Venetia Diamond Mine is located west of Musina in Limpopo Province, and is already transitioning from open pit mining to underground mining using the sub-level caving method. First production from the VUG – which extends Venetia’s life to at least 2046 – was achieved on Friday, 30 June 2023. In late January 2024, De Beers Group’s Venetia Underground Project also formally launched its Integrated Operations Centre (IOC), a state of the art facility that enables a digital environment for driving sustainable improvement at the Venetia Underground Mine (VUG).
The diamond mining major stated: “With the safety of our teams as our number one priority, the IOC will be critical in monitoring potential hazards and creating a safe underground operating environment. The IOC’s design and use of sophisticated technology will ensure that the underground teams work safely and efficiently; while having around the clock support in case of emergencies. We look forward to the positive impact that the IOC will have on our journey towards Zero Harm.”
Venetia Mine has been on a journey to implement its Underground Technology Roadmap since 2019. Kobus Van den Berg, General Manager: Underground Production told IM: “This Roadmap contains the steps required to steadily progress from the use of Automated Trackless Mobile Machines (TMM), Autonomous TMM and eventually Autonomous Mining Systems consisting of multiple Autonomous TMM operating in close proximity to each other in an access-controlled area in the underground mine. These mining machines and systems are being supported by integrated planning, and scheduling, digital and analytical capabilities and the required infrastructure such as the Underground Wireless Telecommunication and the Integrated Operations Centre (IOC).”
He adds that an unwavering commitment towards the health and safety of its people remains the number one priority. “A safe underground operating environment that is continuously being monitored for potential hazards, is most importantly at the centre of the design and operation of the IOC. The centre’s design and use of sophisticated technology allows underground personnel to always operate equipment in a safe manner and stay in touch with the IOC operators in order to receive an early warning in case of an emergency.”
He says the Integrated Operations Centre (IOC) plays a critical role in the operation’s productivity and efficiency. “The IOC provides situational awareness and acts as the hub of operations management by collecting, analysing and relaying information back to the operational personnel in the underground mine. The newly launched facility at Venetia Mine features state-of-the-art communication infrastructure, people and material tracking tools, and visualisation capabilities.”
The IOC fosters a collaborative environment where Control Centre Personnel, Technical Specialists, Mining and Information Systems, IT Infrastructure and Telecommunication Systems are combined to create visibility across all the activities of the entire Underground Mine and provide the information for real-time control of the operation. This collaborative environment enables the personnel to make operational decisions that can have a material impact on the outcome of the shift.
Van den Berg adds: “The capacity built into the IOC allows for capabilities such as mine planning, production scheduling, fixed plant management, safety management, maintenance control and the remote operation of machines, which will be incorporated in the future. At end state, the state-of-the art IOC will provide overarching visualisation and control over all operations, these will include underground development and production, process plant and logistics centrally to deliver on Venetia’s ambitious goal of becoming a world class mechanised underground operation.”
In addition, the IOC will host critical information about the mine’s operations, this information will be displayed and monitored and decisions will be made regarding executing these operational requirements. He says more technologies and systems will be integrated into the facility in a phased approach as the operation matures. This will include sharing real time digital content on mobile devices in the field, data analytics, a cave management system, collision prevention, personnel alert systems, equipment location and tracking, production management through digital platforms and centralised blasting systems.
Looking specifically at VUG and autonomy, the overall plans will ultimately result in the new US$2 billion mine becoming one of the most mechanised and automated mining operations in the world. The introduction of autonomous mining systems performing multiple mining processes to deliver up to 6 Mt/y of kimberlite ore – for circa-4 Mct/y of diamonds – has already begun, with a ramp-up process occurring over the next four years.
Van den Berg said that the implementation of automation at the VUG will be carefully phased in on an incremental basis starting with automated machines (which still require an onboard operator although many functions are automated). The next introduction will be autonomous machines (which do not require an onboard operator as they are equipped with automated machine navigation and tramming. These machines can perform while being stationary in one location. Most sets of the routine functions without operator input during the cycle). The final phase of implementation will see the introduction of fully autonomous mining systems.
The key characteristic of autonomous mining systems is the use of multiple autonomous machines sharing an operating area, which is managed by an integrated central traffic management system. The machines operate in predefined safety zones that are dynamically combined to create autonomous operating areas. Autonomous mining not only creates a safer and healthier environment for workers, by removing them from dangerous areas of the mine and from dangerous operations but, if implemented correctly, this is also more productive than traditional techniques when measured in terms of output against available operating time.
Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is supplying all the primary mining equipment for the VUG for both mine development and production. This includes machines for development and production drilling, rock reinforcement, and loading and hauling. Sandvik is also providing its AutoMine® system for the remote operation of loaders and trucks and its OptiMine® system for machine health monitoring, task management and location tracking.