Tag Archives: South Africa

TLT-Turbo launches new range of ‘superfans’ for mine ventilation

Environmental, Mine ventilation, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , ,

TLT-Turbo GmbH has redesigned its auxiliary and booster fan range to improve both efficiency and cost-effectiveness for ventilation applications in the mining industry.

The development of the new fan range concept began in early 2015, according to the company.

Following a global study to gain an understanding of the market requirements, the range was defined in mid-2017, with the fabrication of the first units taking place shortly thereafter, the global ventilation fans and systems manufacturer said.

Michael Minges, Technical Director at TLT-Turbo Africa, who headed up the fans’ designs, said: “The development of the auxiliary and booster fan range would not have been possible without the input of clients. This ensured that we focused on key market-driven requirements including energy efficiency, noise reduction, cost-effectiveness and turnaround time.

“To sell these products, we needed to ensure close customer relationships and visibility. We are striving to change the industry’s mindset on the use of such fans to ensure proper fan selection for the ventilation required. In optimising mine ventilation, efficient, high-quality auxiliary and booster fans can add as much value as surface fan installations.”

TLT-Turbo started commissioning of the first iterations of the fan range towards the end of 2017 within the Sub-Saharan market through its Africa office. From there, it based the development of the various fan sizes of the new range on market interest.

The fan range is being rolled out in phases. The preliminary testing at sites located in Sub-Saharan Africa has been launched successfully. The next phase is globalisation as the new range will be rolled out in the USA, Canada, Europe, Russia and Australia.

Following this, product supply and support will be extended to TLT-Turbo offices in South America and India. In the interim, though, Minges said these fans can be supplied to clients worldwide from TLT-Turbo Africa.

Minges said as energy efficiency is one of the main drivers of industrial equipment usage, and minimum efficiency requirements on certain equipment are often legislated, TLT-Turbo identified the need and opportunity in the market for “more efficient mining fans compared to what is currently in use”.

The new designs include several innovative additions to enhance performance in order to provide “exceptional” underground ventilation, the company said.

“The fan range was developed using the latest in engineering flow technology which allowed TLT-Turbo to improve the aerodynamics, and thus the efficiency of the fans. A unique stator design and aerodynamic fairings, all manufactured from wear-resistant composite materials, resulted in improved efficiencies and reduced noise levels.”

Meanwhile, the modularity of the fan casings allow for quick and easy assembly with interchangeable ancillary fan parts, according to the company.

“The motor mounting, in coherence with a machined impeller track, ensures low and controllable blade tip clearances for improved performance and efficiencies,” TLT-Turbo said. “Pad mount motors are used for all fan sizes and help reduce vibration levels in the axial direction of the motor significantly which leads to longer motor bearing life and lower maintenance requirements.”
Minges said all possible measures are taken to ensure the highest quality and best possible performance of every fan supplied by TLT-Turbo.

“All fans are ISO 5801 tested unless the client agrees to type testing on higher volume orders,” he said. “We ensure the client quoted performance is met before the fans leave the factory. Test certificates on both raw data and calculated performance can be provided on request.

“Fan efficiency is determined with the performance test and this quality check ensures we deliver on what we promised the client. Clients are regularly invited to witness the performance tests to sign off on acceptance. The fans also come with pressure ports that can be hooked up to a calibrated handheld measuring device to measure performance in-situ.”

In addition to performance and efficiency, ease of maintenance was also a major consideration in developing the new range.

The modularity of the product design and the interchangeable standardised parts allows for quick turnaround time on parts supply, according to the company.

“For example, we only have two blade types for the full product range and generally only one motor barrel per fan size accommodating various motor sizes and types,” Minges said.

“Standardisation on the product is the key to successfully managing maintenance and repair as it allows ample supply of spares for companies certified to do the repair work. The design track record has indicated a longer mean time between failures than previous products.”

TLT-Turbo Africa has received a number of orders for these fans since the end of 2017. These orders include South Africa clients seeking a solution for deepening a gold mine and for Kamoa Copper in the DRC as an exclusive supplier.

Minges said: “The feedback that we have received, thus far, has been that the fans are meeting our and our client’s expectations. I am proud to say that one EPC consultant used the phrase ‘superfan’ to describe the new range and indicated that he has not heard a fan of this size so quiet before.”

Concor Opencast Mining provides ‘seamless transition’ at Anglo’s Mogalakwena PGM mine

Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , ,

Contractor Concor Opencast Mining says it is helping Anglo American Platinum’s Mogalakwena open-pit platinum group metals (PGM) mine team, in South Africa, boost annual production.

This growth can be attributed to various optimisation efforts on site at the largest open-pit PGM mine in the world, as well as the steady performance of its Zwartfontein pit, which Concor Opencast Mining is in charge of, the contractor said.

The majority of Mogalakwena’s production originates from the Central, North and South pits, supplemented further by the nearby Zwartfontein pit. Together these deposits should deliver on Anglo American Platinum’s record-breaking production target of 1.22 Moz of PGMs for 2019, Concor said.

While the three main production pits are operated by the mine’s personnel, it relies on a contractor for the smaller Zwartfontein pit, which requires an earthmoving fleet suited to its smaller size and production targets. Despite its size, it is an important contributor to Mogalakwena’s annual performance, Concor said.

A year and nine months ago, the pit underwent a significant transition that saw Concor secure the load and haul contract from Anglo’s previous operator.

“Because the mine required a smooth changeover with minimal disruption to production, we took over most of the previous contractor’s fleet, as well as its entire workforce,” Concor Opencast Mining’s Zwartfontein contracts manager, Donald Sisiya, said.

Having completed work at Mogalakwena’s tailings storage facility in the past, Concor Opencast Mining brought to the project not only an existing relationship with the mine but its solid reputation for mining open-pit, hard-rock PGM operations in South Africa, the company said.

Sisaya continued: “Combined with our cost competitive offer, the mine placed its faith in our ability to deliver a seamless transition and then to further optimise production without disrupting day-to-day running during the changeover period.”

Concor Opencast Mining’s agreement at Zwartfontein comprises a three-year load and haul contract, as of December 1, 2017. Over this period, it must move 32.4 Mt of material and, more specifically, 12 Mt of ore and 20 Mt of waste material.

With an effective change management structure in place, Concor Opencast Mining has improved the pit’s production performance, having revised the shift structure for all plus-100 of its employees, the company said.

It has also invested significant capital into upgrading most of the old earthmoving equipment on site which had not been properly maintained, according to Concor.

“We have over recent months added three 130 ton (118 t) excavators to the pit, over and above introducing 10 new 100 t (91 t) trucks as well,” Sisiya states.

Moving forward, Concor Opencast Mining has production targets to meet by the end of the year and Sisiya is confident of achieving these: “Taking over an existing contract while ensuring minimal impact to the employees and the production targets is a success story for the company which highlights our strong capabilities in the open-cast mining space.”

MacLean breaks new ground in Africa mining sector

Equipment maintenance, Explosives and blasting, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , , , , ,

MacLean Engineering’s secondary breakers have been proving their worth in Africa, with a number of machines safely and effectively eliminating ore flow blockages and releasing trapped reserves above the draw point.

Built for the tough underground mining environment, these machines provide the solution to attacking high boulder hang-ups without endangering mine workers, according to MacLean.

One only needs to look at the Palabora copper mine, in South Africa, for proof of this, where three MacLean hang-up rigs have been working underground for over 15 years.

Palabora endorses MacLean’s commitment to promoting safety and productivity in the underground environment, through purpose-built, rugged and reliable mine vehicles, MacLean says. The SB8 and SB12 Secondary Breakers (993MR, previously) are part of MacLean’s Ore Flow suite, a leading ore recovery fleet in global underground hard-rock mining, and these rigs have brought down thousands of hang-ups at the operation, ensuring smooth running of both the mine and its mill, and a safe and sustained block cave operation, according to the company.

For lower hang-ups in a drawpoint, or oversize rocks on the ground too large for scoops to handle and too disruptive to get rid of with concussion blasting, the secondary reduction rig, the Blockholer, solves the problem and ensures production isn’t held up, MacLean says.

The past 24 months have been exciting for MacLean’s branch in Africa.

Petra Diamonds ordered a BH3 for its Koffiefontein diamond mine, in Free State Province, South Africa, with the company’s success showcasing increased safety used as a “proof point” to secure another order for a BH2 (pictured), according to MacLean, this time from the Kimberley Ekapa Mining joint venture, in the Northern Cape. Palabora has since placed an order for two secondary breakers for delivery in 2020.

“Both Koffiefontein and Kimberley mines echo the same message of improved safety, increased production, and long-term savings in infrastructure upkeep due to the inclusion of MacLean secondary breaking units in their mining cycle,” MacLean said.

The two-stage process of their conventional approach to reduce oversize and bring down hang-ups (drill with one machine and manually load explosives by hand) has now been combined into a single-stage process with the Blockholers. This process eliminates the need for manually loading explosives, thus improving operator safety, and reduces damage to the draw point infrastructure.

“In addition, these units are used by both mines as utility drills to drill off cubbies as well as eye bolt holes due to their mobility and self-sustaining drilling capabilities of diesel power,” MacLean explained. “This versatility makes the MacLean Blockholers an invaluable tool to the mines.”

Master Drilling brings excitement to the shaft boring sector

Explosives and blasting, Mine shafts and equipment, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , ,

What Master Drilling is demonstrating on a patch of land some 15 minutes’ drive outside of its Fochville, South Africa, headquarters has the potential to change the hard-rock shaft sinking industry.

That is not an exaggeration.

Interested parties – major mining companies included – are being shown how the main cutting mechanism of what could eventually be its 45-m long, 450-t Shaft Boring System (SBS) can cut through hard rock.

The 15 in patented cutter heads are progressing through 320 MPa dolorite. Started up on cue over a three-week period that began on October 14, the machine is cutting around 40-50 mm a day.

When IM visited just over a week into these daily demonstrations, the machine was around 4.6 m below surface, no cutters had been replaced and Koos Jordaan, Executive Director of Master Drilling, was satisfied with the machine’s performance.

The fact that Master Drilling is showing off this cutting innovation now should not be a surprise.

The company first discussed what was previously called the Blind Shaft Boring System concept at the 2016 Mining Indaba, in Cape Town, South Africa. At this point, the company pitched the machine as being able to add significant value to projects given the shorter time frame it would take to reach new underground mine development levels.

The machine would be able to cut and muck, as shaft reinforcement, lining and other protective measures occurred. It would be work through hard rock from 200-400 MPa and sink shafts up to 1,500 m deep.

This aim has not changed in the more than three-and-a-half years since the premiere, but the name and the design has altered somewhat

Jordaan and Nicol Goodwin, Mechanical Engineer for Master Drilling, admit they went through seven designs before settling on what they are now presenting. Past iterations may have been more radical, but today’s blueprint, which has around 95% of detailed design complete, strikes a balance “between energy, complexity and sophistication”, Jordaan explained.

Design

Peter van Dorssen, Mining Advisor for Master Drilling, said some attendees – before seeing the machine in action – compared the concept with the V-Mole technology that is used on Herrenknecht’s Shaft Boring Enlarger (SBE).

Acting like a vertically-oriented modern hard-rock tunnel boring machine (TBM), shaft sinking with the SBE occurs in three phases – pilot hole, enlargement to pilot borehole diameter with a reamer and enlargement to final diameter of 7.5-9.5 m. The SBE was previously used to sink the Primsmulde shaft at the Endsdorf colliery in southern Germany.

While this technology reportedly performed well in the coal mine, achieving an average sinking rate of 7-7.5 m/d, it has not been tested in hard-rock conditions and, perhaps more importantly, the system cannot carry out concurrent mucking.

This means an access drift, as well as equipment, is required at the lowest part of the shaft to transport the muck to surface.

With Master Drilling’s SBS able to carry out cutting, mucking and shaft reinforcement concurrently, the comparisons tend to end there.

According to van Dorssen, Master Drilling’s newest machine can advance three times quicker than conventional sinking via drill and blast. It requires three-to-five people to operate the machine, none of which are exposed to the face. The safety considerations also extend to the changing of the disc cutters, which can be removed and replaced from behind the face.

Like the Mobile Tunnel Borer (MTB) for horizontal development (currently working at Northam Platinum’s Eland PGM mine in the North West province of South Africa), the SBS will be commissioned off a launchpad. This will be constructed with minimal civils work and alleviate the need for a timely and expensive pre-sink phase.

The front end of the machine (as it descends the shaft) is made up of the pilot cutting head – in a W-shape configuration – and gearbox. The pilot cutter head accounts for some 15%of the entire rock cutting, with the wider diameter reamer section that follows accounting for the remaining 85%.

This first section can independently progress by 1.5 m when cutting is taking place in three separate 500 mm phases.

The rest of the 45-m long machine catches up following this initial cutting, which is automated by a series of lasers that ensure the machine is on the correct course and using optimal force.

This cutting station is followed by two shaft gripping stations for machine support within the shaft. Following this is an enlargement station – also equipped with cutters – that widens the pilot hole carried out by the pilot cutter head to the desired diameter, with Master Drilling saying this will range from 7.5–11.5 m.

Behind this is a main stage made up of eight separate levels. Here, personnel will be able to carry out the rock bolting, lining and other reinforcement measures required. Personnel will also be able to probe drill for geotechnical measurements off one of these levels, enabling them to anticipate the fracturability and hardness of rock, in addition to any potential water inflows, ahead of actual cutting. Personnel operating on this main stage are protected by a series of finger shields that, while guarding them from potential rockfalls, still allow for a 360° access to the shaft for services.

A series of kibbles lowered by winches and transported on a conveyance on one of the levels of this stage bring the required shotcrete and materials to allow these concurrent tasks to take place.

Kibbles will also help with the mucking process, with two 16-t capacity buckets transporting the muck from the cut section to surface through a 2.1 m opening that present in all of the machine’s stations. Master Drilling is relying on gravity to recover 85% of the volume of muck at the enlargement section, with the remaining 15% recovered using a vacuum and/or slurry system.

Jordaan remarked: “The whole idea of this mucking system is to handle material once and handle it in a simple way.”

This mucking mechanism will shift the normal shaft sinking constraint dynamic from mucking capacity to shaft lining speed, van Dorssen said.

The headgear to support these operations from surface will likely be around 35 m tall – small in comparison with other mechanised sinking setups – while the total power requirement comes in at around 10 MW, according to Goodwin.

KPIs

While the demonstration in Fochville was a massive sign of intent from Master Drilling on the mechanised shaft sinking front, the company is formalising this testing process by setting itself key performance indicators.

One: it wants to hit or exceed an advance rate of 500 mm/hr – replicating an 8 m/d target that includes an envisaged two eight-hour production shifts and one eight-hour maintenance shift.

Two: it wants to test the machine’s cutting ability on both wet and dry material.

Three: it wants to push the penetration rate another 25-40% higher, alongside boosting the revolutions per minute from the 8-9 rpm it is currently operating at, to 10 rpm.

The company wants to put the machine through its paces before it moves onto another stage of its development.

Jordaan said he was hopeful of completing this testing – which constituted phase one of the SBS development – in around two months.

From there, if the reception is positive and no unforeseen complications arise, Master Drilling would look to manufacture the parts for the full 45-m long machine. In this task, the company is being helped along the way by three local engineering companies.

Phase three involves assembling and commissioning the whole machine and committing to a small excavation to test it out, while phase four is an ideal point to carry out mine site test. Phase five would see a full SBS deployment to its first major project.

Master Drilling was rightly wary of giving timelines on completing all these phases, knowing it would be reliant on securing funds for the machine build from its partner, South Africa’s Industrial Development Corp, and may need to make small changes to the machine design dependent on miner feedback from initial testing.

Yet, the company has opened the number of possible mine site testing options by designing the machine for shaft enlargement. This could see mining companies in need of extra shaft capacity sign up Master Drilling as a contractor to carry out an enlargement project, first, ahead of a much riskier blind sinking operation at a new underground mine later.

In terms of machine configuration, all that needs to change to carry out an enlargement is the cutter head, according to Goodwin.

This could prove decisive in terms of industry acceptance, allowing Master Drilling to obtain a mining customer reference much quicker than it would have if the only potential avenue was a blind sink.

Competition

When asked how the machine is likely to perform in terms of cost per metre, Jordaan said it would be competitive with drill and blast, but the real value proposition came in the form of reaching the development level and, therefore, the orebody that much quicker than the conventional method.

If, as van Dorssen said, the SBS can achieve a sink three times quicker than typical shaft sinking, miners could also be in line to receive cash flow that much faster.

In a cyclical market like mining that is an incredibly powerful value proposition.

It could reduce the risk associated with commodity prices potentially going the wrong way during development and allow a company to start paying back the capital sooner than expected.

Other companies already claim their mechanised machines can achieve such shaft advances, but these have either not yet been proven in hard-rock applications – being trialled only in potash or other softer rock – or require bottom shaft access to realise these rates.

It’s worth acknowledging that the SBS could also be used in softer rock with the expected increase in drilling speed countered by the need for further rock reinforcement.

And, whereas other OEMs will manufacture one machine per project, Master Drilling has longer-term plans for each SBS unit it manufactures. This could allow the company to charge a reduced rate to mining clients as it writes off its investment over multiple contracts.

So, once again, Master Drilling appears to be pushing the envelope on boring technologies.

In addition to the MTB, which is designed to work on 9° inclines/declines and have a 30 m turning radius – not typical tunnel boring machine traits – it has also carried out a number of firsts in the raiseboring market, with the company behind some of the widest diameter and deepest raises in the world.

With resources and expertise from across the globe to call on, it can innovate at a pace and cost many of its peers cannot compete with.

For those reasons, Master Drilling and the SBS are worth keeping an eye on.

Master Drilling lays groundwork for record breaking hole

Mine shafts and equipment, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , ,

Master Drilling is set to break a drilling world record having recently commenced collaring for a 1,420 m pilot hole at a South Africa platinum mine.

The 4.6 m diameter hole is being sunk as part of an expansion project at the mine. It will help lead to the development of a rock hoisting shaft equipped with steelwork, according to Master Drilling.

Master Drilling said it was using its RD8 raisebore rig for the project. This rig, which has been operational since 2015 and used at various mine sites across South Africa, is capable of drilling 8.5 m in diameter and over 1,500 m deep, the company added.

The current construction schedule at the mine indicates the holing of the pilot during the first week of May 2020, some eight months from the collaring date.

The previous longest pilot drilled to date was 1,180 m, according to the company.

Murray & Roberts Cementation expands Bentley Park training facilities

Careers in mining, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , ,

Further enhancements at the Murray & Roberts Training Academy (MRTA) training facility, Bentley Park, in South Africa, are keeping the organisation at the top of its game in mining skills development, the company says.

The training infrastructure, near Carletonville in Gauteng, is constantly adding to its resources as the demand requires, according to Tony Pretorius, Education, Training and Development Executive at Murray & Roberts Cementation.

“Among our new facilities is an indexing wall on which drill rig operators can be trained to drill on a horizontal plane,” says Pretorius. “We are also constructing a new tunnel with a face wall on surface to teach miners how to take line and grade and accurately mark off a development end with laser technology.”

He highlighted the value of the MRTA’s ‘blended learning’ approach, which makes the learning process more effective by including not just classroom lectures but also e-learning, virtual reality, bench modelling, simulations and integrated learning in a workplace mock-up.

The facility prepares trainees mainly for the hard-rock underground mining environment, in which Murray & Roberts Cementation is a leading contractor.

Other recently developed mock-up facilities at the site include a board-and-pillar layout constructed on surface, to facilitate practical, supervised training for most primary and secondary trackless activities, and a figure-of-eight surface roadway for LHD driver training, complete with brake-test slopes. The fleet of trackless vehicles used for training at MRTA includes LHDs, a drill rig, a bolter, a telescopic boom handler, a mechanical scaler and a mechanised shotcreting unit.

“The quality of our skills output – combined with the ongoing demand for entry-level skills by Murray & Roberts Cementation’s mining projects around the country – allow us to turn training into jobs,” Pretorius says. “In fact, we are creating hundreds of career opportunities for unemployed youth from communities near our operations.”

With grant-funding from the Mining Qualifications Authority, MRTA will this year train 176 young jobless learners in basic mining-related skills, according to the company. Those who successfully complete the six-month program will earn a Level 2 National Certificate in Health, Safety and Environment for Mining and Minerals. Most trainees – of which half are women – are taken up by Murray & Roberts Cementation’s contract mining operations, to begin exciting careers in the mining industry, the company said.

De Beers diamond XRF technology optimises sorting at emerald mine

Diamond mining, Gem stone mining, Mineral processing, Mining project news, Mining services, , , , , , , , , ,

De Beers Group Technology has adapted one of its X-ray fluorescence (XRF) diamond sorting range of machines to create “a secure and efficient sorting solution for emeralds”, it says.

According to De Beers Group Technology head, Gordon Taylor, the company’s sorting technologies have been applied to a range of minerals apart from diamonds, and these include gemstones like rubies to lower value commodities like manganese and coal.

“We are always on the look-out for new applications for our sorting equipment, which also employ X-ray luminescence, X-ray transmission, laser, magnetics and ultra-violet technologies,” Taylor said.

“So, we were excited by the opportunity to collaborate with Magnum Mining and Exploration on their Gravelotte emerald project in Limpopo province.”

In its trial mining and processing phase, Gravelotte has been gathering data to confirm the historic grades previously recovered at the project. In operation for much of the 20th century, total recorded production from this area was estimated at nearly 113 Mct. It was reportedly the world’s largest emerald mine of its type in the 1960s, employing over 400 sorters, De Beers said.

General Manager of Operations at Gravelotte, Wessel Marais, said the traditional manual method of sorting carried an associated security risk and led to less than optimal recoveries.

“Various mechanical sorting options are available on the market today,” Marais said, “and Magnum approached De Beers Group Technology to determine whether their diamond sorting technology could be adapted to emerald sorting.”

He says testing of samples provided by Magnum came out with successful results.

“This led to Magnum leasing an XRF machine from De Beers Group Technology for the duration of our trial mining, and the results to date have been very encouraging,” he says. “With the machines now deployed in the operational environment, research and development work is continuing in conjunction with De Beers Group Technology to refine the process.”

Taylor noted that constructive collaboration with customers is often an important element in extending the application of De Beers Group Technology’s equipment.

“On this project, we were able to conduct some fundamental investigation on the properties of emeralds to guide us in developing the most effective solution,” he said.

The De Beers Group Technology emerald sorting machine can make a potentially significant contribution to the success of the Gravelotte operation, according to De Beers, with its high recoveries combined with excellent processing security. The project aims to reach a target of around 3 Mct/y as its initial production rate.

Before the run-of-mine material reaches the De Beers Group Technology XRF machine, it is crushed to -30 mm and put through a trommel screen for cleaning and further size reduction. After material containing emeralds is ejected from the material stream by the sorter, it is further sorted by hand and graded.

“De Beers Group Technology is constantly pushing the boundaries where our equipment can be applied and has had significant successes in non-diamond commodities. Whether removing the value product or the waste from the process stream, our sorting technologies can be the game-changer in the viability of many projects,” Taylor concluded.

Eurafrican Diamond Corp to mine Marsfontein gravels in South Africa

Diamond mining, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

Botswana Diamonds and its associate Vutomi have signed an agreement with Eurafrican Diamond Corp to mine and process the diamond-bearing gravels and residual stockpiles on a portion of the Marsfontein farm, in South Africa.

The agreement gives EDC a contract for the mining and processing of the identified deposits on the Marsfontein Mining Permit, with 25% of the pre-tax revenue from larger or high value ‘Special Stones’ (any stones weighing 10.8 ct or more, or valued at more than $8,000/ct) and 15% from the standard run of mine stones accruing to Vutomi, which is 40% owned by Botswana Diamonds.

Vutomi was recently granted Environmental Authorisation over a substantial portion of the residual diamond-bearing gravels produced from the high grade Marsfontein mine, which is contiguous to Botswana Diamonds’ Thorny River operation. Thorny River has been modelled to contain 1.2-2 Mt of material (to 100 m) with a diamond grade ranging between 46-74 ct/ht and diamond values in the range of $120-$220/ct.

John Teeling, Chairman of Botswana Diamonds, said the partnership with EDC paves the way for commercial production to re-start on Marsfontein and Thorny River.

“EDC has a rich history of successful diamond mining and processing and has excellent technical and financial support,” he said. “Furthermore, EDC and Vutomi projects complement one another, providing a strong project pipeline.”

EDC, established in 1964, has long been a premier diamond miner and processer, and is currently mining and processing the Schuller kimberlite pipe and diamond-bearing gravels around Petra’s Cullinan diamond mine.

The contract mining and processing agreement allows for the continued contractual bulk sampling on the Thorny River project, as well as first refusal rights, between EDC and Vutomi, on all their South African diamond exploration and development projects.

While the Environmental Authorisation was granted for Marsfontein on September 12, Botswana Diamonds said it was expecting the remaining regulatory grants shortly.

Concor Infrastructure helps Exxaro beat Belfast coal mine production goal

Coal technology, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

The start-up of Exxaro’s Belfast coal mine in Mpumalanga province, South Africa, has been aided by Concor Infrastructure’s work on building dams, roads, platforms and other infrastructure, the infrastructure group said.

At work since October 2017, Concor Infrastructure is constructing four major dams, 26 concrete platforms and terraces, 37 internal roads of 16 km in length, and is upgrading almost 13 km of provincial roads, among other aspects at the mine, it said.

This month, Exxaro announced that Belfast had produced its first coal six months ahead of schedule. The mine, which was only expected to start producing coal in 2020, was expected to cost R3.3 billion ($221 million) to build and would be a “first-of-its-kind digital mine”, ranking as the last good-quality A-grade, high-yield coal deposit in Mpumalanga, the coal miner said.

According to Concor Infrastructure Contracts Manager, Pierre van Vuuren, these tailings dams are being lined with both a geosynthetic clay liner and high-density polyethylene sheets, in accordance with the water use licence and related environmental regulations. Various structures around the dams are also being installed, including large silt traps, drying beds, inflow chutes to prevent scouring, and spillways and sumps.

Among the concrete platforms and terraces are two primary crusher bases being built for the run-of-mine crushing facilities. The various structures being built by Concor will demand almost 350 t of steel reinforcing and nearly 2,700 t of bulk cement. Other inputs will be around 15,000 t of 19 mm aggregate and nearly 13,000 t of crusher sand.

Extensive upgrading is being done on the D1770 and D1110 provincial roads – for the transport of coal to the rail siding – including eight major culverts under the roadway, Concor said. For all the project’s road works, almost 9.5 km of subsoil drains are to be installed, as well as 2.7 km of stormwater culverts. G5 and G6 construction material comes from an external quarry and crushing plant about 30 km from site towards Carolina.

Contracts Manager, Mabandla Dlamini, says the project has had a substantial local impact with a core labour complement of about 180 personnel being accommodated in the Emakhazeni municipal district. The overall workforce managed by Concor Infrastructure, with contractors, totals closer to 700 – all of which are transported 30 km daily by the local taxi network.

Dlamini also says various subcontracts are outsourced to local small enterprises, such as drainage, stone pitching, paving, kerbing, fencing, security services and catering. Diesel is sourced from a local fuel depot in Belfast with the project expected to consume about 4.3 million litres of diesel in site-wide applications.

Over 150 items of plant and equipment are active on the site, according to Site Agent, Sarel van der Berg, with about 40 items such as articulated dump trucks, tippers and graders sourced from local plant hirers.

Belfast is expected to produce 2.7 Mt of good-quality thermal coal a year for at least the next 17 years, starting in 2020. There is also potential for a second phase, which could take the mine life to 30 years.

SPH Kundalila crushing it at Pilanesberg platinum mine

Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , ,

Raubex Group subsidiary SPH Kundalila has recently seen its contract expand at the Pilanesberg platinum mine on South Africa’s Bushveld Complex.

The two already have a nine-year relationship to fall back on, with SPH Kundalila’s primary contract at Pilanesberg entailing managing the mine’s primary crushing requirements. This includes crushing all run of mine (ROM) material from the mine before it is transported to the concentrator.

Pilanesberg, which has many outsourced contractors, recently celebrated 10 years of production excellence at the mine.

The nine-year relationship between Pilanesberg and SPH Kundalila can be attributed to the trust and partnership the company has built with the mine but also its high level technical skills set, according to the contractor.

SPH Kundalila Production Manager, Walter Eriksen, said: “With our 260 people on site, 75% from the local Bakgatla tribe, we operate four 63 t mobile crushing machines on the outskirts of the pit which have a combined design capacity of 380,000 t/mth.

“Our crushers have been replaced over the years as the mine’s production requirements have grown. Throughout this process we have maintained our machines’ high availability thanks to an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the mine’s production requirements.

“To ensure our performance further, we have established on-site technical support infrastructure including a workshop and plus-40 workshop crew. This facility enables us to conduct preventative maintenance equipment routines as well as full services and minor repairs which results in minimal downtime.”

The mine has expanded SPH Kundalila’s work on site of late, which now includes materials handling services delivered from its fleet of wheel loaders, dump trucks and tippers. In June 2018, the company’s workload expanded even further to include loading and hauling waste material from the pit.

SPH Kundalila Pit Manager, Danie de Jager, said: “Since June of last year we have successfully been moving waste material from the northern side of the pit. We have also steadily grown our volumes which started at 145,000 t/mth to around 500,000 t/mth. Through this service we are giving the mine quick and easy access to the reef.”

SPH Kundalila’s earthmoving fleet comprises two excavators, two bulldozers and eight 45 t dump trucks carefully selected to allow accurate waste-only removal.

SPH Kundalila Site Manager, Pieter Boonzaier, said: “Our service delivery, technical capability and ongoing dedication to helping Pilanesberg platinum mine meet its 150,000 oz per annum of PGM production requirements is a proud achievement for SPH Kundalila and we hope to continue working with the mine as its explores new and exciting chapters of its life.”