Tag Archives: BME

BME set to take next step in international growth journey with new Canada facility

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

In what it says will be a significant step in its international growth journey, BME Mining Canada Inc is to officially launch its greenfield production and service facilities in Nairn Centre, Ontario, later this year.

Developed in conjunction with its joint venture partner, Consbec, the facility underpins BME Mining Canada Inc’s evolution as a serious player in the North American market, according to Aaron Austin, BME’s General Manager Americas.

“The production plants on our site – which we will launch towards the second half of 2023 – will produce BME’s leading brand AXXIS electronic detonators, emulsion explosives and ANFO,” he said. “The facilities will also provide maintenance, servicing and cleaning of the company’s trucks and underground equipment – as well as give support for AXXIS blast initiation equipment.”

The facility will include laboratories for quality control and product development. The Nairn Centre development has been pursued alongside BME Mining Canada Inc’s success in breaking into the local market, he explained. Among the recent breakthroughs has been a five-year full-service contract with a surface gold mine in Ontario.

“Our growing in-country infrastructure builds the market’s confidence in us, and allows us to deliver our solutions and expertise to the same high quality world-wide,” he said.

BME Mining Canada is part of South Africa-based blasting specialist BME, a member of the JSE-listed Omnia Group.

As part of its ongoing expansion strategy, BME will have a presence at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention in Toronto from March 5-8, 2023. BME’s focus at PDAC this year will be on launching its local joint venture in the form of BME Mining Canada Inc to the local market, as well as showcasing the latest generation electronic initiation systems – AXXIS Titanium™ and AXXIS Silver™ – which are key innovations that will be used in the region.

At the BME exhibit at PDAC will be BME’s AXXIS Support Manager, Hennie du Preez, who will showcase the system. BME General Manager, Michael Klaasen, will be there to touch base with international clients who will attend PDAC. Michelle Fedder, BME’s Brand and Marketing Manager, will also attend.

Fedder said: “The market has been excited by the ways that AXXIS Titanium, along with BME’s range of digital innovations, is helping mines to further improve safety and reduce their energy costs and achieve ESG targets in terms of more sustainable practices. Blast performance has also been enhanced through the increased blast duration per detonator, more units per blasting box and precise firing accuracy.”

Among the range of field testing that the new AXXIS systems have undergone is to conduct blasts in cold climates and freezing weather, according to Du Preez.

“We have had AXXIS successfully tested in the US for operating in temperatures below -40 °C,” he said. “This was done in anticipation of our growing business opportunities in the US and Canada.”

BME recently also employed AXXIS Silver to blast in sub-zero conditions for a diamond mining customer in the mountains of Lesotho.

Du Preez pointed out the benefit of thin, copper-cladded downline wire, which de-coils easily for use in small diameter holes – even when they are waterlogged. Due to their robust quality, BME’s electronic detonators were able to remain in the holes for two days before blasting, in temperatures below zero where the hole collars froze solid, he said.

Miners continue cost control focus amid demand uptick, BME’s Hennecke says

Explosives and blasting, Mining events, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , ,

As BME gears up to showcase its explosives and blasting offering to a Mining Indaba crowd in Cape Town, South Africa, that is encouraged by the global energy sector’s appetite for minerals, the company’s Managing Director warns that the mining industry is still focused on reducing its cost base.

The demand for minerals – many of which can be sourced in Africa – is good news for the future of mining, and will no doubt be an important focus at this year’s Investing in Mining Indaba, which runs from February 6-9.

However, the pressure on mines is still all about low-cost production, Ralf Hennecke, Managing Director of Omnia Group company BME, warns. This year, BME will be exhibiting at the event to showcase its mining and explosive solutions, including its flagship AXXIS Titanium™ electronic initiation system.

Hennecke is bullish about the positive impact of the energy revolution on mining, as there is widespread expectation that volumes of battery-related commodities will need to ramp up considerably. Efforts to decarbonise the world economy are relying on energy technologies that are mineral-intensive, he explained.

“The average amount of minerals needed for a new unit of power generation capacity will grow by 50%, according to predictions by the International Energy Agency,” he said. “This is because solar photovoltaic plants, wind farms and electric vehicles generally require more minerals to build than their fossil fuel-based counterparts.”

The typical electric car, for instance, requires six times the mineral inputs of a conventional car, and a wind plant requires nine times more mineral resources than a gas-fired plant. This quickly translates into considerable demand growth in certain minerals.

“In terms of lithium, the largest consumers are now electric vehicles and battery storage applications,” he said. “It is expected that these applications will also be the largest consumer of nickel within less than 20 years.”

While this is good news for Africa, where many battery minerals will be sourced, the continent’s mining sector will always need to be globally competitive, BME says. This means efficiency across the mining value chain, rooted in on-mine productivity and safety.

“As an early-stage activity in the mining cycle, BME recognises the importance of blast design and execution in laying the groundwork for optimal operations,” Hennecke said. “Our technology developments including AXXIS™ and other digital innovations allow quality blasting that raises productivity in energy-intensive phases such as loading, hauling, crushing and milling.”

Only by optimising efficiencies can mines achieve a place in the lowest cost quartile of producers, which in turn enhances their commercial viability and makes them less reliant on commodity price cycles, BME says.

“Given the cyclical nature of the mining industry, Africa’s mineral producers can build a long-term future for the sector by remaining sustainable even through the dips in the cycle,” Hennecke said. “There is a depth of experience and technologies, developed right here on the continent, that can help put them in that advantageous position.”

The AXXIS Titanium system being showcased at Mining Indaba has been trialled and tested in various global mining destinations and conditions.

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

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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.

BME supports industry skills development with new graduate program

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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.”

BME pushes the boundaries with AXXIS Titanium electronic delay detonators

Explosives and blasting, Mining consumables, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Blasting and explosive solutions provider, BME says it is once again pushing the boundaries of safety with its initiation system, this time testing the resistance of its AXXIS Titanium™ electronic delay detonators (EDDs) to high current AC voltages.

“There are a number of different voltages that underground mines employ for their various machinery and equipment,” Tinus Brits, BME’s Global Product Manager – AXXIS™, said. “The tests we carried out with an independent research partner were able to show that the AXXIS Titanium EDD is very resistant to high current AC voltages.”

South Africa’s Department of Minerals Resources ARP1717 certification is relevant to this aspect of blasting, providing a foundation for the safety levels expected from blasting equipment, according to Bennie van Nieuwenhuizen, Quality Manager for AXXIS.

“In line with our innovation focus and our commitment to safety, the tests we conducted were to push the boundaries even further in the interests of safe blasting and mining,” van Nieuwenhuizen said. “We were therefore interested in characterising the response of our detonators at far higher currents and voltages than the standards require.”

The context for these tests is that EDDs are typically deployed in mining environments where the range of energy levels is difficult to predict – as every mine will have their own preferred power supplies. In some mining applications, EDDs are used near electrical wires or electric initiation systems.

Andries Posthumus, AXXIS Product Development Manager, explained: “This gives rise to the risk that the EDDs could be exposed to high voltages and currents due to human error or equipment failure. It is therefore important that EDDs should have resistance to initiation when unintentionally exposed to high voltage and current.”

He highlighted that the AXXIS Titanium EDD consists of an encapsulated electronic module, with an electronic printed circuit board that is over-moulded with a plastic material in a proprietary shape. The area closest to the explosive part of the detonator forms a friction fit, as the detonator tube is tapered to the bottom. This forms a seal mechanism, isolating the electronic components from the pyro-technic head and base charge.

The testing protocol required specialised high-power inputs, so BME partnered with the National Electrical Test Facility, according to BME Electronic Engineer, Hendrik van Niekerk.

“The tests involved a high current AC voltage source consisting of a live node, connected through a resistor to the one wire of the detonator, and the neutral node to the other wire of the detonator,” he said. “A remote contactor was used to start the AC exposure, while we measured the voltage with a high voltage probe and measured the current level with a current probe.”

The test levels were pushed to extreme levels not expected in normal operating conditions and, in all the samples tested, no initiation occurred.

“We were pleased with the results of the tests, which showed that BME continues to operate at the highest levels of safety,” Brits said. “Our innovative approach ensures that our ongoing research and testing finds new opportunities for safe and efficient blasting.”

BME’s AXXIS Silver electronic initiation system passes the test in Lesotho

Diamond mining, Explosives and blasting, Mine operation news, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

High in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, explosives and blasting specialist BME recently achieved the first blast outside of South Africa with its new AXXIS Silver™ electronic initiation system.

BME, a member company of the JSE-listed Omnia Group, is assisting a diamond mine customer to conduct quality blasts in all weather. According to BME’s AXXIS™ Support Manager, Hennie du Preez, BME has been active on this mine since 2016. Located at an altitude of over 3,000 m, the operation frequently experiences snow and sub-zero temperatures.

“This means blasting under challenging conditions, including extreme cold, snow and ice,” du Preez said. “BME provides everything from the emulsion explosive to the detonation equipment, which all continues to function well under these conditions.”

The AXXIS Silver initiation system employed at the mine is a leaner version of BME’s flagship product AXXIS Titanium™. The company conducts the priming, logging and firing of the blasts, and ensures a regular supply of emulsions to the site.

“Among the benefits of AXXIS Silver is its thin, copper-cladded downline wire, which de-coils easily for use in small diameter holes – even when they are waterlogged,” Du Preez said. “Due to their robust quality, our electronic detonators were able to remain in the holes for two days before blasting, in temperatures below zero where the hole collars froze solid.”

Despite the conditions, there were no issue encountered with the wire or the connector. BME’s latest logger, the TDC 600, also performed as normal in these cold and wet conditions, with no signs of screen lagging. Its battery lasted the entire duration of the logging and the firing of the blast, according to the company.

“We kept our blasting boxes in the vehicle until blasting time, and they switched on without any problems,” du Preez said. “Neither did the cold conditions cause any sluggishness of the screens.”

He confirmed that firing the blast went ahead as planned, with smooth communication between the logger and the blasting boxes. In the final communication check, there was no instability detected.

“This was another confirmation of the resilience of our system in cold climates and freezing weather,” du Preez said. “We have had AXXIS successfully tested in the US for operating in temperatures below minus 40°C, in anticipation of growing business opportunities in the US and Canada.”

AXXIS Silver allows up to 1,800 holes to be detonated in a single blast, initiated from two blast boxes linked.

du Preez noted that mines are increasingly asking for larger blasts to reduce downtime from pit stoppages during blasting. BME is expecting to apply AXXIS Titanium at the Lesotho operation, which can raise the number of detonators in a single blast to 20,000 – or 20 blast boxes firing up to 1,000 detonators each.

An added benefit of the copper-cladded wire, du Preez said, is that the steel wire responds to a magnetic field. After a blast, this allows remnants of wire in the blasted material to be removed by magnetic separators on the conveyor belts before entering the crushing and milling phases. It, thus, prevents potential damage to comminution equipment and contamination of mined material.

BME has also been supplying various Lesotho mine with up to 500 t of emulsion explosive each month. This involves the monthly movement of over 15 tankers through steep mountain passes to keep them supplied with fresh emulsion.

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.

BME’s urea-inhibited bulk emulsion comes to the rescue at zinc mine

Base metals, Explosives and blasting, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, , , ,

When a South African zinc mine experienced a premature detonation in one of its blast holes, BME says it was soon on site to investigate the incident and apply a safe strategy to proceed.

According to BME Technical Services Manager, Deon Pieterse, the cause of the detonation was the reactive ground being drilled for blasting. This was an example of the exothermic chemical reaction that can occur between sulphide-bearing rock and ammonium nitrate-based explosives in the blasthole.

“The mine was found to have geologically-bounded reactive zones within its rich zinc deposits,” Pieterse said. “Due to the natural process of weathering and leaching, the upper benches of the transition zone are more prone to reactivity – as these benches contain more exposed sulphide or sulphide bearing rock and soils.”

He noted that the area being blasted had previously been mined and did not have a history of ground reactivity. Where reactive ground is known to occur, reactive zone mapping of the geology of the mine can be used to mark out potential reactive ground areas in the current and future mining blocks.

“In this case, an unexpected detonation of three holes occurred after the loading process was completed and before blast firing,” he said. “There were no injuries associated with these events.”

The blast block was immediately evacuated and barricaded. For two days, other blast holes showed signs of reaction. This included the emission of smoke and yellow-orange reacted emulsion froth coming out of the blast holes. After signs of reaction ceased, and the pit was declared safe, an in-pit inspection was conducted. Ground samples were collected from the reactive areas and sent for ammonium nitrate and ground-reactivity analysis.

“During our inspection, 35 holes were found to have shown signs of reaction,” Pieterse said. “Other holes were temperature checked with in-hole readings of between 131°C and 170°C at one metre below the hole collar. South Africa National Standards require detonators to function nominally up to 85°C; anything above this increases the possibility of unplanned detonation.”

Ground samples were collected from the reactive areas and sent for testing at the BME’s Losberg laboratory. Here, extreme reactions were observed in two samples of reactive ground that had been loaded with uninhibited bulk ammonium nitrate explosives.

“We monitored the temperature of the samples during testing with a temperature data logger and measured temperatures exceeding 700°C within an hour of mixing the samples,” Pieterse said.

BME was then able to apply its urea-inhibited bulk emulsion – brand named INNOVEX™ RG – which is specially designed for use in reactive ground. Applying the same tests, this inhibited emulsion did not react, or cause any temperature spike.

“We then conducted ongoing characterisation work to understand the reactive ground at the mine,” Pieterse said. “As mining progresses, drill samples are analysed and tested, helping us to build reactive zone maps of the geology.”

In terms of safety practice associated with reactive ground, he explained that mines should conduct a risk assessment where they suspect reactive ground. This should include the monitoring of potential reactive ground indicators. If reactive ground is identified, he outlined a range of controls to manage this risk.

“Mines can use urea-inhibited bulk emulsion, as urea reduces the rate of reaction and slows heat build-up,” Pieterse said. “Blocks should then be kept small enough to be fully charged and fired the same day.”

He noted that, in some instances, holes may need to be sleeved with plastic liners before charging – to isolate the explosives from the blasthole walls. Drill assistants should then keep drill cuttings clear of the blast hole collars, to a radius of at least 0.5 m.

“Drill cuttings that mix in with explosives present a higher risk of rapid temperature build-up,” Pieterse said. “Clearing the hole collars of drill cuttings will prevent activity around the hole collar – such as charging and hole priming – from pushing cuttings back into the hole and onto the explosives column.”

As a rule, personnel on the block must be kept to a minimum during the priming and stemming activities. They should also be careful to check that all explosive and initiation products used to blast reactive ground are compatible; also, each product must be qualified to operate within the temperature range.

“It is important that imported stemming material must be tested to be free of reactive ground,” he said. “Unless stemming can be done rapidly using a stemming truck, blast holes should remain unstemmed.”

He warned, however, that with no stemming in the blast holes, there may be increased air blast and more fly rock from the surface cratering.

“If the holes need to be stemmed, then this must be done just before blasting time – so that all holes remain open for long as possible to release heat,”Pieterse said. “This reduces the risk of hole deflagration and unexpected detonation.”

He highlighted another benefit of having unstemmed holes: they can be observed more easily. For instance, reacting holes may emit visible fumes, in colours of yellow, orange, red and brown. If this occurs, then the blast area should be immediately evacuated and secured, and personnel moved to a safe distance.

This article was first presented as a white paper at the International Society of Explosives Engineers conference. You can download the white paper here.

BME Mining Canada readies advanced emulsion, blasting tech for Canada’s UG mining sector

Explosives and blasting, Mining events, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

BME Mining Canada Inc, a 50:50 joint venture between South Africa-based BME and Canada-based Consbec, is to use the upcoming Canadian Mining Expo to further highlight its blasting technology and other services to the Canadian mining industry.

Being held in Timmins, one of Canada’s important mining hubs, the event, running from June 8-9, provides BME Mining Canada with a valuable opportunity to reach particularly the underground mining sector.

According to Neil Alberts, BME’s International Underground Business Manager, Ontario presents exciting opportunities for the business.

“We look forward to engaging with small, medium and large mining companies at the expo,” Alberts said. “Our advanced emulsions and blasting technologies is well suited to this market, which is embracing high-tech mining and blasting operations.”

At the event, BME Mining Canada will display one of its Emulsion Charging Units for underground applications. This will be part of showcasing its emulsion loading technology, which has been proven in a variety of mining applications globally, the company said.

It also expects considerable interest in its dual salt emulsion products, its AXXIS Titanium™ electronic detonation system and its Blast Alliance suite of blasting technology tools. The company has recently established manufacturing and processing facilities at Nairn Centre – just west of Sudbury, Ontario.

“Among our strategic targets will be those large, remote mines who are on the look-out for economical and reliable ammonium nitrate supply lines,” Alberts said. “We are positioned to serve customers across Canada from our network of approved bulk explosive facilities from British Columbia to Nova Scotia, and up to Labrador in the north.”