Tag Archives: Mines and Technology

MinePortal offers up an integrated view of mine site data

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , ,

DataCloud’s MinePortal solution has links to the ‘artificial intelligence’, ‘big data’ and ‘digitalisation’ buzzwords that are heard throughout the conference halls at any global technology conference today, but, unlike some of its competitors, the concept is very easy to understand.

Simply put, MinePortal collects existing datasets from within a mining company’s operation and aggregates that data into a model that shows the entire process – from drilling through to processing in the plant.

Technology-agnostic, it uses cloud computing to ingest and process this data in near real-time, applying the company’s proprietary geostatistical and machine learning algorithms to continually update models.

The fact it can look at the entire mining process – from end-to-end – makes it almost unique in the industry, according to DataCloud Chief Technology Officer, Krishna Srinivasan.

“Data is no longer the problem in mining,” he told IM on the side lines of the Mines and Technology conference in London last week. “What mines haven’t got is a place where all of this data is displayed together for analysis. This is what MinePortal brings.”

In addition to leveraging off a mine’s existing fleet management and condition monitoring platforms, it also uses its own RHINO blast hole measurement package on production drills to enhance geology data right from the source.

RHINO (below) uses vibration signatures in the drill steel, acquired via IoT-enabled sensor devices, to calculate blast-critical subsurface information such as compressional and shear moduli, compressive strength, density, velocity, and more. This can help detect waste boundaries, faults, fractures, and many grade indicators, according to the company. Once this data is recorded, it is streamed to MinePortal and analysed to characterise the orebody.

Srinivasan says the integrated visualisation capabilities MinePortal offers allows companies to find out where the obvious opportunities are to improve performance in their operations.

Such analysis could, for example, highlight that drill and blast patterns need to be amended to improve rock fragmentation for improved recoveries at the milling stage, or, conversely, milling needs to be tweaked to account for the increased hardness of ore coming into the plant.

It connects the dots between the various processes in mining and “provides the context” mining companies need to increase production and productivity, according to Srinivasan.

In addition to being able to visualise the mining process in an integrated fashion from anywhere in the world through the cloud, DataCloud’s geostatistical and machine learning algorithms can predict the processing outcomes should a site, for example, amend their drill spacing at the drill and blast stage.

Srinivasan was keen to stress these algorithms do not ‘take over’ a mine’s processing procedures, instead offering up estimates based on previous operating data and existing industry data MinePortal has analysed.

MinePortal has, until now, mostly been used as a visualisation tool at open-pit mines, but DataCloud recently signed an agreement with Trevali Mining to use the software on its Caribou underground zinc mine in New Brunswick, Canada.

DataCloud said of this agreement: “Unleashing MinePortal will provide vast feedback applications across the value chain empowering their teams to make geology data-driven decisions.”

This is part of the mining company’s wider plan to digitalise its operations through its T90 business improvement program. T90 is targeting $50 million in pre-tax annual sustainable efficiencies by the beginning of 2022 through “operational improvements, standardisation, and the deployment of technology”.

Outside of its work with Trevali, DataCloud is encouraging miners to get in touch for a customised demonstration of MinePortal’s capabilities to a mine site’s specific data, workflow and goals.

“Give us a year’s worth of data and we’ll display this in MinePortal for you,” Srinivasan said, explaining that the company is confident miners will be able to see areas for improvement through this visualisation and that it will lead to them engaging with DataCloud over a longer timeframe.

Data is a mining company’s greatest asset

Automation, Careers in mining, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining people, Mining software, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , ,

Mark O’Brien, Manager of Digital Transformation at CITIC Pacific Mining Management, believes that the mining industry is starting to turn a corner when it comes to making the most of data and automation.

Before hearing from him at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC), taking place on October 29-31, and Mines and Technology London, taking place on November 25-27, Andrew Thake, Head of Content, Mines and Money, sat down with him to dig deeper into his attitudes around technology and automation in the mining industry.

What is your outlook for the mining sector in the next 12 months?

In the Australian space, there’s been a noticeable uptick in the mining sector, and although everyone is still very conscious of costs and not getting too crazy with spending up, there’s a lot of investment going on and we’re already seeing the usual cyclical issues with finding good talent becoming an issue in mining-focused cities like Perth.

You are speaking at Mines and Technology. In terms of innovation in mining technology, where does the biggest opportunity lie and why?

It finally feels like mining companies have realised that data really is one of their greatest assets, and many companies are starting to see some serious value out of exploiting the data they’ve been sitting on for years. Analytics, the application of data science and AI are all starting to show some huge potential to provide insights and support critical decision-making in ways that have not been possible to date. Some of this stuff will turn out to be ‘shiny object’ stuff, but there’s definitely some very pragmatic initiatives out there that are showing very real benefits.

I also think that a lot of mining companies have realised that taking technology seriously can enable some significant reshaping of the way they do business through greater automation, more integration of data and insights across their supply chain, and being able to operate leaner and more cost-effectively with real-time operational data at their finger-tips.

In terms of innovation in mining technology what is the major challenge facing the industry right now and why?

Obviously, some of the classic obstacles to innovation relate to mindset and culture, but I think we’re seeing change on that front. And, of course, truly innovative companies require strong and capable leadership, and that’s just not as prevalent as you’d like.

I’m not so concerned about lack of funding because in many ways I’m a firm believer that scarcity and constraint fuel innovation and creativity. One of the areas that I think is needing greater focus is in the area of interoperability because this will drive innovation by diminishing the dominance of proprietary solutions and open up the playing field for others to enter and compete. We’ve had to accept what certain vendors have dished up, but I think that’s now changing and mining customers are starting to work together to get better outcomes for the industry as a whole.

What are the cultural challenges of introducing technological change in a mining company? How do you win ‘hearts and minds?’

It’s not rocket science. It all comes back to taking the time to build relationships, trust and credibility through meeting expectations and getting things done. In our context, nobody enjoys what we call ‘Projects from Perth’ and we’ve found it hugely beneficial on lots of fronts to spend a lot of time at site meeting with our operational users in their context, really getting to understand their jobs and their challenges, and then trying to solve real problems in a collaborative way. You just can’t do this stuff remotely. It takes time and commitment, and sometimes having to forge your way through legacy perceptions of IT or technology being a waste of time or ‘irrelevant’.

How is your company responding to events such as Brumadinho and the need to rethink tailings and water management solutions?

I think most companies have revisited their tailings strategies and facilities to double-check and ensure that the risks have been properly understood and mitigated. In Australia, we’re fairly fortunately that many of our mines are in very remote locations where the threat to human life is not the main issue, but certainly the damage to the environment and impact on reputation and social licence to operate weighs heavily on mining companies following the tragic Brazilian catastrophes.

What is the biggest bottom-line benefit that innovating in technology has bought to your company?

It’s pretty hard to pick out any one item!  We’ve seen great outcomes in everything from IOT experiments to fleet management systems, private LTE communications, and a host of initiatives large and small.  Our technology group is one that operates in a fairly lean way, and we’ve proudly been able to kick some excellent goals with the business, largely by solving the right problems!

Can you tell us a little bit about what you will be speaking at Mines and Technology? 

One of the big themes that we’ve grappled with directly in our own business has been the interaction between IT and OT and, over the past few years, I’ve developed some thoughts around some ideas that I think need to be embraced by the mining sector if we’re to get the very best bang for buck out of our technology spend. It started out as a bit of a cheeky poke at IT, but turned out to strongly resonate with others I’ve shared this with.  Is it time to kill IT?

What is your rationale for attending Mines and Technology London?

I’m always keen to meet new people in the mining industry, especially those who are operating and leading in very different contexts to my own. I’ve actually never attended a mining conference in the UK, so I’m very keen to see who will be there, what the hot issues are, and have some interesting conversations along the way. I always try to pay attention, learn a little, and take home something to apply in my own patch. And, in general terms, anything which combines mining and technology is immediately attractive to me, so I’m looking forward to the experience and the program.

What are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?

  1. Good to Great by Jim Collins…it’s an oldie but a goodie, and really changed the way I thought about leadership and culture. As a leader, I’m acutely concerned with developing the right culture within my domain because it makes our group not only way more effective at their jobs, but it also makes it a fun place to work.
  2. Getting Things Done by David Allen…helped me manage my world of responsibilities and actions so much more effectively with a simple system and set of principles that have soaked into the way I tackle almost everything. It’s a book I often give others.
  3. A Class with Drucker by William Cohen…loved it because Drucker was smart and remains relevant. I wish I’d been able to have a class with him!
  4. Atomic Habits by James Clear…fantastic book on making change happen in your life, and I wish I’d been able to read this earlier in my life. But, it’s a great book with some tremendous principles, and definitely has application into life and business far beyond just personal habits. It really provides a paradigm for understanding behaviour.

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a ‘favourite failure’ of yours?

Without going into too much detail, I once entered into a role with huge reservations about the person I was going to be working for as my direct manager, but I thought I could offset that with other things. After going through a very tough year and eventually exiting that organisation, it really reinforced to me the importance of culture and having respect and good relationship with the person you are working for and with. It’s one of the big lessons I pass on to those I mentor, which is something I try to do because I benefitted hugely from people who took the time to proactively mentor me. The old adage is that people don’t leave companies, they leave bosses. I learned that one the hard way and I try to be the kind of boss that is a ‘keeper’.

What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the ‘real world’? What advice should they ignore?

I tell them to go and read (another book!) So Great by Cal Newport, to forget about pursuing their passion, but rather go try stuff and figure out what they’re good at. Once you’ve figured out what you’re good at and where you bring the most to the table, you suddenly find that you might have stumbled on your passion. Most lives are a bit serendipitous, but unfortunately many young people what to get to the end a little too quickly.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

Not sure if it’s a recommendation, but it’s definitely a ‘thing’ out there in technology land. Too often we spend too much time telling people what they can’t do, becoming gatekeepers and blockers on innovation and progress, largely because we can’t control it. I tend to take the view that we shouldn’t be saying ‘no’ unless we have a decent alternative to offer up. I’m a firm believer in making quick decisions and keep on moving, rather than slow decisions that cause you to get bogged down. Even if you make wrong decision, if you’re moving at speed you can quickly correct and redirect. Getting bogged and losing momentum is death.

Mark O’Brien, Manager – Digital Transformation, CITIC Pacific Mining Management – Sino Iron Project, will be delivering a presentation at Mines and Technology London, taking place in London, November 25-27, 2019, titled, ‘Is it Time to Kill IT?’

He will also take part in an artificial intelligence Q&A at the International Mining and Resources Conference + EXPO (IMARC), taking place on October 29-31, where he will explore ‘How artificial intelligence is changing the way we explore, mine and operate at CITIC Pacific Mining and the industry as a whole?’

International Mining is a media sponsor of both IMARC and Mines and Technology London. For more information on Mines and Technology London, click here

Aitik gets connected to LTE network as Boliden looks at 5G future

Automation, Base metals, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining safety, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Boliden has, for the past few years, been testing out 4G and 5G networks at its mines in the Nordic region and recently went live with 4G (LTE) network services at its Aitik open-pit copper mine in Sweden, Fredrik Kauma, Project Manager, told attendees at the recent Mines and Technology conference in London.

The company, one of the mining sector’s leaders when it comes to employing innovative technology, installed its first underground Wi-Fi network in 2013 and has since come a long way on this connectivity journey.

Today, all of Boliden’s mines have complete Wi-Fi coverage, with the network consisting of some 3,000 installed access points and additional hardware, Kauma said. The company uses this for voice communication and positioning, but also other services such as remote control, machine-to-machine interactions and general data or information access.

In 2016, the company installed a small 4G network in one of its underground mines. Now, multiple upgrades later, the network includes the latest 4G features, in addition to elements considered “borderline” 5G, Kauma said. He credited a close co-operation with Ericsson and its research organisation for this installation as well as the Swedish mobile network operator Telia.

The 4G/5G network covers about 1.8 km of tunnels plus 10,000 m² of other areas (production/workshop/offices/canteen) with relatively few pieces of radio equipment, according to Kauma.

Coverage of a similar area with Wi-Fi would require about three times as many access points, he pointed out.

Kauma said: “We use our 4G/5G network to:

  • “Test and compare connectivity-related capabilities – network speed, coverage, quality, etc;
  • “Learn about operation and maintenance; how to roll systems out, what to monitor, key performance indicators, etc;
  • “Understand more of the business side – what work to do in-house/outsource, what should be part of a service level agreement, etc.”

A direct outcome of this test network has been the recently addition of 4G network services at Aitik, one of Europe’s largest and most efficient open-pit copper mines.

This will allow the company to, primarily, carry out accurate remote control of its fleet of Epiroc Pit Viper blasthole drill rigs.

“But, long-term we believe it will replace our existing production Wi-Fi network,” Kauma said.

The future in 5G

While Wi-Fi does offer Boliden much in terms of connectivity, it cannot match 4G/5G when it comes to robustness and coverage. This is part of the reason the company is pursuing developments with 5G technology.

Equipment tracking is one area that could potentially be improved with 5G, Kauma said.

Today Boliden currently uses “passive” Wi-Fi tags for this task, with active antennas mounted on mining vehicles. The signal reflection is only picked up if the tags face the direction of the active antenna and the vehicle with antenna passes close by. While this system adds a lot of value, it does not currently offer the reliability Boliden would like to see, he said.

With 5G, Boliden expects to have “active”, as opposed to passive, tags, which transmit information on a pre-determined basis.

What Kauma termed “advanced remote control” operation is another area set to benefit from 5G connectivity.

The company already has remote control operations today, but it is either line-of-sight or a pre-determined, repetitive type of remote operation; not advanced.

In advanced remote operations, the performance of the wireless communications network has a direct impact on how well the operator can handle the machine, with control responsiveness and picture quality the main factors here.

According to Kauma, low latency will greatly improve the real-time aspects required for secure and efficient handling of vehicles, machinery and other equipment such as drills, hammers, shovels, etc.

In addition, the Quality of Service concept, where priority of connection is given to certain customers, will guarantee bandwidth needs for a detailed enough video stream to the remote operator – even on a heavily loaded network, he said.

“Higher data rates and increased network capacity will enable remote control on a larger scale than what’s possible on today’s 4G technology,” Kauma said.

The improved connectivity expected to come with employing 5G will also be beneficial for wearable technologies, which Boliden has been trialling to help improve the safety and well-being of employees.

The company recently tested out use of a prototype “smart vest” at one of its underground mines for, primarily, proximity detection, but also to “gain a better understanding of other possibilities that comes with this technology”, Kauma said.

The prototype vest was the result of research cooperation between Boliden, Ericsson, clothing company Helly Hansen and technology firm LightFlex Sweden AB.

In addition to the standard proximity detection functions, lights or reflectors warn the wearer as well as surrounding personnel of potential dangers through different flashing/blinking patterns.

Together with advance camera technology, the lights also aid autonomous machinery to automatically detect humans in dark environments.

Boliden would like to, in the near-future, use wearable technology for the monitoring of employees in physically-demanding environments; for analysis of the immediate environment surrounding employees (extreme temperatures, dangerous air quality, strong vibrations or sounds); and for positioning and situational awareness (ie warnings for approaching vehicles).

Key ingredients to make this a reality include a reduction in power consumption – low power means smaller and longer lasting batteries – a fall in cost, enabling the company to equip its entire workforce, and better network coverage and reliability – hence the use of 5G.

“If 5G delivers on its promise, it will be a critical component enabling wearable technology in an industrial environment like ours,” Kauma concluded.

Hecla testing out XRF ore sorting at San Sebastian silver-gold mine in Mexico

Automation, Bulk handling, IoT, Metallurgy, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, , , , , , , ,

Hecla Mining is carrying out ore sorting proof of concept work at its San Sebastian silver-gold mine in Durango, Mexico, CEO Phil Baker told attendees at the Mines and Technology conference this week.

Baker said an algorithm based on X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology was determining whether the rock coming through from the mine was ore or waste.

San Sebastian, which produced 3.3 Moz of silver and 25,177 oz of gold last year, recently moved over to underground operations after open-pit mining concluded at the end of 2017. In 2018, it is expected to produce 2-2.2 Moz of silver at a cash cost, after by-product credits, of $9.50/oz, while gold production is expected to come in at 15,000-16,000 oz.

The company’s concession holdings in Durango are in the middle of the prolific Mexican Silver Belt and cover approximately 42,000 ha. Mineralisation in the district is structurally controlled and hosted in sedimentary rocks, with many companies in the region mining high-grade veins.

Hecla is weighing up whether to start mining sulphide ore at the deposit, which could potentially extend the mine’s life by some five years.

While Baker said test work on XRF ore sorting at San Sebastian was ongoing, he did see potential for the technology being applied across the mining sector.

“The real issue with ore sorting is: what is your recovery going to be? How much are you going to lose? And, we’re still working through that (at San Sebastian). But I have high hopes for this being a complete gamechanger for the industry,” he said at the event in London.

“The cost of sorting is quite low. If you’re able to get a high enough recovery, then you can afford to do more productive methods of mining for small tonnage operations. It could completely change how you go about mining.”

Last month, Agnico Eagle Mines said it was in the process of installing an ore sorting pilot plant at its Pinos Altos gold-silver operation, also in Mexico.