Tag Archives: copper

Weir to install ‘largest mill circuit pump in North America’ at Teck’s HVC mine

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , , , , , , , ,

The Weir Group PLC has been awarded contracts to supply its WARMAN® slurry pumps and CAVEX® hydrocyclones to Teck’s Highland Valley Copper (HVC) Mine Life Extension (MLE) project in British Columbia, Canada.

Teck’s Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension Project aims to extend the mine’s operational life by enhancing existing site infrastructure, addressing the growing demand for copper driven by the transition to a low-carbon future. The project is expected to yield approximately 1.95 Mt of additional copper over its lifespan.

A cornerstone of this project is the WARMAN MCR® 760 pump, which will be the largest mill circuit pump in North America when installed. This addition complements Weir’s existing and planned installations of equivalent-sized pumps in South America and Australia.

The WARMAN MCR 760 pump was developed to meet the demand for mill circuit pumps that can handle unprecedentedly high flow rates, minimising the number of operating lines in a plant, and addressing the global trend of declining ore grades that require increased throughput for economical mineral recovery. The WARMAN MCR 760 pump is designed to maximise wear life in arduous mill duties and facilitate easy and safe maintenance, regardless of an operator’s maintenance schedule or approach.

In addition, Weir will supply CAVEX 800CVX and 650CVX hydrocyclones for the MLE Project. HVC, with its experience operating CAVEX hydrocyclones, has chosen this solution for its consistently high classification efficiency, capacity and low maintenance requirements, according to Weir.

The MLE project will be fully supported by the local Weir service centre in Kamloops, British Columbia, ensuring mission-critical equipment at the HVC mine operates efficiently, it says. The proximity of this service centre means any maintenance or support needs can be addressed promptly, minimising downtime and helping the mine maintain its targets. This local presence is crucial for the mine’s operations, providing reliable access to necessary parts and expert service.

Quinton Sutherland, Weir, Divisional Senior Product Manager, Pumps said: “Weir has a proven track record of supplying and supporting the largest, highest capacity mill pumps on the market. Designing, manufacturing and supporting pumps of this scale presents unique technical and engineering challenges, which is why Weir’s team of experts, drawing on decades of experience supporting customers across the globe, are the best choice when deciding who to trust with the most critical mill circuit operations.

“It’s an engineering and manufacturing feat that’s not easily replicable, which is why it’s important that we can demonstrate to our customers that we’ve done this before, and they know that they can have absolute confidence in us.”

Phil Blondin, Weir, Director, Capital Sales North America, added: “Weir prioritises being close to our customers wherever they are in the world. We have a service centre in Kamloops – a close drive to HVC – and a local team that can provide service and maintenance support, as
well as an inventory program that encompasses the lifecycle of the products we supply.

“This is the first mill pump this large in North America and, while Weir has manufactured and installed pumps this size in other parts of the world, we recognise that having a service network to support customers at every stage of the project is an essential part of what we’re offering.”

CR Powered by Epiroc plants roots in Saudi Arabia with Rasi Investment Co partnership

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

CR Powered by Epiroc says it has solidified its presence in the rapidly growing mining sector of the Middle East by signing a dealership agreement with Rasi Investment Co., a prominent investment firm in Saudi Arabia involved in mining, contracting, real estate, IT and trading.

This strategic partnership, facilitated by Austrade, represents a significant advancement for CR Powered by Epiroc in meeting the increasing demands of Saudi Arabia’s dynamic mining industry, it says.

Eng Meshary Al-Ali, Chairman of Rasi Investment Co, stated: “Partnering with CR Powered by Epiroc, the leading supplier of ground engagement tools (GET) and digital solutions, enables our mining operators in the Kingdom to source application-appropriate tools while considering engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain variables. This collaboration will help reduce downtime and increase productivity by at least 5%.”

As Saudi Arabia ramps up its adoption of advanced mining technologies, the heavy equipment market is projected to exceed $4 billion. The Kingdom is actively seeking to tap into its untapped mineral reserves, which have surged from a 2016 estimate of $1.3 trillion to $2.5 trillion, according to Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Al Khorayef. These reserves include essential resources such as copper, gold, phosphates, zinc, and uranium, underscoring the need for cutting-edge mining equipment and digital solutions.

In alignment with Saudi Vision 2030, the country’s comprehensive roadmap for economic development and diversification, the mining sector has been identified as the third pillar of the Kingdom’s economy, alongside petroleum and petrochemicals. By 2030, the sector is expected to contribute 240 billion Saudi riyals ($64 billion) to the GDP, marking a fourfold increase from 2015 levels.

Chairman Eng. Meshary, also the CEO of Golden Compass, one of the leading mining service companies in Saudi Arabia, emphasised the importance of this alliance: “By choosing a trusted partner like CR Powered by Epiroc, we are establishing a robust alliance that will ensure our products perform at their peak in the Kingdom, leveraging GET and digital solutions to generate valuable data that underpins new insights and enhances mining operations.”

Paul Scutt, CEO of CR Powered by Epiroc, added: “We are excited to announce this partnership with Rasi Investment Co as our authorised dealer in Saudi Arabia. This agreement is a critical milestone for CR Power by Epiroc as we expand into key regions vital to the future of mining in the Middle East and globally. Rasi Investment Co’s extensive local market knowledge, combined with our cutting-edge technology, will allow us to deliver exceptional value to our customers. We look forward to a successful collaboration that drives innovation and efficiency in the global mining industry.”

Miguel Guimaraes, Head of East Australasia and India of CR Powered by Epiroc, added, “This alliance with Rasi Investment Co establishes a strong footprint in the Kingdom with a trusted local partner well-established in the mining sector. Our proactive collaboration is a step forward toward realising Saudi Vision 2030, supporting local industrial development, creating jobs, boosting productivity in mining projects and reinforcing the mining sector’s role as the economy’s third pillar.”

David Shao, Global Engagement Manager at Austrade, highlighted the international reputation of Australia’s METS sector, saying: “Saudi Arabia is an important trading partner for Australia. Two-way goods and services trade totaled $2.7 billion in 2023. As the mining sector in Saudi Arabia evolves, there are opportunities for enhanced safety and productivity through closer economic ties with Australia, a recognised leader in the METS sector.”

Barminco secures A$157m underground contract extension with IGO at Nova

Base metals, Mine operation news, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

Perenti has announced that its underground mining business, Barminco, has signed a contract extension with IGO Ltd to continue mining at the Nova underground nickel mine in the Fraser Range of Western Australia.

Barminco’s involvement at the Nova mine commenced in early 2015 when it was a greenfield site. This contract extension is worth A$157 million ($106 million) and runs for 29 months.

Mark Norwell, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Perenti, said: “We are immensely proud that Barminco has been present since the beginning of the Nova operation. This contract extension is a testament to the strength of our relationship with IGO and underscores our commitment to collaborating with our clients to generate value together.”

Gabrielle Iwanow, President of Contract Mining at Perenti, added: “Barminco is excited to continue the delivery of the world-class critical minerals operation at Nova. The ongoing safe and reliable mine production showcases how a collaborative approach and willingness to explore innovative solutions can deliver positive outcomes, even amidst significant market challenges.”

In Independence Group’s 2024 financial year, Nova achieved total production of 20,806 t of nickel, 9,922 t of copper, and 735 t of cobalt at a cash cost of A$3.99/lb Ni (payable).

Epiroc Pit Vipers, SmartROC D65s on their way to Newmont Boddington

Automation, Explosives and blasting, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , ,

Epiroc says it has won a large order for surface mining equipment from Newmont in Australia, with a fleet of Epiroc Pit Viper 231 and SmartROC D65 drill rigs set to be used at the Boddington gold and copper mine in Western Australia.

The rigs, which will be operated tele-remotely, will replace an older fleet of Epiroc equipment.

The equipment order is valued at about SEK335 million ($32 million) and was booked in the September quarter of 2024. Epiroc will also provide service on the machines.

“We have a long-standing partnership with Newmont, which is on the forefront of advanced mining operations,” Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, said. “We are happy to support them as they continue to make their operations as safe and productive as possible.”

Chris Dark, Newmont’s General Manager for the Boddington mine site, says: “Newmont and Epiroc have had a long-term relationship on the Boddington site. This order recognises and continues this successful relationship that has enabled the success of the Boddington drilling operations over the life of the mine. Together we look forward to unlocking the long-term future of the Boddington site, which is recognised globally as a Tier 1 gold asset.”

The Pit Viper 231 rotary blasthole drill rig is a flexible workhorse that can be configured in many different ways for a wide range of rotary and down-the-hole drilling operations, Epiroc says. The SmartROC D65 rig consistently delivers high-quality blastholes with accuracy and precision. Both machines are built tough, loaded with intelligent features and very fuel efficient, the OEM claims.

Delivery of the fleet will commence immediately and will continue into the first half of 2025.

Metso books Planet Positive copper tailings dewatering plant order

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , ,

Metso has been awarded an order for the delivery of sustainable tailings dewatering technology to an operating copper mine in Africa, with the total value of the order exceeding €20 million ($22 million).

Metso’s scope of delivery consists of the engineering and supply of a Planet Positive copper tailings dewatering plant unit including an HRT High Rate thickener and Larox® FFP3512 filters and auxiliaries with latest design hole-less filter cloths and single polymer plates lowering operating costs. The high-capacity Larox FFP3512 filters are the first of their kind to be installed in Africa, and feature, among other elements, superior anti-corrosive elements to tackle the highly corrosive tailings slurry, Metso notes.

The dewatering plant is part of a larger backfill project required for the continued development of the ongoing operations at site. The intention is to filter the existing concentrator tailings and use them as mine backfill when mining out the copper pillars.

Metso’s filtration product portfolio is one of the largest with the energy, emission and water efficiency in a league of its own, the OEM says. Metso has carried out over 14,000 filtration tests and delivered more than 5,000 filters for various applications worldwide.

GR Engineering to refurb process plant at Develop’s Woodlawn project

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, , , ,

GR Engineering Services Limited has been awarded a design and construct contract with Develop Global Limited for the Woodlawn Restart project, in New South Wales, Australia.

Woodlawn is primarily a copper-zinc mine located in the Lachlan Ford belt in NSW, 250 km southwest of Sydney and 40 km south of Goulburn.

The contract value is A$25.7 million ($17.5 million) and the scope of work includes the refurbishment flowsheet and operability improvements of the existing process plant and associated infrastructure. The project is expected to be completed in the second half of thr 2025 financial year.

Tony Patrizi, Managing Director, said: “We are pleased to have been engaged by Develop to play an important role on the Woodlawn Restart project. We
look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with Develop to deliver a safe and successful outcome for this project and to assist them with their future growth plans.”

Woodlawn has a resource of 11.3 Mt at 1.8% Cu, 5.8% Zn, 2.1% Pb, 46 g/t Ag and 0.5 g/t Au, for contained metal of 190,000 t of copper and 650,000 t of zinc.

The mine plan estimates that Woodlawn will produce an average of 12,000 t/y of copper and 36,000 t/y of zinc metal in payable streams over an estimated 10-year mine life.

BHP takes next step in smelter, refinery expansion at Copper South Australia

Base metals, Mine operation news, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

The South Australian Government has announced the commencement of an application and assessment process for BHP’s planned smelter and refinery expansion at Olympic Dam via a notification in the South Australian Government Gazette.

The notification is a step forward for BHP’s copper growth plans in South Australia and follows an update in the company’s financial year 2024 full-year results last week, which outlined a phased strategy to increase production in South Australia to 500,000 t/y of refined copper cathode by the early 2030s and then potentially up to 650,000 t/y by the mid-2030s – up from circa-322,000 t last financial year.

BHP Asset President Copper South Australia, Anna Wiley, said: “Today’s announcement is an important step for BHP and the South Australian Government as we work together towards our shared ambition to significantly increase copper production in this state.”

“We are already growing BHP’s copper production in South Australia with projects and studies underway at all of our operating sites, and we’re moving at pace to potentially double our current production by the middle of the next decade.”

BHP’s copper province in South Australia comprises the Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill and Carrapateena underground mines, which provide volumes of copper concentrate to a centralised smelter and refinery complex at Olympic Dam that produces refined copper cathode. The company is also progressing the Oak Dam exploration prospect.

BHP, last week, announced an inferred resource at Oak Dam of 1,340 Mt at 0.66% Cu and 0.33 g/t Au, within which is a mineralisation area that contains 220 Mt at 1.96% Cu and 0.68 g/t Au (at a 1% copper cutoff grade).

A final investment decision on phase one of the smelter and refinery expansion is currently scheduled in the first half of financial year 2027.

Fleet Space’s ExoSphere solution to be deployed at Eagle Mountain’s Silver Mountain project

Base metals, Mineral exploration, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , ,

Fleet Space Technologies, Australia’s leading space exploration company, has deployed its end-to-end mineral exploration solution, ExoSphere, to enhance Eagle Mountain’s data-driven copper exploration at its Silver Mountain project in Arizona, USA.

Leveraging ExoSphere’s real-time 3D subsurface mapping capabilities, powered by space technology and artificial intelligence, Eagle Mountain uncovered new insights that underscore the potential for large mineralised systems and identified multiple unknown targets at Silver Mountain, according to ExoSphere.

“We’re proud to deploy ExoSphere to accelerate the geological understanding of the United States’ premiere copper producing region and drive more sustainable outcomes across the exploration value chain,” Flavia Tata Nardini, Co-Founder & CEO of Fleet Space, said. “Space, 3D multiphysics, and AI are vital technologies that can make US efforts to strengthen its domestic critical mineral supply chain faster and more scalable, while minimising environmental footprint. We’re thrilled to bring the latest advances in these technologies and Fleet Space’s deep expertise from the forefront of copper exploration globally to deliver unparalleled geological insights that further America’s ambitions in AI, electrification, and clean energy technologies.”

Eagle Mountain is a leading copper explorer committed to building its Oracle Ridge copper mine and Silver Mountain project into low-emission sources of high-grade copper production to supply the demand for green energy, Fleet Space saya. Located in the second largest copper porphyry province on Earth, its Silver Mountain project sits on the Laramide Arc, a geological feature connected to the eastern half of the Pacific Ring of Fire that includes several of the world’s largest copper discoveries such as Bagdad, Miami and Resolution.

Due to complications resulting from complex sediment cover, several geophysical techniques were unable to reliably pinpoint deeper targets at the Silver Mountain project. This led Eagle Mountain to deploy Fleet Space’s ExoSphere solution, to generate high-resolution 3D imaging of their target zones up to 2.5 km in depth. The subsurface insights delivered by ExoSphere revealed new indicators of large-scale mineralised systems – identifying deep porphyry-style targets and surrounding alteration zones, vital features for defining potential mineralising fluid and heat sources deep undercover.

The survey also enhanced Eagle Mountain’s understanding of regional structures, such as the Breakaway Fault system running NNW-SSE in the Scarlett area, delivering new findings about structures thought to be controlling mineralisation in the region. Velocity zones consistent with porphyry-style intrusions were also found, identifying previously unknown large-scale targets in the project’s unexplored western target zone. As a result of the new findings, Eagle Mountain shifted Silver Mountain to a top priority, accelerating its exploration activities at the site.

“The real-time 3D imaging capabilities of Fleet Space’s end-to-end solution, ExoSphere, helped us rapidly enhance our geological understanding of the Silver Mountain project, reduce uncertainty and deliver multiple high-priority targets for further exploration,” Tim Mason, CEO of Eagle Mountain, said. “The insights we gained from the ExoSphere survey have unlocked the geological potential of our Silver Mountain project, solidifying its place in our exploration strategy moving forward.”

Fleet Space’s first deployment of ExoSphere in America’s leading copper producing region in Arizona builds on the soaring global adoption of the end-to-end solution among leading copper producers and exploration companies. Barrick Gold recently used ExoSphere to generate 3D subsurface maps of copper porphyry complexes for multiple zones of interest across 1,150 sq.km of its Reko Diq project in Pakistan.

Fleet Space also conducted the world’s largest real-time Ambient Noise Tomography survey across Australia’s premiere copper-porphyry province – the Macquarie Arc – encompassing over 1,818 sq.km of Inflection Resource’s projects in the region.

Powered by Fleet Space’s proprietary satellite constellation, smart seismic sensors and AI, ExoSphere radically streamlines data acquisition, processing, integration and insight delivery into a single end-to-end solution, it says.

Metso HIGmill heading to African copper project

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mining equipment, , , , ,

Metso says it has been awarded an order to deliver grinding mills to an African copper mining project, with the order representing approximately €20 million ($22 million) of business.

Metso’s scope of delivery consists of energy-efficient HIGmill™ high-intensity stirred mills with auxiliary equipment and services, it says.

The OEM has experience with over 8,000 grinding mill installations globally, including manufacturing and delivering the largest SAG/AG and ball mills in the world, it says.

Metso’s HIGmill is an advanced and energy-efficient fine and ultra-fine grinding solution and is part of its portfolio of stirred mills that meets a wide range of customer requirements. The HIGmill takes advantage of gravitational forces and GrindForce™ rotor technology to produce a finer grind for mineral liberation. It is also part of Metso’s Planet Positive offering.

5G underground networks receive Newmont’s seal of approval following Cadia trial

Automation, Base metals, Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Newmont Corporation is expanding its use of next generation 5G wireless networks to improve safety in underground mining following trial results from its Cadia mine in New South Wales, Australia.

In February last year, Newmont (Newcrest as it was then) announced a trial of 5G in partnership with Ericsson and Telstra Purple at its Cadia mine – one of the largest underground gold-copper mines in the world.

Before the trial, Cadia was limited to upload speeds of 20-30 megabits per second (Mbps) using Wi-Fi to operate autonomous equipment such as ore loaders and remote-controlled mining machines.

These Wi-Fi connections were unreliable and unpredictable when under load, according to Newmont. There was insufficient capacity to operate the required number of machines in the one area at the same time, particularly with the amount of video upload involved, and automation safety stops were regularly falsely triggered due to network packet loss.

Using Ericsson Private 5G, Newmont was able to demonstrate the ability to achieve upload speeds of around 90 Mbps along access drives and declines throughout the underground complex, and 150 Mbps upload and 500 Mbps download on all-important extraction drives, it says.

The connections underground were found to be persistent and highly dependable, resolving historic limitations experienced with Wi-Fi and providing the consistent performance essential for remote control and autonomous mining systems.

Newmont Chief Safety and Sustainability Officer, Suzy Retallack, said: “The trial results show the extraordinary potential of 5G to improve safety, increase the number of machines that can be operated on a single network and boost production efficiencies in underground mining.

“These trials are part of the new frontier of technology in mining – using innovation to make our people safer and our mines more productive.”

Newmont will now use 5G to roll out more autonomous fleet like drill rigs, graders and auto haul trucks as part of future mining operations, relying on 5G’s unique capacity and capability to facilitate and streamline operational capabilities while deploying additional safety systems like radars and collision avoidance to improve overall mine safety systems, it says.

Head of Private Cellular Networks from Ericsson, Manish Tiwari, said: “5G is enabling rapid global transformation of industry, supporting digitalisation and movement towards automated, more efficient, and safer operations across a number of sectors.

“Ericsson is proud to be partnering with Newmont on demonstrating the potential of 5G to the global mining sector.”

Trialling 5G New Radio (NR) technologies on the surface at Cadia as part of the same initiative also demonstrated that new 5G innovations, such as 64T64R Massive MIMO, beamforming and beam-steering provided a leap forward in available throughputs at the extended distances found in surface operations.

Newmont says it uses technology to make workers safer while improving efficiency. On the basis of the trial, 5G now has a firm place in Newmont’s communications strategies for Cadia and its other Tier One underground and surface mines across the world.

Following support for the Cadia 5G trial from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), Newmont has now applied to ACMA for Area Wide Licenses to extend and embed Newmont’s use of 5G technology across its Australian operations.

Newmont is now planning to expand the use of 5G networks across its global network of Tier One underground gold-copper mines.