capacities of up to 10,000t/h that ThyssenKrupp is supplying to Datang.

ThyssenKrupp’s first fully mobile plants equipped with grizzly and jaw crushers for Vale’s future S11D mine in Brazil have also been ordered and are already in the

Independently owned Mining Machinery Developments (MMD) is proud of the role it has played in the development of IPCC, and the fact that some of the most successful units operating are based on the mineral sizer, the technology that it developed and patented in 1978.

However, as its spokesperson points out, the current series of conferences and articles devoted to IPCC is reminiscent of the scenario in the early 1980s, epitomised by a number of papers lauding IPCC that were presented at the International Large Open Pit Conference hosted by the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) in 1986.

Then, however, the initial euphoria/optimism about IPCC was followed by disappointment when most of the systems failed.

This was not due to shortcomings of the crushing equipment, but simply because the large classic crushers did not really lend themselves to be made into mobile or even semi-mobile installations. This resulted in most of these large, very expensive mobile units ending up simply as over-priced static installations.

However, this was not the case with all of them, and shortly after the limitations of classic crushing systems for IPCC became evident, MMD unveiled its first IPCC unit. It was delivered to a mine in Spain in 1988/1989, to complement an existing gyratory crusher, which it eventually replaced.

This unit heralded a new approach to IPCC, and ever since MMD has championed this system and developed equipment for its specific needs. MMD is particularly proud of the success of its sizer-based IPCC units, along with the fact that most of its early units are not

only still working but have also resulted in follow-up orders.

This is particularly significant in Asia, and especially China, which is not only a currently booming mining area but is also where many of MMD’s early offerings were installed as far back as the late 1980s and 1990s.

An example is China Coal’s Pingshuo mine, which will take delivery of MMD’s latest IPCC offering – its fully mobile LPMS sizer – later this year. This group purchased its first MMD IPCC unit, a semi-mobile unit, in 1992 and followed

this with orders for a series of semi-mobile sizing stations.

The most recent delivery to Pingshuo took place in 2011. Another example is Shenhua Coal’s Zhungeer mine which, in a similar pattern to Pingshuo, p urchased a number of semi-mobile installations following the success of the initial units delivered in the early 1990s.

MMD’s IPCC equipment is not just confined to China. In Thailand, MMD has delivered a system for Electrical Generating Authority of Thailand’s (EGAT) Mae Moh operation, which has resulted in repeat orders.

Following the delivery of the first three semi-mobile units to contractor Ban Pu, MMD delivered a further four units to new contractor Italian Thai Developments (ITD) in 2001. The latter units proved to be so efficient and reliable that EGAT established a precedent for pre-used equipment and allowed the original units to be re-used for subsequent contracts, and the sizers have now successfully handled in excess of 6.5 billion cubic metres.

Now, based largely on the reliability of these units and the service provided by MMD and MMD SE Asia, MMD has received an order for nine similar semi-mobile sizing units from the Hongsa project in neighbouring Laos. MMD tells MM that one of its major competitors, an international conglomerate (that also offered this customer a package deal), will be supplying the material-handling component for the IPCC system. MMD is proud of the fact that it designs its own equipment, and says that this order shows that there is room in the industry for specialist providers.

MMD: over three decades of IPCC innovation

China Coal’s Pingshuo mine

will receive MMD’s fully-

mobile LPMS sizer later this year

A semi-mobile large-capacity sizer that MMD supplied to Lignitos de Meirama (LIMEISA)

The Mae Moh operation in Thailand circa 1993 (left) and 2001 (below left)

33-35,37-38, 40-41MM1206.indd 40 25/05/2012 14:45

41IPCC

engineering phase. The systems are planned to go into operation in 2013.

As for semi-mobile systems, Thyssen-Krupp has equipped several plants with direct-feed gyratory crushers, including the Tangshan plant in China and CITIC Pacific’s Sino Iron project in the Pilbara, along with operations run by the Chinese companies Shougang Group and Taigang Group. It has several plants in operation or close to commissioning in the Canadian oil sands, including high-capac-ity double-roll crushers with throughputs of more than 14,000t/h.

ThyssenKrupp will also supply three semi-mobile primary crushing systems to the new Sentinel mine in Zambia, a copper ore mine operated by Kalumbila Minerals, a subsidiary of First Quantum. It will be fitted with ThyssenKrupp type KB 63-89 gyratory crushers with a design capacity of 3,600t/h. The start-up is currently scheduled for 2013.

Joy Global says that it has numerous coal IPCC systems operating successfully around the world, including a fully mobile IPCC system without any trucks that has been in operation for over 10 years and handles around 2,000t/h of coal. In addition, Joy states that it has numerous stationary coal IPCC systems, some of which average over 5,000t/h.

Sandvik has received its first order from a Brazilian mining customer for a complete crushing and materials handling system that includes two PF300 fully mobile crushing units. The turn-key project includes engineering (mechanical, structural, electrical, and control and instrumentation engineering), design, manufacture, transport, construction and commissioning of the crushing system. Fabrication of the first unit is almost completed; delivery of the components and construction is on-going, and the system is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2012.

In addition, Sandvik has been awarded several IPCC deliveries in China, comprising semi-mobile crushers and the associated mine conveyors, as well as spreaders.

Sandvik was the lead contractor in the delivery of a large semi-mobile IPCC system that has been operating success-fully at the Mae Moh mine in Thailand since 2002. The group also installed two 8,000t/h semi-mobile IPCC systems at the Aitik mine in Sweden, where Sandvik is currently undertaking a service contract for the installed system. The company has also supplied two 10,000t/h jaw crusher-based systems with scalping capabilities at Vale’s Carajas mine in Brazil.

Sandvik recently signed a further contract for an IPCC system for a surface mine in Latin America. The order includes the design and supply of continuous mining equipment for a fully truckless IPCC system, comprising four lines in the mine with peak capacity of 10,000t/h each, and two waste lines each with 20,000t/h capacity. The order will be delivered in 2014.

SKM was recently commissioned by Rio Tinto to undertake an EPCM contract that included an IPCC system at Clermont mine in the Bowen Basin, Queensland, Australia. The company thinks that it is likely the system will be a relocatable operational arrangement, rather than the original plan to go fully mobile.

An FLSmidth apron feeder

“The Yimin He coal mine in Inner Mongolia has been operating a fully mobile crushing system since 2007”

33-35,37-38, 40-41MM1206.indd 41 25/05/2012 14:45

The concept of moving the primary crusher into the mine pit, either fully or semi-mobile, is not new.

Back in 1956, the first mobile crusher was developed by Krupp and put into opera-tion in a German limestone quarry.

The incentive to take that path is as valid today as it was 55 years ago: the limitations of the truck fleet. Whereas in 1956 the issue was the trucks’ inability to cope with frozen ramps, today it is an abundance of challenges for modern mine management, including labour availability and cost, fuel cost, tyre management and carbon emissions.

This article will not discuss the viability of in-pit crushing per se, but provide an overview of the evolution of semi-mobile crushing plants over the last few decades, which have led to the current state-of-the-art plants. Currently, these designs set new standards that are coming into use on sites all over the world, especially in Australia, China, Europe and South America.

Design DevelopmentsFigure 1 shows a graph of ThyssenKrupp-supplied mobile and semi-mobile crushing plants since the company invented the principle. Besides the number of units installed, the graph also provides an overview of the throughput rates these plants have been designed for – they can reach up to 14,000t/h.

This article will focus on large-scale semi-mobile crushing plants equipped with gyratory crushers, which are often the design of choice for modern mine sites that are challenged by the need to increase capacity due to declining ore grades and shareholders’ demands to make full use of economies of scale.

Figure 2 shows the design principle of

42 ipCC

larger than lifeDetlef Papajewski and Frank Drescher examine the evolution of large-scale semi-mobile crushing plants and the outlook for their future development

Figure 1: ThyssenKrupp

mobile and semi-mobile crushing plants supplied

from 1956 to 2010, showing

number installed and throughput

rates

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the early large-scale crushing plants that were most popular in the 1980s. Trucks tip into the feed hopper, and an apron feeder feeds the gyratory crusher, which discharges onto a belt underneath a small discharge bin. A large service tower with an operator’s cabin is incorporated into the plant to oversee the hopper, feeder and crusher inlet. The crusher auxiliaries and the plant’s electrical equipment are accommodated in the service tower. All the equipment rests on a steel structure with large pontoons that distribute the loads to the ground.

In contrast, figure 3 shows a direct-fed crushing plant, which represents the standard of the 1990s. Trucks tip into a feed hopper with the gyratory crusher directly underneath. The crusher discharges into a discharge hopper and onto an apron feeder, which feeds a short conveyor before the material is passed to the ramp conveyor. As before, a large service tower is part of the plant structure. Dumping heights of 26-30m are typical for this type of installation. The largest of these systems in operation are the 45m high crushing plants at Freeport-McMo-Ran’s Grasberg mine in Indonesia, which are equipped with KB 63-114 gyratory crushers that achieve capacities in excess of 10,000t/h.

latest generationIn 2005, the newest generation of direct-fed gyratory crushing plants (figure 4 shows an example) went into operation at Shougang’s Shuichang mine, 220km east of Beijing, China. Major design improvements include the installation of truck ramps that allow the design and preparation of the crusher pocket (also known as a dump pocket) to be simplified.

Another milestone facilitating the introduction of the pocket is the removal of the apron feeder below the crusher discharge hopper, saving overall installation height. The crusher discharges into the discharge hopper, which discharges directly onto a low-speed, heavy-duty belt feeder. Modern plants no longer require a large service tower, as modern automation and visualisation along with sophisticated camera systems allow the operator to control the plant from either a cabin alongside the discharge belt feeder or from the mine’s central control room. In either case, operators are not subject to vibration or potential dust and noise emissions.

Overall installation heights have been reduced to an absolute minimum, while maintaining optimal equipment protection using a full-sized discharge hopper. Depending on the truck fleet employed,

typical installation heights do not usually exceed 21m.

These design features are the basis of ThyssenKrupp’s recent order intake, with 14 additional installations coming into service in 2012. Most prominent among recent installations are the primary crushing plant commissioned in 2009 for Norsk Stein’s Jelsa plant in Norway, which is Scandinavia’s largest quarry operation, and the four in-pit crushing stations at CITIC Pacific Mining’s Sino Iron project at Cape Preston in northwest Western Australia, which will form

Australia’s largest in-pit crushing system.Some of the advantages that

semi-mobile crushing plants provide have been touched on before. However, some points deserve further attention.

FounDation requirementsFigure 5 illustrates the requirements of the foundation design for a semi-mobile crushing plant. The plant’s pontoons are designed to take up all static and dynamic loads occurring in the structure, so that the base only has to allow for changing ground pressures. In most cases, a bed of compacted gravel is all that is required to ensure a suitable foundation.

With state-of-the-art designs, the only concrete required for a primary crushing station comprises two slabs to ensure a levelled surface under the truck ramps and blocks for their deadman straps. Depending on the project location, this design feature can be of major impor-tance besides the obvious benefit of cost savings for foundation work. Since the gravel bed underneath the crushing plant acts as a buffer and does not get damaged, the semi-mobile design is espe-cially suitable for mine sites affected by frequent seismic activity.

Generally, the primary quality of the crushing stations discussed in this article is their ability to be moved by transport crawlers or self-propelled modular transporters. Usually, after a period of 2-5 years in one location, a semi-mobile crushing plant follows the shovel deeper into the pit to minimise truck transport distances. Figure 6 shows an example of a previous relocation. Again, the Freeport installations set the benchmark, with more than 1,200t carried in one lift.

Figure 2: type of large semi-mobile crushing plant common in the 1980s

Figure 3: direct-fed crushing plant as standard in the 1990s

Figure 4: latest type of direct-fed gyratory plant at Shuichang mine in China

Figure 5 (below): the foundations required for a modern mobile crushing plant

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44 ipCC

health anD saFetyWith modern plant designs, the large service tower that was previously an integral part of the plant structure has become obsolete.

The result is not only a simplified crushing station, but also an improvement in the occupational health and safety of staff. Local electrical infrastructure such as transformers and motor control centres, as well as local control panels, are

accommodated in electrical cabinets located next to the discharge belt feeder on the bottom level of the crushing station.

As a result, the main service and operating areas of the plant are completely separated from the truck dumping level. Access to the plant is thus eased, and the vibration, dust and noise levels that can affect the mine’s personnel are reduced significantly.

moDularisationToday’s mine sites and mining projects demand the fastest possible ramp-up times and optimised equipment installation. ThyssenKrupp took these challenges into account when designing its new standard semi-mobile crushing plant range. The objective has been to deliver the largest practicable modules to sites, depending on local requirements and limitations. Figure 7 shows how the

Figure 7 (far right): exploded

diagram showing modularisation of a modern mobile

plant

Figure 6 (near right): the plant

can be relocated using either a

crawler or self-propelled

transporters

Cut Your Costs!High Capacity Fully Mobile In-Pit Crushing and Conveying Systems

ThyssenKrupp FördertechnikExcellence in Technology

Business Unit MiningThyssenKrupp Allee 1D-45143 Essen, Germanywww.tk-mining.com · info@tk-mining.com

In 2007, ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik commissioned the first fully mobile IPCC-System for processingROM coal at a rate of 3,500 mt/h. Today, design capacities up to 13,000 mt/h can be realized in all mining operations where a shovel can excavate the material directly at the mining face, with or without blasting.

42-45MM1206.indd 44 24/05/2012 09:56

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www. .com

Feature name

modularisation of the plant is incorpo-rated into its 3D modelling.

Figures 8 and 9 show an extreme case of pre-assembled modules, where a fully pre-assembled steel structure has been shipped to the site in one piece.

Capital CostHistorically, the ability of semi-mobile crushing plants to be relocated in order to follow mining progress, thereby reducing truck transport distances and thus costs, was the main reason mining companies decided to install them. Nowadays, the reasons are much more diverse, and are based on the previously discussed major design developments.

These design developments bear potential cost savings, even if the primary crusher is positioned at a strategic point between the open pit and the concentra-tion plant and does not need to be moved to another location during the life of the mine. It has been observed that an increasing number of customers consider a semi-mobile crushing plant to be the economically superior option compared to building a conventional fixed concrete structure, which requires substantial infrastructure. As many mine sites operate in remote areas, this applies to labour as well as equipment.

By choosing a semi-mobile crushing plant made of steel, the fabrication and construction work can be performed where a workforce can be employed most efficiently. Steel structures can be manufactured worldwide and, given today’s logistics network, transported to the most remote location at low cost. As a result, the amount of infrastructure and personnel required to be brought to a mine site at high cost can be reduced considerably.

outlookRising costs for labour, fuel and consuma-bles, and the trend towards increasingly stringent government regulations and taxation schemes related to greenhouse

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Detlef Papajewski is vice-president, crushing technology, at ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik, and Frank Drescher is head of product group crushing technology, at ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik. See: www.thyssenkrupp-foerdertechnik.de

Figures 8 and 9: in some cases modules can be shipped to the site in one piece

gas emissions, are the driving forces for modern mining companies to rethink their traditional truck-shovel mining methods. In combination with the need to increase extraction rates to exploit economies of scale, and to react to declining ore grades, large semi-mobile crushing plants could be the face of future mining.

ThyssenKrupp is co-operating with university researchers to analyse the energy balance and carbon footprint of

today’s primary crushing alternatives, with results to be published by the end of 2012.

In this article it has been shown that, based on the experience of the past decades, significant design improve-ments have been realised, which justify detailed investigation of the feasibility of large-scale semi-mobile crushing plants for nearly every major open pit mining project.

45

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46 BLOCK CAVING

Keeping up with cavingCaving mining techniques are experiencing a surge of interest, thanks to a combination of favourable metal prices, high forecast demand and the need to exploit deeper, more complex orebodies at the lowest cost possible. Carly Lovejoy investigates the current market

46-48,50-52,54-60,62-64MM1206.indd 46 23/05/2012 16:37

47BLOCK CAVING

Both surface and underground mass mining methods have generated increasing interest in recent years,

as mining companies look to exploit large orebodies faster and more economically.

Underground mining methods such as block, panel and sub-level caving continue to be the premier choice for deeply situated massive orebodies, thanks to the high potential production rates and low operating costs involved. Recent technological developments and improved solutions for designing, planning and modelling caving operations mean that these techniques can now be applied at greater depths, in more competent rock masses with greater geotechnical challenges than ever before.

GLOBAL INTeReSTA combination of factors that include relatively higher metal prices, high projected supply and demand forecasts and a lower discovery rate of significant new near-surface deposits have helped to drive global interest in cave mining methods.

Simon Hanrahan, principal consultant (mining) based in SRK’s Perth office, explains: “In addition, a number of large open pit mines across the globe, some producing in excess of 50,000t/d, are coming to the end of their lives. These make up the bulk of world copper production, and many mining companies are examining the feasibility of shifting to low-cost, large-scale underground operations in order to continue exploiting these orebodies.

“Caving is the only underground bulk mining method that is able to offer continued production at a comparably high rate and with low operating costs.”

Aside from strip ratios, other factors influencing the economics of open pit projects include the increasing escalation of energy prices, together with a focus on reducing carbon emissions.

A number of large-scale, low-grade underground operations are also considering expanding in order to access areas of the orebodies previously thought to be uneconomic to exploit. These are challenging applications that will require careful front-end investigation and analysis, innovative engineering design and a strict approach to development and operation.

Sourcing of skilled labour is also a significant problem in the mining industry today, so a mining method such as caving that has a low reliance on skilled labour pools can be an interesting factor for mining companies to consider.

Otto Richter, principal consultant at Snowden, says: “The recent interest in

June 2012www. .com

“Caving is the only underground bulk mining method able to offer continued production at a com-parably high rate with low operating costs”

SRK’s caving experts at Codelco’s Chuquicamata mine, Chile

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48 BLOCK CAVING

block caving comes down to two factors – less access to large orebodies near the surface and an improvement in the knowledge of caving mining methods.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to find large, near-surface orebodies that are suitable for open pit mining methods which will also yield high production rates and low operating costs. Those open pit mines that are currently operating in these conditions are becoming deeper, and now have to consider closing operations or changing to an underground method that will produce at a similar rate with low operating costs.”

He adds: “In recent years a lot of effort has been applied to understand how the internal mechanics of the caving process works, thereby removing a lot of the uncertainty previously associated with these mining methods. As caving has proven to be a safe and effective mining method, its popularity has increased around the world.”

BLOCK ANd pANeL CAVINGBlock caving is an underground mining method that uses gravity to exploit massive, steeply dipping orebodies located at depth, particularly those with disseminated mineralisation or that are low-grade in nature, but too deep to be extracted using open pit methods. Block caving also depends on insitu stresses and the host rock’s ability to fracture in the correct fashion, although this can now be overcome using preconditioning.

The technique is commonly used to extract low-grade copper, copper-gold, iron and molybdenum ores, as well as asbestos diamond-bearing kimberlite and lamprolite, although there are other applications.

The term ‘block’ refers to the mine layout, which usually divides the orebody into large sections, although in some cases the block can represent the full footprint of the orebody. Upward caving of the rock mass is induced by under-cutting the block and blasting it. This

destroys its ability to support overlying rock, and fractures spread throughout the rock mass, forming a cave.

Following extensive preparation and development work in order to access the orebody at the correct depth, a set of parallel, horizontal tunnels is created on the upper level, known as the undercut level. A set of holes are then drilled into the roof, which are filled with explosives and blasted. The tunnel collapses in selected sections and broken rock is removed via sections of the tunnel not yet affected by blasting. This process initiates the development of the upper cavern of broken rock, ie the block cave.

A second series of tunnels is then developed beneath the ore block, on the production level, in which a series of tighter, vertical drill hole patterns are drilled into the broken rock above. These allow the formation of funnel-shaped structures called drawbells, which act as conduits for the broken ore and connect the block to the production level.

From the drawbells, the ore is funnelled into drawpoints. The broken ore is then loaded by load-haul-dumpers (LHDs) and delivered to ore passes or an under-ground crusher, prior to hoisting to the surface in skips or by conveyor.

Ore in the column is diluted by the material in adjacent columns and ultimately by overburden and lateral waste. When the column drawdown is complete and the drawpoint grade drops below a minimum value, the drawpoint is abandoned.

Technically, once the drawbells have been created, no further drilling is necessary. The speed at which ore travels through the drawbells is effectively controlled by the speed at which it is removed from the drawpoints. As broken ore from the block exits via the drawbells and drawpoints, the roof of the cavern gradually collapses under its own weight to create more broken rock, forming a continuous process.

Block caving offers lower operating

costs than many open pit mining methods and, in many cases, lower environmental impacts. However, it is very capital- intensive, and one of the primary disadvantages is that it removes much of the supporting rock from under the overburden, which can lead to subsidence at the surface.

Caving-induced subsidence might endanger mine infrastructure and is a major concern for operational safety. Changes to surface landforms brought about by subsidence can be dramatic and may lead to a pronounced environmental impact. Therefore, the ability to predict subsidence has become increasingly important for operational hazard and envi-ronmental impact assessments.

There are numerous variations of the block caving technique that use different layouts and extraction patterns. The choice will depend largely on the orebody characteristics, the nature of the host rock, and the associated development and production costs.

Panel caving allows the extraction of very large orebodies by dividing them up into ‘panels’, which are mined progres-sively, although, as with block caving, the panel can in some cases cover the full footprint of the orebody. The fundamental difference between the methods is that block caving produces from the full orebody footprint, while in panel caving the active caving zone moves across the panel – ie while one end is being undercut, the other end is producing.

Once a panel becomes depleted, the adjacent panel is mined in sequence until the orebody is exhausted. Like block cave mining, panel caving offers low operating costs, and lower development costs due to its progressive approach.

SuB-LeVeL CAVINGSub-level caving is sometimes used where large open pit mining operations transition to underground extraction methods, although it is often used for independent underground projects too. Once the orebody is developed, it is then drilled and blasted on progressively lower levels until it is depleted. The waste rock above the orebody caves gradually upwards as the ore is extracted.

Sub-level caving is typically used where the orebody has a smaller footprint and/or more competent rock mass that prevents the continuous caving required for a block cave. Blasting of the entire orebody is required to produce a production ore flow.

As sub-level caving uses a ‘top down’ approach, it requires less upfront capital than a block cave operation and much less time to reach full production. This

An LHD at work at El Teniente mine in Chile

Photo: Bloomberg Finance

“It is becoming

increasingly difficult to find large orebodies

suitable for open pit

mining that will also

yield high production

rates and low oper-

ating costs”

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50 BLOCK CAVING

could be also advantageous where high-grade ore is located near the top of the orebody.

Mr Hanrahan explains to MM: “A significant difference between sub-level caving and other caving techniques is that multiple levels of development are required, many times more than a block cave requires, and ongoing ring blasting is used for production.”

Mr Richter adds: “Sub-level caving operations typically find applications between the traditional large open stoping methods and block or panel caving methods.

“The caved material forms a relatively small portion of the total production and is typically considered as external mineralised dilution. Sub-level caving also allows for a slightly more selective extraction of the orebody than is attainable through block or panel caving. Production rates achieved in sub-level caving operations are typically lower than for block caves but higher than for stoping methods.”

CAVING requIremeNtsCaving is a non-selective, bulk mining method. It requires large-scale mineralisa-tion in all three dimensions (length, width and height), in rock conditions that are

sufficiently weak to allow caving and have suitably fine fragmentation, yet strong enough to ensure that the excavations will last the 10- to 50-year life usually associated with caving operations, although preconditioning can be used to weaken rocks that would otherwise be unsuitable. It is of key importance that the hydraulic radius required to initiate caving can be achieved and is typically exceeded.

In a block or panel cave only a relatively small percentage of the orebody is drilled and blasted to create the undercut. This removes the natural support of the rock, allowing it to break up along natural and stress-induced fractures. For this process to continue occurring (rather than forming a natural, stable arch), the footprint of the cave must be sufficiently large. A suitable footprint is typically in excess of 100m, with some orebodies spanning almost 1km across.

Due to the initial undercut and extraction infrastructure required prior to starting the main production phase, caving operations have high initial capital costs. Caving therefore requires a large orebody that can produce at a high rate over a long period and at a low operating cost, in order to offset the initial capital expenditure (CAPEX). Today, several caving operations are producing in excess

of 50,000t/d, and newer operations are being constructed with capacities in excess of 100,000t/d. However, there are also some caves being planned with smaller scale and shorter mine lives – the key inputs will determine the value of a project and its feasibility.

Mr Hanrahan says: “Cave mining differs significantly from other typically more selective underground mining methods in a number of areas. Because cave mining is a ‘bottom up’ method that relies on first establishing a large fixed infrastructure underground that will provide a very long-term production platform, the initial capital costs are typically very high. This infrastructure consists of shaft and/or decline access for men, materials, production hoisting and ventilation. Today, this infrastructure is state-of-the-art in many instances and has a high degree of automation. Similar to providing a processing infrastructure ahead of production, this represents a large upfront expense.”

He adds: “A noticeable difference in building a caving operation [compared with other methods] is the finished build quality, particularly on the extraction level. Because this level must remain in place and active for many years, ground support and roadway conditions are important. The production drives are finished with shotcrete, steel brow sets and, in certain situations, reinforced concrete. The roadways are completed with engineered roadway concrete that supports high-speed tramming of ore from the drawpoints to orepasses or crushers.”

As a result of establishing a high- performance, large-scale infrastructure, it

Mining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and ConstructionMining and Construction“Sub-level caving

operations typically find applications between the

traditional large open stoping methods and

block or panel caving methods”

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51BLOCK CAVING

June 2012www. .com

is then possible for ongoing unit operating costs to be significantly cheaper than lower-scale underground mining methods, particularly if a high degree of automation has been installed.

Once a block cave mine is in produc-tion, logistics are relatively straightfor-ward. The production footprint remains fixed and mining consumables usually revolve around secondary breaking consumables, with campaign maintenance within the production drives. The most significant logistics support is required for mobile equipment and fixed plant maintenance, which are normally supported by large underground maintenance facilities.

Very few other mining methods can be used to extract the large, typically lower-grade orebodies that are usually selected for caving. If the orebody is near the surface, a large open pit can be used instead, while for higher-grade, deeper deposits, sub-level caving or large-scale open stoping with backfill can be used.

The initial CAPEX required for a block or panel cave is always higher than for other underground mining methods that generally phase in CAPEX over time. Large, modern-day caving projects typically report total CAPEX of anywhere from US$500 million to in excess of US$10 billion for ‘mega-caves’. However, operating expenditure (OPEX) for block or panel caves is much lower than for other underground methods and is comparable to open pit mining costs. Typical OPEX is in the order of US$10-20/t.

The production rates of block and panel caves are by far the highest of the underground methods and compare well

with most open pit operations. Typical production rates are in the range of 2-20Mt/y, with a few cave complexes able to produce in excess of 45Mt/y – El Teniente is a good example.

GOING uNderGrOuNdAs large open pits become deeper, they often become uneconomic to continue to mine from surface, mainly due to material movement costs. Where the orebody is suitable, many established operations around the globe are opting to use caving methods as they expand.

Large open pit mining operations are typically associated with a large-scale processing facility. If a deposit continues at depth, then there is often significant project value to be achieved by continuing large-scale and low-cost mining underground in order to feed what is an already established high-volume processing facility.

As open pits get deeper, the waste-to-ore mining ratio becomes less favourable. In addition, the environmental impact and large footprint area required for a waste rock depository could prevent further continuation of surface mining. Cave mining on the other hand has a much smaller surface impact and almost no waste rock storage requirements.

“Cave mining offers the advantage of being the only underground mining method that can match the production rate and low-cost profile of surface mines,” explains Mr Hanrahan. “The disadvantage of choosing cave mining to replace a surface mine is the long lead time required for study work ahead of an investment decision, which often makes it challenging to provide a good level of production continuity between a closing open pit and a ramping-up underground operation.”

Given the high capital investment required to establish a caving mine, the initial challenge when considering whether to transition an operation from open pit to underground is to carry out a thorough study in order to define project value, and understand and manage project risk. One of the most critical items in support of this is an adequate level of orebody knowledge, including the geological, geotechnical and hydrogeo-logical characteristics. It takes time and often significant pre-project approval capital to obtain this data so that it can be used in the study process. This data provides the foundation for much of the study work in support of developing a workable mine design and production schedule.

“A number of projects today first establish some form of exploration access

(shaft or decline), which serves as a platform to gain orebody knowledge,” Mr Hanrahan tells MM.

“The benefit of establishing this exploration access is that underground conditions can be experienced firsthand, particularly rock and stress conditions that assist in determining cavability and fragmentation. This early development is also of great benefit in determining development advance rates that can be used in project scheduling. An ultimate benefit is that the infrastructure can then be used to initiate a full project develop-ment programme or works.”

Mr Richter points out that the wealth of orebody knowledge gained through open pit mining can also be extremely valuable when planning a subsequent underground operation.

The main disadvantage of implementing a cave mining operation beneath an open pit is that the geotechnical stability of the operation above can be compromised. Most caving operations that are situated under large open pits have experienced significant pit failures as the cave destabilises the pit walls. This can impact on existing infrastructure situated around the pit, and also increases the amount of dilution that can be expected in the cave.

Concurrent mining of the pit and cave to maintain the production rate is a safety and logistical challenge and needs to be carefully planned. The change-over period between an open pit and underground operation can take several years, and care must be taken that the underground operation does not undermine or destabilise the pit while it is still opera-tional, although SRK points out that several open-pit and cave mines have successfully operated concurrently, even with active cave subsidence.

Peter Bray, product manager at Atlas Copco, adds: “One of the main challenges is to try to develop the block cave infrastructure ahead of the planned winding down of the surface mining activities. An operation that can achieve a good hand-over from surface to under-ground ore production will be better able to maintain production targets without having idle mill and personnel capacity.”

deVeLOpmeNt/prOduCtIONThe time taken to establish caving operations varies, and it is not uncommon to take a period of at least 10 years from the time of study commencement to achieving project approval. For some large-scale planned caving operations, studies have been under way for more than 20 years with a final decision still yet to be made.

A major challenge is the time delay from

SRK mining engineers have worked on nearly every caving project globally over the past decade

“The disad-vantage of choosing cave mining to replace a surface mine is the long lead time required for study work ahead of an investment decision”

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June 2012 www. .com

52 BLOCK CAVING

the decision to proceed to the return on investment. Underground caving methods can have a lead time of anywhere between five and 15 years before significant production is realised. This is associated with the amount of development work required, and improving rates of advance for development is a key area of focus for the mining industry.

Mr Hanrahan says: “Once approved, project delivery time depends on a number of aspects, including the depth below the surface that is required for infrastructure to be established. Creation of a 1,000-1,200m below-surface shaft can take up to three years, and a further three years might then be required for access development before a production ramp-up can commence.”

Mr Richter adds: “Due to the sheer amount of data that needs to be gathered to properly understand the geological, geotechnical and metallurgical nature of such large orebodies, data collection and analysis is frequently the most time- consuming activity.

“Another critical factor in the project development timeline is undertaking negotiations with local land owners and authorities to gain access and ownership. For these reasons, the period between initial discovery and steady state production can be 15 years or more.”

Mr Richter tells MM that detailed design and study work (prefeasibility and feasibility studies) typically takes three to five years. The production ramp-up for a block or panel caving operation is dependent on the size of the cave footprint, but typically these are also in the three- to five-year range.

In an average rock mass, approximately five drawbells a month can be estab-

lished, which then allows incremental production to build up gradually. Typical production rates are in the order of 150-300mm of insitu material drawn from each drawpoint per day, or about 0.3t/m2 of footprint area per day.

Depending on the size and scale of the operation, block/panel caves usually contain 200-500 drawpoints, with about 60-80% in operation at any time. This results in average production rates of 5–20Mt/y for most operating caves, although there are some cave complexes in the pipeline with thousands of drawpoints, which will produce much higher amounts of ore. However, orebodies suitable for this size operation are few and far between.

Mr Richter adds that multiple lifts do not usually significantly increase the annual production capacity at caving operations, due to the risk of lower panels undermining higher panels. It does, however, extend the life of the operation, as lower panels can be brought into operation as higher panels are depleted.

Production rates also depend on factors such as: available orebody footprint, rock mass competency and infrastructure in place. A number of large cave projects are planning production rates above 100,000t/d but these high rates typically require multiple blocks or panels.

Mr Hanrahan says: “Greenfield projects, unlike an existing mine expansion and brownfield projects, are particularly challenging, since limited or no exposure of the orebody is available and there is no experience of the rock mass behaviour. This type of project requires a longer lead time and high capital investment for exploration drilling, laboratory and insitu testing and

underground confirmatory programmes.” Snowden believes that the highest

value in any block or panel cave project is achieved by getting the initial plan correct. When constructing a cave footprint infrastructure, there is little room for error, and any design issues can result in decreased recovery, increased dilution or increased operating costs.

When determining the best approach for a project, Snowden says it combines the skills and experience of its mining personnel with its in-house design and optimisation software (Stopesizor and Evaluator) to select the best strategic plan within each project’s set of constraints. Once the strategy has been confirmed, more detailed planning and design work can start using cave planning software, such as Gemcom’s PCBC and PCSLC.

“Greenfield and brownfield projects, and mine expansion programmes all have a unique set of constraints and require-ments that can be incorporated into the optimisation,” says Mr Richter.

“With greenfield projects we will build the mine plan up from first principles and determine a zero-based cost and mining schedule, whereas brownfields projects often have more accurate site-specific information available and current operational constraints to be incorpo-rated. We understand that our clients know their operation and strategic objectives, which may impose a unique set of constraints to be taken into account for the evaluation.”

The early stages of a block cave development involve a high level of construction activity, as the undercut and extraction infrastructure is created to last for the life of the orebody. “During the construction period, the total number of personnel can easily reach 3,000 for a small block cave and up to 10,000 for a large block cave,” explains Mr Richter. “Once steady state production is achieved, the ongoing demand on logistics is drastically reduced, and is low compared with other underground mining methods.”

Once approved, establishing a cave mine can be very complex. Speed is of the essence, and it is not uncommon for development in the order of tens or even hundreds of kilometres to be required on some of the larger operations. This can be challenging, particularly if ground conditions are weak or wet in areas.

equIpmeNtIn the past, caving has generally only been considered for rock masses that cave and fragment readily. However, improvements in mine planning and design software, a better understanding of geotechnical conditions and the

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Mining’s Telfer mine in AustraliaPhoto: Bloomberg News

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54 BLOCK CAVING

fragmentation of rock masses, plus the availability of more advanced equipment for drill-and-blast and load-and-haul duties are enabling mining companies to exploit more competent orebodies with coarser fragmentation than was previously thought to be economical. Operators also have greater control over development and production rates at these operations than ever before.

Most mining companies realise the importance of time when developing caving infrastructure, and many are looking at methods and equipment that will speed up the process. As a result, equipment, methods and control systems that were previously only used in civil tunnelling have started to migrate to the underground mining environment. Other areas under consideration include: overbreak control, drilling accuracy, long rounds, blasting fragmentation, type of explosives, fumes and re-entry times, haulage speeds, loader and truck capacity, and adaptive ground support schemes.

“Companies are also finding ways to reduce wasted time and inefficiencies, and refining the development process to a predictable and repeatable process. Time after all costs money,” explains Mr Bray. “The ability to produce even a few

weeks earlier than conventional development methods can mean millions of dollars in advance earnings.”

Production tasks for cave mines are dominated by loaders taking ore from the drawpoints and transporting it to another location. Many of the repetitive tasks associated with moving ore from drawpoints to ore passes carry the potential for automation, and many equipment manufacturers are able to offer semi- or even fully automated loading equipment.

Other production tasks may involve secondary breaking, crushing, conveyors and shaft haulage. The trend in this area is the ability to automate and monitor as many activities as possible using a mine-wide control and monitoring network. This allows for better efficiencies in equipment utilisation, people management, safety and energy consumption.

Automated and semi-automated equipment is often able to perform tasks faster than the manned equivalent and, more importantly, automated systems do not carry the human error factor, meaning less equipment damage and operating mistakes.

Leaving aside the obvious advent of equipment for rapid development in cave

mines and other underground mass mining methods (which is addressed in a separate article in this issue), this section examines some recent trends in the application of more traditional equipment for development and production activities at caving operations.

Drilling, bolting and mesh

installation at Oyu Tolgoi mine,

MongoliaPhoto: SRK

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“Methods and control

systems previously only used

in civil tunnelling

have started to migrate

to the underground

mining environment”

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55BLOCK CAVING

DrILLING AND BLAstINGThe creation of the block cave from the undercut level and the drawbells from the production level require specific drill patterns and depths of holes, and therefore certain drill rigs and drilling methods are more suitable for each task.

Whereas horizontal jumbos are used to create the access levels, vertical in-the-hole (ITH) and top hammer production drills are more commonly used in developing the block cave.

Three main factors must be taken into consideration when drilling for both undercut and drawbell development. First are the rock properties; these will influence the powder factor required to fracture the rock mass when blasting (powder factor is a combination of explosive type/power, hole diameter and hole spacing). Rock properties also play an important role when considering rock mass damage due to blasting.

“This is especially important when developing the drawbells,” says Mr Bray. “As drawbells need to remain in place for a long time (often the life of the mine), it is advisable to practise smooth-wall blasting techniques.” This entails using lower-power explosives coupled with close-spaced holes along the desired final design boundary in order to create a pre-split. The resulting rock boundary is less likely to be fractured and will remain more stable.

The second factor is the drilling accuracy required to achieve the desired blasting results. Mr Bray explains: “It is often considered that ITH drilling is far

more accurate than top hammer drilling, especially for longer holes (greater than 30-35m). However, most undercut and drawbell development work does not require longer holes. Hence, top hammer drilling is the method most commonly employed.” Regardless of the drilling method, it is important to select the drill rig and string that maximises drilling accuracy results, particularly for drawbell development.

Harold Jonker, applications engineer at Cubex, agrees. “Drilling accuracy for up-holes is a prerequisite, as this affects the undercut and extraction level stability due to the elimination of pillars on the undercut,” he says. “Customers are demanding better operational efficiencies and more maintainable machines. Trends in terms of measuring the efficiency of the various processes are developing. This entails on-board and vital signs monitoring, as well as measurement of the drilling process in order to deliver to the planned production requirements.”

The third factor is the capabilities of the drill rig. This can be expressed as a combination of possible drilling angles, hole diameter range, the stability of the drilling platform, the length of hole possible and automation capabilities.

“There is a wide selection of long-hole

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“Drilling accuracy for up-holes is a prerequisite, as this affects the undercut and extraction level stability”

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56 BLOCK CAVING

drill rigs available on the market today,” advises Mr Bray. “So be sure to evaluate the criteria desired when selecting equipment.”

During mine development, there are typically many kilometres of drives to be excavated, and many thousands of metres that need to be drilled for undercut and drawbell development. Due to the quantities involved, and the requirement for rationalising and improving efficien-cies, the use of semi- or fully automated equipment has high potential. Drill rigs that have on-board drill plans and the ability to drill automatically between shifts are just one example of how equipment utilisation and therefore development rates can be increased.

Atlas Copco has supplied equipment to many of the world’s existing and developing block caving operations. Customers include: Codelco, Climax Molybdenum’s Henderson mine, Newcrest’s Cadia East project, Rio Tinto and Ivanhoe Mines’ Oyu Tolgoi mine, and Rio Tinto’s Northparkes mine.

Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia has a drilling fleet that includes Atlas Copco Boomer M2 C30, Boomer E2 C30 face drills, and Boltec MC and Cabletec LC bolting machines. These share common intelligent control systems and

have high levels of automation. The face drills feature COP 3038 rock drills to assist with increased drive development rates. Mr Bray says that to date the machines have been running well, and the customers are very pleased with the results.

Atlas Copco has recently delivered a Boomer E2 C30 face drill to Rio Tinto’s Northparkes operation. The machine will be used to access and develop a new block caving area. “There are high expectations that the machine will contribute to faster development rates, due to the use of the 30kW Cop 3038 rock drill, long rounds and accurate drilling systems,” says Mr Bray.

Given the extreme quantities of lateral development required at caving operations, mine operators are keen to minimise overbreak for several reasons; firstly, it creates excessive rock to handle during development, and secondly, it creates a larger void that will require secondary support.

To help minimise overbreak, many drill rig manufacturers have developed automated programmes that allow increased accuracy when drilling a face.

Where a rock mass does not have enough natural inherent jointing to cave, operators are often now looking to

precondition a rock mass ahead of caving. Preconditioning involves drilling a series of holes into the lower portion of the rock mass that is to be caved and then, by means of either hydrofracturing or explosives, inducing manmade fractures

Atlas Copco has delivered a

Boomer E2 C rig to Rio Tinto’s Northparkes

mine in Australia

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57

June 2012

BLOCK CAVING

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into the rock mass to increase the ability to cave and/or to reduce block sizes. This task is typically performed by long-hole drill rigs. Due to the long hole lengths and larger hole diameters required for this type of work, it may also be worth considering ITH drill rigs. “There are ITH machines available today that can have over 60m of mechanised rod handling capacity, thereby improving the safety and productivity of the preconditioning process,” comments Mr Bray. Mr Jonker adds: “Due to the height of the caves, preconditioning holes can extend beyond 100m in length.”

Cubex has developed a heavy hoist feed system that is designed to drill preconditioning holes beyond 250m, and has added drill rod handling systems to its rigs in order to eliminate manual handling. Mr Jonker says that Cubex’s Constellation and Megamatic range of underground ITH drill rigs are suitable for preconditioning when fitted with the heavy hoist feed, and matched with an appropriate high-pressure booster compressor or water pump.

At PT Freeport Indonesia’s DOZ and Big Gossan block caves, Cubex compact LH1 top hammer drills and 6200 ITH drills with booster compressors are being used successfully in undercut and drawbell development. With the addition of remote controls, the drills are also used for secondary breaking in the drawbells.

At Newcrest Mining’s Cadia East block cave mine in Australia, a Cubex ITH drill is drilling 165mm-diameter and 150m-long blast pre-conditioning holes in lift 1, and at Rio Tinto’s Northparkes mine (Australia)

two Cubex ITH drills have been used for drilling service and preconditioning holes up to 240m in length. This is part of cave propagation in lift 2 of the E26 orebody.

Codelco’s El Teniente mine in Chile has also utilised a Cubex ITH drill for drawbell development. A contractor has drilled 200 raises, each 760mm in diameter and 15m in length. The average total time per raise was 24h including mobilisation, setup, pilot hole drilling, reaming and de-mobilisation.

Cubex ITH rigs are also at work at New Gold’s New Afton block cave mine in Canada, where they are being used to develop drawbells. Twin 760mm pilot holes are used for the drawbell construc-tion using the V-30 drilling method.

In some mines, oversized rock can be a major challenge in the production cycle. Mr Hanrahan of SRK explains: “Given that some of the more competent orebodies are now being caved with consequent coarser fragmentation, a sophisticated secondary breaking fleet is often required to quickly and efficiently reduce oversized material ahead of transport to the primary crusher. Much of this material may have to be handled within the throat of the drawpoint (up in the drawbell area).

“Mobile equipment has been developed to drill and charge in this zone remotely, so that no personnel are exposed to this task other than from a remote control cabin. Additional equipment such as water cannons has also been developed to blast hang-ups with a stream of high-pressure water and dislodge them for treatment in a more accessible location.”

Jay Klinko, senior global product manager at Boart Longyear, says that mobility and flexibility are also a challenge

for drill rigs at caving operations. Due to the tight constraints and narrow passageways, miners need safe, portable, compact equipment.

Boart Longyear recommends its StopeMaster and StopeMate rigs for production drilling at caving operations. These feature heavy-duty hydraulic hoses and guarding to protect the driller from ruptures and moving parts. Miners can operate the rigs from up to 25m away via a remote positioning system. The rigs have emergency stop circuits to cut the power in the event of an incident.

For low-profile situations, the rigs can tram through openings just under 1.5x2m, and can be used for back height drilling as low as 2.4m. Both Stope drills feature hydraulically driven wheels to allow for skid-steer mobility, maximising manoeu-vrability in tight spots.

The smaller, lightweight StopeMate drill accommodates drilling depths of 12-15m. It weighs 3.7t and is small enough to be loaded into a lift cage. The rig can also be broken down into six manageable pieces in order to gain access to captive areas.

The StopeMaster HX model was used extensively in the development of Rio Tinto’s Palabora block cave mine in South Africa. The extensive infrastructure required rapid drilling of the drawbells and for ground support cables. Boart Longyear says the HX drill helped to keep work within schedule.

Mining contractor and equipment manufacturer Redpath specialises in raisedrilling and shaft sinking for mine development, and frequently uses boxhole boring and Alimak for work at caving projects.

Atlas Copco’s Simba E7 C drill rig in action

“There are ITH machines available today that can have over 60m of mechanised rod handling capacity”

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58 BLOCK CAVING

June 2012

Mike Kelly, senior vice-president of the Redpath group, explains: “Raisedrilling is the fastest and safest method of developing raises, provided you have the infrastructure (and power) to utilise the method. Workers do not have to enter the raise, you do not have to support the ground, and the capital cost of the equipment is relatively low.”

The company is currently undertaking boxhole boring at Codelco’s Andina and El Teniente operations using its Redbore 50 machine. “We are also manufacturing a Redbore 30 for future use at these

projects to allow setups in drifts under 3.2m in height,” says Mr Kelly. “At PT Freeport’s mines we use an Alimak machine for raises. This has proven to be the most effective method there, in part due to the time lag in getting power distribution in place that a raisedrill would require. To streamline the operation, we developed a ‘portable nest’, which significantly reduced the traditional setup times and makes Alimak cost effective.”

Redpath is the primary development contractor for the Freeport underground

mines. The company’s scope of work covered constructing the Big Gossan shaft, excavating roughly 2,500m per month of lateral drifts, providing mass excavation for crusher stations and conveyor ways, as well as raiseboring and Alimak services. “We have a workforce of 1,100 at present and another three years on our current contract,” says Mr Kelly. “We have been at this site for 28 years.”

Redpath has developed four drills specifically for use in block cave operations: the Redbore 30 for small boxhole raises (up to 0.9m diameter) in low back height applications; the Redbore 40UR for raises to 1.2m in diameter; Redbore 50 for raises to 1.3m in diameter in low back applications; and the Redbore 70 for downreaming 1.2m raises to connect to ore passes.

In Mongolia, Redpath is the primary development contractor for shafts and lateral development at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine. The company has 500 staff working on the project, and has completed the OT#1 shaft, which is 6.8m in diameter and 1,000m deep. It has also completed 400m of the OT#2 shaft (10m diameter and 1,375m deep), and will begin shaft sinking on OT#5 (6.7m diameter, 1,250m deep) in June. Shaft OT#4 will measure 11m in diameter and 1,375m deep. Work will start on this in the June quarter of 2013.

Mr Kelly adds: “We also have two development crews working at North-parkes in Australia doing lateral development. Redpath is currently involved with over 25 shafts around the world. We have the world’s largest underground fleet of Alimak climbers, and the largest capacity raisedrill package on the planet: the Redbore 100.”

LOADING AND hAuLINGThe fixed footprint and layout of a block or panel cave lends itself well to partial or full automation, especially for the production loading equipment, and truck or train haulage of loaded material. Mr Hanrahan says one of the systems that have proved most effective is LHD automation. At operations/projects that use this system, significantly higher productivities have been achieved at a lower unit operation cost due to lower manning costs, increased tramming speeds (fewer loaders are required for the same production throughput) and minimal damage. Higher effective utilisation is also possible due to the elimination of operator constraints.

However, automation does not come without challenges; it requires much stricter safety controls, such as completely removing people from the working area. Roadways must also be well maintained to

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“Raise-drilling is

the fastest and safest method of developing

raises”

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www. .com

59BLOCK CAVING

June 2012

realise the full benefits of the higher tramming speeds. Currently, manual intervention is still common in the form of tele-remote loading, as this typically results in improved bucket fill factors. People will always be required as part of the operation to perform routine inspections and maintenance, but full or partial automation can reduce the exposure time of personnel in the production environment.

Sandvik was one of the first suppliers to introduce automated systems for underground hard rock operations with its AutoMine automated loading and hauling system. AutoMine is a flexible modular system that can be adapted to small- or large-scale block caving operations. The system incorporates functions and applications that allow it to interface with third-party IT systems at mine sites.

AutoMine allows operators who would otherwise drive a single vehicle underground to work from a control room on the surface, and simultaneously monitor the movement of a fleet of driverless loaders or trucks underground. Sandvik loaders or trucks navigate between the load and discharge points under the control of a supervisory system, which manages traffic and monitors the machines.

Sandvik says increased fleet utilisation ensures constant performance level enhancements and optimum use of the workforce, so there are no breaks during shift changes. Increased productivity is achieved through a continuous process enabling integration of information on site.

Codelco’s El Teniente mine has been using the AutoMine system for a number of years. The company invested in two systems to exploit its Pipa Norte and Diablo Regimiento deposits more efficiently. The Pipa Norte system was installed in 2005 and commissioned by December 2009. The mine currently uses LHD517 17t LHDs in three tunnels. The system for the larger 28,000t/d Diablo

Codelco’s El Teniente mine uses Sandvik’s AutoMine load and haul system

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“Automation does not come without challenges; it requires much stricter safety controls, such as removing people from the working area”

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60 BLOCK CAVING

Regimiento is in early stages of operation. Three semi-automated LHDs were used in the first phase, but the fleet could potentially increase to 10 LHDs when the full production stage is reached.

Other mines that use AutoMine include Newcrest’s Ridgeway Deeps mine in Australia, which has five LHD514Es (electric loaders). Rio Tinto’s Northparkes E48 mine, Australia, also has five electric loaders, and Petra Diamond’s Finsch diamond mine in South Africa (formerly of De Beers) also uses an automated trackless load and haul fleet. In addition, Oyu Tolgoi mine will have more than 40 automated LHDs when operating at full capacity.

In September 2011, Sandvik won a contract to supply 14 fully automated LH517 LHDs for the initial production phase at Newcrest’s Cadia East mine in New South Wales, Australia. The machines are now on site and being used in Lift 1 as part of Sandvik’s AutoMine system. The project is slightly behind schedule so the machines have not yet been used to their full potential, but Sandvik says the results so far have been promising. Service and support for the loaders is being carried out by Sandvik’s Orange service centre, plus an onsite

product support team in the Cadia Valley. Mr Richter comments: “Typical modern

block and panel caves are designed to efficiently utilise large, mechanised trackless equipment fleets. The mine layout and activities are designed to be repeated at high frequency with little variability. This makes caving one of the mining methods most suited to automat-ing loading and drilling equipment.

“While fully autonomous loading is currently possible, it has not yet been widely implemented, and typically tele-remote loading of the loaders forms a crucial part of the operation. Likewise, some manual intervention is required in setting up drill rigs before drilling can be performed as an automated activity.”

The fixed layout of a caving operation also lends itself to utilising electrical equipment, which offers a reduction in noise, heat and diesel particulates.

New technologies are continuously being tested, such as using vibrator plate feeding of trucks instead of loaders, and utilising road header equipment instead of traditional drill and blast techniques for development. However, these technolo-gies have to meet the safety requirements of each operation and prove that they will outperform the current tried and tested methods before they will be widely accepted.

Accurately tracking material as it flows through the cave is critical for understand-ing the internal mechanics of the operation, and for predicting grades and dilution. Mr Richter explains that research is under way to develop ‘smart markers’ that can be placed inside the cave to track the material flow throughout the life of the operation. These markers require long operating lives and must be extremely durable to survive while moving through the cave.

CurreNt/future prOjeCtsThere are a number of established mines globally that use cave mining techniques to exploit orebodies successfully, and due to newly realised economies of scale, there are a large number of greenfield and brownfield caving projects, as well as mine expansions in the feasibility/development pipeline. The following section looks at how a few of the most prominent projects are progressing.

Of the international-scale operators, Codelco has the greatest experience of developing and operating caving projects, followed closely by Rio Tinto. Codelco also operates the world’s largest cave mining operations, including El Teniente (the largest) in Chile. Other companies include: Newcrest Mining and Ivanhoe Mines, which are relatively new to the caving arena; LKAB, which specialises in sub-level caving; and Freeport McMoRan, which is involved with caving via its subsidiaries PT Freeport Indonesia (which operates the Grasberg mining complex in Indonesia) and Climax Molybdenum Co (which operates the Henderson mine in Colorado, US).

rIO tINtORio Tinto says its main mines/projects that use caving techniques are: Northparkes (Australia), Palabora (South Africa), Oyu Tolgoi (Mongolia), and Resolution Copper and Kennecott Utah Copper (both US). Northparkes and Palabora are operating mines, while Oyu Tolgoi and Resolution are in development.

Rio Tinto is currently transitioning one of its most established operations, Kennecott Utah Copper (KUC), to an underground block caving operation, which will be located beneath the Bingham Canyon open pit mine. The company increased its copper resource for the mine in late 2011 by 20Mt to 106Mt. The resource, known as the North Rim Skarn, is a high-grade copper-gold deposit located 300m below the current pit. Rio Tinto has committed US$165 million to complete the next stage of exploration and development studies by 2014. The prefeasibility programme includes final shaft rehabilitation, an access decline from the pit and further under-ground exploration drilling. The investment follows the approval of US$238 million to advance studies extending the open pit life to 2028 and to purchase associated long-lead time equipment.

Northparkes in NSW, Australia, boasts both open cut and underground mining operations. The E26 underground block cave mine was Australia’s first, and lift 1 reached design production of 3.9Mt/y in 1997. Northparkes commissioned its second block cave mine, E26 lift 2, in

An employee works in a

control room at the El Teniente

copper mine, owned and

operated by Codelco, near

Rancagua in Chile

Photo: Bloomberg Finance

Mongolian mining officials

at Rio Tinto’s Oyu Tolgoi

copper minePhoto: SRK

“The mine layout and

activities are repeated

at high frequency with little

variability. This makes

caving most suited to

automating loading and

drilling equipment”

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BLOCK CAVING

June 2012

2004 and an extension, E26 lift 2 North, in 2008. In 2006 Northparkes began construction of E48 lift 1, its third major block cave mine, with full production achieved in 2010. E48 extends the life of Northparkes’ operations until 2024.

Palabora operates a very successful block cave mine, which has been producing around 30,000t/d of copper ore since 2005. The mine is something of a benchmark, due to the high competency of its orebody. The production footprint measures 650m long by 200m wide, with 20 production cross-cuts and 320 draw points. The coarse fragmentation of the orebody means that a high degree of secondary breaking activity is required to treat hang-ups and oversized material.

Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia is the world’s largest undeveloped copper-gold project, containing 81,000Mlb of copper and 46Moz of gold in measured, indicated and inferred resources. The project is owned by a joint venture consisting of Rio Tinto, Ivanhoe Mines and the Government of Mongolia, although Rio Tinto is managing the development of the operation.

Construction of the Oyu Tolgoi complex is advancing toward its planned start-up later this year and commercial production in the first half of 2013. The project is initially being developed as an open-pit operation, with the first phase of mining to start at the near-surface Southern Oyu deposits, which include Southwest Oyu and Central Oyu. An 85,000t/d under-ground block cave mine is also being developed at the Hugo North deposit. The throughput capacity of the concentrator plant is expected to be 160,000t/d of ore when underground production begins. Overall construction of the project was 82% complete at the end of April 2012, and approximately US$4.6 billion has been invested so far.

Underground lateral development at the Hugo North Deposit was suspended in February as planned to enable the upgrading of hoisting equipment at Shaft #1. This is expected to continue until August. Development is scheduled to

resume in September. Construction of Shaft #2 at Hugo North is progressing well and the headframe has now reached a height of 78.5m above surface. The final height of the shaft will be 97m. The headframe and ancillary buildings were 87% complete at the end of March and ahead of schedule. Shaft-sinking activities began in December 2011 and had reached 224m below surface on May 12.

The Resolution copper project is in Arizona, US, near the depleted Magma mine. Rio Tinto has a 55% share in the project in partnership with BHP Billiton. The project has an inferred resource of 1,600Mt of copper and operations are expected to last 40 years. The prefeasibil-ity study is currently under way, and is expected to be complete by 2013, with production at the new mine targeted to start in 2021, eventually ramping up to 500,000t/y of copper. Resolution will use panel caving methods to extract the ore, which is located 2km below the surface. Temperatures at this depth can reach 70oC.

In addition, Rio Tinto took the decision in 2005 to extend the Argyle diamond mine in Australia, with an underground block caving project at a cost of US$760 million, which would prolong its life by at least another 11 years. However, in January 2009, the decision was made to slow the development of the underground project in response to global market conditions. Construction was scaled down to only critical development activities, resulting in a workforce reduction and a demobilisa-tion of contractors.

PT FreePOrTPT Freeport’s Grasberg complex in Indonesia includes both open pit and underground operations. Open-pit mining of the Grasberg orebody began in 1990 and is expected to continue until mid-2016, at which point the underground mining operations – the Deep Ore Zone (DOZ) and Big Gossan mines – will take over the bulk of production.

The DOZ orebody lies below the now depleted Intermediate Ore Zone. Pro -

duction from the DOZ orebody began in 1989 using open stope methods, but was suspended in 1991 in favour of the Grasberg deposit. Production resumed in September 2000 using block caving and is expected to continue until 2019. Beginning in 2015, Freeport plans to ramp up production at the Deep Mill Level Zone (DMLZ) block cave mine, which lies below the DOZ mine and is currently under development.

The Big Gossan mine lies underground and adjacent to the current mill site. It is a tabular, near-vertical orebody. Production began in the December quarter of 2010 and is to ramp up to 7,000t/d by mid-2013.

LKABSwedish iron ore miner LKAB took the decision in 2008 to expand its Kiruna and Malmberget sub-level caving operations. New main levels are being built at both operations; Kiruna’s at a depth of 1,365m and Malmberget’s at 1,250m. The new

“Oyu Tolgoi is the world’s

largest undeveloped copper-gold

project, containing

81,000Mlb of copper

and 46Moz of gold”

62

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BLOCK CAVING

M1250 level at Malmberget will be designed to handle the extraction of 18Mt of crude ore, plus 1-2Mt of waste per year. Workable ore reserves are estimated to be around 140Mt, which will yield around 84Mt of finished product. An annual production of 8-10Mt will extend the operating life of Malmberget by about 10 years to approximately 2020. Sections of the new main level were put into operation in the September quarter of 2010.

At Kiruna, the new KUJ 1365 level will accommodate remotely controlled shuttle-train traffic, similar to the present-day haulage level. Remote- controlled trains will transport the ore from gravity shafts to the crusher, and from there it will be skip-hoisted in two stages 1.4km vertically to processing plants at surface level.

Mining will take place in 10 production areas, each with its own access road, media systems, gravity shafts and ore chutes. Ore will be mined in stages between today’s 1,045m track level and the new 1,365m level. Based on an annual production of around 19Mt, the operating life of the Kiruna mine will be extended to 2030. Operations are expected to begin in the first sections later this year.

NewCrest MININGNewcrest Mining is focused on securing high-quality gold-copper resources and converting them into low-cost, high- margin operations. To help achieve this, the company has chosen to employ caving methods at a number of its mines. These include the Telfer and Ridgeway

sub-level caving mines (in operation), and the Ridgeway Deeps block cave and Cadia East panel cave projects.

Ridgeway is one of the largest underground mining operations in Australia. The mine produces 5.6Mt/y of gold-copper ore. Ore is accessed through a series of horizontal tunnels and dumped into ore passes for transfer to the primary underground crusher. Crushed ore is transported up a 3.5km decline by a conveyor, then deposited on surface stockpiles adjacent to the Ridgeway concentrator. In 2005, Ridgeway made the transition from contract mining to owner-operated mining.

Underground production at Telfer began in March 2006, the mine reached its nameplate production of 4Mt/y in February 2007 and has since increased this to over 6Mt/y. The initial phase of underground mining uses sub-level caving as higher grades occur at the top of the orebody. The development of the mine is based on procedures and techniques similar to those used at the Ridgeway operation. The main difference at Telfer is that crushed underground ore is hoisted to the surface via a 1,100m deep haulage shaft.

Newcrest has a number of projects in the pipeline. The Ridgeway Deeps project involves development of the resource below the current Ridgeway mine. The Newcrest board approved full project execution in June 2007 to extend the depth of the original mine by 300m to 1,100m below the surface by block caving.

Ridgeway Deeps is the first natural caving operation to be developed by

Newcrest and will be the deepest block cave in Australia. The mine is expected to produce 1.6Moz of gold and 210,000t of copper over the project life of eight years. The mine began transitioning from Ridgeway to Ridgeway Deeps ore in 2010, and ramp-up of production is currently under way to 8Mt/y.

Newcrest expects the cost of mining at Ridgeway Deeps to be significantly lower than at Ridgeway due to the combined impact of lower block cave mining costs and the use of semi-auto-mated LHDs. A capital cost for the project of US$551 million comprised: construction of the block cave, extension of the existing underground ore handling system (including two new primary underground crushers), development of bulk under-ground mining technologies, including the application of automated remote loaders, and modifications to the processing plant (adding additional secondary crushing and regrind facilities).

Exploration drilling below the Ridgeway Deeps block cave has also indicated a continuation of the orebody, and preliminary assessments are being undertaken into the potential development of a second block cave.

The Cadia East project is located on the eastern edge of the Cadia Hill orebody (one of Newcrest’s open pit operations.) The project, which is currently under construction and about to enter produc-tion, will be Australia’s first, and the world’s deepest, panel cave operation.

The Cadia East orebody holds a reserve of 18.7Moz of gold and 3.1Mt of copper, which Newcrest expects will underpin production for at least the next 30 years. The estimated capital cost of the project is approximately US$1.9 billion, and to date it remains on schedule and in budget.

The project also requires expansion and upgrade of the existing Cadia Valley processing plant as the ore at Cadia East is harder than that at Cadia Hill and Ridgeway. Capacity will also be increased from 24Mt/y to 26Mt/y.

The project will increase production from Newcrest’s Cadia Valley operations to 700-800koz of gold and 75-100kt of copper per year over the first 10 years. The project is 75% complete with first commercial production scheduled for the December quarter this year.

The Cadia East panel cave will be conducted in two lifts. Mining will extend from 500m below the surface to 1,450m. Work is currently under way to establish panel cave 1 and the associated under ground infrastructure. Development of the decline toward the deeper panel cave 2 is also under way. Preconditioning blasts are now complete in panel cave 1

The block cave operation below the Chuquica-mata open pit conains 1,700Mt of copperPhoto: Bloomberg News

“The Cadia East project will be Australia’s first, and the world’s deepest, panel cave operation

63

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64 BLOCK CAVING

and its drawbells continue to be fired, with the first ore from the blasted drawbells and undercut processed in the March quarter this year. To date, over 300,000t of ore has been treated through the process plant.

The crushers for the underground materials handling system remain a work in progress and the conveyor system is largely complete. Newcrest says that an accelerated temporary crushing capability and a substantially complete conveyor system will allow the ramp-up of production from panel cave 1, albeit at lower initial rates than expected.

On the surface, the concentrate handling, power, tailings and water infrastructure have been commissioned. The flotation plant and the regrind Vertimill are both now complete and are in the final stages of commissioning. The high-pressure grinding rolls circuit is also well advanced, and commissioning took place in May.

COdeLCOCodelco has a number of caving projects in the pipeline. The Chuquicamata mine complex in Chile currently produces copper from two open pit operations (Chuquicamata and Mina Sur). However, these will cease to be profitable in the next decade, and construction work began in 2011 for a new underground mine.

The operation, situated below the current Chuquicamata pit, is estimated to contain 1,700Mt of copper (0.7% grade) and molybdenum (502ppm) reserves. The project will use block caving to extract ‘macro blocks’ of ore. Work has begun to establish the four production levels; a 7.5km-long main access tunnel; five clean air injection ramps; and two air-extraction shafts. Development is expected to be complete by 2019 with a production rate

of 140,000t/d of ore. Work is also under way at El Teniente’s

New Mine Level Project, which began construction in 2011. The new level (an addition to El Teniente’s current underground workings) will extend the life of the mine by another 50 years using panel caving. The level will be developed at a depth of approximately 1,880m above sea level and adds around 2,000Mt of reserves to the mine. Production from the new level will begin in 2017. El Teniente has been successfully using Sandvik’s AutoMine system since 2005 to exploit the Pipa Norte and Diablo Regimiento deposits and is expected to use a similar system at the new level.

dIsCOVery MetALsDiscovery Metals has just completed the definitive feasibility study for the Zeta underground mine at its 100% owned Boseto copper project in northwest Botswana. Open-pit mining operations have already begun at Zeta, and production is due to start later this year. The underground mine at Zeta was a key component of the Boseto Development Plan, which anticipates open cut and underground mining to produce 35,000t/y of copper for at least 15 years.

Discovery says that sub-level caving has been chosen for the underground portion of the project, as it is the most appropri-ate mining method that took into account the safety of operating personnel and the mine itself, maximisation of resource recovery, capital and operating costs and operating risk (Zeta has weak hanging wall conditions and it is the hanging wall that contains the mineralisation). Sub-level caving allows maximum extraction of the ore at the lowest mining cost.

The underground mine extends over a

strike length of 2km and is situated immediately under the Zeta open pit, extending from 150m to 630m below the surface. The operations will be accessed via a decline from twin portals, one developed from within the Zeta open pit and one from the surface. It is planned that all lateral development will be within ore. Access on each level will be developed to the periphery of the orebody and the sub-level caving conducted on retreat to the decline access points.

The opportunity exists to trial the sub-level caving method at relatively shallow depths (55m below surface) in the southern end of the planned underground mining area. This will allow confirmation of the feasibility assumptions early in the development phase of the mine. Ore from both the development and caving operations will be trucked to the surface, stockpiled and then trucked approxi-mately 8km to the Boseto concentrator.

The optimum extraction and process-ing sequence for the combined operations at Boseto has not yet been determined, with the final sequence being dependent on the timing of the planned expansion of the Boseto concentrator to a throughput of 3Mt/y. Discovery intends to maintain the option for an early start date at Zeta while these studies continue.

To that end, recruitment of a project development team for the underground operation has started and Discovery plans to award the mining contract in early 2013, with development to provide under-ground access beginning in late 2013. Infrastructure completion is slated for the December quarter of 2013.

OthersSRK recently completed a contribution to a scoping study for Oz Minerals’ Carrapateena deposit in South Australia. The study examined a range of mining methods appropriate to the deposit, including sub-level open stoping, sub-level caving and block caving. SRK conducted the sub-level caving and block caving studies.

Work on the scoping study by Oz Minerals will continue in parallel with diamond drilling of the orebody from surface. In addition, SRK mining engineers have been involved in aspects of cave design and operation on almost all caving projects globally over the past decade.

Snowden recently completed an options study, followed by a detailed scoping study, for a caving project in Asia, allowing the project to progress to the prefeasibility stage. The company has also recently completed a number of caving reviews in Australasia.

Discovery Metals is developing a

sub-level caving operation at the

Boseto copper project in Botswana

“The new level at El

Teniente will extend the life of

the mine by another 50 years using

panel caving”

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June 2012www. .com

BLOCK CAVING

Proper planningDr Tony Diering explains some of the challenges associated with planning block cave mines, and how software solutions can be used to optimise the process

A lthough there are only a small number of block cave mines in the world, it is currently one of the

most talked about mining methods. A well-planned block cave mine that is effectively executed in the right rock mass is a thing of beauty, often referred to as a rock factory, which can produce material more effectively than any other form of underground mining.

In fact, this is the only method to mine a large number of larger, lower-grade underground deposits. While block caving’s increasing popularity is evidence that the method has great potential, it is not without its challenges and risks.

The planning and design of a block mine is a significant and often daunting task. People who have been in the mining industry for a while have a healthy respect for the need for attention to detail throughout the process.

This article focuses on a relatively small component of the process: production and planning aspects.

Starting with a geological block model to describe the distribution of mineralisa-tion and metal (or diamonds) within the orebody, the planning process successively follows these steps:• Elevation (Z);• The horizontal extent of mining and the

layout (X and Y);• Total grades and economics (evaluation

including dilution assessment);• Time (sequencing and scheduling); and• The rest (a myriad of detailed

adjustments and refinements).

Gemcom’s PCBC is a software tool that has been used to evaluate the above steps on dozens of projects both small and large, so some of the processes and lessons learned from that experience are described here. This article does not cover the multitude of other considerations, such as infrastructure, development, geotechnics and hydrology, although that is not to say that these are any less important.

ELEVAtIONThe first planning requirement is a reasonable assessment of where the production level should be located (this is also true if the block cave would have an inclined layout). Most orebodies are irregular but the base of a block cave is essentially planar, so we have to locate the

best plane to initiate mining. With most other mining methods, mining progresses from top to bottom, so the starting point is closer to the surface, easier to get to, and mining of the top does not adversely affect the mining deeper down.

With a block cave, mining starts at the bottom and works upwards, so if the wrong start elevation is chosen or if the first part of the orebody is poorly mined, it will destroy or severely dilute the remaining material higher in the ore zone.

A common design limit for a block cave is the maximum height of draw, which determines the maximum column height of ore that should be expected to be extracted. This currently ranges from around 250m up to 500m, with some mines looking at increasing this. A higher column generates a more efficient cave in terms of mining cost, since the same amount of capital development will potentially free up more ore. There are a few factors that prevent the 500m limit from being easily extended:• For a large and deep ore zone, the time

to develop and get started can pose a natural limit on how deep one would want to go;

• For smaller orebodies, even if the orebody itself has regular sides, there is uncertainty in how the cave shape will propagate. For a height-to-width ratio of more than 3:1, one starts to lose confidence in whether the top part of the ore zone can be effectively

recovered from a natural forming cave;• In weaker (and realistically most) ground,

the life span of a drawpoint is limited. With increasing column height, there is increasing likelihood that the drawpoints will ‘wear out’ and start failing in the later stages of a cave.

So, what can go wrong? If the start elevation is too high, capital will be poorly utilised, the life of the cave or mining block will be too short and maximum production capacity will be limited. Start too deep and the capital will also be poorly utilised, since it will take longer to start up, cost more and compromise the overall recovery of the orebody.

In early studies, PCBC’s Footprint Finder tool is often used to either qualify or disqualify an orebody for potential block cave mining.

Footprint Finder has been used extensively to give feedback on the sensitivity, mineable tonnage, recovery potential and value as a function of the elevation (and size) of the mining block.

Figure 1 shows an example of Footprint Finder. The green and cyan ‘arrow’ shape shows the sequence of the production schedule, with cyan representing new drawpoints.

The vertical green lines beneath it represent the height of draw for each block, and the blue and yellow represents the economic outline of the actual footprint.

“A well-planned block cave mine that is effectively executed in the right rock mass is a thing of beauty”

Figure 1: a view from PCBC’s Footprint Finder tool

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66 BLOCK CAVING

HOrIzONtAL ExtENt, LAyOutThere are two considerations once the elevation for the extraction level has been found. First is to assess the lateral extents of the layout, and second is the style and spacing of the actual drawpoints. The style (typically Herringbone or El Teniente) primarily affects geotechnics, production considerations and ore recovery. Smaller projects tend to use Herringbone and larger projects tend to opt for the El Teniente style.

The lateral extents of the layout are generally dictated by the limits of the ore zone, but finding the lateral extent of the extraction level, which is mining a three-dimensional block above, is challenging. PCBC uses a tool call Best HOD (or Best Height of Draw) to help with this process. Larger layouts may contain more metal, but the overall value may be limited by having lower grades in earlier years. Testing different alternatives is effective to find a balanced solution.

The drawpoint spacing is one of the trickiest and most contentious design considerations in a block cave. If the drawpoints are spaced too closely, there is one positive aspect that could result; however, it is associated with many negatives. The positive is that the potential will exist to recover the whole

orebody above the layout, since the draw cones or ellipsoids of draw from each drawpoint will overlap, and the ingress of dilution material can be effectively managed.

However, many negative results will also follow: there will be a higher number of drawpoints to develop, which will be more expensive; these will take longer to develop, which will, in turn, limit the maximum production potential. But the worst risk is if the pillars around the drawpoints are too weak; In that case, the pillars could fail and the result is loss of recovery of the orebody, and loss of production capacity as fewer drawpoints become available.

If the drawpoint spacing is too big, there are several positive and potential negative outcomes: as the spacing increases, the potential for increased production (in a panel-type cave) increases; larger equipment can be put into larger service excavations; capital cost per ton of rock mined can decrease; and pillar strength is increased. The negative aspect is that if the spacing is too large, not all the ore is recovered.

With widely spaced drawpoints, cave behaviour is altered and early dilution ingress is likely, with parts of the orebody remaining intact or unrecovered above

the major pillars for the production tunnels. In addition, irregular cave propagation can result, with adverse stress conditions on the layout. Finally, fragmentation can deteriorate and there may be reduced life for drawpoints (due to early dilution ingress), causing early drawpoint closure and reduced produc-tion rate.

Figure 2 shows output from a 2-D Cellular Automaton tool in PCBC, representing a vertical cross section for a test case. The left side of each image represents eight closely spaced drawpoints with regular draw, while the right side represents four points that are more widely spaced, with higher tonnages being extracted from each drawpoint. The horizontal (coloured) lines represent different zones or rock. These are preserved more effectively with closer-spaced drawpoints, and the incomplete extraction from the right side is clear on the bottom row of images.

tOtAL GrAdEs ANd ECONOmICsFor a given shape of layout and drawpoint pattern, the next step is the evaluation of material to be mined. This must take account of the material mixing that is inevitable in a block cave. Several mechanisms are commonly considered,

“Drawpoint spacing is one of the

trickiest and most

contentious design

consider-ations in a

block cave”

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June 2012www. .com

BLOCK CAVING

of which the main ones are: cone erosion, rilling, normal vertical mixing, toppling and fines migration or percolation.

All of these mechanisms are modelled within PCBC using a technique known as Template Mixing. This stage determines the difference between the insitu resource and mineable reserve. The economic issue is then relatively straightforward: revenue is metal recovered multiplied by price, less operating costs.

tImE (sEquENCING, sCHEduLING)This is where perhaps 80% of the effort in planning a project is spent. One definition of a production schedule is that it is a promise to the shareholders as to what a mine can produce.

The production scheduler in PCBC takes as primary inputs the sequence and rate at which new drawpoints can be developed, and the vertical rate at which material can be extracted from (or will flow out of) a drawpoint.

If drawpoints are opened too quickly, then a ‘lazy’ cave can result, in which drawpoints are underutilised and development capital spent too quickly. If drawpoints are opened too slowly, then production capacity decreases and mining conditions will deteriorate or become congested.

Once a block cave is in production, then the production schedule and associated forecasts are ever-changing. Actual tonnes will differ from planned, and this must be adjusted in the schedule. Actual drawpoints opened also vary from plan, as do various other factors. Using a monthly plan, and converting this into a daily draw order of specific tonnages from each drawpoint, is a function covered by the Cave Management module within PCBC.

tHE rEstWhen it comes to planning a block cave mine, the devil is in the detail. The overall design process will very likely go through several iterations. For example, one block cave project had around 13

block model updates, each of which resulted in some design changes along the way. Effective and efficient software such as PCBC will ease the pain of this iterative process. If done properly, each step provides feedback and helps increase the overall understanding of how the design is progressing.

PCBC includes around 10 different methods to deplete the cave. There are five mixing methods that enable the dilution ingress to be simulated in different ways.

Using the software, dozens of different options can be tested, and constraints such as tunnel production capacities, sector capacities and vertical draw rates can be controlled for different parts of the mine (in space and time).

Recent examples of projects where Gemcom PCBC has been used include: New Gold’s New Afton project; Seabridge Gold’s Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitch-ell Iron Cap deposits; Rio Tinto’s Resolution and Bingham Canyon sites and its Oyu Tolgoi project with Ivanhoe Mines.

Wilsonville, Oregon USATel +1 (503) 682-1001

info@rockmore-intl.com

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austria@rockmore-intl.com

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Dr Tony Diering is the vice-president of Gemcom Software International’s Caving Business Unit, which is responsible for the company’s PCBC software and delivers caving services to the mining industry. Dr Diering has been involved with the development of mining applications for over 25 years.

Figure 2: PCBC’s Cellular Automaton tool, showing vertical cross section of a test case

“The design process will very likely go through several iterations – one block cave project had around 13 updates”

“Once a block cave is in production, the production schedule and associated forecasts are ever-changing”

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68 RAPID DEVELOPMENT

Fast forwardWith a growing global interest in underground mass mining techniques, there is an increasing need for technologies that enable rapid development of mine infrastructure. Carly Lovejoy investigates

As discussed in this issue’s cave mining focus, non-selective underground bulk mining meth-

ods such as block and panel caving are growing in global popularity.

Mining companies are looking for the most economic and productive way to exploit massive ore deposits situated at depth, and often the most efficient way to do this is by using a mining method that requires significant time and capital expenditure (CAPEX) upfront for infrastructure development, but in return means low operational expenditure (OPEX) over the life of the mine and high rates of ore production.

Block and panel cave mining methods can allow production rates from underground operations in the order of 50,000-100,000t/d (or higher) – compara-ble to that of the largest surface mining operations. However, in order to access the orebody at depth, and to support production activities over the life of the mine, a vast amount of good-quality infrastructure is required.

The footprint of orebodies typically selected for these mining methods can be up to a kilometre across, and with the requirement for at least one undercut and one production level in each ore block (of which there can be many), plus numerous access drives and shafts, declines, ventilation shafts and workshop areas,

each project can require the creation of hundreds of kilometres of tunnels and shafts.

Traditionally, shaft sinking and raiseboring have been used for the creation of shafts, while drilling and blasting is reserved for tunnel and drift development. However, these activities are time consuming, and given the quantity of development work involved, it is not uncommon for a period of 5-15 years to pass from the point of project approval before significant production can be realised.

Time is of the essence when develop-ing caving infrastructure, and the ability to produce even a few weeks earlier than scheduled can mean millions of dollars in advance earnings.

Coupled with an increased interest in using underground mass mining techniques, a desire for faster develop-ment, and thus quicker access to the orebody (and production), has meant that many mining companies and equipment manufacturers are looking at ways to modify or develop equipment to speed up this process.

One of the fundamental

problems of existing rapid advance technology is that pick-type machines, such as continuous miners and roadhead-ers, which were originally designed for use in soft rock mining operations (such as potash, trona or salt), cannot economically cut hard and abrasive rock.

A better understanding of caving mechanics and their limitations has meant that these techniques are now being used to exploit more competent orebodies with less inherent fracturing than in the past. To this end, a number of equipment manufacturers are looking at modifying continuous mining equipment such as roadheaders, and adding picks, cutters and other elements that are capable of dealing with more competent rock formations.

Many mining companies are also looking at using methods and equipment that were previously only utilised in the tunnelling and civil engineering sectors. While tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are not suitable for use in mining due to their size and their inability to cut narrow curves or cross cuts, or to accommodate changing drift sizes, several manufacturers are looking to use TBM-derived technologies in their new machines.

The following looks at how several key manufacturers are progressing with their hard-rock cutting concepts.

HERRENKNECHT Germany-based Herrenknecht is a market leader in mechanised tunnelling equipment. The company produces TBMs for all ground conditions with diameters ranging from 0.10m to 19m. Using this expertise, Herrenknecht has been working closely with mining giant Rio Tinto to develop a new shaft boring system (SBS) for rapid vertical infrastruc-ture development.

Herrenknecht’s BBM 1100

protoype was tested at the Clara mine in

Germany before being shipped to

Newcrest Mining’s Cadia East project in

Australia

One of the fundamental

problems of existing rapid advance technology is that pick-type machines,

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The SBS allows the mechanised

excavation of deep vertical blind shafts in hard rock conditions. The semi-full face sequential excavation process is based on the use of a rotating cutting wheel excavating the full shaft diameter in a two-stage process for one complete stroke. In the first step, the cutting wheel penetrates the rock like a circular saw, creating a slit with a depth of 1.5m. In the second step, it rotates around the shaft’s longitudinal axis to cut out the entire shaft profile. In doing so, it loosens the rock and, at the same time, serves as a paddle wheel that heaves up the excavated material.

A vertical conveyor belt transports the loosened rock to the top of the machine, from where it proceeds to the surface. Four hydraulic gripper plates press against the shaft wall, thus stabilising the entire system, which means that the shaft boring machine has support and stability while boring.

The system consists of three main elements: Herrenknecht’s shaft boring machine with excavation, muck transport and gripping system, as well as equip-ment for primary rock support and probe drilling; primary platform decks for supply infrastructure and power packs; and secondary platform decks for final lining installation, muck handling and services extension.

The SBS is able to construct shafts with a depth of up to 2,000m and diameters of up to 12m. Some basic differences to horizontal tunnelling had to be consid-ered in the development process. For example, the excavated rock had to be transported out of the shaft working against gravity. With a conventional TBM cutting wheel this would not be possible, since the majority of the excavated material would remain on the tunnel floor.

To remedy this, the cutting wheel was turned by ninety degrees and the rock was excavated in two steps. “We expect an increase in tunnelling performances of up to three times compared with conventional drill and blast,” Thomas Stratmann, head

of mining at Herrenknecht, says.

Increasing safety was a key driver in the development of the SBS. As is the case with a TBM, shotcrete is introduced by remote control directly behind the cutting wheel. The disc cutters are placed in a specially secured working area that is easily accessible and protected against falling rock, so that personnel do not need to work in dangerous areas.

“In general, we think that in the future the mining business might benefit from the use of mechanised tunnelling technology,” adds a Herrenknecht spokes-person. “Because of the increasing demand for ore, it is becoming attractive to mine raw material deposits at great depth. This will require significant underground infrastructure, and the quicker this infrastructure can be realised, the quicker mining companies can mine out the ore and earn money.”

In 2010, Rio Tinto announced that it would develop three trials within its underground mine construction

programme. The timing and location of the third trial

– involving Herrenknecht’s SBS – is currently being considered. Rio Tinto said that if the trials are successful in creating faster, more cost-effective underground mine development, the technology could be applied more widely throughout its operations.

Herrenknecht has also been working on a new boxhole boring machine (BBM), which it presented in a paper at the SME 2012 conference in the US in February. The system, which is based on microtun-nelling pipe jacking technology, is designed for boring short-length, small-diameter slot holes. These are required for creating access and ventilation shafts during block caving, and to discharge ore from the undercut level to the production level.

The company says that a high level of occupational safety and efficiency is the main objective when drilling vertical or inclined shafts – the faster and more safely shafts can be constructed, the earlier production can begin. Herrenknecht

Atlas Copco’s Mobile Miner

The SBS allows the mechanised

excavation of deep vertical blind shafts in hard rock conditions. The semi-full face sequential excavation process is based on the use of a rotating cutting wheel excavating the full shaft diameter in a two-stage process for one complete stroke. In the first step, the

of mining at Herrenknecht, says.

Increasing safety was a key driver in the development of the SBS. As is the case with a TBM, shotcrete is introduced by remote control directly behind the cutting wheel. The disc cutters are placed in a specially secured working area that is easily accessible and protected against falling rock, so that personnel do not need to work in dangerous areas.

“In general, we think that in the future the mining business might benefit from

In 2010, Rio Tinto announced that it would develop three trials within its underground mine construction

programme. The timing and location of the third trial

– involving Herrenknecht’s SBS – is currently being considered. Rio Tinto said that if the trials are successful in creating faster, more cost-effective underground mine development, the technology could be applied more widely throughout its operations.

Herrenknecht has also been working on a new boxhole boring machine (BBM), which it presented in a paper at the SME 2012 conference in the US in February. The system, which is based on microtun-nelling pipe jacking technology, is designed for boring short-length, small-diameter slot holes. These are

The Herrenknecht Boxhole Boring Machine (BBM) was developed for the construction of vertical and inclined shafts (± 30° from vertical), with a diameter up to 1.5m and a maximum length of 60m, in hard rock formations.

During development, the design was focused mainly on increased safety and machine mobility. Quick relocation of the BBM and minimum space requirements were also key design criteria.

For mobility, the BBM is mounted on a compact crawler unit, allowing fast transport to the production area in confined underground conditions. The modular design of the machine and crawler allows detachment of the drilling unit, cable drum and power unit depending on the given space restrictions.

Once at its destination, the boring unit with the jacking frame is adjusted to the correct orientation. To stabilise the system and transfer the operational thrust and torque loads into the rock, the jacking frame is braced against the invert and crown section. The thrust forces are transferred from the jacking frame to the machine cutterhead via steel thrust pipes similar to a conventional horizontal pipe jacking operation.

The variable-speed cutterhead drive provides a rotation speed of up to 34rpm and a nominal torque of 40kNm. Depending on the rock conditions, the cutterhead is equipped with 27cm

single-disc or multiple-row tungsten carbide cutters. Guidance plates on the cutterhead direct the excavated rock chips towards a central muck hopper where they slide by gravity into a centre muck channel.

The muck channel sections are an integrated part of the steel thrust pipes. When a thrust pipe of 1m length is completely pushed out, a fail-safe clamping system holds the overhead pipe stack in place in order to install and connect the next thrust pipe. A breakout unit allows the thrust pipes to rotate +/- 10° if the pipe stack is blocked. This mechanism is integrated in the jacking system.

Once the required boring depth has been reached, the BBM is retracted. The thrust pipes are removed from the bottom of the stack until the boring unit is completely pulled back through the drilled hole. After that, the BBM can be transported to the next production area.

Herrenknecht’s BBM concept

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RAPID DEVELOPMENT

believes the mechanised or conventional methods (drill and blast) that have been used to date only partially meet the required safety standards and fail to provide the advance rates now being requested.

The BBM is fully remote controlled, and the operating crew only has to access the machine in stand-still mode after the completion of each boring stroke to install the next thrust pipe.

The BBM 1100 prototype was tested at the Clara mine in Oberwolfach, southern Germany (close to Herrenknecht’s Schwanau facility), where 800t/d of barite and fluorspar are excavated.

The installation took place in June 2011 at a depth of 100m, and numerous tests were carried out over a three-week period with two different cutterhead configura-tions: one with single disc cutters and one with multiple-row tungsten carbide cutters.

Vertical and inclined test shafts with a diameter of 1.1m and a length of 9m were completed in five hours in rock conditions with a uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of up to 250MPa. Instantaneous advance rates of 80-100mm/min were achieved.

Following testing, the BBM 1100 was shipped to Newcrest Mining’s Cadia East underground copper-gold project in New

South Wales (NSW), Australia. Here preparation is under way for mining of the ore deposit using panel caving techniques at 500-1,450m below the surface.

Mancala, a privately owned group of companies providing specialised design, engineering, construction, excavation and mining services, ordered the BBM 1100 from Herrenknecht for the construction of vertical and inclined shafts in October 2010.

After transportation, assembly and commissioning in September 2011, three vertical test shafts, each 1.1m in diameter and 18m long, were successfully bored. For testing in fractured and blocky ore with a UCS of up to 200MPa, the BBM was equipped with multiple-row tungsten carbide cutters.

Production boring began at the mine in November 2011 to construct relief shafts. This involved drilling blind holes 18m in length to provide future ore extraction locations. Herrenknecht explains that up to 250 slots will need to be created at Cadia East in the future.

Herrenknecht plans to expand its range of BBMs in the future and offer systems ranging from 800mm to 1,500mm in diameter.

ATLAs COPCO Atlas Copco has been developing and selling different TBMs, mobile miners and raiseboring machines since the 1960s, and has applied its accumulated knowledge and experience to developing its latest modular mining machine – the Atlas Copco Mobile Miner – which draws on design elements from the original Robbins Mobile Miner.

The machine has been developed in conjunction with Rio Tinto as part of its Mine of the Future programme (it is also referred to as a tunnel boring system or

TBS), and the companies believe the Mobile Miner could help to almost halve the time it takes to build large under-ground block cave mines when combined with Herrenknecht’s new shaft-boring technology.

Rio Tinto’s Kennecott Utah Copper (KUC) mine in Salt Lake City will be the trial site for the Mobile Miner in 2013, adding to a similar trial that starts this year at Northparkes copper and gold mine in NSW, Australia. As part of the design criteria, Rio Tinto asked for a machine capable of cutting a variety of horizontal tunnels, tight curves and cross cuts, a self-propelled unit capable of handling very high insitu rock stress, with the highest possible safety standards.

Atlas Copco’s Mobile Miner for Rio Tinto will use 56 disc cutters, each measuring 43cm in diameter, mounted on a 4.5m-diameter cutter head. The system will have more than 1MW of installed power and can tackle rock with a UCS up to 200MPa.

The trial will focus on a 5.5m x 5.5m arched tunnel. However, the system will be able to excavate a range of tunnel sizes and shapes, due to the flexibility of being able to move the cutter head to a number of different positions. The system can excavate tunnels at a range of gradients of 15–18%, combined with different tunnel radii in order to meet the needs of Rio Tinto’s future underground mine design requirements.

Rio Tinto says KUC was selected for this latest trial due to its ideal conditions, and because it is extending the life of the mine through underground development. The new Mobile Miner at KUC is expected to allow advance rates of more than 10m a day – nearly twice the rate of conven-tional methods.

Atlas Copco explains that safety reviews are held continuously during the project, including everyone to be involved in the trials and operation of the machine. This allows updates to the machine design if a potential safety risk is identified.

The Mobile Miner is currently under development as a joint Rio Tinto-Atlas Copco R&D project and Rio Tinto will be the first customer. However, once the project is complete, the Mobile Miner will be made commercially available to all Atlas Copco customers, and the company expects to have a full range of Mobile Miners available in the future.

Mikael Ramström, vice president of Atlas Copco Mechanical Rock Excavation, tells MM: “The Atlas Copco Mobile Miner product family is designed for mining applications with safety, productivity and versatility in mind. Speed, cost and efficiency should be same as or better

Herrenknecht’s BBM at the company’s Schwanau workshop

Herrenknecht’s new Boxhole

Boring Machine is designed to

bore short-length, small-diameter slot

holes

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72 RAPID DEVELOPMENT

than a TBM or a roadheader. The machines will be able to cut all types of rock, including rock that is too hard for a roadheader to cut. The machines will also be able to handle tunnel convergence much better than a TBM, as the Mobile Miner is significantly smaller than the tunnel it is excavating.”

He adds: “In the future, the methods and processes used for rapid mine development will be improved and optimised as mechanical rock excavation is introduced into underground hard rock mining; this is in line with what we have seen in underground coal mining.

“We will still see a large portion of rock excavation done by drill and blast, especially for large-volume mining, but I expect mine development to be the battleground between mechanical rock excavation and drill and blast.”

AkER WIRThAker Wirth is also working with Rio Tinto to develop a TBS for horizontal mine development. This consists of Aker Wirth’s Mobile Tunnel Miner (MTM) concept and is being tested at Rio Tinto’s Northparkes copper-gold mine in Australia. The TBS arrived in Australia earlier this year and full-scale performance verification trials are expected to be complete by December.

The new TBS trial was integrated into a US$89 million prefeasibility expansion study at Northparkes, announced in August 2010 by joint-venture partners Rio Tinto and Sumitomo Group.

The system combines the flexibility of a roadheader with the robustness of a TBM. It incorporates Aker Wirth’s experience from a previous version that was developed and tested in the early 1990s.

The system is 64m long and has a maximum boring diameter of 6m. After the trial, the technology is destined for use in other Rio Tinto underground mining operations internationally.

Rio Tinto’s head of innovation, John McGagh, comments: “This system incorporates continuous mechanical rock excavation that will not damage new tunnel walls, while still providing the

ability to mechanically install ground support in parallel with tunnel advance.

“Importantly for Rio Tinto, it provides an opportunity to introduce fundamen-tally safer processes into the underground mining industry.” He adds: “In a typical deep copper orebody the rate of horizontal tunnelling could be as high as 10-13m/d using this new system.”

sANDVIkSandvik produces a range of machines for tunnelling and mine infrastructure development, including the MD320 boxhole borer, and the MR300, MR500, MR600, MH620/MT620 and MT720 series roadheaders. Sandvik is not involved with the Rio Tinto Mine of the Future project, and has chosen a different route to develop its own rapid advance technology.

One of the company’s main focuses has been on the interaction between cutting tools and machines. Research is carried out by in-house teams at the Zeltweg cutting competence centre in Austria. One such project is the development of the ICUTROC Extended Range cutting concept, which can be applied to Sandvik roadheaders and continuous miners, making them suitable for use in hard rock applications.

R&D efforts at Zeltweg have also yielded new hard metal alloys for specific application demands and different hard rock cutting carbide grades. The XT-Grade in particular has proven to last 1.5–3 times longer than any other carbide grade. Other areas of research include high-temperature wear resistance, disc cutters, conical picks and increased pick tip toughness.

When asked how work is progressing on ICUTROC, Hanno Bertignoll,

Rio Tinto established its Mine of the Future programme in 2008 in order to explore better ways of mining its resources. The programme is designed to create next-generation technologies for mining operations that result in greater efficiency, lower production costs, improved health, safety and environmental performance, and more attractive working conditions.

The company is trialling fully automated mining systems at the West Angelas iron ore mine in Australia’s Pilbara, which will eventually benefit its open pit mining operations. However, many of Rio Tinto’s key development projects, such as the Resolution copper mine in Arizona, US, and the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold project in Mongolia, will use underground block cave mining methods.

To prepare for the infrastructure requirements of such operations, Rio Tinto Technology & Innovation has been engaged in a long-running development programme to improve both the safety and speed of constructing underground infrastructure, such as shafts and tunnels.

In 2010, Rio Tinto announced partnerships with three key equipment producers to develop new sys-tems for deep underground mines. Aker Wirth and

Atlas Copco are individually working with Rio Tinto to develop two new tunnelling boring systems (TBS) for horizontal infrastructure development, and Herrenknecht is working on the development of a new shaft boring system (SBS) for vertical infrastructure development.

All three new concepts are a result of civil tunnelling industry technologies, combined with input from Rio Tinto mining experts and contractor partners Redpath and Cementation.

Rio Tinto estimates that by combining the benefits of these three systems, it can reduce the construction period of an average block cave mine by at least 40%.

Rio Tinto head of Innovation John McGagh says: “More mining is moving underground as deeper orebodies are identified and open pits come to the end of their lives. Constructing underground mines can be technically challenging, expensive and a slow process. These trials mean we can test the technology to allow us to mine deeper and more safely, with the potential benefits of greater efficiency and speed of underground mine construction, which would ultimately increase the value of our projects.”

Rio Tinto’s Mine of the Future

Right and far right: the cutter

head of a Sandvik

ICUTROC hard rock roadheader

in action

“I expect mine

development to be the

battleground between

mechanical rock

excavation and drill

and blast”

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marketing communications manager for mechanical cutting at Sandvik Mining, tells MM: “We are developing new cutting tool technology and new hard metal composites. We are also making good progress on developing and testing new diamond composite cutting tools. These show a remarkable improvement in wear resistance. In addition, we are working to improve the stability and

control of our machines. However, we do not believe that we can expect a quantum leap from this technology.”

In addition, Sandvik is developing the Rapid Mine Development System (RMDS) to apply the know-how gained in soft rock mining to hard rock cutting applications. Mr Bertignoll explains: “We at Sandvik Mining believe in creating a totally new concept. We do not trust in

old designs that have failed in the past.“The RMDS is currently at the concept

stage. We are conducting basic research based on undercutting technology, and we will start with the detailed machine design in early 2013. The initial target for our system is the development of panel and block caving mines, generally focusing on the global hard rock mining market.”

Sandvik has gained a lot of experience with its Boxhole Borer MD320 since its introduction in 2005. Boxhole Borers have been in operation at Lonmin Platinum in South Africa to create boxholes, and at Lundin zinc in Portugal for the develop-ment of burn holes for sub-level stoping. More recently, at the Kloof gold mine in South Africa, the Boxhole Borer was used to create ore passes of 3,500m depth.

Mr Bertignoll believes that there is huge market potential for systems that enable rapid mine development. “We believe the first manufacturer with a good and reliable machine concept will have a large market share – the winner will take it all,” he adds.

Sandvik also expects to see an increase in TBM-derived cutting machines in the future, mainly for access development and the creation of long infrastructure tunnels in mines, as these machines offer a high concentration of power.

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www. .comJune 2012

7474 INTERVIEW

Could you introduce Trolex to the readers of Mining Magazine? What products and services do you provide for the mining industry?

Trolex is a UK-based company with 50 years of experience delivering environ-mental monitoring, control and automa-tion systems for the global mining and tunnelling industries.

We supply the coal and the hard rock sectors as well as potash mining, and are the market leaders in tunnel and tunnel boring machine (TBM) monitoring systems. Typical applications for our systems are environmental monitoring, hydrostatic monitoring, ventilation monitoring, methane recovery monitoring and machine condition monitoring. We have in-depth knowledge of underground mining and tunnelling, and over the years we have utilised this to drive better production efficiency and higher safety standards in the industries.

Why is environmental monitoring so important in mines?

First and foremost, it is important for the protection of people, as well as valuable plants and machinery. The health and safety of the workforce is of paramount importance to mine owners in what has always been a tough hazardous environment.

Through comprehensive monitoring and control of the mine atmosphere and the key systems within a mine, the ever-present threat from explosive and toxic gases, fire, dust, lack of adequate ventilation, or malfunctioning machinery can be neutralised, and the mine becomes not only a safer place to work, but also a highly efficient operation.

Trolex has recently expanded into the equipment monitoring sector; why the change in direction, and how does this complement your other products?

This was driven mainly by our original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers, who recognised the need not only to protect machine operators in dangerous environments, but also to monitor the health and condition of the machine itself to improve efficiency and extend the service life of the unit.

A number of our more forward-thinking customers are now focusing on ‘predictive maintenance’ – where problems on machines are identified and addressed by planned maintenance before they become a serious issue – and we design our systems to help them achieve this.

What is driving your move into production efficiency for mine sites? What are the benefits for your customers, and what sort of feedback have you received?

At Trolex we’ve never made a distinction between safety and efficiency – a safe mine, free of accidents and malfunction-ing machinery, is an efficient mine.

We have recently put a greater emphasis on achieving efficiency improvements with our coal-face production efficiency monitoring system and our machinery monitoring systems, because we know that our customers are facing an increasingly competitive environment and need to stay ahead of the game in terms of their production output without compromising safety in any way.

With these systems we have been able to demonstrate in real terms to customers the efficiency-savings and production increases that can be achieved, as well as their contribution to higher safety standards, and this is really beginning to open people’s eyes to the benefits of mine-wide monitoring and control.

What are the advantages of implementing fully integrated sensing systems across a mine? Tell us about some recent installations.

A fully integrated system gives the customer real-time information about the situation in their mine – allowing them to respond to and control safety-related situations, and to minimise downtime and loss of production from malfunctioning systems and hardware.

Total control over the mine environ-ment and efficiency of production can be exercised from the surface, or even from a remote location via the web, as well as giving local protection and control to the miners working at the face.

This is the kind of mine-wide system that we have recently installed at the state-owned Soko mine in Serbia where everything from the condition of the pumps to the conveyors and the gas levels in the mine are visible in real-time, and all of the relevant hardware and systems are fully controllable in the event of a malfunction, a change of status or a build-up of dangerous gases.

A fully integrated system from a

Trolex, known for its mine

environmental/gas monitoring

systems, has expanded into

equipment monitoring and

production efficiency. Ailbhe Goodbody talks

to managing director Glyn

Jones

Modern monitoring

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INTERVIEW

Trolex Sentro 8 sensor station

single-source supplier brings with it the assurance that all elements that comprise the system are functionally compatible, and that responsibility for service and maintenance is clear, as well as reducing costs in terms of spare parts and replacement hardware.

How closely do you work with customers on R&D? Do you have any examples of this, and what were the results of their involvement?

As a company we have always maintained close contacts with OEMs and mining companies when it comes to product development, and we’ve recently doubled our spend and capacity in R&D because we are finding that more of our customers are coming to us with bespoke develop-ment requirements in order to gain an edge in the market place.

At present we’re working with a Chinese partner, China Shipbuilding Industry Corp (CSIC), on a refuge chamber monitoring system, and with our Russian partners Promtex on a new Ethernet switching device.

Other examples are our new 2,000ppm

carbon monoxide sensors and fire detection units, on which we are working closely with UK Coal.

We’re grateful to all of our partners for providing us with the market feedback and performance testing that allows us to produce a final product that is specifically designed to meet the needs of the customer and local conditions, as well as a design that will satisfy the regional certification requirements that they face.

A bespoke development service for our customers is part of what we offer, and what sets us apart in the marketplace.

We understand that when it comes to safety and production efficiency the solution must fit the application very precisely, and must integrate with whatever systems and hardware the customer is already operating. This is where our bespoke systems department comes in.

What developments does Trolex have planned for later this year, in terms of new products, services and systems?

Quite a few: as well as our new refuge chamber monitoring systems, we will be launching our new range of intrinsically safe power supplies, and a new ventilation monitoring system.

Towards the end of the year, we will be releasing our wireless gas detection systems and our new flagship product, Commander III, a powerful mine-wide control system that makes the manage-ment of sensors and other devices simple and cost effective, and which we believe will become a standard feature in all advanced mining operations in the near future.

All of these developments, and many more in 2013 and 2014, will reinforce and expand our total mining system capability.

Why do you think it is important to provide services such as project management and safety training, as well as supplying products?

We don’t think it’s enough to simply supply products to our customers – more often than not they’re looking to us to provide them with a solution to a problem, or an answer to a question, such as “is my mine-site a safe one?” or “are we maximising our production potential?”

In order to answer these questions, we have to provide our expertise and experience to our customers and partners, and to ensure that we pass this on to them through training and on-going support. It’s our declared policy that we must provide swift and accessible product and project support wherever our equipment is being installed and utilised in the world. In order to deliver on this, we are investing in new infrastructure, new personnel and in improving our training and support information both face-to-face and online.

I understand that Trolex is moving towards offering complete mine-wide solutions through acquisition, partnering and more engagement with major mining companies. Could you tell us about your plans in this area?

Yes, this is correct. We’re actively looking for industry partners who might want to come and join our success story – we believe we can offer a huge amount to potential partners or companies that might want to join our group, both through our skilled management team and strategic vision, and also in real terms through our existing distribution base.

The feedback from many of our major customers is that they would like us to provide a wider integrated package and

one that they can standardise throughout their operations. We’re working hard to be able to offer this to them.

Trolex is also working to increase its global distribu-tion. Please tell us about your strategy for 2012-13 and any key markets that you are targeting.

2012-13 is the year in which we intend to become a truly global operator. Wherever there’s underground mining, we’ll be there, with the ability to support and service whatever product and

75

one that they can standardise throughout their operations. We’re working hard to be able to offer this to them.

2012-13 is the year in which we intend to become a truly global operator. Wherever there’s underground mining, we’ll be there, with the ability to support and service whatever product and

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Trolex has supplied gas sensors to the Soko Banja coal mine in Serbia, which it says is one of the most dangerous mines in Europe.

This commission was to replace out-of-date equipment with Trolex’s infrared methane sensors. SVECOM, an engineering company based in Belgrade that serves as the Trolex agent in Serbia, was able to find the right gas sensing solutions for the coal mine from the Trolex range.

The Soko Banja mine has extreme methane concentrations, which often exceed the lower explosive limit (5%). The mine has had several methane explosions – in 1974, 1975, 1989 and 1998 – due to high levels of the gas.

The latest equipment supplied to the mine is Trolex’s infrared gas sensing technology, which delivers long-term stability with minimum signal drift, reducing calibration and maintenance costs. The TX6363 unit responds to specific gases, and features characterised ambient pressure and temperature compensation. The response of the sensor is linear across the sensing range, making it equally suitable for operation in the lower explosive limit (LEL) range and the high concentration range.

Commenting on the Trolex installation, Bogdan Djoric at SVECOM says: “The frequent and rapidly appearing methane concentrations reach a lower explosion limit of 5% and present

a big challenge in choice of equipment and concept of the system.

“TX6363 infrared gas detectors from Trolex have a measuring range of 0-5% v/v, and 0-100% v/v in locations where extreme methane concentrations are likely. The TX6383 flammable gas detectors based on the catalytic principle have also been used for methane detection in other areas of the mine.”

Established in 1908, the mine has been using

gas detection and domestic data transmission systems since 1978. The delivery of Trolex equipment included fixed detectors for methane, carbon monoxide, oxygen and temperature, as well as power supplies, power-down systems and controllers.

Trolex has previously supplied the TX6373 toxic gas sensor, TX5922 vortex air flow sensor, TX6143 differential pressure sensor and TX6274 temperature sensor to the mine.

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76 INTERVIEW

systems are out in the field. We are already in discussions with potential partners in North America and Poland, and other key focuses for us will be South Africa, South America, Russia, Ukraine, India and of course China. We’ve put a great deal of energy into addressing under-performing overseas operations since I joined the company, and this has allowed us to deliver the very highest standards of technical applications and project support directly at the point of need around the world.

We want to see safety standards improve across the mining industry, and to bring the message that investing in

production efficiency and mine automation has an immediate positive effect on the bottom line. We’re investing heavily in developing partnerships in mining centres around the world, and also in ensuring that our message is heard wherever it needs to be heard. To this end we now have fluent Chinese, German and Polish-speaking staff, and have launched a Chinese language

website, brochure and set of data sheets, a German-language website and are now working on a Spanish and Polish version.

I noticed that you have had a number of new appointments over the last 12 months, including a new global sales director and a new mining sales manager; does Trolex have plans to further expand its mining team?

Yes, we’re expanding fast and we will add a further five or six people to the management team in the near future. In addition to our newly appointed global service and support manager, we are now looking for a number of regional technical sales managers based in the US, China, Russia and potentially India. We are also bolstering our technical team with the appointment of a new technical director and product manager as we look to bring new technologies to the industry that will bring cost-savings and operational benefits to our customers.

All in all, it’s an exciting time for us, one in which we expect to see steady organic growth in our business, and we’re looking for the very best people in the industry – people who want to make a difference – to come along and be a part of it.

A Trolex engineer calibrates a mine

gas monitoring system

A Trolex Sentro sensor transmitter

Q

Case study: Trolex monitors dangerous European mine

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UNDERGROUND COMMUNICATIONS

Network necessitiesCommunications systems have a vital role in safety and operations underground, writes Ailbhe Goodbody

“As under­ground mines are more hazardous than surface operations, the reliability of a network could mean the difference between life and death

Communications systems in underground mines can range from simple text messaging to an

all-encompassing voice, data and video system. When planned from the beginning, a mine can select sytems that fulfil its current and future needs for voice and data communications. This way, the mine will not have to re-invest in parallel or new systems in the future.

The first priority is the ability to communicate verbally or to text each worker. Additionally, many mines choose to use networks for data and video transfer. Often mines will install one technology for tracking and/or text, and separate systems for voice, data and video, but this can be expensive and requires a lot of maintenance.

The more technologies are deployed underground, the more maintenance is required, and as a result support staff need to have a lot more technical knowledge. Eric Brouillette, director of mining sales at Cattron, a unit of Laird Technologies, says: “In the past, an electrician mainly dealt with electricity. Now they need to deal with PLC communication protocols, network protocol for IP phones, computers and IP cameras, radio frequency technology used for the voice channels and RFID systems.”

Mr Brouillette adds: “Most, if not all, of the installations we are doing these days include digital voice channels, cable modems for high-speed data and our diagnostic and auto-calibration and monitoring system. RFID is also very popular. At Laird Technologies we are

using off-the-shelf RFID systems to provide the best solution for the application.”

A well-designed system will offer: good throughput performance; low latency for critical traffic flow; and redundancy (the term used for the duplication of critical components or functions of a system with the intention of increasing its reliability) when there are issues.

The system should also offer: greater network uptime for increased production; reliable communications that deliver consistent data; and, less operational expenditure due to network resiliency.

A reliable and thorough system, through the instant and accurate delivery of information, can result in enhanced productivity. This type of network can also link workers both underground and on the surface, and provide a backbone for safety and monitoring equipment.

Wisam Farjow, vice president, engineering at Mine Radio Systems (MRS), says: “The benefit of a well-planned system is a tighter combination of technologies that reduces the instances of drop outs and dead spots. When management is able to analyse data gathered from personnel and equipment monitoring, and tracking assets, they are able to increase productivity and reduce risks to staff.”

Installing communications systems in underground mines can be challenging. Tight quarters and solid rock make signal propagation difficult. The harsh underground environment can also quickly take its toll on sensitive electronic equipment.

Mining operations are dynamic and unpredictable, making it difficult to determine how installed systems will perform – true performance may only be understood after systems are in place. However, as underground mines are more hazardous than surface operations, the reliability of a network could mean the difference between life and death.

The types of challenges depend on the chosen system. For example, fibre-optic cables must be well protected due to their fragility and the cost of repair. Leaky feeder systems need to be deployed away from any metal objects and electrical wires due to cable interference. For a distributed antenna system, the location of the antennas is critical to optimise the coverage.

The propagation of wireless channels is another key consideration. In soft rock, the signal spreads better as there is less interference due to the minimal metal content of the ore. The limitations of the radio signals are not as obvious, but this is also important. Power must also be considered, as its availability in certain areas may influence the mine design.

Networks must be protected from the actual processes of mining, such as blasting. Underground systems that are based on a wired backbone will not work in many post-accident scenarios because cables will have been cut.

Alexandre Cervinka, founder and CEO of Newtrax Technologies, says: “Even when tentatively redundant closed-loop wired network backbones are initially deployed, the operational complexity of

Cameco Corp employees walk in an underground shaft at the Cigar Lake uranium mine in northwest Canada

Phot

o: B

loom

ber

g N

ews

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78 UNDERGROUND COMMUNICATIONS

continuously extending the network as the mine expands can lead to the use of open-ended cable extensions for coverage in many active areas of the mine.

“Since fixing broken cables underground from the surface via a borehole is not realistic, an alternative solution is required for reliable and cost-effective post-accident backhaul communications to surface.”

All of Newtrax’s products are based on MineTrax, a battery-powered wireless network designed for underground mines. At mines in Mexico, Fresnillo has installed 340 Newtrax nodes for vehicle tracking, telemetry and dispatch (144 vehicles), personnel tracking and emergency communications (686 cap lamps) and monitoring air quality (40 gas detectors of CO, NO, NO2 and O2).

FUNCTIONAlITIESThe are many applications for which mine communication networks can be used underground.

Two-way communicationReal-time two-way voice communication has benefits for both safety and productivity. The ability to pass on information to colleagues is even more critical when operating underground.

Communication between individuals or groups on the surface and/or underground immediately and effectively reduces the time taken travelling around the site and allows companies to adapt production strategies. With good communications infrastructure, personnel can respond to underground incidents from the surface. Real-time two-way voice communications can also shorten disaster reaction times.

In the past, mines mainly used analogue radios. Now new technologies are available, such as digital radios and IP phones. Most mines use walkie-talkie or push-to-talk (PTT) communications that are ‘half duplex’ – one person talks, everyone else listens. Conversations are not private, however, as everyone on the channel can hear what is being said.

Someone can also accidentally ‘key’

their walkie-talkie (push the talk key without noticing) and make it impossible for everyone else to communicate.

Real-time ‘full duplex’ voice communication, as used on the telephone or face-to-face, is more natural. Mr Cervinka says: “However, in most mines only 15-20% of personnel have handheld radios due to the high cost and the risk of theft. Also, most mines don’t have wireless coverage in production areas, where most workers spend 90% of their time, and such systems don’t work after an accident, when they are most valuable for safety.”

In recent years, technology has become available to upgrade the analogue very-high frequency and ultra-high frequency (VHF/UHF) private mobile radio systems deployed in 99% of mechanised mines to digital services.

Productivity related applications such as ventilation on demand (VOD) can be a benefit for the real-time reporting of environmental conditions, and remote control of a ventilation system can save power and ultimately increase productivity.

Northern Light Technologies’ Ranger phone is a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone that allows workers to have their own extension with voicemail, which also supports PTT. Also, VoIP phones are easily connected to the phone system, allowing underground workers to communicate with the surface and the public phone system as if they are sitting in an office.

These types of phones use a standard known as session initiation protocol (SIP). Another advantage is that devices from different manufacturers that are SIP-compliant can be used in combination.

Leaky feeder systems use a coaxial cable, which runs along tunnels, that emits and receives radio waves. The cable is ‘leaky’ as it has gaps in its outer conductor to allow the radio signal to leak in or out along the length of the cable. Line amplifiers are required at regular intervals to boost the signal.

The signal is generally picked up by

portable transceivers carried by workers, and transmissions from the transceivers are picked up by the feeder, allowing two-way communication throughout the tunnel system.

Pyott-Boone Electronics’ (PBE’s) Minecom leaky feeder is a radio system that can provide complete communications coverage for a mine site, including above-ground site linking. Many other PBE solutions can work over the leaky feeder system backbone, including emergency management systems for communication and evacuation, as well as atmospheric monitoring, tracking and mine-wide monitoring system integration.

The Minecom BDA-4 bi-directional line amplifier, used to boost the signal along the Minecom leaky feeder system, automatically minimises degradation of signal-to-noise ratio. These adjustments can be made manually or automatically and this can be accomplished locally at the device or remotely from the surface using software required.

Its AutoGain technology reduces the end-user burden of tuning the system by letting the BDA-4 adjust itself. After installation, the BDA-4 operates autonomously, and performance is reported locally on the unit.

MRS says that its Centrian (CMTS) range is the industry’s first cable modem termination system over ‘best-in-class’ leaky feeder cable, and can transmit voice and high-speed data.

MRS announced in December that it had recently completed phase one of its installation at the Boleo deposit on the east coast of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. Baja Mining’s Boleo site, which is very remote and in a very hot climate, required communications that allowed for constant contact between underground and surface sites and main operational centres. The system also had to be quickly expandable and stand up to one of the harshest environments MRS has worked in.

MRS provided a scalable system that features two surface repeater sites to provide voice communication coverage between the mine sites and main buildings, microwave linking of all sites,

“With good comms infra­

structure, personnel can

respond to underground

incidents from the surface”

Combining 800MHz two-way radio technology

with the high-speed data

capability of cable modems

makes SIAMnet an economical choice where

both voice and data

communication are needed

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UNDERGROUND COMMUNICATIONS

eight time-division multiple access (TDMA) voice communication channels, GPS functionality and MRS Centrian system integration. The surface communication infrastructure is connected to and communicates with the MRS underground Centrian leaky feeder system to provide seamless and constant coverage from surface to underground and vice versa

“Most of the systems available on the market can provide voice communication without major issues,” says Mr Brouillette. “Some of them use standard radios and others use IP phones. The major differentiation is on the data side.

“Some of the systems can only provide a low data bandwidth. Some are based on fibre optics, which provide a lot of data bandwidth but require more care during deployment. Others are based on a standard coaxial cable, which provides a good compromise between the ease of deployment and data bandwidth.”

EmergenciesIn an emergency, parts of underground communication infrastructure may be damaged or cut off.

Due to this, systems need to be designed with a primary and secondary network. The primary network operates during normal operational conditions, and the secondary network will operate if the primary network fails. Redundancy is a basic requirement of any system that is designed to work after an emergency event.

The minimum design is that the system can withstand a single point of failure – in other words, a single cut in a cable or a single lost node will have little or no effect on the system. Most systems are designed with a backup or redundant path. Ideally, these paths should be physically as far from one another as possible.

Andy Stein, business development manager for communications products in the Americas at Northern Light Technologies, says: “In coal, this could include entries that are at either side of the mine, as well as having one or more stopping lines in between. Physically isolating the paths by having an above-ground path can be included in the design or, if this is not possible, burying a cable can help make it more survivable.”

“One solution would be to design the mine such that there are always two paths for communications,” says Mr Brouillette of Laird Technologies. “This way, a redundant system can be deployed. Another way would be to use level-to-level communication paths, and design the system in such a way that the main cable is on a different level to the

antennas. Using boreholes, a cable can be passed from one level to another and connected to the antennas.”

Laird Technologies’ wireless automation and control business unit (previously known as Cattron) sells the SIAMnet system. SIAMnet is a distributed antenna network, meaning that a standard cable television coaxial cable is installed underground and amplifiers and antennas are deployed to provide up to 32 voice channels and high-speed data up to 150Mbps on a single coaxial cable.

The SIAMnet system is divided into four major components: the head end, which is where all of the voice repeaters are located along with the main data master modem and the SIAMnet diagnostic controller; the main infrastructure, which is composed of a standard coaxial cable, amplifiers, splitters, antennas and high-speed data-connection points; standard off-the-shelf 800MHz voice radios; and mobile data modules that are used on vehicles for constant communication with the surface, allowing for monitoring of the vehicles and deployment of a dispatch system.

“Proper planning, radio-unit placement, antenna types (such as OMNI directional), and available product features make dynamic underground communications possible,” says Jason Bawcom, vice-president of worldwide solutions and services at Strix Systems.

“There should be software triggers that adapt to the emergency situation, taking redundant paths of communications traffic through the mine and toward the network. At least two paths are required for the radios to change course as needed. The antenna elements chosen will sometimes dictate how much signal a given radio can use to discover its surroundings in order to make those decisions.”

Strix generally provides fixed and mobile data within the mine to smart devices that can cope with data and voice. The OWS 2400 model is typically used in the cut paths and cross connects, and can cover several cut paths as each unit has up to six radios for backhauling and access.

Leaky feeder and fibre optic networks are good for use in primary systems. Fibre-based systems have distinct advantages for this – functional paths can be located in travel and or belt entries, and then a layer of redundancy can be added by running fibre to the surface through a borehole or burying cable in an additional intake or return.

Through the earth (TTE) systems are a good example of a secondary system that can patch a broken gap in the primary networks or re-route the communication traffic through

secondary redundant paths. It is a form of radio signalling

that uses low-frequency waves to pass through rock that cannot be penetrated by conventional, higher-frequency radio signals. TTE signals can be relayed through various configurations, but is generally restricted to line-of-sight communication between antennae and repeater systems.

Mr Farjow says: “It’s also important that during the system design, the topology of the system should consider the redundancy element. System configurations such as ring topology or multi-path topology can be used to allow redundant traffic routes.”

Some companies, such as PBE, use a number of proprietary systems-engineering techniques in their products that will provide the necessary redundancy in case of an emergency. All of the components are housed in robust, chemical and water resistant enclosures.

Newtrax’s Post-Accident Network Probe (PANP) is a new technology that enables easy network design for survivability, and the ability to re-establish communications with an isolated section of the network in after an accident.

The PANP is an alternative to TTE technology, which is simpler and cheaper. It can be dropped down a borehole or ventilation shaft using a cable, and acts as a new backhaul link to the surface for the self-healing MineTrax wireless network.

Numerous probes can be installed close to active areas before there is an accident, creating permanent backhaul links to the surface and increasing the chances of some of the links surviving an emergency and preventing network downtime.

Top: the MRS Centrian allows the use of both very high frequency (VHF) portable radios and VoIP handsetsInset: The MRS Helian Trapped Miner Rescue system features multi-level asset location and personnel warning technologies

It is a form of radio signalling that uses low-frequency waves to pass through rock that cannot be

higher-frequency radio signals. TTE signals can be relayed through various configurations, but is generally

communication between antennae

Mr Farjow says: “It’s also important that during the system design, the Top: the MRS

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80 UNDERGROUND COMMUNICATIONS

Tracking personnelLocation-based tracking allows for the last-known positioning of a miner in case of emergencies. Maintaining personnel changes or shift changes are key uses for tracking as well.

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a wireless non-contact system used for automatic identification and tracking. It uses radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data from a tag attached to a worker’s clothing or equipment such as a vehicle, and transmit an identification (ID) to a reader or access point. The tag contains electronically stored information that can be read from up to several metres away.

“An underground tracking system’s primary purpose is to aid in an emergency,” says Mirza Kozarcanin, sales manager at PBE Australia. “Being able to pinpoint your staff’s last known location is critical when planning and deploying an emergency rescue team.”

“It is important to note that some systems are designed primarily for emergency use,” says Mr Stein. “The problem with these is that they often don’t get maintained properly since they don’t get used daily. Workers need to be trained and retrained as they will forget things if they don’t do them every day. Good systems are used every day for operations and then provide everything you need during an emergency.”

Tracking systems are mostly real-time, and sessions are recorded to understand where the miner might be in case of emergencies such as blasts, fire or cave-ins.

If the system is working after an event, operators can account for their personnel and track their movements while directing them with instructions. Any miner that is unaccounted for can be identified along with their last known position.

If the system has been damaged, for instance by a rock fall, it can still give rescue teams information on where workers were at the moment of the event, and their direction of travel can assist in directing emergency workers. If video is

included in the system, capturing the event and replaying what happened can aid in rescue, the speed of which is critical.

RFID beacons can be used to read the last time the miner was in a specific area, offering a good starting point for the rescue team. The MRS Helian Trapped Miner Rescue system can identify: the location of trapped personnel; distance to trapped personnel; direction to trapped personnel; determine and advise trapped on personnel’s state of health; and alerts trapped personnel that they have been located.

“Since the first rule of rescue is to keep rescuers safe, they often move slowly and go through a series of checks before moving,” says Mr Stein. “For example, they have to take constant atmospheric readings using hand held meters. If the system can provide atmospheric information as well, then teams can move faster.

“Northern Light Technologies has developed technology that allows fixed gas monitors to be placed anywhere and operate wirelessly on battery. Rescue teams can use this to move through ‘safe’ areas faster to get to the area where the emergency has taken place.”

The PBE RFID tracking system is built on a modular backbone that enables each site to customise its system to fit with its emergency plan. One of the key benefits is that it allows for detailed tracking of a qualified first aider, meaning that in case of an emergency, the site emergency co-ordinator or manager can identify and call on the closest available first aider.

Mr Kozarcanin says: “Our tracking system was designed to assist with critical time management in emergency situations. Our RFID tracking system has been used to confirm all personnel and other assets have vacated an area before any blasting or dangerous activity.

“With all personnel and assets carrying RFID tracking tags, managers can ensure they have passed by a tag reader into a safe area before allowing dangerous work to commence.”

In addition, PBE’s Tracking Boss with MineBoss software can provide a real-time

headcount in specific areas during emergencies, saving an emergency response team vital time. The PBE MineBoss computer system is currently operating in more than 300 US mines.

The tracking solution is highly dependent upon a client device, tag or WiFi device, that can, in some implementations, triangulate a person’s position based on the signal rate to the wireless infrastructure.

Strix offers this and uses multiple radios for extended placement and signal coverage. The built-in software algorithms make the system highly redundant and resilient, even in emergencies when the signal is blocked. It is also possible to layer on multiple applications, such as video surveillance, tracking, general data and also voice services – which all contribute to overall safety practices.

However, tracking systems are not limited to emergencies. They can be used for access control, by restricting unauthorised personnel from gaining access to high-risk areas, or to equipment that they have not been trained on.

Tracking systems can also be used for inducting new personnel, fatigue monitoring and evacuations. For example, PBE’s Minecom Electronic Tag Board can be used to automatically maintain employee and contractor time sheets, to manage staff and contractor on-site induction, to alert staff to employees who have spent excessive periods underground without adequate breaks, and to provide pre- and post-incident management and reporting.

From a productivity point of view, a properly deployed tracking system will enable the operations management to track personnel and asset movements, and match up the right assets for the right job depending on available resources and workers skills.

The tracking of workers and equipment can be used to keep people out of harm’s way. For example, if a worker moves into an area with an unsupported roof, a dispatcher receives an alarm signal and can then call the employee or their supervisor. If gas readings in a certain area rise, staff can be notified immediately and their movement out of the mine watched.Northern Light Technologies uses RFID for ‘reverse tracking’, which it says is a highly accurate and reliable way of tracking in mines. The system works by having tags deployed around the mine, for example in every cut-through and in the longwall roof supports.

As the miner wearing the Reverse Tracking Cap lamp (RTC) moves through the mine, the lamp reads the deployed tags and transmits the information

“If the system has

been damaged,

for instance by a rock

fall, it can still give

rescue teams

information on where

workers were at the moment of the event”

Below, left: The MineTrax

battery-powered wireless network

infrastructure node.

Right: Tracking assets assists with both the

planning of movement, and

monitoring of system health

and performance

77-80,82-84MM1206.indd 80 24/05/2012 12:32

• SIAMnet combines conventional two-way radio technology with high speed data transmission to provide a safer and more effi cient mining environment.

• CattronControl systems allow remote control of mining

vehicles wirelessly using an Operator Control Unit (OCU) and a Machine Control Unit (MCU).

Anywhere that mine safety and effi ciency are essential, Laird Technologies Cattron brand products have a system that will do the job.

Your VisionOur Solutions

Cost-effective, ReliableMine Communicationsand Remote Controls

Find your solution at www.cattrongroup.com

SIAMnet CattronControl

Laird Technologies’ Cattron brand products provide cost-effective, reliable mine communication and remote control solutions.

ANTENNAS & RECEPTION | EMI | M2M | TELEMATICS | THERMAL | WIRELESS AUTOMATION & CONTROL

WACS-AD-Mining Mag 0612.indd 1 18/5/2012 14:11:32

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82 UNDERGROUND COMMUNICATIONS

out on the Northern Light Technologies Digital WiFi network. If the miner encounters a non-supported area, the tag reads are buffered and time stamped in the lamp, and transmitted once returned to a hot spot or fully covered section of the mine.

The MRS INsite system monitors personnel location and then generates reports that can be modified to extract different kinds of information. Data can be analysed by shift, location and duration. INsite can develop a large data base that can be analysed over a period of time to contribute to overall safety.

Tracking assetsMining tools and equipment are expensive. Tracking assets assists with both the planning of movement, and monitoring of system health and performance, leading to less downtime and increasing productivity. Reports can be analysed to improve workflow and safety.

Operational intelligence can be used to optimise the mining process, for example with VOD or dispatch software. If a machine breaks down and a shift change occurs, the operators also know how to locate the equipment if it was not reported or the operator also changed shift.

In addition, having mobile data on

vehicles allows for the use of production tracking systems, such as a dispatch system. Tracking is used to monitor productivity and react in real-time to production needs. This can aid in when scheduling the timing of dumps between heavy equipment for better efficiency.

Access control software can be used to track each ‘tip’ so that loads do not have to be called in. Each device, its route and time is recorded, and an operator can also tell how many route loads a given truck performed during a shift, or some other period of time.

If intelligent communication devices are installed on the equipment, the size or weight of each load can also be tracked. Knowing how long each trip takes can aid in driver training to reduce journey times and increase total payloads.

Traffic control and collision avoidance are major initiatives for many mines. The former is designed for efficiency by reducing wait times on ramps or avoiding backing vehicles. The latter is designed to warn operators when other vehicles are close and there is potential for collision.

Devices can also be used to take control of or stop a vehicle if a collision is imminent. However, such systems are an aid to operator safety, not a replacement for good practices and common sense.

The Solarian collision-prevention solution is the most recent addition to the MRS suite. It features integrated asset tracking and can be joined with an MRS communication backbone or deployed by itself. It collects tracking information from personnel and vehicles within a pre-determined danger area and places this information into the MRS INsite database.

It uses two units for monitoring and tracking – a beacon for receiving the ID from vehicle and personnel transponders, and the display unit that shows the ID received. When a transponder is in the danger area a visual and or audible alarm is raised to notify the operator or personnel of impending danger. The Solarian solution can also work with MRS INsite software to allow access to information for report generation and management.

Equipment tracking can also provide information on the health of the machinery, but this requires a different set of products, such as data loggers and sensors.

Mr Cervinka says: “Most production vehicles underground have proprietary data buses, therefore special interfaces must be developed to extract data about the health of the machinery. These interfaces are available on any RFID tag.”

Generally, data on the health of the machinery is pulled from legacy and IP-based interfaces, and then conveyed to a radio that has an established link to the infrastructure so it can report to the backend-management systems.

The MRS tagging system (INsite) is flexible enough to provide and accept a number of digital inputs and outputs receiving information from machinery. Further software packages, such as SCADA, can be easily developed and integrated with the tagging system to add another layer of applications.

Communicating with the equipment to monitor its status is also important. Mr Stein says: “Most modern mining equipment has some built-in intelligence that stores information such as run time, service intervals, loads, and peak engine rpms. In many cases this information is seldom or never retrieved, since you have to plug something in to capture it. It then has to be downloaded to software and reviewed. If this information can be captured in real-time and displayed as needed, it has much more value. “

Northern Light Technologies has a device that ‘talks’ to the equipment through whatever protocol the machine understands. It is then translated to WiFi and sent over the network. A control-room operator is immediately made aware of critical issues and can take action.

“Collision-prevention

systems are an aid to operator

safety, not a replacement

for good practices

and common sense”

“Access control software can be

used to track each ‘tip’ so that

loads do not have to be called in”

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UNDERGROUND COMMUNICATIONS

Mr Stein says: “This type of technology facilitates the management of all rolling stock and the load it carries, and the efficiency of each crew and each shift can be monitored and compared. More importantly, the reasons for any performance/production differences can be more accurately determined. For example, due to equipment breakdown, experience and training or difficult mining conditions. With good, timely information, you can make good, timely decisions.”

VideoVideo communication and surveillance is gaining popularity in underground mines. Combined with a solid communications and tracking system, the video system will help the mine operator form a complete picture of underground activity. The benefits include the ability to monitor sensitive areas, production and personnel.

Video can be sent over analogue or IP, and with the addition of fibre to many mines, the ability to support video is there. It can be used on mobile machines as well as fixed locations in critical areas, or where better safety is required.

Typically video is used to monitor things such as belt heads or for security where high-value supplies are stored. In some cases it is also used for liability purposes or in lowering operating expenses. Mines are focused on production levels, so having cameras aids operations management.

A drawback of video systems is over-reliance on the visual displays, particularly if they are not combined with a communications system. There can be higher operating expenses from maintenance, due to soot and dirt build-up on the lens or dome cover, and choosing a location can be difficult, as the areas that are suitable for mounting cameras may not have the best field of vision. It can also make some workers feel uncomfortable at the idea of being constantly watched.

Video communication also requires expensive and high-maintenance network infrastructure. Mr Brouillette says: “Each time you deploy a new type of technology underground, you have to think about the environment it will be in. If you want a system that will survive underground, you will need to spend a good amount of money to buy a quality system. As for maintenance, you will need to have skilled personnel who can maintain this technology.”

Mr Bawcom says: “In general, video is strategic tool, and if planned properly it contributes to the overall safety and monitoring of the mine equipment and operators who run them.”

Recently Northern Light Technologies has introduced collaborative video conferencing to the mining market. This consists of a video conferencing device that looks like a Digital SLR camera, and software that allows anyone, anywhere in the world, to view what the camera operator is seeing.

The camera includes a SIP client for voice, and a 7.6cm touch screen for viewing and ‘telestration’– a system where a worker with the camera can stream video or freeze an image, and ‘draw’ on the screen to help the subject watching

understand the problem and the solution. The technology can reduce maintenance costs, speed up repairs and increase production by reducing down time.

PBE’s Remote Alarm System is an alternative to video that provides a simple way to warn workers that machinery is about to start. As part of the new belt pre-start warning system, the Remote Alarm Control allows easy interface

The MineTrax Post-Accident Network Probe (PANP) can be dropped down a borehole or ventilation shaft using a cable

Strata’s CommTrac and StrataWiFi

are revolutionizing wireless

underground communications at a

fraction of the cost of other systems.

CommTrac is a fully wireless,

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system approved by MSHA.

StrataWiFi is a cost effective

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Utilizing the 802.11 standard,

StrataWiFi is compatible with any

Wi-Fi ready device.

With CommTrac and StrataWiFi,

mines can provide constant

communication and connectivity

before only available at the surface.

Visit our booth (#116) at Euro Mine Expo, June 12-14

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77-80,82-84MM1206.indd 83 24/05/2012 12:33

84 UNDERGROUND COMMUNICATIONS

between a BeltBoss, or other belt control device, and any number of remote alarms along the belt, or in other areas that require notification or warning of when the belt is starting.

The importance of such warning systems is emphasised in the re-issued US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Program Information Bulletin No. P12-05. One of the requirements of the Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations § 56.14201 stipulates that a visual or audible warning is provided before starting a conveyor.

PBE’s Model 861 Low Power Remote Alarm provides two low-power sounder strobes that can be driven by any DC source from 12-24VDC. These alarms are typically spaced along the beltline to

provide audible and visual notification that the belt is about to start. However, these remote alarms can be used in any application that requires audible and visual warnings.

Remote operationsThe possibility of using underground communication systems to operate machinery remotely is something that has been discussed at length over the years.

There has been a great deal of work done to develop this type of capability by organisations such as the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) in the US, as well as by equipment manufacturers, and it is a direction a lot of mines are considering.

Controlling machinery remotely onsite is possible through wireless infrastructure, and provides protection and safety for the operator.

However, while the technology is there, it has not yet fully proved to be reliable and cost effective. It also needs expensive and high-maintenance infrastructure.

Mr Cervinka says: “Since most mines suffer from a shortage of skilled labour and high turnover, in our humble opinion, continuously extending and maintaining this type of infrastructure underground is not realistic. The only exception is in the

small and static production areas of block caving operations, which are easier to cover because they don’t change over time.”

Other anticipated trends in underground communications include the increased use of wireless technology and leaky/fibre hybrid communications systems, and the ability to provide high-speed data.

Mr Brouillette says: “When high-speed data is available, the mines can install power line communications (PLCs), computers, IP phones system and RFID technology. Any technologies that use Ethernet can now be deployed underground when a proper communication system is deployed.

“Companies that can’t provide a communication system with high-speed data won’t be able to make it in the near future.”

Surveillance additions and equipment tracking are also high on the list of application trends, and traffic management and collision avoidance are major initiatives for many mines. In the US coal industry, proximity detection has been mandated by MSHA so there is a great deal of activity in that area as well.

Mr Stein says: “Ultimately, remote mining will be the biggest advance in mine safety as it will take workers out of harm’s way.”

PBE’s Minecom BDA-4

bidirectional line amplifier is used

to boost the signal along the Minecom leaky feeder system

Driving change and awareness

Dedicated to covering best practice in environmental and social responsibility in the mining sectorComing up this July/August issue:

• Coverage of the UN’s Rio +20 conference in Brazil

• Sustainability in Mining – Peter Ion

• Book review - International Water Association’s Disasters in Mining

• The future of sea� oor mining in The future of sea� oor mining in

Australia: CSIRO’s project in the Northern Territory

If you are not gettingyour own copy,

subscribe online atwww.mpe-magazine.com

,and the

77-80,82-84MM1206.indd 84 24/05/2012 12:33

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FLASHBACK TO… JUNE 1912

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A selection of articles from Mining Magazine 100 years ago…

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June 2012 www. .com

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