Tag Archives: ADR

Resource Capital Funds backs ADR’s robotic inspection vision

Automation, Mining finance, Mining safety, , , ,

Australian Droid and Robot, or ADR, has announced “significant” backing from Resource Capital Funds’ (RCF) mining innovation focused investment strategy RCF Innovation II.

The funding will help ADR t0 scale up and advance its new Explora Remote Data Acquisition System (ERDAS), which ADR claims will save the average mine site two or more hours of daily production time, reducing costs by A$13 million ($8.5 million) a year, significantly reducing carbon footprint and preventing workers from being exposed to fatal or critical risks.

Designed to seamlessly integrate into existing mine infrastructure, the system will enhance ADR’s existing Explora XL Robot’s data acquisition abilities by allowing it to remain permanently underground, preventing the need for it to be retrieved for data uploads, recharging and maintenance, the company says.

Ten ADR Explora XL unmanned robots, alongside a Rajant wireless Kinetic Mesh below-ground communication network with PBE hardware and technology, were previously used to navigate a horizontal mobile infrastructure distance of 1.7 km as part of a mine inspection at one of the US’ largest underground room and pillar limestone mining operations. The mine had suffered a significant pillar and roof collapse.

As part of RCF’s backing, ADR is to receive strategic guidance from Lyle Bruce who led and successfully commercialised Groundprobe, a company highly renowned for its mining slope monitoring.

ADR concluded: “Thanks to the funding and support, we plan to launch our Explora Remote Data Acquisition System to the market in the first quarter of 2025.”

Fortuna keeps Lindero on track for first gold pour in early October

Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Precious metals, , , , , , , , ,

Fortuna Silver Mines says it has started the irrigation and leaching of ore placed on the heap leach pad at the Lindero gold project, in Salta Province, Argentina.

This is ahead of the first gold pour, expected in early October.

Jorge A Ganoza, President, CEO and Director, said: “In spite of all the restrictions and challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are managing to successfully advance Lindero in a safe and secure manner for our personnel and neighbours.

“With the start of irrigation, we achieved one more key milestone in the pre-production phase as we prepare for what follows, the first gold pour at our third producing mine.”

Back in July, Fortuna said it had completed the primary and secondary crushing circuits at Lindero and it had started stacking ore on the heap leach pad.

The night shift operations at the primary and secondary crushing circuits began in mid-August and, at month’s end, daily throughput peaked at 17,400 t/d or 93% of design capacity of 18,750 t/d, Fortuna said.

This has seen 277,000 tonnes of ore averaging 0.87 g/t Au, containing an estimated 7,750 oz of gold, placed on the leach pad as of August 31.

Meanwhile, irrigation and leaching of ore on the leach pad commenced on September 1. The company also noted that pre-commissioning of the ADR (adsorption, desorption and regeneration) plant was 80% complete.

Fortuna starts stacking at Lindero heap leach gold mine

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Precious metals, , , , , , ,

Fortuna Silver Mines has completed the primary and secondary crushing circuits at the Lindero gold project, in Salta Province, Argentina, with the company starting to stack ore on the heap leach pad.

As of the end of June, the overall project is now 97% complete, with the first gold pour expected at the end of the September quarter, Fortuna said.

Jorge A Ganoza, President, CEO and Director of Fortuna, said: “The successful commissioning of the primary and secondary crushing circuits and the start of stacking ore on the heap leach pad are key and much awaited milestones at Lindero. Our project team is delivering on schedule and budget according to the revised plan, despite the challenges and limitations of carrying on construction activities under COVID-19 related constraints.

“The next upcoming milestone is the start of heap irrigation which is scheduled for the end of August.”

The ramp-up phase of the primary and secondary crushing circuits will involve an increase in production until nominal rates of 18,750 t/d are achieved, the company said. Fortuna expects to achieve nominal rate production in the December quarter of 2020, inclusive of the tertiary high pressure grinding roll system and agglomeration plant.

Ore for the commissioning and initial ramp-up of the crushing circuit and stacking on the heap leach pad is being sourced from the medium-grade coarse ore stockpile inventory of around 1 Mt averaging 0.55 g/t Au.

During the period from July to December, an estimated 1.7-1.9 Mt of ore is scheduled to be placed on the leach pad with an average gold grade of 1-1.1 g/t, the company said. The estimated stripping ratio during this period is 0.68-0.75.

Final construction activities related to the process ponds, ADR (adsorption, desorption and regeneration) and SART (sulphidisation, acidification, recycling and thickening) plants continues with electrical and piping installations progressing according to plan, Fortuna said. The process pond and ADR plant electric rooms have been energised, with pre-commissioning of the solution handling system commencing on July 11 with the barren pond pumping equipment.

Lindero has been designed as an 18,750 t/d owner-operated open-pit mine with a pit life of 13 years based on current mineral reserves.

Centerra’s Öksüt gold mine makes commercial leap

Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Precious metals, , , , ,

Centerra Gold has declared that its Öksüt gold mine in Turkey has achieved commercial production.

The achievement, made as of May 31, 2020, comes four months after the first gold pour on January 31.

Since the inaugural pour, the mine has continued to ramp up mining, crushing, stacking, irrigation of the heap leach pad, as well as the operation of the adsorption-desorption recovery plant and gold production, Centerra said.

Scott Perry, President and CEO, said: “Commercial production at Öksüt marks a major milestone for the company. Öksüt was delivered on time and under budget.

“Centerra now has three producing operations which are expected to generate meaningful free cash flow as we continue to deliver growth and value for shareholders.”

Öksüt was planned as a conventional truck and shovel open-pit heap leach mining operation with a stacking rate of 11,000 t/d. The initial eight-year mine life was expected to process around 1.2 million contained ounces of gold from two open pits, the Keltepe pit and the smaller Güneytepe pit.