The past week has seen the news filled with updates from major miners on shutdowns, slowdowns and lockdowns of major mining sites due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19 worldwide. The list of affected operations is now a long one, affecting all major commodities, from Cerro Verde to Ambatovy and from San Cristobal to Voisey’s[…]
Master Drilling says it is in the process of drilling a world record hole at Northam Platinum’s Zondereinde platinum group metals mine, in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa. The contractor has its flagship RD8-1500 raisebore rig on site at Zondereinde and is busy drilling the 4.8 m, 1,420 m deep hole at the operation,[…]
Metso has made further investments in its Mesa repair facility in Arizona, USA, in order to, it says, optimise safety and broaden service capabilities. The facility offers repairs and field services while supporting Metso’s Life Cycle Services contracts. It has seen steady growth since the opening in 2015, with 2019 setting a record for safety[…]
Primero Group looks set to hit the June 30 deadline for the pre-assembly of two stackers and one “off-reclaim machine” for thyssenkrupp at the BHP-owned South Flank iron ore project, in Western Australia. In an update posted today, Primero said it was nearing completion of the pre-assembly and dressing out of 24 machine modules for[…]
With the COVID-19 virus continuing to affect business operating conditions, Sandvik says it has initiated measures to support savings both in the short and long-term. The initial focus is on short-term activities with quick impact such as reduced worktime, reduction of temporary employees and consultants, and reduced discretionary spend, it said. Structural changes and reductions[…]
Nusantara Resources has awarded the front end engineering and design services (FEED) contract for its Awak Mas gold project, in Indonesia, to PT Petrosea Tbk. The FEED contract is one of three critical path items in 2020, along with tailings storage facility design and permitting, and land access, and forms part of a $30 million[…]
Mining technology services company, Windfall Geotek, says it has launched a new drone-based solution for artificial intelligence (AI) driven digital exploration in mining. A services company using AI with a portfolio of gold, copper and zinc properties in Quebec, Canada, Windfall Geotek has been using AI and advanced knowledge-extraction techniques since 2005 in the mining[…]
Caterpillar says the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is starting to impact its supply chain, with the mining OEM weighing up alternative options to ensure it can continue to operate the majority of its facilities at this difficult time. The company mentioned such a possibility in its risk factors back on February 19. This week,[…]
Appian Funds is offering miners short term, flexible financing solutions to help them navigate the choppy markets that have come about as a result of the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The private equity firm’s solutions, which include credit facilities, are aimed at helping support mining companies with near-term balance sheet pressures and liquidity concerns,[…]
Two of the leading players in monitoring technology, Worldsensing and IDS GeoRadar, a Hexagon company, have cooperated to launch what they say is the most comprehensive mine safety monitoring system to date. The integrated system will be the first in the world to offer surface, sub-surface and geospatial monitoring in a single package, greatly simplifying[…]