Tag Archives: Iron ore

BHP sustainability drive expands with Responsible Steel membership

Environmental, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

BHP has joined Responsible Steel, the international non-profit organisation that brings together organisations from across the steel supply chain, including steel makers, commodity producers and civil society groups.

Responsible Steel works with these groups to increase sustainability through the steel making supply chain, according to BHP, with the organisation having created a new standard and certification program that member organisations sign up to. The standard seeks to enhance responsible sourcing, production, and use and recycling of steel, according to the miner. The standard and certification is the first global standard for sustainable steel.

Fiona Wild, Vice President, Sustainability and Climate Change, BHP, said: “At BHP we take a product stewardship view of how our commodities are used through the value chain. We are pleased to join Responsible Steel and continue to partner with our customers to help improve sustainability and emissions standards in the steel making value chain.”

Back in July 2019, BHP announced a five-year, $400 million Climate Investment Program to develop technologies to reduce emissions from its own operations as well as those generated from the use of its resources. The month before, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd to work together in the pursuit of emissions reductions, including from the life-cycle use of marketed products.

Matthew Wenban-Smith, Executive Director, Responsible Steel, said the organisation was delighted that BHP had joined as its newest Business Member.

“Having one of the largest resource and mining companies in the world as a member sends a very strong signal and commitment to the steel sector to help achieve the responsible sourcing and production of steel.

“BHP’s membership will ensure that as we further develop our Responsible Steel standard to include three additional components: requirements for the responsible sourcing of raw materials, requirements related to the measurement and reporting of GHG emissions, and the claims certified sites can make about the steel products they produce. In BHP we will have additional input, expertise and experience from an organisation committed to helping the sector reach higher levels of sustainability.”

Other members of Responsible Steel include Anglo American, ArcelorMittal and the Mining Association of Canada.

Plotlogic raises profile and funds with BHP Iron Ore contract

Automation, IoT, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Australia-based Plotlogic and its artificial intelligence-based ore-characterisation technology has won admirers from both venture capital funds and the world’s biggest miner by market capitalisation.

The company announced this week that four of the world’s top artificial intelligence (AI) focused venture capital funds – Baidu Ventures, DCVC, 8VC, and Grids Capital – had invested in an over-subscribed angel round of funding for the company.

On top of this, Plotlogic confirmed it had signed its first contract to embed OreSense, its new AI ore characterisation technology, into an iron ore mine site of BHP’s in the Pilbara of Western Australia. This technology uses hyperspectral analysis and AI to optimise ore recovery on mine sites.

Plotlogic’s vision is to enable autonomous mining operations using precise grade control with its new AI ore-characterisation technology, bringing technology that can “see and grade ore” to optimise operations and maximise yield, it said.

“Plotlogic uses AI, computer vision and spectral analysis in real time to optimise the recovery of ore from mine sites,” the company said. “Accurate ore intelligence enables precision mining that lowers operating costs, minimises energy consumption and reduces operational uncertainty.”

Precision mining with the help of technologies like OreSense have the potential to increase worldwide industry value by $370 billion/y, according to Plotlogic, while reducing carbon emissions and improving the sustainability of mines over their life cycle.

Founder and CEO, Andrew Job, said: “The mining industry is years behind other industries in utilising big data and AI: as a result, there is a lack of fast and accurate orebody knowledge that ultimately restricts yield. With our technology we can grade every tonne of ore accurately, before it even leaves the ground – driving efficiency, sustainability, and profitability. Plotlogic can optimise the mining process from pit-to-port with pinpoint precision.”

The team behind the technology, in addition to mining engineer Job, include Dr Richard Murphy, one of the world’s leading experts in hyperspectral geology, and Dr Michael Edgar, an experienced physicist and expert in optical sensors with experience spanning NASA and CalTech. Plotlogic has more than doubled its workforce since the start of the year, plans to double again before the end of the year, and once again next year, the company said.

Plotlogic said research collaborations with the University of Queensland’s Smart Machines Group and the Mineral Research Institute of Western Australia aided its quick establishment as a leader in real time high precision ore mapping and modelling.

Job said successful field trials with BHP’s iron ore and coal divisions, AngloGold Ashanti and Citic Pacific Mining over the past three years had provided valuable learnings that improved the technology and value proposition of OreSense across the iron ore, gold and coal sectors.

“Our technology has been purpose designed and built from the ground to best meet industry requirements,” he said.

On the BHP Iron Ore contract, Job said: “The opportunity to partner with the world’s biggest mining company is instrumental to our collaborative approach in the development and implementation of new technology for the mining industry.”

BHP studying iron ore export expansion at Port Hedland

Bulk handling, Environmental, Mining safety, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

BHP says it is looking into options to increase its iron ore export capacity at Port Hedland, in Western Australia, with the potential for a 40 Mt/y boost if “market conditions allow”.

The company is currently focused on hitting its 290 Mt/y capacity (on a 100% basis) in the medium term, but it said it wanted to be able to respond to further growth opportunities in the future if conditions allow.

BHP, prior to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, said it expected to ship 273-286 Mt of iron ore on a 100% basis in its 2020 financial year to June 30, 2020.

A public consultation on the expansion plan has begun ahead of BHP submitting an application to the Western Australia Government to gain a licence for this increased iron ore export capacity.

The licence application is the first step in a broader process. The company anticipates submitting the application next month once the consultation has occurred and the process towards the approval taking most of the rest of 2020.

BHP said the move was about “providing future options”, and “should not in any way be construed as a forecast or target”.

This is not the first time the company has talked about expanding capacity beyond the 290 Mt/y mark at Port Hedland. During the last boom when the company was still heading for 155 Mt/y capacity, it tabled an ambitious and expensive Outer Harbour development at Port Hedland. While the project was scrapped as the downturn ensued, it could have seen capacity rise to 450 Mt/y (on a 100% basis).

One area where the company has made a definitive pledge to invest in the Pilbara is around air quality and dust emissions.

BHP said it planned to spend A$300 million ($194 million) over the next five years to improve air quality and dust emissions across its Pilbara operations. This investment, it said, reinforces its commitment to the long-term, sustainable future of the Pilbara region as an economic powerhouse and follows A$400 million in projects already delivered over the past decade to minimise dust emissions across its supply chain.

BHP General Manager Port, Nilson Davila, said: “BHP has reviewed global best practice dust management and air quality control methods and identified new opportunities to further improve our approach. We recognise we have a shared responsibility to address dust issues in the Pilbara.”

The Pilbara air quality program involves:

  • The construction of wind fences at port operations, a method that has been proven to significantly reduce the potential for dust lift-off from stockpiles;
  • Trialling, with a view to “at-scale construction”, of vegetation barriers to capture dust in the West End in Port Hedland, in partnership with Curtin University and Greening Australia; and
  • Implementation of operational dust control projects across its entire Pilbara supply chain, such as moisture management systems, ore conditioning and monitoring infrastructure, and improvements across its existing controls at mines and port.

BHP said individual projects will still be subject to all necessary internal and state government approvals.

“The planned investment signals BHP’s strong commitment to the Pilbara, and particularly to the revitalisation of the West End into a vibrant commercial hub,” Davila said.

BHP said it remained committed to working with government, industry and the local community on the recommendations of the Port Hedland Dust Management Taskforce Report, including the development by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation of best practice guidelines for bulk handling facilities and their implementation.

Multotec makes an impact in the Pilbara with Ceradox screen panel

Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

Multotec has combined Hardox blocks and alumina ceramic tiles to come up with a new high impact screen panel that, it says, cuts plant downtime and boosts mine productivity.

The Ceradox panel boasts more than double the wear life of traditional rubber panels, according to Multotec, with the innovation developed during 2019 in response to a request from an iron ore mining customer in Australia’s Pilbara region.

Three months of testing delivered results that exceeded expectations, according to Multotec Screening Product Manager, Shawn Faba.

“The customer needed a panel with an extended wear life, so that they only needed to conduct replacements during the regular maintenance shutdown every 12 weeks,” Faba said. “Our testing demonstrated that the panels were lasting 24 weeks and longer.”

Through a close collaboration between Multotec South Africa, Multotec Australia and the customer, a solution was developed and proved for a demanding application on scalper screens, it said.

Faba explained: “Designed for the impact area of the scalper screen, the Ceradox panel must withstand the impact of material up to 300 mm in size falling from a discharge height of up to 3 m. It must also resist high levels of abrasion from the ore.”

The resulting design leverages the impact strength of the Hardox blocks and the abrasion resistance of the ceramic tiles, embedded in Multotec’s proprietary rubber formulation, helping absorb the energy of the falling material, according to the company. The panels are manufactured locally at Multotec’s high-volume facilities in Gauteng, South Africa, which include a rubber mixing plant run by experienced specialists.

Faba noted that the 305 mm square Ceradox panels can be manufactured to different thicknesses from 50 mm to 100 mm.

“With our local manufacturing capability, we can achieve short lead times and deliver to anywhere in the world,” he said.

Multotec says it already supplies about 35% of the screening media to the iron ore mines in the Pilbara area.

Scott Technology signs up Kerman for Koodaideri automated lab build

Automation, Environmental, Mineral exploration, Mineral processing, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

Kerman Contracting is to build an automated iron ore sampling processing laboratory at Rio Tinto’s Koodaideri mine site, in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

The contract award from Scott Technology Ltd will see the company start construction on the lab in the June quarter of this year with estimated completion in February 2021.

The scope includes the civil and concrete works, as well as the structural, hydraulic, electrical/communication works and fire protection, Kerman said. The supply, installation and commissioning of robotics equipment will be undertaken by Scott.

Kerman is also working on Rio Tinto’s other major iron ore expansion project in the Pilbara, the Western Turner Syncline 2 (WTS2) iron ore project.

Kerman’s Managing Director, Chris Kerman, said: “We are very pleased to be awarded the design and construction of the Koodaideri laboratory building. Over the last nine months, Kerman and Scott have been working collaboratively on refining the scope and price. We are now looking forward to getting the project underway and establishing a long lasting business relationship with Scott.”

In February, Scott Technology said it had been awarded a significant contract by Rio Tinto to design and build the automated mine site laboratory, adding that the agreement involved the building construction and equipment supply for the robotic sample preparation and analysis laboratory (graphic above).

Koodaideri, billed by Rio as an “intelligent mine”, will deliver a new production hub for Rio’s iron ore business in the Pilbara, incorporating a processing plant and infrastructure including a 166 km rail line connecting the mine to the existing network.

Construction on Koodaideri Phase 1 started in 2019 with first production expected in late 2021. Once complete, the mine will have an annual capacity of 43 Mt, underpinning production of the company’s flagship iron ore product, Pilbara Blend.

PureGRAPH enhanced bucket liners supplied to second WA iron ore miner

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

First Graphene says several new PureGRAPH® enhanced bucket liners have been supplied by its newGen customer to a major iron ore producer in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

newGen uses PureGRAPH high-performing graphene additives from First Graphene to manufacture its ArmourGRAPH rubber wear linings. These linings, the company says, offer outstanding strength and wear characteristics, increasing the life of wear linings and leading to significant productivity benefits for the mine.

This is the second trial of PureGRAPH high-performing graphene additives at iron ore mining operations in the state.

Back in December, newGen confirmed it had provided an ArmourGRAPH bucket liner to a major iron ore producer for a trial containing PureGRAPH20. According to the company, the bucket liner showed no signs of advanced wear or scalloping as would normally be experienced with the liners currently used in industry after 24 weeks of use.

It said the client would continue the trial, with a further inspection to be undertaken in another 12 weeks.

On top of the bucket liners, the second iron ore miner intends to also install PureGRAPH in other process equipment such as conveyor skirting products, First Graphene says.

The company said: “PureGRAPH enhanced wear liners continue to be adopted across the mining industry, due to their extended life, ease of use and enhanced fire retardancy properties. As the benefits continue to be validated, the industry is expected to adopt graphene-enhanced materials as a standard approach.”

Craig McGuckin, Managing Director for First Graphene, said: “Adoption of PureGRAPH enhanced products by another major iron ore producer is evidence of the quality of First Graphene’s products. Only First Graphene has the capacity to deliver tonnage volumes of high-performing graphene to users as they adopt graphene into their products.”

Primero looks to Track’em for materials inventory solution on WA iron ore expansion project

Bulk handling, IoT, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

Primero, following the signing of a contract with Track’em, is to use the Material Tracking solution to increase visibility and control of its materials for construction works on a major iron ore expansion project in Western Australia.

Track’em provides a central, cloud-based solution for tracking materials across the supply chain, according to its owner. By using the system, Primero and its project partners will be able to manage, monitor, update and report on materials in real time from any location, it said.

“We’re really excited to partner with a successful fast-growing multi-disciplinary engineering company such as Primero,” Kashif Saleem, Founder and CEO of Track’em, said. “Track’em will allow Primero to take ownership of the materials control processes to streamline operations. It promotes efficiency and reduces the risk of losing expensive materials with long lead times.”

Track’em provides stakeholders with an integrated system that gives continuous visibility on the location, status, condition and custody of materials. The Track’em app will further enable users to quickly locate, scan and update parts and components, while digitising form-based processes such as inspections and transfer documents, according to the company.

Mark Pensabene, Executive General Manager Project Delivery, Primero, said: “Primero Group always prefers to engage with local partners to support the industry. For this project – with the volume of materials required – we needed a world-class materials control system.

“We looked at WA-based Track’em and were very impressed. It’s the most sophisticated materials tracking platform that we’ve ever come across, yet it is surprisingly simple to use. It will equip workers throughout the supply chain – from our fabricators to site – to use a single system giving us end-to-end visibility.”

While no specific iron ore expansion project was mentioned by either Primero or Track’em in the release, Primero is currently working on both the South Flank and Koodaideri iron ore projects for BHP and Rio Tinto, respectively, in addition to the expansion of the Robe Valley iron ore operations, owned jointly by Rio, Mitsui and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal.

Trafo Power Solutions helps sustain iron ore exports at Saldanha Bay

Bulk handling, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining project news, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

Trafo Power Solutions recently supplied specialised transformers for the Tippler 3 project at the iron ore load-out station at the port of Saldanha Bay, in South Africa, as part of an upgrade Transnet is currently conducting at the facility.

The construction of a third tippler at the Saldanha Bay port is to sustain iron ore export volumes of 60 Mt/y when the existing tipplers are refurbished in the future. It will integrate with the rail system bringing ore via the 860 km line from mines in the Northern Cape of the country.

Key aspects of the new infrastructure comprise the 285 t tippler itself, a loading vault below ground and a conveyor tunnel. New buildings, service roads, bridges, railway lines, conveyors, lighting and bulk electrical supply infrastructure are also part of Transnet’s upgrade project, according to Trafo.

Factory-acceptance testing of the dry-type transformers were completed in December 2019, according to Trafo Power Solutions Managing Director, David Claassen, with delivery to site taking place in February.

Trafo Power Solutions’ contract was for the design, supply and commissioning of five dry-type transformers. There are two 1,000 kVA units and a 3,150 kVA unit, both stepping down from 11 kV to 400 V, the company said. The other two units are 3,500 kVA and 4,500 kVA capacity, respectively, taking 11 kV to 3.3 kV.

To resist the corrosive sea air, all the transformer enclosures were manufactured from the 3CR12 grade of stainless steel, according to Trafo. The enclosures are also IP33-rated to ensure a high level of ingress protection against moisture and dust.

“The enclosure design also incorporates cable boxes and Type C totally enclosed plug-in bushings for the terminations,” Claassen says. “This provides a boot covering, which is touch-potential safe, and also provides for efficient plug-and-play installation.”

This is a significant improvement on the regular lug and bolt copper connection, which would just be shrouded by a heat-shrunk material, according to the company. The special terminations also facilitate easier maintenance or removal.

“The units will provide the medium-voltage supply for the Tippler 3 project and its associated infrastructure, including equipment like conveyors,” he says. “All the transformers will be supplying non-linear load to a certain extent, so they have been designed with a K-factor of four.”

The K-factor is a measure of a transformer’s ability to withstand the heating effects of non-sinusoidal harmonic currents created by electronic equipment, Trafo explained. “The higher the K-factor, the greater the harmonic heating effects,” the company said.

As dry-type transformers are cooled without the use of oil, these units will receive forced ventilation when a pre-set temperature is reached. This ventilation is provided from a row of fans which Trafo designed to be bolted below the location of the transformers.

Designed locally in South Africa by Trafo Power Solutions, these dry-type transformers are manufactured in Italy by strategic partners TMC Transformers, which focus on cast resin transformer technology. All products are routinely factory-tested according to IEC standards, but type-testing and special testing can also be conducted, according to the company.

“The standard applicable to dry-type power transformers is IEC 60076-11,” Claassen says. “TMC’s advanced laboratory facilities allow us to conduct the full range of tests in-house, in accordance with what these standards and whatever other requirements are designated by the customer.”

At Saldanha, Trafo is also responsible for building auxiliary protection and control panels, which it locates remotely from the transformers. These include temperature control sensors that communicate with the port’s broader control and monitoring network.

Babylon wins year-long extension at BHP Mining Area C

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

Babylon Pump & Power Limited says it has secured an extension of an existing power generation contract with BHP’s iron ore division in Western Australia.

The extension is tied to a contract the Australia-listed firm secured back in July 2018 through ADENCO Water Management & Civil Engineering. This saw Babylon supply, install and maintain power generation equipment for the Surplus Water Pipeline project at BHP’s Mining Area C project in Western Australia.

Babylon says it has since supplied and installed this equipment on site and will continue to maintain it for the project.

BHP is in the process of extending its Mining Area C through the development of the South Flank iron ore project, which is due to start up in 2021. It will be one of the largest iron ore processing hubs in the world, with an 80 Mt/y crushing and screening plant, an overland conveyor system and rail-loading facilities.

Babylon’s extension contract will run for a term of 52 weeks and is expected to contribute circa-A$1.1 million ($663,893) over that period, the company said.

BHP keeps Western Australia iron ore rail operations on track

Mine operation news, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

BHP says its Rail Operations team in Western Australia is finding new ways to safely navigate the challenges posed by the COVID-19 virus, with several of its train drivers based in other states of Australia and overseas relocating to support their counterparts in WA.

Most of BHP’s rail operations team already live in Western Australia, according to the company, but a number regularly commute from interstate or overseas for their scheduled rosters, BHP said.

To help cover those roles, some of these drivers have opted to stay in the Pilbara for their next shift, while others have temporarily relocated to Western Australia and are currently in 14 days of self-isolation before they return to site, the company said.

Media reports say BHP has relocated some 300 people from the eastern states of Australia to Western Australia to comply with cross-border restrictions or quarantine requirements in the country. This follows a ban on fly-in-fly-out workers from New South Wales entering Western Australia.

BHP’s majority-owned Western Australia Iron Ore operation is an integrated system of four processing hubs and five mines connected by more than 1,000 km of rail infrastructure and port facilities in the Pilbara region of northern Western Australia.

Other rail operations staff, including supervisors, coordinators, trainers and many other team members, are picking up jobs they wouldn’t normally do to keep BHP trains operational over the next few months, the miner said.

“With the current challenge in front of us, the team are doing whatever it takes to help each other out and keep our trains moving,” Rail Operations Manager, Steve Campbell, said. “It has meant working differently, making it possible to deliver today, what would have been seen as impossible only a short time ago.

“The rail drivers here at BHP are some of the best in the world. They are proud of what they do and who they represent.

“I am so proud of the entire rail team who have all been up to the challenge, keeping our trains moving, helping to keep the country moving – to me, that’s big!”