Tag Archives: Queensland

Anglo American introduces teleremote dozing at Capcoal Complex

Automation, Coal technology, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

Dozer operators at Anglo American’s Capcoal Complex in Queensland, Australia, are in training to embrace remote control technology to improve operator safety on site, the company says.

The operation, near Middlemount, is trialling a remote-controlled stockpile dozer ahead of plans to retrofit the entire fleet.

Anglo American, which operates five steelmaking coal mines across the Bowen Basin, will reduce in-cab dozer exposure time by 45,000 to 75,000 hours a year once the technology is fully deployed across all sites.

Coal handling and processing plant dozer operators are the first to gain experience operating teleremote dozers as part of a pilot program to reduce exposure to concealed stockpile voids. The pilot includes the retrofit of a stockpile dozer with the latest Wi-Fi-enabled technology to set up connectivity between the machine and operator chair in the control centre.

An Anglo American Australia spokesperson told IM that the company had collaborated with RCT on this trial, leveraging RCT’s OEM-agnostic ControlMaster® solution.

Capcoal General Manager, George Karooz, said it was the first time the remote control dozer technology would be used at Anglo American’s Australian operations.

“Upskilling our workers in this new technology is paramount to its success because their expertise is irreplaceable, even when the work is done remotely,” he said. “In pursuit of safety and efficiency, the mining industry has been a constant driver of innovation for generations.

“Operating our fleet of dozers from a safe distance will reduce the number of hours in the cab and fully remove our operators from the dozer seat in what is another significant advancement in autonomous mining.”

Acting Automation Operations Manager, Matthew Wakeford, said operators were being trained in how to control a dozer from a remote control centre, in a transition that has been nine months in the planning.

“We are re-imagining mining to improve people’s lives. From a business safety perspective, this will remove our coal miners from the hazards of working with voids in our coal stockpiles,” he said. “We are starting with small steps as our workers adjust from the ‘feeling’ of manual operation to remote control with cameras and computer screens.

“We already have microphones in the machine sending the sound back to the operators along with six cameras on the dozer itself – as well as cameras around the stockpile which can all be adjusted remotely.

“Through feedback, we are now looking at whether we can adapt the chair to tilt and provide movement feedback through the joystick the same way our operators would sense the stockpile beneath when manually operating the dozer.

“We’re starting with just one dozer, but the plan is to ramp up and retrofit the entire fleet – that’s 13 in total across our Capcoal and Moranbah operations.”

Anglo American launched the trial in January, with the pilot program involving the setup of a room in a building in close proximity to the stockpile. The spokesperson added: “Once it’s rolled out to further machines across the Australian business, the teleremote dozer operators will be in a dedicated control room.”

RUSSELL MINERAL EQUIPMENT to highlight mill relining engineering progress in 40-year anniversary campaign

Automation, Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mining maintenance, Mining services, , , ,

Mill relining systems OEM, RUSSELL MINERAL EQUIPMENT (RME), has launched a global campaign celebrating the company’s upcoming 40-year anniversary, highlighting its engineering and pioneering progress from the past four decades.

RME Founder, Executive Chairman and Chief Engineer, Dr John Russell, said: “Since 1985, RME has innovated mill relining technologies and services with an unwavering commitment to improving the safety and productivity of our customers’ operations and the safety and development of our people. We are also proud of the local jobs we have created, our contribution to Australia’s sovereign industrial capabilities, and our efforts to better the communities in which we operate.

“It has taken 40 years of persistent innovation and enduring commitment from an exceptionally talented team at RME, forward-thinking customers and reliable suppliers.”

Launching today, the “40 Years of Innovation | We are RME” year-long campaign will showcase RME’s ground-breaking engineering innovations, the stories of the people who have made them possible, and the impact they have had on safety and productivity.

The anniversary campaign will also explore how RME continues to shape the future of the industry with pioneering innovations that enhance its customers’ ability to produce minerals, like copper, necessary for the energy transition. This includes RME’s recently announced world-first semi-automated mill relining system. It enables faster mill relining and unmatched safety with zero personnel required inside the mill during liner
exchange.

To mark the launch of the campaign, RME is releasing a new “We are RME” film. Featuring RME team members and local suppliers, the film shines a light on the characteristics, achievements and aspiration that set RME apart.

One of 25 RUSSELL TWIN Mill Relining Machine sets, where two machines work side-by-side as a system to increase the speed of the relining process

RME Non-Executive Director Dr Peter Rubie, who held the role of Chief Engineer at RME until 2019, said: “Whether it’s our 400 kg RUSSELL Mill Liner Handlers or 10-t-capacity RUSSELL Mill Relining Machines, our durable technology solutions are built to last with 90% of those we’ve manufactured in the past 40 years still in operation.

“In partnership with our customers, we have set new industry-wide safety standards. And with safety continuing to drive the evolution of our advanced technologies, we can now perform liner exchange with zero personnel inside the mill.

“RME was founded on the belief that we can make things better. Through ‘juntos’, meaning our togetherness, collaborating across RME teams and with industry, we continue to push the boundaries and pioneer new means to continually improve industry safety standards and productivity gains for mill relining.”

RME aspires to improve the human condition through responsible access to metals at lower cost, it says.

Dr Russell added: “It’s an aspiration that sees us charged with the responsibility of our people and customers’ safety and wellbeing. And in the race to a carbon neutral future, it sees us charged with the responsibility of enhancing our customers’ ability to meet the growing demand for the metals and minerals essential for the energy transition.

“Furthermore, RME’s liner exchange machines are electro-hydraulically powered, and unlike fossil fuel-driven mining equipment, are ready for sustainable energy sources without requiring power system modifications.

“RME believes that future development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability for the ongoing improvement of the human condition. That same belief underpins our inventions.

“Through collaboration with our customers and suppliers, we have made mill relining safer and faster, while also positively impacting local jobs, livelihoods and living standards in the regions where we operate.

“Forty years on, we remain steadfast in our aspiration as the world strives for a carbon neutral future.”

John Russell founded RME in 1985 in Toowoomba, Queensland, setting out to mechanise the mill relining process to improve safety, shorten reline times and increase mine site profitability. Through a dedicated and highly skilled team, loyal and forward-thinking customers, and dependable suppliers who are integral to RME’s success, RME has grown to support customers in 64 countries, with 13 international sales and service centres, employing more than 450 people worldwide. Today, there are more than 440 mine sites across the planet served by RME’s equipment and services, including more than 570 RUSSELL Mill Relining Machines.

From enabling the development of larger liners that reduced the total number of pieces requiring change out to the creation of larger SAG mills, RME’s suite of mill relining technologies have changed grinding mill relining, globally.

NRW’s Golding to take contract mining reins at Stanmore’s South Walker Creek mine

Explosives and blasting, Mine operation news, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

NRW Holdings Limited’s wholly owned subsidiary, Golding Contractors Pty Ltd, has executed an agreement to acquire the mining services contract, associated fleet and transfer of the employees that HSE Mining Pty Ltd has deployed to Stanmore Resources Limited’s South Walker Creek (SWC) mine site, in Queensland, Australia.

The transaction value of A$85 million ($56 million) less assumed employee liabilities of approximately A$15.3 million, will be funded via NRW’s asset finance facilities.

The transaction will see Golding employ approximately 550 HSE personnel and operate the heavy mining equipment presently deployed at SWC. The mining services contract to be novated to Golding as part of the acquisition is expected to generate annual revenue of approximately A$250 million, and unless further extended by agreement between Golding and Stanmore, expires in August 2025.

South Walker Creek is an open-cut mine 35 km west of Nebo in Queensland’s Bowen Basin. The mine has been operating since 1996 and adopts a multi-bench, open-cut mining method uising a dragline, and truck and hydraulic excavators. With a mine life of 25-plus years, South Walker Creek produced 4.9 Mt of high-quality low volatile PCI coal in the 2021 financial year. Stanmore Resources acquired BHP’s 80% interest in BMC in May 2022, becoming the operator of South Walker Creek.

Jules Pemberton, Managing Director and CEO, said: “I am delighted that NRW has been successful in acquiring the HSE Mining assets and inventory and securing the novation of the mining services contract with Stanmore at South Walker Creek. NRW, through our Golding and Action Drill & Blast businesses, has had a long association with Stanmore and I look forward to our teams continuing to deliver industry leading services. I also look forward to welcoming the HSE personnel into the Golding and broader NRW team.”

HSE and Golding are working through the transition arrangements, with financial close to occur at the end of July 2024.

Coronado Global Resources looks at running updated waste mine gas truck trial at Curragh operations

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , ,

Coronado Global Resources’ plan to capture and use open-pit waste mine coal gas from its Curragh operations in the Bowen Basin of Queensland, Australia, are accelerating, with the company confirming at its AGM last week that first gas from pilot wells was achieved in January 2024 with better than anticipated flow rates.

Curragh has been operating since 1983 and was acquired by Coronado in 2018. It is made up of two active open-pit mines – Curragh South and Curragh North – which are serviced by four large draglines, one electric rope shovel, 13 truck and excavator fleets and two coal preparation plants. It produces high-quality, low-vol hard coking coal, semi-soft coking coal, pulverised coal injection and thermal coal.

Curragh’s gas project is targeting the capture and beneficial use of open-pit waste mine coal gas from operations, with priority downstream use cases being for power generation and use  as a diesel substitute in mining fleets.

The company says it now has wells operational, with surface production facility installation works complete and thee anticipated flow rates from first gas achieved in January exhibiting better than anticipated flow rates.

The next steps for the project are to run an updated converted gas truck trial to test feasibility of transitioning to waste mine coal gas conversion on more trucks.

As part of Coronado Global Resources’ emissions strategy, the company conducted a trial to test gas-converted haul trucks, working with its partners Mine Energy Solutions (MES) and Thiess. Over an eight-week period beginning in July 2023, it converted a single 793F haul truck to dual fuel and operated it within a normal production environment. Results from the trial proved that the operational performance of the trucks remained within the normal range of a diesel truck, it noted.

The company said in its recently released 2023 sustainability report: “We also developed an understanding of the key partnerships and requirements for larger-scale deployment and the challenges we need to overcome for operational readiness.”

Achievements and findings from the trial included:

  • Saving of 19,200 litres of diesel;
  • A 17-20% reduction in diesel exhaust pipe CO2 emissions;
  • No observed decrease in truck horsepower, engine life or other components due to burning compressed natural gas (CNG);
  • More than 320 hours of dual-fuel operation and 547 hours of overall operation;
  • No observed decrease in travel time, cycle time or speed on grade; and
  • Operators’ positive feedback that vehicles operated similarly to non-gas 793F haul trucks.
CSI Mining Services

CSI Mining Services to deliver haulage services for Tier One miner in Queensland

Mine operation news, Mining services, , ,

CSI Mining Services (CSI) says it is set to expand its operations into Queensland, Australia, following a contract award to deliver haulage services for a Tier One mining company.

The new load and haul operations contract will see CSI running eight Kenworth C509 quad road trains – the biggest single engine road trains in the world featuring a 330-t-payload and 425-t gross combination mass.

MinRes Mining Services Chief Executive, Mike Grey, said expanding into Queensland was an exciting milestone for the company as it continues a significant period of growth that will see it double in the next two years.

“We are excited to expand our operations into the east coast of Australia, opening up new business opportunities and access to new labour markets,” he said.

CSI will employ more than 50 site-based personnel to support the contract, prioritising local employment and presenting opportunities to work at MinRes sites across the country.

Businesses in far north Queensland will also benefit, with CSI set to partner with local companies to support the operation where feasible.

BHP BMA’s Goonyella met coal mine receives ABB electrification upgrade

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Sustainability, employee protection and operational insights are the drivers of a cutting-edge electrification upgrade at BHP BMA’s Goonyella Riverside Mine in Queensland, Australia, ABB says in a recent case study.

At the BHP-Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) conjoined metallurgical coal mines Goonyella and Riverside in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, Subra Nedunuri, Senior Project Manager, Goonyella Riverside Mines (GRM), is responsible for delivering capital electrical projects without compromising environment, safety, quality, or mining schedules.

When a 43-year-old section of Goonyella Riverside’s power infrastructure became unreliable, Nedunuri began designing an upgrade with ABB capabilities, which protect employees, equipment and the environment, and enable predictive maintenance of 16 pumps critical to the mine’s operation.

Nedunuri said: “A rehabilitation project to move earth from one side of the mine to the other may cost $20 million, but in contrast this $3 million electrical upgrade can save lives and hundreds of millions of dollars in downtime.”

To power the coal wash treatment plant, pumps are used to direct water for reuse or into tailing dams: without them the plant can’t operate. In the past, the now obsolete electrical system communicated only three states of condition for the pumps operation – “On”, “Off” or “Fault”. The system had no protection against arc flash incidents (explosive releases of energy when an electrical arc travels through ionised air to ground or another part of the electrical system), which endanger the lives of service technicians and nearby workers.

For the upgrade, BMA wanted not only the safest switchgear to protect its employees, but a human-machine interface (HMI) that would enable remote and on-site monitoring and control of the electrical system and pumps around the clock.

ABB’s system-integrated Ultra-Fast Earthing Switches (UFES) formed the basis of GRM’s upgrade with safety, and protection of the people within the vicinity of the equipment in mind.

“The switch is installed into the panel to prevent an arc flash, if it occurs it will be detected and switch off the power in less than four milliseconds,” Nedunuri said. “In addition to UFES-enabled switchboards, the mine wanted to take advantage of new and trending technology in the form of digital communications between the switchboard and the plant.”

ABB Ability™ Electrical Monitoring and Control for Distribution Networks, known as ZEE600, integrates diverse devices from a variety of suppliers, under the IEC 61850 standard of communication preferred by BMA, ABB explained. At GRM, this condition monitoring solution harnesses the real-time diagnostic data of substation equipment and electrical assets – primarily the pumps – to alert on-site teams to respond with preventive maintenance.

“Via the HMI, you can actually see the health of the pumps, motors and starters – everything. Our analysis and improvement team also continuously collect the data and analyse it for troubleshooting and future enhancements,” he said.

Nedunuri said it’s all connected back to plant supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA).

Installation and commissioning of the upgraded system took place during the mine’s biannual three-week-long scheduled maintenance shutdown in August/September 2022.

Prior to the shutdown period, Nedunuri constructed the system at ABB premises in Brisbane. Together with the ABB technicians, they matched cabling inlets and outlets with a template of the GRM system.

Henry Lin, Project Manager for Electrification Service at ABB in Brisbane, says ABB customers need to reduce the risk of costly downtime. “Our main objective in these projects is to ensure that our customer’s assets operate at peak performance levels and are available as required,” he said.

BMA has performed much research on the digitalisation of its mines and the ongoing upgrade of infrastructure involves a constant rollout of individual projects. When it comes to the safety and reliability of electrical infrastructure, Nedunuri said the company doesn’t compromise, regardless of the cost.

“All upgrades must not only comply with Australian Standards, but also require ongoing modifications to meet the higher bar set by BHP BMA to make sure it runs efficiently and effectively into the future,” he said.

“I feel proud that I eliminated a huge risk to the business through the pump electrification project. We are protecting people using the new system with arc flash mitigation and at the same time, the monitoring and control enabled by ABB ZEE600, not only improves pump efficiency, but also adds a lot of functionality – it’s easy to operate and easy to maintain.”

BMA and ABB are collaborating on a pipeline of further potential upgrades to existing on-site installations, with each project planned to deliver greater safety, reliability and sustainable growth, ABB says.

Golding to add second 600 t excavator and 220 t haul truck to Jellinbah East fleet

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

NRW Holdings Limited’s wholly owned subsidiary, Golding Contractors Pty Ltd, has signed a variation to its existing five-year mining services agreement with Jellinbah Mining Pty Ltd at the Jellinbah East coal mine in central Queensland, Australia.

The scope of the variation includes operating and maintaining a second 600-t excavator and 220-t rear dump truck fleet to mine pre-strip overburden, increasing the full scope of the agreement to two 600-t mining fleets.

The variation is valued at approximately A$160 million ($105 million) and will commence in April 2024 using existing owned fleet and supplemented with hire equipment, NRW says.

NRW subsidiary Action Drill & Blast Pty Ltd has also been awarded the following contracts in Queensland:

  • Blasthole drilling services for Batchfire Resources at the Callide coal mine. The contract, valued at circa-A$52 million over five years has commenced and will use a workforce of some 40 personnel;
  • A 12-month extension to supply agreement with Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific Pty Ltd for a Bowen Basin mine valued at A$30 million; and
  • A services agreement involing drilling for a central Queensland mine. This has a contract term of three years on an agreed rates basis with an estimated value of A$28 million.

These contracts will also use existing ADB-owned equipment where applicable, the company said.

NACG’s MacKellar Group banks five-year met coal contract in Queensland

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

North American Construction Group Ltd says the MacKellar Group has been awarded a five-year contract extension by a major metallurgical coal producer in relation to a mine in Queensland, Australia.

The contract contemplates the provision of fully maintained equipment and related services at the site operated by the producer.

The award extends the expiry date from June 6, 2025, to June 30, 2030, and qualifies as contractual backlog given minimum hour commitments in the agreement, NACG says. Rental scopes are estimated at C$100 million ($74 million) per year resulting in a total value from this extension of C$500 million, the company added.

The contract requires the addition of two loading units and one service truck, for between C$20 and C$25 million, which will be purchased by the end of the year and bring the total dedicated fleet at this site to approximately 70 heavy equipment units.

NACG acquired MacKellar in July 2023 for C$395 million.

Joe Lambert, President and CEO of NACG, said: “We are excited about this extension and look forward to continuing the relationship we have with our customer at this site. This is the first material contract we have signed in Australia since the acquisition of MacKellar and are very proud of how well the first five months have gone.

“MacKellar has provided an excellent platform to grow our business in Australia as we leverage our operational and maintenance expertise in the region. We believe this ‘locking in’ of fleet is indicative of the strong demand for heavy equipment in the Australian mining sector. In light of this demand, and bolstered by long-term contracts, we have begun to take steps towards prudently increasing fleet size in Australia, including potentially transferring underutilised Canadian fleet into that market with the goal of maximising overall utilisation.”

Rio Tinto looks to renewably power Gladstone ops with Australia’s largest solar power project

Environmental, Mine operation news, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Rio Tinto says it will drive development of Australia’s largest solar power project near Gladstone, Queensland, after agreeing to buy all electricity from the 1.1 GW Upper Calliope Solar Farm to renewably power its Gladstone operations.

The agreement will bring more renewable power into one of Australia’s most important industrial hubs and marks another step towards Rio Tinto’s climate goal of halving its global Scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions this decade, the mining company said. If combined with more renewable power and suitable firming, transmission and industrial policy, it could also provide the core of a solution to repower Rio Tinto’s three Gladstone production assets – the Boyne aluminium smelter, the Yarwun alumina refinery (pictured) and the Queensland Alumina refinery.

Under a new power purchase agreement (PPA) signed with European Energy Australia, Rio Tinto will buy all power generated from the Upper Calliope solar farm for 25 years. The plant will be built and operated by European Energy, at a site about 50 km south-west of Gladstone, pending development and grid connection approvals.

Once approved and developed, Upper Calliope would have the potential to lower Rio Tinto’s operating carbon emissions by 1.8 Mt/y, the company says.

Rio Tinto Chief Executive, Jakob Stausholm, said: “This agreement is a first important step in our work to repower our Gladstone operations and illustrates our commitment to keeping sustainably powered industry in central Queensland.

“The task remains challenging, but we have a pathway to provide the competitive, firmed power our Gladstone plants need and we are continuing to work hard with all stakeholders, including the Queensland and Australian governments, on getting there.

“Competitive capacity, firming and transmission are critical to developing a modern energy system that can ensure more large-scale renewables development in Queensland and help guarantee the future of Australian industry.”

Once approved, construction of the Upper Calliope plant is targeted to start in 2025 or 2026 and, when complete, it will provide enough electricity to meet about 5% of Queensland’s current demand. The plant, which is expected to take two years to construct, will cover 2,400 ha, employ 1,000 people during construction and support 100 direct and indirect jobs when operating.

European Energy CEO, Erik Andersen, said: “European Energy is proud to be a strategic partner in this project with Rio Tinto. Our commitment to providing renewable and reliable energy aligns perfectly with Rio Tinto’s ambitious climate goals. The Upper Calliope Solar Farm is not just a solar power project; it’s a testament to our shared vision for a greener future.

“By supplying renewable energy to one of Australia’s key industrial hubs, we are setting a new standard for industrial energy consumption. This project underlines our dedication to driving the transition towards renewable energy in Australia and demonstrates the potential of solar power in transforming the energy landscape of the region. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Rio Tinto and other stakeholders to create a sustainable and energy-efficient future for Australia.”

Upper Calliope is the first successful applicant in a formal Request for Proposals made by Rio Tinto for renewable power and firming projects in central and southern Queensland.

Rio Tinto says it continues to assess other proposals, solutions and partnerships to help competitively meet the energy needs of its three production assets in the Gladstone region. These assets require more than 1 GW of reliable power to operate, which equates to over 4 GW of quality wind or solar power with firming. Potential further electrification of plant processes could increase their electricity demand in the future.

BMA completes SABR Hay Point coal terminal project

Coal technology, Mineral project development, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA)’s Hay Point team recently celebrated the completion of the Shiploader and Berth Replacement Project, nicknamed SABR, in Queensland, Australia.

In operation since 1971, the Hay Point Coal Terminal has undergone multiple expansion projects over its lifespan. It is a critical piece of infrastructure in BMA’s logistics portfolio and enables the BMA team to deliver high quality metallurgical coal for steelmaking to customers all around the world, quickly and reliably, BHP says.

These vital replacement works, requiring 15,000 tonnes of steel, will reinforce Hay Point’s ability to deliver coal to customers into the future. As Gaia Antoniucci, Head of Asset Projects, said at Thursday’s celebration: “The completion of the SABR project will improve the terminal’s cyclone immunity and ensure its long-term sustainability.

“I’m so proud of all of the teams who worked tirelessly day-in, day-out – both on-site during construction, as well as behind the scenes, and of the fantastic integration between the various parts of the different organisations to ensure the project ran without any major issues, and with the utmost focus on safety and the best outcomes for project delivery.”

SABR has been designed with a safety mindset – most of the project infrastructure has been built in controlled environments, minimising the exposure of front-line workers to the danger of high-risk work activities such as working over water environments. Over three years, the project absorbed more than 250,000 work hours during construction, and supported almost 700 BMA and contractor personnel working over the life of the project to carry out the transformation.

Linda Murry, General Manager at Hay Point for BMA, acknowledged at the celebration that the project has not just been an investment for BMA, but for Central Queensland more broadly.

“The terminal is a very busy place, which is constantly working for our customers,” she said. “It needs to be at its best to ensure BMA remain the world’s largest exporter of seaborne metallurgical coal.

“This has not just been an investment for BMA, but for Central Queensland more broadly. Hay Point’s increased capacity will drive economic growth throughout the region well beyond this port. We’re hugely proud of our ongoing contribution to Central Queensland.”