Tag Archives: Macraes

RCT Line of Sight solution lowers operational risk at OceanaGold’s Macraes mine

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RCT’s ControlMaster® Line of Sight dozer solution has another customer reference to hand, following a recent deployment at OceanaGold’s Macraes operation in New Zealand.

The operation installed and commissioned a RCT solution to its Cat D10T2 dozer, allowing the machine to be remotely operated in higher-risk areas of the open-pit operations, OceanaGold said.

RCT confirmed the project included its Line of Sight solution, which forms part of its ControlMaster automation and control product range.

“We have quite an extensive history working on dozers, including Cat D10Ts, so the installation went smoothly thanks to the collaboration of RCT’s Customer Service team and OceanaGold​’s site team,” a spokesperson told IM. “Our international technicians provided site personnel with remote support during the installation and commissioning process.”

Over 49 years in business, RCT says it has successfully provided more dozer control solutions than any other company in the world.

The Macraes operation on the South Island of New Zealand is the country’s largest active gold producing mine, having produced over 5 Moz of gold since 1990, OceanaGold said. The operation consists of an open-pit mine, an underground mine, and an adjacent process plant inclusive of an autoclave for pressure oxidation of the ore. The operation produced 144,487 oz gold in 2020.

OceanaGold and Beca come up with decarbonisation pathway for Macraes

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OceanaGold has enlisted the help of independent advisory, design and engineering consultancy Beca to reduce emissions at its Macraes gold mine in Central Otago, New Zealand.

Beca developed an Energy Transition Acceleration (ETA) study to provides a pathway to a greener future at the mine, which produced over 172,000 oz/y of gold and employs more than 600 people. Macraes is New Zealand’s largest mine.

“As participants in the New Zealand government’s ETA program, OceanaGold are focused on reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at their Macraes site to not only improve the sustainability of their product, but also reduce their energy costs,” Beca said.

“That’s where Beca entered the picture. As program partners with the ETA, our industrial sustainability and engineering teams worked closely with OceanaGold management to develop an Energy Transition Accelerator study that identified a practical emissions reduction pathway for their business.”

The Macraes operation consists of a large-scale surface mine, an underground mine, and an adjacent process plant inclusive of an autoclave for pressure oxidation of the ore. Its annualised gold production is split approximately 75% to open-pit production and about 25% underground production.

Key opportunities for reducing the GHG emissions include harnessing waste heat recovery; fuel switching; solar lighting towers; electric elution hot water heating; battery-powered electric haulage trucks; and electrification of excavators.

“Taken together, these practical abatement measures can reduce emissions from the Macraes gold mine by a substantial 37%, whilst additional measures – such as the use of renewable energy sources on site – could increase this figure to 59%,” Beca said.

With the study now complete, Beca says it is ready to support OceanaGold in implementing the identified recommendations over coming years – with some of these options also applicable to its Waihi mine on the North Island of New Zealand.

Sandvik equipment starts to arrive for OceanaGold’s Macraes expansion

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OceanaGold Corp has received the first of three new Sandvik machines at its Macraes gold mining operation on the South Island of New Zealand.

The company has taken delivery of a 17-t payload Sandvik LH517i underground loader (pictured), Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions confirmed.

A Sandvik TH551i truck and DD421 development drill will also be delivered this year as Macraes prepares to extend its mine life to 2028, the mining OEM said.

The LH517i is a matching pair with the Sandvik TH551i truck. It features the Sandvik Intelligent Control System and My Sandvik Digital Services Knowledge Box™ on-board hardware as standard.

In December, OceanaGold received approval to extend the mine life of the Macraes operation to 2028. This is expected to involve the development of the Golden Point Underground Mine, the Deepdell North Stage III open-pit extension, and the Frasers West expansion.

These projects are forecasted to produce 1.1 Moz of gold over an eight-year mine life, with open-pit and underground operations expected to produce, on average, 150,000-170,000 oz/y of gold.