Tag Archives: Russia

Polyus connects Natalka to Ust-Omchug — Omchak power line

Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Precious metals, , , , , ,

Polyus says the Ust-Omchug — Omchak power project in the Magadan region of Russia has been completed, with its Natalka gold mine now connected up to a new 220 kV power grid.

The total construction capital of this project (excluding VAT) amounted to around RUB10 billion (around $126 million), with some RUB6.5 billion attributable to state subsidies received by the company over the 2016-2019 period.

The new line provides additional energy transmission capacity, improving the reliability of low-cost renewable power supply in the region, the company said.

Earlier this year, Polyus signed a large-scale five-year electricity supply contract with regional hydropower company, PJSC Kolymaenergo, a subsidiary of PJSC RusHydro. As of today, Natalka covers 90% of its electricity demand from renewable sources.

Pavel Grachev, Chief Executive Officer of Polyus, said: “The Ust-Omchug — Omchak line is an important infrastructure project that facilitates continuity of operational processes at Natalka. It also contributes to our company’s development as a responsible operator, as Polyus is committed to creating a low-carbon and sustainable future.”

WEG helps ventilate MMK’s Chertinskaya-Koksovaya mine in Russia

Coal technology, Environmental, Mine ventilation, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , ,

WEG Electric CIS, a subsidiary of WEG based in St Petersburg, has been awarded a contract to supply two flame-proof motors for the primary ventilation system of the Chertinskaya-Koksovaya mine in Russia.

Partnering with Ventprom, a manufacturer of underground ventilation equipment, WEG has developed unique, explosion-proof motors to meet the challenging conditions of a large-scale mining environment, it says.

The Chertinskaya-Koksovaya mine, in Belovo, is managed by MMK-Ugol, which produces around 3.4 Mt/y of coal, 2.8 Mt of which is used for steel production.

Working with Ventprom, WEG has designed a new motor that has been manufactured specifically to operate in this environment, it said.

Due to the nature of the Chertinskaya-Koksovaya environment, off-the-shelf motors would not suffice, according to WEG. To overcome this, WEG applied its expertise in motor design to develop a bespoke solution, with increased lifespan compared with more generic motors.

Using a tube-cooling design, WEG came up with two flame-proof motors that could operate effectively when fully enclosed. As opposed to air cooling, the motors minimise heat by using cooling tubes inside the motor’s frame.

As part of the commission, WEG also developed a unique bearing arrangement to endure the high loads and inertia of the application. The two flame-proof motors, which operated at an output of 2,400 kW, were customised specifically for deployment in the mining environment.

The two motors meet Customs Union certification, a standard for countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The motors also adhere to EACEx standards, the Eurasian conformity certification for explosion-proof products, according to WEG.

They were designed and manufactured for Chertinskaya-Koksovaya by WEG Portugal at one of the company’s European manufacturing facilities in Maia. The factory is one of two production sites in Portugal and specialises in the production of explosion-proof motors.

Ihor Sapa, Business Development of Russia and CIS countries at WEG Portugal, said: “Customised products are not necessarily a luxury, but a necessity in some sectors. For this project, developing a bespoke motor was essential. In the environment of the Chertinskaya-Koksovaya mine, the motors needed to be flame-proof and expertly designed.

“Thankfully, WEG Portugal is highly experienced in the manufacture of explosion-protected solutions.

“WEG’s customer-focused approach and the attention given to customers’ individual needs proves that WEG is prepared to address the requirements of unique and complicated projects – including underground mining and classified area products.”

SUEK cleans up with new flotation unit at Kirov coal washing plant

Coal technology, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Water management, , , , ,

SUEK says it has commissioned a new flotation unit at the Kirov coal wash plant in the Kemerovo region of Russia.

The technology, introduced at SUEK for the first time, maximises washing efficiency of coal fines (0-0.35 mm), producing a high-quality concentrate (calorific value over 6,600 kcal) with an ash content of 8-9% from a product containing 30-40% ash, the company explained.

With this unit, the output of commercial products will increase by 2.8%, boosting the annual concentrate production at the washing plant by 150,000 t. At the same time, the company will generate less waste, spending less on “waste release” (cake), transportation and storage, it said. This also solves environmental issues related to road transport within the city (dust, noise and pollutants).

This investment of $13.3 million comes on top of a $13 million investment the company made in high-tech water treatment facilities at the Kirov mine earlier this year.

Anatoly Meshkov, General Director of JSC SUEK-Kuzbass, said: “The global market environment requires ongoing improvement in the quality of coal for achieving competitive advantages.

“The company has adopted and runs a relevant long-term program. Technical re-equipment and modernisation enhance the production capacities of washing plants. Today, SUEK-Kuzbass is able to process 16 Mt of coal a year. Another way to achieve the quality indicators required by the market is to increase the processing depth of raw coal or use fine sludge (down to zero).”

He added: “Having commissioned the flotation unit at the Kirov washing plant, our company will effectively address this issue. In addition, the environmental situation in neighbouring areas will improve.”

Sibniicoal, SUEK’s Research Institute of Coal Beneficiation, completed all the design work for the flotation unit, with the project comprised of a flotation unit building, flotation reagent storage, a pumping station, a TP-103 transformer substation and a protective structure. The radial thickener building also underwent renovation.

SUEK spent about $6 million on new equipment for this new unit. Flotation machines, XJM-S28, and disc vacuum filters, Bokela Boozer, are at the core of the process cycle, it said.

The company says the unit can process sludge coming from two modules of the Kirov washing plant as well as from the old sludge sumps.

Technical Audit offers Anzherskaya-Yuzhnaya coal mine support

Coal technology, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Technical Audit Sp zoo has been awarded a tender for the provision of design, technological and production audit services for the UK Anzherskaya-Yuzhnaya coal mine, in Russia.

The tender, which also includes the production and contract execution audit (control), involves the audit of the delivery of 120 powered roof supports for the mine.

Having been formed in December 2017, Technical Audit’s first order, in 2018, was an audit of the production of a longwall system for the Denisovskaya mine, owned by Russian coal company KOLMAR.

Since then, it has also audited the longwall system at Russian coal company Sibirskaya’s Uvalnaya mine, powered roof supports for Polish coal company LW Bogdanka, and a second longwall system audit for KOLMAR at its Inaglinskaya mine.

In 2019, the company also assisted Raspadskaya coal company with a tender process to select a supplier of the powered roof supports for its Uskovskaya mine.

ARMZ, Aramine partnership brings battery-powered narrow vein LHD to Russia

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

ARMZ Mining Machinery says it has become the first and only company in Russia and the CIS producing lithium-ion battery-powered mining equipment through a collaboration with Aramine.

The company, part of ARMZ Uranium Holding Co, has started producing the mining equipment in Krasnokamensk, in the Trans-Baikal Territory of Russia, at the site of Priargunsky Industrial Mining and Chemical Union (PIMCU, PJSC is a part of ARMZ Uranium Holding Co).

The project is being implemented under an industrial partnership agreement ARMZ Uranium Holding Co and France-based Aramine, signed in April 2019. As part of this pact, ARMZ Mining Machinery is the project operator.

ARMZ said the production from Krasnokamensk will cover the internal needs of ROSATOM State Atomic Energy Corp (of which ARMZ is a part of), and let the company enter foreign markets with competitive products.

The ARGO LHD 140B is designed specifically for underground work in narrow-vein deposits, according to ARMZ. Based off the design of the Aramine miniLoader L140B, it has a width of 1.1 m and a bucket carrying capacity of 1.3 t. A 50 kW engine and a lithium-ion battery pack provide high mobility and continuous operation for up to four hours; at the same time, offering low noise, minimal heat transfer and no gas contamination in the mine. The machine significantly outperforms the requirements of the Russian standards in industrial safety, according to ARMZ.

Ivan Kiselev, Director General of PIMCU, PJSC, said: “New LHD machines will let us efficiently and reliably carry out operations for the loading and transportation of ore inside the stopes. The transition to a new battery-powered narrow-vein equipment is an economically viable solution aimed at reducing operating costs and improving the quality of ore mining.”

Igor Semenov, Executive Director of ARMZ Mining Machinery, said the production of the ARGO LHD 140B means ARMZ Mining Machinery has become the first and only company in Russia and the CIS producing lithium-ion battery-powered mining equipment.

He explained: “We adapted the Aramine design and specifications to Russia standards, organised the technological process: in-house production of the structural frame, arms and dippers, assembly of body parts, installation of components, start-up and commissioning of machines. Our next step will be the localisation of the production of lithium-ion batteries and the expansion of the product line with other types of underground equipment.”

The first serial vehicles have already passed factory tests, according to ARMZ, and will be sent to the uranium mines of PIMCU, PJSC this month. In 2021, the ARGO LHD 140B will enter the Russia market and will then gradually become available in other countries within the customs union, it said.

Metso wins major mill lining order from Russian Copper Company

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining consumables, Mining maintenance, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

Metso is to supply SAG and ball mill linings for the facilities of Russian Copper Company’s (RCC) in-development Tominsky processing plant (TPP), in Russia.

The TPP is RCC’s biggest investment project and one of the largest scale and high-tech projects commissioned in Russia in recent years, according to RCC. The plant will be constructed at the Tominsky copper porphyry deposit and will have a capacity of 28 Mt/y of copper ore, producing up to 500,000 t/y of copper concentrate, the company said.

The Metso contract complements two earlier mill lining contracts for RCC’s Mikheevsky processing plant, signed in December 2019, the mining OEM said.

With a combined value of approximately €24 million ($26.1 million), the three orders have been booked for Metso’s March quarter 2020 (Tominsky) and December quarter 2019 (Mikheevsky) orders received, it said.

First shipments started already in March, with the RCC deliveries covering almost one year’s worth of mill lining needs, according to the company.

Alexey Muzychkin, Metso Senior Vice President in Russia and CIS, said: “We are proud to be part of the construction projects of RCC by providing reliable supplies of equipment and spare parts for their plants. We managed to meet the tight delivery schedule required to ensure the smooth operation of RCC’s production facilities.”

Vsevolod Levin, President of RCC, said: “RCC implements the best available technologies at its operations, as well as installs equipment from the world’s leading manufacturers. For this reason, Metso is our long-time reliable partner in implementing the most ambitious projects. This ensures superior operational performance of our enterprises, as well as the safety of technological processes for human health and environment.”

RCC was founded in 2004 and is now one of the biggest copper producers in Russia, according to Metso.

It is a vertically integrated holding company with operational assets in Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, Orenburg, Novgorod, Khabarovsk (all in Russia) and Kazakhstan. RCC manages eight mining enterprises, a hydrometallurgical plant, three metallurgical plants, and a trading company. Together, they cover the complete production cycle, from mining and processing to production and sales.

The company produces copper concentrate, copper cathodes and copper rods, as well as zinc concentrate, refined gold, and refined silver, with its production facilities able to produce 220,000 t/y of copper cathodes and 235,000 t/y of copper rods, Metso said.

SUEK-Kuzbass takes to the skies for surveying and land management surveys

Coal technology, Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mine surveying, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , ,

SUEK says it has purchased six unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with various modifications intended for aerial photography during surveying operations of its Kuzbass facilities, in the Kemerovo region of Russia.

The decision to develop the company’s fleet of UAVs was made after a test of aerial photography at SUEK’s open-pit mines in the Krasnoyarsk region and Buryatia, the company said. “After analysing the accuracy and detail of 3D terrain models obtained using UAVs, SUEK concluded that this technology could be used for surveying and land management in mining,” it said.

In August 2018, the Aerial Surveying Office was established as part of the technical directorate in Kuzbass. Today, the office is equipped with two Russia-made UAVs capable of making aerial photographs at a height up to 1 km, with a flight duration of two-and-a-half and four hours, respectively.

SUEK’s fleet also includes four compact DJI drones and a GNSS receiver that makes it possible to receive and process signals from all navigation satellite systems that exist today, it says. This latter device enables surveyors to locate UAVs during aerial photography.

Simultaneously with the procurement of equipment and staff training, the Aerial Surveying Office has made efforts to satisfy the requirements of the mandatory registration of UAVs with the Federal Air Transport Agency, to ensure compliance with legislation governing the use of Russian airspace, the process of aerial photography and the operation of UAVs, SUEK said.

The technology is helping the company solve a whole range of issues related to open-pit mining, such as evaluating the size of coal storage facilities, monitoring hazardous situations, updating topographic plans of work areas and surrounding territories, and monitoring the use of company land. The latter includes actual use of allotted land, the intended purpose of the land, reclamation, demolition control in buffer zones and property stock taking, the company said.

Anatoly Meshkov, Technical Director of SUEK-Kuzbass, said: “First of all, UAVs improve the efficiency and safety of surveying measurements and the accuracy of necessary calculations. We can now remotely control mining operations at almost any point and build digital enterprise models.

“Essentially, this is another step towards creating a ‘digital underground mine’ and a ‘digital open-pit mine’ to obtain the maximum amount of data for highly efficient management of coal production processes.”

Trans-Siberian Gold’s Asacha receives electricity price boost

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Trans-Siberian Gold will continue to receive discounted electricity supply at its Asacha gold mine, in the Far East of Russia, following an agreement with Kamchatskenergo, the main provider of electrical power in Kamchatka.

The agreement with the utility provider will see Asacha supplied with low-tariff rates this year.

TSG has benefited from a reduced tariff of RUB 4.69/kWh ($0.075/kWh) during 2019 which has led to significant cost savings, according to the company.

This program of electricity subsidies supports a policy aimed at encouraging investment into the Far East of Russia and aiding economic growth in the region, following the implementation of incentive measures introduced by the Russian Government, Trans-Siberian said.

The new agreement confirms that Kamchatskenergo will continue to supply electricity at a reduced tariff of RUR 4.75/kWh, the company said.

Alexander Dorogov, Chief Executive Officer of TSG, said: “We are pleased that Trans-Siberian Gold will benefit from the continued support of our local energy provider in 2020, significantly reducing our energy costs as we operate at the lower levels of the Asacha gold mine.”

Late last year, following the signing of an agreement with Russia’s Far East Development Corporation officially confirming the company’s residency in the Kamchatka Advanced Special Economic Zone, Trans-Siberian said it would implement a number of new capital investment projects including the development and construction of an extension to the Asacha gold mine, known as Vein 25.

Additionally, the company will invest in a ventilation unit and procure additional mining equipment for the mine, with the investment expected to reach up to $21.2 million until 2024.

Vein 25 is situated in the East Zone of the Asacha gold mine and is not currently being mined, but preliminary mine development has already commenced.

Nornickel reveals ambitious technology – as well as production – plans

Automation, Base metals, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mine shafts and equipment, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , ,

Technology looks like playing a pivotal role in Norilsk Nickel’s ambitious growth plan to boost its mined ore volumes at the renowned Taimyr operation, in Russia.

After revealing a target to up production to 30 Mt/y by 2030, from 17 Mt/y in 2017, at its Capital Markets Day in London this week, IM spoke with First Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, Sergey Dyachenko, to find out how technology was helping the company achieve this target.

Dyachenko listed off several impressive feats the company has achieved in the past 18-24 months that would pave the way for this growth.

First off, Norilsk has digitised nearly all of its operations as part of its Technological Breakthrough program – aimed at designing, planning and operational controls of its mining activities.

It has shifted its mine planning from a shift-based system to an hourly scheduling program, is carrying out dynamic simulations of mining activities on an as-needed basis to visualise the effects of mine plan changes, has installed proximity detection and collision avoidance systems (with a 50 m personnel detection range) at all of its underground mines, and has commissioned a real-time dispatch system to optimise its operations.

With digital centres built or being built in all of its major mining hubs, and Wi-Fi rolled out across its underground operations, all of its processes are now very much ‘connected’.

Dyachenko said these initiatives were already paying off, with a 7% increase in nickel-equivalent production between 2017 and 2019, partly attributable to the digitisation and automation programs. He could also point to a productivity increase – the output of nickel equivalent per employee rising 15% over this same timeframe.

While the company has come a long way since it started its Technology Breakthrough program in 2014, it is ready to leverage more technology over the next five years (and beyond).

Dyachenko spoke of transitioning from dynamic 3D mine models to the use of digital twins for mine plan optimisation at all of its mines and, excitingly, plans for a “fully autonomous smart digital mine” at its Skalisty nickel-copper-PGM underground project at the Polar Division, Norilsk’s key production asset on the Taimyr Peninsula.

Skalisty, at more than 2,000 m below ground, will be the company – and one of Russia’s – deepest underground mines. This fact is making Norilsk reconsider its normal mine development and operation route.

The company is currently engaged on a prefeasibility study at Skalisty, however it has already carried out 966 m of shaft sinking to bring the #10 ventilation shaft down to 2,056 m, and plans to start horizontal development at the project next month. Completion of the main shaft is scheduled for 2021.

“We have a task to make our Skalisty underground mine an autonomous mine,” Dyachenko said, explaining that the depth and accompanying temperature that comes with it made it a difficult environment to operate in.

Added to this, Dyachenko said the “demographics” of the future workforce and the need to provide an “interesting environment” at Skalisty made it a necessity to at least relocate machine operators to a control room on surface.

Norilsk will not be working on this ‘task’ alone. In addition to using consultants for the prefeasibility study, it is has also engaged an OEM with experience of automating underground operations in Mali and Sudbury (Canada) at this stage.

“We want to have a very clear concept…and find out the economic impact and best configuration for the mine,” Dyachenko explained.

The Norilsk COO said engaging such an OEM at this point in the mine development process also provided the manufacturer with the required time to “customise” a solution that fitted the Skalisty orebody and infrastructure.

“Not all of this will be off-the-shelf,” he commented on the equipment and infrastructure required for Skalisty, adding that battery-electric vehicles could also come into the mining equation.

Speaking of time, Dyachenko said the company expected to recover the first ore from development at the deep mine in 2023, followed by first “production” ore in 2024.

The new Skalisty mine is expected to eventually ramp up to production of ~2.5 Mt/y.

Glencore Tech draws McArthur River parallels at Ozernoye polymetallic project

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Glencore Technology says it and Hatch are helping the Ozernoye project in Buryatia, Russia, come up with a process flowsheet suited to the complex composition of ore at the polymetallic asset.
The mining and processing operation would produce zinc and lead concentrates.

Ozernoye’s Grigory Koldunov said the company is currently preparing the area for the Ozernoye polymetallic mine and concentrator in the Yeravninsky region, 60 km away from the Sosnovo-Ozerskoye regional centre.

“We’ll start mining works and stripping waste by November. Expected stripping volume by the end of the year will exceed 350 000 m3 of waste,” Koldunov said. In November, the company will begin the construction of temporary roads and a tailings storage facility.

Glencore Technology’s Adam Price said the ore mineralogy at the site was remarkably similar to Glencore’s McArthur River zinc-lead-silver mine, which originally brought about the need to create the IsaMill ultrafine grinding technology (an example pictured) – an innovation that turns 25 this year.

“Ozernoye’s mineralogy is complex, and it’s going to need the right flowsheet to improve the recovery and concentrate quality and therefore ensure the economic viability of the project,” Price said. The fine-grained lead-zinc ore at the Australia operation made for an obvious benchmark, he said.

This year, Ozernoye has been embarking on mining, capital works and construction of infrastructure facilities. Major construction of the plant’s facilities is planned for 2020-2022 and the company plans to reach design capacity of 8 Mt/y in 2024.

In September, Glencore Technology worked with Hatch, AMC and Ozernoye to finish a geotechnical drilling program, test work and analysis. The camp was recommissioned and the company began clearing the site for construction. Capital mine development and drill and blast works have started to provide contractors with structural materials and to begin stripping, according to Glencore Technology.

“But the main challenge with the Ozernoye deposit is the complex composition of the ore,” Glencore Technology said. “The task of the current geotechnical and test work program is to design and develop the flowsheet.”

Glencore’s McArthur River Mine in northern Australia contains a complex ore that remained uneconomical until the IsaMill was created to produce a steep particle size distribution without needing internal screens or closed circuit cyclones, according to Glencore Technology. The horizontal plug-flow design prevented short circuiting and provided for a reliable and easy to operate technology.

The original 1994 IsaMills are still operating at McArthur River Mine, but the IsaMill technology has been refined to occupy a small footprint, very high availability and significant energy efficiency, Glencore Technology says.