Tag Archives: Alaska

Exyn Technologies providing speed and safety benefits for mine surveyors

Automation, IoT, Mine surveying, Mining services, , , , , ,

Exyn Technologies says it is helping mines all over the world to become safer and more efficient with the use of its products, reporting on a comparison study made at Northern Star Resources Limited’s Pogo Mine in Alaska that showed the ExynAero is not only more efficient and accurate at mapping difficult places, but that it is also safer for the surveyors involved.

In this study comparing ExynAero, a fully autonomous aerial robot, with traditional CMS methods, the report authors showcased a significant improvement in safety, survey quality and time savings.

Exyn’s fully autonomous robot pairs a rotating LiDAR unit with a flight platform in order to perform cavity mapping surveys within open stopes. This hardware, combined with what is now the highest level of aerial autonomy, Level 4A Autonomy (AL4), allows survey teams to map deeper, more accurately, safer, and faster than before.

Andrew Loomes, Chief Mine Surveyor, Pogo Mine, said: “It is infinitely safer to use…we’re nowhere near the brow now, doing jobs around the corner in some cases. The safety aspect is definitely one of the driving factors to why we purchased the gear.”

Using Exyn technology instead of traditional surveying methods is a very low risk alternative for both surveyors and equipment as it keeps both out of potentially dangerous and unknown situations, Exyn says.

“The quality is unmatched as the unique application of Level 4A Autonomy to pilot the unit doesn’t require line of sight. As a result they can prove areas are between 12-35% bigger than traditional methods because they lack the limitations of traditional methods and have greater capacity to detect things like gas pockets.”

Time wise, it is 45% quicker than traditional methods requiring only 15 minutes compared with the 27.3 minutes taken by traditional CMS, the authors said.

Loomes added: “Even though [CMS] takes twice as long, from a quality standpoint, to get the same data from a CMS would take even longer with more equipment…the data doesn’t even compare.”

BAUER builds foundations with Teck at Red Dog mine in Alaska

Base metals, Mine operation news, Mining services, , , , , , , , ,

BAUER Foundation Corp and its jet grouting and Cutter Soil Mixing (CSM) methods are being put to the test in arctic conditions at Teck Resources’ Red Dog zinc mine in Alaska as part of a project to improve ground conditions at the operation.

Red Dog is one of the world’s largest zinc mines, located in the northwest of Alaska, around 170 km north of the Arctic Circle and nearly 1,000 km to the northwest of Anchorage. The mine has been operating since the late 1980s with around 10% of the world’s zinc extracted here by open-pit mining.

Its location in the Arctic Circle means the entire mine is in a geological permafrost area that keeps the ground permanently and completely frozen below a certain depth. There is, however, an active zone near the surface that thaws during the summer and refreezes during winter.

Based on an evaluation of the permafrost and soil on the site, ground improvements were identified as a prudent measure to counteract the effects of potential melting permafrost, BAUER said. To this end, BAUER Foundation was tasked by Teck with carrying out field tests using the jet grouting and CSM methods.

“The trials included detailed data capture and strict quality controls in close collaboration with Teck, the project owner, and other geotechnical consulting engineers,” Alejandro de la Rosa Knecht, Project Manager with Bauer Foundation, explained. “Trials were carried out from August to December of 2019, which ultimately identified the CSM method as the most suitable choice for the main scope of this project.”

The CSM method combines features of the diaphragm wall technique and the mixed-in-place ground improvement method (MIP). The soil is broken up using a cutter, then rearranged and mixed with an aggregate.

The trials for Red Dog also determined the extent to which existing subsoil were to be replaced with suitable filler material to facilitate later mixing.

In 2020, during the period from July to November, 50% of the pre-drilling was completed as well as 30% of the CSM. In addition, BAUER Foundation was tasked with the construction of a secant pile wall as an extension to an existing slurry wall. To achieve this, the required pile wall was integrated into the existing slurry wall and the underlying rock using primary and secondary piles. In all, 93 secant piles were constructed. A multi-purpose BAUER BG 30 drilling rig with special Arctic equipment along with various drilling tool and mixer sets were used for the execution of all the works.

One of the main challenges was the mobilisation of equipment in the limited time provided by the schedule, BAUER said. However, the required special equipment was mobilised in record time. Some equipment was transported by plane and then by ship from Seattle Harbour across the Bering Sea to a dock just over 80 km from the mine. Other equipment was transported via Hercules aircraft from Anchorage airport to the airport on the mine site. This logistical success was made possible by close collaboration with various BAUER subsidiaries and Teck, BAUER said.

“The remote and isolated location, the long deployment times and accommodation in camps pose additional challenges, as do the extreme Arctic climate conditions, precautionary measures associated with the corona pandemic and the specific safety requirements of the mining industry,” de la Rosa Knecht said.

Despite all these challenges, the Bauer and client teams were able to successfully conclude trial work between August and December 2019 and the first phase of production activities between July and November 2020.

The final production phase, which includes CSM and demobilisation, is due to be completed by June 2021.

Usibelli coal mine achieves CORESafety certification from the NMA

Coal technology, Mining industry recognition, Mining safety, , , , , ,

The National Mining Association (NMA) has recognised the Usibelli coal mine (UCM), in Alaska, USA, with its CORESafety® certification.

CORESafety is the NMA initiative with the objective of zero fatalities and a 50% reduction in mining’s injury rate within five years. Usibelli joins 10 other companies whose operations have been independently certified under NMA’s signature safety initiative, the association said.

UCM’s mine production has grown from 10,000 tons/y (9,072 t/y) in 1943 to around 1 Mtons/y (907,185 t/y).

“We celebrate Usibelli’s dedication to safety,” Rich Nolan, NMA President and CEO, said. “Participation in the CORESafety program has already helped companies across the industry increase safety awareness and vigilance, prioritising the miners who we depend on for our modern way of life. Our CORESafety member companies are leaders in mining safety and health management, and Usibelli’s track record clearly shows leadership in this field.”

UCM President and CEO, Joe Usibelli Jr, said: “CORESafety isn’t a program that expires, it’s a system that has become part of our culture. Recently, we set an all-time high safety record of 1,085 days without a lost time incident – and that is because CORESafety is a part of our fabric.”

CORESafety is a risk-based mine safety and health management system developed by NMA.

CORESafety participants agree to: commit to the CORESafety system; implement a functionally-equivalent version of the CORESafety safety and health management system; submit to NMA annual self-assessments of progress toward implementation of the CORESafety safety and health management system; and, if the company elects, to become or maintain CORESafety certification, complete a thorough third- party assessment of its safety and health management system to verify that it is functionally equivalent to CORESafety and submit the assessment report to NMA.

SomaHive LLC of Parker, Colorado, conducted the independent, third-party certification audit on July 21-22, the NMA said.

US Department of Energy to provide funding for coal-based product innovations

Coal technology, Energy minerals, Environmental, High tech minerals, Mineral processing, Mining policy, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The US Department of Energy (DOE) says it intends to make approximately $122 million available to establish coal product innovation centres that focus on manufacturing value-added, carbon-based products from coal, as well developing new methods to extract and process rare earth elements and critical minerals from coal.

The DOE anticipates funding innovation centres in multiple US coal producing basins.

New and existing coalitions of private industry, academia, national laboratories, and state and local governments are encouraged to compete to establish the centres, it said.

“Once established, the public-private innovation centres will research and incubate innovative mining, beneficiation, processing, and purification technologies that are environmentally sustainable,” the DOE said. “Each centre will also provide a foundation for educating the next generation of technicians, skilled workers, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professionals.”

US Secretary of Energy, Dan Brouillette, said: “It’s vitally important that America develop a viable domestic supply of rare earth elements, critical minerals, and other valuable products from our vast coal resources. This effort moves us closer to that goal.

“The Trump Administration has been aggressively investing in research and development for novel uses of coal that have the potential to create new markets for coal and coal by-products. Sustaining domestic coal production creates new economic opportunity for coal state economies and benefits the nation.”

Examples of US coal basins, which could host an innovation centre, include: the Appalachian basin (Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia), the San Juan River-Raton-Black Mesa basin (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico), the Illinois basin (Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee), the Williston basin (Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota), the Powder River basin (Montana, Wyoming), the Uinta basin (Colorado, Utah), the Green River-Wind River basin (Colorado, Wyoming), the Gulf Coast-Black Warrior basin (Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas), and Alaska, covering 22 states.

The funding for the innovation centres will be provided from the new Carbon Ore, Rare Earths, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Initiative, which is sponsored by DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy. This will be made available through one or more Funding Opportunity Announcements issued this summer by DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), it said.

Steven Winberg, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, said: “These planned innovation centres and other efforts supported by the new CORE-CM initiative will build on the amazing work that NETL and our partners have been doing for years on rare earth elements, critical minerals, and value-added products from coal.

“We’re excited about our path forward and the economic opportunity it creates for coal producing regions of the country and the United States.”

DRA to run the ore sorting numbers at Nova Minerals’ Korbel gold deposit

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , ,

Nova Minerals has engaged DRA Global to conduct Phase 1 and 2 ore sorting test work at the Korbel gold deposit, in Alaska, USA.

This work will help continue Nova’s progression of the deposit towards a future low strip, bulk minable, heap leach operation, it said.

This is not the first ore sorting remit the engineering firm has had. Back in November, DRA was instructed by Snow Lake Resources to look into ore sorting options at the Thompson Brothers lithium project, in Manitoba, Canada. Snow Lake Resources was previously spun out of Nova Minerals.

The objective of the study through 2020 is to assess the suitability of sorting applicable to the specific style of mineralisation contained at Korbel. It will also involve test work, design, management and supervision to determine ore sorting amenability. Additionally, the study will assess the overall impact of the ore sorting circuit in a future flowsheet. This will include completion of a dynamic simulation in phase 2 to establish ore sorting stockpile and ore sorting requirements for the optimal capital expenditure (capex), operating expenditure, operability and maintainability of the overall process plant.

High level deliverables will include generation of process mass and water balances, mechanical equipment list, and a concept level (AACE Class 5) capex estimate for the entire plant.

The company said: “Nova recognises the need for sorting studies early on in the mine development cycle. These kinds of studies help to keep moving the project towards prefeasibility.”

In addition, the sorting study will run concurrently with the 2020 resource drilling program. Subject to drilling and positive results, Nova sees various processing options at Korbel. These options include heap leach, carbon-in-pulp (CIP) circuit, or a combination of the two.

Nova Minerals Managing Director, Avi Kimelman, said: “We are very pleased with the progress that the company is making towards delivering on its plan to rapidly unlocking the Estelle Gold District through both significantly increasing resources and fast tracking the Block B ‘Starter Pit’ to development. This sorting test work commencing simultaneously with our drilling maintains our strategy of saving time, resources and money by streamlining data and productivity to deliver strong shareholder returns in as short a timeframe as possible whilst still ensuring that the technical and economic possibilities are fully understood and progressed.”

Kimelman said Nova’s greatest accomplishment in 2019 was proving up 2.5 Moz of gold in the inferred resource category in a very short period of time and demonstrating “exceptional” gold leach recoveries averaging 76% at the Korbel deposit (one of 15 known prospects).

“We look forward to amplifying our exploration and project development efforts in 2020 and are committed to keeping our shareholders constantly updated on our progress.”

SMS Equipment to distribute Komatsu heavy equipment in Alaska

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

SMS Equipment says it has been appointed the official Alaska distributor for the full line-up of Komatsu heavy equipment, serving the construction, forestry, mining, and utility markets in the region.

The Anchorage facility is the 39th location for SMS Equipment in North America, which also has facilities in Mongolia, making it one of the largest heavy equipment distributors in the world.

SMS said it was selected to represent the Komatsu product line in the state thanks to its excellent record of providing world-class customer support in areas with challenges like those faced by Alaskans.

Sales/Operations Manager, Drew Clerc, said: “We’re looking forward to offering the customer-centred support and industry-leading products that both SMS Equipment and Komatsu are known for. SMS and Komatsu have strong reputations for delivering excellent customer service and leading the competition in the integration of new technology.”

To staff the Anchorage branch, SMS has built a team of locals with the experience to meet these challenges head-on, the company said.

“Hiring local talent is key to ensuring that we meet our customers’ needs; however, the reason SMS Equipment did this is much deeper. Supporting the communities where we live and work is a core value of SMS Equipment,” Clerc said.

The Anchorage branch is the first step toward what SMS Equipment envisions as a long and successful relationship with its Alaskan customers, it said.

“Our goal is to develop a solid foundation by delivering exceptional customer support,” Clerc said. “We want to be the number-one solutions provider in Alaska. It will certainly take some time to reach that goal, but I’m confident that we will achieve it one customer at a time.”

In addition to Komatsu, the Anchorage branch will carry and service products from Fecon, Terramac, Takeuchi and others.

MineSense front and centre in bulk ore sorting game

Automation, Base metals, Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, IoT, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Having just commercialised its bulk ore sorting technology at Teck Resources’ Highland Valley Copper (HVC) operations in British Columbia, Canada, MineSense is looking to show the wider industry just how effective this pre-concentration process can be.

IM spoke with President and CEO, Jeff More, to find out more about the company’s ShovelSense and BeltSense technologies and how the Vancouver-based startup has been able to secure investment from the likes of ABB, Caterpillar and Mitsubishi.

IM: Can you explain in a little more detail how your ShovelSense and BeltSense solutions work?

JM: The base technology for both is X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) – a technology that has been around for some time. What we have done to this existing technology, which is quite unique, is three things:

  • One, we have extended dramatically the range of XRF. Traditionally XRF would almost have to be held to the surface of a rock to get accurate measurements. The range extension allows us to work in the shovel environment where we are working across metres of volume;
  • Second is speed. Our system is extremely fast. High speed analysis is required on our conveyor belt applications, but this is even more important in the shovel, where we’re measuring dynamically; as the material is flowing into the shovel, to get a representative reading, you have to be able to take very fast readings of the material as it is moving past the sensors;
  • The third is robustness. On a shovel, you are in a nasty environment from a shock and vibration perspective. We developed a system with sensitive components – the XRF itself, as well as the computing devices around it – that can stand up to that very high shock- and vibration-type environment.

IM: The most high-profile examples of the application of your ShovelSense technology have been at copper mines (HVC, in particular); is the detection technology particularly effective in these ores? Is it being trialled elsewhere?

JM: The current sensing we have with the XRF is very effective in a certain section of the periodic table, which nicely covers the major base metals. We’re focused on copper, nickel, zinc and polymetallic versions of those three. The fourth area of focus is iron ore.

We’ve selected copper as our first focus because of the size of the market and the geography. We have done most of our work in copper, but we now also have operating systems in nickel and zinc.

On a lab scale, the technology has been very effective in iron ore, but iron ore is a very different flow sheet, so we have purposely set it as our fourth market in what we call our primary clusters.

We have five mine site customers at the moment – three copper, one zinc-lead and one nickel-polymetallic.

We were very much focused on North America and, in particular, British Columbia for our first pilots and trials as it was quite easy for us to service in our back yard. The first international market was Chile, for obvious reasons in terms of copper production, and we now have a full MineSense entity and team operating in Chile and Peru.

We’re staggering the rest of our global expansion. We’re now quite active from a business development perspective in southern Africa – South Africa, Zambia, DRC – and have activity in Australia.

We have Systems installed at two different copper mines in British Columbia, one at a very large nickel-polymetallic complex in Sudbury, Ontario, and will have a fourth system operating in Alaska. We also have two mines, but four systems, operating in Chile. By the end of Q2, we will have another three systems operating in Chile.

We did all our development work for the system at Teck’s HVC operation and we’re now completely commercial there. We officially commissioned our first system in December, the second system is being commissioned as we speak and the third and fourth will be installed and commissioned in late-March. This will completely equip their fleet.

IM: Teck has previously said the use of ShovelSense has resulted in “a net measurable increase in the amount of ore (and the associated head grade)” it has available to feed its mill at HVC. Are these results in keeping with your expectations for the technology?

JM: Yes, absolutely. We base everything on, what we call, our value model. Very early in our engagement process, we set out a detailed model that calculates the profit improvement that mine will see – we did the same for Teck HVC.

We agreed on a target at HVC and are actually exceeding that estimate. Most importantly, Teck is also seeing that value and is estimating a great overall impact at that mine.

This is an abridged version of a Q&A to be published in the ore sorting feature in the March issue of International Mining.