Tag Archives: Scotland

hiSky twins Smartellite terminals with Inmarsat GX network for improved IoT device comms

5th July 2022Communications in mining, IoT, Mining services, Mining softwareGlobal Xpress, Inmarsat, IoT, Ka-band, Mike Carter, Phil Meyers, Scotland, SmartelliteDaniel Gleeson

hiSky Ltd, a developer and provider of satellite IoT solutions, has announced the successful completion of compatibility testing of its Smartellite™ terminals with the highly sophisticated, award-winning and high-speed Global Xpress (GX) network from Inmarsat, a leader in global, mobile satellite communications.

The move marks the first step in a long-term partnership between the two companies, using Inmarsat’s geostationary (GEO) Ka-band capabilities to provide a low-cost, high-value offering to hiSky’s IoT customers. The technology will be available to customers active in enterprise sectors including agriculture, transport, mining, energy and utilities across selected territories.

hiSky’s proprietary Smartellite terminal technology has proven to communicate highly effectively with Inmarsat’s GX network – with its high-speed and reliable signals being received by ground infrastructure in Scotland and transferring throughout hiSky’s IoT network offering, hiSky says. This service enables the successful running of IoT devices, as well as voice calls and messaging for both mobile and static enterprise assets.

Mike Carter, President of Inmarsat Enterprise, said: “Inmarsat is pleased to confirm the successful testing of hiSky’s technology with Inmarsat’s GX network. This partnership provides an exciting opportunity across a range of industries to speed up their IoT adoption through affordable and scalable solutions. It is part of our long-standing mission to increase the uptake of satellite-enabled IoT capabilities: from new entrants and disruptors, to established companies of any size.”

Through the partnership, hiSky and Inmarsat have uncovered an opportunity to leverage Inmarsat’s expansive GX network to provide customers with access to the world’s most sophisticated GEO global Ka-band satellite network, typically used by leading companies in the aviation and maritime industries. hiSky’s network is designed to operate within existing satellite networks, enabling fast deployment at minimum capital cost.

The unique Smartellite low-data-rate network leverages the GX’s high throughput to harness IoT operations ideal for typical enterprise use cases, such as dynamic vehicle monitoring. The partnership will allow hiSky’s customers to benefit from a unique Ka-band-driven IoT solution supplied by Inmarsat’s proven resilient high speed and capacity offering.

Phil Meyers, General Manager at hiSky, added: “Improved connectivity can be a game-changer for businesses located in remote, hard-to-reach locations – enhancing productivity, as well as maintaining the safety and wellbeing of those touched by the technology. We’re looking forward to progressing the partnership into use-case scenarios and partnering with major industry players to demonstrate the efficiencies, both in cost and in operations that Inmarsat’s GX network can provide to hiSky’s customers.”

Inmarsat’s abundant Ka-band capacity combined with hiSky’s cost-effective terminals will offer IoT solutions anywhere, affordably, for all remote industries. For customers looking to reduce upfront costs by spacing out their IoT investments, hiSky provides technology to enable businesses of all sizes to quickly scale up IoT monitoring across every touchpoint of their business, accelerating the rate at which they can benefit from the efficiency gains the technology brings.

Scotgold boosts underground fleet at Cononish with DUX truck

2nd June 2021Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Precious metalsCononish, dore, DT-12N, DUX, Epiroc, gold, narrow vein mining, Scotgold, Scotland, SilverDaniel Gleeson

Scotgold, as it looks to further enhance safe production at its Cononish gold-silver mine in Scotland, has added another DUX underground truck to its fleet.

The second DUX truck at Cononish is a DT-12N, a narrow vein version of the DT-12 produced by DUX that measures 1,625 mm wide, has an 11 t payload and a 6 cu.m capacity. The first DT-12N has been operating at the mine for some time.

In the company’s announcement on June 1, it said the mine has been producing both gold concentrate and gravity separated gold dore, following the resolution of various outstanding technical issues affecting the processing plant earlier in the year. The first shipment of concentrate was made on May 11, 2021, achieving a major milestone for the company. The mine poured first gold back in December 2020.

“We shipped 25 t of concentrate at an average of 182.4 g/t of gold, exceeding the target of 150 g/t, achieving maximum price within the agreed terms within the offtake agreement,” the company said. “Modest amounts of gravity gold dore was also produced and sent to refiners this month for further treatment.”

Scotgold said it is encouraged with the mine and process plant performance, although performance had been intermittent to date.

“On given days throughout April and May, both the mine and process plant have been achieving near design rates of production,” it said. “The company is also pleased with the quality of ore that has been mined and produced through the process plant.”

Scotgold says its focus is to further enhance safe production through consistency and stability of mine and process plant operations in parallel with the opening of multiple faces of ore in the underground mine itself.

“The current limited available number of ore faces does limit our immediate ability to focus on the highest-grade ore zones of the Cononish orebody,” it explained. “Having proved that the mine and processing plant can operate as designed, our focus is on reducing outages through more efficient management of spares and having further redundancy in our mining mobile fleet with the arrival of the second haulage DUX truck.”

This new DUX truck will be complemented by an existing fleet that includes an Epiroc T1D single-boom face drilling rig and Epiroc ST2G Scooptram LHD.

When ramped up, Cononish is expected to average annual gold production of 23,370 oz over a nine-year life of mine.

Cononish hits pour milestone on way to becoming Scotland’s first commercial gold mine

1st December 2020Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Precious metalsCononish, gold, Richard Gray, Scotgold Resources, Scotland, SilverDaniel Gleeson

Scotgold Resources has poured first gold at its Cononish underground gold and silver mine, in the Scottish Grampian Mountains area.

Following this first pour – a major milestone in the commissioning of the processing plant – the company is aiming to ramp up production at Cononish to design level early in 2021, taking its place as Scotland’s first commercial gold mine.

In line with its phased development program, Scotgold is now focused on completing an accelerated expansion plan to increase production at the mine to 23,500 oz/y. The current Phase 1 is targeting an annual rate of ore production of 36,000 t and total gold production of 9,910 oz in 2021. Phase 2 will focus on doubling the annual rate of ore production to 72,000 t and a more than doubling in average annual gold production to 23,500 oz.

The company is fully funded to achieve Phase 2 expansion by May 2022, 17 months from the commencement of Phase 1 production.

The current reserve of gold at Cononish is confined to a single narrow, near vertical quartz vein extending above and below the main access on 400 m level, which was originally developed for exploration purposes between 1989 and 1991. The mining method selected for the orebody is retreat, sublevel open stoping.

Scotgold CEO, Richard Gray, said: “Our first gold pour is not only a significant milestone in the development of our Cononish gold and silver project but a milestone on the road to a Scottish gold mining industry. Today’s news is therefore a landmark event both for the company and for Scotland.”