Tag Archives: Chile

MineWare takes Argus to new heights at Chile copper mine

Base metals, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , ,

MineWare says it has recently completed its first high-altitude installation of its Argus monitoring system at one of Chile’s largest copper mines.

While technology continues to digitise and automate many mining processes – with the company recently helping a major copper mine in Chile set up its Argus and Pegasys monitoring systems on five of its electric rope shovels without stepping foot on site – there are still some tasks that need to be managed on the ground, it says.

Reflecting on a recent installation of MineWare’s Argus monitoring system on a P&H 4100XPC shovel at this large copper mine in Chile, MineWare’s Vice President for South America, Ramiro Mesina, said his team specialise in adapting and responding to clients’ environmental conditions.

“We pride ourselves on understanding the unique challenges and opportunities at each of our clients’ sites,” he said. “Our technology has been developed to support this and our team are well-versed in solving complex problems.

“Our recent work in Chile saw our team manage an installation of our Argus monitoring system at an altitude of 4,800 m above sea level in -10°C temperatures with occasional earthquakes: definitely not your every-day situation.

“While this was our first high-altitude installation, the process and care our team puts into planning this type of operation is tried and tested. Efficient project management and coordination, led by our Regional Operations Manager, Hector Mendoza, was key to ensuring a successful installation as well as the safety of all involved.”

In addition to the location of the mining site, the MineWare team also needed to manage this process during a global pandemic. Mining sites in South America have continued to operate throughout the COVID-19 situation, however for many this has been at a reduced level or with a skeleton staff.

Mesina said the strict COVID-19 regulations put in place to protect worker’s health and safety meant there was also minimal on-site assistance to support MineWare’s installation process.

“This was another factor we needed to address in our planning,” he said. “We knew we needed to reconsider logistics as there would be challenges with making resources and vehicles available.

The Argus E in-cab operator display

“We determined that the most efficient process would be to add additional time to our preparation on-site and run the installation over four night shifts. This allowed our team to identify any other issues prior to the installation while taking into consideration the potential impact of the altitude on our team.”

Mesina said the team successfully completed the installation on schedule, with only a couple of small earthquakes halting the progress on-site.

Argus is an advanced monitoring system for electric shovels, hydraulic excavators and wheel loaders.

The interoperable solution captures and shares valuable operating data to on site and remote mining personnel in real time to optimise payload performance, mine compliance and machine health, according to the company.

Monadelphous set to take on more BHP work in Australia, Chile

Base metals, Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , ,

Monadelphous Group has gained a further foothold in numerous BHP majority-owned projects as part of its latest construction and maintenance contract awards in the resources and energy sectors that come with a combined value of around A$100 million ($72 million).

Under its recently awarded WAIO Site Engineering Panel Framework Agreement with BHP, the company has been awarded the following contracts in the Pilbara region of Western Australia:

  • A contract for the supply and installation of the Jimblebar Transfer Station project, with work expected to be completed by December 2020; and
  • A contract for the refurbishment of Car Dumper 3 at Nelson Point, Port Hedland, with work expected to be undertaken during the second half of 2020.

Further, Monadelphous has also been awarded a contract under its WAIO Asset Panel Framework Agreement with BHP for the Port Availability Improvement project to provide multidisciplinary brownfield modification works to conveyors and transfer chutes across the Nelson Point and Finucane Island facilities, in Western Australia. The work is expected to be completed in the second half of the 2021.

Then, in Chile, Monadelphous has secured several new contracts through its maintenance and construction services business, Buildtek, which it acquired late last year.

This includes two contracts with Minera Escondida BHP, for the construction and assembly of a communications tower and associated infrastructure at the Escondida copper mine, as well as an upgrade to the conveyor system feeding the Filter Plant Warehouse at Coloso Port, both in the Antofagasta region.

These contract awards were announced the day before Monadelphous released its 2020 financial year results, which showed the company generated A$1.65 billion of revenue in the 12 months and produced a net profit after tax result of A$36.5 million.

Thiess to carry out load and haul services at Mantos Blancos copper mine

Base metals, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

CIMIC’s global mining services provider, Thiess, is to undertake load and haul services for Mantos Copper SA at the Mantos Blancos copper mine, in northern Chile, following a mining services contract award.

The contract will see the company carry out not only load and haul services, but also fleet maintenance. The contractor will move low-grade copper ore at the operation, which produces around 50,000 t/y of fine copper.

Thiess Managing Director, Douglas Thompson, said this latest contract demonstrates the company’s ability to apply global insight and experience into “furthering local value and deliver productivity and efficiencies for our clients”.

He added: “Mantos Copper SA is an important contributor to the mining industry in the Antofagasta region and we are proud to be of service.”

Thiess’ Executive General Manager Americas, Darrell White, said: “For the past five years we have delivered safe and efficient operations in Chile in line with our vision to be the world’s leading mining services provider. We value collaboration and engagement and look forward to growing our relationship with Mantos Copper SA.”

Kinross Gold weighs SART plant and rope conveyors for Lobo-Marte development

Bulk handling, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , ,

Kinross Gold has announced the results of a prefeasibility study for its Lobo-Marte project in Chile, which includes consideration of sulphidisation, acidification, recycling and thickening (SART) technology, as well as the use of rope conveyors.

The open-pit, heap leach operation would produce around 4.5 Moz of gold at average all-in sustaining cost of sales of $745/oz, according to the study. It would operate for 15 years, which includes 12 years of mining followed by three years of residual processing.

The initial estimated capital cost for the project is $765 million, plus around $230 million in contingency, Kinross said. The estimated capital costs includes mine equipment, crushing and storage facilities, conveyors, and site utilities and infrastructure.

The most interesting processing aspect is the use of a SART plant in the mine’s design. Kinross has previously used SART technology successfully in the region at its former-operating Maricunga mine, which BioteQ Environmental Technologies (now named BQE Water) installed.

The company also plans to use rope conveyors, such as those provided by Doppelmayr at the likes of Torex Gold’s ELG mine in Mexico.

Subject to a positive development decision, the study estimates Lobo-Marte project construction beginning in 2025, with first production expected in 2027. Production would commence after the conclusion of mining at the company’s La Coipa project (pictured), which is located some 50 km northwest of Lobo-Marte, and where the company is continuing to explore opportunities to extend mine life.

Back in February, Kinross announced it is proceeding with the La Coipa Restart project to mine the Phase 7 deposit. The La Coipa restart is expected to generate strong returns and produce a total of around 690,000 oz of gold from 2022 to 2024. The project plan includes refurbishing the existing process plant, camp and other infrastructure, as well as the mine fleet from the Maricunga operation that has recently been placed on care and maintenance.

The company plans to commence a feasibility study on Lobo-Marte later this year, with scheduled completion in the December quarter of 2021. The feasibility study is expected to provide the detailed engineering and project description required for permitting and submission of an Environmental Impact Assessment, Kinross said.

“The Lobo-Marte project provides Kinross with an excellent, organic development option that has attractive all-in sustaining costs and offers substantial upside leverage to the gold price, without increasing project cost requirements and risk,” Paul Rollinson, Kinross President and CEO, said. “The project represents a potential synergistic, long-term mine life extension in a favourable mining jurisdiction and delivers a significant 6.4 Moz addition to our current gold reserve estimates, increasing the company’s overall reserve mine life.

“As we move forward with the feasibility study for this longer-term project, we will continue to prioritise balance sheet strength and disciplined capital allocation.”

Rio2 and STRACON establish mining and construction alliance for Fenix gold project

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

Rio2 Ltd says it has taken another key step towards the development of its Fenix gold project, in Chile, by selecting STRACON SA as the lead mining services contractor for the project.

Both companies have executed an early contractor involvement (ECI) agreement for early works associated with contract mining services. Under the ECI agreement, the parties will work exclusively over the coming months to further optimise the mining and civil construction aspects of the project and conclude contract documentation.

The scope of the mining services contract will include mining of ore at the rate of 7.3 Mt/y (20,000 t/d), waste mining, drilling, blasting, hauling, supply of operating personnel and mining equipment, supervision and management, dust suppression and road maintenance. The scope also includes water transportation from Copiapó to the mine site and maintenance of the entire mobile fleet of equipment plus all pre-mining and civil construction activities including the construction of platforms, leach pad, ponds, access roads and waste material deposits.

The financial terms of the mining contract will use an alliancing-style commercial framework based on the mine plan, methodologies and productivity estimate assumptions contained in the prefeasibility study, which outlined a heap leach gold mine producing an average of 93,000 oz/y during the first 13 years and 50,000 oz/y during the final three years of production as stockpiled ore is being crushed and leached.

The environmental baseline study for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Fenix gold project has been progressing since November 2018. During 2019, engineering works and studies were completed for inclusion in the EIA. In January 2020, the information gathering stage for the baseline study was finalised, with the EIA completed and filed with the Environmental Impact Assessment System in the March quarter. Environmental approval is expected in the June quarter of 2021.

The preparation of sectorial permit applications is currently in process and will be submitted in conjunction with the filing of the EIA. The approval of sectorial permits is expected in the September quarter of 2021 and the start of earthworks for construction of the project is targeted for the December quarter of 2021.

The basis for Rio2 establishing a mining and construction alliance with STRACON at the Fenix gold project is a best for project business strategy, the company said. Together with STRACON, the Rio2 management team collaborated, implemented and executed with this same approach when they built and operated the La Arena and Shahuindo gold mines in Peru with Rio Alto Mining.

At Fenix, Rio2 and STRACON will work together as an integrated team, dedicated to exceeding goals, controlling budgets and adding value through exceptional performance while working in a safe and environmentally sustainable manner focused on every detail of the mining and construction process, Rio2 said.

“The alliance will implement an inclusive social policy as a priority based on the hiring of local personnel and service companies from Copiapó and the Atacama Region,” it added.

The payment model of an alliance includes reimbursement of 100% of contractor project costs plus a fee (corporate overheads and profit); a key performance indicator-based regime that rewards for outstanding performance and punishes poor performance; and unanimous, best for project, management and decision making and the selection of an integrated owner/contractor team on the basis of best person for each position and avoiding duplication of roles, Rio 2 said.

Alex Black, President and CEO of Rio2, said: “The signing of this ECI agreement with STRACON, a leading mining and civil construction contractor in Latin America, forms a key part of Rio2’s strategy to prepare for next year’s construction phase of our Fenix gold project.

“The Rio2 management team is pleased to work again with STRACON, this time in Chile, and look forward to further optimising the mining and construction solution for the project and finalising contract documentation in readiness for next year’s work program.”

Steve Dixon, Chief Executive Officer of STRACON, said: “The project will be delivered under a collaborative alliance agreement, a framework which has been successfully utilised over the past 10 years at several of STRACON’s projects throughout Latin America.”

FLSmidth to provide gold processing package to Gold Fields’ Salares Norte

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

FLSmidth says it has sold three system packages to Gold Fields for its greenfield Salares Norte project in Chile.

The large downstream gold product line project comprises, FLSmidth says, three complete process islands: a Merrill Crowe, an AARL (Anglo American Research Laboratories) elution circuit and a refinery.

The process plant will treat 2 Mt/y of ore and is expected to produce an average of 2.6 Moz of silver and 286,000 oz of gold annually during its first seven years in operation, FLSmidth said.

FLSmidth’ s systems were chosen for their proven quality and the durability of the technologies involved, according to the OEM. “These factors were crucial for the customer given the modular, fully-automated and custom design required for the specificities of the gold mine, which is situated in the Atacama region of northern Chile at 4,500 m in elevation,” FLSmidth said. “Given the high altitude, it was important that the systems were as automated as possible, with the option of remote monitoring.”

The company added: “Salares Norte further solidifies our position as a premium supplier of projects and solutions even in the most challenging conditions. This contract is also noteworthy given how few new, large gold/silver mines have been established in South America in recent years. Supplying a significant portion of the flowsheet gives FLSmidth another strong reference with a major gold miner.”

Outotec and Metso have also won major orders for Salares Norte.

Jorge Carvajal, Project Sales Director, said: “These orders are the result of work well done and close collaboration. This, in conjunction with a strong focus on our customer during the entire process, were crucial in solidifying our position as a key technical solutions provider in the gold market.”

Metso to help Gold Fields with dry tailings processing at Salares Norte

Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining project news, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , ,

Metso says Salares Norte, a Chile greenfield project owned by Gold Fields, has ordered three of its Vertical Plate Pressure Filters with all the ancillary equipment for dry tailings processing.

The order has been booked in Metso’s June quarter orders received, with the filters expected to be commissioned in October 2022.

Francois Swanepoel, Technical Manager at Salares Norte, said Gold Fields’ vision is to be the global leader in sustainable gold mining.

“The Salares Norte greenfield project is located 4,500 m above sea level in the Andean Mountains, where water is scarce and needs to be used wisely,” he said.

“To minimise the use of water and improve the physical and chemical stability of our tailings, we have decided to adopt filtered tailings for the project. Salares Norte will be a benchmark plant for dry tailings processing.”

Earlier this month, Outotec announced it would provide one 4 MW SAG mill and one 4 MW ball mill as well as five thickeners and one clarifier to be used in different process phases at the project.

Metso said Salares Norte was an exciting project for the company to work on as it considers dry tailings as the “most socially responsible and economically viable solution for tailings management”.

Patricio Mujica Dominguez, Senior Manager, Mining Equipment at Metso, said: “Besides the front-running tailings management solution, Salares Norte has challenged its partners to come up with other innovative solutions. The location of the plant at a height of almost 5 km above the sea level comes with its own unique challenges.

“For example, the design and transportation of the equipment, as well as commissioning, needs to be done with special care. To save manpower at such a high altitude, Metso will semi-assemble the filters in its service centres and deliver them in six specially designed easy-to-assemble modules to the site.”

A 2019 feasibility study on Salares Norte envisages an open-pit mining operation with an initial mine life of 11.5 years, producing 450,000 oz/y of gold-equivalent for the first seven years.

Tailings, waste management automation solutions up next for RCT in South America

Automation, Base metals, Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Having made a name for itself in South America innovating on projects for Codelco, Antofagasta Minerals, Anglo American, BHP, and many others, RCT says it is now delivering solutions for miners in the region in tailings and waste management situations.

The Australia-based company is working with various customers in the region to safeguard their operations in this field with the ControlMaster® range of automation and control solutions, it said.

RCT’s experience in South America dates back two decades.

It all began with the company’s foundation solution, Muirhead® protection systems. These were requested by a client wanting to get more longevity from their bulldozers and loaders which were machine re-builds, according to the company.

Since this initial project, the company has helped deliver fit-for-purpose solutions, encompassing all its brands, to big name clients.

“The South American mining region, in general, is well-known for its copper and gold mines, all of which are located in areas exposed to extreme weather conditions (the heat and the cold) in addition to some being positioned in high altitude locations, making for some precarious working conditions for miners,” RCT said.

“Therefore, RCT’s premier automation and control solutions – ControlMaster have and continue to be in demand in both surface and underground mining operations in the region. While RCT’s Line-of-Sight and Teleremote options dominate the surface mining market, the full automation range is in strong demand for underground mining operations.”

This journey for these solutions began in the early 2000s after RCT completed an audit for ControlMaster Line-of-Sight controllers at BHP’s Escondida mine, in Chile. The company wanted a proven solution to safeguard bulldozer operators manning the run of mine pad feeders and crushers. RCT was able to retrofit the mobile machines with the technology that removed the operators from the cab of the machine and allowed them to operate it from a safe location – ultimately solving the issue for the client, the company said.

By 2008, RCT collaborated with Hexagon Mining to engineer and deliver a bespoke solution to Codelco’s Andina mine that allowed the miner to operate safer and for longer in the lead up to the winter shut down, reducing the number of days they had to stop work. This R&D project saw the delivery of a ControlMaster Teleremote solution, paired with a Muirhead Speed Limiter and combined with Hexagon Mining’s MineOps Geofencing systems installed on a Komatsu WD600 wheel dozer.

It was RCT’s project at Codelco’s El Teniente in 2018 that cemented its reputation in the region, the company says.

RCT’s ControlMaster Automation solution helped El Teniente successfully and safely mine ore-rich mud in what, it says, is believed to be a world-first mining method in these conditions. This feat was facilitated by RCT’s specialised department, RCT Custom, which delivered the bespoke solution to minimise the risk involved in mining in these conditions.

This project required RCT to retrofit its ControlMaster solutions that were previously installed on Codelco’s mobile machines operating at its Andina surface mine site before integrating the refurbished equipment, installing them on working production loaders (Sandvik LH517s) into the existing mine network.

“The solution removed the operator from the cab of the loader and allowed them to control the machine from the comfort and safety of an Automation Station located in an underground control room of the mine,” RCT said. “RCT’s solution allowed El Teniente to recover mud ore reserves that were previously deemed too dangerous to access due to the mud flow into these areas. In addition to this, the loaders were able to tram faster, avoid walls and obstacles after being automated, which significantly increased productivity and reduced machined damage and unplanned downtime.”

RCT’s Commercial Executive, Phil Goode, said it was this project that earned RCT a strong technical reputation.

This project was also monumental for the company as it further reiterated the need for RCT to have more of a local presence and compelled the company to open an office in Santiago, Chile, last year. The team, comprised of five multilingual staff, are working hard to support our existing and new clients in the region.

“Having a team working locally helps RCT to better function in Chile and other South American, Spanish speaking countries,” Goode said. “Technically we have always been very good, but the office allows us to understand the business culture and provide that next level of support to our clients.

“Most importantly, it allows us to provide the first rate level of customer service and after sales support we have built a solid reputation on delivering to all of our clients around the world.”

Currently RCT’s solutions are being delivered in tailings and waste management situations with the company working with various customers in the region to safeguard their operations in this field with the ControlMaster range of solutions, RCT said.

MineWare goes remote for latest Argus and Pegasys deployments

Base metals, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , ,

MineWare has been ramping up its remote deployment offering during these challenging times, with the Komatsu-owned company’s local teams recently helping a major copper mine in Chile set up its Argus monitoring system on five of its electric rope shovels without stepping foot on site.

The company is focused on helping its customers stay operational and keep safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, and CEO, Jason Fisher, said the company’s ability to adapt and innovate had proven key to finding new and different ways to meet customers’ needs in the field given numerous virus-related constraints.

“Remote monitoring, service and support is a fundamental part of our business. It’s what we know and what we do best,” he said.

“During the pandemic, we’ve pushed the boundaries of these capabilities to help our customers protect their workforce while continuing to drive forward productivity and efficiency.

“Our local field support teams around the world have transitioned to deliver more services remotely, thinking outside the box to perform tasks traditionally delivered on the ground, like the deployment of new systems.”

Fisher said innovation, collaboration and communication have been critical success factors in helping customers adapt to the changing environment.

Referencing the Argus deployment at the Chile copper mine, he said: “Calibrating multiple systems, for the first time virtually, was a historic achievement, made possible by the collective efforts of our remote teams working in close partnership with customer teams in the field.”

Argus, an advanced monitoring system for electric and hydraulic loaders, is designed to manage payload, mine compliance, machine health and situational awareness.

The company’s North American team has also recently been successful in completing its first 100% remote Pegasys dragline system calibration, with instruction to and assistance from the customer, Fisher added.

Pegasys is, MineWare says, an advanced payload and mine compliance monitoring system for draglines that enables mine sites to establish best operator practice.

Fisher believes there will be increased demand from the global mining industry for innovative solutions that facilitate greater connections between remote and in-field workers.

“As we start to see many of the large mining companies return to normal rosters, workforce safety and connectedness will drive continued demand for digital technologies and remote service offerings,” he said.

“The industry needs interoperable, OEM-agnostic solutions that improve the flow and visibility of information between equipment, systems and people – to make operations safer, more effective and more productive.”

Los Andes Copper addressing Vizcachitas project energy and water needs in PFS

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Water management, , , , , , , ,

Los Andes Copper has ideas on adding to the number of large open-pit mines in Chile’s copper industry with the development of its Vizcachitas project, but it is eyeing up a different route to many of them that includes the use of energy-efficient HPGR technology and dry-stacked tailings.

In an update on its pending prefeasibility study (PFS), the company said it was re-evaluating the conceptual plan it laid out in its June 2019 preliminary economic assessment, which envisaged a base case 110,000 t/d operation using a SAG mill grinding circuit and thickened tailings dam.

The PFS is currently underway and areas of work being advanced include processing, the tailings facility, infrastructure, geology, the mine plan, environmental and social and community engagement, it said.

While delaying some of the metallurgical test work and field work, the current COVID-19 situation had not impacted the progress of the main engineering study, according to Los Andes. “All employees and subcontractors are working from home where possible and only a small group of individuals are working to prepare samples in the company’s Santiago core storage area,” it said.

The full PFS is not expected until the March quarter of 2021, but the company did outline some engineering leaps it has made since the PEA publication.

It said test work had shown that a HPGR circuit is feasible for the project and could provide “enhanced project economics with lower energy consumption and increased operating flexibility”.

The PEA outlined a SAG and ball mill crushing circuit with a target grind size of P80 (240 microns), but the more recent test work had shown room for an alternative with a three-stage crushing circuit using secondary crushers in open circuit and HPGR as a tertiary crusher in closed circuit. This circuit would target a grind size of P80 between 240-300 microns, the company said.

Such a change would avoid the use of a coarse ore stockpile, reduce energy consumption, reduce maintenance, and reduce the project footprint, it said.

HPGRs have previously been used at Chile mining operations, including the Compañía Minera del Pacífico-owned Mina Los Colorados iron ore mine and KGHM’s majority-owned Sierra Gorda operation.

Los Andes clarified: “HPGR technology has been identified as the most attractive grinding alternative given the data obtained from the preliminary test work conducted to date.”

The next big advance was made on the tailings side, with the company saying test work had shown that the project is amenable to filtering and dry-stacked tailings.

“This change would significantly reduce the project’s water consumption, footprint and environmental impact,” it said. It would also, one would expect, provide a much smoother environmental permitting route for Vizcachitas considering the negative sentiment surrounding thickened tailings dams in the industry.

There are knock-on benefits to this move too, with the reduced footprint required for dry-stacked tailings meaning all project infrastructure could fit into one operating complex in the Rocin Valley of Chile, around 150 km northeast of Santiago. The PEA previously outlined the use of infrastructure in both the Rocin Valley and the Chalaco Valley.

The preliminary filtration circuit Los Andes is working with shows the coarse fraction (87% of total tailings) could be filtered in belt filters, with the fine fraction (13%) filtered in pressure filters.

Recent studies on other dry-stack tailings project have tended to use either belt filters or pressure filters, but Los Andes said the combination of the two added flexibility to the tailings filtration operation at Vizcachitas and reduced operational risks due to variability of the finer fraction in tailings.

This would see the company require 12 belt filters and three filter presses for the 110,000 t/d copper-molybdenum operation.

According to the company, dry-stacked tailings would:

  • Reduce water consumption by around 50%;
  • Reduce the project’s footprint;
  • Be better suited for areas of high seismic activity;
  • Be transported by trucks or conveyors;
  • Eliminate the need for a traditional dam wall; and
  • Reduce the environmental risk by avoiding contact with ground water.