Tag Archives: Russia

Severstal’s digital focus paying off at Vorkutaugol coal operations

Automation, Coal technology, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, , , , , , ,

Severstal’s Strata advanced monitoring system is helping optimise its Vorkutaugol coal operations in Russia through the ability to help with predictive maintenance, gas detection, and people and proximity detection, among other capabilities, CEO Alexander Shevelev said at a media roundtable in London today.

With the company looking to not only improve safety, but increase machine uptime and boost productivity, Strata, installed last year, has revolutionised the operation, in Russia’s Komi Republic.

The system is likely to become even more important in future years as the mine continues to expand to its ultimate 5.4 Mt/y coking coal concentrate capacity in 2022-2023, an expansion that involves $335 million of capital expenditure.

Shevelev said Strata works off a Wi-Fi enabled backbone at the mine to collect and analyse data. This has helped improve service and maintenance, he explained, in addition to enabling workers and machines to know where personnel and equipment are.

Wi-Fi will also come of use when the company brings online two new “remotely controlled” machines at the end of November. Shevelev said these machines would help improve safety within the mine, in addition to improving productivity thanks to a reduction in the time required for shift changes.

All of this is part of the company’s plans to, this year, invest a further RUB1.1 billion ($17.3 million) into safety improvement measures at its mines (almost half of which will be invested into health and safety initiatives – including digital systems – at Vorkutaugol).

The company also previously committed RUB5.7 billion of investment capital in 2019 to digital and IT projects focused on further improving operational excellence and enhancing product quality and customer service, it said.

The two deposits Severstal operates under the Vorkutaugol operations are Vorkutskoye and Vorgashorskoye, which have an estimated life of 28 and seven years, respectively, according to the company’s website. The business consists of five longwall mines, an open-pit mine and three washing plants.

Nordgold enlists Cat dealer to fine tune Russia mine fleet performance

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Nord Gold and Vostochnaya Technica (VT), a Cat dealer in Russia, have signed a strategic agreement providing the framework for a long-term partnership between the two companies.

The agreement aims to improve the efficiency and sustainability of all of Nordgold’s Russian operations by ensuring the highest levels of availability, productivity and cost effectiveness of its core mining equipment, the gold miner said.

As part of the agreement, VT will provide mining equipment maintenance and spare parts supply, while improving the efficiency of Nordgold’s Cat fleet, which totals 40 units, through new staff training programs and other initiatives.

The agreement includes the continuation of regular site assessments (which will cover fleet availability and maintenance, for example) as well as on-going measurement of dealer performance. The most recent assessment (August 2019), undertaken at the Gross, Taborny and Irokinda mines, showed the strong operational alignment between VT and Nordgold.

Nikolai Zelenski, Chief Executive Officer of Nordgold, said: “This wide-ranging agreement, which covers both technical support, parts supply and training, strengthens an already strong relationship with a major supplier, and will have a long-term positive impact on our Russian operations.

“The agreement challenges our partner with regular assessments to provide best practice levels of support to ensure the sustainable performance of the mining fleet to meet our production plans.”

Gerhard Vorster, General Director of Vostochnaya Technica, said: “World-class best practices of equipment management for maximum return on investment is a goal we share with Nordgold. Vostochnaya Technica will assign the best experts to Nordgold assets and provide maximum support to reach our common goal.”

Some 40 Cat units are currently in operation at Gross, Taborny and Irokinda, including 14 134t 785D haul trucks and 993K wheel loaders. Two more trucks are to be commissioned by the end of 2019, with five more Cat 785Ds to be supplied in 2020.

A VT Project Manager and service technicians are permanently present on site to maximise fleet uptime, according to Nordgold.

New longwall launched at Mechel’s Sibirginskaya coal mine

Coal technology, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining project news, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

Mechel PAO says its Southern Kuzbass Coal Company unit has launched a new longwall at the Sibirginskaya underground coal mine, in Russia.

The new longwall 3-1-11 is located 450 m underground at Sibirginskaya, is 220 m long, has an average seam height of 4 m and an extraction panel of 750 m. Investment in the project totalled over 838 million rubles ($12.9 million), Mechel said.

The longwall is equipped with a cutter-loader, a belt car and crusher, drag bar conveyor, a 400- and a 1,500-m belt conveyors, and a 130-section powered support system, according to Mechel To ensure high production efficiency and labour safety, the mine also acquired a mobile vacuum air pump degasser, it said.

The longwall launch follows the startup of another new longwall at the VI Lenina underground mine in August.

“The longwall 3-1-11 with estimated coking coal reserves of 3.5 Mt is equipped with the newest mining machines acquired as part of Mechel’s investment program. Its planned monthly output is 90,000 t,” Mechel Mining Management OOO’s Chief Executive Officer, Igor Khafizov, said.

Polyus looks for safety gains with Orlaco collision avoidance system rollout

Mining equipment, Mining safety, Precious metals, , , , , , ,

Polyus, Russia’s largest gold producer, is to rollout Orlaco’s collision avoidance system (CAS) across its mining fleet following the successful implementation of a similar system at its Krasnoyarsk business unit in 2017.

VIST Group, which is part of the ZYFRA Group and the exclusive dealer of Orlaco’s CAS in Russia and the CIS, will carry out the installation.

German Popov, Head of the Division at VIST Group, said: “With 30% of all accidents in the workplace, in 2018, caused by mobile equipment, according to the International Council of Mining and Metals, health and safety surrounding vehicle usage is critical. At VIST, we have proved our capability in increasing the safety of mining operations through the implementation of cutting-edge solutions.”

The Orlaco CAS consists of a set of cameras and radars mounted on mining equipment. The information collected from this hardware is communicated to the driver via a monitor, allowing them greater spatial awareness of their vehicle and the surrounding area.

The features include a built-in warning system, which automatically alerts the transport operator to any equipment, people, boulders, poles and stationary structures within a 30-m radius.

The system has been designed to provide operators with greater control over their vehicle for manoeuvring, mainly where space is tight, other vehicles or people may be present in large numbers, and/or weather conditions prove prohibitive.

The implementation of this latest safety solution follows VIST’s 2017 installation of an Orlaco video surveillance and collision avoidance system at the Krasnoyarsk business unit of Polyus. This project was well received by equipment operators, according to a survey, with 77% “fully satisfied” with the installed system and its ease of use, 78% noting an increase in the level of safety in work, and 75% reacting positively to the additional visibility provided by cameras when operating in the dark.

Metalloinvest employs Derrick fine screening technology at Mikhailovsky GOK iron ore mine

Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining project news, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

Metalloinvest says it has launched Derrick fine screening technology at its Mikhailovsky GOK mine, in Russia, as part of a major project to improve the quality of the operation’s iron ore concentrate.

The first technological phase of the ore concentrate project was launched at Mikhailovsky GOK beneficiation plant during an official ceremony (pictured) attended by Nazim Efendiev, First Deputy CEO, Sales Director, Management Company Metalloinvest; Mitchell Derrick, CEO of Derrick; Miron Boris, General Manager of Thrane Teknikk (exclusive representative of Derrick in Russia and CIS); Sergey Kretov, Managing Director of Mikhailovsky GOK; and Mikhail Aksenov, chairman of the Committee for Industry, Trade and Small Business Development of Russia’s Kursk region.

On the same day, an agreement was signed with Thrane Teknikk to supply Derrick equipment for the second stage of the project, which will see the construction of a new building for beneficiation of concentrate at the beneficiation plant.

Efendiev said the introduction of fine screening technology is an important part of the comprehensive program to improve iron ore products at Mikhailovsky GOK.

“Improvements in the quality of concentrate will enable the enterprise to produce premium quality pellets in line with international standards,” he said. “Mikhailovsky GOK products will enter the top league, allowing access to new sales markets. The enterprise will also reduce its impact on the environment and will increase production efficiency.”

Mitch Derrick said the company’s partnership with Metalloinvest began in 2005 and, since that time, the two have worked together at Mikhailovsky and Lebedinsky to ensure significant efficiency gains in the production of high-grade iron ore concentrate with Derrick’s 5-Deck StackSizer® screens.

“I am extremely happy that we are furthering this important alliance with Metalloinvest’s decision to utilise Derrick’s newly offered 8-Deck SuperStack™ High-Frequency Screens at Mikhailovsky,” he said. According to the Derrick chief, this solution offers over twice the capacity of traditional units in a similar footprint, which significantly reduces both the upfront installation costs and ongoing operating and maintenance costs.

During the first stage of the project, Derrick fine screening technology was introduced at four technological sections of the beneficiation plant. The design, supply and installation of the equipment, adjustment works and commissioning took place within a period of just one year. The capital expenditures for the first stage exceeded RUB1.2 billion ($18.7 million).

As a result of the first stage of implementation, over 3.7 million tonnes of iron concentrate with an increased iron level of 67% Fe from 65.1% will be produced in 2020 at the fine screening technology section, Metalloinvest says.

The second stage of the project, launched in August 2019, will see construction of a new building for beneficiation of concentrate using Derrick equipment (22 Derrick stack sizers and 44 water pumps, metal constructions, pipelines, supporting equipment).

As a result of the second stage, production of high-quality concentrate with an iron content of 68.7% Fe will amount to 16.9 Mt in 2022. The construction of the new beneficiation building and modernisation of production will enable the processing of complex ores with a higher iron content and will reduce overburden and production costs, according to the company.

Investments in the second stage are projected to be more than RUB12 billion.

Nornickel’s digital mine plan taking shape

Automation, Base metals, Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , ,

Norilsk Nickel has recently launched a new operational control centre at its Oktyabrsky mine in Russia, leveraging the underground infrastructure investments the company has made in the past five years across its Polar Division operations as a way to increase its operational efficiency.

The Oktyabrsky centre, which cost around $1.6 million to install, monitors mining operations on a continuous basis, using communications infrastructure and positioning systems to locate equipment and people underground. It is part of the company’s Technology Breakthrough program, a project launched in 2014 to digitise and automate most processes at the company’s extensive mining and processing facilities by 2020.

By the end of 2019, similar operational centres will be built at all Norilsk Nickel Polar Division mines (Skalisty, Komsomolsk, Taimyrsky and Mayak, according to the company, with the five centres set to cost the company around $6.3 million in total.

Norilsk said: “The launch of the operational centre at the Oktyabrsky mine was possible due to long-term work on the creation of underground infrastructure, which was carried out at all of the company’s mines in the Polar Division as part of the ‘Technology Breakthrough’ project.

“The project installed radio communications and positioning systems to locate mining equipment, it also installed fibre-optic communication as well as Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is now available in every mine. Every mine is also equipped with cameras.”

This infrastructure has enabled personnel at these mines to receive real-time data on shift targets without human intervention, according to Norilsk.

In addition to this, the company has developed a “Ten-day shift schedule” software, which helps schedule the work of miners over this period, Norilsk said, explaining: “The planning system’s algorithm distributes the amount of work and equipment per production and shifts, taking into account the cyclical nature of the process and the initial data.”

The use of this software has allowed Norilsk Nickel, in certain cases, to abandon a non-centralised and manual approach to mine planning. “The software functions from a database, which contains information on the performance of all the equipment, mining operations, distances from loading sites to ore chutes and skip shafts, etc,” the company said.

Mining operation plans from different phases and areas at the Oktyabrsky mine are now integrated into a centralised planning system, with the “Ten-day shift schedule” leveraging data from MICROMINE’s exploration and mine design solution, Micromine. This creates a 3D program of the ore being developed, helping optimise the mining methods and sequence of processing reserves.

In reference to the new operational centre, Norilsk said: “Transferring mine operation monitoring, management and planning functions to the operational centre, together with the installation of new technologies, will contribute to a 10% increase in labour productivity.” This will also make it possible to improve both the quality and consistency of the ore mined and shipped to the Talnakh concentrator.

VIST automated solution improves ore quality at EVRAZ KGOK operations

Automation, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

An automated system for monitoring mining vehicles, developed by VIST Group, has been deployed at EVRAZ’s Kachkanarsky mining and ore processing plant (KGOK) operation in Russia, the Zyfra Group subsidiary confirmed.

The iron ore at KGOK is mined in four open pits: the Glavny, Zapadny, Severny and Yuzhny deposits. The ore is removed from the pits by BELAZ trucks and delivered to the crushing plant by rail. Pit machinery includes heavy-duty 130-t dump trucks, modern NP-1 locomotives and 12 m² capacity excavators.

Some 58.5 Mt of ore was mined at the KGOK operations in 2018, which was processed into 3.5 Mt of sinter and 6.5 Mt of pellets, according to EVRAZ.

Work on the autonomous investment project, which required $1.23 million in funding, began in November 2017. So far, 19 communication towers have been installed around all the operations, while 30 excavators and 35 BELAZ trucks have been equipped with sensors and navigation antennae, as well as smart displays in the driver’s cabs, VIST said.

“Thanks to the joint efforts of specialists from KGOK and VIST Group, a sophisticated and up-to-date system for managing mining vehicles has been deployed at the EVRAZ plant,” Alexander Bondarenko, Business Unit Director at VIST Group, said.

“Following Phase 2 of project implementation, which will cover rail transportation and quality control of ore arriving at the plant from the shipping sheds, the system will be the most sophisticated in the Russian ore mining sector,” Bondarenko said.

The VIST Group system tracks and displays real-time information on the locations and operating conditions of dump trucks, dozers, excavators, automatic loaders and “mobile canteens”.

Using the Wi-Fi network installed in four mines, all data on the vehicles’ speed, mileage, fuel levels and rock loads, as well as the locations of the “mobile canteens”, are transmitted in real time to the computer terminals of the plant’s dispatchers and chief specialists. “The data is also seen by the excavator operators and dump truck drivers on smart displays in their cabs,” VIST said.

Thanks to a modular geological model of the ore deposit integrated into the system, it is possible to analyse the quality of the iron ore and control the movements of the dump trucks and excavators, according to VIST.

And, in the event of an unforeseen stoppage, the system redirects the BELAZ truck to be loaded by another excavator.

Denis Novozehnov, Vice President of EVRAZ and Head of the company’s Urals Division, said: “The switch to an automated monitoring system has helped us to reduce ore losses and ensure more reliable quality. We’ve also been able to improve the productivity of the quarry dump trucks.”

First Ore-Mining looks to VIST’s AI solution for Pavlovskoye lead-zinc development

Automation, Base metals, Communications in mining, IoT, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining project news, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

First Ore-Mining Company and ZYFRA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that could see the Pavlovskoye lead-zinc deposit deploy artificial intelligence-based solutions for mining and processing operations.

Pavlovskoye is set to become the most northerly mine in Russia, once First-Ore, a Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corp division, moves ahead with development. It is scheduled to have a 3.5 Mt/y ore processing capacity.

The MoU document was signed at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum by Igor Semenov, Executive Director of First Ore-Mining Company, and Igor Bogachev, CEO of ZYFRA.

Bogachev said: “It is more difficult for companies to operate in extreme climatic conditions because of factors such as the high cost of resources and special work safety regulations. The robotised systems offered by our subsidiary, VIST Group, including Intelligent Mine, will reduce equipment downtime by 10-20% and maintenance costs by 15-18%, thereby cutting production costs by 2-3%.”

Intelligent Mine is a set of digital technologies for managing open-pit mining processes based on robotised lоad and haul systems, together with industry solutions in the fields of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics. “One of the advantages of the system is that it enables extraction of minerals in inaccessible and remote regions with severe climatic and subsurface conditions,” the digital solutions provider for heavy industries said.

The parties aim to explore a possible project to implement robotics and remote control of quarry equipment at the Pavlovskoye deposit of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. A bilateral working group will be set up within 45 days for this purpose, while the MoU covers a period of three years.

Semenov said: “Rosatom State Corp and First Ore-Mining Company have a strong focus on occupational safety. We are beginning this work in advance, so that the very first ore will be produced using advanced technologies in the safest possible conditions. Cooperation with Zyfra, which has extensive experience in developing digital smart solutions, will help us achieve this.”

Baikal Mining and Outotec sign equipment supply cooperation agreement

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , , , , , ,

Baikal Mining Company and Outotec have confirmed that they have signed an agreement that could see the technology company supply process equipment to the Udokan Mining and Metallurgical Plant in Kalar District, Russia.

Udokan is thought to host the third largest undeveloped copper deposit globally, with a JORC-compliant resource of 26.7 Mt of copper.

The document, a cooperation agreement according to Outotec, was signed by Baikal’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, Valery Kazikaev, and Outotec President and CEO, Markku Teräsvasara at the St Petersburg Economic Forum. It was later followed by a press release from Outotec saying the two had signed a €250 million ($282 million) delivery contract for the copper operation.

This will see Outotec design and deliver a greenfield copper concentrator and hydrometallurgical plant for the Udokan project.

Around €35 million of the €250 million contract will be booked in Outotec’s June quarter order intake, with roughly two thirds of the order booked for Minerals Processing and a third for Metals, Energy & Water segment.

“Outotec’s delivery includes basic and detail engineering of the concentrator and copper hydrometallurgical plant, procurement, delivery of main process equipment as well as installation supervision, training and start-up services,” the company said.

Kazikaev said in Baikail’s release: “A unique flotation and hydrometallurgical Udokan ore processing flowsheet including bulk and sulphide flotation, leaching, solvent extraction (SX) and electrowinning (EW) was developed as a result of long-term research performed by BMC together with major Russian and international engineering companies.”

Outotec equipment, expected to be delivered in 2020, was selected for the implementation of this ore processing flowsheet, Baikail said.

Teräsvasara said: “We are happy to enter into cooperation with Baikal Mining Company on such a significant project. Our high-end technologies and competent service shall enable Baikal Mining Company to develop consistently and improve production efficiency.”

Baikal said flotation cells with the capacity varying from 20-300 m³ were expected to be used for flotation beneficiation of ores, while hydrometallurgical processing would employ reactors, high-compression thickeners, modular SX units and EW equipment. The latter is expected to reduce the construction period by 20%, Baikal noted.

A fully-automatic cathode withdrawal and loading crane and cathode stripping machine shall alos be applied for copper EW, according to the company.

Kazikaev said the Udokan Mining and Metallurgical Plant shall be the first plant in Russia to use these technologies, all of which are “notable for ore processing potential irrespective of the quality and oxidation of the ore and achieving high process performance”.

Stage one annual capacity of the plant is expected to be 12 Mt/y, with start-up in in 2022. There are also plans for a further exansion up to 48 Mt/y, according to Baikal.

Customised Uralmashplant electric excavator goes to work at East Mining’s Solntsevsky coal mine

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An excavator manufactured by Uralmashplant (Ekaterinburg) and customised by East Mining Co has been put into operation at the Solntsevsky coal mine in Sakhalin, Russia, the miner says.

The EKG-20 excavator is designed to excavate overburden in the mine, according to East Mining, and is paired with 220-ton capacity Belaz dump trucks.

“The special feature of this excavator, as compared with the similar models, is a modified bucket capacity,” the company said, adding that the capacity was increased from standard 20 cu.m to 22 cu.m.

This is the 21st excavator to go into operation at Solntsevsky, but it is the first homemade electric excavator, East Mining said.

The company previously purchased and used electrohydraulic excavators from manufacturers in Japan and Germany, but the serial manufacturing of the EKG-20 started nearly three years ago.

“Not only it is similar in performance with foreign alternatives, but also provides a more cost-effective excavation,” the company said. “The machinery is 95% made of Russian components, equipped with a modern AC drive, information management system, detection system for assemblies and mechanisms, workflow parameters checkout system.”

Igor Kovach, the Director of Solntsevsky coal mine, said: “The excavator is wholly-electric. The use of AC drive considerably decreases machine operation expenses. Moreover, the life cycle of EKG-20 is 20 years, while the lifecycle of electrohydraulic excavators is seven years. All this has a positive impact on the corporate economics: according to our estimates, this excavator, as compared with electrohydraulic machines, allows us to reduce excavation of 1 cu.m of overburden two-to-three times.”

The excavator is 18 m tall, over 30 m wide and weighs around 750 tons (680 t). Today, is it the biggest open-mine machine in Sakhalin.

The assembly of excavation equipment was made at the coal mine by the manufacturing company representatives and local specialists.