Tag Archives: Cronimet

Australia’s AMGC accelerating muon detection, hyperspectral imaging mining work

Cosmic rays and hyperspectral imaging are central features in two mining technology projects backed by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, with major implications for safety and access to strategically important materials, the centre says.

mDetect is a Swinburne University (Melbourne, Australia) spinout specialising in astrophysics research into muons, a type of subatomic particle that results from the Earth’s atmosphere being hit by cosmic rays. They are sometimes described as the heavy cousin of electrons, with their mass helping them pass deep into objects; much further, for example, than ground penetrating radar.

The company has commercialised telescopic devices and software in a system that uses muon behaviour to monitor and map tailings dams, providing real-time information on stability of the critical infrastructure in mining operations.

Assisted by A$248,191 ($161,354) in co-funding from AMGC’s Commercialisation Fund, mDetect has trialled its muography-based imaging system at OZ Minerals (now part of BHP) operations, and leveraged key partner Swinburne to assist with development, documentation, design for manufacture, production automation and other input ahead of scale manufacture. Back in 2021, the AMGC said OZ Minerals was expected to trial this at Carrapateena in South Australia.

Co-founder of mDetect, Dr Jerome Donovan, said: “Thanks to AMGC, we’ve gone from idea to impact, developing our product for commercial sales, securing key agreements and developing our design for scaling manufacturing – it has by far been our best government-funded program experience. With high-profile partnerships secured, mDetect is set to revolutionise global industries and enhance mining safety.

“Taking highly-technical IP – and which has heritage in dark matter research, no less – and delivering a market-ready product is never easy. But we are very nearly there thanks to the support from AMGC.”

The project is expected to lead to A$7.7 million in revenues in the fifth year after completion and has already resulted in new jobs at the growing company, according to the centre.

AMGC Managing Director, Dr Jens Goennemann, added: “An Australian manufacturer harnesses the power of space to protect lives on Earth. That’s Australian manufacturing at its best – globally relevant, collaborative and highly complex. mDetect is truly a leader in their field, poised to make a global impact.”

From using space particles to leveraging electromagnetic imaging, EQ Resources, the owner of the formerly dormant Mount Carbine tungsten mine in north Queensland, has devised a method to identify and extract tungsten from waste sources, following its discovery at the site in the year 1895.

AMGC supported EQ Resources through A$600,000 in co-investment to support a project to recover tungsten from a mine waste stockpile and low-grade deposits, incorporating hyperspectral imaging sensors on a wheel loader, artificial intelligence-assisted decision making, and X-ray sorting technology.

The project linked EQR with Mt Carbine Quarrying Operations, Plotlogic, TOMRA, Cronimet and the University of Queensland. It has helped deliver an additional A$3.6 million in revenues since completion of the project, according to the centre.

Photography for EQ Resorces at Mt Carbine Operations, 21 Sep 2022.

Kevin MacNeill, CEO of EQ Resources, said, “Early co-investment form AMGC allowed EQ Resources to accelerate the commercial development of our technology, furthermore it gave us the credibility to apply for follow-on programs and secure a A$6 million grant from the Critical Minerals Accelerator Initiative to move from pilot to operational scale.

“EQ Resources’ hyperspectral imaging technology demonstrates that there is still significant life in historical mines where waste piles are mountains of opportunity – in this case 130-year-old piles of tungsten containing waste.”

Goennemann said: “In taking a step back two centuries ago and looking at the resources we already have a hand, EQ Resources will be able to extract greater value from resources long-thought unusable both here in Australia and abroad.”

EQ Resources enlists help of Golding for Mt Carbine tungsten development

EQ Resources Limited says it has executed an Early Engagement Contract with Golding Contractors Pty Ltd for the restart of the open-pit mining operations at the Mt Carbine Tungsten Mine, in Queensland, Australia.

EQR said it selected Golding, a subsidiary of NRW Holdings, as its preferred partner after working through a high-quality engagement and approval process.

“Early engagement was a preferred course for EQR as recent capital investment into the Mt Carbine processing plant is commissioning well and the company is receiving positive feedback from offtake partners for supply of our critical mineral product,” EQR’s Chief Executive Officer, Kevin MacNeill, said.

“EQR wants to deliver the highest quality outcome for the life of the Mt Carbine Mine for all stakeholders. Golding has strong credentials including specialist mine site rehabilitation works and environmental earthworks.

“Mt Carbine is ramping up treatment of its substantial low-grade surface resource as part of its joint venture with Cronimet with the next step in the development plan being the restart of its 100%-owned operations starting with the Andy White open pit, subject to the planned permit amendment. It’s a natural progression.”

Over the coming months, key areas of engagement and focus to finalise the mining contract and ensure smooth transition to mining operations will include:

  • Pit design: EQR is set to revise pit design in line with the recent drilling with Golding to maximise the strategic resource benefit and value for all stakeholders;
  • Equipment selection: In conjunction with the pit design under the contract, EQR and Golding will target strategic equipment selection to further optimise mining costs;
  • Contractor engagement: Golding will help manage the open-pit development through their in-house resources and network of preferred contractors to ensure compliance with Queensland mining legislation;
  • Stakeholder engagement: EQR and Golding will jointly engage local and strategic stakeholders regarding camp establishment, workshop establishment, personnel engagement, strategic regional suppliers and manufacturers; and
  • Timing: the open pit operations are forecast to begin during the first quarter of 2023.

EQ Resources, as a result of the acquisition of Mt Carbine Quarries in June 2019, now has 100% ownership of the two mining leases and surrounding exploration projects at the project. In a joint venture with Cronimet, the tungsten processing plant has been refurbished, commissioned and expanded to 300,000 t/y capacity.

The company is in the process of completing the required environmental amendments to allow the operation to process 300,000 t/y and eventually 1 Mt/y. Once the bulk test work is completed, a feasibility study will be completed for the design of the 1 Mt/y operation.

Australian Government backs EQ Resources Mt Carbine ore sorting plan

EQ Resources Ltd says it has successfully secured A$600,000 ($422,386) in co-investment from the Australian Federal Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) via the A$30 million Commercialisation Fund. Combined investment from EQ Resources, its partners and AMGC, totalling A$1.97 million, will assist in commercialising industrial-scale operations for advanced minerals processing flowsheet developed for the Mt Carbine Expansion Project, in Queensland, EQ said.

Technologies to be incorporated include the advanced X-ray Transmission ore sorting technology from TOMRA Sorting Pty Ltd, as well as hyperspectral imaging sensors developed by Plotlogic Pty Ltd. The implementation will further be supported by Cronimet Australia Pty Ltd and The University of Queensland – Sustainable Minerals Institute, it said.

The formal co-funding agreement between AMGC and the company has been finalised and signed.

AMGC is an industry-led, not-for-profit organisation established through the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Centres Initiative. AMGC’s vision is to transform Australian manufacturing to become an internationally competitive, dynamic, and thriving industry with advanced capabilities and skills at its core.

AMGC’s Managing Director, Dr Jens Goennemann, said: “EQ Resources’ project brings together industry and research leaders to commercialise a world-leading technology which will convert what was once a mining waste product into new revenue streams. The project proves that Australia’s manufacturing industry is stepping forward to develop globally relevant solutions which will improve operations and add value in the process.”

EQ Resources, as a result of the acquisition of Mt Carbine Quarries in June 2019, now has 100% ownership of the two mining leases and surrounding exploration projects at the project. In a joint venture with Cronimet, the tungsten processing plant has been refurbished, commissioned and expanded to 300,000 t/y capacity. The installation of the pilot sensor-based sorting technology has seen a 20-plus times upgrade of feedstock grade, the company says.

The company is in the process of completing the required environmental amendments to allow the operation to process 300,000 t/y and eventually 1 Mt/y. Once the bulk test work is completed, a feasibility study will be completed for the design of the 1 Mt/y operation.

Avalon, Cronimet proving sensor-based ore sorting thesis for East Kemptville tin project

Avalon Advanced Materials has moved a step closer to incorporating sensor-based ore sorting into its plans at the East Kemptville tin project in Nova Scotia, Canada, after the latest testwork came back with positive results.

As recently as July, the company said ore-sorting technology had the potential to upgrade the feed material to the processing plant, thereby reducing both capital and operating costs and the volume of tailings generated, and it has stuck by that assessment after the latest batch of work.

Sensor-based ore-sorting (an example from Outotec shown above) is an emerging technology seeing increasing application in the mining industry. It involves the scanning of individual rock particles on a conveyor using various types of available sensor technologies.

Depending on the chemical, mineralogical or physical characteristics, the particles of value are individually identified and separated from the ‘rejects’ by applying either a mechanical, hydraulic or, in the case of East Kemptville, pneumatic process.

The most recent work, which comes on the back of similar preliminary work in 2017, was conducted by Cronimet Mining Processing, which is providing technical and metallurgical services to Avalon.

Drill core samples from the in-ground resources at East Kemptville were delivered in July to a test facility in Kentucky, US, in order to determine the amenability of East Kemptville tin mineralisation for beneficiation using sorting technology.

Samples varying from relatively high-grade to low-grade tin concentrations were scanned using a multisensory sorter platform. Based on these scans, an algorithm was developed to allow for the separation of the material during tests.

The feedstock used during the test campaign contained 0.11% Sn, 0.06% Cu and 0.11% Zn. The first step of the testwork produced an upgraded product containing 0.47% Sn and a product mass yield of 12%.

Recovery versus grade data also showed ore sorting can be used to recover the zinc ore mineral sphalerite (which also contains indium) from this resource. The zinc-indium feed was successfully upgraded to 0.23% Zn in the first step, while copper content remained low.

Similar positive results were achieved in a preliminary ore sorting test programme conducted in 2017 using material from the low-grade stockpile, Avalon said. This confirms the technology can be successfully employed to upgrade both the in-ground tin resource as well as the stockpiled material.

Based on these results, Cronimet has recommend a detailed sampling campaign be conducted on the low-grade stockpile, followed by an extensive bulk testwork programme using a pilot-scale ore sorting plant to test the recovery of valuable minerals on a pilot scale.

Cronimet will be visiting the East Kemptville site in September to meet with Avalon and site representatives in order to design and schedule the sampling programme likely to involve the extraction of a bulk (circa-10 t) composite sample sometime in October.

The test programme, including writing of the technical report, is expected to take five to six months to complete. This will be combined with a confirmation drilling programme on the stockpile, which will be used to finalise the small-scale site re-development model to the feasibility level of confidence, following which it is contemplated Avalon and Cronimet would enter into a partnership for the joint development of the project.

In July, Cronimet started carrying out the installation of ore sorting equipment at Almonty Industries’ Panasqueira mine in Portugal. This particular installation was aimed at reclaiming coarse fraction tailings and would result in a production increase of about 10%, according to Almomty.