Tag Archives: Western Australia

BHP to bolster Australia workforce with new short-term hires

Base metals, Careers in mining, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , ,

BHP says it is to hire 1,500 additional people to support its workforce operating across Australia.

The 1,500 jobs will be offered as six-month contracts and cover a range of skills needed by BHP operations in the short term, it said. These jobs will support and bolster its existing workforce during a difficult time when the COVID-19 virus continues to spread.

Yesterday, the company said it was accelerating payment of outstanding invoices and the reduction of payment terms for its small business partners and regional communities in Australia in response to the outbreak.

The roles will include machinery and production operators, truck and ancillary equipment drivers, excavator operators, diesel mechanics boilermakers, trades assistants, electricians, cleaners and warehousing roles across BHP’s coal, iron ore and copper operations in Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. The jobs will be offered through existing labour hire partners and BHP contracts in each state, it said.

Following the initial six-month contract, BHP will look to offer permanent roles for some of these jobs. BHP will continue to assess this program and may increase the number of jobs available, it added.

BHP Acting Minerals Australia President, Edgar Basto, said supporting the company’s employees, communities and partners, safely, is the highest priority.

“As part of BHP’s social distancing measures we are introducing more small teams with critical skills to work dynamically across different shifts,” he said.

“The government has said that resources industry is vital in Australia’s response to the global pandemic. We are stepping up and providing jobs and contracts. Our suppliers, large and small, play a critical role in supporting our operations. It is a tough time for our communities and the economy. We must look out for each other as we manage through this together.”

New thyssenkrupp stacker starts up at Rio Tinto’s East Intercourse Island facility

Bulk handling, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

thyssenkrupp is celebrating the first ore aboard a new stacker at the bulk handling facilities of Rio Tinto’s East Intercourse Island (EII), in the Port of Dampier, Western Australia.

The engineering company confirmed this week that “Stacker ST1EN” had reached the iron ore milestone at the project, which involves the manufacture, installation and commissioning of three replacement stackers and associated equipment as part of an almost A$70 million ($39.8 million) upgrade.

When the upgrade was announced back in August 2017, Rio said design and fabrication work was expected to commence in 2018, with installation and commissioning anticipated in late 2020.

Rio also said at the time that thyssenkrupp Australia would manufacture, assemble and fabricate the stackers required for the refurbishment before transporting the 1,860 t of stacker weight to the Pilbara.

PYBAR encourages next generation of miners with scholarship program

Careers in mining, Mining services, , , , ,

PYBAR says it has introduced a new scholarship in partnership with the Curtin University Western Australian School of Mines (WASM) to support a full-time student doing a resource-related undergraduate degree.

The PYBAR Scholarship for Engineering Excellence will be offered to an eligible second-year student studying either a Bachelor of Engineering (Mining Engineering) or Bachelor of Science (Mining) delivered at the WASM campus in Kalgoorlie.

The scholarship is worth A$10,000/y ($5,761/y) over a maximum period of three years and will be awarded to a suitable applicant this year, the contract miner said.

The scholarship furthers PYBAR’s commitment to facilitating skills development and training in the mining sector, which has experienced a decline in the number of engineering students or graduates in recent years, it said. PYBAR has sponsored the WASM Graduates Association for the past four years, prior to converting to this new scholarship arrangement.

PYBAR Chief Executive Officer, Brendan Rouse, said: “This new scholarship forms part of our efforts to contribute to the long-term future of the mining industry in Australia.

“We believe we have a responsibility to nurture future generations of mining professionals and we take this very seriously. WASM has a strong reputation for excellence with many of its graduates employed in the Australian mining sector. We would like to give a deserving student a similar opportunity.”

PYBAR has several other skill development initiatives in place, including an active graduate program and annual vacation work opportunities for students at its various sites, it said. The new WASM scholarship enhances and supports these activities.

In 2019, PYBAR established the Australian Institute of Mining (AIM), a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) providing nationally-accredited training to support people and services improvement across the underground mining sector.

MACA wins early civil works contract at Atlas Iron Corunna Downs project

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

MACA is to upgrade an existing public road and develop access road at the Corunna Downs iron ore project following a contract award from Atlas Iron.

The project, 33 km south of Marble Bar in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, will see Atlas develop five open pits using conventional drill and blast, and load and haul methods. Some 23.3 Mt of iron ore will be mined above the water table over an approximate timeframe of six years, according to a filing with the Environmental Protection Authority.

MACA’s contract is expected to generate revenue of around A$38 million ($23 million) over the eight-month term of the project. This includes the upgrade of a 22 km section of public road and the development of 13 km of access road. At its peak, the project will employ around 80 people, according to MACA.

The project is expected to commence in the June quarter for completion this year.

MACA has a long-standing working relationship with Atlas having previously provided services at the Pardoo, Mt Dove, Abydos and Wodgina operations. It is currently providing crushing services for Atlas at its Mount Webber operations.

MACA CEO, Mike Sutton, said: “MACA is delighted to have been awarded these early civil works for Atlas demonstrating the civil capability within our end to end mining service offering. We look forward to being part of the successful development of Corunna Downs and continuing our long-standing relationship with Atlas.”

Separately, MACA also advises it has received notice of a 12-month extension to its Eastern Ridge mobile crushing contract for BHP extending the project to April 2021.

Verton’s Everest 6 does the heavy lifting at Roy Hill

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

Verton Australia says iron ore miner Roy Hill has purchased its remote-controlled load orientation system, the Everest 6.

Designed to dramatically improve safety in crane operations, the Everest is a load management system designed to control and rotate a load to its target destination.

Everest eliminates the need for human held taglines to control suspended loads, thereby improving safety and productivity for crane operations, Verton says.

The Everest 6 and R5 models that are being employed at Roy Hill’s iron ore operations, in the Pilbara of Western Australia, can manage loads of up to 20 t and 5 t, respectively, while significantly improving workplace safety and efficiency, according to Verton.

Verton CEO, Trevor Bourne, said: “The Everest series is a great example of how mining companies are committed to reducing the risk of crane incidents by ensuring no human contact is required for managing suspended loads, with tag line use and associated workloads removed.”

Roy Hill has provided positive feedback on how the Everest performed during a recent mine shutdown when they replaced an 18 t transformer, according to Bourne.

“The Everest responded perfectly in smooth rotation with the load on the hook without causing the crane rope to twist and there was no need for taglines during the lift so Roy Hill was able to keep the riggers out of the line of fire during lifting operations,” he said.

Located 340 km southeast of Port Hedland, Roy Hill has an integrated mine, rail and port facilities and produces 55 Mt/y of iron ore, with approval to increase to 60 Mt/y.

Safescape’s battery-electric Bortana EV makes a splash in WA nickel country

Base metals, Environmental, Mining equipment, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , ,

Following a four-month test at Kirkland Lake Gold’s Fosterville mine, in Victoria, Australia, last year, Safescape’s Bortana EV is starting to woo miners in Western Australia’s renowned Kambalda nickel district.

The Australia-based METS company, which manufactures and supplies safety products to the mining industry globally, took its battery-electric vehicle on a tour of Kambalda at the end of February and Safescape has already started receiving positive feedback.

A battery-electric vehicle designed to handle the aggressive operating environment of underground mines, the Bortana EV uses the chassis of a diesel-powered Agrale Marruá, electric technology from 3ME and Safescape’s design and engineering expertise.

The first stop on the tour was Mincor’s Long nickel mine. Mincor has a long history of nickel production in the prolific nickel belt and, with a lack of new nickel sulphide projects and prices projected by many to climb – in part due to the rise of lithium-ion batteries using nickel sulphate – the company is preparing to reinvigorate its Kambalda mines. These assets include the first greenfields discovery in the region for over 20 years – the high-grade Cassini project.

There are strong arguments for battery-electric equipment in underground mines that include improved health and safety outcomes (especially with no diesel emissions), efficiency gains and reduced maintenance and operating costs. While the deployment of this technology in mining is in its early stages, Mincor is not prepared to wait in the wings. Mincor’s Managing Director, David Southam, said as recently as October 2019, that the restart of its nickel mines in Western Australia would act as a “global showcase” for all-electric underground light vehicles when the mines reopen in the next few years, and Mincor, last month, became the first miner in Western Australia to host the Bortana EV.

Mincor COO, Dean Will, said: “Long is a large mine that is currently on care and maintenance, but with plans to be back in production as part of Mincor’s restart of nickel mining.

“We were able to define a course through the [mine] workings taking the vehicle from surface to 1,100 m underground via a range of road conditions including an area we were able to moisten down to create extremely slippery conditions that would challenge any four-wheel-drive vehicle.”

He added: “The performance of the vehicle generally, and in particular through the worse road conditions, far exceeded our expectations.

“The Bortana includes onboard 1,000 V charging capability, which was tested multiple times throughout the trial period. We also love the angle that the Bortana EV battery contains a high content of nickel and we are planning on utilising these vehicles underground to mine our high-grade nickel which is ultimately destined for the EV market.”

Martin Kime, COO of 3ME Technology, which supplies the batteries and electric drive train for the Bortana EV, was in attendance during the Long trials.

He said: “The opportunity to present the vehicle to several groups from leading mining and contracting companies over a short period in Kambalda was incredible. Because this technology is so new it is difficult to explain it without some physical reference point. Companies were able to experience the Bortana vehicle in realistic terrain and then ask questions about how we are able to deliver such smooth and efficient operation.

“3ME typically works directly with our OEM customers to create electric vehicles but it’s important that our team understand the application and, as such, we’ve all attended various underground and open-pit mine sites supporting Safescape. We find all of these mines want the same thing: safer, healthier mine environments with improved costs but without adding new risks or hazards to their operation.”

Safescape’s Managing Director, Steve Durkin, was also in attendance, saying one of the best parts of his job was visiting mine sites and seeing “experienced professional miners exposed to a piece of new technology that they want to understand but have reservations about”.

He explained: “The process of transformation over one or two hours driving in and snooping around the Bortana is awesome to watch. The entire team at Safescape get a kick out of this and we’re really looking forward to continuing the journey to familiarise more miners with EV technology.”

Safescape plans to begin production of the 5.7 t GVM Bortana EV in the September quarter of 2020 and grow with customer demand.

“Whether it is the Bortana, Tembo, Voltra or Kovatera, battery-electric light vehicles for mining is inevitable,” Durkin said. “The benefits are just too large. We will look to do our part and continue to wish our coopetitors around the world the best of luck. This is a big job and together we’ll put a dent in the DPM issue underground.”

Mondium chooses Kerman Contracting for Rio Tinto WTS2 work

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

Kerman Contracting is to work on Rio Tinto’s in-development Western Turner Syncline 2 (WTS2) iron ore project, in Western Australia, following a contract award from Mondium.

Mondium was last month awarded a contract to design and construct the WTS2 mine in the Pilbara of Western Australia. It has since agreed to contract out the design, construction and commissioning of non-process infrastructure facilities and an explosives compound to Kerman as part of a circa-A$55 million ($37 million) agreement.

The construction works are due to start in the June quarter, with the contract comprising a fixed plant workshop complete with amenities and office buildings, a heavy vehicle diesel storage and refuelling facility and two remote facility buildings inclusive of offices, ablutions and crib rooms as well as an ammonium nitrate and emulsion storage facility and explosives compound.

Kerman’s Managing Director, Chris Kerman, said: “We are excited about the opportunity to work with Mondium at the WTS2 project and looking forward to building a strong and lasting business relationship with Mondium.

“This contract award builds on Kerman’s previous successful project outcomes in the Pilbara region in particular for Rio Tinto and other major mining companies.”

Back in November, Rio said it would invest $749 million in the development of WTS2 at its Greater Tom Price operations, facilitating mining of existing and new deposits and including construction of a new crusher as well as a 13 km conveyor.

NRW Holdings wins bulk earthworks assignment from Iron Bridge project partners

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

NRW Holdings is about to mobilise a team to carry out bulk earthworks at Fortescue Metals’ majority-owned Iron Bridge magnetite project in Western Australia.

The contractor confirmed it had received a notice of award for the bulk earthworks assignment from the Iron Bridge joint venture (between FMG subsidiary FMG Iron Bridge and Formosa Steel IB) and, while the award remained subject to finalisation, it had been directed to commence mobilisation.

The $2.6 billion Iron Bridge project will see the development of a new magnetite mine (including processing and transport facilities) and associated infrastructure. It will support production of 22 Mt/y (wet) of high grade (67% Fe), magnetite concentrate product, according to the partners. Production is expected by mid-2022. The Iron Bridge site comprises the North Star, Eastern Limb, Glacier Valley and West Star magnetite iron ore deposits and is 145 km south of Port Hedland.

The contract scope for NRW includes the bulk earthworks and drainage for roads, processing plant and infrastructure for the new mine site development. The contract value is around A$70 million ($47 million) and is expected to have a duration of around 45 weeks, NRW said. At its peak, there will be some 200 site based personnel required for the project.

NRW’s CEO and Managing Director, Jules Pemberton, said: “NRW is pleased to be involved in this exciting new project with Fortescue and looks forward to its successful execution.”

Babylon expands equipment and service offering to BHP Nickel West

Base metals, Mine operation news, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Water management, , , ,

Babylon Pump & Power says it has secured a new power generation and dewatering contract with BHP’s Nickel West division, in Western Australia.

The ASX-listed company has provided dewatering services for BHP since October 2018 and this contract expands on the equipment and services to be provided while securing the existing business for a further three‐year term – from February 1, 2020 to January 31, 2023 – it said.

Last year, Babylon Pump & Power established a rental service base on the East Coast of Australia with the completion of its acquisition of Primepower Queensland. This made it one of the largest independent and diversified engine re-builders in Australia, it said.

Panoramic looks to Barminco for Savannah nickel-copper-cobalt ramp up

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Perenti’s hard-rock underground mining subsidiary, Barminco, has been selected as the preferred contractor by Panoramic Resources at its Savannah nickel-copper-cobalt project in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

The contract, worth around A$200 million ($135 million), will see Barminco carry out mine development, production, and haulage over a three-year term. Work is expected to commence in March 2020.

Barminco anticipates it will employ around 170 people for the project and use predominately new equipment, which has been included in the capital guidance previously provided, to deliver the project.

Savannah, 110 km north of Halls Creek in Western Australia, saw mining operations recommence in December 2018, with the first shipment of concentrate departing Wyndham in February 2019. The miner is currently developing the higher-grade Savannah North orebody focusing on high speed development and a ramp up to full production in 2020, Perenti said.

Perenti Managing Director, Mark Norwell, said: “This project demonstrates our ability to capture organic growth opportunities, with the Barminco business now well integrated into the Perenti group whilst further embedding itself as a leader in underground mining.”

Underground Chief Executive Officer, Paul Muller, added: “We look forward to working closely with Panoramic Resources in driving the development of the Savannah North orebody safely and efficiently as it ramps up to full production.”