Tag Archives: Orica

Orica’s electronic blasting systems receive an upgrade

Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mining services, Mining software, , , , ,

Customers of Orica’s eDev™ II and uni tronic™ 600 electronic blasting systems are set to experience more efficient and productive operations, thanks to an update to both platforms, the ASX-listed company says.

The updated eDev II (pictured) and uni tronic 600 Electronic Blasting Systems (EBS) have been integrated with the field-proven Blaster 3000 currently used with the i-kon III System, Orica says. The Blaster 3000 will serve as a common blast box platform to deliver an improved user experience and blasting capabilities for Orica customers using eDev II and uni tronic 600.

Blaster 3000 is the blast box hardware for Orica’s flagship i-kon III EBS and is widely hailed for its superior precision and reliability, Orica says.

Orica Head of Initiating Systems, Dr Rodney Williams, said: “We are continually making blasting safer, easier and faster so that our customers can achieve more with less. The integration of our best technologies across our EBS product families demonstrates our commitment to delivering smarter solutions and adding value to our customers’ operations through technology and innovation.”

Designed for underground development and civil tunnelling operations, key highlights of the upgrades to eDev II, include remote firing capability enabling up to 800 detonators to be fired remotely, and improved firing precision to +/- 0.005% for greater precision and better blast outcomes.

The uni tronic 600 system, designed mainly for small surface mines and quarry and construction blasting operations, will now allow larger blasts to be fired remotely with synchronised firing capability for up to 1,600 detonators and starter detonator functionality also enabled through the upgrade.

The migration to the Blaster 3000 platform provides users with a range of additional benefits, including being able to store and access up to 30 blast reports to better support regulatory reporting and post-blast analysis.

Orica releases ‘world first’ lead-free non-electric detonator range

Explosives and blasting, Mining safety, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

Orica says it is taking another step towards its purpose to sustainably mobilise the earth’s resources by announcing the commercial release of what it claims is the world’s first lead-free non-electric detonator range, Exel™ Neo.

Orica, the sole manufacturer of non-electric detonators in the Nordics, has upgraded its premium Exel product range to a safer and more sustainable product by removing lead while maintaining the same consistent and reliable product performance, it says.

Neo is Orica’s new brand for environmentally friendly, sustainable initiation systems products. The Neo range of Exel non-electric detonators is produced using a lead-free formulation in Gyttorp, Sweden, with no lead or lead compounds used in the manufacturing process of the pyrotechnic delay compositions.

In the industry, the Exel non-electric blasting technology range encompasses safety, innovation and excellence and is built based on the Non Primary Explosives Detonator (NPED) technology, successfully used by Orica for the last 30 years. The same as the original Exel range, the newly launched Exel Neo range is designed for use in civil infrastructure as well as surface and underground mining operations.

Orica Chief Technology Officer, Angus Melbourne, said: “Orica’s strategy is to deliver solutions and technology that drive productivity for our customers across the globe. With nearly 150 years of innovation and expertise, we continue to solve the industry’s challenges and are proud to offer a lead-free solution today, while maintaining the same trusted performance, storage and handling benefits. With our Neo range, we are offering a product that is free of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC).”

Before being placed on the market in Europe, the Neo product range was successfully assessed and approved by the Explosive Notified Body as part of CE-marking certification in the European Union. The new fully lead-free products do not contain any SVHC according to the European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, Orica says.

Among some of the key benefits, the new product range is manufactured close to Orica’s customer base in Europe and includes distinct safety and environmental benefits, with lead or lead compounds removed from the production process and thus eliminated from release into environment.

Celebrating this milestone, Orica Group Executive and EMEA President, James Bonnor, added: “Orica is taking decisive steps to enable our industry’s transition towards a more sustainable future. We have invested in the state-of-the-art equipment in Sweden, including assembly machines and control systems, to ensure high quality of our products. The Exel Neo range is based on our NPED technology that’s been in the European market for 30 years.

“With the Neo addition, we have successfully developed, independently tested and trialled a lead-free alternative that can burn with the same accuracy as our current lead-based delay compositions. Importantly for our customers, independent external tests on timing accuracy and scatter patterns confirm that this new technology performs with the same reliability.

“The full Exel Neo range of non-electric detonators is available for order in Europe today.”

Orica brings ORBS centralised blasting system to underground mining sector

Automation, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , ,

Orica’s next generation centralised blasting system, ORBS™, has made a leap into the digital world, with underground mining operations set to feel the benefits.

ORBS (Omni Remote Blasting System) is now available to i-kon™ and eDev™ customers. It is designed to provide operations with the ability to safely initiate multiple development headings and production blasts concurrently from a remote, central location.

Building on Orica’s flagship Blaster 3000 architecture, ORBS enables greater productivity by initiating up to 30 Remote Blaster 3000s, or up to 90,000 detonators, in one blast sequence, Orica says. Its browser-based interface provides users with full visual oversight of all connected hardware and detonators and has enabled a host of valuable new features, according to the company.

Orica’s Head of Initiating Systems, Dr Rodney Williams, said: “We’re focused on providing the latest innovations and technology advancements to our customers. Upgrading our electronic blasting systems is as much about strengthening the capability as it is about enhancing our customers’ experience. We were conscious about developing a secure, simple-to-use and powerful system, and we’ve achieved this with ORBS.”

A key feature of ORBS is that it’s a ‘plug and play’ system that doesn’t require customers to invest in additional infrastructure, according to Orica. It connects to a mine’s communication network over LAN, Wi-Fi or LTE and users operate the system from a similarly connected electronic device such as a PC, tablet or iPhone.

With improved firing capacity and compatibility with Orica’s range of electronic detonators (i-kon III and eDev II), ORBS provides customers with greater versatility, Orica added.

Orica commercialises Cyclo automated used oil recycling service for explosives manufacture

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

Orica has successfully commissioned an automated used oil recycling service that, it says, enables treated used oil from mine sites to be used in the manufacture of quality emulsion for bulk explosives, reducing waste, cost and risks for customers and impact to the environment.

Mine sites where Orica’s site-based emulsion plants are located can now realise the benefits of Cyclo™ – a process that allows customers to transform used oil from heavy machinery into raw material for the manufacture of high-quality bulk explosives, Orica explains. When used in combination with Orica’s proprietary emulsifier technology, Cyclo offers customers a high-quality bulk explosive product, while reducing cost and risk associated with the disposal of used oil.

Delivering environmental and commercial benefits to customers, the fully containerised and automated Cyclo system is capable of treating up to 1,000 litres of used oil per hour and is estimated to reduce up to 800,000 litres in diesel consumption annually per site for customers, the company said.

Orica’s Chief Technology Officer, Angus Melbourne, said: “Cyclo is an example of how we are constantly looking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint for our customers and Orica, while creating value to stakeholders. The benefit of the Cyclo service is its ability to fully integrate into our on-site emulsion plants, enabling used oil from the mine to be directly recycled without leaving the site.”

Locations where Cyclo has been implemented have realised a reduction in diesel consumed in the production of bulk explosives by up to 50%, according to Orica. Additional environmental benefits to customers are delivered by reducing heavy vehicle movements through local communities and reducing carbon dioxide emissions through transport.

Cyclo units are currently installed across several customer sites in Africa and Asia/Oceania – including in Ghana. Further installations in Latin America and more sites across Africa are slated for completion by the end of the year, while a version to suit arctic conditions is being developed for Canada, China and Mongolia.

Orica announces commercial launch of wireless blast initiation solution, WebGen 200 Surface

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

Orica has announced the commercial release of WebGen™ 200 Surface, its latest wireless blast initiation solution tailored to surface mining applications.

Developed based on the success of more than 5,000 WebGen 100 blasts around the world, containing over 150,000 primers, WebGen 200 Surface will change how the industry blasts, resulting in more safer and efficient blasting for customers, according to the company.

The company conducted the first surface blast with WebGen 200 at TerraCom’s Blair Athol coal mine in Queensland, Australia, at the back end of 2022, as part of its Alpha trial program to verifiy and validate product testing in the field. Another trial at a partner customer mine in northern Chile has since followed.

Specifically designed for surface mining applications, WebGen 200 Surface eliminates physical wired connections to a blast or within the blasthole, opening up a whole new range of possibilities, Orica says. It enables customers to optimise their entire mining process from reducing exposure on bench to geological hazards, such as stemming dust, working next to highwalls, reducing vehicle interactions, and removing people from harm’s way.

The WebGen 200 system revolutionises mining operations by enabling customers to carry out operations during the lightning storm season or turning a loaded blast into a temporary haul road with the award-winning blasting method Mine Schedule Flexibility, the company said.

Orica Senior Manager, WebGen Commercialisation, Rhys Patterson, said: “It is the culmination of years of research and development across technology, marketing, commercial, supply and manufacturing teams. We are pleased to announce that WebGen 200 Surface is now commercially available for our customers.”

In addition, the safe passage of mining equipment over loaded blastholes by maintaining parallel mining, and drilling, and loading activities is now a reality, which can significantly increase the vertical advance of surface mines, Orica says. Production delays associated with exclusion zones around loaded blast patterns during lightning storms can also be eliminated using WebGen.

Orica’s global underground customers started the transition to WebGen 200 Underground Pro, with Newmont Borden being the first underground customer reaping the benefits of adopting this technology in late 2022. Engineered to deliver robust safety and reliability, the four variants of WebGen 200 (WebGen 200 Surface, WebGen 200 Surface Pro, WebGen 200 Underground Pro and WebGen 200 Dev) have been built with enhanced capabilities, security, and versatility, ensuring it meets the extreme mining conditions faced by surface and underground customers.

Orica engages Cognizant for data-based ESG reporting of Net Zero strategy

Environmental, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

Cognizant is to deliver an environmental, social and governance (ESG) data strategy and digital platform to Orica that, it says, complements the explosives and blasting leader’s “Net Zero strategy” and, specifically, its A$37 million ($27 million) Kooragang Island Decarbonisation Project.

The digital platform is, through agile methods, expected to provide real-time reporting and forecasting of Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

As part of the agreement, Cognizant will leverage Orica’s existing technology investments, specifically its Microsoft Azure data lake, and provide Orica with a single ESG data platform.

This platform is expected to capture and curate Orica’s GHG emissions data, including structured, unstructured and real-time data, with the goal of enabling Orica to monitor, report and forecast its GHG emissions reductions and track the origination of Australian Carbon Credit Units.

Orica has installed catalyst abatement technology at its nitric acid production facility at Kooragang Island (pictured), forecasting a significant reduction in GHG emissions, specifically nitrous oxide. The Kooragang Island decarbonisation initiative is forecasted to provide cumulative emission reductions of 4.7 Mt of CO2e by 2030.

Chris Crozier, Chief Information Officer, Orica, said: “There is a growing market-driven need for large organisations in the resources industry to understand, report on and reduce their carbon footprint. As a major supplier to mining and construction companies, Orica also has an important role to play in reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions. As such, we needed a trusted partner with a similar focus on ESG goals and sustainability and one with an expertise in data analysis, AI, design and IoT. We look forward to working with Cognizant to help us achieve our own sustainability objectives, while we look for ways to support our customers meeting their own goals.”

Jonathan Smith, Sustainability Lead, ANZ, Cognizant, added: “Data is a crucial factor that allows companies to analyse their current emissions and measure against ESG goals over time, and we are incredibly proud of having been appointed as the data, AI and analytics partner for Orica to be able to measure Orica’s ESG efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.”

Orica has previously engaged Cognizant to move its IT infrastructure to the cloud to enable Orica to achieve higher levels of efficiency, agility and business impact and optimise operating costs.

Orica looks to enhance blast design value generation with OREPro 3D Predict

Explosives and blasting, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , ,

Orica has announced the release of its latest OREPro™ 3D Predict modelling software that, it says, predicts blast movement in near real time and optimises grade control value.

Over 30 years of research and development (R&D) coupled with significant cloud-based computing power have led to the creation of OREPro 3D Predict software, which is at its heart a blast movement simulator and grade control polygon optimiser. The solution leverages the power of Orica’s original OREPro 3D modelling expertise with an addition of the enhanced predictive SmartVector™ technology, it said.

The company explained: “No longer are blast designers relying on simple rules of thumb or luck to optimise blasting for grade control; OREPro 3D Predict opens the door to iterative designs and the quantification of value in each blast design.”

Using readily available mine data as inputs, including blast designs and in-situ block models, physics-based algorithms predict movement dynamics throughout the entire blast volume to create a “swelled post-blast grade control block model”. The polygon optimisation tools will then suggest delineations that can help achieve the highest value possible, according to Orica.

Orica Vice President Digital Solutions, Rajkumar Mathiravedu, said: “Orica’s purpose is to mobilise the earth’s resources sustainably and we aim to achieve this by integrating end-to-end workflows across the mining value chain, and it all starts with a better understanding of the orebody and the way in which it moves during extraction.

“With OREPro 3D Predict, our customers can now predict blast results, allowing blast designers to rapidly create blasts that increase value in near real time instead of waiting until the blast is excavated to understand the impacts.”

Understanding where the rock mass has moved during the blast is critical to separating ore and waste effectively and creating downstream efficiencies in the mining process. OREPro 3D Predict takes this a step further by simulating post-blast topography when it cannot be surveyed safely, handling complex boundary conditions with ease and providing enhanced transparency by animating the entire predicted movement, Orica said.

OREPro 3D Predict further enhances Orica’s Digital Solutions offerings by allowing customers to plan effectively and track material through complex interactions with the surrounding geology. This product is a cornerstone of iterative optimisation and complements the reactive software OREPro 3D, creating value for its customers through a complete grade control workflow offering, the company added.

Orica, Epiroc and Agnico Eagle carry out world-first development charging milestone at Kittilä

Automation, Explosives and blasting, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Orica and Epiroc, in partnership with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, have successfully commenced live blasting with Avatel™ – the world’s first semi-automated wireless underground development charging solution at Agnico Eagle’s Kittilä mine in Finland.

The milestone brings to life an industry-driven concept that dramatically improves safety at the face, which is one of the highest risk activities in underground mining today, Orica and Epiroc say.

Avatel enables a single operator to prepare and wirelessly complete a full charging cycle from the safety of an enclosed cabin while offering the best available blast outcomes through the integration of Orica and Epiroc’s flagship digital, automation and blasting technologies.

The first successful blast was loaded and fired on November 22, 2022, comprising 61 Orica WebGen™ 200 Dev wireless primers and 295 kilograms of Orica’s Subtek™ bulk emulsion loaded to a development face at the Kittilä mine.

Orica Chief Technology Officer, Angus Melbourne, said: “Together with Epiroc and Agnico Eagle we are extremely proud of the team in creating a solution that keeps people out of harm’s way during what is considered one of the highest risk activities for underground miners around the globe.

“With Avatel, we can now effectively manage risk for the people who spend the most time every shift directly exposed to hazards at the development face while delivering all of the blast optimisation benefits that Orica’s flagship technologies bring. The combination of digital, automation and wireless blasting technologies and by partnering with customers and peers, we can continue to solve the industry’s biggest challenges across safety, productivity and sustainability, together.”

Sami Niiranen, President for Epiroc’s Underground division, said: “This is a true milestone achieved for our industry where Epiroc in partnership with Orica have led the way to safer underground operation. By building on our recognised solutions and advanced Rig Control System, Avatel paves the way to safe productivity for the mining industry.”

Jari Näsi, Development Manager – Kittilä Mine, Agnico Eagle, said: “We are proud to create history here at Kittilä where the first mechanised and wireless development blast was initiated. There is always some risk when working close to the face; being able to do this work safely and efficiently from the cabin is promising, and mechanising the process will give a better blasting result.”

The first commercial implementation of Avatel will take place at Newcrest’s Cadia Valley Operations from December 2022.

GroundProbe chooses Tucson for location of second manufacturing facility

Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

GroundProbe has announced plans to build a second dedicated manufacturing facility in Tucson, Arizona, USA, marking a new chapter in its commitment to better serve its customers in the Northern hemisphere.

The expansion of GroundProbe’s manufacturing capabilities comes following significant growth in recent years.

Announcing its plans at the recent International Slope Stability Symposium in Arizona, GroundProbe CEO, David Noon, said the new facility will open its doors in early 2023.

“As our global footprint and customer base continues to grow, so too does the volume and variety of products that we produce,” he said. “We saw it as an absolute necessity to bolster our offering and extend our manufacturing capability from Asia Pacific to the Americas.

“It means that, from early 2023, we will be able to more readily deploy our safety-critical systems – systems that are integral to their ongoing operations and productivity – to our Northern hemisphere customers.”

GroundProbe, which currently manufactures its products in Australia, says it is widely accepted as the global leader in real-time technologies that detect instabilities and predict when mine and dam collapses will occur.

The addition of a second manufacturing facility signifies an important step for GroundProbe’s future growth, especially for North and South America, for GroundProbe’s Chief Commercial Officer and VP Americas, Ben Moke.

“When scouting locations for a second site, Tucson quickly became the preferred location,” Moke said. “It’s central to our customers, and it’s close to a number of geotechnical consulting firms and university partners, including the Geotechnical Center of Excellence at the University of Arizona.

“It’s going to be fantastic to have a facility where the geotechnical community can experience our state-of-the-art technology being manufactured and deployed to mine sites across the Americas. With a track record that speaks for itself, GroundProbe’s technologies are the industry’s most robust and reliable, having never failed to detect a collapse.

“The second facility will manufacture every one of our products to the same level of quality that we are known for and that is expected of us as market leaders.”

Orica and Alpha HPA strengthen high-purity aluminium ties

Base metals, Energy minerals, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Orica has expanded its strategic relationship with Alpha HPA Limited, including acquiring a 5% equity interest and establishing a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to investigate the feasibility of establishing a new high-purity aluminium (HPA) manufacturing facility in North America.

The funds from the equity investment will be used to accelerate final engineering and product marketing for the full-scale HPA First Project at Gladstone, Queensland, and to advance feasibility studies on the potential of an additional HPA manufacturing facility in North America, with the remaining funds used for general working capital.

The non-binding MoU, meanwhile, will see the comapanies mutually investigate the technical and commercial feasibility of establishing a new manufacturing facility in North America to produce HPA products for the rapidly expanding future-facing industries in the region. The facility would seek to leverage and replicate the chemical process synergies that have been successfully established between Orica and Alpha HPA in the development of the HPA First Project at Gladstone. This would include the supply of process reagents and the offtake of process by-products to/from Alpha HPA’s and Orica’s manufacturing facility, supporting circularity between the two parties.

Orica and Alpha HPA previously executed binding, definitive agreements with each other related to the supply of process reagents and the offtake of process by-product to/from Alpha HPA’s First Project and Orica’s Yarwun manufacturing facility (pictured) within the Gladstone State Development Area in north Queensland.

Alpha HPA’s First Project represents the commercialisation of the production of circa-10,000 t/y equivalent of HPA and related products using the company’s proprietary licensed solvent extraction and HPA refining technology. The technology provides for the extraction and purification of aluminium from an industrial feedstock to produce 4N (>99.99% purity) alumina for the intended use within the lithium-ion battery and LED lighting industry.

Orica Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sanjeev Gandhi, said: “Building on our successful partnership with Alpha HPA in Australia, we are thrilled to further expand our relationship and explore opportunities for growth and circularity in North America. The Alpha HPA First project in Queensland has demonstrated how industrial partnerships can optimise resource use, simultaneously creating value and reducing waste.”

Alpha HPA Managing Director, Rimas Kairaitis, said: “Having established a strong working relationship in developing our HPA First Project, the mutual ambition to expand our relationship into North America and establish Orica as a strategic shareholder in our company is a welcome progression of our relationship. Importantly, we see these initiatives as a strong endorsement of the ongoing development of our business.

“Orica has a detailed understanding of our process technology, the advanced nature of our marketing activities, and a strong appreciation of our commitment to building a sustainable business to help decarbonise critical future-facing industries. We welcome Orica as a new shareholder in our company and look forward to taking this exciting next step in our development together.”