Tag Archives: Shaft sinking

Ivanplats reports on Platreef PGM-nickel-copper-gold project progress

Base metals, Mine shafts and equipment, Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , ,

Following a site visit to the Platreef PGM-nickel-copper-gold asset in South Africa just after this month’s Mining Indaba, Ivanplats has provided an update on progress at the project.

In July 2017, Ivanhoe, which indirectly owns 64% of the Platreef project through its subsidiary, Ivanplats, issued an independent, definitive feasibility study (DFS) for Platreef covering the first phase of production at an initial mining rate of 4 Mt/y. The DFS estimated Platreef’s initial, average annual production rate would be 476,000 oz of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, plus 21 MIb (9,525 t) of nickel and 13 MIb (5,897 t) of copper.

In the latest update, Ivanplats said good progress continued to be made on Shaft 1’s 850-m-level station. This is the second of three horizontal mining access stations planned for Shaft 1 at Platreef on the northern limb of the Bushveld Complex.

Platreef said: “The first underground mining access station has been constructed at the 750-m level, following earlier development of a water-pumping station at the 450-m level. The third mining access station will be developed at a mine-working depth of 950 m.”

Shaft 1 is expected to reach its projected, final depth of approximately 980 m below surface, complete with all four of the stations, in early 2020, Ivanplats said. The mining zones in the current Platreef mine plan occur at depths ranging from approximately 700 m to 1,200 m below surface.

Construction also is underway on the concrete foundation for the project’s main production shaft ─ Shaft 2, according to Ivanplats. “This foundation will support the 103-m-tall concrete headgear (headframe) that will house Shaft 2’s permanent hoisting facilities and support the shaft collar,” the company said.

Shaft 2 will have an internal diameter of 10 m and will be equipped with two 40-t rock-hoisting skips with a capacity to hoist a total of 6 Mt/y of ore – the single largest hoisting capacity at any mine in Africa, according to Ivanplats.

The South African beneficiaries of the approved broad-based, black economic empowerment structure have a 26% stake in the Platreef project. The remaining 10% is owned by a Japanese consortium of ITOCHU Corp; Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation; and Japan Gas Corp.

Resolution Copper ready to sink to new depths in Arizona

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Resolution Copper says, after completing the two-year-long rehabilitation phase of the underground mine, in Arizona, it is ready to move to the deepening phase of what could end up being one of the biggest copper mines in the world

Resolution, owned 55:45 by Rio Tinto and BHP, is the owner of the massive Resolution copper project.

In a project update, the company said the proposed mine continued to make progress on all fronts.

“Resolution Copper recently reached a key milestone in its development, with other critical work on track for completion in the near future,” the company said.

Work is progressing on schedule to deepen the historic No 9 shaft, originally constructed in 1971, according to the company. The project scope consists of rehabilitating the shaft, sinking it to approximately 2,086 m and linking it with the newer No 10 shaft completed in 2014.

The rehabilitation phase was completed in December 2018 after approximately two years, and the deepening phase will require another two years, commencing in the June quarter of 2019, according to Resolution. This would see the deepening phase completed in early 2021.

“Connecting the shafts will enhance safety and establish the basis for developing towards the copper deposit,” Resolution said. “The shaft connection will provide a second egress route between the two shafts and improve ventilation.”

The No 9 shaft deepening project has made significant achievements over the last three months, according to the company.

“Following successful cleanup of the existing shaft bottom in December 2018, the shaft crew proceeded to outfit the 4,000-ft (1,219-m) level with a bulk air cooler that will chill the intake air for the No 9 shaft sinking,” Resolution said.

“The crews sinking the shaft use a Galloway work stage (pictured), which allows the miners to do their work with a high degree of automation, withdraw during the blast, and then quickly return to the bottom and repeat the cycle.”

The five-deck work stage has four jumbo drills, two shaft mucking machines, a concrete pouring system, and all the tools needed to advance the utilities (pipelines, electricity, etc). The Galloway used to complete the shaft rehabilitation was also removed from the shaft to make room for the sinking Galloway, which is specially designed to support the deepening work, according to Resolution.

“Removal and installation of these Galloways involved technically complex lifts with multiple steps that were well planned for safe and efficient execution,” the company said.

Another significant achievement was the successful phase-1 commissioning and testing of the emergency generator system, Resolution said.

“In the event of a site power outage, the addition of these generators provides the ability to operate the auxiliary hoists for both No. 10 and No. 9 shafts and to restart the necessary refrigeration, ventilation and pumping to maintain the infrastructure at Temporary Pump Level 2,” Resolution said.

Looking forward, the project will focus on surface setup and shaft services work to support the sinking, completing the infrastructure installation on the 4,000 level, which is underway, and finishing the Oak Flat substation transformer upgrade, Resolution said.

The proposed underground block cave mine at Resolution is expected to become the largest copper mine in North America, capable of producing nearly 25% of US copper demand each year. As at Codelco El Teniente, the mining method will be panel caving, which allows for the mining of very large relatively low-grade underground orebodies by dividing the deposit into smaller strips, or panels, so that the ore can be removed in a safe and efficient manner.

Ore production from the underground operations will be a nominal 120,000 t/d after an extensive construction and ramp-up period. The maximum throughput will be approximately 150,000 t/d. Ore will be crushed underground and then transported by conveyor to two production shafts and hoisted to an underground midway offloading station within the two production shafts.

Resolution Copper will use a standard-gauge rail system that will allow bottom-dump railcars to be gravity-loaded with ore delivered from overhead chutes, according to the company. These railcars will be routed to the dump station above the underground crushing facilities. Resolution Copper will use electric semi-autonomous locomotives to pull the railcars. The rail system will be a looped configuration, with two parallel drifts spaced on approximately 18 m centres in the production areas.

In total, approximately 594 pieces of mobile equipment are expected to be employed, which includes the large LHD fleet for the extraction level, moving ore from the drawpoints to the ore passes.

The mine is expected to reach depths of up to 2,100 m and temperatures in excess of 70°C. Last year, Rob Atkinson, former Head of Productivity & Technical Support for Rio’s G&I team, said operating at such a depth meant it really had to be “a fully autonomous mine”.

Master Drilling edges closer to launch of MTB and BSB technologies

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The worldwide launch of Master Drilling’s Mobile Tunnel Borer (MTB) machine (pictured) is moving closer, with unveiling and commissioning set to take place next month, the company said in its latest financial results.

On top of this, the company’s Blind Shaft Boring (BSB) technology is expected to be launched in the March quarter of 2019.

This news comes amid a “satisfactory” set of financial results for the company in the six months to the end of June, where revenue increased 11.3% year-on-year to $67.4 million, operating profit rose 6% to $12.9 million and headline earnings per share decreased 10.6% to $0.059.

“The macroeconomic environment remained challenging across a number of markets during the first half of the year but our ability to report stable profitability amid tough conditions suggests that Master Drilling’s strategy does not only position the business for future growth but also supports the business throughout the economic cycle,” Danie Pretorius, CEO of Master Drilling, said.

Master Drilling said the addition of a new machine and the acquisition of the remaining shareholding in Sweden-based Bergteamet Raiseboring Europe AB drove the increase in revenue, but the strength in emerging market currencies proved challenging, with the South Africa rand accounting for a large portion of the company’s costs.

The company, however, thinks the latter will be short lived.

“Given the recent weakening of emerging market currencies, we anticipate that the adverse effect of the stronger South African rand on our business in H1 2018 will reverse in H2 2018 which, given the strength of the pipeline and new enquiries, should bode well for Master Drilling,” Master Drilling said.

Master Drilling also has some interesting technology launches on the horizon, which could provide further sales opportunities.

In February, Master Drilling announced the launch of the MTB machine for continuous mining without blasting.

The MTB can bore out an excavation of 4.5 m and/or 5.5 m in diameter at a rate that far exceeds conventional tunnel construction methods, delivering various infrastructure solutions such as for declines, ramps, haulages and contact tunnels in hard rock with compressive strengths in excess of 300 MPa (more information can be found in IM‘s May issue).

Its modular construction makes it also possible to retrofit to existing operations and major mining companies have expressed interest in deploying Master Drilling’s first MTB once commissioned.

In addition to this, the company said progress continued on the BSB technology, with a launch date of the March quarter planned.

The BSB is a mechanised system for boring a vertical shaft to a depth of 2,000 m with finished diameters ranging from 10 m to 13 m. No underground access is required for the BSB to start boring operations as a shaft sinking method.

Nordmin proposes artificial shaft freezing for NioCorp’s Elk Creek underground project

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The Nordmin Group of Companies has put forward the idea of using artificial ground freezing technology at NioCorp’s Elk Creek critical minerals project in Nebraska, US, as part of a plan to accelerate the sinking of the production and ventilation shafts for the underground mine.

Nordmin said use of this technology was “technically feasible” and could assist in controlling the inflow of water encountered during shaft sinking operations, according to NioCorp.

“The technology may also improve productivity during shaft sinking operations, and eliminate the need for substantial dewatering operations prior to the onset of shaft sinking,” NioCorp added.

Elk Creek is currently envisaged as a 2,760 t/d underground mine using long-hole open stoping with backfilling. The mine is expected to cost close to $1 billion to build and produce 7,055 t/y of ferroniobium, 103 t/y of scandium oxide and 11,445 t/y of titanium dioxide over a 32-year life.

This is based on a probable reserve base of 31.7 million tonnes at 0.79% Nb2O5, 71.6 g/t Sc and 2.81% TiO2.

In addition to putting forward the alternative ground freezing technology option, Nordmin also confirmed bedrock water encountered during mining operations could be handled without the 53 km waterline to the Missouri River included in the revised feasibility study from last year.

This could significantly reduce the time required for permitting the mine, NioCorp said.

“Removing the project’s plans for a waterline to the Missouri River eliminates the project’s need for an additional Section 404 permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers,” the company said.

This permit would have triggered the need for an environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act, a process that can take months or more to complete, according to NioCorp.

The waterline removal also eliminates the need for Elk Creek to secure a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Permit from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.

NioCorp CEO and Executive Chairman Mark Smith said he was particularly pleased that “Nordmin clearly focused its efforts on proposing a mine design that maximises value and minimises environmental impacts”.

While the total upfront capital cost of the waterline and mine dewatering infrastructure, including contingencies, added up to $127.1 million in the latest feasibility study, NioCorp said investors could not simply subtract this amount from the upfront cost.

“A variety of factors beyond underground mining operations may impact the overall economics of the Elk Creek project and these factors may involve higher or lower upfront capex than was previously estimated in the 2017 revised Elk Creek feasibility study,” NioCorp said.

Chief among these is the additional incremental project capital needed for the artificial ground freezing technology not previously included.

NioCorp said its immediate plans involve fully evaluation Nordmin’s designs for the underground mine and initiating detailed engineering for the surface portions of the project as funds become available.

Late last year, the Nebraska government granted conditional approval for a major tax incentives package for Elk Creek.

Condra Cranes to speed up Shaft 6 work at Oyu Tolgoi

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Oyu Tolgoi’s copper-gold underground development in Mongolia is set for a boost after its owners ordered two portal machines from South Africa’s Condra Cranes & Hoists.

The pre-sinking phase at OT’s Shaft 6 will use “advanced techniques enabled by pioneering crane design”, Condra said.

Pre sinking is expected to be completed in less than a quarter of the time considered the norm – four months instead of the usual eighteen, the company said.

“The Condra portal is radically different from the level-luffing type of crane traditionally used for pre sinking. Instead, a high-speed, high-lift main hoist removes excavated material vertically, by kibble, through an opening in the centre of a drilling stage positioned by two separate stage winders mounted on the same portal frame,” Condra said.

The portal machines come with a lift speed of one metre per second, 15 times faster than the four metres per minute found in standard mine workshop applications, according to the company.

The advanced portal design was researched during 2013 for incorporation in a prototype machine used at a new diamond mining shaft the following year.

In addition to an innovative frame design and dramatically increased lift speed on the main hoist, the portal crane also incorporates improved drives, gearboxes and safety devices, better cabin access and enhanced operation by remote control.

During the pre-sink phase at OT, the machines will stand over the mouths of the main and auxiliary rescue shafts, and remain in place until the shafts have been drilled, blasted, supported, cleaned and lined with concrete.

Oyu Tolgoi is a combined open-pit and underground project located some 550 km south of Monglia’s capital, Ulaanbataar. It is owned 66% by Turquoise Hill Resources (THR) and 34% by the Mongolian government, with Rio Tinto holding a majority stake in THR.

When the underground mine is fully ramped up in 2027, Oyu Tolgoi is expected to produce more than 500,000 tonnes of copper a year.

Condra began manufacture of the first of the portals for Oyu Tolgoi in early July, when the long-lead assemblies order was received. The main order was received on July 24.

Oyu Tolgoi’s pre-sink cranes will be bigger and faster than the diamond mining machine (pictured), and will feature improved electronics, Condra said. Importantly, lifting speed of the 160 kW 15-t main hoist on the new portals will double to 60 m/min.

The portal frame itself will comprise a 14-m high, 12-m span extended by 3.2-m cantilevers on both sides to allow excavated material to be moved to dump trucks using roads adjacent to the shaft. Stairwells will replace the cat ladders of the diamond mine portal.

Below-ground lift height will be 100 m, and the complete machine will weigh 88 tonnes.

Completion of both cranes, the design of which makes provision for disassembly and containerisation, is scheduled for early November. They will be shipped to Mongolia via China.

GCR Mongolia wins more Oyu Tolgoi work

Base metals, Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Energy minerals, Mine operation news, Mine shafts and equipment, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Precious metals,

The GCR Mongolia joint venture has won more work at Oyu Tolgoi, with the three partners set to design, construct and commission the sinking and lining of Shaft #3 and #4 and build the stage one material handling system at the copper-gold underground project.

GCR was previously awarded a contract by Jacobs Engineering to carry out bulk and detailed earthworks, civil and concrete works for major concrete structures and buried services, plus decommission 35 kV overhead powerlines at Oyu Tolgoi.

The shaft sinking aspect of the new contract involves blind sinking and concrete lining of the two shafts, while the material handling system will require the installation of 9 km of conveyors able to transport ore to surface at 6,500 tonnes per hour.

Oyu Tolgoi, in the southern Gobi Desert of Mongolia, is expected to produce 622,000 tonnes of copper and 669,000 ounces of gold at its peak in 2025. It is jointly owned by the government of Mongolia (34 %) and Turquoise Hill Resources (66 %), with Rio Tinto the majority owner of the latter.

GCR Mongolia is a registered Mongolian company that combines the expertise and experience of Gobi Infrastructure Partners, Clough Projects International and RUC Cementation Mining. It is focused on providing clients a complete solution to construction, infrastructure and mining development projects throughout the region.

Poland’s JSW to become majority owner of Kopex shaft sinking business

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Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa (JSW), one of Europe’s largest coking coal miners, has signed an agreement to purchase a 95% stake in shaft sinking company Przedsiębiorstwo Budowy Szybów (PBS) from the Kopex Group.

The agreement covering the basic terms of the PLN 205.3 million transaction was signed on July 17 by JSW and Kopex representatives. Kopex was recently acquired by the FAMUR Group, which has a strong relationship with JSW.

Bartosz Bielak, Vice President of Kopex, said the sale had been on the cards since the TDJ Group, the parent compant of FAMUR, agreed to takeover Kopex and restructure the group back in December 2016.

“[The transaction] will allow us to focus on improving the operational model and implementing the new development strategy of the FAMUR Group,” he said (translated from Polish).

PBS’s main business is tied to shaft sinking, but it also offers construction, architectural and engineering services, in addition to rental, installation and repair of machinery and equipment for mining, quarrying and construction.

According to its website, it has carried out 132,300 m of shaft sinking, including 35,000 m in hard coal mines and 67,000m in ore mines.

The transaction is subject to obtaining merger clearance from the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, “release of encumbrances on PBS assets and on the shares to be sold in the transaction,…conclusion of satisfactory agreements with the trade unions of PBS and the two largest trading partners of PBS (Tauron Wydobycie SA and KGHM Polska Miedź SA) in order to confirm the status of the contracts, and obtaining of JSW bondholders’ consent and corporate approvals”.