Tag Archives: Callum McCracken

Minnovare and LiveMine open up to collaboration, integration

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Minnovare and LiveMine have entered a collaboration that, they say, will enable their mine production clients to share data across the business’ software platforms.

The data integration will enable production drilling information logged via Minnovare’s CORE (Client Online Reporting Engine) to seamlessly sync with the LiveMine data management system.

The combination of both technologies streamlines the workflow for the drill rig operator, eliminates the potential errors and ensures accuracy at each stage in the clients drilling process, providing the confidence the client needs to make informed decisions on data they can trust, the companies said.

Chris Davidson – Underground Manager at Silverlake Resources, a customer of both companies – said: “We like to partner with businesses such as Minnovare and LiveMine who not only provide industry-leading technology but take into consideration our feedback and the specific needs of our operation. This collaboration will streamline our process and eliminate duplicate information, meaning our team can have confidence to make smarter, faster decisions on data we can trust.”

LiveMine is a data collection and management solution that integrates with existing operations to eliminate inaccurate reporting and wasted time. It eradicates hours of paperwork, unreliable spreadsheets, uncertainty in data accuracy and helps bring mining operations into the 21st century, the company says.

Coming in underground, open pit and exploration modules, LiveMine offers contractors and owner operators a way to collect and manage their operational data. Being able to use this online or offline means clients can collect crucial operational data directly at the source in real time.

Minnovare CORE is a software platform that serves as a data hub for clients’ entire drilling operations. The platform is central to Minnovare’s Production Optimiser, a drill and blast optimisation system that substantially improves production drilling accuracy and consistency, resulting in less re-work, improved dilution and recovery and an increase in stope turnover in underground mines.

“This secure cloud-based platform features digital drill plans and plods that sync seamlessly with existing mine planning software, providing accurate, reliable and real-time drilling data to mine operators,” Minnovare says. “Visibility and accountability are then ensured by displaying the recorded drilled information in the cloud.”

Live Mine Managing Director, Bud O’Shannessy, said: “This is an exciting collaboration in terms of the value and simplicity it brings to our client’s operations. Minnovare deliver an innovative solution and, when coupled with the LiveMine system, it centralises the drilling and operational data and generates a single data source and approval process. LiveMine share a large client base with Minnovare, and this collaboration is client driven. Our clients have been asking for it.”

Minnovare Managing Director, Callum McCracken, added: “We welcome the collaboration with a leading data management software company like LiveMine, as we see the strength of our joint offering for our clients in terms of immediate and downstream benefits in their operations.”

Mining Plus adds Minnovare’s Production Optimiser to ‘Mining Rocks’ strategy

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Minnovare and Mining Plus have entered into a collaboration that will enable Mining Plus to offer Minnovare’s Production Optimiser technology to its global client base.

The collaboration is part of the Mining Plus ‘Mining Rocks’ strategic pillar, which is designed to highlight and promote the latest value-add mining technology to Mining Plus clients at a time when the industry is experiencing advances in areas such as automation, digitisation and process QA/QC.

Mining Plus Managing Director, Ben Auld (pictured on the left), said: “We’re always looking for ways to add value to our clients. In line with this, one of our strategies is to actively seek out technology with the potential to provide material productivity improvements or cost reductions to the mining industry.”

The Production Optimiser is a system that delivers better production blasting outcomes in underground hard-rock mines by increasing blasthole drilling accuracy and consistency. The value that mines achieve varies depending on the commodity and mining method, however bottom-line improvements include reductions in dilution and/or improvements in recovery, Minnovare says.

Mines have also seen improvements in drilling productivity and stope cycle time, as well as greater QA/QC and command of their drill data, the company added.

Northern Star Resources, for instance, increased drilled metres by 17% at one of its Kalgoorlie gold operations by using the Production Optimiser.

Minnovare Managing Director, Callum McCracken (pictured on the right), said: “Minnovare’s Production Optimiser technology has been widely adopted already in the APAC (Asia Pacific) underground hard-rock mining market. We (Minnovare and Mining Plus) see its application globally.

“The collaboration enables Minnovare to leverage Mining Plus’s global network of highly skilled mining professionals to assist in the delivery and support of the Production Optimiser. This enables us to deliver our technology and the step change benefits it delivers in new markets, while ensuring we maintain the high level of service and ongoing support that our customers have become accustomed to.”

Mining Plus can work with mining companies and contractors to understand the applicability and value that may be achieved from implementing Minnovare technology, the companies said.

Auld added: “Our clients frequently approach us for guidance on their technology strategy. Many clients simply do not have the time or resources to conduct the required analysis or due diligence for a thorough valuation and implementation. This collaboration goes some way to helping to resolve this ‘pain point’ for our clients.”

More on Minnovare and Northern Star Production Optimiser trial

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More details have emerged of the results Northern Star Resources achieved by implementing Minnovare’s Production Optimiser technology over a two-month period at one of its Kalgoorlie gold operations.

A newly released case study, co-authored with Northern Star Resources, showed the Production Optimiser technology not only increased drilled metres by 17% at the operation, it also helped deliver the highest average stope recovery in the life of the operation.

If maintained over a full year’s production, that represents an additional 5,000 oz and A$8.4 million ($6.1 million) additional revenue – equivalent to a 3.5% increase in forecast stope turnover, according to Northern Star Mining Services General Manager, Rob Parsons.

The two-month trial saw the Production Optimiser implemented at one of the Kalgoorlie operation in April 2018, with three long-hole production rigs running.

Parsons said: “The collaboration with Minnovare initially stemmed from the observation that too much time was being spent re-drilling holes (due to inaccuracy). The other problem we identified was the difference between the drill rig’s onboard inclinometers, and what was actually being drilled. It was most visible looking at the final stope pick up – the actual shape didn’t line up with what you had designed. So, we were doing extra work just to validate where things really were.”

Minnovare’s Production Optimiser system combines advanced hardware and software that enhances the speed, accuracy and reliability of long-hole production drilling. This leads to improved stope productivity and, ultimately, increased profitability, Minnovare says.

The system can be retrofitted to any make or model of drill rig and works independently of the rig’s onboard systems.

Parsons said: “We achieved, on average, 100 additional drill metres per day in the two months immediately after implementing the new technology, thanks to reduced rig setup time and re-drills. That’s roughly a 17% increase in drilled metres. During the same period, we reduced average blast-hole deviation (from planned toe-point) by 75%.

“In terms of stope ore recovery, those two months combined were the highest average for the life of the operation. The increased drill rate and stope ore-recovery equates to an approximate 3.5% reduction in stope turnover time.”

Minnovare Managing Director, Callum McCracken said: “Minnovare worked closely with Northern Star from day one to successfully implement the Production Optimiser on site. As the drillers and engineers continued to use the system they’ve seen further gains in drilled metres and a continuation of the improved recovery rate. That’s thanks to optimal blasts and a faster stope turnover, which is a direct consequence of greater drilling accuracy, speed and reliability.”

Since the trial has taken place, Minnovare and Northern Star have signed a technology collaboration agreement to develop and implement Minnovare technology across NSR’s Western Australia operations.