Tag Archives: Iron ore

Nordic Iron and VB Elnät look to engineer mine power access solution at Blötberget

Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, , , ,

Nordic Iron Ore has entered an engineering agreement with VB Elnät to determine the required measures for connecting its Blötberget project in Sweden to the electric grid.

In order to re-start mining activity in Blötberget, Nordic Iron Ore needs access to a maximum capacity of 20 MW. The company has previously signed a letter of tntent with Hitachi Energy regarding installation and operations of a permanent 50/10 kV power station, which will supply the mining area with electrical power.

During construction of the mine and the power station, access to temporary power supply will be necessary to make preparatory work such as construction of ramp, lighting, ventilation and drainage of water.

In order for Nordic Iron Ore’s facility to connect to the power grid, VB Elnät must evaluate required measures in its own electric grid and prepare documentation for applications for necessary permits, partly for the temporary usage of electrical power and partly for the permanent connection of the 50/10 kV power station, the company said.

The indicative time plan for this planning is that Nordic Iron Ore will be able to use 1 MW during the autumn of 2023 and gradually increase its usage to a maximum capacity of 20 MW during 2024-2025.

Nordic Iron Ore was formed in 2008 with the main aims of resuming mining operations in Blötberget and Håksberg and conducting exploration of the expansion potential of the Väsman field, together forming the Ludvika Mines, in southern Dalarna.

BHP engages Nyiyaparli-owned ROMS for mine rehab work at Newman

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

Nyiyaparli Traditional Owner Business, Resource Operations and Maintenance Services (ROMS) has been awarded a A$2.8 million ($2 million) contract to help with mine rehabilitation at BHP’s Newman Operations, on Nyiyaparli Country, in Western Australia.

Work is underway on the eight-month contract for bulk earthworks and mine rehabilitation of two of the overburden stockpile areas at Newman West.

The works involve a fleet of Cat dozers to undertake the bulk regrade work, in conjunction with a fleet of ancillary equipment to undertake topsoil spreading, scarification and fauna habitat construction.

This is ROMS’ first mine rehabilitation contract with Newman Operations, however the company has worked across BHP since joining the South Flank project, also in Western Australia, in 2018.

ROMS Managing Director, Jason Bull, said: “BHP has continued to support our growth and we’re now onsite at South Flank, Whaleback, Jimblebar and Mining Area C delivering our services to operations, sustaining capital and engineering works.

“We have two fully trained and developed Indigenous supervisors at BHP sites, as well as nine young Indigenous people completing a Certificate II in civil construction. This has helped build a solid portfolio of tickets, with strong on-site learning and positive mentoring through our group’s strong culture.”

Newman Operations General Manager, Dan Heal, said the partnership with ROMS was just one of the many partnerships Newman Operations hopes to build upon into the future with Pilbara Aboriginal businesses.

“Supporting our community and working with Traditional Owners towards a common purpose is something I’m particularly excited about growing here in Newman,” he said. “Contracts like this encourage the growth of Indigenous business and create new opportunities for our Traditional Owners to support their own communities.”

Bull added: “We’re extremely appreciative of BHP’s support and look forward to making a positive impact on the local community through our continued partnership with BHP.”

Robit wins ‘groundbreaking’ DTH drilling contract at Shougang Hierro Perú

Explosives and blasting, Mine operation news, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , ,

Shougang Hierro Perú has recently added Robit drilling consumables to its drilling arsenal, following a string of tests comparing down-the-hole (DTH) tools, the Finland-based company says.

A large share of the drilling and earthmoving operations at Shougang Hierro Perú is conducted by Cosapi Mineria, a subsidiary of Cosapi S.A., one of Peru’s biggest construction and engineering companies and the company that Robit had to impress.

An open-pit operation typically makes extensive use of DTH tools for pre-split and buffer drilling. That’s why Shougang Hierro Perú, an iron ore miner, was an attractive target for Robit SAC to approach with its offering.

José Luis Cisneros, General Manager of Robit SAC, said: “The iron deposit at Shougang Hierro Perú consists of very hard and abrasive materials. You can find competent soils with compressive strengths of 250 to 300 MPa. We contacted Cosapi Mineria and carried out the first test in early 2020 with 7-in (178 mm) bits and a D65 hammer. Since then, we have been working ever more closely with Cosapi, providing them with material innovations to increase performance.”

He added: “In recent months we have been working together with Cosapi in a testing process of the main DTH providers in the market. Thanks to the constant monitoring by our Assistance Engineer, Kevin Salas, and the development of the right products through our DTH Sales Manager, Martín Rodríguez, we have been able to generate new ways of improving the operation and proposing drilling targets with higher standards.”

The open pit operation requires a lot of double bench pre-splitting, performed with D45 HD hammers and 5-in bits, ballistic buttons and a convex face. The bits have obtained an average duration of 1,400 m, and an average speed of 32 m/h.

Recently, Cosapi signed an extension contract for its operations in two of the open pits at Shougang Hierro Perú. Impressed by the tests conducted with Robit, it granted a consignment agreement, trusting Robit with 60% of the consumption of drilling tools over the competition, Robit says.

Cisneros said: “This is the first contract of consumption for DTH tools in Latin America where we will provide assistance and stock for the client’s operation, including technical service, maintenance of hammers and management of drill bits. We hope to show Cosapi Mineria and the market that Robit SAC has the necessary resources to keep exceeding the expectations of our strategic partners.”

Atlas Iron names load and haul, drill and blast contractors for McPhee project

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Atlas Iron says it has awarded the major haulage, mine load and haul as well as drill and blast contracts for its McPhee project in Western Australia, bringing the iron ore project one step closer to construction and commissioning.

With these contracts, the total number of major contracts awarded for the project is over 50%, with five of nine now awarded. All contracts are subject to the relevant government approvals being approved.

The McPhee project is 100 km north of the Roy Hill mine, and is situated between the townships of Marble Bar and Nullagine. The project scope includes haulage of up to 10 Mt/y of crushed ore to Roy Hill for processing, transport to the port and shipping. For this scope, the haulage contract was split between MGM (60%) and REGROUP (40%).

MACA has been awarded the mine load and haul contract, and a separate contract for drill and blast mining services has been awarded to the Nyamal joint venture, EWP-Ozland.

Indigenous contractor, East West Pilbara (EWP), is a Nyamal-owned firm, with EWP-Ozland previously awarded civil and construction works at Atlas Iron’s Miralga Mine, which has been recognised as an industry first, it said.

This announcement marks the first instance of REGROUP, a full-service civil construction, mining services, labour resourcing and equipment hire company, being engaged as a contracting partner.

CEO Group Projects at Hancock Prospecting Group, Sanjiv Manchanda, noted: “The McPhee project is another step in the successful integrated Hancock Group development approach focusing
on the product strategy for the broader group. Atlas will continue to engage local and Indigenous contractors and maintain a practical approach to operations.”

McPhee is expected to commence operations in the 2024 financial year with first ore reaching Roy Hill in thr 2025 financial year. This is subject to the regulatory approvals being granted in early 2023, which will enable the contractors to mobilise to site and commence the works under their respective contracts.

Monadelphous Group secures work with BHP in Western Australia, Chile

Base metals, Energy minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , ,

Monadelphous Group has secured new contracts and contract extensions in the resources, energy and infrastructure sectors totalling approximately A$110 million ($74 million).

The company says it has been reappointed to the BHP WAIO Site Engineering Panel for a three-year period to continue providing multi-disciplinary services at BHP’s mine site and port operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Monadelphous has also been awarded a five-year contract to provide pipeline maintenance services in the Queensland coal seam gas market.

In Chile, Monadelphous’ maintenance and construction services business, Buildtek, has secured several contracts with Minera Escondida. This includes two contracts at the Escondida copper mine, majority-owned by BHP, for improvements to the water capture and drainage system and repairs associated with the oxide tank. A contract has also been secured for repairs and improvements to water storage tanks at the Puerto Coloso Filter Plant. All work is expected to be completed in 2023.

Additionally, the company has secured a contract with Liontown Resources for the supply and fabrication of structural steel and platework for the Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia. The work is expected to be completed by mid-2023.

Kathleen Valley is one of the world’s largest and highest-grade hard-rock lithium deposits and, with an initial 2.5 Mt/y production capacity, it is expected to supply circa-500,000 t/y of 6% lithium oxide concentrate. First production is expected in the June quarter of 2024.

Epiroc equipping LKAB Kiruna personnel with new Mobilaris safety solutions

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LKAB is further increasing its safety capabilities by implementing several solutions from the Mobilaris Mining Intelligence platform at its Kiruna mine in northern Sweden, Epiroc says.

The platform, now 100% incorporated into Epiroc following the consolidation of its ownership in Mobilaris MCE AB in 2021, allows all employees to receive alarm and crisis information and confirm directly on their mobile phones in an emergency situation, Epiroc says. Employees can also obtain position support and the ability to navigate faster to rescue chambers with the help of applications on their mobile phones.

This means rescue personnel will now have the tools and means to manage emergencies better and faster, according to the OEM.

Joel Kangas, LKAB’s Kiruna Mine Manager, said: “We want to shorten the time from when an alarm goes off to when everyone is safe, and we believe this digital solution can help us with that.”

Hans Wahlquist, Global Director of Product Management at Epiroc, said: “LKAB already has a high level of safety, but now there are new technologies and new opportunities, and they have the infrastructure required for this installation. This project will give everyone in the mine more information about the situation in real time.”

LKAB is setting a new world standard for mining where digitalisation forms an important step towards easier, safer and more efficient work in the mine. The mobile safety solution project is a collaboration between LKAB and Epiroc, involving both existing products from Epiroc and new developments. The project began in the autumn of 2022 and the goal is to start rolling out the solution in the spring of 2023 at the Kiruna mine.

Andreas Ericson, General Manager Epiroc Mining Intelligence, said: “Collaborations with customers are crucial for finding innovative solutions. This project demonstrates the potential for digital transformation in the mining industry, bringing us one step closer to a smarter and more efficient future.”

The following four modules from the Mobilaris Mining Intelligence portfolio are included within the project:

  • Location of people with the ability to receive alarm and crisis messages on their mobile phones through Mobilaris Situational Awareness and Mobilaris Virtual Tag;
  • Distribution of emergency messages and support provision for getting people to safety through Mobilaris Emergency Support;
  • Three dimensional map in vehicles for navigation assistance, increased traffic safety and the ability to quickly find the nearest rescue chamber through Mobilaris Onboard; and
  • Three dimensional map on the employee’s mobile phone for navigation assistance and the ability to quickly find the nearest rescue chamber through Mobilaris PocketMine.

NRW equips Karara magnetite mining fleet with two new Cat 6060 shovels

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NRW Civil & Mining has recently invested in two new Cat 6060 hydraulic mining shovels to meet some unique challenges at Karara Mining’s magnetite project in Western Australia’s Midwest region, engaging Cat dealer WesTrac in the process.

Karara is the largest mining operation and the first major magnetite mine in the Midwest region, producing a premium, high-grade concentrate product which is exported from Geraldton port.
Unlike the more commonly mined hematite, magnetite is a hard and highly abrasive ore, which meant NRW needed machines that could cope with the rigours of operating in such harsh conditions.

NRW opted for the Cat 6060 Hydraulic Mining Shovel, a 600-t unit able to load 218 t trucks and above.

According to NRW Mining Operations Manager, Adam Harper, the buying decisions for a mining contractor are very much driven by client expectations.

“We’re obviously chasing safe machines, but they have to be able to perform to our clients’ expectations and do so efficiently,” Harper said.

According to WesTrac Product Manager, Greg Wear, the Cat 6060 is a premium Caterpillar® offering when it comes to hydraulic mining shovels and has traditionally been the shovel of choice for top tier miners.

“This is the machine that we promote for highly productive loading of 240 ton (218 t) trucks and up,” Wear said. “Tier One miners have had good success with that and, now with NRW onboard, it shows that mining contractors are also seeing the value of the Cat 6060.”

Wear explains that the 600-t models have a long history, having first been released to market under previous owner Terex as the RH340 in 2004. Since being acquired by Caterpillar, the machine has been progressively “Catified” through a series of phased improvements.

“Over the past 10 years, Caterpillar has made phased improvements,” he said. “Phase one was a lot of quick wins that could be applied to make the machine more reliable. Phase two looked at structural changes designed to provide stronger, heavier frames and more reliability. Phase three continued that with modifications around sticks and booms, and a completely new superstructure and larger slew ring.

“Today with all the next generation technology, the transformation is complete with all Cat electronics and parts, and there’s been a new cab installed. Now the 6060 has the complete Caterpillar feel and functionality.”

Part of the new cab design was increased visibility, allowing the operator clear views to the digging and loading areas as well as the tracks.

Caterpillar Product Application Specialist, Dirk Tegtmeier, said the transformation of the Cat 6060 brings the same level of commonality to the large shovel that is seen across other Cat equipment.

Tegtmeier says a key efficiency gain, thanks to the 6060 now incorporating all-Cat components and improved structures, is that service intervals and the total operating life of the machine can be extended.

“The updated Cat 3512E engine, coupled with the fuel burn saving features, thanks to new hydraulic optimisation, will certainly offer a longer life than with the previous version,” he said.

That longevity, coupled with the added strength and Cat Enhanced Motion Control as part of the Operator Assist functionality of the Cat 6060, is important given the harsh terrain in which the new mining shovels are operating and the need to meet high production targets – with a minimum feed rate to the primary crusher of 3,500 t/h.

“The 6060 FS comes with an extremely productive profile that enabled us to match the client’s production schedules perfectly,” Harper said. “We also chose the Cat 793 trucks that are perfectly matched for size and passing with the 6060, so it’s a highly productive match. But we needed to ensure we had the reliability as well.”

Karara’s proximity to Geraldton and Perth – two and four-hour drives from the mine, respectively – and the fact WesTrac has parts and service centres in those locations, was another key factor in NRW’s decision to go for the Cat 6060.

According to Harper, the hardness and abrasiveness of the magnetite ore means ground engagement tools can wear up to 20 times faster than in hematite mining operations, meaning regular access to spares is vital.

“The teeth on the bucket can need replacing within 24 to 70 hours, whereas in some hematite mines, it could be anywhere from 500 to 1,000 hours,” Harper said.

“Having the customer service centre four hours away in Perth that runs 24/7 is crucial as it means we are able to get access to parts as needed. Also, WesTrac Geraldton being two hours away for support was really a deciding factor for us in choosing the Cat 6060s.”

Harper says NRW’s previous experience working with Cat equipment and existing relationship with WesTrac was one factor that helped win the contract with Karara Mining.

“Karara Mining Limited had a long association with Cat products, in particular the 6060 face shovels and the 793 dump trucks, and that played a big part in helping win the contract,” he said.

Mitsui and Rio Tinto to explore low-emission supply chain options

Environmental, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Mitsui & Co has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rio Tinto to jointly explore opportunities for reducing emissions and transforming the world’s supply chains.

Under the MoU, Mitsui and Rio Tinto will work closely together to examine more sustainable measures such as reducing the carbon content of raw materials for iron and steel production; developing new renewable energy; supplying alternative fuels such as ammonia, methanol and hydrogen; decarbonisation in marine transportation; decarbonisation of mobility at mining sites; and initiatives like nature-based solutions, carbon credits and others.

The new partnership builds on Mitsui and Rio Tinto’s long history of collaboration, stretching back to the beginnings of the Robe River Joint Venture in Western Australia, which this year celebrated 50 years of iron ore shipments to Japan. The MoU combines Mitsui’s vast network, assets and accumulated industry knowledge with Rio Tinto’s grand-scale supply chain and leading position in the mining & metal industry, the companies said.

PROK idlers set for overland conveyor system at Roy Hill iron ore operation

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PROK has been selected by Roy Hill to manufacture and supply the idlers for a new circa-8km overland conveyor system as part of the iron ore mine’s Rom4 expansion in Western Australia.

PROK says it was awarded the contract for the conveyor idlers off the back of a long history of success with various overland conveyor systems across the globe.

Roy Hill requires the new overland conveyor to connect a new crusher to the existing mine infrastructure. The system comprises two overland conveyor systems that are approximately 8 km in length.

The entire project scope for the conveyor components included the manufacture and supply of 23,500 rollers and 6,500 idler frames.

The majority of the rollers will be PROK HDPE, a lightweight composite roller. PROK HDPE was chosen due to its lightweight construction and exceptional reliability, PROK said. The rollers include dual-layer wear indicator technology which facilitates smarter roller maintenance.

PROK General Manager WA, Wade Guelfi, said PROK HDPE will bring a range of benefits to Roy Hill’s operations.

“PROK HDPE is proven in heavy-duty iron ore applications and will assist to reduce maintenance costs, increase production and importantly improve safety outcomes,” he said. “We were thrilled to be able to partner with Roy Hill on this project and look forward to working closely with them to continue to optimise conveyor performance.”

JP Morgan-backed financing paves way for further MineSense growth

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MineSense Technologies Ltd says it has closed a $42 million Series E financing led by J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Sustainable Growth Equity team that, it says, will allow it to accelerate the commercial deployment of its solutions to drive further growth and profitability.

The funding round includes participation from new investor Evok Innovations, a climate technology and sustainability venture fund, and existing investors including Prelude Ventures, BDC Industrial Innovation Venture Fund, Cycle Capital and Chrysalix Venture Capital.

MineSense has been pioneering data-driven solutions that improve ore grade control, operational profitability and carbon intensity across the metals mining industry. It is doing this through a combination of its ShovelSense® and BeltSense® hardware, a digital platform and geoscientific insight that goes beyond purely grade-based orebody information.

ShovelSense provides precise ore/waste definition and unlocks unique, previously inaccessible data sets at the mine’s extraction face, according to the company. This real-time data enables removal of waste from ore and recovers valuable ore from waste by making smart routing decisions that also reduces the amount of waste processed, production of tailings, and energy, water, and reagent consumption. Metal recovery is increased materially, with production from operating mines increasing by 5-25% on existing infrastructure, according to the company.

The company has initially been focused on copper, with those mining companies that have signed up to use its solutions looking to maximise ore recovery, minimise dilution and enhance operational sustainability.

MineSense says it has tripled revenue over the last year, and was recently recognised as one of the fastest growing companies in North America by Deloitte.

It currently currently serves mines across North and South America, with notable deployments in British Columbia (Teck’s Highland Valley Copper, Copper Mountain Mining’s operation and Taseko Mines’ Gibraltar operation), Chile (Carmen de Andacollo) and Peru (Antamina).

The fundraising will allow the company to expand its coverage globally and extend into other critical metals such as nickel, cobalt, zinc and iron, it said.

Jeff More, CEO of MineSense, said: “We are pleased to partner with J.P. Morgan Sustainable Growth Equity and Evok to scale our ore grade data mining solutions. This funding and strategic support will allow us to continue executing on our strategy of delivering profit enhancement, operational efficiency, and carbon intensity reduction to critical mining operations.”