Tag Archives: Mining3

Mining3-coal

Mining3 and LETA partner on methane emission reduction project in Australia

Environmental, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Mining3 and Low Emission Technology Australia (LETA) have commenced a project that, they say, will explore the potential of emerging catalytic technology to reduce methane emissions from Australian mine sites, marking a step forward in sustainable resource extraction.

Methane is a greenhouse gas emitted from industries including agriculture, natural gas and mining. Methane has a global warming potential that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide, according to reports. The development and deployment of new technologies to mitigate methane emissions is a crucial component of Australia’s journey to net zero.

The Catalytic VAM Abatement Commercialisation Project will, the organisations say, evaluate a technology called catalytic oxidation which has the potential to operate at concentrations and temperatures below those required by alternative technology. The project aims to assess the suitability of catalytic oxidation technology for safe deployment at scale in Australia.

Phase one is an 18-month project to evaluate promising catalysts through comprehensive testing protocols. This approach aims to provide valuable insights into catalyst performance under various conditions, supporting informed decision making for future commercialisation efforts. In parallel to testing, phase one will also assess and suggest a commercialisation roadmap including suitable pilot designs for next phases.

Dr Neville Plint, Chief Executive Officer at Mining3, said: “This project demonstrates Mining3’s commitment to rapid deployment of innovative technology that addresses the sustainability needs of the mining industry in Australia.”

Dr Adrian Seyfaee, Program Director Scale Up and Commercialisation at Mining3, added: “Catalytic VAM abatement technology has the potential to significantly reduce emissions from Australia’s underground coal mines, an industry that many Australian communities rely on.”

Mark McCallum, Chief Executive Officer of LETA, said: “Mitigating methane emissions from mine sites is an important goal that LETA has been supporting for more than a decade. Catalytic VAM abatement technology is a promising field and we are excited to collaborate with industry colleagues on this project.”

Mining3’s Alternative Explosives Project finding the right formula

Environmental, Explosives and blasting, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , ,

Later this year, Mining3 is to demonstrate to funding supporters and commercialisation partners a significant ACARP-funded project milestone of a number of blasts in rock with hydrogen peroxide-based emulsion explosive at an increasing scale of production.

While rock-breakage displays in Queensland quarries with alternative explosives formulations were completed back in 2016, those formulations were proof-of-principle tests for a hydrogen peroxide-based explosive. The project has moved on significantly since then.

“Last year we completed a complete suite of United Nations (UN) authorisation tests to confirm that the new emulsion formulation has a feasible classification as a commercially viable product,” Mining3 said. “Our prior hydrogel-based formulations, whilst demonstrating rock-breakage potential, did not pass UN classification and have been abandoned.”

Last year, Mining3 and western New South Wales-based independent explosives testing partner, Rurex, comprehensively tested the novel emulsion formulation. The outcome of UN testing is a portfolio of results that, Mining3 says, will assist explosives delivery companies to apply for authorisation within their regulatory jurisdictions for the new emulsion formulation. Three series of tests were conducted to ensure that the new formula was safe to use regarding fire, impact, friction and heating.

Mining3 said: “We reported UN classification for a Class 1.1D UN0241 explosive as a significant achievement last year. But what the data doesn’t show is the countless failed trials and white knuckles that the researchers had when conducting the authorisation tests. Any single failure can scuttle the formulation from advancing to commercial application, and represented in some formulas, such as all the failed hydrogel formula, hundreds of hours of research. Whilst it is relatively easy to make a hydrogen peroxide-based explosive, the heightened energetics of the oxidiser was a challenge to make a safe explosive that is acceptable to industry.”

With the confidence of a supportive suite of UN test results, Mining3 says it is assured of commercialisation with the new emulsion formulation.

Following on from the UN test results, Sydney-based mining equipment manufacture, Elquip, has developed a prototype 500 kg duo-batch-mixer to produce the volumes of explosive material for mine site bulk trials. It has been an equally challenging path to a safe and effective mixer for a model of on-site, on-demand emulsion explosives manufacture.

An image from the Elquip prototype hydrogen peroxide-based Emulsion Mixer commissioning trials at Rurex, in western NSW, in July 2022. “We always take a safety-first approach in our research, so, in the pictured trial and initial commissioning tests, we used full body hazchem suites,” Dr Andrew Kettle says (photo courtesy of Ryan Esam, Rurex)

Scaling from the laboratory bench to the mine bench explosive formula manufacture is a journey requiring all the caution imaginable, and some unimagined. “Elquip has embraced the adventure and positioned themselves as the preferred equipment supplier aligned to the near-horizon commercialisation pathway,” Mining3 says. The specificity of hydrogen peroxide material compatibility, equipment design and safety for a hydrogen peroxide-based explosive has been captured by Elquip, ensuring its equipment and support of the Mining3 research projects is successful. Commissioning of the first prototype batch mixer was conducted at Rurex last year and is now being shipped to the blast trial sites, Mining3 says.

Senior Research Leader, Dr Andrew Kettle, said: “Rurex certainly challenged Elquip during equipment testing. Sub-zero temperatures during the winter months, last year, proved the ambient temperature manufacture claims for the emulsion formula. Importantly, the emulsion, made from two liquids, one obviously being hydrogen peroxide-based oxidiser phase, can be made at ambient temperature. From an Australian perspective, that reality is below 2°C to above 40°C. So, we have tested manufacture in these ambient environmental temperatures at Rurex.”

The alternative explosives research to date has been supported by ACARP and collaborating companies, such as Elquip and Rurex. Going forward, Mining3 has launched an Expression of Interest (EOI) to companies to build a commercialisation roadmap and deliver the technology to the mining market.

“The interest in our EOI for Mining3 alternative explosives technology has been very successful,” Dr Kettle says. “We have built on the industry awareness of our research and are looking at viable pathways to market. We have had numerous discussions covering the broad application of the formula in open-cut, underground and civil applications, and ancillary product applications of the formula with a large variety of industry interests. We’ll continue to work with the myriad of companies to ensure a safe and effective transition for this technology.”

Antofagasta’s automation and electrification journey bearing fruit

Automation, Base metals, Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Antofagasta’s purpose of ‘Developing Mining for a Better Future’ has seen the Chile-based copper producer lead from the front in terms of the adoption of both automation and electrification.

The company launched a digital roadmap all the way back in 2017, which, over the following years, has seen it advance projects to automate blasthole drills and haulage trucks, leverage remote operation centres and integrate advanced data analytics into its decision-making process.

Backed by a digitally-literate talent pool and underwritten by a series of roadmap and plans, Antofagasta is setting itself up for the long term.

When it comes to electrification, the company has played a key role in furthering research on the use of hydrogen fuel cells in haulage applications on mine site conditions. It has also signed up as a patron in the Charge On Innovation Challenge, being one of 19 companies looking to accelerate commercialisation of interoperable solutions that can safely deliver electricity to large battery-electric off-road haul trucks.

Outside of consortium projects, it has announced plans to also study and test the development of battery-powered trucks at its Antucoya operation and has outlined plans for a trolley assist pilot project at the Los Pelambres copper mine in Chile.

And, in April 2022, the company reached the goal of all its mines operating on fully renewable power.

Alan Muchnik, VP Strategy & Innovation for Antofagasta, says all of these developments epitomise the company’s overarching aims.

“The objective we have is to develop the next generation of mining practices to enable growth and reduce our company’s environmental footprint,” he told IM.

In addition to the digital roadmap the company outlined five years ago, Antofagasta has been carrying out all its electrification projects under the guise of an Electromobility Plan – part of its wider climate change strategy.

Following the achievement of its previous emissions reduction target of cutting both its Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon dioxide emissions by 300,000 tonnes of CO2e between 2018 and 2022 – a goal it achieved two years early – the company set a more ambitious target in 2021. This is looking to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 – in line with Chile’s national commitment – and reduce emissions by 30% by 2025, relative to 2020 performance. One element of the company’s efforts to reduce emissions has, as mentioned, seen its operations run solely from renewable energy as of April this year.

According to Antofagasta’s own calculations, in 2020, two-thirds of its greenhouse gas emissions from diesel combustion were attributable to its mine haulage trucks.

Komatsu 980E-5 trucks at Esperanza Sur (part of Centinela)

“In this respect, Antofagasta is actively participating in initiatives that seek to replace the diesel used by mining haulage trucks,” Muchnik said.

“As part of that electromobility roadmap, we have considered our participation in early-adoption projects with a view to pilot and scale promising technologies.”

With the HYDRA Consortium – which includes Antofagasta, ENGIE, Mining3, CSIRO Chile, Liebherr and Mitsui & Co – specifically, the company has been one of the driving forces of hydrogen haulage adoption on mine site conditions.

It has confirmed that it will test a fuel cell and battery powertrain propulsion system at its Centinela mine, with the first HYDRA prototype expected to start functional testing shortly. This will allow Antofagasta to assess the powertrain’s behaviour and performance under real mine conditions, including at high altitude with suspended dust. It will also help establish technical and safety protocols for hydrogen use at scale in mining, which will be vital for the fuel’s successful deployment across the industry.

The trolley assist project at Los Pelambres under study, meanwhile, consists of implementing a trolley system on, first, uphill ramps. This will consist of one lane of a two-lane ramp, which will allow for trucks coming behind to leave the trolley and overtake a stopped truck still on the line.

“Some of these projects may bring an early opportunity to transform specific sites as we transition towards the longer-term prevailing solution to implement at our sites and help reduce our Scope 1 footprint,” Muchnik said.

“Each mine has their unique characteristics and different technologies may become more attractive depending on those characteristics or may become complementary in enabling that diesel replacement.”

Of course, automating the haulage and blasthole drilling processes will help the company reduce its Scope 1 emissions through more efficient operations. It will also help offset some of the higher costs of inputs and inflation that come with operating in Chile.

Similarly, all of Antofagasta’s sites have strong data analytics teams to identify opportunities for efficiency gains and continuous improvement.

Reflecting on the gradual rollout of automation across the company’s operations, Muchnik referred to the overarching roadmap the company outlined in 2017.

“This roadmap considered different strategic programs with rollout options that improve productivity and safety, with automation being a relevant dimension,” he said. “It was built on the concept of knowledge transfer to enable other companies of the group to benefit and learn from the experiences at specific sites.”

That has worked from the looks of it, going from Epiroc Pit Viper autonomous drill deployments at Los Pelambres to the rollout of the technology at Esperanza Sur (part of Centinela).

A fleet of 11 autonomous electric drive Komatsu 980E-5 trucks have also gone live at Esperanza Sur over this time frame.

“Another good part of that is the Integrated Remote Operating Centres (IROC) we have setup to support these operations,” Muchnik said. “We recently opened an IROC for Centinela in the city of Antofagasta and, following the same transfer process, Los Pelambres is expected to go live with their IROC here in Santiago, in the second half of 2022.”

Integrated Remote Operations Centre for Centinela, based in the city of Antofagasta

Muchnik says one of the many benefits of the IROCs is the ability to attract and retain talent for Antofagasta’s operations.

“It is not just about bringing in new talent but working with our people to be allow them to move with this transformation and become digitally literate to help us prepare for an autonomous and remotely-operated future,” he said.

An in-house digital academy that Muchnik and his colleagues launched in 2020 has been vital in this process.

“It has enabled a different mindset within our workforce, preparing them for the transition through training and learning.

“This has ensured all of our employees go through the journey with us.”

Mining3’s ‘Top of Coal’ tech heads for commercialisation with CR Digital pact

Coal technology, Explosives and blasting, Mining services, Mining techniques, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , ,

Mining3’s “Top of Coal” technology is heading for commercialisation after the company signed an agreement with CR Digital for the next phase of the innovation’s development.

The announcement comes on the back of promising new results delivered from the most recent trial in the Bowen Basin of Queensland, where the technology was tested over 12 weeks and collected downhole data from over 250-plus boreholes, the companies said.

“Accurately detecting the approaching top of a coal seam prior to blasting is fundamental to efficient coal recovery,” Mining3 and CR Digital said. “During the extraction stage, a significant percentage (up to 12%) of overall coal loss is attributable to blast damage and coal dilution, which then makes it difficult to separate the coal cleanly from the waste during both overburden excavation and coal processing. By eliminating the damage done to the top of seam, substantial increases in recovery are enabled.”

With support from ACARP, Mining3 has been developing a measurement while drilling (MWD) system that detects the top of a coal seam while routinely drilling blast holes.

During the drilling process, the detection system uses resistance measurements ahead of the drill bit to detect approaching coal in real time. This method of detecting “Top of Coal” brings significant benefits to surface mining operations, Mining3 says, including:

  • Providing a reliable indication of the approach to “Top of Coal” that will enable drilling to be stopped before touching coal or at a minimum standoff distance;
  • Increase production by reducing damage to coal from blasting; and
  • Strata recognition and mapping during routine blasthole drilling.

The system can also be retro fitted to a standard rotary air blast drill rig.

CR Digital, part of the global CR Group, is now working with Mining3 on the commercialisation of the technology, and the integration of the Top of Coal technology into its technology portfolio.

Together, CR Digital and Mining3 see potential for the technology to be an extension to the Thunderbird 1110 and StrataSense products within the CR Digital portfolio.

“Collectively, this agnostic range can be retrofitted to any rotary air blast drill rig and is intended to build on the StrataSense capability of CR Digital, to compile a three-dimensional understanding of the bench and coal seam in real time,” the companies said.

Mining3 recruits ENGIE for next phase of mining hydrogen research

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

ENGIE, a global energy company, has become Mining3’s newest member, fast tracking, the Australia-based organisation says, the development of solutions to major industry issues, such as mining decarbonisation.

ENGIE joins Mining3 in its next phase of hydrogen research to co-create hydrogen solutions and help reach carbon neutrality for the mining sector in the coming decades, Mining3 said.

Mining3, along with its industry members, are dedicated to developing and delivering transformational technology to improve the productivity, sustainability, and safety of the mining industry. Its members are mining companies, OEMs and research organisations, including CSIRO, Newcrest, Komatsu, Dyno Nobel, The University of Queensland, OZ Minerals, South32, Queensland University of Technology, AngloGold Ashanti, Caterpillar and Vale.

ENGIE is a global energy company aiming to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral and sustainable world, through renewable energy, renewable hydrogen and other environmentally-friendly solutions, reconciling economic performance with a positive impact on people and the planet, Mining3 said.

Mining3 CEO, Paul Lever, said: “Mining3 has already identified a number of projects that align with both ENGIE’s strategy as well as the mining industry’s current and future needs. We believe that these only scrape the surface of what can be done in this space, and are looking forward to developing a diverse and forward-thinking energy roadmap for our members.

“Our priorities at Mining3 are focused on developing next generation mining systems and technologies, and we see sustainability drivers, and particularly renewables, as key components for this strategy in the coming years. We plan to be on the forefront of this research, and I believe we can achieve this with ENGIE as a partner on renewable hydrogen.”

Michele Azalbert, CEO of ENGIE’s Hydrogen Business Unit, said ENGIE was “delighted” to join Mining3 and its members to co-develop renewable hydrogen-based solutions for the mining industry.

“These solutions will help the industry players reach their carbon-neutrality goals, as well as help reduce emissions for countries where mining is a key industry, such as Australia, Brazil, Chile, Peru and South Africa, where we are developing hydrogen projects,” Azalbert said. “Through partnerships and collaboration with other experts at Mining3, ENGIE is looking forward to delivering renewable hydrogen solutions to the entire mining ecosystem.”

Mining3 equips miners with tools for proximity detection decision making

Communications in mining, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , ,

Mining3 has launched an online sensor technology capability tool that provides users with, it says, unbiased information on Proximity Detection System (PDS) sensors to assist in their decision-making process.

The PDS Toolkit is part of the Mining3 ACARP funded project titled, ‘PDS Validation Framework – Phase 3’. The interface provides a high-level summary of the six most prevalent PDS sensors available to the market, according to Mining3.

This information has been extracted from the PDS Sensor Capability Assessment document developed by the PDS Project Team comprised of Mining3, the University of Pretoria and The University of Queensland. The document, in its entirety, will also be published and made available to industry shortly, Mining3 said.

Mining3 Chief Operating Officer, Susan Grandone, said: “The purpose of this toolkit is to provide a fundamental understanding of how various sensors operate, both individually and in combination. This, in turn, will aid in a user’s decision-making process by providing unbiased information and data on each sensor.”

As well as providing individual sensor information, the toolkit contains a spider attribute chart that enables users to toggle between the sensors, identifying strengths and weaknesses for a specific application or attribute. A searchable scoring system with the ability to filter is also available in a table format underneath.

Finally, sensor technology usage in the PDS/Collision Avoidance System industry and references used in compiling the assessment document and developing the toolkit are also provided.

Free access to the PDS Toolkit is available to the industry, however users will need to register as a method of accepting the usage disclaimer, Mining3 said.

Click here to access the toolkit.

Mining3 makes emulsion breakthrough on alternative explosives project

Explosives and blasting, Mining consumables, Mining services, , , , , , ,

In November, Mining3 says it achieved a significant milestone with the successful detonation of a world first hydrogen peroxide-based emulsion explosive as part of its alternative explosives project.

Using proprietary formulations, a series of trial blasts confirmed its ability to detonate, and provided early steps into the characterisation of this improved product, Mining3 said. “The new formulation is a major achievement in superseding water-gel/hydrogel formulations and a crucial advancement in product stability and sleep-time,” the company said.

Mining3 and the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering at the University of Queensland are testing alternative explosive formulations, which eliminate the nitrogen component and replace it with hydrogen peroxide as the main oxidising agent. By removing the nitrogen component of the explosive formulation, it eliminates any NOx fumes generated after blasting, the partners said.

Back in January, Mining3 reported that detonation performance tests, conducted in December 2018 using new materials in the formula – physical sensitisation materials based on glass and polystyrene materials – had delivered improved explosive performance, reliability and product stability.

In its latest report, Mining3 reported on its emulsion developments: “Gums and emulsifiers, are the binding agents in water-gel and emulsions, respectively. Importantly, gums have a low-level organic contamination which leads to hydrogen peroxide degradation and limited current water-gel technology for manufacture-and-immediate-detonation applications.

“With synthetically produced emulsifiers, the material can be inert-to-hydrogen peroxide, lengthening the product stability to a significant period and enabling broader applications in the mining industry.”

Considerable effort has been invested in the pursuit of compatible emulsifiers, Mining3 said, and, with recent successes in detonation trials, it has made the past year of research “worthwhile”.

It continued: “Not only do we have a formulation with advanced oxidiser/fuel intimacy but also considerable advances in stability. Manufacture techniques have also maintained the ambient temperature methodology that gives the hydrogen peroxide-based explosives technology a distinct advantage in production cost.”

Over five days at RUREX, Australia’s only professional independent detonation testing range, upwards of 60 detonation tests were fired. Several other formulations were tested that will advance in the technology pipeline, but it is the confirmation of emulsion tests that was the most immediate success, according to Mining3.

This research has been supported by ACARP from its inception and transfer of this technology to the industry is eagerly anticipated, Mining3 added.

Dr Andrew Kettle, Senior Experimental Scientist and Project Executor, said: “These blasts have confirmed that we are pursuing the right pathway forward. We have invigorated enthusiasm going forward to further characterise the new emulsions in preparation for mine site trials in 2020. We are indebted, of course, to the ongoing support of ACARP and RUREX, and the vision of Mining3.”

Mine sites testing out CSIRO, Mining3’s precision mining concept

Automation, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mineral exploration, Mineral processing, Mining services, Mining software, Mining techniques, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

CSIRO and Mining3’s wide-ranging precision mining concept looks to be gaining momentum with multiple mining companies testing out aspects of this innovative notion to reduce the footprint of future mine sites.

Among the headlines from the organisations’ latest report on this technology was its ore sorting technology, NextOre, has three trials underway at mine sites, with up to three more systems to be delivered this year.

A Chilean copper mine is testing up to 10 types of sensors, complementing other recent trials in Australia and CSIRO desktop studies. Another study found that a mining company could make the same profit as it is now, but with a 30% reduction in capital and operating costs.

In this pursuit, the mining industry can learn a lot from medical science, according to CSIRO Research Director in Precision Mining and Mining3 Research Leader, Ewan Sellers.

As the CSIRO rock mechanics specialist says, modern medicine has used technology to better understand and treat illnesses and injuries while reducing the impact on people. Sellers is now working towards creating low impact “zero entry mines”.

CSIRO explains: “Precision mining is the industry’s version of keyhole surgery. Once a deposit is discovered, precision mining aims to target the ore and extract the deposit as economically and sustainably as possible.”

CSIRO and Mining3’s shared vision is for mines of the future to be mostly underground, remotely operated by robotics, with minimal or remote offices and a very small environmental footprint. All waste would be used to make other products.

Sellers believes this vision could become a reality for most mines within 20 years, as vast mining operations that leave large scars are consigned to history.

Minerals 4D

Key to enabling precision mining is a concept CSIRO is leading called Minerals 4D.

Minerals 4D ‘intelligence’ aims to image minerals in the subsurface and predict their distribution. By integrating sensors and specialised imaging techniques tied with data analysis and machine learning, miners can better understand the orebody and quantify the rock mass at multiple scales.

Precise cutting, blasting and in-mine processing techniques can then accurately target the ore and leave the waste behind. Miners can focus on the most economic part of the deposit, reducing the need to move, crush and process massive amounts of rock, saving significant amounts of energy, water and waste.

CSIRO said: “Although information about the grade of the material and type of rock may currently be known over a block or at mine scale, Minerals 4D aims to add information about the mineralogy at a much smaller scale. This will enable companies to target the orebody and characterise the rock mass more accurately to increase efficiency at the processing plant.”

Rob Hough, the Science Director for CSIRO Mineral Resources, says Minerals 4D is about adding a time series to three-dimensional (3D) data. Essentially, it’s about tracking mineralogy over time.

The mining industry is now capable, through its geophysical sensing technology, to create extremely accurate 3D spatial models of orebodies, but 4D adds in the critical time element – tracking that mineralogy through the metal production line as if it were a barcode in a manufacturing circuit.

The concept involves linking modular mining operations to sensors – including fibre optics and systems attached to robots – to precisely characterise material in the subsurface before mining, through to a mine face, bench, conveyor, stockpile, truck, train or a ship.

Then you can measure the chemistry, mineralogy and rock structures at a range of scales, and provide unprecedented detail and volumes of data that capture ore and waste variability. Measuring the mineralogy is critical to understanding the quality, so where the value is created and lost.

This is like the artificial intelligence algorithms that companies such as Petra Data Science are developing to track ore from the pit to the processing plant.

A focus on value, rather than volume, means less waste and emissions in this context.

“If you have the knowledge of what you’re dealing with in a 3D picture you can then start to make predictions as to how minerals will perform when you go to mine, through to process and beneficiation,” Hough says.

“Operators can choose one set of mining or processing systems over another, knowing the texture and hardness of a material. We need to understand what is in the rock mass in terms of the minerals, but also how hard it is, its strength and how it breaks up to best separate the ore from the waste rock.”

Drone-deployed sensors

It is now possible to produce a detailed face map of a mine, fly a drone with spectral sensors to image surface mineralogy and use data analytics to identify correlations between ore types and rock strength. X-ray diffraction is also being used for analysis. These instruments are applied to samples in the field, drill holes and at bespoke laboratories that run thousands of samples at a low cost in order to build a 3D mineralogy model.

“We have a range of sensors available, but we don’t yet have a fully ‘sensed’ mine,” Hough adds.

“What we’re missing is all sensors in place, in a given operation. We’re also missing the assembling of data to inform decision making throughout the process as it happens – we need that information conveyed in real time and viewed in our remote operations centres.”

Advanced sensor-based ore-sorting

CSIRO partnered with RFC Ambrian and Advisian Digital to launch joint venture, NextOre, to deliver a sensor that intelligently directs a conveyor – sorting valuable ore from waste. CSIRO said NextOre has three trials of the sensor system underway at mine sites, with up to three more systems to be delivered this year.

“On the back of better data, we should be able to take advantage of applied mathematics that will then allow us to move to artificial intelligence and machine learning,” Hough says. “I can see a real-time conveyor belt start making automatic decisions about what is coming down the line. It’s the ultimate sensing and sorting solution.”

Reducing energy and water use

Sellers believes a move to precision mining can improve the conditions for communities living nearby mines, and even improve the social acceptance of mining.

He said several companies are testing out the value cases of sensors and data integration, and he understands they need to see proof that precision mining works on the ground. The economic benefits of sensing were demonstrated recently at a Western Australia iron ore mine, where A$25 million ($17 million) of additional resources were discovered using data provided by a relatively inexpensive hyperspectral sensor, according to CSIRO.

A Chilean copper mine is testing up to 10 types of sensors, complementing other recent trials in Australia and CSIRO desktop studies, it said. Another study found a mining company could make the same profit as it is now, but with a 30% reduction in capital and operating costs.

“Once miners gain confidence that we can actually do this, I think it will take off very quickly,” he says.

Precision mineral exploration and discovery

Beyond the mine itself, tracking minerals over time – in 4D – will also benefit greenfields exploration upstream.

According to CSIRO Digital Expert, Ryan Fraser, implementing the Minerals 4D concept is at its most challenging at the exploration and discovery stage – the point where data are sparse, and little is known about a potential target orebody.

“For example, we know a lot about a deposit such as Mount Isa, including how it forms. So, can we use the intelligence we have of that mineral system to foresee where the next Mount Isa will be?” he asks.

Fraser says if we understand how mineralogy evolves over time and the overall geological process, we can then look for signatures across the Australian landscape that help to identify similar things.

“Normally you drill in these spots, take back samples, check data and then in about two years you might have some idea of what’s under the surface and have some idea of mineral boundaries.”

The new sampling techniques will be far quicker and more efficient, he says.

“Instead of sampling a sparse, evenly spaced grid, we use machine learning to reduce uncertainties and guide where to sample and that will enable us to do much smarter edge detection of mineral boundaries,” Fraser explains.

Already this kind of predictive work has been tested in a project for the South Australian (SA) government at Coompana in SA with surprisingly accurate results and significant cost savings over traditional methods, according to CSIRO.

Other key challenges that researchers and the industry are working to address to make this a reality, include designing and developing sensors robust enough to work effectively in the mining environment (for example, in robotic cutting machines) and across rock types, and understanding which sites in the mine process are most suitable for sensors.

CSIRO concluded: “These sensors will be linked to precise and automated drilling, cutting and blasting technologies under development through Mining3 to transform the way that mining is performed.”

Ava Risk Group, Mining3 launch Aura IQ conveyor monitoring solution

Bulk handling, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , ,

Ava Risk Group and Mining3 say they are ready for the global launch of the Aura IQ conveyor health monitoring solution following surface and sub-surface testing with some of the world’s largest mining houses and bulk material handling facilities.

With conveyors underpinning efficiency, and ultimately profitability in bulk handling operations globally, maintenance has traditionally been a real problem.

“Conventional methods of advanced conveyor failure detection is often unreliable, subjective, time-consuming and labour intensive, but that is all about to change,” Ava and Mining3 said.

Aura IQ uses real-time data to optimise production and on-site performance, enhance occupational health, hygiene and safety management, and introduce new predictive maintenance and support capabilities to asset management, they say.

With test work in the bag, Aura IQ is now available for sale globally.

The companies said: “Aura IQ’s award winning technology harnesses the power of Ava Risk Group’s fibre optic detection and sensing platform (FFT TM Aura Ai-2), combined with Mining3’s advanced signal processing algorithms, predictive analytics, and identification tools to acoustically monitor and assess conveyor health via the cloud-based analysis, reporting and alerts.

“Providing deeper insights to maintenance technicians, site personnel, regional operational hubs and global headquarters, conveyors are automatically connected to the cloud via an Industrial Grade Wireless Internet of Things Gateway, enabling daily asset reliability reports from every conveyor, at every site around the world.”

By transmitting a series of short, laser pulses along a single fibre optic cable retrofitted along the length of a conveyor, acoustic disturbances from the conveyor system cause microscopic changes in the backscattered laser light that is then categorised into known parameters, the two companies explained.

Data is then simultaneously gathered from every metre of the conveyor and processed by Aura IQ to pre-emptively alert operators, either on or off-site (in operational hubs or control rooms), to potential failures before they happen.

Andrew Hames, Head of Innovation, Extractives and Energy at the Ava Risk Group, said: “This is a game changing solution which will optimise conveyor performance and create substantial cost savings for operators.

“A typical conveyor can have up to 7,000 bearings per kilometre, which means 7,000 potential points of failure. Aura IQ can monitor the condition of every conveyor roller – eliminating the need to ‘walk the belt’ and allowing a controlled and scheduled plan of roller maintenance and replacement to be put in place.

“With Aura IQ, costly delays from roller failure are a thing of the past, while less manual involvement reduces health and safety risks. Taking a formalised and proactive approach to asset health monitoring means data can also be used to optimise maintenance strategies – reducing reliance on costly manual inspections and demonstrating ongoing compliance with operational standards.”

Weir highlights Enduron HPGR and Terraflow tailings demand in H1 results

Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , ,

The Minerals and ESCO divisions continued to stand out in Weir Group’s half-year 2019 financial results, with the two mining focused segments now representing around 75% of group revenues.

The Weir Group recorded revenue of £1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) in the first six months of the year, up from £1.07 billion a year earlier prior to the ESCO acquisition. Operating profit, meanwhile, was £172 million, up 25% year-on-year, with the Minerals division posting an operating margin of 17.2% and ESCO recording a margin of 14.1% (up 300 basis points from a year earlier).

In addition to Minerals and ESCO now commanding some 75% of group revenues, the two’s recurring aftermarket sales also now represent about 80% of total revenues.

In the first half of 2019, Minerals orders grew 5% with aftermarket orders up 8%, reaching record levels, according to Weir. “Original equipment orders, which are traditionally lumpier, fell by 2% year-on-year, but returned to growth in Q2 (June quarter) and this is expected to accelerate in the second half,” the company said.

ESCO, meanwhile, recorded a 5% increase in pro-forma revenues to £280 million, with annualised cost savings of $20 million ahead of schedule when it comes to the company’s medium-term target of achieving $30 million synergies.

During the period, original equipment demand within the Minerals segment benefited from miners continuing to expand current operations and investment in new mines, with demand for new technologies that increase efficiency and sustainability while lowering total costs, Weir noted.

This included strong demand for the company’s Enduron® HPGR (high pressure grinding roll) technology that reduces water and energy consumption, the company said, adding that the company had been contracted to support a large greenfield development in the UK in the period.

Weir said it also saw growing interest in its Terraflow® solution to enable tailings waste to be cost-effectively recycled or repurposed. This equipment brings wet tailings down to 90% solids paste to be pumped into a containment area or used for paste backfill.

The company added: “Aftermarket demand was strong, due to production growth and structural trends. These include continued ore grade declines that increase the amount of rock that needs to be processed, intensifying wear and tear and leading to additional demand for spares and services,” the company added.

During the period, Weir also added a new Minerals service facility in Alaska, which, it said, gives the division the ability to rapidly respond to demand for spares and services and is a “key differentiator in need-it-now mining markets, where production intensity is increasing, and the costs of unplanned downtime are significant”.

The company’s technology work continued to focus on incremental innovations and “Mine of the Future developments” aimed at solutions that are smarter, more efficient and sustainable, Weir said. This included focusing research and development on new pump and alloy designs, digitisation, ore hoisting, hybrid separation and tailings management.

Weir ESCO benefited from the same macro mining trends as its Minerals segment including increased ore production and the focus by mining customers on optimising productivity, the company said.

“This supported demand for differentiated technology that is proven to sustainably increase efficiency,” it said.
The first half of the year saw early market share gains for the N70 Nemisys® lip system, which extends the division’s Nemisys technology – featuring a cast or plate lip with shrouds and a three-piece tooth system. This is currently being trialled on smaller machine classes including wheel loaders, Weir said. “The N70 improves customer productivity through increased wear life, lower fuel consumption and reduced maintenance costs.”

The company also launched its GET Detect System during the period, an innovation it worked with Australia’s Mining3 on that provides instant feedback to the machine operator if one of the ground engaging tools used to extract minerals is lost or damaged.