Tag Archives: Solomon

Dyno Nobel, Fortescue sign tech alliance focused on drill and blast decarbonisation

Incitec Pivot Limited’s Dyno Nobel is to extend its supply relationship with Fortescue, with the two parties agreeing to a long-term extension that will see Dyno Nobel continue providing explosives technology and collaborating on key decarbonisation projects to assist Fortescue in reaching its ‘Real Zero’ goal.

A key focus of the new agreement is an innovative technology alliance. As part of this, Dyno Nobel will invest A$5 million ($3.2 million) in new technologies to support Fortescue’s decarbonisation efforts within its drill and blast process. The new agreement will apply across Fortescue’s Pilbara operations: Cloudbreak, Christmas Creek, Solomon and Eliwana. The Iron Bridge project, which Fortescue has a majority stake in, is supplied by Dyno Nobel under a separate contract the two companies announced last year.

Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific President, Greg Hayne, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our relationship with Fortescue who are at the forefront of efforts to decarbonise the mining industry. The agreement will see us ramp up our decarbonisation efforts which will include conversion of our MPU (mobile processing unit) fleet to renewable energy sources and investigating the use of lower carbon footprint, bio-fuel based explosives.

“This is about providing our customers with technology solutions that lower our carbon footprint and, in turn, theirs.”

Fortescue Metals CEO, Dino Otranto, said: “We’re looking forward to continuing our successful partnership with Dyno Nobel, which will deliver blasting services as well as provide new technologies to help us achieve our industry leading target of Real Zero emissions across our Australian iron ore operations.”

The agreement will provide Fortescue with the opportunity to benefit from Dyno Nobel’s commercialisation of a reduced GHG emissions DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY® solution, an explosives method that tailors the energy delivered to different rock layers within a blast hole and across a blast. The efficiencies generated through the use of DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY reduce both overall mining costs and emission volumes for customers, according to Dyno Nobel, with the reduced emissions solution able to reduce Scope 1 emissions by up to 25% in normal blasting circumstances.

Hayne said that since Dyno Nobel’s DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY technology was introduced to the Australian market in 2018 it has provided customers with production and environmental benefits.

“Fortescue has already seen the technology deliver value at their Iron Bridge operations, one of the first sites in Australia to fully benefit from DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY and the results have been very positive. We are now pleased to be increasing these advantages via a reduced emissions offering. It is just another example of our technology innovation happening on the ground.”

He said Dyno Nobel’s technology development aligned with Fortescue’s vision.

“We are looking forward to continuing our successful partnership with Fortescue which has evolved into finding innovative and sustainable solutions for the future by working together,” he said.

Fortescue rewards Monadelphous and Pentium Hydro with more Pilbara work

Fortescue Metals Group has handed out new work to Monadelphous Group and Pentium Hydro at its iron ore operations in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

Engineering company Monadelphous has secured a new five-year crane services contract, valued at around A$150 million ($117 million), with the miner.

The contract is for the provision of crane services supporting general repairs, maintenance and shutdown activities at Fortescue’s Solomon (pictured) and Eliwana operations.

Monadelphous has provided crane services to Fortescue’s Solomon operations since 2017 and, last year, expanded those services to Fortescue’s Eliwana operations.

Vysarn Ltd subsidiary Pentium Hydro, meanwhile, advises that it has amended, via a Deed of Amendment, the agreement for hydrogeological borefield drilling and construction services with Fortescue’s wholly owned Chichester Metals Pty Ltd and FMG Solomon Pty Ltd subsidiaries, previously announced in November 2019.

This amendment will see the term of its contract increased to 36 months, with the option of a two-year extension exercisable by Fortescue. The scope of work has also been amended to include the provision of dual tube flooded reverse drilling services, with an additional drill rig expected to be deployed by April.

At the same time, the companies have amended the revenue model for the contract.

Revenue from works in the original contract was based on key performance indicators for a number of production and monitoring bores and was subject to metres drilled and drill rates. Revenue from works will now be based on a combination of day rates and a schedule of hourly rates, Vysarn said.

Aqura Technologies to boost FMG’s network at Kangi accommodation camp

Veris Ltd’s wholly-owned subsidiary Aqura Technologies has been awarded A$1.1 million ($849,165) in works to undertake an upgrade of the in-situ accommodation network at Fortescue Metals Group’s Kangi 1,850 room village in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia.

The scope of the Kangi village engagement is to design and deliver physical upgrades to the GPON network to ensure a high level of reliability of services to village guests, it says.

The enhancement of the existing infrastructure using Aqura’s specialist technical expertise will establish an extremely robust platform for the delivery of entertainment services and wellbeing programs to the large workforce accommodated at the site, the company explained.

Aqura has commenced the design phase and will look to complete the scope of works by July.

“The new contract adds to Aqura’s strong track record in delivering high-performance Content Access Network (CAN) solutions for clients such as BHP, Newmont, OZ Minerals and Abra Mining,” Veris said. “Aqura’s expertise in the delivery of CAN solutions has delivered enhanced user experiences in over 16,000 accommodation rooms completed to date.”

The Kangi camp was constructed – and expanded – by Pindan (photo courtesy of Pindan) as part of FMG’s Solomon iron ore mine development.

Aqura Technologies CEO, Travis Young, said: “We’re pleased to kick off a new engagement with Fortescue who are looking to our in-house team to provide a high-quality foundation for their Kangi Village network.

“The contract award is testament to the strong quality and safety record of Aqura in the design and delivery of high-quality network infrastructure.

“We are very mindful of the benefits of this type of investment which fundamentally supports and enhances the positive wellbeing for fly-in fly-out staff who are away from home for extended periods and need reliable infrastructure to support connections to family and friends.”

JSW, BBURG HD2500RC drill rig impresses at Fortescue’s Solomon iron ore mine

JSW Australia’s ambition to leverage the latest drilling and automation technology is coming to fruition with the deployment of a new high powered, small footprint drill rig to Fortescue Metals Group’s Solomon iron ore mine in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

The planned arrival of the HD2500RC was announced around a year ago.

Leveraging IDAT (Intelligent Drilling Applications & Technology) technology, developed by German manufacturer BBURG and customised in conjunction with IDAT, the rig underwent site commissioning in July and its initial production performance to date has been impressive, according to JSW.

The HD2500RC was designed especially for the challenging terrain at Solomon where the preparation of drill pads is difficult and expensive, the company says.

“With JSW’s years of experience on-site and first-hand knowledge of the challenges, along with IDAT’s technology expertise and BBURG’s engineering capability, we had a powerful collaboration for the development of the new rig,” JSW CEO, Warren Fair, says.

He said overall the rig was proving to be more productive, safer and quieter than the existing technology on site.

The HD2500RC joins other new technologies in JSW’s fleet including the Equus green drills developed specifically for bauxite mines and new drilling technology for magnetite mines being developed by IDAT in partnership with German manufacturer Bauer.

Fair concluded: “IDAT brings the technology, JSW brings the operational know-how. So far, it’s proving to be a winning formula.”

Central Systems secures $41 million Fortescue Solomon contract

Resource Development Group’s Central Systems subsidiary has been awarded a contract to design and construct the central facilities at the Fortescue Metals Group’s Solomon mine site in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

The contract with FMG Solomon Pty Ltd has a value of approximately A$57.5 million ($41.3 million) and is due for completion in June 2021.

Fortescue’s Solomon Hub is in the Hamersley Ranges and comprises the Firetail and Kings Valley mines, which together have a production capacity of 75 Mt/y. At the hub, higher iron grade, low cost Firetail ore is blended with low phosphorous Chichester ore to create the company’s Fortescue Blend.

RDG also advises that its 80%‐owned subsidiary, Crushing Service Solutions (CSS), recently demobilised from the Minjar gold plant near Southern Cross, Western Australia, as a result of early contract termination with Tianye SXO Gold Mining.

In the company’s recent annual financial report, it said it was in the process of reviewing the operations of CSS as it seeks to determine its future direction to ensure profitability.

FMG enlists Pentium Hydro for more boring at Pilbara iron ore ops

Vysarn’s wholly owned subsidiary, Pentium Hydro, has won further work with Fortescue Metals Group following an initial order for the iron ore miner’s Chichester operations in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

The two companies have entered into an agreement for hydrogeological borefield drilling and construction services for both the Chichester and Solomon operations.

The contract will see Pentium pocket estimated revenue, based on the initial scope of work, of A$13.3 million ($9 million) for a two-year fixed scope contract with a one-year extension option.

The scope of work as defined under the contract is to provide the drilling and installation of production, injection and monitoring bores to support mining and exploration activities across multiple locations, within the Pilbara region. As defined in the contract these sites are inclusive of Cloudbreak, Christmas Creek, Solomon and Eliwana.

Pentium completed the mobilisation of the first Dual Rotary (DR) drill rig and associated auxiliary plant at Chichester in October 2019 under a previously agreed initial purchase order from FMG.

Pentium anticipates the mobilisation of the second DR rig under the new contract during the month of January.

It said: “Revenue from these works is based on contract key performance indicators for the number of production and monitoring bores and is also subject to metres drilled and drill rates.”

In addition to this work with FMG, Pentium Hydro also has rigs and equipment out at BHP’s Olympic Dam mine, Roy Hill’s iron ore operation and AngloGold Ashanti/Independence Group’s Tropicana gold mine.