Tag Archives: New South Wales

Thiess extends relationship with MACH Energy Australia at Mount Pleasant

Coal technology, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining services, , , , , , , , , ,

Thiess has been awarded a contract extension by MACH Energy Australia to continue providing mining services at the Mount Pleasant Operation in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia.

The contract extension, which will commence in April 2022, will generate revenue of approximately A$920 million ($678 million) to Thiess over four-and-a-half years.

Having commenced operations when Mount Pleasant was a greenfield coal mine in 2017, Thiess is to continue providing full-scope mining services including drill and blast, overburden removal, coal mining services and rehabilitation.

Thiess Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman, Michael Wright, said: “Since 2017, Thiess has provided expert planning and optimum mine sequencing to deliver exceptional outcomes for our client. This contract extension builds on our strong five-year relationship with MACH Energy at Mount Pleasant. We’re pleased to continue to drive long-term social, environmental and economic value for the Upper Hunter region.”

Thiess Executive General Manager Australia & Pacific, Shaun Newberry, said: “We’re proud to continue our work at Mount Pleasant where we have a proven track record of delivering industry-leading environmental practices. We also look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the Muswellbrook community to ensure we deliver mutually beneficial outcomes.”

Thiess says it has a strong presence in the Hunter Valley where it provides mining services at three mines.

Remote Energy, Haynes Group to expand Eco-Drive anti-idle haul truck solution reach

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

Remote Energy has established a formal distributor partnership with Haynes Group, a Sime Darby Industrial Company, to deliver and deploy its Eco-Drive anti-idle solution for haul trucks to Australian mining companies.

Remote Energy’s Eco-Drive, when combined with a DC HVAC unit, provides a robust and reliable solution that enables the truck’s main engine to shut off at idle, while maintaining sufficient power to keep the air conditioning and other critical operating systems running – without fail, the company says.

With haul truck idle times ranging anywhere from 10-40% of total operating time, there are significant advantages to deploying a reliable anti-idle solution. Most notably significant reductions to fuel consumption, resulting in an overall reduction in carbon emissions.

“The Eco-Drive also offers mining companies the opportunity to extend asset life, whilst reducing maintenance and fuel costs,” Remote Energy added.

The partnership will see Haynes Group market, install and support the Eco-Drive to mining clients in Queensland, New South Wales and Canada.

The Haynes Group is, Remote Energy says, uniquely positioned to service mining clients in these regions, employing more than 700 people across a national footprint as a major service provider to some of the world’s largest industrial organisations in BHP Mitsubishi Alliance, Rio Tinto, Glencore, Anglo American Metallurgical Coal, Thiess, Downer Group, NRW and Ergon Energy.

Nathan Mitchell, Chairman of Remote Energy, said: “We have long held the belief that decreasing mobile mining fleet emissions is a significant challenge facing the sector. While there are several emerging technologies in development that will help solve these issues, we believe it will take time for those technologies to mature before they can be used to replace or repurpose existing mining fleets. As a result, there is still a global mining fleet that must discover more efficient ways to operate.

“We see the Eco-Drive as one of these bridge efficiency technologies that can provide significant advantages to existing haul truck fleets. The solution has specifically been designed to be non-intrusive to the OEM design, and provides immediate economic, environmental and operational benefits to end users. We are delighted to be partnering with Haynes; their industry position, as well as their strong ties to the Caterpillar brand and large network, make them a perfect partner to assist in bringing change to a changing mining industry.”

Remote Energy Technical lead, Wayne Panther, said over 500 power systems were currently in operation around the world, showing the company had established a reputation and track record for deploying reliable and efficient, low voltage power solutions.

“The Eco-Drive not only provides an independent power source for the haul truck but has a built-in air compressor for filling the truck’s air receiver tanks on demand,” he said. “This is driving significant efficiency gains, eliminating the need for a service truck to be deployed to refill truck receiver tanks after a rain event.”

Tony Liddelow, VP Commercial operations of Haynes Global, said: “With our extensive network of workshops, field service, and component repair facilities we are uniquely positioned to deliver a seamless supply from installation through to after sales support to our clients. We see the Eco-Drive as the key to delivering a reliable and effective anti-idle solution to our clients.”

Mining fleet changes hands at Boggabri coal operation

Coal technology, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

Most of the major mining equipment used at the Boggabri coal mine in New South Wales, Australia, is to be sold to Boggabri Coal Operations (BCO), part of the Idemitsu Group, following the exercise of an option between BCO and Golding Contractors, a subsidiary of NRW Holdings.

The transaction for the fleet, which includes 38 major mobile mining assets, has a target completion date of the end of July 2021.

Golding will continue to perform maintenance services on site across these, and another 50 (approximately) pieces of major mining equipment, engaging a workforce of over 150 personnel on site, NRW said.

The equipment will be sold for circa-A$81 million ($61 million) of which circa-A$64 million will pay down asset financing debt, NRW said.

NRW’s CEO and Managing Director, Jules Pemberton, said: “The option for BCO to acquire all or part of the associated mining fleet was identified at the time of the acquisition of BGC Contracting. This transaction will reduce debt and increase return on capital employed.

“We look forward to continuing to support BCO to ensure we are best placed to continue to provide our services beyond the current contract completion date of December 2022.”

AECI Australia cements Thiess relationship with five-year contract extension

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

AECI Australia has been awarded a five-year contract extension by contract miner Thiess for the supply of bulk emulsion explosives, initiating systems and related services for mines in Queensland and New South Wales.

This contract consolidates AECI’s base business in Australia and further strengthens the relationship between the two companies, which began in 2014 when AECI entered Australia to support this major mining customer, AECI said. The two also have long-standing partnerships in Indonesia and in several countries in Africa.

The Australian contract, using AECI’s existing in-country capabilities and infrastructure, includes supply of bulk emulsion explosives formulations produced at AECI’s site in Bajool, Queensland, as well as gassing technology for down-the-hole delivery by Thiess; supply of ammonium nitrate; and supply of the Intellishot® electronic initiating system and booster.

Mark Dytor, AECI Chief Executive, said: “AECI Australia is celebrating the achievement of seven years worked without a lost-time injury. We are proud to deliver a safer, innovative and cost-effective product offering that enables ‘One AECI, for a better world’. Better Mining is one of our sustainability goals because we recognise the importance of making global mining safer and more circular. Significant opportunities exist and we look forward to realising more of these in collaboration with customers such as Thiess.”

NextOre’s magnetic resonance tech up and running at First Quantum’s Kansanshi

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, IoT, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Australia-based NextOre is onto another ore sorting assignment with its magnetic resonance (MR) sensing technology, this time in Zambia at First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi copper mine.

NextOre was originally formed in 2017 as a joint venture between CSIRO, RFC Ambrian and Worley, with its MR technology representing a leap forward in mineral sensing that provides accurate, whole-of-sample grade measurements, it says.

Demonstrated at mining rates of 4,300 t/h, per conveyor belt, the technology comes with no material preparation requirement and provides grade estimates in seconds, NextOre claims. This helps deliver run of mine grade readings in seconds, providing “complete transparency” for tracking downstream processing and allowing operations to selectively reject waste material.

Having initially successfully tested its magnetic resonance analysers (MRAs) at Newcrest’s Cadia East mine in New South Wales, Australia, the company has gone onto test and trial the innovation across the Americas and Asia.

More recently, it set up camp in Africa at First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi copper mine where it is hoping to show off the benefits of the technology in a trial.

The MRA in question was installed in January on the sulphide circuit’s 2,800 t/h primary crushed conveyor at Kansanshi, with the installation carried out with remote assistance due to COVID-19 restrictions on site.

Anthony Mukutuma, General Manager at First Quantum’s Kansanshi Mine in the Northwestern Province of Zambia, said the operation was exploring the use of MRAs for online ore grade analysis and subsequent possible sorting to mitigate the impacts of mining a complex vein-type orebody with highly variating grades.

“The installation on the 2,800 t/h conveyor is a trial to test the efficacy of the technology and consider engineering options for physical sorting of ore prior to milling,” he told IM.

Chris Beal, NextOre CEO, echoed Mukutuma’s words on grade variation, saying daily average grades at Kansanshi were on par with what the company might see in a bulk underground mine, but when NextOre looked at each individual measurement – with each four seconds representing about 2.5 t – it was seeing some “higher grades worthy of further investigation”.

“The local geology gives it excellent characteristics for the application of very fast measurements for bulk ore sorting,” he told IM.

Mukutuma said the initial aim of the trial – to validate the accuracy and precision of the MRA scanner – was progressing to plan.

“The next phase of the project is to determine options for the MRA scanner to add value to the overall front end of processing,” he said.

Beal was keen to point out that the MRA scanner setup at Kansanshi was not that much different to the others NextOre had operating – with the analyser still measuring copper in the chalcopyrite mineral phase – but the remote installation process was very different.

“Despite being carried out remotely, this installation went smoother than even some where we had a significant on-site presence,” he said. “A great deal of that smoothness can be attributed to the high competency of the Kansanshi team. Of course, our own team, including the sensing and sorting team at CSIRO, put in a huge effort to quickly pivot from the standard installation process, and also deserve a great deal of credit.”

Beal said the Kansanshi team were supplied with all the conventional technical details one would expect – mechanical drawings, assembly drawings, comprehensive commissioning instructions and animations showing assembly.

To complement that, the NextOre team made use of both the in-built remote diagnostic systems standard in each MRA and several remote scientific instruments, plus a Trimble XR10 HoloLens “mixed-reality solution” that, according to Trimble, helps workers visualise 3D data on project sites.

“The NextOre and CSIRO teams were on-line on video calls with the Kansanshi teams each day supervising the installation, monitoring the outputs of the analyser and providing supervision in real time,” Beal said. He said the Kansanshi team had the unit installed comfortably within the planned 12-hour shutdown window.

By the second week of February the analyser had more than 90% availability, Beal said in early April.

He concluded on the Kansanshi installation: “There is no question that we will use the remote systems developed during this project in each project going ahead, but, when it is at all possible, we will always have NextOre representatives on site during the installation process. This installation went very smoothly but we cannot always count on that being the case. And there are other benefits to having someone on site that you just cannot get without being there.

“That said, in the future, we expect that a relatively higher proportion of support and supervision can be done through these remote systems. More than anything, this will allow us to more quickly respond to events on site and to keep the equipment working reliably.”

Evolution Mining studying open-pit, underground expansion options at Cowal

Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining project news, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Evolution Mining says it is embarking on a prefeasibility study to further expand its Cowal open-pit mine as part of a plan to build towards 350,000 oz/y of sustainable, reliable, low-cost gold production from the New South Wales operation.

Currently on the E42 stage H cutback, Evolution said during a recent site visit that there is potential to further the life of the open pit by accessing feed from the E41 and E46 satellite pits. The study looking into a possible expansion is due later this year, with the company saying it could provide long-term base load ore feed for the operation.

The mine produced 262,000 ounces in Evolution’s 2020 financial year.

The Stage H cutback the company is currently pursuing is expected to see increased ore volumes and grade mined in the first six months of this year, with the strip ratio to fall below 1:1 in its 2023 financial year, Evolution said. It also says an equipment strategy review is underway, with opportunities to “rationalise fleet” with reduced re-handling.

The haulage and loading fleet at Cowal currently consists of 20 Cat 789C dump trucks, three Cat 785C trucks, four excavators (one Liebherr 9400, one Liebherr 994B, one Liebherr 9200 and one Hitachi EX1200), plus three Cat 992G wheel loaders. It also has six hired Epiroc SmartROC surface drills at the operation, one Drill Rigs Australia GC600 drill rig, five Cat D10T tracked dozers and one Cat 834H wheel dozer.

The open-pit expansion is only part of the expansion story at Cowal, with a feasibility study underway on an underground operation. This is factoring in 3 Moz of resources and 1 Moz of reserves, with high-grade orebodies open at depth, the company says.

A second decline (Galway) is due to be developed at Cowal this year, with diamond drilling set to commence next month. The 14,300 m of planned drilling will, the company says, help confirm optimal grade control parameters and convert resources to reserves.

Evolution Mining also has a permit to increase processing capacity at Cowal to 9.8 Mt/y, with near-term incremental improvements targeting a circa-9 Mt/y rate.

The process flowsheet at Cowal includes primary crushing with a Metso Outotec 54-75 Superior MK-II gyratory, grinding with an FLSmidth 36 ft (11 m) x 20.5 ft (6.2 m) SAG mill and FLSmidth 22 ft x 36.5 ft ball mill, and screening with Schenck and Delkor screens. Sandvik H6800 hydroconecone crushers, Metso Outotec flotation cells, a Metso Outotec Vertimill, and Metso Outotec stirred media detritors also feature.

Evolution also said it is testing technology that uses glycine and cyanide during the cyanidation process of gold ore at Cowal for potential significant cost savings and environmental benefits.

Lab trials with the GlyCat™ technology from Australia-based Mining and Process Solutions have been completed successfully, it said, with the next phase being pilot plant trials to assess variability tests and long-term environmental impacts.

Matrix aims to replace steel componentry at Newcrest’s Cadia block cave

Mine operation news, Mining consumables, Mining services, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Matrix Composites & Engineering has secured a contract with Newcrest Mining to develop a “high-tech solution” for its Cadia gold mine in New South Wales, Australia.

Under the scope of the works, Matrix will use its expertise in advanced materials technology to develop a composite replacement for steel componentry within the miner’s block caving operations at Cadia.

The scope of works for product development, with a contract value of up to approximately A$500,000 ($380,701), will commence immediately and is planned for completion in October 2021. If the development work is successful, it is intended Matrix would manufacture the full-scale solution at its facility in Henderson, Western Australia, for supply directly to Newcrest.

The contract aligns with Matrix’s strategy to increase penetration of its advanced materials technologies into operations and brownfields projects, the company said. It follows a recent agreement with Woodside Petroleum to provide technology development services, using the company’s expertise in advanced materials technology, composite materials and advanced manufacturing.

Matrix Chief Executive Officer, Aaron Begley, said the advanced composite solution has applications for other companies in the mining sector and potentially in the oil and gas space.

“We are pleased to be working with Newcrest and look forward to delivering on this project to replace steel with an innovative composite product that will introduce new technology to make the block caving process safer and more efficient,” Begley said.

“While the scope of this contract for product development is modest, it demonstrates further progress in our strategic pivot from targeting greenfields capital expenditure work to locally-based brownfields operating expenditure in the oil and gas and resources sectors.

“We are optimistic that successful delivery of this project has the potential to unlock larger scale contracts with Newcrest and other blue-chip resources companies.”

Red River’s Hillgrove gold op starts ramp-up process

Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Precious metals, , , , , , ,

Red River Resources has commenced production at its Hillgrove gold operation in New South Wales, Australia, and is now ramping up to the plant’s 250,000 t/y capacity.

Gold processing follows the delivery of first ore to the Hillgrove run of mine pad on December 23 from Bakers Creek stockpile mining and trucking activities. This ore was processed by the plant on December 29.

Hillgrove, about 30 km from Armidale in New South Wales, is a past producing mine that was placed on care and maintenance in 2016 due to low prevailing antimony prices.

Prior to recommencement of mining, Hillgrove produced more than 730,000 oz of gold (in bullion and concentrates), more than 50,000 t of antimony (as metal and in concentrates), plus material amounts of by-product tungsten (in concentrates).

It has a JORC 2012 resource of 5 Mt at 4.3 g/t Au and 1.5% Sb for 692,000 oz of gold and 75,000 t of antimony. This resource is contained within six key hubs in the Hillgrove Mineral Field, with Bakers Creek being both the largest gold production centre in the field and having the deepest workings.

The Hillgrove site includes a 250,000 t/y processing plant, which comprises a selective flotation circuit (capable of producing antimony-gold and refractory gold concentrates), an antimony leach/EW/refining and casting plant, a gold cyanide leach circuit and gold room, plus a pressure oxidation circuit.

The site also has a high-density polyethylene lined tailings storage facility, which was constructed in 2006 and has about two years of production storage capacity.

All of Hillgrove’s electricity requirements are sourced from a 66 kVa grid-connected power supply from Ergon Energy with 11 kVa site power reticulation. Water is sourced from storage dams and underground workings.

Hillgrove has all the office facilities required for operations, including an administration office, mining operations offices, maintenance offices, workshops (heavy vehicle, light vehicle and boilermaker’s workshops), process plant offices, metallurgical laboratory building and first aid building, the company says.

Newcrest, Epiroc and MacLean achieve interoperability first at Cadia East

Automation, Base metals, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals, , , , , , , ,

Newcrest Mining’s Cadia Valley Operations has achieved a world first in mobile equipment interoperability – integrating a remotely operated MacLean water cannon into its Epiroc automation fleet at Cadia East, in New South Wales, Australia.

In 2018, Cadia commenced a loader (LHD) automation trial with Epiroc, with the aim of removing operators from the Cadia East underground environment, while maintaining productivity and performance. The loader trial proved successful and the next phase involved integrating non-Epiroc machinery into the existing automation fleet, Epiroc said.

Cadia’s Mining Innovation & Automation team worked with Epiroc and MacLean to integrate a MacLean water cannon capable of localisation with Epiroc’s traffic management system and safety hardware, so that it could be introduced into the automation safety system.

Water cannons are used for secondary break operations, using high pressure water to release wedged rocks in underground drawpoints.

By integrating the MacLean IQ Series tele-operation system with Cadia’s automation safety system, the water cannon could be safely operated from the surface in a tele-remote capacity, allowing it to work alongside Cadia’s semi-automated loaders, Epiroc said.

The water cannon was trialled and commissioned during July and August and is now in use at Cadia East, according to Epiroc.

Cadia General Manager, Aaron Brannigan, said that integrating the water cannon into Cadia’s automation system has improved the efficiency of the production level and removed human exposure from drawpoints.

“We are constantly pushing the envelope of change in the innovation and technology space,” Brannigan said. “Automated machinery allows for shift in technical capabilities of our workforce, while ensuring we continue to eliminate safety risks from our operation.”

The success of this milestone paves the way for further integration of other key pieces of secondary break equipment into the automation system, according to Epiroc, which added: “This project is part of Newcrest’s ongoing drive to increase its automation and innovation focus on site.”

Aeris Resources adds battery-electric 20 t carrier/loader to Tritton fleet

Base metals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , ,

Aeris Resources has confirmed the arrival of the battery-electric retrofit ‘TRITEV’ 20 t underground loader at its Tritton copper operations, with the company having added the Integrated Tool-Carrier/Loader to its fleet at the New South Wales, Australia, mine.

3ME Technology and Batt Mobile Equipment (BME) unveiled this industry-first machine last month, with 3ME saying the machine would head to Tritton later this year as part of an initiative developed under Project EVmine, with the help of METS Ignited.

The collaboration between 3ME and Aeris Resources started all the way back in 2017, Aeris Resources said in its arrival announcement on LinkedIn

Based on a second-hand Volvo diesel-powered L120E, the TRITEV required a “ground-up rebuild” from the 3ME and BME teams, 3ME Chief Business Development Officer, Steven Lawn, told IM last month.

This included removing all diesel internal combustion engine components, except the transmission and drivetrain; modelling the expected duty cycle at Tritton; developing a battery-electric system to suit the application at hand; writing the vehicle control unit software; integrating the system into the existing platform; and providing a mechanical overhaul of the machine.

The 3ME and BME teams planned to test the machine at the Newstan mine, in New South Wales (previously owned by Centennial Coal and now on care and maintenance), ahead of sending to Tritton.