Tag Archives: SGS

SGS to start offering PhotonAssay analysis in Orange, New South Wales

Mineral exploration, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

SGS is expanding its Chrysos PhotonAssay™ offering, confirming that it will be able to offer analysis using this technology at its Orange laboratory in New South Wales, Australia, from December.

The Orange laboratory was opened in July 2022 with an aim of delivering first class geochemistry testing services to clients across Australia.

Back in 2021, SGS said it was expanding its service delivery in obtaining Chrysos PhotonAssay technology as an alternative to traditional fire assay procedures. The two companies – SGS and Chrysos – reached an agreement to install a PhotonAssay unit at SGS’s Australian Minerals Regional Hub in Perth, Western Australia.

Hitting samples with high-energy X-rays, Chrysos PhotonAssay causes excitation of atomic nuclei allowing rapid and enhanced analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements. Importantly, the non-destructive process allows large samples of up to 500 g to be measured and provides a “true” bulk reading independent of the chemical or physical form of the sample, the companies say. The technology is also measurably safer and more environmentally friendly than previous assay processes, aligning with SGS’s core principle of achieving a better, safer, and more interconnected world, SGS added.

PhotonAssay provides enhanced analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements in as little as two minutes, improving turnaround time, SGS says.

Chrysos said it processed 1.3 million samples in the three-month period to September 30, with 54 currently deployed or contractually-committed PhotonAssay units in total.

SGS to operate on-site geochemistry lab featuring PhotonAssay tech at Barrick’s North Mara

Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

SGS, a leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, has announced a new contract to open and operate a 2,025 sq.m on-site geochemistry laboratory at the North Mara mine, in Tanzania, owned by Barrick Gold.

The state-of-the-art laboratory will be equipped to provide sample preparation, analytical testing and fire assay, using PhotonAssay™ technology, an environmentally friendly, non-destructive method for gold analysis. The facility will be managed by a dedicated team of 67 full-time SGS employees, ensuring efficient operation and high-quality service, the company says.

Lawrence Ng, Vice-President Geochemistry at SGS, said: “The introduction of the Chrysos PhotonAssay technology on-site represents a significant advancement in gold analysis. This innovative technology not only provides our clients with real-time data, aiding them in making informed decisions throughout the value chain, but also contributes to the optimisation of processes to potentially increase productivity.”

PhotonAssay, Chrysos says, delivers faster, safer and more accurate analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements by non-destructive measurement of larger and more representative samples in as little as two minutes, enabling rapid turnaround of critical operational information that drives optimisation throughout the mining value chain.

The system, originally developed at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, provides an environmentally-friendly, chemical-free, more sustainable replacement for traditional fire assay methods, significantly reducing CO2 emissions and hazardous waste.

SGS signs JV with Golden Compass to open geochem lab in Saudi Arabia

Environmental, Mining services, , ,

SGS has announced a joint venture agreement with Golden Compass, one of Saudi Arabia’s largest exploration and mining consultancy and service providers, to open and operate a new geochemistry laboratory in Saudi Arabia.

This lab will provide sample preparation and geochemistry analysis to the mining and minerals industry in the country, SGS says.

Saudi Arabia has committed to the development of the mining and minerals industry, as part of its Vision 2030. The country is home to a largely unexplored landmass, with geological resources estimated to exceed $2.5 trillion according to some reports. More than 48 minerals have been identified, including base metals, precious metals, industrial metals and rare earth elements.

The new commercial laboratory will support the country’s growing mining ambitions and ensure that local explorers and mining operators have access to world-class testing services, SGS says. The joint venture will maximise the strengths of SGS’s analytical experience and services across the mining lifecycle, in addition to Golden Compass’s mining operations and drilling and exploration consultancy services.

“We are excited to build on SGS’s established presence in Saudi Arabia by adding geochemistry services, especially at a time when there is significant growth in the mining and minerals industry,” Lawrence Ng, Global Vice President, Geochemistry at SGS, says. “Together with our joint venture partner, we look forward to helping exploration and mining companies identify, quantify and realise the full potential of their mineral deposits.”

The new commercial laboratory, operated by SGS experts, will be located in Jeddah. It is expected to open in the December quarter of 2024 and will provide:

  • Sample preparation, including drying, crushing, pulverising and sieving;
  • Fire assays with AAS and gravimetric finish multi-element testing;
  • ICP-OES;
  • ICP-MS; and
  • Carbon and sulphur analysis.

This laboratory will have the latest equipment and follow SGS’s strict quality assurance and quality control standards to maintain the same high level of analysis expected of SGS worldwide, the company says.

Meshary AlAli AlDehashi, CEO of Golden Compass, said: “This investment will contribute to achieving SGS – Golden Compass investment goals to support and enhance local content by localizing some mining services. This will help realize the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which focuses on transforming the kingdom into a major mining hub.”

SGS tackles critical mineral testing, pathfinder analysis with new automated pXRF solution

Automation, Base metals, Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral exploration, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

SGS, a leading testing, inspection and certification company, has unveiled Automated pXRF (Portable X-ray Fluorescence) technology to, it says, further support its clients in unlocking future-focused solutions.

Designed and developed by SGS and Evident, this solution marks a significant leap forward from the conventional, manual XRF process or the in-field pXRF service, SGS claims.

The current method of manual XRF analysis requires dedicated operators to load and unload each powder rock sample individually. SGS’s Automated pXRF technology introduces a mechanised solution that streamlines the entire process. This innovation provides a more stable and reliable environment and allows operators to load up to 20 sample trays, improving efficiency of the analysis, according to the company. The new design and capability reduces turnaround time and analysis costs, expediting the delivery of critical insights for geological modelling.

The Automated pXRF system also increases the quality and consistency of sample measurement with high accuracy and repeatability, while reducing human error associated with manual loading and operator involvement during analysis. This advancement improves data reliability and enhances decision making for businesses reliant on precise analysis across critical mineral analysis and gold and lithium pathfinders.

Juan Smith, General Manager of Natural Resources Australia, and Regional Geochem Manager for Southeast Asia Pacific, said: “Our clients are constantly looking at which technologies can deliver better and faster results, and automated pXRF will be a game changer. This innovation aligns seamlessly with our dedication to providing industry-leading solutions that redefine standards. The Automated pXRF system reflects SGS’s unwavering commitment to efficiency, accuracy and safety, ultimately benefiting our clients and the environment.”

SGS said the unveiling of SGS’s Automated pXRF technology is poised to “reshape” critical mineral and pathfinder analysis, setting new benchmarks for efficiency, quality and safety.

SGS in Australia is already providing the service to several Tier One mining companies, ensuring bespoke solutions for each client, it says.

The company concluded: “With its capability to process a high volume of samples while reducing costs and enhancing data reliability, SGS continues to lead the way in technological advancements within the TIC industry.”

BHP to receive ‘world’s first carbon neutral conveyor belts’ from China’s Wuxi Boton

Bulk handling, Environmental, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

China’s Wuxi Boton has announced the world’s first carbon neutral conveyor belts for delivery to BHP’s Spence copper mine in Chile in August as part of an exclusive pilot project between the two companies.

The two companies jointly developed this pilot project, under which the conveyor belts were verified by SGS, a leading testing, inspection and certification company, as meeting the requirements of PAS 2060:2014 (specification for the demonstration of carbon neutrality).

SGS awarded the world’s first certificate of “Achievement of Carbon Neutrality for Steel Cord Rubber Conveyor Belt” to a batch of belts produced by Boton for BHP. The conveyor belts will be shipped to BHP’s Spence copper mine, where they will be used in the production and transportation of Spence mining products to customers around the world, including China.

The scope of the pilot project was for Wuxi Boton, as the incumbent contractor for BHP’s operations at both Minerals Australia and Minerals America, to select the conveyor belts to be ordered by BHP and identify how to offset the estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the production of those conveyor belts using high-quality carbon offsets prior to delivery.

BHP’s Group Procurement Officer, James Agar, said: “Wuxi Boton have been a reliable partner to BHP for over eight years, supplying high-quality conveyor belts to our assets in Australia and Chile. Both companies are committed to mitigating climate change in accordance with their respective climate targets and goals. This shared vision of a better world led Wuxi Boton, in December 2021, to extend the offer of an exclusive pilot to deliver a carbon neutral conveyor belt to BHP.

“The partnership with Wuxi Boton has been invaluable in helping BHP verify the feasibility of using high-quality carbon offsets to GHG emissions in our supply chain (Scope 3) and grow the potential demand for supplying ‘traced’, ‘low carbon’, or ‘carbon neutral’ products amongst our suppliers.”

Wuxi Boton’s Chairman, Zhifang Bao, said: “It is difficult for any enterprise to achieve low-carbon transformation on its own. Only by building a global platform, co-operating with the whole industry chain, and jointly exploring low-carbon technologies and road maps can we reach the other shore.

“Therefore, joint innovation is an inevitable choice. Instead of passively accepting, it is better to take the initiative to lead, which is a very important choice faced by enterprises all over the world. We are pleased to see that the partnership between BHP and Boton has expanded from a single business level to a strategic synergy level. In the journey of global energy transition, leading companies, including Boton and BHP, are jointly working towards building a more sustainable future.”

SGS completes expansion of minerals and metals testing lab in Spijkenisse

Base metals, Mineral exploration, Mining services, , , ,

SGS, one of the world’s largest testing, inspection and certification companies, has completed the expansion of its state-of-the-art minerals and metals testing laboratory in Spijkenisse, the Netherlands, enhancing the facility’s testing capacity to support global business.

The company, back in July 2021, announced it was expanding the testing hub on a rising demand for testing services.

The facility, which includes the existing laboratory as well as the recently opened extension, can test a wide variety of minerals and metals. Among these are copper, lead, zinc, gold and silver concentrates, as well as industrial minerals, ferrous metals, intermediate products and high-purity metals.

The laboratory is ISO/IEC 17025- and ISO 9001-accredited and is an approved LME Listed Sampler and Assayer, according to SGS. It provides a range of services, including:

  • High-value umpire analysis for commercial settlement;
  • Platinum group metals (PGM) analysis;
  • Electrogravimetric analysis;
  • Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and atomic absorption (AA) testing;
  • Titration;
  • Combustion analysis;
  • Transportable moisture limit (TML) and flow moisture point (FMP) testing; and
  • Advanced fire assay testing via the state-of-the-art fire assay department.

This facility is a “Center of Excellence” that serves SGS’s global minerals and metals clients, providing them with a consistently high-quality output, the company says. The laboratory operates in accordance with the industry’s latest best practices, as well as leading global safety and sustainability standards.

Thanks to the laboratory’s strategic location near the port of Rotterdam and its first-class capabilities, the expansion of the Spijkenisse facility offers even faster and more accurate results to SGS’s customers, the company added.

SGS to support Côte d’Ivoire mining industry with new geochemistry lab

Mineral exploration, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , ,

SGS has opened a new geochemistry laboratory in Yamoussoukra, Côte d’Ivoire, as it looks to support a growing local mining industry.

Ivory Coast has huge untapped resources, with estimates that two-thirds of the country is covered in untapped mineral deposits, SGS said. Gold remains one of Ivory Coast’s most valuable mineral resources, with output rising significantly in the previous decade, from 12 t in 2011 to 25 t in 2017 and around 32.5 t in 2019.

To support the country’s growing gold mining industry, SGS has opened a new commercial laboratory in Yamoussoukro. The laboratory, equipped with atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and fire assay equipment, provides, SGS says, an extensive range of services related to sample preparation and fire assay analytical testing.

Services include:

  • Au by fire assay with AAS finishing;
  • Au by fire assay with gravimetric finishing;
  • Au by screen fire assay with AAS finishing;
  • Au in carbon by aqua-regia digestion with AAS finishing;
  • Bullion analyses with gravimetric finishing;
  • Other base metals by aqua-regia digestion with AAS finishing;
  • Au in solution by AAS;
  • Specific gravity by gravimetric finishing;
  • Bulk density with paraffin wax by displacement; and
  • Physical tests: pH.

Strategically located in central Ivory Coast, the Yamoussoukro laboratory is close to key mining exploration sites. SGS employees are on hand seven days a week, supporting discoveries for greenfield as well as brownfield projects by providing full fire assay analyses with quick turnaround times, the company said.

Aurelien Nguessan, Laboratory Manager, said: “SGS can now offer mining exploration companies in Ivory Coast complete support, going above and beyond our existing sample preparation capabilities. It’s an exciting time for the industry – and for the country as a whole.”

This new laboratory will complement the services already offered by SGS’ commercial geochemistry labs in the region, including those in Tarkwa (Ghana), Bamako (Mali) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).

Nussir to present zero-emission mining plan at The Electric Mine

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nussir ASA and its ambition to develop the world’s first zero-emission copper mine in Kvalsund, Norway, will end up becoming a case study the whole mining sector learns from.

While some pioneering mining projects are aiming for all-electric operations through the use of battery-electric equipment, Nussir argues its copper project would be the first truly all-electric zero emissions mine in the world as all machines and processes will be powered by renewable energy.

With a brand new (as of January 31, 2022) all-electric feasibility study from SRK in hand, the company is able to outline a project that would involve the development of an underground mine extracting ore from the Nussir and Ulveryggen orebodies. These two have reserves of 162,000 t of contained copper, according to a recent report from the consultants. Total resources, including the inferred resource category, stand at about 80 Mt of ore, according to the company.

SRK is not the only company helping Nussir achieve its vision. It has signed up Leonard Nilsen og Sonner AS (LNS) to carry out potentially the largest mining contract in Norwegian history with 130 km of tunnelling over 10 years; as well as worked with leading OEMs on all-electric mobile equipment; Woodgrove on flotation, instrumentation, automation, flowsheet, PID and process design; Metso Outotec on milling; SGS on flotation, grinding and settling test work; Sintef on rock mechanics; and SRK on the mine plan itself, scheduling and capital and operating expenditure calculations.

Øystein Rushfeldt, CEO of Nussir

The company has also managed to obtain all necessary permits to start construction of the mine, which is located on the site of a former operating open-pit that ceased operations in 1979; and, importantly, signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Hammerfest Municipality as a way of indicating broad support from local political parties.

With the publication of feasibility study and news of further contracts and financing due in the first half of this year, the news flow and attention is due to ramp up in 2022.

Attendees of The Electric Mine 2022, in Stockholm, Sweden, on February 17-18, can hear all about this from Øystein Rushfeldt, CEO of Nussir, in his presentation ‘Nussir: The path to zero-emission mining’.

For more information about The Electric Mine 2022, please click here: www.theelectricmine.com

Evaluate ore sorting options at prefeasibility study stage, TOMRA’s Rutledge says

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining events, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , ,

TOMRA Mining is making a case for its sensor-based ore sorting solutions to be evaluated earlier in the mining project evaluation phase, with Jordan Rutledge, Area Sales Manager, arguing that consideration of its use at the very beginning of flowsheet discussions can influence up- and down-stream equipment selection.

The company’s sensor-based ore sorting systems have spread across the mining sector, migrating from industrial minerals and diamond operations to base and precious metals.

Speaking at a sensor-based sorting seminar in Toronto, Canada, held late last month, Rutledge (pictured) said the use of the technology needed to be considered early in the mine development scope in order to leverage the most benefit for the operation.

“Sensor-based sorting should be considered in the flowsheet from the beginning and evaluated in prefeasibility studies to see if it is suitable for the project and will add value to the plant,” she said.

“In many cases, sorting works really well and, as we continue to go towards a green economy, the use of our resources is vitally important. In order to make the best use of them, sorting plays a critical role.”

Rutledge, an event organiser and presenter, joined 40 participants from across Canada at the seminar, which included representatives from miners such as Agnico Eagle, Capstone Mining and Cheetah Resources; from laboratories such as testing and certification company SGS and the Saskatchewan Research Council ; from engineering companies such as DRA Global, Primero, CIMA and Halyard; and students from the University of Toronto.

“The event highlighted the important role of sensor-based sorting technologies in green mining and their potential to unlock significant value in mining projects, as well as the possibilities of digitalisation for supporting customers and managing connected equipment,” TOMRA said.

SGS adds Chrysos PhotonAssay services to Australian Minerals Regional Hub

Environmental, Metallurgy, Mineral exploration, Mining services, , , , , , ,

SGS says it is expanding its service delivery in obtaining Chrysos PhotonAssay™ technology as an alternative to traditional fire assay procedures.

The two companies – SGS and Chrysos – have reached an agreement to install a PhotonAssay unit at SGS’s Australian Minerals Regional Hub in Perth, Western Australia.

PhotonAssay provides enhanced analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements in as little as two minutes, improving turnaround time, SGS said.

“SGS is at the forefront of innovation excellence in the minerals and mining sectors with leading automation across FTIR, pXRF, NIR and now PhotonAssay, which will support mining and exploration customers with faster, safer and more environmentally friendly analysis,” SGS said.

Chrysos Corporation Chief Executive, Dirk Treasure, said: “Chrysos is excited to be working with the SGS team. The installation of this new PhotonAssay unit at their cutting-edge facility in Perth reflects the desire of both organisations to deliver unparalleled levels of customer service through faster, safer and more sustainable assaying technologies.”

Hitting samples with high-energy X-rays, Chrysos PhotonAssay causes excitation of atomic nuclei allowing rapid and enhanced analysis of gold, silver and complementary elements. Importantly, the non-destructive process allows large samples of up to 500 g to be measured and provides a “true” bulk reading independent of the chemical or physical form of the sample, the companies said. The technology is also measurably safer and more environmentally friendly than previous assay processes, aligning with SGS’s core principle of achieving a better, safer, and more interconnected world, SGS said.

Derick Govender, Executive Vice President, Natural Resources, SGS, said: “As the leading testing, inspection, and certification service provider to the mining industry globally, SGS continues to seek new, innovative and sustainable solutions to further enhance our services to our customers. In adopting Chrysos PhotonAssay technology at our Perth facility, SGS will continue to work on further deployments of this technology within our global network. Our team’s technical expertise and insight into our customer`s value chain end-to-end is one of our key advantages that allows us to develop innovative solutions.”

Chrysos Corp has already worked with MinAnalytical, MSALABS and Intertek on deploying PhotonAssay units at labs.