Tag Archives: Blasting

BME enhances blasting control and monitoring with next-generation Xplolog release

Automation, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , ,

Mining solutions specialist BME has released a new version of its Xplolog system for capturing and analysing data on blast holes and decks.

BME – part of Omnia’s mining segment – developed Xplolog as a powerful tool for mines to monitor their block progress in real time, providing the necessary data to track trends and continuously improve the quality of blasts, it says.

The focus in developing this next-generation Xplolog has been the detailed guidance by users, according to Christiaan Liebenberg, BME Product Manager Software Solutions. This has led to making the system more user friendly, scalable and streamlined with other BME digital solutions – while also benefiting from improved data security, the company says.

“We engaged our Xplolog users in a highly systematic way to inform us at every step of our upgrade process,” Liebenberg said. “After our first structured interviews with users, for instance, we developed mock-ups and wireframes that we could take back to the user group for further testing. This approach was even taken into the design and prototype stages, ensuring that the system was in many ways actually built by the users.”

With the design and application code built from the ground up, and with a new and upgraded database using Google’s Cloud Services, the performance of Xplolog has been enhanced. The capacity of the system can also be rapidly increased, allowing better scalability; customers can have a site set up within a matter of hours, according to BME.

Christiaan Liebenberg – BME Product Manager Software Solutions

“Security has been improved through a more robust login and registration process,” Liebenberg said. “There are different user access levels in the new version, giving customers more control over who can access information related to their role in the organisation.

“Users will appreciate how everything is centralised in this version of Xplolog, and how we have improved the workflow for third party blast design uploads in the system.”

The look and feel of Xplolog has been revised in line with the progressive standardising of design across BME’s Blast Alliance digital solutions. This makes users feel familiar with the BME offering, through increased brand identification and continuity of the customer experience with Blast Alliance, Liebenberg said.

“Another important aspect of our upgrade is that users can easily customise their dashboards, creating a personalised view of block information important to the user,” he said.

Customised reports can be created and saved, allowing users to return to that recurring daily, weekly or monthly report each week or month as required. A summary view of block data is visible to track progress at a quick glance for the user.

“We have also given users the ability to better visually track block progress, with the creative use of colours and iconography,” Liebenberg said.

The process of inputting data has been optimised by rationalising the number of steps or actions wherever possible. Importantly, Liebenberg pointed out that Xplolog’s integration with BME’s mobile manufacturing units (MMUs) has taken account of different regional preferences and conditions around the globe.

“The system also provides mines with a digital audit trail, so that they can track operator performance during the drilling and charging phases, as well as provide hole loading information per truck,” he said.

Xplolog is integrated with other BME offerings like its blast planning software Blastmap, and to third-party blast software.

Integrated with BME’s MMUs, Xplolog, BME says, allows the MMU operator to charge and top-up holes accurately from the source application, which will have the latest blast design updates loaded. The actual charged and top-up values from the MMU’s digital panel will automatically be sent back to Xplolog, which will make the data available on the cloud platform for review and analysis.

“Our new version of Xplolog continues to raise the bar in leveraging digital technology,” Liebenberg said. “Our software engineering team continues to add new features and implement continuous improvements as we receive feedback from users of the system in the field – to help mines operate more efficiently, cost-effectively and safely.”

These updates are released to all existing customers of Xplolog every quarter at no additional cost, according to BME.

Austin Powder develops lead-free explosives detonator

Environmental, Explosives and blasting, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

Austin Powder has developed a lead-free primary explosive detonators for its clients that, it says, comes ahead of regulators mandating the use of such an alternative.

Austin Powder started looking for a lead-free alternative to lead azide back in 2007 at its detonator facility, Austin Star Detonator. The initial work was started by Morris Bannerman and Göran Jidestig.

“Developing, testing, and producing a new primary explosive is the biggest nightmare for any explosive/detonator maker,” Jan Jidestig, Director of R&D and QC, said. “It is a project that has taken us nearly 15 years. The new substance was designed by experienced chemists who worked collaboratively with the engineers to design the production process. We couldn’t rush the process, and we had some dead ends and had to significantly change the product design, and even parts of the entire manufacturing process. But we did it.”

By 2016, a pilot-scale reactor was designed, which could produce small-scale batches. This was then used to develop the method and to produce enough powder to perform a qualification test. The first field test was carried out in 2018 with 8,500 detonators for Philipsburg in Pennsylvania, USA. During this time, a full-scale reactor was developed with the help of Daniel Rontey and the engineering team at Austin Powder. The first full-scale reaction was completed on April 5, 2019. Production with the new component started in late 2020, with over 93,000 detonators shipped to the field for trials. In 2022, a total of 2.6 million detonators were shipped and used throughout Mexico and the US.

Otta Greben, Global Director of Detonator Products, says: “There is a rule for any explosive makers – don’t change it if it works. But the world is changing, and our approach to safety and health within our production is changing. Here we have internal and external contributors to drive the change. We also have requirements from regulators (you must) and our own decision to improve production hygiene and safety (you should). However, we proactively made the decision to develop lead-free detonators way in advance.”

“The world is changing, and so is Austin Powder,” Homer Solis, Director of Austin Star Detonator, said. “Like most responsible companies, we felt obligated to contribute to making this world a better place. Sure, it was a difficult decision since the biggest fear was a change, but our advantage was that we were not producing the primary explosive. It took years to develop, but our young team of chemists and chemical engineers were able to accomplish this challenging task.”

South32 and Emesent collaborate on LiDAR-equipped Spot trials at Cannington

Automation, Explosives and blasting, Mine operation news, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , ,

South32’s Cannington Mine, in Queensland, Australia, says it is supporting Emesent in its pursuit of developing and testing light detection and ranging (LiDAR) scanning and automation technologies in real underground mining environments.

The team from Emesent were recently on site at Cannington with Spot the Robot Dog, trialling Spot’s autonomy development and capabilities in the underground silver-lead mine.

While the technology is still in its research and development phase, it has the potential to guarantee safer outcomes and ultimately transform the way Cannington operates, South32 says. Mining work safety and productivity can be improved by deploying the autonomous capabilities of Spot in various potential scenarios with different data capturing tools, including scanning, video recording and heat sensing, it added.

The focus on site was testing Spot’s capability in ‘post blast re-entry’ scenarios and emergency response. Spot, with an integrated LiDAR scanner, autonomously navigated sections of the mine, travelling through uneven and wet ground without operator intervention and exploring unlit areas. It was able to produce a 3D Point Cloud map of the underground mine in the process, South32 said.

The Cannington team has previously worked with Emesent to help develop industry-leading technologies including its Hovermap System for underground scanning, which is now used in mines all over the world.

Orica announces commercial launch of wireless blast initiation solution, WebGen 200 Surface

Explosives and blasting, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

Orica has announced the commercial release of WebGen™ 200 Surface, its latest wireless blast initiation solution tailored to surface mining applications.

Developed based on the success of more than 5,000 WebGen 100 blasts around the world, containing over 150,000 primers, WebGen 200 Surface will change how the industry blasts, resulting in more safer and efficient blasting for customers, according to the company.

The company conducted the first surface blast with WebGen 200 at TerraCom’s Blair Athol coal mine in Queensland, Australia, at the back end of 2022, as part of its Alpha trial program to verifiy and validate product testing in the field. Another trial at a partner customer mine in northern Chile has since followed.

Specifically designed for surface mining applications, WebGen 200 Surface eliminates physical wired connections to a blast or within the blasthole, opening up a whole new range of possibilities, Orica says. It enables customers to optimise their entire mining process from reducing exposure on bench to geological hazards, such as stemming dust, working next to highwalls, reducing vehicle interactions, and removing people from harm’s way.

The WebGen 200 system revolutionises mining operations by enabling customers to carry out operations during the lightning storm season or turning a loaded blast into a temporary haul road with the award-winning blasting method Mine Schedule Flexibility, the company said.

Orica Senior Manager, WebGen Commercialisation, Rhys Patterson, said: “It is the culmination of years of research and development across technology, marketing, commercial, supply and manufacturing teams. We are pleased to announce that WebGen 200 Surface is now commercially available for our customers.”

In addition, the safe passage of mining equipment over loaded blastholes by maintaining parallel mining, and drilling, and loading activities is now a reality, which can significantly increase the vertical advance of surface mines, Orica says. Production delays associated with exclusion zones around loaded blast patterns during lightning storms can also be eliminated using WebGen.

Orica’s global underground customers started the transition to WebGen 200 Underground Pro, with Newmont Borden being the first underground customer reaping the benefits of adopting this technology in late 2022. Engineered to deliver robust safety and reliability, the four variants of WebGen 200 (WebGen 200 Surface, WebGen 200 Surface Pro, WebGen 200 Underground Pro and WebGen 200 Dev) have been built with enhanced capabilities, security, and versatility, ensuring it meets the extreme mining conditions faced by surface and underground customers.

Blasting and explosives leader BME hits safety milestone with zero RCR

Explosives and blasting, Mining industry recognition, Mining safety, , , , , ,

After five years of steadily implementing its Safety for Life brand, Omnia Group company BME says it has successfully achieved one of its key safety targets – a zero recordable case rate (RCR) – for the year ending January 2023.

“We consider our zero RCR over the preceding 12 months as a proud landmark to have reached, based on the positive safety culture that our Safety for Life initiative has fostered within the business,” Ramesh Dhoorgapersadh, General Manager for Safety, Health, Environment, Risk and Quality at BME, said.

The RCR is based on the number of safety incidents which resulted in treatment beyond first aid.

Dhoorgapersadh highlighted that BME’s achievement has its foundation not only in sound policies and systems, but in the committed and practical application of these principles every day.

“Companies’ systems and processes often look very good at face value, but these need to be effectively translated into action,” he said. “A RCR of zero does not happen overnight and requires constant reinforcement from the highest level before it forms part of the prevailing culture in the workplace.”

He explained that BME’s safety protocols were driven by a range of safety interventions. These included working on visual felt leadership, process safety, near-miss reporting, driver awareness programs and fatigue management.

BME Managing Director, Ralf Hennecke, re-emphasised the importance of ‘leading from the front’.

“Visual felt leadership has been vital in helping to embed the culture of safety in BME,” he said. “This means a daily commitment by senior executives to focus on how safety plans are being applied on site.”

He noted the corporate alignment of BME’s efforts with the Omnia Group’s vision of zero harm and positive impact through responsible business practices. These frameworks also aligned with the stringent standards of mining customers, many of whom are major global players.

Dhoorgapersadh said the zero RCR was not an end point in the safety journey. The challenge of safety, he explained, was to continue finding ways to improve – thereby steadily reducing any risk of incidents.

“In recent years, for instance, BME has placed growing focus on the medical wellness of our employees,” he said. “They often work under very stressful conditions – frequently out in the open or on the road. Our medical surveillance programme has become more intense, to ensure that their physical condition is optimal at all times.”

This intervention also included subcontractors, especially in the transport sector, to ensure that similar attention was paid to the health of all drivers. He said BME’s focus on safety extended beyond people to the natural environment as well. The effectiveness of safety protocols had also contributed to the occurrence of no chemical spillages that could have an environmental impact.

“We are very aware that, to sustain our enviable safety record, we need to be revisiting all aspects of our progress to look for ways to refresh our approach,” he said. “An important aspect of safety management is about doing the simple things better and better. In every task, you need to be identifying where the risks are – and find ways of preventing those risks from becoming reality.”

BME set to showcase innovations and North America presence at ISEE explosives and blasting event

Automation, Explosives and blasting, Mining events, Mining people, Mining services, , , , , , ,

BME is gearing up for the International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE) Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique in Texas, USA, with the company saying its “solid presence” is a signal of the exciting growth phase it is going through in North America and other global markets.

An official supporter of the ISEE Annual Conference, running from February 3-8, BME says it will highlight its innovative offerings – with senior leadership and technical experts on hand to engage with the market.

Aaron Austin, BME General Manager Americas, says the ISEE event comes at a time when the company has distinguished itself from competitors by growing its investment in the region.

“Our presence at the ISEE conference will give us the chance to share not only our latest technology solutions, but our important developments and plans,” Austin says. “Our presence at the conference will demonstrate our latest generation AXXIS Titanium™ electronic initiation system, alongside our range of solutions that give us full-service capability.”

South Africa-based BME, a member of the JSE-listed Omnia Group, has built its presence in North America through BME Mining Canada Inc – a partnership with local player Consbec.

Austin notes that leadership attending the ISEE event will include BME Managing Director, Ralf Hennecke, Omnia Group Chief Executive Officer, Seelan Gobalsamy, and BME Mining Canada Inc Vice-President, Richard Walker. Key global BME representatives from Indonesia and Australia will also join the conference.

“The group has demonstrated its intent in the Americas over the years, and most recently through the establishment of our production and service facilities in Nairn Centre, Ontario,” Austin says. “To be launched later this year, this facility gives us the infrastructural base to rachet up our growth plans.”

Delegates at the ISEE event will be able to engage directly with BME’s AXXIS Support Manager, Hennie du Preez, who will also showcase AXXIS Titanium on the ISEE Demo Bench.

D. Scott Scovira, BME’s Global Blasting Science Head, will once again present a conference paper at the event.

The level of blasting technology and expertise in BME has already been recognised by ISEE expert panels, noted Austin.

“This will be the second year in a row that we have had a conference paper voted in the top three by an independent panel,” he says. “This is a clear measure of the value of BME’s technical contribution at the ISEE conference and in the sector generally.”

BME Mining Canada Inc has already established itself as a local player through a recent five-year full-service contract with a Canadian open-pitt gold producer.

“In addition to our organic growth in North America, we will also be talking to delegates about our blasting solutions that contribute to customers ESG drives,” Austin added.

Mota-Engil seals Endeavour Mining Lafigué gold project contract

Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Portugal-based contract mining firm Mota-Engil says its Africa subsidiary has signed a mining contract for the Lafigué project in Côte d’Ivoire worth some $600 million.

Lafigué is in the north-central part of the country, some 500 km from Abidjan, within the northern end of the Oumé-Fetekro greenstone belt.

Endeavour launched construction ofn its 80%-owned project in October, following completion of a definitive feasibility study that outlined a project able to produce approximately 200,000 oz/y at an all-in sustaining cost of $871/oz over its initial 12.8-year mine life. This featured a six-stage open-pit mine amenable to conventional open-pit, drill and blast mining.

Mining is due to occur in 10-m benches, with double batters to achieve the final 20-m bench heights. Ore mining will occur in three to four flitches, selectively using smaller loading equipment in order to decrease dilution. The study detailed that diesel excavators and trucks will be used for loading and haulage, with a fleet comprising 400-t-class face shovels to load 180-t capacity dump trucks for waste mining, and 200-t-class excavators to load 180-t capacity dump trucks for ore mining.

First gold production is expected early in the September quarter of 2024.

The mining services to be carried out by Mota-Engil under the contract includes mine development, pit dewatering, free digging, drilling, blasting, loading and hauling of ore and waste, it says.

The works are scheduled to start in December 2023 and will have a duration of 60 months.

BME supports industry skills development with new graduate program

Careers in mining, Explosives and blasting, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A two-year graduate program has been launched by Omnia-group company BME to, it says, address youth unemployment and skills shortages in an evolving mining industry.

The program targets various disciplines in engineering and science – including mining, chemistry and microbiology, as well as skills in the fields of safety, health, environment and quality assurance. This is part of the commitment by BME’s leadership to support skills development and the growth of young people within the mining industry. The initiative is also instrumental in attracting and retaining talent for the company, it said.

Announcing the initiative, BME Managing Director, Ralf Hennecke, said that many businesses in industry require work experience, and graduates are often overlooked as they do not have the necessary skills or the understanding of the work environment to fill the role.

“Coupled to this, some graduates consider the work environment to be daunting,” Hennecke said. “We, therefore, believe our role will be to ensure that each graduate on our program is provided with the opportunity to grow and develop and reach their full potential. It is vital that we invest in skills development of the next generation of people who will drive the mining industry in the future.”

BME has recruited 19 graduates and placed them at various underground and surface mining sites where the company is currently active. Some graduates have also been placed at BME’s Losberg emulsion plant and its AXXIS™ initiation system plant.

BME Human Resources Manager, Tebogo Seakamela, said: “In a country like South Africa, it is crucial to train graduates without prior work experience, and this is what BME aims to do. Skills development and bringing new entrants into the sector is critical in growing our economy and the mining sector, which is still one of the largest contributors to the country’s gross domestic product.”

She noted that BME prioritises the nurturing and development of young talent, highlighting that these graduates gain immeasurable knowledge and understanding of the real world of work while on the program, ultimately preparing them for the workplace.

“Due to their resilience, agility and bold characters, our graduates have remained committed to the program,” she said.

As a trend in the market, most locally trained graduates are also recruited into other countries after having completed a graduate program – including those around Africa. “This is commendable and a testament to the calibre of our South African mining graduates,” she said.

She highlighted that while the graduates were from various universities across the country, the majority were from Wits Mining Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

The industry is also evolving in terms of minerals extraction, she said, noting that with the introduction of automated and artificial intelligence-based mining, the graduates will get first-hand experience of these technologies being used in the workplace.

“We are building the skills for the future, as well as ensuring that we cultivate a learning culture that encourages and enables critical thinking and innovation,” she noted. “At the same time, these graduates are offered diverse career path options.”

Mampe Mogale, a Mining Engineering Graduate currently based at a mining operation in the Northern Cape, noted that BME held a two-day induction for all its interns across various disciplines at the beginning of October.

“The aim was to familiarise us with the company structure, various disciplines and the people responsible for certain roles within the organisation,” Mogale said.

Clement Marilela, a Mechanical Engineering Graduate, explained that BME made his transition into the company as smooth as possible, informing the graduates about the organisation, while helping them realise the “incredible opportunity” they have been offered.

“It was great to be given the chance to interact with and learn from some of the organisations’ leaders as they shared their expertise and passion for the business,” Marilela said.

Hennecke concluded: “BME is proud to play its part in cultivating the future workforce, preparing them for the field of work. South African graduates are talented and, with on-site experience, can be gainfully employed.”

Austin Powder completes record E*STAR blast at Queensland coal mine

Explosives and blasting, Mine operation news, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

Austin Powder says it has completed a record blast using its E*STAR Electronic Blasting System Remote 2.5.

The blast occurred at a large coal mine in Queensland, Australia, back on June 30, which is serviced by distributor Platinum Blasting Services.

A total of 3,630 electronic detonators were consumed in the blast – a global record volume of electronic detonators fired in a single blast for Austin Powder, it said.

Four E*STAR Remote 2.5 Blast Boxes were used to connect to and synchronously fire the 3,630 E*STAR electronic detonators inside 2,133 blast holes, loaded with a total of 437,385 kg of bulk explosives.

The Remote 2.5 system has the capability of synchronously firing up to eight Remote Blast Boxes, each with 1,600 detonators connected, enabling a total of 12,800 detonators to be fired in a single blast, according to the company.

Christine Grealy, Senior Technical Engineer, Platinum Blasting Services, said: “I greatly appreciate the efforts of the Platinum Blasting crew, especially Ben Faulkner as Shotfirer in Charge, Grant Merriman Shotfirer (2nd), and Walker Seccombe as Shift Site Supervisor. They all did a superb job ensuring such a large blast was successful.”

Campbell Robertson, Global Manager – Electronic Initiation Systems, said: “This record blast is a testament to the dedicated efforts of our research and development resources, field engineers, and technicians in bringing to our customer a system and solution that meets (and in some cases exceeds) our customer’s and end user’s needs.

“Congratulations to Christine Grealy and her team at Platinum Blasting Services, that were instrumental in making this blast record a reality – the quality of the best practices applied can clearly be seen in the ‘textbook example’ blast video. We look forward to collaborating with our distributors and customers in firing larger and larger blasts to fully utilise the system’s capacity.”

Blasting’s role in making mining more sustainable

Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , ,

Blasting technology – alongside advanced low carbon emission emulsion explosives – is helping pave the way on mining’s sustainability journey, according to BME.

“The digital age has given us the opportunity to leverage the quality of our people, products and service – to optimise blast technology,” BME Managing Director, Ralf Hennecke, says. “Building on the flexibility and accuracy of electronic detonation, our digital tools can make mining more efficient and less carbon intensive.”

By collaborating with customers and technology partners, BME says it has developed solutions that can enhance output and are easily integrated – both between BME’s digital products and externally.

Hennecke emphasised that software platform integration was key to ensuring innovative digital tools could operate seamlessly with a mine’s existing systems.

An innovation that has received global attention is BME’s electronic detonation system, AXXIS. Developed by an in-house team of specialists, AXXIS improves the quality of blasts and mine productivity.

Tinus Brits, Global Product Manager for AXXIS, says: “The entire system was designed in South Africa and built by our own engineering department. All the support and maintenance on the system is conducted by our dedicated in-house technicians.”

Applied in conjunction with BME’s Blastmap blast planning software, AXXIS demonstrates the value of product integration, BME says. Complex blast designs can be easily and quickly transferred from the Blastmap planning platform to the AXXIS initiation platform. Brits noted that Blastmap can also export to third-party initiation systems that a mining customer might already be using.

Among the capabilities that BME has brought to the mining sector are longer blasting windows to allow for larger and more productive blasts.

“The increased firing window of AXXIS Titanium – the latest generation of the AXXIS system – gives mines the opportunity to conduct larger blasts,” Brits said.

The company can also design more complex blasts.

The quality of these blasts ensures better fragmentation, so that less energy is consumed in downstream stages like loading, hauling, crushing and milling. Less energy converts directly to lower carbon emissions when coal- or diesel-fired electricity is used. Larger blasts also mean fewer mine stoppages, facilitating a more streamlined mining process.

“Safety remains a key focus in mining, and a safe mine is a productive mine,” Brits said. “Our digital initiation systems innovate constantly to raise the level of safety in blasting – such as the dual basis of safety in our latest AXXIS Titanium system.”

These safety improvements build on the high-level safety of emulsions when compared with Class 1 explosives. Emulsions are inert until sensitised in the blast hole, so can be more safely transported and stored.

BME’s emulsions also contribute to environmental protection through their inclusion of used oil as a fuel agent. The company has developed a large collection network for used oil, which responsibly transports waste oil from users for its production process. After being incorporated into the emulsion, the used oil is safely disposed of when the emulsion explodes.

So extensive is this network that BME today collects around 20% of South Africa’s used oil, it says.

Sachin Govender, BME’s Used Oil Manager, said: “By using this waste oil in our emulsions, we are eliminating the use of diesel, which is a high carbon source. This plays a positive role in helping our mining customers achieve their ESG goals.”

Where customers have their used oil collected by BME, the initiative delivers a double benefit, according to Govender. On the one hand, it deals responsibly with a waste product that presents an environmental risk; on the other, it reduces the need for diesel as a fuel agent.

“There is also a positive social impact from our used oil initiative,” he said. “We engage small enterprises to collect the oil, which has an economic ripple effect in local communities.”

BME now has about a dozen approved suppliers across South Africa, according to Govender, which have created around 300 job opportunities.

“As we empower small businesses to create an income from this waste, we are conserving the environment while also promoting social upliftment,” he said.