Tag Archives: earthworks

ASTERRA’s EarthWorks monitoring solution successfully leveraged at tailings dam in Europe

Environmental, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , ,

ASTERRA says its EarthWorks solution has been successfully used as a tailings dam monitoring tool by a leading mining company in the Nordic region of Europe.

The mining company’s goal is to create an accident-free and healthy operation characterised by safety and wellbeing. It is, therefore, constantly implementing new technologies and innovations to ensure sustainable work environments.

Eddy Segal, VP for Sales and Business Development at ASTERRA, said: “Forward-thinking companies are always looking for technologies that can improve performance and safety. We are thrilled the EarthWorks solution, which in this case was used for tailings dams monitoring, was adopted in Europe.”

This use of ASTERRA’s EarthWorks solution supports the United Nations Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, reduces the negative environmental impact caused by mining and has a positive climate influence, ASTERRA said.

EarthWorks is a solution that provides efficient and improved satellite-based surveillance of critical infrastructure. It is used to monitor the area near large installations, seeing through pavement and treetops, uninhibited by light and weather conditions. The technology yields data revealing the actual underground soil moisture that increases the risk of failure or catastrophe. Numerous industries are now served by EarthWorks, including dams, levees, roads, rail, mining and property.

Segal added: “Using Earth observation satellites to inspect critical assets will improve staff safety as more work gets done off-site. In this specific case, sub-surface moisture mapping can alert maintainers to a dam’s internal erosion a long time before any signs appear on the surface.”

NRW Holdings wins bulk earthworks assignment from Iron Bridge project partners

Mineral project development, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

NRW Holdings is about to mobilise a team to carry out bulk earthworks at Fortescue Metals’ majority-owned Iron Bridge magnetite project in Western Australia.

The contractor confirmed it had received a notice of award for the bulk earthworks assignment from the Iron Bridge joint venture (between FMG subsidiary FMG Iron Bridge and Formosa Steel IB) and, while the award remained subject to finalisation, it had been directed to commence mobilisation.

The $2.6 billion Iron Bridge project will see the development of a new magnetite mine (including processing and transport facilities) and associated infrastructure. It will support production of 22 Mt/y (wet) of high grade (67% Fe), magnetite concentrate product, according to the partners. Production is expected by mid-2022. The Iron Bridge site comprises the North Star, Eastern Limb, Glacier Valley and West Star magnetite iron ore deposits and is 145 km south of Port Hedland.

The contract scope for NRW includes the bulk earthworks and drainage for roads, processing plant and infrastructure for the new mine site development. The contract value is around A$70 million ($47 million) and is expected to have a duration of around 45 weeks, NRW said. At its peak, there will be some 200 site based personnel required for the project.

NRW’s CEO and Managing Director, Jules Pemberton, said: “NRW is pleased to be involved in this exciting new project with Fortescue and looks forward to its successful execution.”

Monadelphous, BGC win West Angelas iron ore work off Rio Tinto

Mineral project development, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

Engineering firms Monadelphous Group and BGC Contracting will help construct new facilities for Rio Tinto’s West Angelas iron ore mine, in the Pilbara of Western Australia, after the major miner awarded the two companies contracts.

Monaldelphous said its contract at West Angelas Deposits C and D, valued in excess of A$100 million ($68 million), includes the supply and installation of structural, mechanical, piping and electrical and instrumentation works associated with the construction of new iron ore facilities, as well as modifications to existing plant.

The work will commence immediately and is expected to be completed in April 2021.

BGC Contracting, meanwhile, will deliver civil infrastructure work as part of the same project. This includes carrying out bulk earthworks and civil works necessary to construct the heavy and light vehicle road networks that will connect the existing processing plant with the new C and D deposits.

In addition, BGC Contracting will construct the concrete foundations for the planned facility, as well as a HDPE water pipeline and install 17.5km of PVC conduit. BGC said work was due to commence on site in early October, with completion in less than a year. Detailed planning and mobilisation are already underway, it added.

Back in October, Rio, together with joint venture partners Mitsui and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, approved an investment of $1.55 billion to sustain production capacity at two projects forming part of the Robe River joint venture in the Pilbara. Around $967 million was set to go towards developing the Mesa B, C and H deposits at Robe Valley, with $579 million for developing Deposits C and D at West Angelas operation.

The investments were to enable Rio to sustain production of its Pilbara Blend products, with first ore anticipated from 2021.

Once operational, both projects will feature the latest technology with 34 existing haul trucks to be retrofitted with autonomous haulage system technology, it said.

Monadelphous Managing Director, Rob Velletri, said his company’s contract award highlighted Monadelphous’ strong reputation and proven capability in delivering large-scale construction projects.

BGC Contracting CEO, Greg Heylen, said: “The West Angelas project will display the multidisciplinary capability of our construction team to deliver this large earthworks and civil works project.

“This latest contract award is a further step in the company’s diversification strategy. We look forward to working with Rio Tinto and all stakeholders to deliver this large-scale project.”