Tag Archives: Western Australia

REMA TIP TOP Australia belts up at BHP South Flank project

Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

REMA TIP TOP Australia has been selected by Monadelphous to install more than 50 km of conveyor belting for the BHP-owned South Flank iron ore project, in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

A key component of the project to build the $3.6 billion mine, the conveyor belting will be delivered with splice kits and the installation and splicing of steel cord and fabric belt on five conveyors systems, three of which are overland conveyors, with 77 rolls of belt to be installed and 77 splices to be completed in total. REMA TIP TOP Australia will assist Monadelphous in this work.

The conveyor solutions specialist has worked with Monadelphous on a range of major projects in the past and it is this proven track record that was critical in securing the project for the business, it said.

Steve Hipwell, REMA TIP TOP Australia Projects Manager, said: “This project represents a significant win for the business and is a testament to the commitment we have shown to delivering quality projects.

“Monadelphous have a substantial pipeline of works in the resources, energy and infrastructure sectors so it’s great to continue to build on our successes with this leading engineering company.”
Hipwell said mobilisation was set to begin in the June quarter.

Earlier this year, Fenner Dunlop secured the contract to manufacture and deliver the overland conveyor belt package to South Flank.

BHP is targeting first ore extraction at the operation in 2021 and expects to ramp up to 80 Mt/y of output. This will replace production from the existing Yandi mine, which is reaching the end of its economic life.

Strandline, Woodside and EDL to work on ‘world-first’ power project for Coburn

Environmental, Industrial minerals, Mineral project development, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , , , , ,

Strandline Resources has selected Woodside and EDL to provide a fully integrated energy solution for its Coburn mineral sands project, in Western Australia.

The parties have signed a non-binding proposal for the development of a 27 MW integrated trucked LNG, storage and power station facility, comprising gas and diesel back-up generators combined with state-of-the-art solar and battery technology, it said.

The Woodside and EDL joint venture (WEJV) was formed to provide clean, reliable and affordable LNG to market, according to Strandline.

“This world-first trucked LNG to hybrid renewable microgrid project will see EDL bring its turnkey expertise to the project’s power station and LNG storage and re-gasification facilities, with LNG supplied from Woodside’s Pluto LNG truck loading facility near Karratha, Western Australia,” Strandline said.

It is expected that contract documentation, in the form of a 15-year power purchase agreement, will be finalised over the coming months in readiness for the commencement of construction, Strandline said.

The WEJV solution provides Strandline with a long-term safe, reliable and highly efficient energy solution for Coburn, according to the developer.

EDL was recently involved in the start up of phase one of a hybrid power project at Gold Fields’ Agnew gold mine, also in Western Australia (pictured).

Coburn, meanwhile, is a mineral sands deposit hosting “exceptional” zircon and titanium mineral sands products, Strandline says. The project benefits from being situated in the well-established mining jurisdiction of Western Australia, close to key road, port and services infrastructure.

The company recently completed a definitive feasibility study on Coburn, which showed the project could generate a pre-tax net present value of A$551 million ($377 million) using a US$:A$ of 0.72, an 8% discount rate, and development capital of A$207 million for the heavy mineral concentrate produce case, with an additional A$50 million required for the final products case (including mineral separation plant infrastructure).

Barminco turns Perth head office into remote operations centre

Automation, Base metals, Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leading underground mining services provider Barminco, a subsidiary of Perenti, says it has successfully piloted a new operations centre that allows it to remotely operate underground equipment on a client’s mine site anywhere around the world.

In what the company believes to be a world first, Barminco operated a machine, working underground, from its head office in Perth at a client mine site in the Goldfields of Western Australia.

“The innovation was made more impressive given the remote operation occurred via the internet, instead of through a fibre-optic cable, which is the method that mine owner-operators have historically used,” the company said.

Barminco Chief Executive Officer, Paul Muller, announced the achievement at the third annual Sandvik Digitalization in Mining Event, in Brisbane, Australia, this week.

Muller said: “Barminco has cemented its place as one of the world’s leading underground mining service providers through the use of technology and automation.

“A key strategic initiative under our parent company, Perenti’s, 2025 strategy is to deliver a ‘technology driven future’, and our ability to remotely operate underground machinery from our head office is a significant achievement in delivering on that strategy.”

The Barminco Remote Operating Centre, or BROC, was successfully trialled in collaboration with Sandvik and Independence Group (IGO) back in July. It was trialled in the early morning at Barminco’s Head Office in Hazlemere for a machine located at IGO’s Nova nickel-copper-cobalt mine site, almost 1,000 km away.

Barminco General Manager Technology and Innovation, Darren Kwok, said the trial was a great success.

“Whilst many mine sites have operators remotely operating equipment from the mine’s surface, we are one of the first, if not the first service provider, to operate underground equipment on a client’s site from a much greater distance,” Kwok said.

“BROC enables us to connect multiple sites and operators at the same time, meaning if there is an issue at any point, we have contingencies in place.”

Barminco’s first trial involved the remote operation of a Sandvik LH517 LHD being operated in Perth by Barminco employee, Guy Gilbert, and Kwok said Barminco was now working with IGO to make BROC a permanent fixture at its Nova mine site.

“The advantages in improving the safety of our workplace and the efficiencies for our clients are enormous,” Kwok said.

Independence Group Chief Operating Officer, Matt Dusci, said the company was thrilled to be part of the successful trial, which is all part of the company’s ‘IGO – Smart Solutions’ initiatives.

“At IGO, we continually look for ways to improve how we do business and deliver operational excellence. By integrating innovative Smart Solutions at our operations, such as working with Barminco on BROC, we improve the safety and wellbeing of our people, realise step change opportunities, and optimise efficiencies and productivity,” Dusci said.

Kwok added: “Our future plan is to have a dedicated remote operating centre manned 24/7 where our team and our client’s people can work collaboratively side by side to deliver a world-class mine site.

“Clients who work with Barminco should expect more from our business along with the broader Perenti group of companies and BROC is one such example of how we are delivering on this promise.”

The Sandvik event concludes on December 4 and showcases best practice examples of industry leaders integrating digitalisation into their operations across the mining, construction and quarrying industries.

The announcement comes just over a week after Barminco was awarded Large Employer of the Year 2019 at the National Australian Training Awards in Brisbane.

Rio invests in new crusher, conveyor and autonomous trucks at WTS2 iron ore mine

Automation, Comminution of minerals, IoT, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , ,

Rio Tinto says it will invest $749 million in the Western Turner Syncline Phase 2 (WTS2) mine at its Greater Tom Price operations, in the Pilbara of Western Australia, facilitating mining of existing and new deposits and including construction of a new crusher as well as a 13 km conveyor.

In addition to this, the haul truck fleet at the mine will be fitted with Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) technology.

This investment will help sustain the production capacity of its world-class iron ore business, it said.

The new conveyor system at WTS2 will help lower greenhouse gas emissions from the mine by 3.5% compared with road haulage and the business is continuing to assess additional options to reduce emissions, including renewable energy solutions, it said.

Pending final government approvals, construction will start in the March quarter of 2020 with first ore from the crusher expected in 2021. Production of high-quality Brockman ore will support the company’s flagship Pilbara Blend, which continues to be the preferred base load product for China’s steel mills, Rio said.

The project is expected to deliver an attractive internal rate of return with a capital intensity of about $25/t of production capacity.

As part of the investment, the haul truck fleet at the mine will be fitted with Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) technology to enable autonomous haulage at WTS2 from 2021.

Rio said: “The ongoing deployment of autonomous haulage at the company’s Pilbara operations is delivering significant safety benefits as well as enhancing productivity and reducing costs.”

Approximately 50% of the company’s haul truck fleet will be capable of operating autonomously by the end of the year with plans being assessed to expand this in the years ahead.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive, Chris Salisbury, said: “Our iron ore business continues to deliver industry-leading margins as we drive performance from our mines. This significant investment in the Greater Tom Price hub is one of a pipeline of high-quality, low-cost options that will underpin production of our flagship Pilbara Blend product well into the future.”

The investment in the WTS2 mine will help sustain the current workforce at Rio Tinto’s Greater Tom Price production hub. Additionally, at its peak, the construction workforce is expected to number more than 1,000 people.

Hastings, TOMRA see potential for XRT ore sorting at Yangibana rare earths project

Energy minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

TOMRA’s X-ray Transmission (XRT) ore sorting innovation has another positive industry reference to hand after Hastings Technology Metals said off-the-shelf technology had proven extremely effective at removing dilution on samples used in the testing program at its Yangibana rare earths project in Western Australia.

Testing on a 1.8 t sorted bulk sample had seen a 95.1% recovery of contained Nd2O3+Pr6O11 (neodymium and praseodymium), a 52% increase in head grade from 0.71% to 1.08% Nd2O3+Pr6O11, and a 37.1% mass rejection, Hastings said.

This shows XRT technology could be applied to separate out a barren waste stream from the ore, according to the ASX-listed company, presenting an opportunity to remove waste dilution material from the mining process before the material is fed into the processing plant – resulting in energy and reagent savings in the beneficiation circuit.

The testing involved the crushed bulk ore sample of 1.8 t being screened into two size fractions (10.5 mm) and (plus-10.5mm), with the sortable fraction (plus-10.5 mm)after being diluted with waste material at either 35% or 60% proportions screened on a TOMRA commercial sorter using XRT technology at 32 t/h feed rate.

In the base case, sorted ore samples, crushed and screened to plus-10.5 mm and diluted with 35% waste material, a total of 37.1% of the sample mass was rejected at a grade of 0.09%Nd2O3+Pr6O11, representing a loss of Nd2O3+Pr6O11 of just 4.9%, or an overall recovery of 95.1%Nd2O3+Pr6O11 in the ore. A corresponding 52% increase or upgrade in the ore head grade was achieved from 0.71% to 1.08% Nd2O3+Pr6O11.

In the sorted sample diluted with 60% waste material, the ore sorting test work program achieved an upgrade factor of 2.16 taking the feed grade from 0.43% Nd2O3+Pr6O11 to 0.93%Nd2O3+Pr6O11, while recovering 90.6% of the Nd2O3+Pr6O11, the company said.

Hasting said: “The full opportunity for including ore sorting technology into the Yangibana process flowsheet is still being assessed. Based on these test work results, technical and engineering programs will continue to investigate the benefits that can be realised across the project.”

The proposed beneficiation and hydro metallurgy processing plant at Yangibana will treat rare earths deposits, predominantly monazite, hosting high neodymium and praseodymium contents to produce a mixed rare earths carbonate that will be further refined into individual rare earth oxides at processing plants overseas, according to Hastings.

A definitive feasibility study in 2017, based on a 5.15 Mt reserve, detailed a production rate of 1 Mt/y to produce up to 15,000 t/y of mixed rare earths carbonate at Yangibana.

MACA to help FQM with Ravensthorpe nickel mine restart

Base metals, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining services, , , , , , ,

MACA says it has received a letter of award from First Quantum Minerals related to carrying out open-pit mining services at the Ravensthorpe nickel project in Western Australia.

On care and maintenance since October 1, 2017, due to the persistently low nickel price, Ravensthorpe involves open-pit mining and beneficiation of nickel laterite ore, pressure acid leaching, atmospheric leaching, counter current decantation, precipitation and filtration to produce a mixed hydroxide precipitate product, containing approximately 40% nickel and 1.4% cobalt on a dry basis.

First Quantum hinted earlier this year that a restart could be on the cards following a sustained nickel price run. Restart costs, should favourable conditions prevail, are estimated at $10 million, the company has previously said.

The final contract award with MACA is subject to finalisation of documentation with all major terms having been agreed, the ASX-listed contractor said.

Mobilisation to site is expected to commence in December with operations commencing from January.

The project will consist of open-pit mining services including drilling and blasting, and loading and hauling, and is expected to generate around A$480 million ($327 million) in revenue for MACA over the initial five-year term.

MACA said its total work in hand position now stands at A$2.5 billion and its financial year 2020 revenue is expected to be around A$770 million.

MACA Operations Director, Geoff Baker, said: “We are very pleased to have been selected preferred contractor and look forward to developing a long-term working relationship with the First Quantum team at the Ravensthorpe nickel project.”

GR Engineering to help expand Saracen’s Carosue Dam gold operation

Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , ,

GR Engineering Services says it has entered into a contract with Saracen Mineral Holdings that will see the company carry out the engineering design, procurement and construction of expansion works on its mineral processing plant at the Carosue Dam gold operations, in Western Australia.

The works under the contract include the upgrade of the existing processing plant capacity to a nominal throughput of 3.2 Mt/y by the installation of secondary grinding equipment, in addition to upgrades to the existing carbon-in-leach circuit and other process infrastructure, GR Engineering says.

The contract price is $24.5 million ($17 million), with work under the contract starting immediately with the completion of the upgrade expected to occur in the first half of its 2021 financial year.

Saracen has previously said Carosue Dam will soon undergo a mill expansion from 2.4 Mt/y to 3.2 Mt/y with feed coming from both underground and open-pit mines.

GR Engineering’s Managing Director, Geoff Jones, said: “Having been involved in the initial development of Carosue Dam in 2000, our team has maintained a strong relationship with Saracen and utilised its understanding of the project to deliver incremental benefits to the project. GR Engineering looks forward to achieving positive outcomes for Saracen through the safe and successful delivery of these expansion works.”

Swift Media and Empired connect with Rio Tinto in Western Australia

Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , ,

Rio Tinto has contracted Swift Media to provide fit for purpose entertainment systems at the workforce accommodation villages at one of its iron ore operations, in Western Australia.

The ASX-listed service provider has been signed up to install and commission Wi-Fi access points as well as configuration of monitoring and management equipment at the Brockman iron ore operation.

This work is to be delivered across 6,600 plus rooms throughout the Brockman area as part of stages 3 to 6 of the Rio standardisation and improvement program, according to Swift Media.

Working under a tight deadline, Swift has been requested to complete the project before the end of this calendar year, it said, adding that the contract is valued at A$1-1.5 million ($692,114-1.04 million) in revenue and includes standard industry payment terms.

Swift Media CEO, Pippa Leary, said: “We have worked closely with Rio over 11 years and look forward to strengthening the partnership going forward. This agreement is central to our core strategy of leveraging our market leading position to drive growthin our key mining and resources vertical.”

Alongside this, IT service provider, Empired, confirmed it had been awarded a five-year IT supply contract with Rio Tinto.

Pentium Hydro and Roy Hill Iron Ore sign drilling contract

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Water management, , , ,

Vysarn’s wholly-owned subsidiary Pentium Hydro says it has entered into a general works contract for dual rotary and reverse circulation water bore drilling services with Roy Hill Iron Ore in Western Australia.

Under this contract, Roy Hill may at any time over an initial period of two years (which can be extended by Roy Hill for a further year), submit a work request to Pentium to perform works such as dual rotary and RC water bore drilling services, minor civil earthworks and/or rotary air and conventional drilling services, at locations as instructed by Roy Hill.

Pentium has already received and accepted the first work request from Roy Hill for dual rotary drilling and construction dewatering production bores with depths of up to 100 m at the miner’s iron ore operation in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, with the estimated value of this work request being some A$2 million ($1.4 million).

Dependant on the timing of receipt of the purchase order and, subject to mobilisation of the rig prior to Christmas, it is expected this work request package based on the current scope would be complete within four to five months.

Pentium Managing Director, Sheldon Burt, said: “Pentium Hydro is delighted with the award of a contract with a client of Roy Hill Iron Ore’s standing. We are committed to building strong relationships and the development of these relationships is a core component of Pentium’s long-term strategy to be a leading hydrogeological water well service provider in Australia.”

RCT and Northern Star carry out ‘history-making’ trial in WA’s Goldfields region

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

RCT and Northern Star Resources have recently completed an autonomous technology trial in Western Australia’s Goldfields region that bodes well for the future of underground remote operations centres in the state.

In early October, RCT set up a ControlMaster® Automation Centre at the Western Australian School of Mines (WASM) in Kalgoorlie with a network connection to an underground LHD equipped with ControlMaster Guidance Automation at the East Kunduna Joint Venture (EKJV) mine.

EKJV is a joint venture between Northern Star, Tribune Resources and Rand Mining, managed by Northern Star  and located around 40 km away from Kalgoorlie.

The mining method at the Kundana operations is from underground using up-hole longhole stoping with paste backfill.

The project to set up a Remote Operating Centre (ROC) was a combined effort by technical specialists from RCT and Northern Star Resources, RCT said.

Once operational, a Northern Star Resources equipment operator controlled the ControlMaster Guidance Loader from the WASM Kalgoorlie facility and resumed site required remote production rates.

Northern Star Resources currently uses ControlMaster Guidance Automation on its underground LHD fleet at the EKJV from an onsite Surface Control System.

RCT said: “The trial is a history-making event for the Goldfields region and represents an exciting opportunity for both Northern Star Resources and RCT and what can be achieved through the use of smart technology.”

RCT Kalgoorlie Branch Manager, Rick Radcliffe, said: “This trial has helped both businesses to understand what future opportunities there are in autonomous technology, which is not only exciting for both business but the local Goldfields community as well.

“To conduct the trial from the WA School of Mines is also a story worth sharing with the wider mining and METS (mining equipment technology and services) community, to showcase the great innovation coming from the Western Australian Goldfields region.”

ROCs represent great job opportunities for members of the labour force who traditionally would not be able to work on a mine site due to various lifestyle or personal factors, he added.

Chief Executive Officer of Northern Star Resources, Stuart Tonkin, said: “ROCs are proven for surface operations, but this advancement for an underground application is a significant development led by RCT in the Kalgoorlie Goldfields.”

He added: “Northern Star Resources encourages continual improvement and innovation, and we are very pleased with RCT’s commitment to developing practical mining solutions.”