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BME reflects on explosives market developments following ISEE conference attendance

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

Following its attendance at the recent International Society of Explosives Engineers event in the USA city of Savannah, Georgia, last month, Neil Alberts, Head of Business Development at BME Mining Canada, has highlighted the high level of creative innovation in blasting on show.

“The industry has definitely made the most of addressing the challenges presented by the pandemic – really raising its game in terms of technology solutions,” Alberts said. “These advances are important in strengthening the mining supply chain globally, while continuing to promote productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

“While many of the market’s offerings had been introduced at previous ISEE conferences, there was more confidence in their capabilities this year and a better likelihood of uptake. Some smaller vendors – from as far afield as South Africa, Australia, Indonesia and European countries – also presented more open platforms, making these easier to integrate with other solutions.”

According to Christiaan Liebenberg, BME’s Product Manager Software, this year’s event was also a chance for BME to demonstrate their digital tools that enhance its ability to integrate with its digital product suite.

“This included our BlastMap blast design software and our Xplolog data capturing system, as well as our advances in digitising our emulsion trucks,” he said. “It was an important opportunity to show our integration capabilities and our offerings throughout the blast preparation value chain.”

He noted that there had been enthusiastic adoption of BlastMap in the last couple of years, as the market had grown more familiar with its ease of use, integration capability and powerful features. There has also been a significant shift towards strategic collaboration within the digital space, as many players realise the value of sharing aspects of their expertise in the interests of better customer products and solutions.

“In addition to sharing our insights, the ISEE continues to be an important forum for BME to learn more about leading edge developments and to identify potential partners in our technology journey,” he said.

Alberts highlighted that BME has developed specific requirements based on its customer mapping, and seeks out strategic alliances with partners to fulfil the technological opportunities it had identified for success.

BME’s Global Manager Blasting Science, D Scott Scovira, presented a paper on “Breaking the Nitrate Based Explosives Greenhouse – The Dawn of Production Scale Hydrogen Peroxide Emulsion (HPE) for Industrial Blasting” in the ISEE technical sessions. Scovira noted that this year’s technical presentations included more papers by primary researchers and consultants – giving the event a valuable proportion of fundamental research to augment those papers which were more application or product focused.

“The ISEE is a very focused and concentrated conference of blasting professionals,” he emphasised. “This is why BME management and leadership attends this event, to get closer to the end-user and to stay up to date with their changing needs.”

ISEE delegates visiting BME’s exhibition booth were also able to catch up on the company’s developments in North American markets. Alberts said BME was well advanced in preparing for its service contract with a gold miner in Canada, having commissioned its on-site emulsion plant.

“Our exciting infrastructure development is the BME Centre of Excellence outside the town of Nairn Centre, where we have completed our detonator plants,” he said. “Our AXXIS and Viperdet modular lines are now installed and commissioned, and production is to begin shortly.”

An emulsion plant has been completed on the site, with a second being relocated there from another location in Sudbury. The plans for a hydrogen peroxide emulsion plant are also underway. BME Mining Canada is a joint venture of BME and Canada-based mining and construction contractor Consbec.

“With our staff count now at almost 50, we are leveraging our assets and the industry relationships of our strategic partner in building our networks,” he said. “This year is going to be game changing for us, as we step up our capability in the underground space.”

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.

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.

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.”

BME builds blasting connections in North America

Comminution of minerals, Explosives and blasting, Mining events, Mining services, , , , , ,

BME says continued lethargy in the global economy – aggravated by the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus – did not dampen the enthusiasm of the South Africa-based blasting leader’s review of the recent Prospectors and Developers Association Conference (PDAC) in Toronto, Canada.

BME was at the show, which took place on March 1-4, showcasing its brand and global presence, including in North America.

BME General Manager Technology and Marketing, Ralf Hennecke, said: “This year was particularly exciting for us to be exhibiting, following the launch of BME Mining Canada Inc last year – our joint venture with Consbec, the largest civils drill and blast contractor in Canada.

“There was considerable excitement among the decision makers and businesses we met about the entry of another experienced player into the region’s explosives and blasting market.”

Hennecke said the mood at the Toronto gathering was buoyed by a gradual uptick in exploration projects and several mine expansions – even though the outlook for most base metals was conservative.

“It was pleasing to see that Canada was in the top three exploration performers globally, which bodes well for the country’s mining future,” he said.

He noted many of the mining companies represented at the event also had operations in BME strongholds like West Africa, even operating in other BME territories such as Southeast Asia. The company’s globalisation strategy was also paving the way for greater future involvement in global mining tenders, he said.

“Events like PDAC allow us to steadily build links in new territories like North America, leveraging the relationships we already have with majors and juniors in that market,” Hennecke said. “In addition to prospective mining customers, we also regularly meet a range of important service providers and contractors with whom we might work in future.”

Emphasising BME’s commitment to collaboration in the market – especially in the digital and technological space – he said these links were increasingly important to facilitate the integration of technologies in the interest of more productive mining.

“Mines are looking to synergise their supply chains to ensure they benefit optimally from the various services and product developments,” he said. “This means that technology providers must have the capacity to continuously integrate their offerings into customers’ systems – even collaborating with other technology providers to do so. This integration is vital to allow mines to harness the power of new innovations.”