Tag Archives: Western Australia

Primero looks to Track’em for materials inventory solution on WA iron ore expansion project

Bulk handling, IoT, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

Primero, following the signing of a contract with Track’em, is to use the Material Tracking solution to increase visibility and control of its materials for construction works on a major iron ore expansion project in Western Australia.

Track’em provides a central, cloud-based solution for tracking materials across the supply chain, according to its owner. By using the system, Primero and its project partners will be able to manage, monitor, update and report on materials in real time from any location, it said.

“We’re really excited to partner with a successful fast-growing multi-disciplinary engineering company such as Primero,” Kashif Saleem, Founder and CEO of Track’em, said. “Track’em will allow Primero to take ownership of the materials control processes to streamline operations. It promotes efficiency and reduces the risk of losing expensive materials with long lead times.”

Track’em provides stakeholders with an integrated system that gives continuous visibility on the location, status, condition and custody of materials. The Track’em app will further enable users to quickly locate, scan and update parts and components, while digitising form-based processes such as inspections and transfer documents, according to the company.

Mark Pensabene, Executive General Manager Project Delivery, Primero, said: “Primero Group always prefers to engage with local partners to support the industry. For this project – with the volume of materials required – we needed a world-class materials control system.

“We looked at WA-based Track’em and were very impressed. It’s the most sophisticated materials tracking platform that we’ve ever come across, yet it is surprisingly simple to use. It will equip workers throughout the supply chain – from our fabricators to site – to use a single system giving us end-to-end visibility.”

While no specific iron ore expansion project was mentioned by either Primero or Track’em in the release, Primero is currently working on both the South Flank and Koodaideri iron ore projects for BHP and Rio Tinto, respectively, in addition to the expansion of the Robe Valley iron ore operations, owned jointly by Rio, Mitsui and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal.

FMG strengthens Western Australia hydrogen ties with ATCO agreement

Environmental, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

ATCO and Fortescue Metals Group say they have signed an agreement to explore the potential to deploy hydrogen vehicle fuelling infrastructure in Western Australia.

FMG, only last month, agreed to team up with Anglo American, BHP and Hatch to form a Green Hydrogen Consortium looking at ways of using green sources of hydrogen to accelerate decarbonisation within their operations globally.

It also already has a partnership in place with Australia’s CSIRO on hydrogen technologies to support the development of new industries, create jobs and pave the way for low emissions export opportunities for Australia.

ATCO, meanwhile, says it has led the development of renewable hydrogen in Australia, and was the first company to generate hydrogen through electrolysis, powered only by solar.

ATCO and FMG will now collaborate to facilitate the construction and operation of a combined hydrogen production and refuelling facility at ATCO’s existing facility in Jandakot, Perth, with the possibility of wider deployment across the state.

The initial refuelling facility will provide ATCO, Fortescue and agreed third parties with the opportunity to refuel vehicles capable of utilising hydrogen as the primary fuel source, Atco says. This includes a fleet of Toyota Mirai fuel cell electric vehicles that have been made available by Toyota Motor Corp Australia.

“The project will serve as a showcase for hydrogen mobility in the state and support the transition to the next generation of zero-emission transport,” ATCO said.

ATCO’s Managing Director in Australia, Pat Creaghan, said ATCO is committed to expediting the global transition to a net-zero emissions balance in the future and sees a significant opportunity for hydrogen to play a role in that future.

“ATCO’s Clean Energy Innovation Hub has been generating and testing the use of renewable hydrogen for more than six months in gas blending and power applications. The hub provides a fantastic base from which to partner with Fortescue to contribute to Western Australia’s burgeoning renewable hydrogen industry.”

Building on the knowledge gained through the development and implementation of this hub, ATCO says it is currently conducting a feasibility study – with A$375,000 ($226,148) in funding from WA’s Renewable Hydrogen Fund – into the development of a commercial scale renewable hydrogen production plant.

Fortescue Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth Gaines, said the miner was committed to working with other organisations to position Australia as a leader in the global hydrogen economy.

“As the world moves towards a lower carbon future, hydrogen has the potential to play a key role in the future energy mix and we want to ensure we remain at the forefront of Australia’s renewable hydrogen industry,” Gaines said.

“Identifying and establishing partnerships is critical to unlocking the future potential of hydrogen and we look forward to working with ATCO to capitalise on the economic opportunities associated with hydrogen and support the development of a competitive hydrogen industry.”

ATCO and Fortescue have sought funding under the State Government’s Renewable Hydrogen Fund to support the development of this infrastructure, and are awaiting the outcome of this submission.

Babylon wins year-long extension at BHP Mining Area C

Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Babylon Pump & Power Limited says it has secured an extension of an existing power generation contract with BHP’s iron ore division in Western Australia.

The extension is tied to a contract the Australia-listed firm secured back in July 2018 through ADENCO Water Management & Civil Engineering. This saw Babylon supply, install and maintain power generation equipment for the Surplus Water Pipeline project at BHP’s Mining Area C project in Western Australia.

Babylon says it has since supplied and installed this equipment on site and will continue to maintain it for the project.

BHP is in the process of extending its Mining Area C through the development of the South Flank iron ore project, which is due to start up in 2021. It will be one of the largest iron ore processing hubs in the world, with an 80 Mt/y crushing and screening plant, an overland conveyor system and rail-loading facilities.

Babylon’s extension contract will run for a term of 52 weeks and is expected to contribute circa-A$1.1 million ($663,893) over that period, the company said.

BHP keeps Western Australia iron ore rail operations on track

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BHP says its Rail Operations team in Western Australia is finding new ways to safely navigate the challenges posed by the COVID-19 virus, with several of its train drivers based in other states of Australia and overseas relocating to support their counterparts in WA.

Most of BHP’s rail operations team already live in Western Australia, according to the company, but a number regularly commute from interstate or overseas for their scheduled rosters, BHP said.

To help cover those roles, some of these drivers have opted to stay in the Pilbara for their next shift, while others have temporarily relocated to Western Australia and are currently in 14 days of self-isolation before they return to site, the company said.

Media reports say BHP has relocated some 300 people from the eastern states of Australia to Western Australia to comply with cross-border restrictions or quarantine requirements in the country. This follows a ban on fly-in-fly-out workers from New South Wales entering Western Australia.

BHP’s majority-owned Western Australia Iron Ore operation is an integrated system of four processing hubs and five mines connected by more than 1,000 km of rail infrastructure and port facilities in the Pilbara region of northern Western Australia.

Other rail operations staff, including supervisors, coordinators, trainers and many other team members, are picking up jobs they wouldn’t normally do to keep BHP trains operational over the next few months, the miner said.

“With the current challenge in front of us, the team are doing whatever it takes to help each other out and keep our trains moving,” Rail Operations Manager, Steve Campbell, said. “It has meant working differently, making it possible to deliver today, what would have been seen as impossible only a short time ago.

“The rail drivers here at BHP are some of the best in the world. They are proud of what they do and who they represent.

“I am so proud of the entire rail team who have all been up to the challenge, keeping our trains moving, helping to keep the country moving – to me, that’s big!”

Karara Mining to stack tailings high to keep costs, water use and footprint low

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , ,

Bis, FLSmidth and Karara Mining have developed a “unique mobile stacking conveyor” solution that has cut water use, costs and the environmental footprint at the iron ore miner’s operation in Western Australia.

If Karara’s iron ore mine had chosen a wet tailings storage facility, the tailings pond would have been roughly 8 sq.km based on its 30-year mine life, according to FLSmidth.

The operation is also in the Mid-West region of Western Australia, an area with scarce water reserves, so losing so much water to wet tailings would have been costly to both the environment and Karara’s bottom line.

With these factors in mind, Karara looked at implementing a dry-stacked/filtered tailings system to allow for significant water recovery and reuse. As well as reducing costs, dry stack technology would reduce the tailings footprint to around 4 sq.km, according to FLSmidth.

Bis worked with Karara and FLSmidth to develop a solution to build, own, operate and maintain a “unique mobile stacking conveyor”, FLSmidth said. This fixed infrastructure solution was developed by the three companies to integrate a walking conveyor and stacking technology normally used in large-scale copper mining operations.

Aside from the significant reduction of the physical footprint compared with the wet tailings alternative, Karara was looking for cost efficiencies in other areas, FLSmidth said. “For instance, the planning of a wet tailings storage facility needs to factor in an ongoing maintenance strategy. This comes with a perpetual cost that can only be guessed at while the decades pass,” the company said. “With dry-stack tailings, the total cost of ownership over the mine’s lifetime is easier to estimate and Karara were confident the dry stack solution would be cost competitive.”

Water usage was another key consideration for Karara. With environmental and cost factors in mind, Karara wanted to look at ways to have greater control over water assets on site. The ability to reuse and recycle water in the mining process would lead to substantial cost efficiencies by minimising the amount of makeup water needed for the mining operation, FLSmidth said.

The technology implemented into Karara’s tailings storage facility was also an important factor as Karara wanted the flexibility to continually update the equipment with the view of running it more efficiently as new technology became available. It engaged Bis to operate the facility machinery based on its deep industry experience with materials handling and bulk logistics, FLSmidth said.

FLSmidth, meanwhile, was identified by Karara as being able to meet the project’s requirements and mine-specific needs.

The mining OEM said: “A primary demand was the ability to supply a cost-effective dry stacking technology ideal for dry climate mining operations that reduced water requirements. With FLSmidth’s advanced stacking capability (machinery working off stacked pile) and ability to stack tailings at 15% moisture content, this meant tangible water savings for Karara.

“At Karara, the dry tailings will be stacked in four lifts to the maximum height approved by the Western Australia Government. The solution proposed by FLSmidth also created a smaller tailings storage footprint, which also meant improved site rehabilitation potential.”

Karara worked closely with Bis and FLSmidth to get the project off the ground and make Karara the first mine in Australia to take full advantage of this dry-stack technology, FLSmidth said.

The tailings storage facility is fast approaching the completion of Lift 1 and, together with Karara, Bis and FLSmidth are already in the planning stage to lift the equipment to the second level.

Primero lays foundations for world’s largest rail mounted stackers, reclaimer

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Primero Group looks set to hit the June 30 deadline for the pre-assembly of two stackers and one “off-reclaim machine” for thyssenkrupp at the BHP-owned South Flank iron ore project, in Western Australia.

In an update posted today, Primero said it was nearing completion of the pre-assembly and dressing out of 24 machine modules for thyssenkrupp, with the last of these modules being “punch listed” and signed off in preparation for shipment.

The modules will complete the world’s largest rail mounted stackers and reclaimer, which are currently under construction on site in the state. thyssenkrupp said previously that the rail mounted stacker/reclaimer units will have a loading capacity of 20,000 t/h.

Primero has been carrying out the work at the Australian Marine Complex, in Henderson, south of Perth, Western Australia, with the company saying over 10 km of cable, 2 km of piping and 200 m of conveyors had been installed. The project has seen Primero reach 75,000 project hours loss time injury free, it added.

The Primero contract commenced last year and was expected to be completed in the current Australia financial year, ending June 30, 2020.

The $4.6 billion South Flank iron ore project will be one of the largest iron ore processing hubs in the world when operating. It includes an 80 Mt/y crushing and screening plant, an overland conveyor system and rail-loading facilities. The mine will replace production from BHP’s Yandi mine, which is nearing the end of its life.

Construction began in July 2018 and first production of iron ore is anticipated in 2021.

Mincor to leverage new EV, teleremote and production drilling tech at Kambalda

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Mincor says it plans to incorporate some of the most modern mining technology to enhance safety, boost operational efficiency and reduce costs at its integrated nickel re-start project in the Kambalda District of Western Australia.

Having released the definitive feasibility study on the project, the company is now awaiting a positive final investment decision from the Mincor Board. It hopes this will be made early in the September quarter. Should all go well, this could result in first nickel-in-concentrate production being achieved in the second half of 2021, it said.

The “Mincor Nickel Operations” DFS confirmed the potential to develop a five‐year operation producing 63,000 t of recovered nickel-in-concentrate for an estimated pre-production capital expenditure of A$68 million ($41 million). This could see the project, which is likely to feature a contract mining model, generate a post-tax internal rate of return of 88% based on the company’s estimates.

Mincor said: “Importantly, the DFS reflects a starting position only as potential extensions to the life of mine have been identified at Cassini, where recent diamond drilling returned a significant intersection of 17.6 m at 5% Ni, which is outside the current mineral resource boundary and has been excluded from the DFS.

“At the Northern Operations, underground drilling is planned once mine development commences targeting extensions and new discoveries in this well-endowed nickel mining area.”

Despite this remaining potential, Mincor has already kicked off an early works program at the operation, which has seen Hampton Mining and Civil Services begin a “discrete two-month program” focused on site clearance activities for infrastructure and services, plus the excavation of the box-cut at the high-grade Cassini orebody, Mincor said.

The mine plan at the project involves scheduling production from three distinct mining operations, Cassini, Miitel and the Northern Operations (Durkin North and the Long mines). The mine design physicals and associated costs for the three all feed into individual mine models, with the outputs from each model forming part of an integrated mining and processing plan to optimise mining and processing schedules. This is all geared around delivering annual average throughput of 500,000-600,000 t of ore to the Kambalda Nickel Concentrator, in line with a toll treatment pact Mincor has in place with BHP Nickel West.

With the start-up of Cassini and the re-start of the mines previously under care and maintenance, Mincor said it plans to incorporate some of the most modern technology at the operation.

An important aspect of the DFS, which the company has previously talked about, is the use of electric light vehicles underground.

Mincor said: “The use of these vehicles has been considered to improve air quality and reduce primary ventilation power costs within each of the mines.”

The company has tested this out recently with a trial of Safescape’s battery-electric Bortana EV at its Long mine.

In addition to this, underground Wi-Fi is set to be used in development and production areas for control of equipment and real-time monitoring of ventilation, pumping and fleet activity. Related to this, teleremote control and laser guided technology on loaders is likely to be employed.

And, lastly, production drills will be fitted with Minnovare’s Production Optimiser to ensure longhole drilling conforms to design, thereby minimising dilution, Mincor said.

The Production Optimiser system combines advanced hardware and software that enhances the speed, accuracy and reliability of long-hole production drilling. This leads to improved stope productivity and, ultimately, increased profitability, Minnovare says.

The technology has previously been employed with favourable results at Northern Star Resources’ Kalgoorlie gold operations.

Premier Coal replenishes fleet with Liebherr R 9400

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

Premier Coal has recently taken delivery of a new Liebherr R 9400 hydraulic excavator at its operation in the Collie Coal Basin of Western Australia.

The new R 9400, which was delivered to the Yancoal Australia subsidiary earlier this month, will replace a R 994B on site and join another R 994B, a R 995 and two R 996Bs in the excavator fleet, Liebherr said.

The R 9400 follows the Liebherr design philosophy of maximising the machine’s performance by improving the efficiency of all individual subsystems. Engineered for optimum serviceability the machine is designed to ensure maximum uptime, the OEM said.

Designed for rough application, the R 9400’s heavy-duty three-piece fatigue-resistant undercarriage provides efficient superstructure weight distribution and reduces ground-bearing pressure enabling the necessary stability and reliability, according to Liebherr.

Premier Coal is Western Australia’s largest coal producer, mining about 4 Mt/y, according to the company. It is managed by Yancoal Australia on behalf of its majority shareholder Yanzhou Coal Mining Company.

A modern open-pit operation, Premier has a 240 t truck and large shovel fleet along with crushing, blending, and train and truck loading facilities, it said.

Premier’s coal has outstanding combustion characteristics, according to the company, as well as low ash and sulphur making it suitable for many applications including steam raising (power generation), cement making, and direct heat reduction. Its coal is currently used to generate the bulk of Western Australia’s power supplies, Premier said. It is also used in alumina and synthetic rutile production.

Rhino raiseborer has Raising Australia reaming ahead, Sandvik says

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The arrival of the Rhino 100 mobile raiseborer has seen Raising Australia, part of the Byrnecut Group, slash slot-raise production times, improve productivity for its customers and significantly increase its own revenue, according to Sandvik.

‘Slot raises’ play a crucial role in the development of many underground mines in Australia, Sandvik says. Created by raiseboring machines, these wide-diameter holes provide void spaces in the stope into which blasted ore can expand, improving fragmentation.

The problem is traditional raiseboring machines used to drill slot raises are cumbersome to transport and have high demands for labour and time, according to Sandvik. “It can take two to three days of preparation before drilling begins, resulting in potential bottleneck and delays in production.”

In 2014, a team from Raising Australia travelled to Finland to inspect the Rhino 100, developed by TRB-Raise Borers and distributed by Sandvik. Mounted on rubber tyres, the Rhino 100 could travel under its own power within a mine, required just one operator, and could begin boring within 45 minutes of arrival on site, Sandvik said.

Raising Australia initially went down the route of developing and trialling its own mobile raiseborer, but, in 2016, General Manager, Mark Hanigan, inspected the latest generation Rhino 100 and realised it was what the company needed, Sandvik said. After working with TRB to tweak the borer to allow for additional drilling angles, Raising Australia took delivery of its first Rhino in September 2017.

“That first Rhino went straight to [Saracen’s] Carosue Dam Operation, near Kalgoorlie, and it’s been there ever since,” Hanigan says. “The previous contractors were drilling 150 m/mth, and we have achieved up to 400-m-plus a month. Between October 2017 and December 2019, we drilled just under 5,000 m, so we’ve doubled their output.”

After the initial success, Raising Australia ordered another two Rhino 100s. The first arrived in August 2018 and was sent to Northern Star’s Jundee gold mine, in Wiluna, Western Australia. The next was delivered in October 2018 and has been a campaign machine, travelling to a range of customer sites. The company has since ordered a fourth and fifth machine, which are being delivered in 2020 and are expected to be immediately put to work on major mining projects, according to Sandvik.

One of these rigs was recently commissioned on a 36 m long hole at Gold Fields’ Invincible operation.

Hanigan says the impact of the Rhino 100 on Raising Australia’s business has been significant. “We have significantly increased our revenues since 2017 when we took delivery of the first Rhino, and we’re hoping the next two Rhinos will help us grow again,” he says.

“The benefits for our customers are also huge. It used to be drilling the slot rises that would hold up the development process. Now, they can bring the stope online when they want and not have to wait for the hole to be drilled.”

In fact, so fast is the process with the Rhino 100, one of the biggest challenges for Raising Australia has been convincing clients that it will live up to its promises, Hanigan says.

“Every time we get a new client, we will tell them how it works and what it delivers, and they will be sceptical. That’s until they actually see it and their minds are blown,” he said.

Jarko Salo, Managing Director for TRB-Raise Borers, says the positive experience of Raising Australia is common among Rhino 100 customers across the globe. In one case, a Brazil miner reported productivity gains of up more than 90% due to more efficient working techniques enabled by the raiseborer.

Salo attributes the success of the rig to the ground-up approach taken during development. The needs of underground miners inspired the creation of the first mobile raiseborer and TRB has continued to be responsive to feedback.

“Right from the beginning here in Finland we have listened very carefully to our customers and produced designs that fit their needs,” he says.

Mark Hanigan says the key advantages for Raising Australia are the time and labour savings the Rhino offers over conventional raiseborers. While it takes a team of two people between two and three days to prepare a traditional raiseborer for duty, a single operator can tram the Rhino into the mine and be drilling within a matter of minutes. As well as slot raises, the Rhino 100 can be used to drill ventilation shafts, drainage shafts, escapeway shafts, ore passes and back fills, according to Sandvik.

Another key advantage of the Rhino 100 is safety. With older-style raiseborers, the operator is generally in the open less than 5 m from the hole being drilled and must drill deep into the rock before erecting a muck chute, according to Sandvik.

“With the Rhino 100, the muck chute opens and closes,” Hanigan says. “You open it up, push through the rod, and when you’re ready to start drilling you can close the chute up. It covers the hole, stopping the dirt cuttings flying out and hitting the operator. The Rhino 100 also removes the exposure of the operator to the risk of flying debris as you’re 6-7 m away from the work area and operate from within a cab.”

Raising Australia has recently begun taking advantage of the plug-‘n’-drill feature of its Rhino rigs, according to Sandvik. This allows for the quick change of drilling modules to permit down-reaming or conventional raiseboring. The module attaches to the borer, allowing for drilling even when access to the lower level in not possible, according to Sandvik.

“We just finished the first hole with that module last week and it was magic,” Hanigan said recently. “It drilled a 1.1 m diameter escape way in one third of the time of a normal raised drill.”

Salo says he has been pleased to witness Raising Australia’s journey with the Rhino 100: “Raising Australia and Byrnecut showed great vision in understanding the competitive advantages that mobile raiseboring provides early on,” he says.

Zenith Energy to power up Plutonic gold mine

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Zenith Energy says it will add a further 6 MW of installed capacity at Billabong Gold’s Plutonic project power station.

The two companies’ agreement will see the remote power generation specialist build, own and operate (BOO) the power station expansion to increase its capacity to 12 MW, while the current power purchase agreement term between the two companies will be extended by 52 months.

Located in the Archaean Plutonic Marymia Greenstone Belt, 800 km northeast of Perth in Western Australia, the Plutonic mine has been powered by Zenith since 2014.

The increased generating capacity will be delivered by the installation of an additional 6 MW of power via Jenbacher 620 Spark Ignition gas generator technology.

Upon installation, which is set to be completed in the June quarter, Zenith’s total BOO capacity will increase from circa-226 MW to more than 232 MW, it said.

Since Superior Gold, the parent company of Billabong Gold, acquired the Plutonic gold mine from Northern Star Resources in September 2016, it has achieved cumulative production of more than 276,000 oz of gold, according to Superior. The mine produced 83,035 oz of gold in 2019.

Back in October, the company delivered a five-year underground mine plan at Plutonic that would see the operation produce at least 100,000 oz/y of gold over this time frame.