Tag Archives: University of Queensland

Australia’s AMGC accelerating muon detection, hyperspectral imaging mining work

6th August 2024Base metals, Energy minerals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable miningAdvanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, Critical Minerals Accelerator Initiative, Cronimet, EQ Resources, hyperspectral imaging, Jens Goennemann, Jerome Donovan, Kevin MacNeill, mDetect, Mount Carbine, muon tomography, Plotlogic, TOMRA, Tungsten, University of QueenslandDaniel Gleeson

Cosmic rays and hyperspectral imaging are central features in two mining technology projects backed by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, with major implications for safety and access to strategically important materials, the centre says.

mDetect is a Swinburne University (Melbourne, Australia) spinout specialising in astrophysics research into muons, a type of subatomic particle that results from the Earth’s atmosphere being hit by cosmic rays. They are sometimes described as the heavy cousin of electrons, with their mass helping them pass deep into objects; much further, for example, than ground penetrating radar.

The company has commercialised telescopic devices and software in a system that uses muon behaviour to monitor and map tailings dams, providing real-time information on stability of the critical infrastructure in mining operations.

Assisted by A$248,191 ($161,354) in co-funding from AMGC’s Commercialisation Fund, mDetect has trialled its muography-based imaging system at OZ Minerals (now part of BHP) operations, and leveraged key partner Swinburne to assist with development, documentation, design for manufacture, production automation and other input ahead of scale manufacture. Back in 2021, the AMGC said OZ Minerals was expected to trial this at Carrapateena in South Australia.

Co-founder of mDetect, Dr Jerome Donovan, said: “Thanks to AMGC, we’ve gone from idea to impact, developing our product for commercial sales, securing key agreements and developing our design for scaling manufacturing – it has by far been our best government-funded program experience. With high-profile partnerships secured, mDetect is set to revolutionise global industries and enhance mining safety.

“Taking highly-technical IP – and which has heritage in dark matter research, no less – and delivering a market-ready product is never easy. But we are very nearly there thanks to the support from AMGC.”

The project is expected to lead to A$7.7 million in revenues in the fifth year after completion and has already resulted in new jobs at the growing company, according to the centre.

AMGC Managing Director, Dr Jens Goennemann, added: “An Australian manufacturer harnesses the power of space to protect lives on Earth. That’s Australian manufacturing at its best – globally relevant, collaborative and highly complex. mDetect is truly a leader in their field, poised to make a global impact.”

From using space particles to leveraging electromagnetic imaging, EQ Resources, the owner of the formerly dormant Mount Carbine tungsten mine in north Queensland, has devised a method to identify and extract tungsten from waste sources, following its discovery at the site in the year 1895.

AMGC supported EQ Resources through A$600,000 in co-investment to support a project to recover tungsten from a mine waste stockpile and low-grade deposits, incorporating hyperspectral imaging sensors on a wheel loader, artificial intelligence-assisted decision making, and X-ray sorting technology.

The project linked EQR with Mt Carbine Quarrying Operations, Plotlogic, TOMRA, Cronimet and the University of Queensland. It has helped deliver an additional A$3.6 million in revenues since completion of the project, according to the centre.

*Photography for EQ Resorces at Mt Carbine Operations, 21 Sep 2022.*

Kevin MacNeill, CEO of EQ Resources, said, “Early co-investment form AMGC allowed EQ Resources to accelerate the commercial development of our technology, furthermore it gave us the credibility to apply for follow-on programs and secure a A$6 million grant from the Critical Minerals Accelerator Initiative to move from pilot to operational scale.

“EQ Resources’ hyperspectral imaging technology demonstrates that there is still significant life in historical mines where waste piles are mountains of opportunity – in this case 130-year-old piles of tungsten containing waste.”

Goennemann said: “In taking a step back two centuries ago and looking at the resources we already have a hand, EQ Resources will be able to extract greater value from resources long-thought unusable both here in Australia and abroad.”

UQ’s Sustainable Minerals Institute to push limits of drone-based hyperspectral imaging tech

17th January 2023Environmental, Mine surveying, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable miningHorizon 2020, Katerina Savinova, m4mining, mining drones, mining UAVs, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of QueenslandDaniel Gleeson

Next-generation drone technology will be put to the test in Australia’s mining industry as University of Queensland (UQ) researchers aim to make hyperspectral imaging more accessible than ever before, UQ says.

Funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program, the m4mining project will see UQ’s Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) and eight European organisations collaborate on hardware and software that will make hyperspectral remote sensing, from drones and satellites, more effective and accessible for mining industry professionals, it says.

Improving the accessibility of hyperspectral imaging is a particular focus as it enables extremely high-resolution mapping of rock minerals, plant health, soil water chemistry and more using infrared radiation, according to UQ.

SMI Principal Research Fellow Associate Professor, Steven Micklethwaite, said an integrated hyperspectral sensing platform has the potential to benefit processes across the entire mining value chain.

“The beauty of hyperspectral drone technology is that, with a single instrument, you can capture multi-dimensional data with comprehensive environmental and mineral information,” Micklethwaite said. “One flyover of an open pit gives chemical, physical and mineralogical insights that can be used to optimise decision making around everything from resource management and pit operations to mineral processing and tailings disposal.

“Likewise, a single scan of the landscape surrounding an operation can provide [mine] closure professionals and environmental scientists with data on plants, soil and water.

“It can also provide early-stage upstream information on what future mine waste will look like – an increasingly important topic for companies and society – and then be used to characterise the waste and even inform the prospects for re-mining that waste for secondary value.”

As the only non-European organisation involved in the consortium, the SMI team has the task of ensuring hardware and software development is informed by real mining experience.

Micklethwaite said: “In order for the products being developed by our European partners to be successful, they need to be grounded in real-world mining experiences and guided by industry engagement – that is why SMI’s close relationship to industry will be so important. There will be a number of Australian case studies to demonstrate the new hardware and software, and we are actively looking for industry partners to engage.”

SMI Research Fellow and hyperspectral imaging expert, Katerina Savinova, said there are many technical challenges that will need to be addressed.

“The organisations involved in m4mining largely specialise in the technical aspects of drones, imaging and software, which shows you the complexity of the challenges we face. To start with, hyperspectral sensors need to be tailor-made to fit to a drone and, once it’s attached, require a massive amount of data storage to deal with the terabytes produced in a single flight.

“That data itself is also very complicated and difficult to process for non-experts, with atmospheric moisture content, cloud cover, the shape of the ground’s surface and vegetation potentially distorting it. To overcome those challenges, our partners are building a multi-sensor drone hardware infrastructure, as well as software that will, in real time, correct and calibrate the initial hyperspectral data and then interpret the data in terms of material distribution and its chemical composition.

“The idea is that, with the hardware and data processing made far more accessible, experts will be able to look at the information layers much more easily, identifying the key features and accelerate their decision making.”

The project coincides with new infrastructure funded by AuScope for the establishment of a drone hub that will see long-range drones equipped with laser, multispectral and high-end digital camera sensors based at the university.

GroundProbe reflects on geohazard monitoring developments on 20th anniversary

22nd October 2021Mine surveying, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining servicesAnglo American, David Noon, geohazard monitoring, GroundProbe, Lesley Munsamy, mine safety, slope stability, Slope Stability Radar, University of QueenslandDaniel Gleeson

GroundProbe says it is immensely proud to be celebrating 20 years of operation and 20 years of keeping people and communities safe.

Over the last two decades, the company has expanded from a home-grown start-up to become a global innovation powerhouse and the trusted partner of companies around the world, it said.

GroundProbe calls itself a global leader in real-time geohazard monitoring technologies that help manage risk, ensure safety and increase productivity across mining and civil projects. Evolving from a PhD project at the University of Queensland, Australia, in 1993, by 2001, GroundProbe’s founders commercialised the world’s first patented Slope Stability Radar (SSR), which is now widely used to monitor mine walls and warn before collapses occur.

GroundProbe CEO and founder, David Noon, said that the success of GroundProbe’s business and its continual year-on-year growth is built on a culture of innovation and customer intimacy that permeates through every level of the company.

“GroundProbe has now deployed more than 700 systems and support services to customers in more than 35 countries,” he said. “To get to that level, we have proudly built long-term, trusted relationships with the top 20 mining and resources companies, globally.

“Across all of those deployed radars and customers, and in our entire 20-year history, I am most proud to say that we have fulfilled our ultimate goal by making mining safer. Our technology has never failed to detect a collapse, ultimately saving numerous lives.”

Anglo American’s Head of Geotechnical – T&S Group Mining, Lesley Munsamy, recently stated that the company is honoured to have played a part in GroundProbe’s history. The miner celebrated a number of “firsts” with GroundProbe, with the capturing of the first ever slope deformation data, the detection of the first ever slope failure and the first international radar deployment at Anglo American mine sites, GroundProbe said.

“Our mutually-beneficial partnership is based on GroundProbe’s impeccable safety track record and continuous innovation of its hardware and software tools,” Munsamy said. “The precise and valuable data that GroundProbe provides our sites has had an impact on our safety and productivity by enhancing our risk-management practices.

“GroundProbe redefined the slope risk management practices across the world. The availability of reliable real-time monitoring has had a significant impact on safety, a contribution that cannot be underestimated.”

Plotlogic’s precision mining pursuit bolstered with new investor funds

2nd September 2021IoT, Mining finance, Mining services, Mining softwareAndrew Job, Anglo American, Artificial Intelligence, BHP, OreSense, Plotlogic, South32, University of QueenslandDaniel Gleeson

Plotlogic’s mission to deliver precision mining across the world has been given a boost with A$7.5 million ($5.5 million) of funding from international investors.

Plotlogic’s primary focus is on providing accurate real-time orebody knowledge to enable greater operational efficiency and resource utilisation. Its OreSense® technology has demonstrated its ability to improve health and safety, enhance overall mining operations and deliver tangible productivity gains, according to the company.

Andrew Job, former mining manager and company Founder, recently completed his PhD in artificial intelligence-based sensing at University of Queensland, and has said “Plotlogic’s technology is an exciting development in resource knowledge and forms an important part of our growth as we digitally transform our mining businesses”.

Plotlogic’s most recent international deployment of its OreSense system was to an Anglo American project in South Africa. This comes on top of deployments at BHP and South32’s operations.

The company says it continues to increase its global footprint with imminent deployments to South America, North America, Asia and Russia.

Precision mining with the help of technologies like OreSense have the potential to increase worldwide industry value by $370 billion/y, according to Plotlogic, while reducing carbon emissions and improving the sustainability of mines over their life cycle.

To support commercial expansion, Plotlogic’s team has grown substantially, with the team currently sitting at 30 people, up from only six a year ago. It also has plans to double in size before the end of this year.

BMA, Whitehaven pour funds into research on human aspects of mine automation

20th November 2020Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mining finance, Mining safetyBHP Mitsubishi Alliance, Frans Knox, Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre, Robin Burgess-Limerick, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of QueenslandDaniel Gleeson

Researchers from The University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) have secured funding from the mining industry to undertake research that aims to ensure increased system automation is accompanied by improvements to safety and health.

The funding will support several projects as part of the Human Aspects of Mining Automation research program developed by SMI’s Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre and involve researchers from across UQ.

BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) is contributing A$300,000 ($218.653) and Whitehaven Coal, as part of an enforceable undertaking, is contributing A$225,000 to a multi-year collaborative research consortium initially focused on four priority human aspects of automation topics: risk analysis; human-centred design; training; and health.

UQ Human Aspects of Automation Program Leader Professor, Robin Burgess-Limerick, said the funding would ensure automation would improve safety as well as productivity.

“Australia is at the forefront in the automation of mining equipment, with approximately 40% of all automated fleet installations globally,” Professor Burgess-Limerick said.

“It’s likely that automation will be a net benefit for safety and health because people are being removed from hazardous areas, however, to ensure that is the case, systems need to be designed with people’s capabilities and limitations in mind.”

BMA Head of Production, Frans Knox, said that the research would help BMA further build upon its current health and safety processes.

“Our workforce is fundamental to mine automation and their safety remains our number one priority,” Knox said. “This includes their health – both mental and physical – so it is critical that we invest in understanding how our workforce can interact with these new systems in the safest and healthiest way.”

Autonomous haulage is in use at BMA’s Goonyella Riverside mine and will soon be introduced at Daunia.

“We are seeing some early positive signs from our Goonyella Riverside operation, who are at the beginning of their automation journey,” Knox said. “Their performance to date continues to build further confidence in the safety case for autonomous haulage.”

UQ-led geotechnical project targets open pit mine of the future roadmap

30th September 2020IoT, Mineral project development, Mining services, Mining techniques, Sustainable mining‘The Open Pit of the Future’, Anglo American, AngloGold Ashanti, BHP, Debswana, Dr Mehdi Serati, Fortescue Metals Group, Large Open Pit Project, McArthur River Mining, Newcrest Mining, open-pit mining, pit slope design guidelines, Professor David Williams, Rio Tinto, University of Queensland, ValeDaniel Gleeson

A A$4-million ($2.8 million) cash injection from industry has marked the beginning of the next phase of research for a large-scale geotechnical project headed up by University of Queensland (UQ) experts.

Professor David Williams (right) and Dr Mehdi Serati (left) have managed the Large Open Pit Project (LOP) from UQ’s civil engineering home base, since 2017, and they recently secured the management of further funding to begin phase three of the project, which will run until 2022.

“The LOP links innovative mining geomechanics and geotechnical engineering research with best practice in open-pit mining,” Professor Williams said. “Australia is a leader in open-pit mining, driven by a forward-thinking industry.

“The LOP has provided a focus for research for the past 15 years and, since 2017, allowed us to collaborate and advance the safety and risk components of open-pit mines.

“The project also ensures that the industry can maintain its immensely valuable contribution to the Australian economy into the future, with mining generating around A$250 billion annually and employing about 15% of the Australian workforce.”

The primary focus for researchers during this three-year term will be to create a roadmap for ‘The Open Pit of the Future’.

Together with international industry partners and research colleagues, the team will bring together cutting-edge knowledge around large open-pit design, operation and closure, supporting future trends, including the interaction with underground mines, and deeper and even more technology-driven unmanned and automated operations.

Dr Serati said the team aimed to produce a new generation of pit slope design guidelines that incorporated everything from the fundamentals of slope design and rock mass characterisation, through to 3D geotechnical modelling, slope monitoring techniques, controlled blasting and open-pit closure.

“In open-pit mining, the design of the slopes is one of the major challenges at every stage of planning, through operation to closure, and requires specialised knowledge of the geology and material geotechnical parameters, which is often complex,” Dr Serati said. “Good open-pit design also requires an understanding of the practical aspects of design implementation, so we need to work collaboratively to cover all of these elements and produce industry-wide best practice guidelines.

“Australia has some of the largest open-pit mines in the world, which are reaching ever greater depths, and the LOP Guidelines are vital in ensuring coverage of all of the important design aspects.”

The LOP is recognised as the premier international research and technology transfer body representing the technical disciplines contributing to large open pits and supporting future trends, UQ says. The LOP fosters close collaboration between industry and researchers, which is essential to meeting industry’s need to continuously innovate.

“A key aim of the LOP is to ensure that the mining industry is a safe, prosperous and environmentally friendly contributor to society,” UQ said.

The industry sponsors for LOP III (third phase) include Anglo American, AngloGold Ashanti, BHP, Debswana, Fortescue Metals Group, McArthur River Mining, Newcrest Mining, Rio Tinto and Vale, with other companies being encouraged to join.

UQ’s JKMRC and JKTech strengthen consulting and research functions

4th June 2020Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining industry recognition, Mining policy, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water managementDr Kelly, JKMRC, JKTech, Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre, mining research, mining technology, Neville Plint, University of Queensland, UQ HoldingDaniel Gleeson

The University of Queensland’s Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) and UQ Holding’s technology transfer company, JKTech, have decided to integrate their activities under one management structure.

JKMRC is one of six research centres within the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI), and its Director Professor, Neville Plint, has been appointed Managing Director of JKTech in addition to his SMI role.

Chair of the JKTech Board, Dr Kelly, said the unified management structure would strengthen the ability to develop solutions across the mining value chain.

“The link between research and consulting is very important and this integration will ensure our clients are receiving the benefits of new research, expertise in technology-based consulting, laboratory services, software, specialist equipment, and professional development,” he said.

Professor Plint said the move would consolidate and strengthen the consulting and research functions of both organisations and enhance the testing and product delivery to clients.

“SMI’s goal is to provide solutions to the challenges facing our research and industry partners in the resources sector,” he said.

“Bringing together the teams in JKTech and JKMRC helps us drive innovation and continue to provide mining and metallurgy research and consulting services worldwide.”

JKMRC was established at The University of Queensland in 1970 and is an internationally recognised minerals and mining research centre with strong industry partners and a successful PhD student program. In 2000, it became part of UQ’s newly established Sustainable Minerals Institute.

JKTech opened in 1986 as the commercial division of JKMRC. It became an incorporated company in 2001, wholly owned by UQ Holdings Pty Ltd.

The teams in both organisations have maintained a close working relationship over the years, but this announcement sees a return to a single management structure while preserving JKTech’s corporate and technical identity, the organisations said.

“This year is the 50th anniversary of JKMRC, and we see this strategic integration as a way of further strengthening the position of both JKMRC and JKTech as we look forward to the next 50 years,” Dr Kelly said.

Under the new structure, Professor Neville Plint is Managing Director of JKTech and Director of SMI, supported by a management team comprising Professor Rick Valenta (Acting Director, JKMRC), Paul Napier (Chief Financial Officer, JKTech), Bevin Wong (Operations Manager, JKTech) and Associate Professor Marcin Ziemski, who is taking on the role of Commercial Lead working across JKTech and JKMRC.

Plotlogic raises profile and funds with BHP Iron Ore contract

30th April 2020Automation, IoT, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron oreAndrew Job, AngloGold Ashanti, artificial intellgence, BHP, CITIC Pacific Mining, hyperspectral analysis, Iron ore, Mineral Research Institute of Western Australia, ore mapping, ore modelling, OreSense, Plotlogic, University of QueenslandDaniel Gleeson

Australia-based Plotlogic and its artificial intelligence-based ore-characterisation technology has won admirers from both venture capital funds and the world’s biggest miner by market capitalisation.

The company announced this week that four of the world’s top artificial intelligence (AI) focused venture capital funds – Baidu Ventures, DCVC, 8VC, and Grids Capital – had invested in an over-subscribed angel round of funding for the company.

On top of this, Plotlogic confirmed it had signed its first contract to embed OreSense, its new AI ore characterisation technology, into an iron ore mine site of BHP’s in the Pilbara of Western Australia. This technology uses hyperspectral analysis and AI to optimise ore recovery on mine sites.

Plotlogic’s vision is to enable autonomous mining operations using precise grade control with its new AI ore-characterisation technology, bringing technology that can “see and grade ore” to optimise operations and maximise yield, it said.

“Plotlogic uses AI, computer vision and spectral analysis in real time to optimise the recovery of ore from mine sites,” the company said. “Accurate ore intelligence enables precision mining that lowers operating costs, minimises energy consumption and reduces operational uncertainty.”

Founder and CEO, Andrew Job, said: “The mining industry is years behind other industries in utilising big data and AI: as a result, there is a lack of fast and accurate orebody knowledge that ultimately restricts yield. With our technology we can grade every tonne of ore accurately, before it even leaves the ground – driving efficiency, sustainability, and profitability. Plotlogic can optimise the mining process from pit-to-port with pinpoint precision.”

The team behind the technology, in addition to mining engineer Job, include Dr Richard Murphy, one of the world’s leading experts in hyperspectral geology, and Dr Michael Edgar, an experienced physicist and expert in optical sensors with experience spanning NASA and CalTech. Plotlogic has more than doubled its workforce since the start of the year, plans to double again before the end of the year, and once again next year, the company said.

Plotlogic said research collaborations with the University of Queensland’s Smart Machines Group and the Mineral Research Institute of Western Australia aided its quick establishment as a leader in real time high precision ore mapping and modelling.

Job said successful field trials with BHP’s iron ore and coal divisions, AngloGold Ashanti and Citic Pacific Mining over the past three years had provided valuable learnings that improved the technology and value proposition of OreSense across the iron ore, gold and coal sectors.

“Our technology has been purpose designed and built from the ground to best meet industry requirements,” he said.

On the BHP Iron Ore contract, Job said: “The opportunity to partner with the world’s biggest mining company is instrumental to our collaborative approach in the development and implementation of new technology for the mining industry.”

JKMRC researchers tackle SAG mill fill productivity challenge with new ‘soft sensor’

3rd April 2020Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining maintenance, Power supply for mines, Sustainable miningJKMRC, Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre, Marko Hilden, Mill Filling Prediction, mineral processing, Mohsen Yahyaei, SAG mill, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of QueenslandDaniel Gleeson

Researchers from the Sustainable Minerals Institute’s Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) say they are developing a soft sensor to overcome previously-accepted performance challenges facing SAG mills.

SAG mills are a key asset for mineral processing operations as one of the critical stages of extracting mineral out of ore, and their continued stable operation is central to productivity, the JKMRC says.

However, the performance of a SAG mill changes rapidly in response to conditions such as feed size and hardness, as well as longer-term variability due to liner wear – something no instrumentation can directly observe, according to the research centre.

The new Mill Filling Prediction (MFP) tool is a soft sensor (a mathematical model that act as a sensor) to provide information about the mill’s contents and enable it to be controlled closer to its maximum capacity, it says. The MFP tool is developed by Dr Marko Hilden (pictured with Mohsen Yahyaei here), a Senior Researcher at JKMRC, who transformed and updated models that have been developed by various researchers at JKMRC and developed new models to suit the new application.

Associate Professor, Mohsen Yahyaei, who is JKMRC’s Advanced Process Prediction and Control (APPCo) Group Leader, said the MFP tool includes mathematical models that predict the wear condition of the mill, the level of mill filling, the filling of the steel grinding media and particle trajectory.

“The models capture data from commonly installed sensors around SAG mills, which allows the model to run in real time, giving the operator instant feedback on the critical conditions that affect mill performance,” he said.

“The MFPT is already being implemented at a number of industrial sites, and they are starting to see multiple benefits in the control of the grinding circuit.”

In the mining sector, most energy is used during mineral processing, with comminution – which includes grinding – accounting for 70% of total energy usage in some sub-sectors, according to the JKMRC.

Associate Professor Yahyaei said precisely predicting mill filling can increase operators’ confidence in running the mill at a higher average filling and power draw, thereby increasing overall equipment effectiveness and throughput.

“The operator can be alerted when undesirable conditions such as slurry pooling are imminent, reducing the risk of the mill being overloaded,” he said.

“Estimation and display of steel ball level reduces the need to perform regular manual measurements which require stopping and sometimes entering the mill, and, therefore, reduces the impact on production and personnel health and safety.

“And warnings, when shell impacts are likely, can help the operators select operating conditions that avoid excessive liner wear and grinding media consumption.”

JKMRC’s APPCo Group aims to transform unit process modelling and simulation by moving from steady-state models to techniques that make greater use of data generated on-site and sensor technologies in combination with advanced process control, computational analytics and modelling techniques, according to the JKMRC.

Mining-focused consortium delves into mine closure ‘transition’

23rd March 2020Environmental, Mining industry recognition, Sustainable miningAnglo American, BHP, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, Deanna Kemp, Mine closure, MMG, Newcrest, Newmont, OceanaGold, Rio Tinto, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of QueenslandDaniel Gleeson

The University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) has published the first six project reports of the Social Aspects of Mine Closure Research Consortium.

Researchers at SMI’s Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) led the mine closure-related projects, which, they say, examined Indigenous employment opportunities, public participation and government engagement processes, integrating social aspects into industry partners’ closure planning, governance and regulation and mining as a temporary land use.

“The consortium is a multi-party, industry-university research collaboration established to conduct research that challenges accepted industry norms and practices and demands new approaches that place people at the centre of mine closure,” SMI said.

CSRM Director Professor, Deanna Kemp, said publishing the reports contributed significantly to the mine closure literature and provided stakeholders with the latest information.

“In the consortium’s first year of operation, we focused on establishing data and knowledge to inform subsequent research. This strategy is evident in the diversity of projects undertaken,” she said.

“A core theme has been around ‘transition’; that is, viewing closure not merely as an end-point of mining, but as a transition to a post-mining future in which social change continues long after a mine ceases to be productive.”

She said the consortium was now developing its 2020 research plan, “which will build on this solid foundation and deliver on our consortium partners’ priorities”.

Major mining companies such as Anglo American, BHP, MMG, Newcrest, Newmont, OceanaGold and Rio Tinto are consortium members, with the work sitting under the SMI’s Transforming the Mine Life Cycle strategic research program as one of three research themes (transitioning through closure).

Under the ‘Indigenous groups, land rehabilitation and mine closure: exploring the Australian terrain’ project, two challenging areas at the interface of mining and Indigenous communities in Australia are being addressed.

This includes, one, the persistent lack of direct employment of Indigenous landowners on mines operating on their land; and, two, increasing expectations that mining companies engage local communities in closure planning and closure criteria setting as a prerequisite for relinquishment.

“The approach taken seeks to build on one of the greatest assets Indigenous people possess; their attachment to and knowledge of their land,” the SMI said.

In the ‘Integrated mine closure planning: A rapid scan of innovations in corporate practice’ project, the study aims to identify novel approaches used by consortium member companies to integrate social dimensions into closure planning.

Identifying these approaches promotes knowledge exchange between the companies and provides direction for future research and innovation for mine closure performance, according to the SMI.

“We found that the companies are at various stages of integrating environmental, social and economic factors into planning (at all stages of the mine lifecycle),” it said.

The ‘Participatory processes, mine closure and social transitions’ project examines the fact that, in closure planning, the focus of public participation is on identifying and managing the changes brought about by closure.

The project will ask: “What participatory processes contribute to a smooth transition to a post-mining future? How can public participation contribute to a positive socio-economic legacy of mining?”

Undertaken as part of the Social Aspects of Mine Closure Research Consortium, this project will address these questions.

The SMI said: “Researchers found few studies documenting the specific application of participatory processes to mine closure. Even fewer provide analysis to glean broader insights beyond time- and context-specific details.”

This project was designed as an exploratory, desktop study to ascertain what is known and documented about participation in mine closure. It is intended to provide an overview of key principles and to function as a repository of case studies to support future research, according to the consortium members.

The ‘Government engagement: insights from three Australian states’ project sought to establish current state priorities for socially responsible mine closure and smooth regional post-mining transitions in the Australia state jurisdictions of New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.

It concentrated on priorities that are not yet evident in legislation and cultivating state authorities’ interest in the work of the consortium, according to the SMI.

“The project aimed to: better understand current and emerging expectations and role of Australian governments in ensuring attention to social aspects of closure; identify government strategies for improving the ‘afterlife’ for mining communities and regions; articulate regulator roles in protecting the public good and ensuring a positive socio-economic legacy of mining; facilitate two-way communication between the consortium and governments and identifying ways for government departments to connect to the consortium’s work.”

The project, ‘Mining as a temporary land use: industry-led transitions and repurposing’, showed that post-mining land use and associated economies have become a priority issue in mine lifecycle planning.
This scoping project starts from the position that reconceptualising mine ‘closure’ may enhance the industry’s contribution to sustainable development, the SMI said. It reframes mining as a “temporary land use”.

“The primary focus of this research is on identifying examples of post-mining repurposing of land and related economic transitions that are being led by industry,” the SMI said. “Transitions led by state or other actors (eg civil society groups) provide additional inspiration for industry-led opportunities. Our findings provide an initial repository of cases that different parties can refer to in making decisions about post-mining futures.”

Lastly, the ‘Social aspects of mine closure: governance & regulation’ project extends previous CSRM work on closure regulation and closure bonds.

The project partners reviewed mining regulations across 10 jurisdictions around the world, with the objective being to build a knowledge base of how regulators are approaching social aspects of closure. This involved collating, organising, and characterising over 40 acts, regulations, and policy documents.

“We found that no jurisdiction had passed regulation specific to social aspects of closure and all tended to focus on biophysical aspects of closure,” the SMI said. “Social aspects of mining received attention in relation to approvals, but not generally for closure.”

The evidence gathered in this project can be mobilised to support subsequent work, according to the partners, who suggested a collaboration between industry, government, and other stakeholders to develop model regulations that account for a variety of perspectives and reflect realistic operational parameters.

You can find out more about the projects by clicking here.