Tag Archives: Arizona

Komatsu’s FrontRunner autonomous haulage system and Nokia make mining LTE history

Automation, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Komatsu America Corp’s FrontRunner autonomous haulage system (AHS) has achieved a mining industry first, after the system qualified to operate on private long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband technology.

This makes it the sector’s first AHS enabled to run on private LTE in commercial operations, paving the way for ultra-high system availability and reliability, while adhering to Komatsu’s renowned safety standards, the company said.

Komatsu’s FrontRunner AHS allows unmanned operation of ultra-class mining trucks. It delivers significant benefits, including reduced worker exposure to harm, protocols designed to constantly improve mine-site safety, reduced operating costs, and increased productivity and efficiency. The company completed a year-long qualification programme at the company’s proving grounds in Tucson, Arizona, conducting extensive testing of the FrontRunner AHS on Nokia’s Future X infrastructure, a leading provider of private LTE communication solutions for the mining industry.

Komatsu said: “Mining operators demand wireless networks with high-availability, seamless mobility, world-class quality of service, and the ability to support multiple applications and services simultaneously. Accordingly, the industry is moving away from less predictable wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, and towards private LTE networks, that improve security, capacity, and overall performance within a multi-application environment.”

Luiz Steinberg, Komatsu Global Officer and President/CEO of Modular Mining Systems, said: “This industry milestone represents a key step in Komatsu’s exploration of private LTE and highlights Nokia’s role as the leading global supplier of mission-critical solutions and services for the mining industry.

“As the leader in autonomous haulage technology, we are firmly on our way to helping the industry move the next billion tons of material with autonomous technology. We have come together with Nokia to further this vision of delivering increased value to the mining industry.”

Kathrin Buvac, President of Nokia Enterprise, said: “We are excited to be engaging the mining automation market with Komatsu, a powerhouse in the industry, to further highlight the benefits of Future X for mining companies as a strategic advantage in their operations.

“Private LTE is a key element in the Nokia Bell Labs Future X architecture to help industries, such as mining, create an intelligent, dynamic, high-performance network that increases the safety, productivity and efficiency of their business.”

Komatsu pioneered the first AHS for the mining industry with a commercial deployment in 2008 at Codelco’s Gabriela Mistral (Gaby) copper mine in Chile. In November, the company’s FrontRunner AHS system marked the movement of 2 billion tons (1.81 Bt) of surface material moved.

Para and Clark Construction partner up at Gold Road in Arizona

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

Para Resources has entered into a final services agreement with Clark Construction Group, whereby Clark will provide contract mining services at the company-owned Gold Road mine in Arizona, US.

The contract transitions from the original “time and materials” pact announced in November with an open book target pricing contract. This new contract establishes the basis on which mining and extraction will occur at the Gold Road mine, Para said.

Clark has already been present on the project with equipment and crews and Atkinson is currently driving an exhaust drift in preparations of installing an exhaust fan to upgrade the ventilation system, upgrading the main decline to accommodate larger trucks rehabilitating the secondary escape routes and remediating the previously announced ground control issues.

In addition, maintenance, testing, repair, and general clean-up of the mill has been completed, Para said. The mill is now in functional condition with the exception of additional ball mill liners and first fills which are expected later in January.

Mineralised rock production is on schedule and expected to commence in late January with the re-commissioning of the plant. First gold pour is anticipated in February 2019.

Geoff Hampson, Para’s CEO, said: “We are very pleased to have now transitioned our relationship with Clark Construction Group to a Target Price contract which will ensure continuity of costs and production. We have implemented several key bonus programmes to ensure that Para’s and Clarks’ interests and incentives are in sync.

“Clark is one of the most experienced and respected building and civil construction firms in the US and they bring extensive experience and knowledge to our operations and capacity. The partnership between Clark and our highly skilled and tested Para team will ensure a smooth and successful production ramp up.”

In August 2017, Para, through its 88%-owned subsidiary Gold Road Mining, acquired the 500 t/d carbon-in-leach/carbon-in-pulp Gold Road mine and mill, including patented claims and a mill and processing facility, located in the historic Oatman Mining District of north-western Arizona.

In other news, Para said the mill at the company’s El Limon mine in Colombia continues to perform as anticipated, with the ramp up of feed continuing.

“Para is now assisting several of the larger formalised artisanal miners with equipment, technology and management. The new winch and the new tailing disposal site at El Limon are expected to be completed by the end of Q1 (March quarter) 2019,” it said.

“The current ramp up at El Limon is anticipated to move the operation into positive cash flow in the coming months and commercial production is expected to be declared by the end of the March quarter.”

Copper starts flowing at Taseko’s Florence ISR mine

Base metals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, , , , ,

Following receipt of all necessary state and federal operating permits, Taseko Mines has commenced well field operations at its Florence in-situ recovery copper project in central Arizona, US.

The company said injection and recovery systems had been fully ramped and, following an initial leaching period, leach solutions were flowing at expected levels with copper detected in solutions recovered from process sample wells.

Russell Hallbauer, President and CEO of Taseko, said: “Our preliminary tracer tests of the well field in the third (September) quarter 2018 exhibited robust percolation rates through the orebody. These results were as good as, and in some cases better than, modelled in the 2017 technical study. The rate at which the dissolved copper is increasing in the leach solution further confirms historical test work and technical data.”

Hallbauer said the company always takes a disciplined and measured approach with its capital projects, performing the necessary work to ensure projects are technically sound, that the company understands its capital commitments and that the environment is protected. “While it has taken us some time to get to this point with Florence, the additional time taken will ensure that the project generates strong returns for our shareholders and protects the environment to the highest standards for the local community,” he said.

Florence is expected to produce copper at average operating costs of $1.10/Ib ($2,425/t) of copper, come with a capital cost intensity of $5,200/t of copper capacity and yield a pre-tax net present value of $920 million. It also has a slated copper production capacity of 85 MIb/y (38,555 t/y) and a 21-year mine life.

Automated drone specialist Airobotics sets up US launchpad

Automation, Base metals, Coal technology, Energy minerals, IoT, Mine surveying, Mineral exploration, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, Water management, , , ,

Israel automated drone startup Airobotics has launched its North American headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, where it will run all North America, South America and Central America operations.

The Scottsdale office is intended to become the company’s global headquarters as Airobotics continues to scale up, with the world’s largest mining company, BHP, the company’s first customer in the US.

Airobotics says it has created the only data-driven, fully automated drone solution enabling a new dimension of data collection and insights.

Ran Krauss, CEO and Co-Founder of Airobotics, said Arizona was the obvious choice for its new global headquarters.

“When deciding where to launch our first US office, Arizona was the top choice for us as it has a strong mining industry, great weather conditions for drone testing, and potential partners we’re excited to work with. The state and local governments are very supportive of autonomous and aviation technologies and the UAV industry specifically, aligning with our plans to operate UAVs beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) in the US.”

The opening ceremony attendees were invited to tour the facility and observe a demonstration of Airobotics’ automated drone system. The company plans to grow the Scottsdale team to 80 employees by the end of 2019, focusing on recruiting local technology, operations and sales personnel.

Airobotics says its automated solution represents the next generation of drone operations, overtaking standard piloted services. It was the first company worldwide to be granted authorisation to fly fully automated pilotless drones, certified by the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel.

The company is headquartered in Israel and has offices in Australia, as well as additional operations in Chile and New Caledonia. It has raised $71 million in funding to date and grown from 80 to 200 employees in its first year.