The focus of CRC ORE is to address key challenges facing the industry in terms of integrated evaluation (planning) and extraction (characterisation, mining and processing) of mineral deposits. Its primary goal is to develop the capability to characterise and evaluate both the economic and environmental performance of alternative, integrated scheduling and extraction options. This includes new blasting technologies and comminution optimisation models.
In July 2009 AMIRA International undertook to support the bid by the University Of Queensland (JKMRC and the Bryan Research Centre) for the establishment of the centre by allocating the value in P9 and P843 to the CRC ORE. This represents a significant proportion of CRC ORE’s cash funding from non-government sources. The total funding for the CRC is around A$60 million. Given the significance of its funding contribution AMIRA will take part as a CRC Core Participant to ensure that it can represent member interests in a proactive manner.
AMIRA has worked with Professor Alan Bye, CEO of CRC ORE, over several months to develop a Participants Agreement that provides appropriate protection of the rights of sponsors of P9 and P843 as well as for AMIRA International. This agreement and the mode and basis of AMIRA’s participation in CRC ORE has been thoroughly reviewed and approved by the AMIRA Board.
CRC ORE will deliver tangible products in the following areas:
1. Characterisation: The development of analytical tests for characterising the economic and environmental implications of processing ore.
2. Energy Reduction: The development of software and technology to optimise the economic and environmental impacts of mining operations to drive a significant reduction in energy usage across the value-chain. This includes assistance with the management of carbon pollution reduction schemes.
3. Optimisation: Software to predict the economic and environmental impacts of different mining and processing options, which is expected to increase viable mineral reserves.
The CRC ORE program is of particular relevance to P9 and P843 sponsors as it contributes considerable direction and resources to significantly progress capability around multi-component simulation and resource characterisation in an integrated manner. www.amirainternational.com.