www.im-mining.

com JULY 2012

Informed and in-depth editorial on the world mining industry

OPERATION FOCUS: SX-EW

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 CONTENTS
8 J U L Y 2 0 1 2
8 GREAT MINES –
KIMBERLEY AND KOFFIEFONTEIN
John Chadwick examines Petra Diamonds’ other
South African operations of Kimberley
Underground, Koffiefontein and the Fissure
mines.

13 OPERATION FOCUS – Pampalo

John Chadwick reports from Endomines’
Pampalo, one of the cleanest gold mines in the
world in the farthest east boundary of the EU,
with expanding production likely.

20 OPERATION FOCUS – Geomin

Paul Moore visited the specialist underground
13 white marble mining operations of Geomin at
20 Hermsdorf in eastern Germany near the Czech
border, to see the company’s mechanised mining
fleet in action.

26 SX-EW TECHNOLOGY
New ideas, chemicals and technologies in the
heap leaching world, John Chadwick takes a
look.

34 MINING SOFTWARE
Reviewing mining software developments in
26 mine design, scheduling and management, Paul
Moore highlights the importance of functionality
across the board, and some exciting
34 developments in the area of 3D visualisation.

48 MINING CHEMICALS
John Chadwick looks at new products and trends
in a sector of growing importance, the global
market for which is projected to surpass $25.7
billion by 2017

56 HIGH PROFILE – AGGREKO

Paul Moore spoke with Andy Walker, Head of
Business Development for Mining and Cement
48 56 at global temporary power specialist Aggreko,
about mining as an industry focus for the
company.

58 POTASH EXTRACTION
Paul Moore looks at the ongoing hive of activity
in the potash market, from both majors and
juniors, that is proving highly prospective for the
key shaft sinking groups, EPCMs and continuous
58 mining machine manufacturers.

www.im
-minin
g.com

COVER: Aggreko JULY 201

2

Informe
d and
in-dept

Banro Corporation’s Twangiza gold mine is located 45 km south-southwest of Bukavu in OPERAT

h editor
ial on
the wo
rld min
ing ind
ustry
Pampalo ION FOCUS:
and Geomin
the South Kivu Province of DRC, close to the Rwandan border. The mine began operating SX
TECHNO -EW
LOGY
in October 2011 and is expected to produce 120,000 oz of gold annually with an MIN
CHEMIC ING
ALS
MINE DE
expected mine life of seven to eight years from currently-defined reserves. The entire SI
SOFTW GN
ARE
PO
EXTRAC TASH
Twangiza operation is powered via an 8 MW Aggreko power plant. Being located in an TION

area with no power infrastructure, the Aggreko solution was an excellent match for
Banro’s power requirements at Twangiza
www.aggreko-always-on.com

AROUND THE WORLD 3 The Leader 4 World Prospects 64 Forthcoming events IBC Classifieds

JULY 2012 | International Mining 1

 Weir Minerals. Working hard to keep you in the black.

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www.weirminerals.com/coal
Copyright ©2012, Weir Slurry Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
 THE LEADER VO LU M E 8 • N U M B E R 7

Much more mechanisation potential

Publisher ollowing the publication of detailed articles equipment as a whole,
John Chadwick
Email: john@im-mining.com
Editor
Paul Moore
Email: paul@im-mining.com
F on advances in underground drilling, loading,
hauling and utility equipment in the June
issue of IM a report has just been released that
Atlas Copco and Sandvik
are the clear market
leaders, each with more
summarises the results of research conducted by than a third of the total
Associate Editor
Chris Cann The Parker Bay Co and Raw Materials Group market. Caterpillar's
Email: chris@im-mining.com
(RMG). Market Analysis: Underground Mining significant shares of the
Editorial Board
Professor Malcolm Scoble
Equipment examines the market for underground LHD and truck markets,
Robert E. Hallbauer mobile mining equipment operating in hard rock make it the most viable third competitor with the
Chair in Mining
Engineering., mines around the world. It covers the market for others being mostly regional and niche players.”
University of BC, wheel loaders/LHD's, mining trucks, drills Wheel loaders comprise the largest single
Vancouver
Jeff Roschyk (development and production) and bolters. product group with nearly 11,000 units in operation
Vice President of Equipment population data is derived from an followed by trucks and development drills both at
Product Management
& Marketing, P&H Mining, USA Underground Mining Equipment Database (UGDb) around 7-8,000. Production drills and bolters have
Peter Knights currently under development by Parker Bay and far smaller installed bases, in the vicinity of 2,000
BMA Chair & Prof. of Mining
Engineering University RMG. Underground mineral production data is each. Sandvik is the leader in underground loading
of Queensland
taken from RMG databases covering metal and iron and haulage equipment while trailing Atlas Copco
Stephen Stone
West One Management ore production at mines worldwide. Initially this in drilling and bolting. Competition in these latter
Perth, Western Australia database covers all countries except China. categories is particularly scarce with the big two
Dr. Andrew M. Robertson
President, Robertson Data from the UGDb is combined with estimates approaching a 90% combined share compared to
GeoConsultants for the global installed base for each product line. about 2/3rds of LHDs. They account for about half
Vancouver, Canada.
Ed McCord
These estimates were derived from figures the world’s underground trucks between them.
Project Consultant obtained from the primary manufacturers of the Other loader and truck manufacturers covered
Caterpillar Global Mining, USA
underground mobile mining equipment covered by include GHH Fahrzeuge, Volvo, Zanam Legmet,
Jason Nitz
Mining Systems Strategist this report and industry contacts, such as MTI, AARD, Fadroma, Dux, Bell, Getman, Maclean
Newcrest Mining Ltd, Australia
International Mining, with knowledge of such data. and Russia’s MoAZ. Development drills included
Dr Terry Mudder
Managing Director The numbers were further refined examining MTI and Oldenburg. Production drill analysis also
TIMES Ltd, USA
RMG’s underground mineral production figures. took in Cubex and Boart Longyear. Maclean and
Simon Tarbutt
Consultant, Santiago, Chile The authors warn that “the UGDb is judged to Mine Master. Each category included many others,
Dr. Mike Daniel identify approximately one third of the total of smaller fleet numbers.
Comminution Process Consultant
Ausenco Minerals & Metals, Australia population of nearly 30,000 underground trucks, There is still vast untapped potential for
LHDs, drills and bolters with a variation by product mechanisation, as the report notes. “Despite being
Editorial Enquiries:
Tel: +44 (0)1442 870 829 line ranging from 17% to 37%. While the 9,000+ the clear leader in underground mineral
Fax +44 (0)1442 870 617
identified machines is a notable subset of data production, Asia has the smallest equipment
Advertising Sales:
Phil Playle from which to draw conclusions about the population owing to both a large number of non-
Email: phil@im-mining.com population as a whole, it may not be statistically mechanised mines as well the absence of an
+44 1442 87 77 77
representative due to greater availability of accounting for indigenous suppliers (especially
Advertising Production
Emma Smith sources of data for certain manufacturers, regions, China) among the known population. The most
Email: emma@im-mining.com
models, etc.” The data comes from some 400 notable inverse to this ratio being North America
Publishing Consultant mines out of an estimated total of 1,000 and Oceania where mines account for far greater
Robin Peach
underground mines in the world. They “make no shares of the worldwide equipment population
Design & Production
Trevor Sheldon guarantees of the accuracy of the information, but than global mineral production.”
Email: sheldonmann@gmail.com
have endeavored to provide a thorough, logical Africa is a region where mechanisation has far to
Website:
analysis of available data.” come yet. “South Africa and Zambia account for
www.im-mining.com
Some 1,100 to 1,200 Mt of ore is extracted almost 90% of the underground market in Africa
Annual Subscription Enquiries:
Emma Smith annually from underground hard rock mines with some underground mines in Zimbabwe,
Email: emma@im-mining.com
around the world; 500 Mt is covered by mines with Ghana and Mali providing much of the rest.
Annual Subscription
UK and Europe £160, €230
machine data. While conventional, non- “Many mines in Africa, particularly gold mines,
Rest of the world US$270 mechanised methods are still widely employed in still use conventional mining methods with hand-
International Mining is published certain parts of the world, underground mobile held drills and track-bound equipment. In contrast
monthly by Team Publishing Ltd,
2 Claridge Court, Lower Kings Road mining equipment is the mainstay throughout to gold, PGM mines are mechanised to a higher
Berkhamsted, Herts. HP4 2AF, UK many regions and for the majority of the largest degree.”
Printed by The Manson Group, St Albans operations, though its use varies depending on the
© Team Publishing Ltd 2012 type of mine. John Chadwick
ISSN 1747 -146X
The report concludes, as was expected, that in Publisher
hard rock “taking underground mobile mining john@im-mining.com

JULY 2012 | International Mining 3

 WORLD PROSPECTS
Williamson growth of Tanzanian diamonds
etra Diamonds – the last Great Mines
P article on the company appears this
month - has commissioned the rebuilt
plant at Williamson. In line with previous
statements, the company is revisiting the
longer-term 10 Mt/y expansion project. This
project will be dependent upon a secure
electricity supply, appropriate for the 10 Mt/y
plant, and treatment results of main pit material
following a six to nine month period of
production using the rebuilt plant processing
facility. This expanded output would yield some
600,000 ct/y and take mining to a depth of
approximately 260 m.
The following conditions are unique to
Williamson, Petra says:
■ An immensely large resource located within
an open pit lending itself to economies of
scale
■ A low stripping ratio
■ A soft ore that lends itself to AG milling
■ The ore contains sufficient grinding material
in the form of granite.
It was the confluence of these factors that led
Twiflex disc brakes meet overland conveyor needs
hen coal processing plants are an
W appreciable distance from the mine,
how best to transport the coal from one
to the other is a key consideration, says
Jonathan Cooksley, Sales and Marketing
Director, Twiflex. It is not unusual for the
processing plant to be many kilometres away,
which might at first glance suggest delivery by
truck. “But overland conveyors can often
provide a far more economical solution,
providing cost reductions in the order of 20-40%
or more,” he says.
Of course with a conveyor that may run for a
4 International Mining | JULY 2012
Petra to put in place an appropriate expansion
plan to 10 Mt/y, with a life of mine plan of 17
long distance, there are many design
considerations to take into account; all of which
will impact on long term reliability, availability
and maintenance requirements. Transporting
vast tonnages of coal overland, particularly
where there are inclines involved, requires the
highest levels of expertise in sophisticated
conveyor and control systems.
“One of the most important design
considerations is the braking technology to be
employed,” Cooksley says. “Today Twiflex offers
the largest range of industrial disc brakes in the
world.”
years, whilst targeting unit operating costs of
$7.6/t. This will extract 170 Mt of the remaining
986 Mt resource. Petra foresees a long life for
the operation, particularly since the orebody
remains open-ended at depth.
The tailings conveyor
from the two-roll
Classifier at Williamson
Disc brakes meet the requirements of
overland coal conveyors in several areas. As well
as being the ideal technology for normal
stopping and parking operations, they also
provide vital emergency stops. They are the
ideal choice where one conveyor feeds another
and there is a risk of spill – e.g. where the
conveyor from a crusher at the mine feeds the
overland conveyor to the processing plant.
In normal operation, depending on the
installation, the disc brakes may only be used
during the final stages of braking, when they are
applied to lock the conveyor in its parked
position. In other applications, they may be
needed to provide general slowing and stopping
duties. Most importantly, in the event of a power
failure, the brakes will be required to stop and
hold a fully loaded belt.
Twiflex specialises in ‘Power Off’ braking
systems. Powerful springs apply force to
compress the brake pads against the disc. To
release the brakes the springs are compressed
by a retraction device, which in overland
conveyor applications will typically be
hydraulically actuated. Any failure in the supply
to the retraction device would cause the springs
to be released, so providing ‘Power Off’ braking.
Twiflex braking systems are used on overland
coal conveyors across the globe, but some of
the most demanding of these are installed in the
USA. One example is a conveyor transporting
▲
165 t/h of coal on a 5° incline. Here, two spring-
Twiflex GMR-SH spring applied, hydraulic
released brake units fitted to a power station
conveyor in Victoria, Australia
FASTER
HIGHER Come and see us at

STRONGER
THIS WAY! booth C-7309 Central Hall

The legends of hauling will be born soon. Stay tuned.

Join the movement towards The Future of Mining.
It’s This Way: sandvik.com/thisway
 WORLD PROSPECTS

applied, hydraulically released VKSD type disc
brakes are used, acting on 25.4 mm thick discs,
1,067 mm in diameter, to provide 104,000 Nm of
braking torque. The VKSD is part of Twiflex’s
modular series and is a standard two-module
design, with the brake provided as standard
with two pre-fitted brake pads. The brakes were
supplied complete with an electro-hydraulic
power pack with provision for variable
deceleration control.
Bucim mine, Macedonia has an example of a
longer conveyor that runs to 2,696 m long,
carrying some 5,180 t/h. Here two VKSD disc
brakes act on 38 mm thick discs of 1,220 mm
diameter, providing 60,300 Nm of braking
torque. The brakes were supplied complete with
an electro-hydraulic power pack with the
provision for soft braking.
In a more demanding installation in the US,
VKSD disc brakes are used to provide 295,000
Nm of braking torque on an overland coal
conveyor for Bowie Resources, Colorado. The
conveyor carries a 1,500 t/h along an 840-m
conveyor with a 13.25° decline. The two VKSD
brakes act on 38 mm thick discs of 1,422 mm
diameter.
At an installation for Mulzer Crushed Stone,
Indiana, an overland conveyor carries 1,100 t/h
over 87 m at a 5° incline. Here Twiflex
recommended the MXSH series disc brakes,
which feature a patented, compliant link
mechanism to ensure uniform pad wear. The two
brakes act on 38 mm thick discs of 610 mm
diameter, providing 5,965 Nm of braking torque.
The supplied LC electro-hydraulic power pack
offered provision for fast approach and variable
deceleration control. LC power packs provide a
range of standalone units with options for soft
braking, a range of operating and motor
voltages, and various add-on accessories
including a terminal box.
On an installation for Cripple Creek and Victor
Gold, Colorado, requiring 47,450 Nm of braking
torque, Twiflex recommended a GMRSH type
disc brake acting on a 25.4 mm thick 72 mm
diameter disc. These brakes were supplied with
a Twiflex MP electro-hydraulic power pack with
provision for fast approach and deceleration
control. MP series power packs have been
designed to provide an advanced and flexible
means of brake control and to operate under the
most arduous conditions where the environment
is extreme but reliable operation all year round
is paramount. www.twiflex.com

B i n a t i o n a l Pa s c u a L a m a t a k i n g s h a p e
arrick Gold’s Pascua-Lama will be one of the highest altitude mines in
B the world, at between 3,800 and 5,200 m above sea level. The average
temperature through the year is 0°C. Operating in these conditions is not
new to Barrick. Its Veladero mine, located 10 km away in Argentina, opened
in 2005.
Each year it is expected to produce 800,000 - 850,000 oz
of gold, and about 35 Moz of silver, in its first full five years
of operation at negative cash costs of $225-275/oz. For
every $1/oz increase in the silver price, total cash costs are
expected to decrease by about $35/oz over this period.
It has proven and probable reserves of 17.9 Moz of gold
and 676 Moz of silver contained within reported gold
resources, as of December 31, 2011.
The Chilean side of the mine (lower half of the overview
image), will use conventional surface mining methods,
including drilling, blasting and hauling by truck to an
adjacent crushing facility. Ore will be transported
underground by conveyor through a 4 km tunnel to the
process plant facility, on the Argentine side of the mine.
Looking down on the project site, the platform for the
primary crusher is seen on the right. The portal of the tunnel
that will take ore for processing on the Argentine side can
be seen on the left.
The other picture shows a Komatsu haul truck draped in
the flags of Argentina and Chile rolling out of the open pit
staging area as employees look on. Pascua-Lama will be an
open pit operation producing both refractory and
non-refractory ore. The mining fleet will include 30 large
haul trucks like this, five shovels and three loaders.

6 International Mining | JULY 2012

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 GREAT MINES

Kimberley and more

John Chadwick examines

Petra Diamonds’ other
South African operations
of Kimberley Underground,
Koffiefontein and the
Fissure mines

he company’s two large underground mines employ a slusher drift block caving Kimberley underground mines

T mines of Cullinan (May 2012, pp8-15) and

Finsch (June 2012, pp10-13) have already
been covered. Kimberley is the other very
emotive name in the stable. Here at the home of
diamond mining, Kimberley Underground
comprises three kimberlite pipe mines in close
proximity: Bultfontein (10 ha at surface),
Dutoitspan (11 ha) and Wesselton (9 ha). These
mines were integral to the economic
development of South Africa as their output
effectively financed development of the nascent
gold industry. They are currently mining at
depths of between 845 and 995 m below surface.
They have a history of producing large
diamonds and fancy yellows, such as the
Oppenheimer (253 ct rough and the Kimberley
Octahedral (616 ct rough).
Petra’s expansion plan at Kimberley
Underground envisages production rising from
about 57,000 ct in FY 2011 to some 120,000 ct/y
by FY 2013. Total resources (inclusive of
reserves) amount to 7.1 Mct, to a currently
known depth of 1,060 m. All three employ block
caving at current depths of 845 m (Bultfontein),
870 m (Dutoitspan) and 995 m (Wesselton).
Bultfontein is mined using a slusher drift block
cave mining method simultaneously with the rim
loading section. The Dutoitspan and Wesselton
method.
FY 2011 marked the first full year for
Kimberley Underground under Petra
management, following completion of the
acquisition in May 2010. There was
encouragement in the prices achieved for its
production, with the average of $333/ct for the
period considerably exceeding initial
expectations.
At the new Joint Shaft plant, which services
the Bultfontein and Dutoitspan pipes, Petra
experienced some initial difficulties relating to
slimes and tailings disposal. To deal with the
high percentage of fines material inherent in the
Bultfontein and Dutoitspan ROM ore, Petra
introduced a scrubber into the processing
circuit, and is also introducing an apron feeder
to handle material with a high level of mud
content. It is anticipated that these measures
will ensure adequate fines removal and increase
throughput. The company has built up a ROM
stockpile at surface, estimated to be 0.4 Mt in
size, which gives flexibility to make up some of
the lower recent production levels by processing
higher tonnages once the plant throughput
issues have been overcome.
The plan for processing at Wesselton involves
a combination of a mobile pan plant together
with a new plant (similar to that constructed at
Joint Shaft). The new main plant at Kimberley
remains on track for commissioning in Q4 FY
2012.
Unit costs of approximately R191/t in FY 2011
were negatively impacted by reduced
throughput. These costs were expected to

De Beers' Kimberley processing plant that

continues to recover diamonds from the tailings
dumps

8 International Mining | JULY 2012

 know-how performance reliability

ENERGY
E N E R G Y DISTRIBUTION
DISTRIBUTION

AUTOMATION
A U T O M AT I O N

COMMUNICATION
C O M M U N I C AT I O N

TTRANSPORTATION
R A N S P O R TAT I O N

becker.
b e c k e r. keeping
k e e p i n g your
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l i f e l i n e flowing.
flowing.
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BRS2@de.becker-mining.com o
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www.becker-mining.com
 GREAT MINES
Kimberley Underground – Mining overview
improve once the Wesselton plant is fully
operational.
Of the $13 million capex in FY 2011,
approximately $9.5 million was spent on
improvements to the Joint Shaft treatment plant.
A further $3.5 million was applied to the
acquisition of adjacent land, buildings and
infrastructure relating to water reticulation and
Joint Shaft plant re-crush circuit at Kimberley
Underground – a plant assistant cleaning the
crusher sizing screen
slimes handling facilities (by assuming a
rehabilitation guarantee).
Kimberley Underground has a current mine
plan of 11 years, which could be extended as
Petra more thoroughly investigates the
resources of these mines at depth and the East
Blow at surface.
10 International Mining | JULY 2012
De Beers continues to manage its surface
mining (tailings recovery) at Kimberley, which
operates independently of the underground
mine workings. It has a custom-built recovery
plant developed to efficiently treat and to
recover diamonds which produces some
400,000 ct/month. De Beers expects Kimberley
diamond recovery operations to continue
through 2023.
Expanding Koffiefontein
Koffiefontein (11 ha pipe at surface) is one of the
world’s top diamond mines by average value per
carat and produces exceptional white and
coloured diamonds, a regular proportion of
which are of between 5 and 30 ct. Underground
mining of the high value, low-grade
Koffiefontein kimberlite pipe is supplemented
by tailings treatment from a 65 Mt tailings
deposit and open-pit mining of the 5 ha satellite
pipe named Ebenhaezer.
Total resources (inclusive of reserves) amount
to 6.1 Mct, to a current depth of 690 m, though
the orebody remains open-ended at depth. The
current mining method is front cave, currently at
a depth of 490 m. The mine plan is for 14 years
but the potential life could be more than 20
years.
Koffiefontein achieved an average value per
carat of $564 for FY 2011, up 40% on the
comparative period despite the overall average
being reduced to some extent by a higher
proportion of lower value tailings production in
the total sales mix. ROM production for the year
was 35,139 ct (H1 FY 2011: 27,390 ct; H2 FY
2011: 7,749 ct). Tailings production was 12,817 ct
for the period (H1 FY 2011: 7,110 ct; H2 FY 2011:
5,707 ct). Capex of $11 million for FY 2011 was
mostly spent on underground development and
mining equipment.
Waste ingress and reduced production from
52 level significantly affected the ROM grade
(3.1 ct/100 t in H2 FY 2011 as compared to 5.9
ct/100 t in H1 FY 2011). As at Cullinan and
Finsch, Petra’s development plan at
Koffiefontein will establish new production
levels where the company will eventually have
access to undiluted ore. Once this has been
achieved, Petra expects the overall ROM grade
at Koffiefontein to improve to about 8 ct/100 t,
but it is expected that lower ROM grades could
be reported until FY 2014.
Extensive stress modelling simulations have
indicated that the planned front cave at the 580
m level be changed to a sub-level cave mining
method between the 560 and 600 m elevations.
It is expected that this plan will be executed
within the original timetable and capex
forecasts, with annual production expected to
reach 1 Mt/y in approximately three years and
reach 1.2 Mt/y in about five years, delivering
over 100,000 ct/y (ROM and tailings) by
FY 2017.
Koffiefontein – Mining overview
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 GREAT MINES
Different Fissures
The Fissure Mines consist of three mines Helam,
Sedibeng and Star which are unusual mines in
that the diamonds are extracted from kimberlite
dykes and not pipes. Northland Capital noted in
its report on Petra of March 8, 2012 that “dykes
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12 International Mining | JULY 2012
Open-pit mining at the satellite
Ebenhaezer pipe at Koffiefontein
are narrower and more difficult to mine
and as a result, the mining cost per
tonne is around seven times that of a
kimberlite pipe. This financial year
(2012), Petra is expected to produce 2.2
Mct over all its operations, an increase
of 100% on last year. The Fissure’s will
contribute around 5% of the total
carats and 8% of revenue generated
this year. As Petra continues to expand
its production to just under 4 Mct by
2014, the Fissures contribution will
drop to 3% of the total carats produced
and 4% of the revenue.”
The Sedibeng operation is an
amalgamation of two mines: Messina
and Dancarl. The mines are operating
at depths of between 600 and 750 m.
Plans to increase production from just
over 87,000 ct in FY 2011 to 140,000
ct/y by FY 2015 are currently being
implemented.
The strike lengths of the fissures at surface
are 6 km at Helam (depth of current mining 750
m), 2.4 km at Sedibeng (750 m) and 4.5 km at
Star (620 m). Helam and Sedibeng employ full
shrinkage overhand stoping, while Star is an
open stope underhand operation.
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Helam and Sedibeng put in a strong
performance in FY 2011, with revenue for the
Fissures unit as a whole up 62% to $21.8 million
and overall production up 18% to 87,488 ct. The
average value per carat achieved also increased
32% to $244. For FY 2012, Petra expects a
similar level of combined production across the
fissure portfolio to FY 2011.
At Star, “where operations are challenging, a
disappointing performance was recorded for the
year, as reflected in the impairment charge
incurred,” Petra reported.
Unit costs for the Fissures remain flat despite
cost pressures specifically relating to electricity
and labour. The majority of the $5.2 million
capex in FY 2011 was spent on continuing
underground development across the fissure
mines including a headgear installation at
Sedibeng’s Dancarl shaft.
Additionally, $11.0 million was spent in
respect of the Helam projects manufacturing
facility for equipment under construction for
other mines and projects within the Group.
Northland Capital further reported that “the
Fissure mines have a total resource of just under
5 Mct with an average diamond value of
$255/ct. The large amount of maintenance
capex spent by Petra from 2009 to 2011 has
ensured that the mines will continue to produce
at their current rate with a low maintenance
capex for years to come.” IM
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ndomines’ Pampalo gold mine is currently
E producing gold at an annualised rate of
800-900 kg. The mine is located on the 40
km-long gold-critical Karelian Gold Line, where
Endomines controls all currently known gold
deposits. The mine project was completed in
December 2010, on schedule and in line with the
budget at €20 million. Commercial production
commenced in February 2011 as scheduled.
The Pampalo deposit, which remains open at
depth, is located in the central part of the
Karelian Gold Line, 5 km north of the village
Hattuvaara. It is an Archean orogenic gold
deposit in an intermediate pyroclastic unit,
metamorphosed to greenschist - lower-
amphibolite facies. It lies close to the border
with Russia in the most easterly extremity of the
European Union.
Plant capacity was increased from 230,000
t/y to 270,000 t/y by debottlenecking during
2011. Metallurgical testing demonstrated that
the gold could be very efficiently extracted by
gravimetric separation and flotation
concentration. The best results indicated a
recovery of more than 90%. As a result, this
mine is very clean with minimal emissions, and
none to the environment. Its tailings facility is
full of what is effectively potable water.
No cyanide or acid is used and there is
nothing harmful in the tailings. There is no Acid
Mine Drainage (AMD). The target is for 100 %
water recirculation.
OPERATION FOCUS
Karelian
gold
John Chadwick reports from one of
the cleanest gold mines in the world
in the farthest east boundary of the
EU, with expanding production likely
Like so many of the mines coming on stream Mucking by remote control.
in Finland today, Pampalo is a former project of
Outokumpu. It was discovered in 1990 by the
Geological Survey of Finland and Outokumpu
Picture by Eija Hiltunen
gold. Outokumpu ceased activities in 1999 and
Mining undertook intensive exploration and test Pampalo was acquired by Dragon Mining.
mining. Outokumpu carried out test mining first Endomines was established in 1996 as a
in 1996, as an open pit. Later in 1998-1999 there private company. It was registered at
was limited underground mining down to a Hattuvaara, Ilomantsi, and explored north from
depth of some 100 m. As a result, Endomines Pampalo in 1996-2006, acquiring Pampalo in
came into the fortunate position of taking on a 2006.
well-developed decline to more than 250 m
below surface. Currently stoping is around the Developing mining skills
220 m level and the decline today extends to Finland has an effective and somewhat unique
365 m below surface, to facilitate Pampalo way of addressing skills shortages in mining,
Deeps exploration. through a national training institute. In North
Outokumpu hauled the ore it extracted by Karelia this is Pohjois-Karjalan aikuisopisto
road 400 km to both Vammala and Pyhäsalmi for (PKKY) with colleges in Joensuu, Kitee, Lieksa,
beneficiation. A total
of 114,372 t was
mined, at an average
gold grade of 15.3 g/t,
producing 1,755 kg of
3D image of the three
lenses of the Pampalo
deposit. The section
viewed from
northwest. The gold
mineralisation is
shown in different
colours. The colours
light blue and red =
existing declines,
brown = open pit
JULY 2012 | International Mining 13
 OPERATION FOCUS
Sandvik DL430-C being used on this occasion
for sludge drilling and sampling to define the
orebody in an area where only limited core
drilling has been undertaken.
Picture by Eija Hiltunen
Niittylahti, Nurmes and Outokumpu. The latter is
the country’s primary centre for learning mining
skills.
Pohjois-Karjalan aikuisopisto (see box) has
been a very important contributor to the
successful development of Finland’s latest two
mines, Pampalo and Altona Mining’s Kylylahti
(article in the September MINExpo, issue), both
officially opened on that same day, May 25, a
year apart; Pampalo in 2011 and Kylylahti this
year.
At Pampalo PKKY is not only providing
training but also contracting services.
Endomines has a Sandvik DD420-S60C twin
boom jumbo that together with PKKY’s twin-
boom Atlas Copco Boomer E2.drills all the
development drifts to open up the stopes.
In this case, PKKY is working as a contractor
and is also training drill operators for
Endomines and other mining companies.
Pampalo also has PKKY’s Sandvik’s DS410 rock
bolter and its Normet MC 605 DA Anfo charger
working under contract and providing training in
an active mine. At this stage the contract for
PKKY’s Normet charger. Picture by Eija Hiltunen
14 International Mining | JULY 2012
these machines ends at
the end of 2012.
Pampalo mining plan
is a design for sublevel
bench cut-and-fill
stoping (a modified
Avoca mining method)
with 14 m stope heights
in the upper levels and
17-20 m stope heights
in the lower levels. The
lower stope height
incurs higher stoping
costs per tonne of ore
but has lower costs in
consideration of rock reinforcement. In the
future, stoping will move to the deepest level to
minimise the losses of ore in horizontal pillars.
The choice of method was made to minimise This Sandvik DS420-C cable bolter is a popular
the extent of hanging wall exposure during and effective rig
mining. The grade of the deposit prevents the
use of higher cost cut-and-fill mining methods, the degree of charging in the boreholes suitable
which require cemented fill. This method allows for all. It carries all the equipment needed: the
simultaneous mining and filling of the stopes to detonators, ignition and emulsion needed for
minimise the span of the hanging wall exposed, producing Kemiitti 810. When charging, the
reducing the potential for hanging wall emulsion is converted into the explosive only
instability and dilution. within the borehole.
The longhole drilling rig is a Sandvik DL430-C.
It is a narrow orebody, 4-10 m wide. Cable Green gold
bolting is the primary stope support method, This April, Endomines decided to proceed with
using a Sandvik DS420-C cable bolting rig. Janne increasing production capacity at Pampalo up to
Muttonen, Resident Manager, is very happy with a maximum of 450,000 t/y. The decision was
this rig. He explained that it is used to install 6- based on the results of a recent feasibility study.
8 m cable bolts and can easily average more A second-hand refurbished mill was acquired
than 100 m of cable bolting in a ten-hour shift. before the end of last year, and this will now
Stopes are mucked out by Endomines’
A Forcit MA 22 emulsion charger mounted on a
Sandvik LH 514 LHD, which load into a
Scania P340 truck chassis. Kemiitti 810 is a site
contractor’s fleet of SISU and Scania trucks (20- sensitised pumpable emulsion explosive
30 t) capacity for the haul to surface. developed by Forcit for underground mining.
The equipment on the truck automatically
A Forcit MA 22 emulsion charger mounted on
adjusts the degree of charging in the boreholes
a Scania P340 truck chassis. Kemiitti 810 is a suitable for all. It carries all the equipment
site sensitised pumpable emulsion explosive needed: the detonators, ignition and emulsion
needed for producing Kemiitti 810. When
developed by Forcit for underground mining. The
charging, the emulsion is converted into the
equipment on the truck automatically adjusts explosive only within the borehole.
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 OPERATION FOCUS
allow for a rapid capacity increase. An
environmental permit application for the
capacity increase was filed, and a decision is
expected early next year. Preparations are
underway with a view to starting test production
at Rämepuro, which is likely to be the first
satellite deposit to be developed. In addition to
the second mill, more flotation cells will be
added.
The plant expansion will allow for low grade,
currently uneconomic, open-pit mineral
resources to be converted to ore reserves which
can be mined and processed at Pampalo. It will
also ease problems with fine crushing.
The first thing that strikes you when entering
the plant from the control room is the shaking
tables. It is rare to see the gravimetric section of
a plant so prominent, but it is a very key part of
this facility. The 4,000 t/y of flotation
concentrate assays 100-250 g/t Au, and the rest
comes from the gravity circuit, recovering 30-
60% of the gold, depending on the ore being
treated at any time.
Trucking
Crusher
Feeder
Classification
Crusher ore stockpile Grinidng mill
• No cyanide or acid used
• No harmful material in tailings
• No Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
• Target 100 % water recirculation
16 International Mining | JULY 2012
The crushing section
of the operation
comprises one jaw
crusher and two cone
crushers, delivering a 0-
13 mm product to the
mill. Metso designed
the plant and provided
much of the equipment,
including a Metso TRN
3.0 x 4.8 m wet ball mill
with grate discharge. It
is equipped with an
800 kW ABB motor. The
ore is ground to a P80
of >75 μm. There are
Alimak raise miner in action.
six Metso RCS20 flotation cells and one Metso Picture by Eija Hiltunen
RCS 3 cell. There is also a Metso CT SFL10 - 5
thickener. Hannu Tahvanainen, Mill recovery without contamination problems. By
Superintendent, finds the plant’s Numcore using 3D-imaging, the solution provides
Flotation Watch system very effective. This is a accurate, online information on froth stiffness
froth flotation process control solution, recently and thickness of the froth bed. These froth
acquired by Outotec that simply increases properties can then be controlled by automatic
adjustment of chemicals and frothers.
New grinding mill
The first cyclone cluster comprises a Multotec
Additonal flotation volume distributor: D3-25/3 and Multotec cyclones:
HC250-L10-1/A-A/60, fitted with a 100 mm
vortex finder and 60 mm spigot. Another cyclone
Flotaition Mine Drainage
Water cluster comprises a Multotec D2-42/2
Flotation concentarte
Fines ~4-6 000 t/a; 100-200 g/t Au distributor and HC420-30-0/A-A/110 cyclones,
Classification fitted with a 185 mm vortex finder and 110 mm
Coarse fraction spigot. And the third has a D2-35/2 Multotec
Tailings Storage Facility
Gravimteric distributor and HC350-15-0/A-B/45 cyclones
circuit
fitted with a 111 mm vortex finder and 45 mm
spigot. Cyclone overflow goes to flotation and
Gravimetric concentrate
the underflow to the spirals and tables.
Grade 30-50 % Au
The gravity spirals were supplied by Downer
The plant was designed for expansion EDI Mining - one bank of 12 Tripple-start LG7s.
from the outset There are two Deister single-deck No6 2 kW
shaking tables. One is left handed and one right
handed.
In May Endomines AB signed an agreement to
sell and deliver its gravimetric gold concentrate
production from Pampalo to precious metals
refiner K.A. Rasmussen AS, Norway. The volume
of deliveries and estimated concentrate grade
allow up to 100% of gravimetric concentrate
production to be delivered to Rasmussen. The
agreement is signed for a period of one year,
with the option of renewal for successive one
year periods.
Markus Ekberg, CEO of Endomines
commented that "commercial test deliveries
have proven to be mutually satisfactory. The
agreement provides Endomines with flexibility,
as it can balance its production between higher
value gravimetric gold concentrate and flotation
concentrate production volumes."
Pampalo is a very clean operation - water
balance for the expanded mill capacity of
450,000 t/y
 OPERATION FOCUS

Finland’s great mining skills training facility

P
ohjois-Karjalan aikuisopisto (www.pkky.fi North Karelia Municipal Education and Training
Consortium) is the organisation whose main function is to provide qualified vocational education
in the county of North Karelia. Each year some 1,600 students, both young people and adults,
obtain a vocational qualification at its institutes. It is owned by all 14 of the county's municipalities.
One of its strengths lies in effective cooperation; intercommunication between the College, the
Adult Education Centre and the Upper Secondary Schools in the region as well as the North Karelia
Polytechnic and, in the case of mining at Outokumpu, close ties with the industry itself. National
indicators show that it is among the elite of Finnish education providers.
There are 20 educators specialising in training mining technologies attached to the Outokumpu
college. The primary mining courses cover explosives and blasting, mining technology, mine
development and mineral processing. The college also co-operates with GTK, the Geological Survey
of Finland, for rock sampling education and training.
The standard courses in after-training, retraining adults to work in mining, cover underground or
surface mining and mineral processing and most of the work is tailored to specific client mining
company needs. Maintaining and improving adult learning skills, it takes one year to qualify – half
the time being spent on theory and half practical.
In addition to the three machines at Pampalo, the college has two other Sandvik drill rigs – a DX 780 and
a CHA 560 – and two small Commando rigs. There is also a surface drill
Line of gold on one of the Deister shaking
simulator – a Sandvik DP1500i. tables
The institute intends also to buy an LHD, an emulsion charger,
Endomines is the leading partner in the
haul trucks and an underground drill simulator. The aim is always to
TEKES Green Mining Project, “Responsible
have new equipment on which operators can train, so each unit in
Gold” together with JOSEK, Outotec and GAIA-
the fleet will be replaced within five years.
consulting. Stage 1 is evaluating possibilities to
The most important types of education are vocational education
produce “traceable, responsible gold” using
and training (upper secondary level), adult education, vocational
Endomines gold as a raw material and was to be
further and supplementary education and training, labour policy
completed by August 2012. Stage 2 will develop
education, apprenticeship training, common non-vocational
a prefeasibility study and investor plan, with the
education, and summer university teaching.
final investment plan established in Stage 3.

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JULY 2012 | International Mining 17

 OPERATION FOCUS

Along the Gold Line
Ekberg points to the similarities and the
analogous Archaen geology in Ilomantsi (no
gold mines in production in 2009) and the
Southern Cross greenstone belt in Australia. The
latter had four mines in production in 2009, and
more than 40 had been closed over the time the
belt has been producing:
main target in 2012, along with Rämepuro
drilling, where pilot plant process testing is
underway. The total 2012 drilling target is 8,000
to 10,000 m.
A combination of Endomines clean credentials
and the otherwise generally poor employment
opportunities in North Karelia mean the
company is welcomed wherever it goes.

Parameter Ilomantsi (Karelian Gold Line) Southern Cross

Belt length 90 km 110 km
Belt width 0.5–10 km 0.5–15 km
Gold exploration since 1986 1888
Total gold produced 55,000 oz >10 Moz
Known reserves & resources 450,000 >2 Moz

At the end of May,

Endomines reported
preliminary results from its
current underground core
drilling campaign at the
Pampalo mine. Results
were received from the
first seven holes of a 15- The Karelian Gold Line
hole, 739-m, campaign,
which started in April
2012. This campaign between the currently known Pampalo and
focused on an area Pampalo East gold resources, at grades
between the Pampalo and comparable with the previously known gold
Pampalo East ore zones, lodes at Pampalo. The drilling campaign will
and yielded a number of proceed further as planned upwards, down dip
encouraging intercepts, and along strike with a view to follow the
Diamond drilling contractor Drillcon SMOY
including 6 m @ 5.9 g/t Au, 12.6 m @ 5.2 g/t, mineralised zone.”
operating a new Sandvik core drill, mounted on
a mini-excavator crawler chassis, underground and 9.8 m @ 5.0 g/t Au, in addition to the “These exploration results from the first
at Pampalo previously drilled intercepts yielding 9.2 m @ 4.1 exploration drillings in 2012 have confirmed the
g/t Au and 11.6 m @ 3.2 g/t Au. significant potential for further gold deposits in
The company says these results prove that the immediate vicinity of the Pampalo ore”, said
Endomines estimates its properties currently there is a previously unknown “mineralised zone Markus Ekberg, CEO of Endomines. IM
hold Proven and Probable ore reserves of 1.6 Mt
Gold ore reserves - Karelian Gold Line 31st Dec 2011
with an average gold grade of 3.5 g/t, with
Grade
exploration producing promising results all the Deposit Tonnes Oz kg Classification Consultant
Au g/t
time. These reserves and resources are all Pampalo 10 000 3,0 965 30 Stockpiled Endomines
662 000 3,4 72 146 2 244 Proven Outotec Oyj
located along the Karelian Gold Line - 120,000 426 000 2,7 36 748 1 143 Probable Outotec Oyj
oz in Pampalo and 60,000 oz in deposits close SubTotal 1 098 000 3,1 109 859 3 417
Pampalo East 200 000 1,5 9 645 300 Probable MAPTEK
to Pampalo – with resources open for Pampalo Reserves total 1 298 000 2,9 119 504 3 717
expansion. All satellites along the Gold Line are
Hosko 13 000 8,5 3 553 111 Proven MAPTEK
within trucking distance of the Pampalo plant. 116 000 10,0 37 295 1 160 Probable MAPTEK
The Karelian Gold Line comprises more than Hosko total 129 000 9,9 40 848 1 271

40 km of gold mineralisation with excellent Rämepuro 134 000 3,9 16 802 523 Probable MAPTEK
potential in Archean rocks. Endomines holds Muurinsuo 67 000 3,0 6 462 201 Probable MAPTEK
Grand total 1 628 000 3,5 183 616 5 711
400 km2 in claims and reservations, including
23 known gold showings. It has been granted
two mining concessions to date and five more Mineral Resources – Karelian Gold Line 31st Dec 2011
Grade
are under application. An EIA (Environmental Deposit Tonnes Oz kg Classification Consultant
Au g/t
Impact Assessment) for the entire area is Pampalo 130 000 3,5 14 629 455 Inferred Outotec Oyj
ongoing. A total of 65 new claim applications Pampalo East 21 000 1,5 1 013 32 Inferred Runge Limited
Hosko 547 000 1,8 31 656 985 Inferred Runge Limited
have been lodged and exploration is ongoing at Rämepuro 61 000 4,1 8 041 250 Inferred Runge Limited
a good pace. Muurinsuo 786 000 1,5 37 906 1 179 Inferred Runge Limited
Kuivisto East 37 000 3,2 3 807 118 Indicated

Pampalo underground diamond drilling Kuivisto East 145 000 1,0 4 662 145 Inferred

commenced early this year and surface diamond Kuittila 275 000 2,6 22 988 715 Inferred GSF, historical
Grand total 2 002 000 1,9 124 700 3 879
drilling there began in May. Korvilansuo is the

18 International Mining | JULY 2012

IT STARTS WITH A
SINGULAR FOCUS
At Joy Global, we’re combining resources to better
serve our customers worldwide. With a direct service
approach dedicated to one thing and only one thing:
mining performance.
 OPERATION FOCUS
Whiter than white
The ST7, here loading Geomin
calcitic marble at Hermsdorf mine,
features high fuel efficiency and
improved safety attributes
he Hermsdorf mine is one of two mines
T operated by specialist industrial minerals
group, Geomin Erzgebirgische Kalkwerke,
the second one being Lengefeld. The company
also has a third mine under development,
Hammerunterwiesenthal, for which it is
currently assessing fleet options.
The underground mine exploits calcitic
marble from a deposit located in the eastern
Erzgebirge (literally, Ore Mountains) to the
southwest of the village of Hermsdorf. The first
documented mention of marble production
dates back to the year 1581. At that time the
marble was widely used as a building material
and for decorative sculpture. The underground
activities started in 1880 in the Fiskalischer
Bruch (Fiscal Quarry), when production was
mainly a raw material for quicklime production,
which was used mainly in agriculture and in the
steel industry.
Geology and formation
The age of the marble deposit at Hermsdorf is
still debated. Lithostratigraphically, the thick
sequence of interlayered marble and phyllite is
ascribed to the Herold Formation as part of the
Thum Group. This would correspond to a
Cambrian age of approximately 510 million
years. The deposit is situated in the upper
Herold Formation.
The underlying rocks of the deposit are
Precambrian gneisses of the Preßnitz Group and
20 International Mining | JULY 2012
Paul Moore visited the specialist
underground white marble mining
operations of Geomin at Hermsdorf in
eastern Germany near the Czech
border, to see the company’s
mechanised mining fleet in action
Proterzoic metagranitoids as well as Cambrian features. In the former about 30-40 m thick reef
lithologic equivalents of the Breitenbrunn
Formation (muscovite schists). Besides these
originally late Cadomian igneous rocks and their
limestones act as cores of tectonically
developed horst structures. In contrast, the k1
horizon has partly been downthrown at
subsequent prograde metamorphism, the synsedimentary graben-like structures.
footwall of the marble unit (quartz-rich phyllites Such deep sedimentation basins provided the
and hornblende-chlorite schists of the lower environment for the development of four white
Herold Formation) represents originally marble horizons (k2-k5) with changing facial
submarine basic volcanic rocks subsequently features and varying thickness. Caused by post-
affected by retrograde greenschist-facies metamorphic brittle tectonic deformation, the
metamorphism. white marble horizons were divided into fault-
The deposit comprises six calcitic white bound separated blocks being tilted and
marble horizons (k0, k2-k5) and one grey thrusted between the horst structures.
horizon (k1). The marble is thought to have a The tectonic features of the deposit are of
marine sedimentary protolith. The carbonate particular importance. The main foliation of the
sedimentation took place under turbulent wall rocks forms a girdle fabric with axes
conditions. One reason for
this interpretation is the
rough surface relief of horizon
k0 (the deepest marble
occurrence in the deposit)
with high variations in
thickness and parallel
splitting into several marble
layers. These observations
suggest a rapid change of
depositional conditions. The
k1 horizon is characterised by
similar but more distinct
ST7 operator at Hermsdorf,
Dirk Thiele
 “Thanks.”
For seventy-five years, J.H. Fletcher & Co. has
dedicated itself to the improvement of operator safety
and productivity in the world’s underground mines.
For our success, we thank our employees, customers,
suppliers, family and friends.

Scan this code to visit

our website
Booth 2615 J.H. Fletcher & Co.
402 High Street
Huntington,WV 25705
304.525.7811
www.jhfletcher.com

Seventy-five years. And this is just the beginning.

2012 J.H. Fletcher & Co. All rights reserved.
 OPERATION FOCUS
Older drill rig used
at Geomin until the
1980s
striking E-W. Large SW-NE trending fault zones,
which are thought to be related with Upper
Carboniferous post-kinematic volcanic activity,
divide the phyllites of Hermsdorf into several
blocks with displacements of up to 40 m. The
central part of these blocks has been
downthrown as a graben and covered with
rhyolites, which preserved the upper Herold
Formation (including the marble deposit) from
erosion.
The white marble from Hermsdorf dominantly
consists of calcite with variable but low contents
of quartz and phyllosilicates. The metamorphic
foliation is traced by oriented crystals of quartz,
chlorite and white mica as well as by grain size
variations of the calcites resulting in a banded
marble structure. The marble is free of bacterial
and organic components and does not contain
any graphitic inclusions.
Mining method summary
The mining activities comprise mining of
residual marble occurrences in older parts of the
mine and the contemporaneous exploitation of
unexplored parts of the deposit. The current
underground workings are developed between
the existing mine area and the Fiscal Quarry as
well as in the north and east of the older
workings. Marble is presently mined up to 190 m
deep.
Room widths are at a maximum of 8 m and
room heights at a maximum of 9 m, with the
pillar planes a minimum of 8 m x 8 m. The
thickness of the rock between two levels is 5 to
6 m, depending on rock characteristics, and the
thickness of the hanging wall rock some 2 to 4
m. At Hermsdorf, the mine uses a modified open
stoping technology with square pillars. The
technology is independent from conventional
mine levels and fits best with the tectonically
disrupted blocks of marble. Underground
preparation, development and mining are
22 International Mining | JULY 2012
adjusted to the complicated geological
conditions with respect to the performance
characteristics of the mining equipment.
Due to a lack in stability, drives in the wall
rocks are protected by reinforced shotcrete. The
underground production is based on drilling by
electro-hydraulic drilling jumbos and by
conventional blasting. Diesel-powered vehicles
transport the blasted raw material from
underground to the processing plant. A more
than 1 km long decline serves as main mine
entrance and transportation route.
Background to modern mining
The modern era for the mine began in 1989 after
the fall of Communism in the former East
Germany (GDR), when Heitkamp, a large Ruhr
based industrial and construction group, bought
the operation. Heidkamp set about modernising
the operation, which had used small battery
locos and ore cars. The drills and loaders were
also rail-mounted machines, with the loader
The two ball mills used
to grind the marble into
fillers for the paint and
plastics industries
passing the material back into the ore car
behind it. Czech-made and Flotman drills were
used. At that time a shaft was used to take
material out; and the five production levels were
connected by shafts as well as steep ramps
equipped with winches.
Following the modernisation programme
beginning in the early 1990s, the mining method
was changed to LHD with underground truck;
initially with two loaders (GHH LF6 and LF7) and
Paus/GHH (MK15) trucks. Whereas formerly, the
battery locos could only handle 4% grades;
underground trucks and LHDs can cope with
grades of up to 22% making it much easier to
access the best material. The increased mine
efficiency is reflected in the workforce figures
and production rates – formerly 130 employees
and production of 120 t/d; to the current rate of
320-330 t/d with only 31 employees. This huge
productivity increase is largely the result of the
switch to LHD/truck mining techniques.
Heidkamp then sold the mine in 2008 to
Schön+Hippelein Group, a large natural stone
quarrying group based in Satteldorf.
The current fleet has five loaders and four
trucks. Drill rigs include older Tamrock and
Secoma models, with the third machine a new
diesel-electric Atlas Copco Boomer 281, which is
the most productive in terms of advance rates. It
also has an enclosed air cab, which is much
more comfortable for the operator. It is
designed with service access in mind with easy
access points, allowing for a short turnaround.
The diesel-electric system also allows for fast
relocation from face to face, which can be as
much as 1 km. The 281 can drill 3 m holes in
only 50 seconds, with a 43 mm diameter. Each
face has up to 50 holes; with the hole pattern
determining the blast result, with the most
central hole containing the most charge. The
detonator is connected to the other hole
 OPERATION FOCUS
Underground truck
loaded with marble after
emerging from the
Hermsdorf decline
charges via time sets, ie millisecond delays –
the more the time sets, the smaller the resulting
blasted rock; up to half second time sets, which
would result in large blocks.
Explosives cartridges from EPC are used and
placed by hand, with only one central electric
detonator. ANFO is then pumped into the holes
using a Multicar explosives delivery truck.
The most advanced machine at the mine is a
new LHD, the Atlas Copco Scooptram ST7, which
is the first to have been delivered to Germany in
June 2011, with a second machine now also
operating at a new fluorspar operation in the
same region. The ST7 service intervals are
longer than the older LHD models; while it
requires fewer spare parts at the same time due
to better wear rates on parts. The ST7 also has
air conditioning in the cab, lower noise levels,
improved lighting and more efficient
emergency/alarm systems. The machine also
has better traction control, which is easier on
the tyres, meaning less tyre changes. But
perhaps the most significant difference in the
current climate is in terms of fuel efficiency – the
ST7 achieves 10 l/h with a water-cooled 193 hp,
6.7 l Cummins Tier 3 engine. The older LHDs
typically only achieve 20 l/h and have air cooled
Deutz engines. In power efficiency terms, the
ST7 on-board computer calculates the optimum
power needed at any one time during
operations, allowing for these fuel savings and
lower emissions; as opposed to operating on
full throttle most of the time.
Key safety features include spring-applied,
hydraulically released (SAHR) brakes, automatic
brake testing with diagnostics and logging and
an oil-free cabin environment. Safety is further
enhanced by three emergency machine stop
buttons and a system that applies the brakes,
blocks steering, and prevents bucket movement
when the cabin door is open. The ST7 has a
tramming height of 2,160 mm and a width of
2,280 mm.
IM spoke with one of the ST7 operators, Dirk
Thiele, who commented: “The new machine is
24 International Mining | JULY 2012
very fast, especially on corners. The noise levels
in the cab are much less and the air conditioning
makes it very comfortable. It is also very easy to
load in more difficult faces using the onboard
traction control. The machine is also the only
one to have automatic gears, meaning you can
concentrate only on the main task of loading
instead of driving.” No major repairs have been
required on the ST7 since it started operating.
The whole mining area covers 24 ha. As
stated, there is no shaft, with a decline only, and
all of the material trucked out via the ramp and
no crusher located underground. The maximum
haulage distance is some 1.7 km from the
deepest point in the mine. This is currently 596
m above sea level relative to the mine surface at
713 m above sea level. This is an average of 117
m depth, but it varies up to 190 m depending on
the surface topography across the mine
Room heights can
be as much as 9 m
property. Geomin has an Atlas Copco Diamec
212 exploration rig that is used for near mine
and underground core drilling for reserve
extensions.
Production and quality control
Multiple working faces – as many as 30 –are
used to allow the ability to blend marble
qualities to achieve the desired final result.
Most of the final product is a ground calcium
carbonate (GCC) for the paint industry, where it
forms a filler. The waste material is a dark
phyllite slate.
The mine does not operate at night, but in
two daytime eight hour shifts – 6am to 2pm;
and 2pm to 10pm, with two blasts towards the
end of the second shift. Each blast produces
about 200 t of material with about 320-330 t of
marble needed per day to feed the plant. As
stated, the mine operates a conventional room
and pillar method, with 8m by 8m pillars and 6m
by 4.5 m drifts; and a maximum roof height of
about 9 m if the thickness of the marble seam
warrants it. The drifts are not horizontal as
development undulates to following the high
purity marble horizons. Any required scaling is
either done manually or using the older Tamrock
rig. Bolting is conducted using split sets; mainly
using the older Secoma rig.
The blasted marble is driven out via the ramp
to the plant and unloaded onto a grizzly and a
main primary jaw crusher. Following drying and
subsequent sorting by an automated optical
control, the high fineness of the final product is
realized by two one-compartment ball mills.
Windsifter plants and magnetic separators
further contribute to a high-quality product.
The material coming from the different faces
in the mine is constantly monitored for
whiteness and brightness via sample taken to
the on-site lab. The marble is manually
inspected following the jaw crusher to
separate dark and light material. Some faces
are sufficiently good quality for the material
to be used directly but many require
blending.
The processing plant produces calcium
carbonate fillers with diverse grain sizes for a
variety of uses. The filler trademark is Saxolith.
The calcitic fillers of Hermsdorf are
characterized by high fineness and a high
degree of whiteness. The product is sold via
associated marketing company SH Minerals –
after the main paint filler market, others include
construction grouts and plastic fillers. The ball
mills can reduce the product size down to as
little as 2 microns, known as the Saxolith 2HE
product.
Additionally, Geomin produces marble and
other local rock gravel for external sources. It is
distributed under the Saxorund brand. IM
 SX/EW
Heaps of new
technology
New ideas, chemicals and
technologies in the heap leaching
world, John Chadwick takes a look
n their paper at this year’s SME Annual
I Meeting, the University of Utah team
commented that “with ever-increasing
demand, low-grade complex ores and strict
environmental regulations, metallurgical
processing options have become limited. Heap
leach technology provides several benefits to
combat these issues including low cost,
flexibility and diversified process conditions.”
The paper1 provides an overview of heap
leaching technology with specific emphasis on
chemical aspects. Hence, influencing factors,
advantages and disadvantages, testing
approaches and some fundamentals are
discussed. Finally, heap leach technology for
different ore types (copper, nickel, uranium and
gold) is briefly compared.
They conclude that “many factors control the
heap leaching process; however, proper heap
building, mineralogical evaluation of ore,
efficient comminution, and the precise use of
available tests (feasibility approach) must be
undertaken to ensure a successful heap leach
operation. The advancement of heap leach
technology can be easily sensed through the
presence of technology in different ore types.
The growth in modelling studies and
fundamentals will make the heap leach
technology more adaptable to ever increasing
complex ores. Based on the aforementioned
evaluations, more heap leaching operations are
expected to come into the business. However,
many of the areas included in heap leaching
remain open to research with regard to
comminution effects, characterisation tools,
improvements in unit operations (agglomeration
and heap building) and modelling approach.”
Outotec is a leading SX/EW technology
supplier with an extensive track record in
building complete plants. Larox, which was
26 International Mining | JULY 2012
recently acquired by Outotec, is well known for
efficient and reliable filtration process
equipment.
New Outotec Larox DM electrolyte filters,
which are specially designed for efficient
removal of entrained organic and suspended
solids from electrolyte, using the well proven
dual media concept. The Outotec Larox DM filter
package can be delivered as an integral part of
Outotec’s SX-EW technology delivery or stand
alone solution to engineering companies and
end users.
This electrolyte filter is suitably designed to
be backwashed using either lean electrolyte or
water.
Outotec says this offers high quality filtration
because adsorption filtration using the well
proven dual media concept reduces entrained
Outotec SX-EW flow schematic withDM electrolyte filters
organic and particulate concentrations to a level
of a few parts per million. Production capacities
increase, as does the quality of cathode
products.
The filters use two separate layers of media
for coalescing and for filtration. The upper
media layer provides for organic removal while
the second layer filters particulates in the
electrolyte.
Low electrical energy consumption is a cost-
saving benefit, as the adsorption filtration
technique uses low pumping pressures
compared to alternate solutions utilizing
flotation.
Automatic (PLC) control of the electrolyte
filtration and media cleaning steps at the end of
each filtration cycle ensures maximum filtration
time in subsequent cycles. Outotec says “DM
electrolyte filters are delivered as an automated
operational filtration system which can be fully
integrated to any SX-EW solution package.
“Using lean electrolyte for backwashing and
returning it to the After Settler after holding in a
backwash collection tank (see flow schematic)
means [these] filters do not reduce the capacity
of SX production. Filter flow rates as high as 275
m3/h can be consistently handled by a single
unit (5.2 m diameter), greatly simplifying the
process.
“Typically, multiple units are installed in
parallel for flexibility and expandability to
economically accommodate growing plant
capacity requirements.
“With no moving parts, the media cleaning
system ensures maximum media lifetimes.
Typically the anthracite media is replaced every
24 months when combined with Outotec’s
proven SX process technology. Garnet lifetime is
considerably longer.”
 SX/EW

Paul Keyser, FLSmidth Global Product Director, SX-EW, says FLSmidth is

a relative new comer to SX-EW, but has big plans. For years, through its
legacy companies, the company has supplied both liquid/liquid and
solid/liquid separation technology to support SX-EW operations. Products
such as WEMCO Pacesetters, EIMCO OTG granular media filters, EIMCO
Precoat vacuum filters, Shriver filter presses and Krebs liquid/liquid
hydrocyclones are widely accepted “and do an exceptional job for their
respective duties for raffinate, electrolyte, loaded organic and crud and clay
treatment. In addition, FLSmidth is the leader in leaching and supply of
solid/liquid counter current decantation (CCD) circuits for production of
high quality PLS to feed SX-EW. FLSmidth offers complete SX-EW plants,
Customized
up to and including overseeing installation and start-up as well as post
commissioning support and service.”
Ion Exchange
“In addition to traditional SX-EW technologies using reverse flow mixer
settlers and standard EW facilities, FLSmidth is also investing substantially
in R&D to develop the next generation mixers, settlers and tankhouses.
Resins for
Early results are promising and point to improved and favourable droplet
formation and significant reductions in settler footprint. As mineable ores
Hydrometallurgy
become harder to find and lower in quality and grade, FLSmidth will be
there to offer solutions that make exploiting key resources possible. Highly selective ion exchange resins to improve
“Unique to the minerals industry, FLSmidth is the only company that has recovery of valuable and contaminant metal
the breadth and resources to assist customers with not only the SX-EW
plant, but to reach much farther upstream and take on project Uniform particle size (UPS) perfect for processing
responsibility starting from the mined ore, through both fully mobile and
fixed conveying, crushing, heap stacking, leaching and SX-EW. The
of clean solutions
approach reduces the time to first production. The FLSmidth Ore-to-
Cathode, complete solutions approach is what sets FLSmidth apart in the
Course particle size resins designed especially for
industry and will be a market driver for growth over the next decade and sorption from pulps (RIP)
longer.”
Effective in the remediation of tails and recycling
Agitation of mine waters
M C Process has over 20 years’ experience in tank agitator technology with
over 100 agitators installed globally. The company says it aims for “optimal Proven applications in Gold, Rhenium, Uranium,
performance, reduced wear and optimal use of power.” Its agitators are
Copper, Nickel, Mercury, Iron control and other
supplied with a bearing housing which ensures the forces generated by the
impeller are not transferred to the gearbox ensuring a more robust design base and rare earth metals.
and longer equipment life.
M C Process has developed a constant velocity impeller, which gives
constant pumping across the width of the impeller; allowing for reduced
impeller rotational speed for the required pumping rate. It says the unique
benefits include lower power consumption, reduced ‘crud’ formation,
improved mixing efficiency and adjustable head and volumetric throughput.
Need effective
Just ask Purolite.
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JULY 2012 | International Mining 27

 SX/EW
Knight Piésold works with the world’s
prominent gold producers providing design and
operational assistance for tailings
management, water management, and heap
leach facilities. Recently, the company’s work
involved designing a combined heap leach and
tailings facility in which the heap leach ore
stack provides containment for all the tailings.
It has been in operation for over four years and
has met or exceeded the design criteria and
provided its owner with a unique, cost and
space effective solution
The company also claims to be “to date the
only supplier of SX plants to use vacuum
infused, fully composite mixer settler tanks
which optimise a huge number of benefits.” It
also says its Jet Scrubber “is a paradigm shift in
attritioning technology.” The principal of the
Burgen Turbine attrition scrubber is “that we
need to create more attritioning zones within
the machine, akin to a jet engine or turbine,
where multiple compression vanes in a single
vessel.”
Flocculation in SX/EW
Mick Bower of Kemira Oil & Mining commented
that “the solids/liquids separation processes in
leach/SX/EW plants are very different from most
of mining’s typical settling applications. In the
case of leach plants the value is actually
contained in the liquid rather than the solid
such as a concentrate. This means that although
the equipment used is essentially similar to that
seen elsewhere on a plant
(settlers/clarifiers/filters) their operation is
different. The settling of solids in low pH
solutions is actually straightforward when using
the correct types of flocculant, such as Kemira’s
Superfloc N100. The most important aspect for
reagent selection in these plants is the
downstream compatibility with the SX process.
The SX stage is very sensitive to contaminants,
poor selection and application of reagents can
lead to significant problems with crud formation
and excessive phase disengagement times.
Control over the provenance of the reagents is
often overlooked and plant operators should
28 International Mining | JULY 2012
look to source from the larger manufactures
such as Kemira who can guarantee the
consistency and compatibility of their products.
What may be acceptable as a flocculant for a
tailings thickening application could easily
upset the SX circuit.
“Managing the interaction between
flocculation and SX is the key to running a
successful operation. Having both a qualitative
and well as a quantitative aspect to consider
makes the process a lot more complex than
typical tails thickening. Initially we would look
to control the solids in the overflow with a target
somewhere between 20 and 50 mg/l but we
also need to minimise the residual flocculant
effects. This means simply adding a higher dose
as you may do with other thickeners is not an
option. Minimising the residual floc in the
overflow is influenced heavily by having a good
addition scheme such as properly designed
feedwell lances and effective dilution streams.
Design and the maintenance of the make-down
and dosing equipment used with the flocs are
very important as poorly dissolved material will
track through to the overflow and eventually
into the SX circuit. One common problem has
been that a lot of operators have expanded
plants, increasing the flocculant dosage but
have not added sufficient extra capacity to the
make-down system thereby shortening the
effective residence time.
“As the technology becomes more advanced
it will also become less forgiving and the level of
operators’ understanding of the interactions is
key. The processes are becoming more like the
chemical industry than a mine and a high level
of training is required. Typical reactions such as
increasing reagent dosages in the event of a
plant upset may not have the desired effect.
“The trend since the early plants has been to
move away from filters over to lower cost CCD
trains and plants are now starting to be built
with high compression thickeners. Clarifiers are
becoming more common and Kemira is looking
at chemistries for improving this further. The
difficulty being that a lot of the conventionally
used reagents are incompatible with the SX.
“Scale control in leach plants is of particular
interest to Kemira. Heap leach operations are
dependent on the effective distribution of the
leachate over the heap and scale formation can
be a serious problem blocking the wobblers or
emitter pipework. Although less common in
agitated leach plants it is often seen in the leach
pachucas and PLS lines. The most common form
is gypsum and although there are a large
number of reagents effective against gypsum
the issue is again compatibility with the SX and
reagent choice needs careful consideration.”
SX reagents
Cytec notes that “largely unchanged over the
last 30 years, the SX process employs a very
small number of highly specific oxime molecules
which are ideally tailored for this application. As
a result of this extraordinary class of
extractants, copper SX is the least complex
process of its kind and also the most versatile.
Despite this there are always many ways in
which to optimise an SX process, particularly
using the experience and toolkit of the reagent
supplier. Much value can be generated by
optimising parameters such as i) the reagent
formulation, ii) reagent concentration iii) the
extract O to A ratio, iv) the stage efficiency, v)
selectivity of copper over iron, vi) entrainment of
organic in the raffinate and rich electrolyte vii)
entrainment of aqueous in the loaded and
stripped organic as well as many other aspects.
Many of these aspects can be optimised using
the reagent supplier’s modelling tools that allow
one to simulate alternative operating conditions
and select the best operating parameters for the
given PLS and circuit design.
“Over the last 15 years the market has made a
steady shift from aldoxime-ketoxime extractants
to modified-aldoxime and modified-aldoxime-
ketoxime extractants. In 2012 modified
extractants will make up more than 70% of the
copper extractant market. The primary benefit of
the presence of a modifier is the ability to tailor
extractant formulations to precise strengths to
maximise copper transfer for specific feed
conditions whilst improving selectivity over iron
and hydrolytic stability.
“Finally SX refineries are being increasingly
built that recover more than one metal by SX
and need to capture these multiple revenue
streams to be economical. Extraction circuits for
metals other than copper are more complicated
and these operations need to be optimised for
more than one metal and thus are finding even
greater need to have expert services delivered
with their multiple reagents purchased.”
Over the last few years as copper oxide ores
have become depleted, there is increased
interest in processing sulphidic ores using
hydrometallurgical routes. This allows mine
 SX/EW
Figure 1. BASF Split Circuit flowsheet
Figure 2. Sequential Circuit flowsheet
operators to use existing SX-EW equipment to
produce high quality copper cathode directly.
Additionally, in many instances the economics of
the oxide ores are substantially enhanced by
performing separations of multiple metals. As
hydrometallurgical knowledge continues to
grow and more advanced flowsheet designs are
developed, SX to isolate other metals is
becoming more reliable and effective than in the
past. Where is the end game many years from
now? Cytec believes “eventually ore will be
primarily hydrometallurgically refined,
extracting many metals from a single ore. Once
all the mining, milling, grinding and leaching is
complete, the refining of lower concentration
metals becomes economical because the
primary costs of getting to a PLS are all already
spent. So the need for R&D spending on
reagent development, formulation and
application knowledge continues to grow as the
world’s demand for more metals from the same
available earth grows. As such advance
technology and application support is a critical
30 International Mining | JULY 2012
differentiator in supplier selection not only to
get the most metal possible from a given
amount of ore that is already being processed
but also because of growing scarcity of metals
and energy. Only in the Copperbelt of Africa is
there substantial copper oxide ore with a copper
BASF split circuit economics
Conventional flowsheet
Operating days per year
Total cost acid+base (Σ$/t acid)
Cu price ($/lb)
Acid to neutralisation (t/d)
Total cost ($ million/y)
Cost benefit ($ million/y)
Cu in soluble loss (t/d)
Total revenue loss ($ million/y)
Revenue benefit ($ million/y)
Overall benefit ($ million/y)
grade above 3%. Most of the other ore that is
being processed is less than 1%. So mining
companies interested in a long term future,
need to align with companies that will be
developing these next generation reagents and
processing routes.
“Cytec’s Acorga® reagents are the most
comprehensive set of solvent extractants for
copper in the industry and our Cyanex®
Reagents are the leading technology for cobalt
nickel separations. We combine our reagents
with unmatched application knowledge as well
as modelling tools. Cytec is uniquely positioned
to offer modelling named MEUM™ Modeling
Software for more than copper. Cytec is
expanding into other metals at a pace that is
unmatched as well with SX products available
for copper, nickel, cobalt, rare earths,
molybdenum and uranium with more to follow.
Thus Cytec has the best tools to aid companies
that are developing non-standard flow sheets or
are planning to have multiple metals extraction.
“Cytec collaborates with mining companies to
ensure that they get the most metal at the least
operating cost. We do this by providing superior
support that addresses our customer’s site
specific needs. Our on-site application
technologists ensure that our customers receive
extraordinary extraction performance.”
New products include the Acorga® NR series
and OR series of products, developed to provide
higher degradation resistance in Cu SX circuits
that have occasional or consistent exposure to
high nitration or oxidative conditions. With these
products the valuable extractant inventory is
protected.
Cyanex® 600 is used to recover Mo from
moderate to high volume acidic streams which
contain low concentrations of Mo. Use of this
product and Cytec’s unique process allows
economic recovery by concentrating Mo by over
1,000 times. This allows existing Cu SX
operations and other operations to get an
additional revenue stream from already
Split circuit flowsheet
360
200
2.50
167.2 107.5
12.038 7.740
4.298
6.792 5.000
13.448 9.900
3.548
7.846
 SX/EW

Recovery of copper by solvent extraction.

Courtesy of Nord Resources

processed ore or from byproducts that contain

Mo. This breakthrough also has the potential to
make substantial additional volumes of Mo
available to the global market and thus improve
the availability and use of high performance
alloys that contain Mo.
Cytec can now model the separation of Cobalt
and Nickel via SX. This allows mines to partner
with Cytec in order to optimise the design of a
future operation or to substantially improve the
efficiency of an existing operation.

Split leach solutions

BASF’s Mining Solutions Group offers a diverse
range of mineral processing chemicals and
technologies to improve process efficiencies and
aid economic extraction. BASF's offerings
include reagents, equipment, process
technologies and knowhow, focusing on areas
such as grinding, flotation, hydrometallurgy,
solid liquid separation, tailings management
and materials handling. Stemming from its
hyrometallurgical sector, the Mining Solutions
Group has been granted US patents covering its
split circuit technology which is particularly
useful to agitation leach-SX of copper ores. The 8,700 t/d of ore are summarised in the table. this conference is to provide a forum where
split circuit configuration effectively splits the BASF has also filed for patent coverage on a BASF customers from around the world gather
leached solution into high and low grade further refinement of the Split Circuit technology to meet with experts in the field and share
streams which allows one to take maximum referred to as the
advantage of the thermodynamic behaviour of Sequential Circuit
the SX reagent by treating each stream technology (Figure 2).
separately in the SX process. It involves
The raffinate produced from the high grade incorporation of an
solution is returned to the leaching step to re- additional agitation
use the acid that has been generated. Raffinate leaching step between
produced from the low grade leach solution, the primary leach and
which is comparatively lower in concentration in the final liquid/solids
both metal species and acid than in the separation step,
conventional process, is passed to the washing resulting in a total of
activity, and a portion is ultimately bled from the three aqueous streams
circuit as the soluble loss fraction (Figure 1). being generated which
In this way, the configuration minimises are each separately
soluble losses. Other operating improvements treated by SX. The cost
are realised due to lower neutralisation costs analysis (excluding
prior to tailings disposal. additional capital cost
The economic benefits of the split circuit are and fixed costs)
clearly apparent once a detailed mass balance indicates that
of both the metal species and acid is performed. operational savings due
The relative simplicity of the concept means that to increased copper
incorporation into an existing flowsheet can be recovery and acid
done easily and with a minimum of capital recovery are potentially
outlay. double those obtained
The split circuit provides operational with the Split Circuit
flexibility and, in areas of the world where the technology.
cost of acid and neutralising agent are high, the BASF will host its LIX
operating cost benefits of the concept can be Users’ Conference in
substantial. The results of an economic case Prescott, Arizona this
study for an agitation leach plant processing year. The purpose of

JULY 2012 | International Mining 31

 SX/EW
operation experiences and innovative solutions
unique to their plants. The attendees will
present technical papers covering a variety of
topics including developments in plant design,
plant expansions, equipment, new leaching and
anode technology, organic recovery systems and
new reagent technology. As usual a tour of a
commercial mining property will be included as
part of the conference. The extensive technical
program provides each participant with the
opportunity to learn something new that they
can apply at their hydrometallurgical operation
to improve product quality, metal recovery
and/or lower costs and improve sustainability.
More SX ideas
In March, TNG Ltd advised that the pilot plant
test work program for its flagship Mount Peake
iron-vanadium-titanium project in Australia’s
Northern Territory had commenced. The work
program, which follows detailed and exhaustive
bench scale and optimisation test work, focuses
on the final stage of the process, which involves
the production of the final marketable products
from the Mount Peake deposit – iron, vanadium
and titanium.
This phase of the proprietary TIVAN™ SX
process test work is a chemical phase which will
run continuously during this test work at the
ALS-AMMTEC laboratory in Perth using modified
SX equipment. It will aim at achieving a
definitive test of the commercial potential of the
TIVAN process to produce a high-purity aqueous
vanadium solution leading to production of
vanadium pentoxide of commercial grade.
The new hydrometallurgical process has been
jointly developed with TNG‟s representative
metallurgical consultants, Mineral Engineering
Technical Services (METS). This new processing
route has been successful in recovering the
three principal commodities – vanadium,
titanium and iron – from bulk samples of Mount
Peake ore. TNG and METS have submitted a
joint Patent Application to protect the invention
and allow commercialisation at a later date.
The Mount Peake deposit – which currently
contains a JORC Inferred Resource of 139 Mt
grading 0.29% (V2O5), titanium (TiO2), 23.7%
iron (Fe), is amenable to processing using
conventional pyrometallurgy and produces
smelter acceptable concentrate grades.
However, TNG and METS believe that the
hydrometallurgical route may provide an
alternative route for improving project
economics, being cheaper and less
environmentally challenging.
Test work carried out by TNG/METS has now
shown the magnetic concentrate is amenable to
hydrometallurgical processing, resulting in very
high recoveries of vanadium (98%) and iron (83-
99%) in the acid leaching. These results have
32 International Mining | JULY 2012
importantly demonstrated that the iron can be
separated from the vanadium by using SX,
producing high grade Iron.
This new processing route has now been
proven to allow more than a single product to be
generated and may therefore have a positive
impact on the overall project economics.
However the anticipated lower capital and
operating costs and the higher recovery of the
valuable products still need to be demonstrated
in further test work.
The process developed by TNG and METS
utilises the combined process of acid leaching,
SX and stripping to selectively recover the
metals. METS Director and Principal Consulting
Engineer, Damian Connelly, said the
development of the new process had the
potential to deliver a significant breakthrough in
the processing of vanadium ores globally,
subject to further test work.
In mid-May, TNG advised of an important step
towards confirming the commercial potential of
the TIVAN process after receiving outstanding
analytical results from a recently completed
continuous-run pilot plant test work program.
Importantly, recoveries of 80-90%, which are
higher than previous results, were achieved for
vanadium pentoxide (V2O5), which was extracted
to a purity of 99%.
The grade and purity of V205 have been
determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP)
analysis. This is now being independently
verified at the CSIRO in Sydney. Final grades of
the Ti02 and Fe203 are currently being assessed
via additional analytical test work.
The final PFS is on track to be delivered by
the end of June 2012. If proven, TIVAN offers
competitive advantages over standard
processing including lower capital and operating
costs, higher recoveries and purity, and the
ability to produce three product streams –
vanadium pentoxide, titanium oxide, and ferric
oxide.
TNG believes it has the potential to be
approximately 40% cheaper than standard
pyrometallurgical process costs. The
commercialisation of the process underpins
TNG’s development proposition at Mount Peake.
The technology also has the potential to be
rolled out and applied to other vanadium
deposits globally.
Quest Rare Minerals is working on its Strange
Lake B-Zone deposit, where significant
improvements in metal extraction have been
achieved at Hazen Research. Acid consumptions
of approximately 200 kg/t are being achieved
with REE (rare earth element) dissolutions in the
90-96% range, niobium dissolutions in the 93-
96% range, and zirconium dissolutions in the
85-93% range. Considerable bench scale work
has shown excellent reproducibility, and most
operating variables have been established.
Work at Process Research Ortech (PRO)
commenced in the first quarter of 2012, and
significant progress has been achieved.
Flowsheets to achieve the separation of
zirconium, niobium, uranium & thorium, and
REE concentrate have been developed. Quest
reports that bench scale work has confirmed
these flowsheets to the extent that a zirconium
hydroxide product and a REE+Y oxalate product
have been produced. Uranium and thorium have
also been extracted successfully from the circuit
with the intention of producing an
environmentally stable discharge product.
Significant work has been carried out on
niobium and titanium separation. It was
expected that this separation will be resolved in
June, 2012.
Extensive bench scale testing of a thermal
sulphation process has been completed at
Hazen. In the process that has been developed,
ROM material is crushed and ground, then
mixed with sulphuric acid. The material is then
heated and undergoes a thermal sulphation
process where the sulphuric acid attacks the ore
and forms the sulphates of the contained value
metals. The dry calcine proceeds to a water
leach where the values are dissolved into
solution. The slurry is filtered and washed to
produce a pregnant leach solution (PLS).
Extensive testing of the thermal process has
determined conditions at which the refractory
rare earth containing minerals can be attacked
without the use of caustic (sodium hydroxide) or
extreme temperatures. Rare earth, zirconium,
and niobium recoveries to solution of up to
96%, 93%, and 96%, respectively, have been
demonstrated.
Bench scale SX test work to develop the
separation processes is underway at PRO. The
PLS containing the zirconium, niobium, and rare
earth values is the starting point for SX testing.
The bench scale testing involves selecting
appropriate organic reagents and analysing
their ability to separate the value metals from
contaminants and each other. All SX separations
are achieved using commercially available
extractants.
In the flowsheet that has been developed,
zirconium and niobium are removed and
uranium and thorium recovered for final
disposal. Following these initial separations,
oxalic acid is added to the main process stream
to precipitate rare earths and yttrium. Over 97%
of the REE+Y values in solution are recovered to
the oxalate precipitate. This oxalate precipitate
will then be re-dissolved to produce a
concentrated solution of rare earths and yttrium,
which will undergo further refining using SX to
achieve the individual separations.
Mini-pilot plant testing to confirm individual

product flowsheets established from bench
scale testing is scheduled to begin in
September, 2012. The results of these pilot
programs will be used to finalise the flowsheet
for the full scale pilot plant, which is expected to
be operational in Q1 2013.
Will Goodall and J.C. Perkins of Aura Energy
note that “the development of complex low-
grade mineral deposits is becoming an
increasingly important target. These deposits
often present marginal economic opportunities,
which are highly dependent on the development
of low-cost and efficient processing strategies
and the utilisation of byproducts to become a
viable development target. For exploration-
focused companies this presents a critical
investment decision stage early in project
development on whether to pursue potentially
expensive resource definition or look for other
targets.
“The Häggån project, Sweden has presented
a target requiring careful technical evaluation
through the early development stages. The
project represents a low-grade complex uranium
resource, with significant vanadium,
molybdenum, nickel and zinc credits.” A process
of mineralogical characterisation and multi-
directional scoping metallurgical test work has
been undertaken. “Implementation of this
process has allowed the development of
conceptual flowsheets targeted at efficient
recovery of value metals and the rejection of
your resource for
heap leach and tailings storage facilities
www.knightpiesold.com
www.
w.kn
n pi e l d .com
nightpieso
p
technically ineffective options based on an
understanding of the material and its
behaviour.
The material is low-grade and complex, with
conventional leaching options not proving to be
economic. Through thorough evaluation of the
mineralogy and using that knowledge to direct
and explain test work results, a previously un-
tested leaching option was examined and
shown to transform the project both technically
and economically. This step forward has opened
up a major uranium resource that had previously
been considered uneconomic, potentially
transforming the approach to recovery of metals
from similar deposits.
Examination of operations that treated
similar material to the Black Shale at Häggån
identified Talvivaara’s polymetallic operation in
Finland (IM, November 2008, pp8-16). This
project effectively utilises a bacterial heap
leaching process to recover Ni, Cu and Zn from
material similar to the Häggån material but
with pyrrhotite as the dominant sulphide
mineral, rather than pyrite. Successful
implementation at Talvivaara, demonstrated
that bacterial leaching could be a technically
and commercially viable option. All the
preliminary indicators examined to date have
shown that the material is ideally suited to
bacterial heap leaching, with good
permeability and an accessible source of
pyrite for bacterial growth.
ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
SX/EW
SX-EW safety
EW produces carcinogenic sulphuric acid mist
which raises health, safety, environmental,
efficiency and operating cost issues. Oxygen
bubbles are released at the anode as metal is
simultaneously deposited on the cathode. The
bubbles rise from the anode through an acidic
electrolyte solution then burst at the surface,
ejecting fine droplets of toxic mist.
CSIRO says “a fundamental understanding
of how bubble characteristics influence the
size and quantity of acid mist droplets is the
first step in reducing, and ultimately
eliminating, the mist.” To facilitate this study,
it has “built the largest transparent EW rig in
the world, which is important because the
depth of the solution affects the size of the
bubbles that form.
“Data gathered from the study can be further
used to develop a computational fluid dynamic
model to simulate mist generation and
dispersion in operations.” IM
References
1. Dhawan N. et al, Insights into heap leach technology.
SME Annual Meeting, February 2012, Seattle.
2. Goodall, W.R. and Perkins J.C., Early stage
metallurgical evaluation of a complex low-grade
uranium project, ALTA 2012, Perth, Australia.
JULY 2012 | International Mining 33
 MINING SOFTWARE
Brave new world
Reviewing mining software
developments in mine
design, scheduling and
management, Paul Moore
highlights the importance
of functionality across the
board, and some exciting
developments in the area
of 3D visualisation
ooking past the hectic mergers and
L
acquisition activity in the past few years,
functionality is the name of the game in
mining software, whether that be in orebody
modelling, mine design, mine planning, mine
operations scheduling or mine asset
management. Key areas in mine software
delivery and market success today include
advanced 3D visualisation, large dataset
handling, real-time updating of models, the
ability to interface with other datasets and
systems, and the global/corporate level
managing of models and data, including across
multiple operations. The market is moving away
from single mines having a myriad of different
mining software packages to a more streamlined
approach across entire organisations.
Better visualisation helps geologists, mining
engineers and surveyors to better understand
their data for analysis and interpretation. This
flows through to the planning and design
stages. Putting data in the context of
surrounding structures also opens up the design
process to a wider audience and allows rapid
communication of mine plans to all
stakeholders.
Mining operations support many complex
processes and often software solutions from
one supplier do not occupy all the applications
or processes in the mining value chain. Legacy
systems regularly mean that some processes
cannot talk to each other at a site. As an
example of countering this issue, a key part of
the mining software market is offering specialist
services to integrate existing applications and
build applications to foster streamlined
workflows, including built in import/export
protocols built in for transferring data to other
systems.
34 International Mining | JULY 2012
New system review
Gemcom Software International recently
released GEMS 6.4, the latest version of its
collaborative geology and mine planning
software. With a focus on data management,
GEMS is used to quantify, model, plan, and
schedule the extraction of mineral deposits. It
also highlights the importance of interfacing
between different software systems.
The most significant feature of GEMS 6.4 is
its powerful new patent-pending block model
conversion engine, which according to Gemcom
is a “world first” and the only one of its kind in
existence. The engine brings a new level of data
sharing flexibility to the industry by providing
direct conversion between different block model
formats, delivering better collaboration and
improved data integrity as well as time savings.
Justin Meade, technical product manager for
GEMS comments: “With many mining
organisations facing staff shortages, it is
becoming increasingly common for collaboration
to occur between site users and outside parties
who may be using different software products.
Thanks to the new block model conversion
engine, it is possible for a user to work in one
software package on a task such as resource
estimation and deliver the block model in the
format of another software package, while also
ensuring data integrity between the two. With
the engine, users will also benefit by being able
to efficiently operate between multiple block
model types for evaluation and processing
within GEMS.”
“At Midas Gold we have developed a
continuous stream for our data – from the
versatile GEMS Logger digital logging software
to Gemcom GEMS geological modelling, and
then to Whittle. With several GEMS licenses and
Runge XPAC’s 3D graphics give users a unique
insight into the mine plan
viewers, we can be sure that everyone can be
accessing the most current data and models,”
said Paul Jensen, Senior Geologist at the
company. “For over seven years I have enjoyed
the ability to customise and access GEMS data
from the Access or SQL back-ends; this
framework makes the data much more usable
than other formats.”
In addition to the block model conversion
engine, GEMS 6.4 provides enhancements to
existing features requested by its users. To
further increase productivity, GEMS includes
enhanced block modelling capabilities;
increased line, surface, and solid import and
export options; and two point transformation
profiles to transform solids and surfaces.
In more detail, highlights include an
“interpolate and report” feature, which allows
users to work with larger datasets and use more
than 100 interpolation profiles. Geospatial
filtering is also now possible through the use of
clipping boundaries when importing points and
lines. The packages includes enhanced
importing support for Optech 3D rings (.xyz
files), and Leapfrog mesh files; while ESRI
shapefiles can now be imported as points,
polylines, or polygons. A new two point
transformation profile can also be used to
transform the coordinates of solids and surfaces
from one system to another. Finally, improved
sorting capabilities in GEMS’ production
scheduler allows for more efficient scheduling.
In response to the increasing remoteness of
mine locations, Gemcom has developed
Gemcom Hub, a secure remote collaboration
solution which enables mining professionals to
work with and more easily share data regardless

of where they are located. It does this by
overcoming the challenges posed by poor
quality, intermittent network connections with
patent-pending technology that detects and
transmits only the particular elements of the file
that changed. Whereas traditional transfer
methods require an entire file to be transferred,
perhaps a block model that is gigabytes in size,
Hub does not, sending the data which has
changed, which can be only kilobytes instead.
This means that the frustrations and often
impossibilities of sending data from remote
sites to head offices are overcome.
Different software systems supporting
geology and mine planning processes are often
used in conjunction with one another. This may
occur due to user training on specific software,
history of individual departments using a
particular software application, or because the
site works with external consultants who may
employ a variety of different packages. For
example, it is not uncommon to find some
systems used in planning and different ones in
geology. Jose Santos, Product Line Manager for
Gemcom GEMS and Gemcom Surpac comments:
“To address this, Gemcom has developed a
patent-pending block model conversion engine,
now available with the latest version of its
collaborative geology and mine planning
solution, the recently released Gemcom GEMS
6.4. This is a world first and the only one of its
Software | Consulting | Training | Simulators
Integrated modelling and simulation solutions
Australia | Brasil | Canada | Chile | India | Kazakhstan | Peru | South Africa | United Kingdom | United States
MINING SOFTWARE
kind in existence. The block model conversion
engine brings a new level of data sharing
flexibility to the industry by providing direct
conversion between different block model
formats, delivering better collaboration and
improved data integrity while saving users a
great deal of time.”
What makes the block model converter
unique, says Gemcom, is its ability to open and
work with one type of block model and then
save it out to a model type from an unrelated
product. The block model converter understands
all types of block models at once; including sub-
blocked, superblocked and free block models,
and converts them internally into a regular
model before bringing them into GEMS.
The block model converter application can
also convert a block model to any supported
format; for example, a sub-blocked model can
be converted into a regular model of any
dimension using the optional reblocking
capability before it is brought into GEMS.
Reblocking is a process that allows the user to
redefine the structure of an existing block
model, typically by changing the size of the
blocks in the model. Reblocking is often
performed to reduce the amount of data in an
existing block model by increasing the size of
the blocks, or to change the structure of the
block model for operational purposes.
Another recent Gemcom software release is
across the mining value chain
Gemcom Surpac 6.3. A key feature of this
version is its innovative new solids repair
functionality, which reduces manual solids
validation time. New auto correction repairs
invalid solids, while manual repair allows for a
detailed examination of each problem area
within spatial context.
A major focus for CAE Mining over the past
year has been the development of CAE Studio
5D Planner. Based on the premise of Mine2-4D
version 12 coupled with the mining production
focus of EPS, Studio 5D planner is a tightly
integrated solution. Whilst maintaining the
popular design and functionality, the company
says it has made vast enhancements in the
areas of usability, interface and data
management with the release of CAE Studio 5D
Planner. The new package has been available
since January 2012.
Some of the most significant enhancements
are the result of upgrading the platform from
Studio 2 to Studio 3. In the geological modelling
world, the transition from Studio 2 to Studio 3
represents a major step forward in the
progression of Datamine Studio. The company
states that the jump to CAE Studio 5D Planner
will be the equivalent of that for the
underground mine planning and scheduling
world. CAE Studio 5D Planner makes use of
several Studio 3 enhancements, including the
advanced 3D visualisation provided by the VR
cae.com/mining
JULY 2012 | International Mining 35
 MINING SOFTWARE
Vulcan 64-bit from Maptek combines the
advantages of a superior 3D modelling
environment with the power of modern
64-bit technology
window, an enhanced user interface and a
completely revamped, object-oriented data
management system. Users will no longer be
required to use filters to separate different
design type strings since they will be loaded as
separate objects.
Studio 5D Planner includes a new Control
Panel with smart workflow, where the vertical
control panel has been completely redesigned
with a clearer, cleaner interface. The new panel
facilitates a ‘smart workflow’ concept that shows
users what functions are expected at which
point in the process, removing any reliance on
warning messages to inform users that they’ve
forgotten to do something. Commands are also
now organised into more intuitive groupings. If
there is any uncertainty, an in-panel context
help displays a message for any item selected in
the Control Panel system.
The Project Setup panel has been greatly
simplified and reorganised. For example, EPS
project configuration options, which are now
handled by a new, enhanced, EPS Template
process, are no longer duplicated. As a result
the Project Setup panel is now laid out in a
clean and intuitive manner, which CAE argues is
less imposing to new users.
Automatic and manual dependency generation
and editing is now housed within a single
Dependency Editor dialog. New features include
enhanced virtual reality (VR) sequence animation
playback and improved dependency layer control.
In addition, the sequence export process in
CAE Studio 5D Planner has been modified and
now accepts EPS Template (.ewst) files and
preserves all template settings, including
number formats and global constants.
Three-dimensional visualisation of the EPS
schedule has now been integrated into CAE
Studio 5D Planner itself, making use of the
powerful VR window. Creating a synchronised,
real-time link between the EPS Gantt chart and
the 3D mine model, users are able to produce
schedule-driven animations, create new
dependencies and use the EPS task filtering
functions to instantly visualise a subset of data.
36 International Mining | JULY 2012
A standalone version running on CAE Mining’s
InTouch visualiser will also be available and will
provide sequence animation viewer capabilities
through the free InTouchGo viewer.
Another notable change is that the Design
Manager is being replaced by the Project
Manager, which uses CAE Mining’s MineTrust
functionality. This provides a CAE Studio 5D
Planner specific view of Projects, delivering all
of the file management functions of Design
Manager as well as a number of others,
including a “3D thumbnail” view of files within
the current project. It also allows for enhanced
data security and integrity “far beyond what was
provided by the Mine2-4D version 12 Userlist”,
including making use of Windows account
credentials to control access permissions.
Project Manager is also designed to be scalable:
although users can easily use the features of the
Project Manager on their own computer
immediately, the full MineTrust client
application is available for those who wish to
make use of the additional database
management facilities, such as to create
multiple, local databases or to perform a
database-wide spatial search; or multi-user
sites can make use of the enterprise user and
data management features of MineTrust Server.
Maptek released Vulcan 64-bit to global
mining customers in April 2012. Vulcan 64-bit
combines the advantages of a superior 3D
modelling environment with the power of
modern 64-bit technology to make it possible to
work with larger datasets, such as larger
dynamic block models or triangulations. The 64-
bit support covers the entire software offering,
allowing all Vulcan users access to the platform.
The company told IM: “Benchmarking
conducted in-house shows massive step-wise
improvements in loading large data sets
compared to 32-bit. Vulcan 64-bit will use all
available RAM on a system when needed.
Customers on current maintenance receive this
Vulcan 64-bit as part of the standard Maptek
upgrade and enhancement program.”
In the open pit mine planning area, the Vulcan
Short Term Planner tool has been improved to
allow mine engineers to analyse more options.
Mill constraints can be incorporated into the
automated scheduling plan, with improved
stockpiling usage. Vulcan’s Short Term Planner
works directly from the block model allowing for
better utilisation of the resource model.
Vulcan users already have the innovative
HARP methodology which produces more
accurate stratigraphic models. A Run of Mine
(ROM) version introduced in the latest version,
Vulcan 8.1.4, allows users to incorporate
operational parameters in the geological block
model. This way the mine model can take full
advantage of the stratigraphic block models.
Solid modelling from polygons is now faster
using a new combination of Vulcan’s powerful
block models and improved surface extraction
tools. Models with geology attributes are built
in a fraction of the time compared with
traditional solid building and the results are
already stored in the block model.
Vulcan 64-bit also makes it possible to work
with large datasets, such as larger dynamic
block models or triangulations. The 64-bit
program is the first step toward providing
customers with large data set support, with
plans to provide enhancements to
triangulations, grids and design data which will
allow customers to support even larger data
sets for those types. Future priorities include
estimation, block manipulation, block model
display and simulation. Leveraging multiple
cores on hardware and graphics processing
units on modern graphics cards are other Vulcan
developments that are underway.
Resource models must be constantly updated
as new information becomes available during
mining. These models can be very complex and
quite time consuming to develop. Vulcan
automatically updates just that portion of the
model that has new data, and carries the
changes through all related levels with a
repeatable, auditable process was first released
in 2001. Now that Maptek also manufactures
scanning hardware, the company has added
more power and useful tools to the software as
part of the integration development. The
company told IM; “In the ten years since its
release, I-Site Studio has evolved from a
powerful cruncher of massive point cloud
datasets to a feature-laden product containing
open pit model update, contour and label
elevations, automatic toe and crest detection,
and measuring volume displacement tools that
surveyors use every day.”
The latest release of I-Site Studio 3.5 in
August 2011 included the launch of a dedicated
geotechnical module, with extensive tools for
easily monitoring changes in surfaces such as
walls, batters and faces. Stereonet plots allow

users to plot slope and slope
direction onto a two-dimensional
graph, helping to identify
discontinuity sets and analyse the
stability of rock slopes. Contours
can be added for pinpointing data
of interest. Rose diagrams reveal
the frequency of data versus the
direction of the data for identifying
directional trends. Colouring
surfaces by the dip or strike values
of the individual facets helps to
highlight discontinuities and planar areas,
making it easy to see fractures.
Overlapping surfaces that have been scanned
at different times can be compared to reveal
extent and rate of movement, for example to
identify a slow moving failure in an open pit
mine. Surfaces can be coloured based on
changes from a previous surface and data can
be exported to measure distances from previous
and base surface measurements.
I-Site Studio 3.5 includes general
enhancements in performance and usability.
Filtering can now be done based on point
selection, rather than the entire scan dataset.
When used in conjunction with the new
freehand or polygonal lasso selection tools, it
reduces the time required to remove stray points
caused by dust or other transient objects. Many
of I-Site Studio’s existing tools have been
tweaked with more options for quickly
comparing as-builts against design models to
highlight variations or non-conformance.
The ability to quickly create a 3D PDF, also
delivered with the latest Vulcan release, means
that rotatable models can be shared with people
who don’t have specialised viewing software. I-
Site Studio 3.5 users can also export to a
Universal 3D file, meaning that the valuable
information can be shared with decision makers
at all levels immediately.
MINING SOFTWARE
Runge’s Haulnet product adds to the picture
when used with XPAC, one operation is
successfully scheduling up to 1,400 km of
underground roadways using Haulnet
The powerful 3D visualisation capability of
Maptek’s alpha-stage Eureka exploration
software “provides the essential link for
geologists to apply their specialist knowledge to
come to better understand a deposit” according
to the group. It brings together large geospatial
datasets for viewing, as well as modelling and
analysis. Viewing the data in the same context
as the seismic and drilling data provides
additional information to correlate the models
for the resource. It allows visualisation of
seismic sections alongside drillholes, and uses
the drillhole information to convert the seismic
time data into depth. This can then be
incorporated into horizon models.
Mining engineers have been using Runge’s
XPAC since 1980 to model reserves, generate
production schedules and evaluate alternative
scenarios. All Runge scheduling products use
advanced 3D graphics rendering, combined with
detailed spatial data, to accurately represent the
complex shapes of the mine. Large dataset
handling is another key attribute. Alun Phillips,
Product Manager, Scheduling at Runge told IM:
“Where other packages place limits on your
ability to model large projects, XPAC is only
limited by the computing power you
give it. Our largest clients are
handling models that exceeded 60
million sub-blocks. XPAC can
complete detailed scheduling
scenarios on typical models with
datasets of 100,000 individual
records, not aggregated benches,
within minutes. XPAC can also
automate dump scheduling as well.
Including an extra 50,000 dump
records to take the total to 150,000
records in a typical dataset makes little
difference to the processing time.”
XPAC integration allows for the update of
scheduling models as new geological data
becomes available. XPAC propagates updates
across all scheduling horizons, given users
greater control of the future scheduling
scenarios, based on current knowledge. Runge
scheduling software also integrates with most
modern mining systems and is being used with
just about every geological modelling and mine
design tool available, says the group. XPAC and
XACT allow for data compatibility with modern
financial modelling systems and automated
integration with corporate enterprise solutions
such as SAP and SharePoint. XACT also
integrates with most fleet management
systems.
Mintec continues to improve its flagship
product, MineSight 3D (MS3D). Version 7
released late last year removes the limits on
block model sizes. “Geologists and engineers
using block models to make mine plans and
production schedules can now create models
without constraint. They can produce a more
detailed block model, while maintaining the
original block model extents. All related
MineSight programs and procedures have been
modified to work with no model limits”, says the
company.
JULY 2012 | International Mining 37
 MINING SOFTWARE
Mintec breakdown of mining production key
cycle time and Loading components, as well as
payload histogram to compare the effect of
fragmentation versus performance
Subsequent updates include the introduction
of some highly effective plug-ins. The Auto Cut
Generation plug-in is used for creating polygon
or solid cuts in MS3D. The resultant cuts can
then be used to create a medium- to short-term
mining schedule with utilities such as MineSight
Interactive Planner (MSIP) and MineSight
Schedule Optimizer (MSSO).
The Digline Generator plugin is used to assign
a mining sequence for cuts on every individual
bench of each phase. This information is then
used by MSSO to create a practical mining
schedule. The Digline Generator functions with
both polygonal and solid cuts. To use the Digline
Generator, the short-term mine planner should
determine, on a per phase and bench (level)
basis, where to begin mining and in what
direction mining should progress.
Kirkham Geosystems used MineSight to
assemble almost a century’s worth of data from
the Yellowknife Gold Camp – some of it written
on paper and linen – into a comprehensive 3D
GIS model. Kirkham’s Garth Kirkham comments:
“The strength of the MineSight system is in its
3D modeling capabilities. This allows the
‘linking’ of the 2D shapes into a 3D solid for
visualisation and for volumetric analysis. The
result was an accurate representation of the
mineralised structures along with a complete
picture of the mine workings.”
The complexities of drillhole and blasthole
data are simplified with Mintec’s database
manager, MineSight Torque. Using a Microsoft
SQL Server database, MSTorque lets the user
manage drillhole, blasthole, and other sample
data. It includes built-in compositing tools, and
fully integrates with other MineSight products
for coding, spearing, interpolation, statistics,
and display. Version 2.2 released earlier this
year allows composites to be imported into
MSTorque from all supported data sources –
ODBC, CSV and SQL. Imported composites are
saved as composite sets. Appending to existing
imported composite sets is supported as well.
38 International Mining | JULY 2012
MS3D is increasingly
being used by operators
for its Large Gridded
Objects tool, a capable
instrument for managing large surfaces quickly.
It provides a variety of different options for
displaying and managing surfaces.
MSAxis manages, tracks, and reports drill and
blast data. Blasthole geometry is stored in the
MineSight Torque Database where it can be
attributed with explosive, drilling, mining cut,
and as-drilled information. The data can then be
used to model surfaces and block models.
Russell Owen at Freeport-McMoRan’s Morenci
operation comments: “We’ve caught more
things in less time than ever before. We’re no
longer breaking teeth on shovels, we’re being
proactive. With MineSight Axis Drill&Blast,
Morenci can monitor, report, and respond to
these new technologies in near-real-time.” The
company invested in imaging and drill fleet
management technologies, and used MineSight
to help manage and analyse the data. In three
years, it saved more than $120 million on
horizontal accuracy, according to Mintec.
The next major product launch will be the
unveiling of MineSight Performance Manager
(MSPM) later this year. Mintec told IM: “A
streamlined display, exceptional data
integration tools, and a focus on analytics are at
the core of MSPM, MineSight’s solution to the
countless staff hours spent on detailed mine
reports and charts. In response to the question
of how a mine design is performing, MSPM
quickly answers by clearly presenting data that
can be correlated, analysed, and reconciled in a
way that spreadsheets never will. Respecting
the unique problems miners must solve, MSPM
goes beyond the ‘what’ and gives the ‘why’ of
mining analytics, and business analytics.”
Mintec will also be unveiling more advances in
its short-term scheduling tools, including a new
activity-based tool – MineSight Atlas; plus
enhanced modelling tools with new implicit
solids modelling.
In the arena of geostatistical modelling,
Geovariances has announced the release of
Isatis 2012, the latest version of its industry
Detailed Mintec summary of fragmentation plan
versus design displaying key metrics within a
completely interactive GUI
benchmark geostatistical software solution.
Isatis 2012 enables resource engineers,
geomodellers or any geoscientist involved with
estimation or geological modelling to set up
efficient automatic estimation workflows using
models adjusted at best with the new automatic
variogram fitting tool for increased productivity,
as well as compute high-precision geological
models of fluvial hydrocarbon reservoirs with
meandering channels for improved flow tests.
Users can get metal quantity, tonnage and grade
panel distributions directly from block
simulations computed on Selective Mining Units
or on panel grids for fast results as well as
benefit from a standard licence management
system for a safer and a more flexible
management of licenses.
ThreeDify has developed ThreeDify
GeoModeler, a high performance orebody
modeller based on ThreeDify's state-of-the-art
64 bit Linear Octree modelling kernel.
"ThreeDify GeoModeler is the result of a
persistent research and development conducted
by the ThreeDify R&D team. GeoModeler
represents a paradigm shift in orebody
modelling: instead of using conventional block
models that are severely confined by the size of
the deposit being modelled, a linear-octree
based orebody modeller is capable of modelling
and visualising ore deposits of any size, shape
and complexity. With GeoModeler, geologists no
longer need to compromise precision due to the
size of their deposit." said Yaohong Jiang, the
CTO of ThreeDify.
The software enables large and complex
multi-body ore deposits to be handled in a
single session. ThreeDify states: “GeoModeler is
an ideal tool for preparing accurate reserve
estimates as input to subsequent mine design
optimisations as well as for field geologists to
create wireframes based on their drilling data.

GeoModeler provides true 3D volumetric
modelling, geostatistical analysis and
interactive visualisation to help geologists
integrate and transform multiple data sources
into the best ore reserve estimates.
GeoModeler’s modern and componentised
design also encourages gradual adaptation on a
module-by-module basis.” GeoModeler provides
true visual WYSIWYG 3D block modeling,
geostatistical analysis and interactive
visualisation to help geologists integrate and
transform multiple data sources into the best
ore reserve estimates. Creating a block model of
grades simply involves specifying a block
dimension and selecting an arbitrary mesh.
GeoModeler will voxelise the mesh and
interpolate the grades of the blocks falling into
the mesh with the resulting block model will be
auto-clipped to topography.
MICROMINE’s namesake flagship software
solution Micromine, has powerful 3D design
tools to create and visualise the optimum
resource and pit design. In August 2011, the
company released the latest major update of
Micromine with Micromine 2011. The 3D
geological modelling and mine design product
benefits from number of new features focussing
on intuitive usability, enhanced and shortened
workflows and more logical processes.
Combined with faster processing speeds,
flexible import and export functions and
compatibility with third-party applications, gains
in productivity remain at the core of the offering
development, according to the company.
Significant updates include a new user
interface from Micromine 2010 incorporating
fresh visual themes and a simplified Contact
Support function for faster access to software
support. Micromine 2011 is compatible with
many new CAD/GIS vector (line work) and raster
(grid or image) file formats. This compatibility
makes Micromine more flexible in its ability to
handle external data. As stated, very few
people work with one software application so
this is a benefit for improving workflows across
multiple applications. Enhancing file format
compatibility simplifies the exchange of data
between these tools and saves time and resources.
Micromine 2011 is also now compatible with
Google KML files, allowing an interface with
Google Earth. The ever increasing quality and
accuracy of Google Earth’s imagery makes it an
excellent data source for traditional air-photo
interpretation and Micromine can now exploit
that feature. New Export formats include ESRI
Shapefile, Mapinfo Table/Interchange, AutoCAD
DXF, Microstation DGN, Google Earth (KML) and
GPS Exchange (GPX).
Binary field types introduced in Micromine
2011 improve numerical accuracy, can reduce file
sizes and produce a noticeable increase in
MINING SOFTWARE
speeds of loading or processing data. Micromine to specifying a radius to restrict the positioning
2011 has also introduced a number of CAD of pivot points in the drives, it is now possible to
design tools to further help engineering clients. specify a user-defined rig shape. This is
Tasks in a Micromine 2011 mine schedule may achieved by using the string editing tools in the
be filtered on-the-fly to exclude unnecessary application to draw the shape, saving it as a
detail. Real-time Reporting window allows the String file and then using it as the rig outline.
user to generate a report based upon the date If necessary, multiple (rather than one) user-
range and the selected attributes. defined shape can be used to define a custom
Significant enhancements to the Pit rig shape; one shape for the carousel (rotatable)
Optimisation module include 64-bit support, and one or more shapes for the rig itself
allowing it to process very large block models, (stable). This is achieved by reading the rig
and reporting with ease. In particular, a new shape for all polygons in the String file. While
Input Parameters Report gathers all Pit they all become part of the rig shape, only the
Optimiser settings into one place. first polygon encountered in the file can be
Finally, an enhancement has been made for rotated - the others are static. This allows for
the setup of a user-defined drill rig restriction in the design of a more complicated rig shape,
the Ring Design options form. As an alternative with as many static parts as required.
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JULY 2012 | International Mining 39
 MINING SOFTWARE
Many other ring design enhancements
improve workflow and quality of design. These
enhancements were suggested by mine users.
Kinross’ Kupol mine, where ring design tools are
used in day-to-day operations, was one of the
most active participants in scoping the
suggestions and real life testing of the
developed items.
Since the release of Micromine 2011,
MICROMINE has issued three further interim
releases that continue to add value to the
solution. The latest, Service Pack 4, provides
enhancements to Vizex, Micromine’s 2D/3D
viewing and editing environment. Additional
enhancements have also been made to the
Wireframe and Scheduling modules.
MICROMINE releases a major new version of its
Micromine software every 12-18 months, and the
next release is scheduled for autumn 2013. The
company told IM: “MICROMINE invests 30% of
its annual revenue into R&D to ensure that its
technology continues to lead the industry. This
process ensures that we can maintain a
constant stream of updates and improvements
with updates released quarterly. Our products
are constantly evolving to take advantage of
new research and technological advancements.
This encompasses the resources sector itself,
computer hardware technologies and
improvements in communications technologies.
Most importantly, these need to accommodate
the occasional paradigm shifts in software
engineering practices.”
MICROMINE’s mine control and management
solution, Pitram, is concerned with safety and
production optimisation. Production
optimisation is achieved through increased
utilisation of existing equipment through
automated equipment dispatching; increased
utilisation of mining face; real-time tracking of
production against short and long term plans;
real-time tracking of consumables used to
develop mine and maintain production;
40 International Mining | JULY 2012
prevention of overloading and under-loading; a
material security system that ensures no ore
gets dumped to waste dump and no waste finds
its way to ore stock piles or ore passes; a fuel
management system managing optimum
refuelling schedules; and real-time tracking of
production KPIs.
There have been several releases of the
Pitram product, which caters to both the
underground and open pit market. Features
include ruggedised Pitram Mobile computers
installed on underground mining equipment,
collecting production data and feeding the
information in real-time to the mine’s control
room. The fleet dispatching/optimisation
algorithm has received many enhancements as
has the shift planning tool embedded in our
Pitram product.
The Shift Planner is a tool used by the shift
crew to plan out their shift and then track the
progress in real time. From the production
planning perspective this is as short-term as it
gets. It is now possible to see a live progress
bar inside the Gantt chart, letting the user know
how far they are from completing a task.
Reflecting the level of automony activity in
mining, MICROMINE’s R&D program includes
development designed to integrate with the
autonomous mining equipment to retrieve
production data from these systems and
integrate it with the rest of the production data.
This will then provide a single point of reference
to interpret production figures.
The company told IM: “Even with
autonomous fleets, not all mine operations are
automated. When a production data integration
layer, like Pitram and our mine production
management system Dome are absent, then the
data captured by the autonomous systems end
up living inside another silo or spreadsheet in
the mine’s database.”
Additional Pitram R&D is also currently
underway to take advantage of technological
Micromine pit design and ground geophysical
profile
breakthroughs that will impact on how the
industry looks at underground mine production
control systems. Technological advances include
the development of cost effective and easy-to-
implement underground wireless systems,
automated underground mining and automated
production control. The company says it is also
tracking developments in handling underground
laser scanning data for the benefit of improved
mine design and control.
MineRP says it has made significant inroads
with its enterprise mining technical solutions in
the past year. Adopting a fresh approach of
seeking partnerships with traditional
competitors in the mining technical software
(MTS) space, the company is positioning its
SpatialDB solution as the industry’s “data
management and exchange platform of choice.”
Developed as a standards-based database,
SpatialDB already has the ability to connect to
most industry standard expert mining packages,
such as MineRP’s own Mine2-4D, as well as
Surpac, Vulcan, XPAC, and CAE Studio.
The company states: “Adding mining-specific
logic and database extensions, MineRP’s
SpatialDB allows mines to continue
implementing expert geology, planning and
survey solutions of their choice, and then brings
to the table integrated analysis and
visualisation capabilities previously
unthinkable. Using SpatialDash and
SpatialAnalyzer, MineRP’s web-based
visualisation and analysis applications,
operational information from any mining
technical source can be displayed in three
dimensions, compared and overlaid with
information from other sources, and
interrogated in a myriad of ways.”
Mine2-4D 2012, one of the expert mine
planning solutions developed by MineRP, is also
due for Beta release. As developers of and
owners of the Mine2-4D brand, MineRP has
invested heavily in the total re-design of Mine2-
4D, opting for a period of intense market
research and user-based workgroups around the
globe before releasing the latest version of the
product, as Mine2-4D 2012.
Sporting a newly designed MS SQL database,
Mine2-4D 2012 will not only be SpatialDB
Exchange Ready (a term used for those expert
mining solutions with MineRP SpatialDB
connectors), but also has a range of
improvements that MineRP believes will confirm
its status as the “premier solution for
underground mine design and scheduling.”
The introduction of smart ribbon bars in
combination with the layer tree offers additional
intelligence. As an example, activating any
Minerals Report
3/2012

1 2

Fig. 1 View inside a POLYCOM® high-pressure grinding roll for copper ore grinding.
Fig. 2 Copper ore grinding plant with ball mills.

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 MINING SOFTWARE
Devex recently finalised the implementation of
SmartMine at Vale Carajas
dependency layer automatically changes the
ribbon to show the tools required for
sequencing. These 'intelligent' ribbons simplify
toolbar navigation, especially for users who are
unfamiliar with Mine2-4D.
Other improvements include the
simplification of the block model evaluation
setup with user friendly interfaces that can be
accessed without having to return to "Project
Setup". Users are able to set up the evaluation
rules, specify and define filters and legends,
choose dilution settings and toggle on/off
whether the results should be shown on
completion. All of this can be done without the
need to close the window. The block model itself
is converted to a Generic Block Model (gbm)
format to allow for the importing of various
block model types which can be displayed as a
dynamic slice.
One of the most time-consuming processes in
previous versions of Mine2-4D, the sequencing
of design elements, has now been redesigned to
enable users to complete the task much more
efficiently. Dependency layers are shown in the
Layer Tree and have default settings for delay
type, unit and amount. Internal dependencies
are now shown graphically and so have their
own layer. Simply selecting a layer adopts these
defaults and all dependencies drawn will have
the desired delays, while switching layers while
drawing a dependency will change the defaults,
with no need to edit the dependency string
afterwards.
Duplicate dependencies are also no longer an
issue in Mine2-4D 2012 – as soon as they are
detected, the user is alerted and the
dependency cannot be completed. In addition,
the improved graphical interaction does not
allow for single point dependencies to be
created. This automatic error-checking
functionality increases efficiency by removing
the need for manual checks and corrections.
The creation of Automatic Dependency Rules
has been vastly improved with the ability to not
only set up complex search geometries but
42 International Mining | JULY 2012
allowing the user to
visualise these search
conditions in the Search
Geometry interface. These
geometries can also be
visualised in 3D and
super-imposed onto the
search origins on the
design. Another added
feature is the ability to
define an Automatic
Dependency Rule by
drawing it. MineRP states:
“This is a giant leap forward in making the
sequencing of a mine design simpler and
faster.”
Interfacing with EPS is made more interactive
with the ability to communicate directly through
the Object Model. This does not exclude those
users that wish to use EPS ‘stand-alone’.
However the interface between EPS and Mine2-
4D has been streamlined with the recognition of
tasks that have changed rather than a complete
re-export of the whole database.
3D mining operations
The whole area of virtual mines and associated
3D modelling is advancing rapidly, through work
done not just by software companies but also
equipment and technology OEMs and by mines
themselves. Brazil’s Devex, up to now best
known as a leading player in high precision GPS
systems for mining fleets, has developed two
new systems that it believes are pioneers in the
global market of mine automation.
Devex made use of virtual reality and
computer graphics in the development of part of
its two new systems: Extreme (for open pit
mines) and SmartMine.UG (for underground
mines) have operation interfaces based on 3D
and Multi-touch technology, making the
execution of operations more intuitive and
efficient.
Computational systems for geological
modelling, planning and design in mines are
derived from CAD/CAE (Computer-Aided Design
and Computer-Aided Engineering) which were
largely introduced into the mining sector during
the 1990s. Until recently, however, Devex argues
that the 3D models were restricted to the needs
of decisions regarding the advancement of the
mine, with weekly updates.
With SmartMine.UG, the 3D technology
allows for a complete 3D view of the mine,
including information in real time about active
levels, tunnels, work areas and equipment
locations. In the surface mine Extreme system,
the operation control for the open pit mine is
also visualised in real time in a 3D and intuitive
way, focusing on the major points of the mine.
Information such as the location of equipment
and ore quality/quantity properties is available
to the user at any time. It is also possible to
view animations depicting what each machine is
doing at any one time. In addition, the mine
supervisor can visualise all data related to
production, locations, teams and equipment
through a mobile tablet device when performing
fieldwork.
Guilherme Bastos, Devex CEO, believes that
the new 3D technology will enable the virtual
system to better react to changes in the real
environment: "The idea, for example, is to
detect the presence of fog or snow without
having to interrupt the activities of the mining
work area. The system aims, under these
conditions, to remotely operate a belt tractor in
an area with up to 80 cm of snow, virtually
visualising the terrain and any imperfections,
and for the snow to be quickly removed." He
emphasises that communication between the
virtual and real environments and the remotely
operated equipment will allow new systems to
better aggregate autonomous mining equipment
without any human intervention. "The increase
in the utilisation of 3D models and virtual reality
in the coming years, including in our products, is
a natural tendency. The goal is to meet the most
imminent necessities of the mining sector, which
are safety, remote operation, environmental
management and productivity gains.”
Carlson Mining 2012, released in 2011, is the
latest offering from Carlson Software, and gives
users improved 3D abilities within its bench pit
design, added options for colour settings for
enhanced visual feedback in underground
timing sequencing, new haul truck cycle
analysis routines, new spoil placement timing,
and the ability to produce customised, more
professional reports among its many upgrades.
The package provides support for AutoCAD 2012
and comes with IntelliCAD 7.0 built-in. This is in
addition to working on AutoCAD versions 2000
and up. Carlson Mining 2013 is shortly to be
launched and will include further improvements
and functionality.
“Carlson’s 3D pit design is improved by
enhancements in the Design Bench Pit
command,” says Grant Wenker of Carlson’s
Mining Division. “Multiple slope groups are now
easy to define for all pit blocks globally with
symbols for different slope and bench templates
on different sides. Adding the ramps is now part
of this command for automatic ramp building,
cutting through the benches whether working
from the top down or the bottom up.”
New commands added for haul truck cycle
analysis can now calculate cycle time, fleet size
and production rates. Plus, this release has a
new set of commands for spoil and dump timing
for sizing and sequencing spoil placement, both
in-pit and out.
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 MINING SOFTWARE
Micromine open pit and underground mine
design
Also released at the same time was Carlson
Natural Regrade, which can be used to reclaim
any disturbed land and has been recommended
by the US Department of the Interior's Office of
Surface Mining (OSM) for mine reclamation.
With this release, a new Vegetation Scene tool
places 3D symbols for selected vegetation
based on slope and azimuth parameters for 3D
visualisation of the reclaimed site. Three
dimensional trees and shrubs can be placed into
the model to show what the reclamation will
look like at various growth stages.
New contracts
MICROMINE has finalised its first Pitram mine
control system contract in Spain. The contract
with privately-owned commodity trading group
Trafigura to supply and install Pitram Control at
the Minas de Aguas Tenidas SAU (MATSA)
copper mine in Huelva Province was finalised
following an in-depth market review by MATSA.
“After carefully reviewing various mine control
systems, we elected to introduce Micromine’s
Pitram Control alongside Pitram Optimum’s Shift
Planner module,” MATSA Mine Manager Joao
Nunes said in a statement. “Pitram’s powerful
control and reporting functionalities will deliver
real-time production data and decision-making
tools, providing personnel and management
greater control over the MATSA operation. We
believe that Pitram will drive increased
productivity, improve health and safety, and
optimise operational efficiencies, therefore
playing a vital role in achieving our long-term
strategic objectives.” MATSA is planning to
expand the 2.2 Mt/y underground mine and
processing plant capacity by 30%.
Pitram Control provides a mine operator with
an overall view of the status of the mine,
recording, managing and processing site data in
real-time. Control is one of four elements of the
Pitram product suite, which offers an entry level
path via Pitram Report, up to the fully
automated Pitram Optimum.
MICROMINE Regional Manager in the UK, Tim
44 International Mining | JULY 2012
Tuder, said the
company’s first
Pitram sale in Spain
continued the
momentum of recent
expansion across the
Europe, Middle East
and Africa (EMEA)
market: “Pitram’s
powerful reporting
platform will be
relied upon for
analysing trends in
operational data, accurate and real-time shift
reporting, monitoring team and individual
performances, improving personnel and
equipment efficiencies, and ore parcel and
grade control management.”
MATSA has seven stockpiles comprised of
different ore types. Pitram’s Grade Control
module will increase control over material
movements by ensuring they are closely
tracked. The module will also enable real-time
management of stockpiles and improved
tonnages and grades. Pitram users can visualise
and manage all mine site operations as they
occur. Through the introduction of the Shift
Planner module, MATSA can implement
production plans within a real-time
environment, and use short-interval control
methods to manage daily activities.
ARANZ Geo Ltd, the developer of 3D
geological modelling software Leapfrog Mining,
recently announced the signing a new Software
License Agreement with gold mining major
Barrick. Leapfrog Mining software is a dynamic,
3D geological modelling technology with
innovative workflows that ARANZ Geo believes
enables the best possible understanding of the
geology. Leapfrog offers accurate and consistent
visualisation of data providing confidence in the
interpretation and modelling of that data from
early exploration to mine remediation. Multiple
hypotheses can be explored, new data added
and course corrections made easily as the
project proceeds.
Barrick has been using Leapfrog since 2005
and the signing of the agreement reflects
increased usage of Leapfrog across the Barrick
Group. Leapfrog Mining is used by Barrick
geologists in Canada, the United States,
Tanzania, Chile, Dominican Republic, Australia,
and Peru. In addition to the use of Leapfrog for
modelling exploration data for gold deposits,
Leapfrog is also used for project evaluation by
Barrick geologists and senior management.
Rob Krcmarov, Senior Vice President, Global
Exploration at Barrick said: “My exploration
team makes extensive use of Leapfrog. I
personally review Leapfrog models as a means
of assessing potential Barrick investment and
exploration opportunities.”
In June 2012, Leapfrog started offering
fundamentals training to the Australian market.
The two day course will train both existing and
prospective customers in the fundamentals of
Leapfrog Mining. The training is conducted by a
team of Technical Services Representatives led
by experienced trainers from the New Zealand
based Research & Development Centre. The
company says that the fundamentals training
will be beneficial to both new and existing users
who want the chance to appreciate the full
power of Leapfrog.
Richard Lane, Product Director at ARANZ Geo
said: “We’re looking forward to meeting
Australian geologists and helping them model
their geology using Leapfrog. Although we’ve
been involved in training for larger customers
this is the first time we’ve mounted open
training courses in Australia. For us it’s always
interesting to find out the problems users are
facing, and the personal contact is something
we find very valuable. For the course attendees
it’s a great opportunity to understand how
Leapfrog works and can add value.”
Asset management systems
Honeywell recently announced the global launch
of Intuition Executive, the flagship product of its
new Intuition software portfolio. Intuition
Executive delivers enterprise-wide information
management, decision support and
collaboration tools “to help companies achieve
operational excellence”, says the group. The
launch comes some two years after Honeywell
acquired Matrikon along with its Mobile
Equipment Monitoring and Mine to Port
offerings, and incorporates these solutions but
as part of a much wider data analysis and
integration package.
The group states: “Companies in the process
industries often use dozens of applications and
hundreds of spreadsheets to manage complex
production operations, monitor processes and
make operating decisions. These systems are
usually either completely isolated or are
connected with complex, custom-designed
interfaces that make it difficult to use the data
effectively and maintain data integrity. With its
sophisticated data processing and analytics
capabilities, Intuition Executive solves this critical
challenge. The software anticipates problems
and identifies opportunities. Its collaboration
tools highlight and capture expert knowledge,
share information and help users to make more
agile decisions and take action in order to drive
intelligent operations and solve key
challenges.” For the mining industry, Honeywell
believes that this can result in increased
efficiency and ability to manage and respond to
volatile energy costs, complex regulatory

changes, and real-world safety challenges.
“Data integration and visualisation is a must
have for our customers today,” said Ian Brown,
Vice President & General Manager, Advanced
Solutions, Honeywell Process Solutions. “The
ability to see, understand and act on the
relationships within critical data is key to
creating competitive advantage, and this can
only be achieved when all applications and
underlying data are amalgamated. Once you do
this, you can identify and take advantage of
opportunities earlier, mitigate potentially
damaging plant events and make confident
business decisions.”
Intuition Executive is developed on and
extends the functionality of Microsoft
technologies such as Microsoft SharePoint 2010,
SQL Server and StreamInsight to meet the
requirements of industrial operations.
“Monitoring and analysing data in motion leads
to earlier event detection and faster decision
making. Combining business intelligence and
analytics tools with existing workflows
empowers organisations with the ability to take
immediate action and stay ahead in today’s
highly competitive industrial marketplace,” said
Caglayan Arkan, general manager, Worldwide
Manufacturing and Resources Sector, Microsoft.
“Combined with Microsoft technologies,
Intuition Executive is positioned to take
advantage of computing power and complex
event processing technology to analyse large
MINING SOFTWARE
data streams.” Intuition Executive is part of a
growing family of Intuition solutions that solve
key industry needs such as operations
monitoring, alarm management, asset
management, remote operation centres, and
business process optimisation. Powered by
Matrikon, Intuition Executive is vendor neutral
and will connect to any control system or
underlying data source.
ABB has advanced its position as a world-
leading supplier of enterprise asset
management (EAM) software, according to
newly released findings from ARC Advisory
Group, a leading research and advisory firm. The
results are part of ARC’s annual market and
technology analysis, titled “Enterprise Asset
Management and Field Service Management
Worldwide Outlook.”
According to the report, ABB is now the
second-largest supplier of EAM software
worldwide. Regionally, ABB remains the leading
EAM supplier in Asia and Latin America, and was
ranked second in North America. The company
was also ranked the leading global EAM
supplier to the mining and minerals, electric
power generation, and electric transmission and
distribution sectors.
ABB believes that the industry is moving
towards dramatically increased automation and
better coordination from the mine planning right
through to delivery to the customer. The
company states: “Geological modelling and
mine planning retain their critical place in
successful execution of a mining operation, but
to deliver the increased coordination and
automation the industry is demanding these
processes must be much better integrated into
the operation as a whole.” MineScape, ABB
Ventyx’s flagship mine planning platform, has
been progressively achieving road map
milestones for Version 5 providing
comprehensive mine planning capability on an
open architecture platform and promoting
integration with third party solutions as well as
other Ventyx solutions. Releases later this year
will provide integration with best-of-breed 3D
geostatistics and pit optimisation, as well as
provide a new Software Developer’s Kit (SDK) to
further open up the platform, enabling
customers, value added resellers as well as
Ventyx, to provide deeply integrated and
streamlined solutions.
Ensuring sales commitments are met relies on
good mine planning but also requires high
quality inventory management, logistics
planning and contract management. Ventyx
MineMarket has also seen some major
improvements over the last 6 months, including
an overhaul to the 3D stockpile modelling
engine and major improvements to supply chain
planning. Supplementing the existing general
commodity sales and marketing capability, there
is new support for specialist metals contracts
such as toll-treatment. Upcoming releases will
JULY 2012 | International Mining 45
In-Pit Crushing & Conveying
Grand Hyatt Bali Hotel • Bali • Indonesia
24 – 26 October 2012
Join us at the only global IPCC conference
Presentation update – new keynote session!
The following shows 12 of the confirmed papers, with
a number of others also being finalised. It includes a
keynote session, in which we have two leading figures
from the Indonesian coal mining industry, who will be
giving the audience an overview of mining in the
country along with aspects of the industry structure,
rate of growth and the new Mining Law.
KEYNOTE SESSION:
 Jeffrey Mulyono, President Director of PKN Coal
and former Chairman, Indonesian Coal Mining
Association (ICMA)
 Bob McCarthy, General Manager, Snowden:
Developing a coding system to better classify fully
mobile IPCC layouts and systems
 Christian Dirscherl, Drive Technologies Division,
Siemens and Peter Sehl, General Manager,
ThyssenKrupp Robins: Latest Developments in
Gearless Conveyor Drives
 Doug Turnbull, Principal Mining Engineer, Sandvik
Mining & Construction Materials Handling: Real
mine case study of a new IPCC concept
 Marcilio Cenisio, Project Coordinator - Planning and
Development Department, Vale: An application
study of IPCC technology on a developing project –
Moatize case study
 Lynn Peterson, Product Sales Manager, FLSmidth:
Economic evaluation of next generation IPCC
systems
 Mario Dilefeld, Chief Engineer Conveyor Systems,
Takraf: Gearless drive solutions for IPCC systems
I N D U S T R Y S P O N S O R S
To register visit http://corporate.im-mining.com/imevents.asp
Please also contact us with offers of papers to IM
Events Director, Paul Moore at paul@im-mining.com.
For those accepted, registration fees are waived for
speakers. For those accepted, registration fees are
waived for speakers. News of the planned Workshop
and Field Trip will be updated on our website,
http://corporate.im-mining.com/imevents/
 Mangantar Sabungan Marpaung, Mining Strategist
and former Director, Indonesia Energy and
Mining Ministry
 Rico Neumann, Senior Mining Engineer, Takraf:
Reviewing 20 years of IPCC system development,
practice and study work
 Ruediger Durchholz, Managing Director
Engineering, RWE Power International:
Determination of performance and utilisation of
IPCC systems – the key role of the conveyor
 Ian Gibbs, General Manager, RCR Mining: Mobile
mining units – innovative solutions
 Stephen Kou, IPCC Business Development Director,
FLSmidth: Innovative New Technologies for IPCC
Registering
The rate for full attendance at the event is $1,600, which
will include the evening Welcome Reception on 24th
October, two full days attendance at the event, as well as
two lunches. The easiest way to register is online at
http://corporate.im-mining.com/imevents.asp though we can
also accept bank transfers and other forms of payment;
please contact Paul Moore for more details.
M E D I A P A R T N E R S

focus on standardised interfaces to simplify
integration with fleet management systems,
process control systems, laboratories and
transport schedules and will also deliver much
deeper integration between mine planning,
sales planning and logistics planning to provide
integrated sales and operations planning.
In pit to port software solutions, Triple Point
Technology, a leading global provider of
software to manage commodities and enterprise
risk, acquired QMASTOR in November 2011, a
major provider of mining software solutions to
manage the tonnage, quality, and value of coal
and mineral supply chains from pit to the point
of export, import, or consumption. QMASTOR’s
mining supply chain solutions are used to
manage over 1 billion tonnes of coal and mineral
movements per year. The company,
headquartered in Newcastle, Australia, supports
its global client base through regional offices
located in Africa, South America, and North
America. QMASTOR’s clients include BHP
Billiton, Rio Tinto, Vale, Anglo American, Xstrata,
and Peabody Energy.
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Metal Innovations seeks global agents
for its cutting-edge technology
Metal Innovations is a highly innovative engineering and mining
company which designs and manufactures the unique Celtic Miner®
machines which can transform the efficiency of mining and tunnelling
operations, particularly in restricted working conditions.
eltic Miners® combine compact size,
C power, reliability and, most importantly,
versatility. Machines that have been
delivered to international construction and
engineering group Costain, Solid Energy New
Zealand and UK Coal, for instance, have all been
MINING SOFTWARE
Following the deal
announcement, Peter
Armstrong, President
and CEO at Triple Point
Technology
commented: "Our
product strategy is to
provide the deepest
functionality, from
upstream to
downstream, in each
commodity class. Given
the importance of coal
to future global
economic growth, the
addition of QMASTOR
to the Triple Point
portfolio is extremely compelling. QMASTOR Honeywell Intuition Executive is software for
solutions are a perfect addition to the Triple enterprise-wide information integration and
real-time visualisation. It moves beyond simple
Point portfolio in that they supply all the data access and display to providing context.
functionality to optimise an end-to-end coal and Data is harnessed from everywhere and
mineral supply chain, while at the same time delivered it to everyone, promoting
collaboration across business units
being completely complementary to the rest of
the Triple Point product set.” IM
seeking worldwide, initially non-exclusive,
agents with contacts and a track record in the
industry to take the company’s operations to the
next level.
Metal Innovations was named by a business
magazine as ‘one of Wales’ most forward-
thinking companies’. The company has a
sophisticated in-house design studio and
highly-skilled workshop team which, in close
liaison with clients, turns out imaginative,
specifically modified to suit the customer’s precision-made products to precise
exacting requirements.
Metal Innovations also provides a
comprehensive consultancy service to assist
specifications, whatever the challenge.
Leading the Celtic Miner® range is the
flagship CM4500, highly-praised by industry
mine owners and operators with all aspects of experts at its launch for offering a new
their undertaking, from planning and logistics to dimension to mining. Its baby brother, the
specifying and CM1500, is just half a metre high yet packs a
supplying the most real punch. The machines are complemented by
efficient above and a whole array of bespoke support equipment
below-ground including conveyors, power packs, material
machinery and transporters, crushers and surge bunkers.
equipment. Managing Director Gareth Thomas said “We
Following a are now well-placed to exploit the capabilities of
successful launch and the Celtic Miner range and are looking for
product development agents to assist us with overseas markets. It is
period, UK-based Metal an exciting time for the company.”
Innovations is now
Metal Innovations
A CM4500 on its way Tel: +44 1446 774846
to Solid Energy
New Zealand www.metalinnovations.co.uk
JULY 2012 | International Mining 47
 MINING CHEMICALS
John Chadwick looks at new
products and trends in a sector of
growing importance
ccording to new report by Global Industry
A Analysts (GIA), “the world market for
mining chemicals is projected to surpass
$25.7 billion by the year 2017. Growth in the
future will be driven largely by revival of a large
number of feasibility studies that were stalled
by mining companies during the heat of the
recession and waxing demand for mineral
resources from developing countries to fuel their
rapidly growing economies.”
Mining chemicals play a vital role in
enhancing the productivity and efficiency of
mining processes such as the recovery and
extraction of minerals and target materials from
ore. “Presently,” GIA reports, Asia-Pacific and
the USA dominate the world mining chemicals
market. Explosives & drilling application [to be
examined in detail in September’s
Fragmentation article] represents the largest
and fastest growing market for mining chemicals
worldwide, with impetus for the segment
expected to be provided primarily by the coal
industry, which is presently the largest end user
of explosives. On the other hand, market for
mineral processing is expected to be dominated
by precious metals (sic) industry such as copper,
due to the importance of leaching and flotation
in these markets. In upcoming years, legal and
regulatory laws regarding environment and
safety concerns are expected to propel
investments in developing chemicals which are
safer and environmentally friendly.”
The importance of mining chemical in the
48 International Mining | JULY 2012
Mining
chemicals
value chain is likely to grow in coming years as
the industry strives for efficient recoveries from
ever lower grade ores. It could be also that
mining chemicals come to have greater
influence on the profitability of mining
operation. GIA also suggests that “increased
R&D and investments in developing and
commercialising newer, more sophisticated
chemicals will gradually push currently cheaper
yet less efficient and environmentally hazardous
alternatives out of the market.”
The Clean Mining Alliance announced its birth
in mid-May and is sure to have some influence
in mining chemicals. This new industry
association is aimed at supporting and
advocating technological advancements to make
the mining industry cleaner and more
environmentally responsible.
Kemetco: “many modern mines use a de-
toxification process that converts cyanide into a
less toxic cyanate before mixing it into the
tailings, along with increased tailings facility
containment measures. Nevertheless, the risk
of contamination to the outside environment
remains.”
Kemira's Espoo R&D Centre
“Frameworks exist to increase social
responsibility in mining, but despite
advancements in exploration, extraction,
production and reclamation technology, the
industry has struggled to present itself as
having grown beyond the mining days of old,”
says Dallas Kachan, Executive Director of the
alliance. “The Clean Mining Alliance exists to
help promote new and emerging technology
developments that are making mining more
environmentally responsible.”
It is an international non-profit organisation
based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It
was introduced during British Columbia Mining
week, a time when the province celebrates the
contributions the mining industry brings to the
province, its communities and businesses.
Members include companies on the forefront
of innovative breakthroughs in the mining
industry, as well as leading research
organisations. “We’re thrilled to be able to
showcase case studies from industry, and world-
leading research members like CERM³ (The
University of British Columbia’s Centre for
Environmental Research in Minerals, Metals and
Materials), which has proven through its work at
the local Britannia mine site that innovation can
vastly improve mine reclamation. It’s these types
of innovations that are leading towards a
cleaner mining industry.”
Founding members of the Clean Mining
Alliance include American Manganese, CERM3,
Kemetco Research and Nevada Clean
 The right partner.
The right chemical technologies.
At just the right time.
Being a partner to your mining operation is not just our profession, it’s our passion. We deliver leading
chemical technology in Alumina Refining, Mineral Processing and Solvent Extraction—innovations
powered by a rich history of efficiency and value. We provide onsite support, where our experienced team
works right alongside you to resolve challenges with robust solutions. As a recognized global leader, we
can offer you peace of mind through our commitment to steady, reliable product supply. Combined,
working with us provides you an opportunity and a partnership you won’t find anywhere else.
To learn more, please visit cytec.com/miningleaders

Alumina Refining | Mineral Processing | Solvent Extraction

custinfo@cytec.com | cytec.com/miningleaders

US Toll Free: 800.652.6013 | Tel: 973.357.3193

© 2012 Cytec Industries Inc. All Rights Reserved.
 MINING CHEMICALS
Cytec’s newly acquired Nagpur, India facility
Magnesium. Each one is introducing new
processes or technologies aimed at making
mining safer, cleaner and less expensive. Clean
technologies, or “cleantech,” employed by
member organisations include membrane-based
water filtration, hydrometallurgical processes,
biologic remediation, carbon capture, near-zero
emissions processes, closed-loop systems and
other innovation. More information on each
company and the technologies it is employing at
http://www.cleanmining.org.
Kemetco Research, for example, is developing
a means of recovering gold without the use of
cyanide leaching, as well as treating acid rock
drainage (ARD) with biologically safe materials.
It is developing a cyanide-free extraction
method that would remove the harmful chemical
compound from gold processing, thereby
creating a safer and more environmentally
friendly process for gold extraction and
processing. Kemetco Research is also
developing anaerobic biological processes
relying on the activity of sulphate reducing
bacteria for the treatment of ARD and other
heavy metal containing effluents. This biological
process aims to be an environmentally viable
option for current and past mine sites for the
treatment of ARD.
Sensing reagent efficacy
Frank Cappuccitti, Flottec’s President always has
interesting, insightful contributions for articles
on reagents and flotation. His opinion is that
“we have a lot of new information on reagents
and we know how we can use it to operate
flotation. But we don’t have the available
sensor technology that will allow us to measure
certain paramaters in the cell so that we can
control it. There is lots of work being done in
this area and more needs to be done. But this
is what needs to be done to provide the next big
step in improving flotation from an operational
perspective.
“Based on the continuing work done at McGill
50 International Mining | JULY 2012
University to develop new
measurement techniques
and sensors for measuring
gas dispersion
parameters, many
companies and
universities are conducting
work on developing more
specific sensors for direct
measurement of the
operating variables for the
flotation cell. Specifically,
new robust industrial
strength systems are
required to generate on
line real time measurement of pulp parameters
such as gas hold up, superficial gas velocity and
bubble size. But this information alone does
not give a complete picture of what is needed to
provide control of flotation. Measurement of
froth parameters are also required. Sensors do
exist for providing measurement of froth speed
and level, but sensors that can provide water
content, density and froth loading would also be
extremely valuable in understanding and
controlling the mass and water flows in a
system.”
Over the last few years, Flottec and McGill
have done extensive research on how reagents
can affect flotation cell hydrodynamics. This has
resulted in a new appreciation of how significant
reagents such as frother can affect the
performance of the cell at different air rates and
cell levels. More importantly, these
developments have lead to a better
understanding of how flotation cells and circuit
operation could be optimised using different
reagents and mass removal strategies. In order
to take advantage of this knowledge, what is
lacking in industry is the sensor technology to
provide dependable real time on line
measurement of the hydrodynamics of the cell.
Flottec continues to support the work of
universities such as McGill and University of
Chile and companies such as Cidra to develop
the new sensor technologies that are needed to
take full advantage of all the available chemical
technology for the
optimisation of
flotation.”
Reagent
developments
Cytec Industries says it
“has become the
largest specialty
reagent supplier to the
mining industry with
three businesses:
Alumina Processing,
Metal Extractant
Products and Mineral Processing. It offers
technologies that can: decrease the cost of
operations, provide better recovery and
selectivity, help better manage hard to process
ores, prevent or limit employee’s exposure to
hazards, optimise the use of natural resources,
and minimise waste.”
Rafael Mier, Global Marketing Manager for
Cytec’s Mineral Processing business notes “the
necessity for the development of novel mineral
processing reagents capable of enhancing value
metal recoveries. Flotation requires new,
stronger, more selective and versatile flotation
collectors like MAXGOLD™ and XD5002®.
These chemistries were created using its
proprietary Flotation Matrix 100™ process for
mineral flotation.” This is an approach that
combines an expert system, proprietary blends
and expertise to customise a tailored solution.
MAXGOLD is a novel family of collectors
designed for the flotation recovery of precious
and base metals from primary and secondary
ores. MAXGOLD chemistry is a sustainable
alternative to the traditionally used sulphide
collectors such as xanthates that are more
effective and reduce the safety, health and
environmental concerns. This new chemistry is
offered under the AERO® MX series which
contains mineral specific formulations for
improved flotation recovery of:
■ Gold values from primary gold ores (free
gold, auriferous pyrite, auriferous
arsenopyrite and other gold-bearing
sulphides)
■ Gold and copper values from copper/gold
ores
■ Nickel values from massive sulphides and
ultramafic ores and PGM values from a variety
of ores.
In addition, AERO XD 5002 promoter was
recently developed to improve the safety, health
and environmental (SHE) characteristics of the
industry while enhancing metallurgical results
for Cu and Mo in lower pH flotation
Gold flotation at the Pampalo gold mine in
Karelia, Finland. Picture by Eija Hiltunen

Cytec Industries has also been active in
developing technologies beyond the collector
business, addressing needs in electrostatic
separation, magnetic separation and scale
control in phosphoric acid production. These
bolt-on technologies are aimed at providing a
means to improve overall unit operations
without the need for large amounts of capital
investment.
Several issues in electrostatic separation,
such as finer particles and contaminant surface
coating can cause issues with separation
efficiency resulting in lower production rates
and product purity issues. Cytec has
developed AERO™ EZ 1000 and EZ
2000 for electrostatic separation of
differing minerals that have increased
separation efficacy by 8-11%
compared to a control, especially at
first pass. In addition, there are
substantial energy savings as the
separation process can now be conducted at
ambient temperature. An added benefit is the
reduced capital expenditure due to the bolt-on
nature of the electrostatic process. Application
of these products can lead to the ability to
produce comparable product in quality with cost
effectiveness compared to incumbent
technologies, separation of minerals over wide
size range, reducing the recirculation load and
providing an overall more efficient and robust
MINING CHEMICALS
Neptune Chemical Pump designed its 500-D
Series (Duplex) diaphragm metering pumps for
frother applications in coal mine prep plants.
The EZE-CLEAN™ valve cartridges can be
removed from the pump heads without having
to disturb the pump’s piping. Neptune’s
Variable Oil By-pass™ stroke adjustment
provides better valve performance than
variable-linkage designs, the company says.
Other standard features of Neptune pumps
include double ball-check valves, internal relief
valve, and a hydraulically balanced Teflon
diaphragm for extended life. Optional features
available are automatic flow rate adjustment
using an electronic stroke controller and
variable frequency drives
process.
The AERO® NSK
product line was
developed to
improve magnetic
separation, and
application of
these products
has
demonstrated the
capability to obtain
higher purity finished
products, process mineral slurries of a wider
particle size range, and even separate two non
magnetic materials.
The Phosflow® series of anti scalants is novel
scale inhibition technology developed to
address scaling issues in the production of
phosphoric acid. These reagents are added to
the process streams to minimise or even
eliminate scale in inter-stage piping and
evaporators. Benefits of using these products
include increased production, increased energy
efficiency, and process stability.
Steve Paulson, Lead Marketing Manager – N.
& S. America with Nalco’s Global Mining &
Mineral Processing Group explains that “for
many applications, the site-specific ore
composition and the chemistry of the process
solution will have a very strong influence on the
type of product used. Subtle differences in
mineralogy or water chemistry can have a very
significant impact on product selection and
performance. For example, a flotation collector
that works very well at Plant A may not work at
all at Plant B – even though both plants are
floating copper sulphide minerals. For this
reason, product selection frequently involves
ore-specific and/or site-specific testing of
numerous products and perhaps customisation
of products in order to implement the most
effective program for that specific operation.
While some products do have applications over
a wide range of conditions (such as some
flocculants and handling aids), it is usually not a
case that ‘one size fits all.’
“There are some classes of chemicals that
have been used for many years in mineral
processing applications. These include
JULY 2012 | International Mining 51
 MINING CHEMICALS
flocculants, coagulants, sulfhydryl collectors,
surfactants, and chelants. However our, R&D
efforts have resulted in numerous modifications
and improvements to these existing materials
over the past several years. Innovation is a key
part of our customers’ success and our growth,
so we are continuously searching for:
■ New chemistries which will deliver improved
performance and value for our customers
■ Modifications to existing products to enhance
performance in the customer’s process
■ Completely new applications for existing
products
■ New chemistries that reduce or eliminate
environmental impacts.
“Among the main areas of progress and
innovation that Nalco has focused on in mineral
processing are:
■ Coal flotation collectors –
alternatives to diesel fuel that
reduce environmental impacts;
NALFLOTE® collectors increase fine
coal recovery
■ Scale inhibitors – improved
performance on sulphate scale
control
■ Automation systems – monitoring
system performance and chemical
program control
■ Sulphide flotation collectors – improved
selectivity against Fe minerals and increased
molybdenum recovery; Pinnacle® sulphide
flotation collectors – improved Cu and Mo
recoveries and better selectivity
■ Flocculant technology – products that
enhance the settling of red mud and products
that invert more rapidly; POL-E-Z® liquid
flocculants–quick inverting flocculant
technology, and RRA® (Rigid Rod
Architecture) flocculants – increased red mud
underflow densities, improved overflow liquor
filterability and reduced scaling.”
Paulson also points out that a key
consideration for specialty chemical programs
“is what will deliver the lowest total cost of
operation (TCO). This involves the cost
performance for the entire program, and not just
the chemical cost. This includes the consultative
evaluation by the service engineer to
understand the process and objectives of the
customer, and then to select the right product,
apply it at the best location(s) at the right
dosage, and then monitor the program on a
regular basis to ensure that it is operating at
optimum performance and that customers ‘hold
the gains’.
“As ore characteristics or process conditions
change, it may be necessary to modify the
dosage or even change to a different product.
It’s a common mistake to assume that all
products are equivalent and function the same
52 International Mining | JULY 2012
in a process application. With specialty
chemicals, the customer is paying for an end
result, and it is our job to ensure that we have
the best total program (chemical + feed system
+ monitoring program + on-site service) to
deliver that result.”
Axis House has successfully developed
copper oxide flotation chemistries that use
combinations of patented hydroxamates and
modified fatty acid amines in conjunction with
traditional sulphidisation chemicals. The
reagent suites are now successfully being used
across the globe – and can be found on plants in
the DRC, Namibia, Botswana, Morocco, Russia
and Canada. The roll-out of this technology has
been sped up by the availability of the Axis
House Flotation Laboratory, where specially
trained chemists and metallurgists work with
client ore and are able to formulate optimal
solutions very quickly (concentrate sample
analysis is in-house).
After the successful industrial implementation
of the Axis House hydroxamates and fatty acids
in copper flotation plants around the globe, the
company has expanded the application base of
these reagents to include rare earth oxides
(REOs) and industrial minerals flotation
(fluorspar and phosphate).
REOs have successfully been floated at lab
scale and (project dependent) possible plant
trials can be expected. Reagents targeting
industrial mineral flotation and specific gangue
depression (talc/carbonates) have recently been
trialled, which resulted in the first industrial
scale orders being placed.
Global shifts
A recent trend in this sector has seen more
companies reorganising their global
organisations for mining chemicals. BASF, for
instance, will, it says, “align its Mining Solutions
business even more strongly with customer
needs. There are two industry platforms for
mining and oilfield “whose strategies are based
on strong growth and adding value through
innovation and customised solutions.”
“A more focused and industry-specific set-up
is required to successfully implement our
strategies. I see this as investment and strong
commitment to our customer industries and I
am very glad to move forward in this direction;”
said Steffen Kudis, Head of the Global Oilfield
and Mining Solutions business.
The Regional Mining Solutions organisations
will be strengthened by shifting business
responsibilities into the strongest regional and
local markets. Regional Business Management
Asia Pacific will move from Hong Kong, China to
Melbourne, Australia, while those Santiago,
Chile; Houston, Texas and Ludwigshafen,
Germany will remain located where they are
today.
BASF Mining Solutions offers an extensive
range of mineral processing reagents. It is a
global business and currently the strengths are
in solid/liquid separation and solvent
extraction; however it also offers reagents for
flotation, dispersing, agglomerating and others.
At the end of last year, BASF signed a
long-term agreement with the
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation (CSIRO) to lease
laboratory and office space at the
Australian Minerals Research Centre in
Perth. There BASF is establishing a
global R&D and technology centre,
employing six researchers and
developers by the end of 2012.
In first projects, scientists will be
studying mineral processing specific innovation
needs such as advanced rheology modifiers for
the improvement of the thickening process for
valuables and tailings or modification of the
crystallisation process in alumina production.
The company also agreed to sponsor research
undertaken by the Parker Centre starting from
July 2012. For five years, BASF will make a
substantial financial contribution to participate
in collaborative research in the areas of
breakthrough technologies and process
fundamentals primarily focused on alumina,
base metals (particularly cobalt, copper, nickel
and zinc), gold and uranium.
The Parker Centre is a collaborative research
organization focused on hydrometallurgy R&D,
involving three research institutions (CSIRO,
Curtin University and Murdoch University) and
strongly supported by 20 mineral processing
companies.
“Our vision is to become the leading chemical
solutions provider to the mining industry by
investing in existing and innovative technologies
for mineral processing and metal production of
ores. To be successful, we are increasing our
R&D spending and strengthening our market
focused organisation. The agreement with
CSIRO is an important step towards building
technology and innovation leadership and
demonstrates our global commitment to the
mining industry,” said Kudis.
With the participation at the Parker Centre in
 MINING CHEMICALS

Perth and the agreement with CSIRO,
BASF intends to strengthen its R&D
capabilities in proximity to industrial
research centres and key customers.
This creates the opportunity to
connect BASF technologies and
research and development platforms
with opinion leaders in academia and
industry and thereby jointly address
new developments for mineral
processing. “Our research will greatly
benefit from the intellectual property
generated from the Parker Centre and
from our interactions with the
participant research groups,” explained Gregor
Brodt, Global Development, Oilfield and Mining
Chemicals.
“Mining has become a central focus for BASF
globally, and particularly in Australia and New
Zealand,” said Neil Fitzmaurice, Head of the
recently established Asia Pacific Industry Target
Group Mining. “We have built relationships with
leading mining houses and industry-recognised
academia, a sound market understanding, an
attractive portfolio and the capability to
translate market needs into chemical solutions.
Our Asia Pacific Industry Target Group Mining
looks to develop an even more comprehensive
offering with the overall portfolio of BASF, also
for market segments beyond mineral
processing, metal production and construction.
In this way we want to continue to provide major
operational, environmental and economic
benefits for the mining industry.”
In April Clariant Mining Solutions celebrated
the opening of a new, state-of-the-art mineral
processing lab at its location in Guangzhou,
China. "The new Guangzhou mineral processing
lab is further tangible evidence of Clariant's
commitment to mining business development in
north Asia," said Jason Wang, head of BL
Mining, region North Asia Pacific. "The lab's
location will allow Clariant to share its global
expertise with regional customers in China and
will enhance our ability to provide excellent,
customisable solutions to meet our customers'
needs."
The lab meets Clariant's rigorous safety
standards, including the installation of
a fume hood and dust control to foster
a safe work environment for
employees. The lab contains all
equipment necessary to perform
flotation trials, and will be further
equipped with mineral analytical
capability through planned new
equipment installation later in 2012.
The lab will also process mineral ores
and coal samples to optimise
recoveries and grade for Clariant
Mining customers.
Also in April, AkzoNobel Surface
Chemistry, a leading supplier of collectors and
mineral coating agents for the industry,
announced plans to invest in the growth and
continued operational excellence of its fatty
amines manufacturing plant in Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan, Canada. This investment is being
made to support the substantial growth by its
potash-producing customers. AkzoNobel’s fatty
amines and derivatives are used for the flotation
of potash ores and anticaking of potash
minerals during manufacturing.
“Our Saskatoon plant is ideally suited to
service the potash industry, particularly in the
Saskatchewan basin, one of the largest permit
areas for potash exploration in the world,” says
Gerry Labelle, Business Director for Performance
Applications at AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry.

S AT
VISIT U
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Sep 24 E 2012
50, IM P
2 0
Stand e Ind
lh i ia
New D
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Sep 24 RNATIONAL
IN T E
INExpo A
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Stand L

JULY 2012 | International Mining 53

 MINING CHEMICALS
A couple of months ago BioteQ Environmental
Technologies commenced the 2012 operating
season at the Minto mine in the Yukon, Canada,
providing water treatment services. BioteQ’s
operations staff commissioned the water
treatment system on site. This is a fee-based
contract where BioteQ earns revenue for labour
provided and water treatment fees for volume
of water treated. The company expects to treat
some 500,000 m3 of water in the 2012 season,
though that can vary with precipitation and
snow melt at the site. BioteQ is an innovative
clean technology leader in global industrial
water treatment. The company’s proven
technologies have been applied at sites around
the world to recover dissolved metals and
remove sulphate, producing clean water and
eliminating residual waste
Canada is the top potash-producing country in
the world, followed by Russia, Belarus, Germany
and the United States. “The new investment in
our plant is part of our long-term commitment to
support our customers’ growing development
needs with the capabilities they have long relied
upon: our consistent quality, responsiveness
and on-time deliveries,” says Bob Margevich,
Managing Director for AkzoNobel Surface
Chemistry business unit. “We will maintain our
leadership as a supplier to the potash industry
by continuing to fulfil and exceed our customers’
expectations.” AkzoNobel’s fatty amines product
lines include: Armeen®, Armoflote®, Atrac®,
Berol®, Ethomeen® and Lilaflot®.
Cleaning up
Kemira says water is the connection in
everything it does. “We use our chemistry and
applications expertise to provide both in-
process and effluent solutions for a wide range
of water treatment issues found in mineral ore
processing.
“Superfloc polymers are a cornerstone of our
mining business. This brand has been trusted by
the mining industry for over 50 years to meet
tight performance requirements for multiple
end-use applications from water clarification
and filtration to thickening and tails
management.”
Joseph Narciso, VP of Minerals & Metals at
54 International Mining | JULY 2012
Kemira, “Water scarcity
and mining in arid areas
will continue to be
challenges for the
industry and the
regulatory environment
will keep the industry
under increased pressure
to reuse, conserve and
treat water.”
Kemira is developing
new products and
solutions to meet new
challenges that the
industry is facing. The
mining industry faces the dual challenge of
declining ore quality and the need to save and
recycle more water. This is changing the nature
of many process circuits and is creating scaling
conditions in mineral operations that had not
previously experienced this kind of problem.
Mineral scaling is prevalent in water systems
that are saturated with ionic constituents.
Calcium carbonate or calcium sulphate fouling is
often associated with leaching processes.
Kemira's comprehensive line of KemGuard
scale control products can help. These allow
selection from a wide range of options to
address specific and the most difficult mineral
deposition problems. In recommending a
product, Kemira looks at the system as a whole
and understands that chemical addition
upstream can have major effects on downstream
operations. Scale control is an essential tool in
managing water quality. Kemira has an active
R&D program to develop the KemGuard product
line to solve scaling problems where solutions
may not have yet been identified.
Mines’ ability to effectively deal with
contaminants such as arsenic and selenium in
waste waters will be key to ensure optimal and
uninterrupted production.
Narciso adds, “We understand the important
role technology and water treatment play in
production efficiency and environmental
compliance.
“Kemira's unique position in offering both
organic and inorganic coagulants means that
the optimum program for wastewater treatment
can be developed. Proven treatment regimens
are used for arsenic, selenium and heavy metals
removal.”
Mine water treatment products from Nalco
aim at more efficient and selective removal of
heavy metals. There is also OreBind® Tailings
Management Technology – increased water
recovery.
As noted in the emissions management
article in the February issue, dust suppression is
a continuous and costly activity because it
impacts operational efficiency, impairs visibility,
increases accident risk and may increase the
detrimental effects present in the work
environment. Quaker Chemical notes that local
communities along with regulatory agencies
have put increased pressure on companies to
improve methods of dust suppression. In the
US, “the Mine Safety and Health Administration
(MSHA) has required mine operators to increase
the total incombustible content of the combined
coal dust, rock dust and other dust; and has
reduced the concentration limits for coal mine
dust. Whereas, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has mandated that facilities that
generate dust minimise or mitigate the
production of dust in their operation.
To alleviate industry-related issues and
address MSHA and EPA concerns, Quaker
Chemical has developed Dustgrip™, a dust
suppression product line for various
applications, including crushers and conveyor
systems, rail cars, stockpiles, unpaved haul
roads, pits and quarries, mine tailings and
screening operations.
It says Dustgrip “not only suppresses dust
but offers solutions for managing company
resources and addressing environmental
concerns such as:
■ Improving work environment and safety by
increasing visibility and improving air quality
■ Creating a cumulative effect thereby, reducing
water consumption
■ Reducing labour and equipment costs
■ Ability to use with existing spray equipment,
and does not require post application rinsing
of equipment
■ Non-corrosive
■ Ongoing field support from experienced and
respected Quaker associates.
It is a liquid that absorbs moisture from the
air and allows small dust particles to combine
and increase in size, making them less prone to
become airborne. Dustgrip Turbo, Quaker says,
“changes the wetting characteristics of water
making it excellent at penetrating and knocking
down dust particles. It can be used on
stockpiles to seal surfaces, prevent the erosion
of valuable minerals, and stop air penetration.
“Dustgrip 007 dries to form a thin, flexible,
continuous seal that that effectively suppresses
dust for an extended period. It is effective on
stockpiles, soil stabilisation, erosion control and
suppression of dust caused by wind, vehicle and
heavy equipment traffic.”
Nalco’s recent developments include
DustFoam Plus and DustBind Plus
technologies for in-plant and in-transit
fugitive dust control. IM
References
Mining Chemicals: A Global Strategic Business Report,
Global Industry Analysts.
 MINEXPO 2012
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The mining industries 1st choice read – International Mining (IM) is the magazine of choice for the
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Readers’ comments include: MINERAL SANDS MINING
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Dundee Precious Metals finds International Mining to be the best technical journal available for
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Thanks John, Really good article on Simulators. Your articles provide

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John: your article is one of the best blasting updates www.im-mining.com APRIL 2011

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I’ve been a reader of IM for many years and enjoy receiving each Informed and in-depth editorial on the world mining industry

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Your work is very meaningful in the mining world. Your articles and all
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IM is also the 1st choice for equipment suppliers’ advertising.

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Please contact us for a quote to advertise in the September Minexpo issue.
 HIGH PROFILE
Mining empowerment
Paul Moore spoke with Andy Walker, Head of Business
Development for Mining and Cement at global temporary
power specialist Aggreko; about mining as an industry focus
for the company
Q: Of the work Aggreko conducts with mines
and mining related operations, can you give
some idea of the proportion of work that goes to
providing temporary power for advanced
exploration or early in-development projects,
and what proportion goes to existing mine
applications, such as refrigeration/ventilation
power; back up/emergency power; machine
moves etc?
A: Aggreko’s solutions support a number of
applications. The amount of work that goes to
providing power during the different stages of a
mine, from pre-feasibility to full operation and
beyond, very much depends on the particular
needs of the client. These needs will be shaped
by a set of variables which may be related to
environment, location, political movements and
regulation.
What is unique about Aggreko is that we
specialise in what we do – power rental and
temperature control – and have gained a wealth
of experience from having partnered with the
sectors we have supported over the past 50
years, including of course, mining. Aside from
the legacy of experience, we work all over the
world, including expansion throughout Canada.
Our people are exposed to the many different
scenarios and challenges miners face, and are
on hand to offer quick and flexible solutions.
One challenge miners often face is sourcing
power for remote sites where grid support is
unavailable. With smaller mines looking to
maximise profits and minimise costs, the option
of installing their own power line is more often
than not too expensive. Power was required for
one such mine in Ghana, the Damang gold mine,
owned by Abosso Goldfields. Aggreko’s
capability to deliver power solutions in remote
areas was well known to the customer. Within
three weeks of signing the contract, the necessary
equipment was mobilised, transported, installed
and commissioned on site.
Q: You mentioned expansion in Canada’s mining
market, can you provide some detail on your
presence in Canada plus any recent mining
specific activity there?
A: Aggreko has delivered temporary power
generation services and solutions to mining
56 International Mining | JULY 2012
customers in British Columbia, Alberta,
Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, Yukon,
Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. As an example,
we were contacted in June 2011 by Grand Cache
Coal in western Alberta with a temporary power
need. The mine was undergoing an expansion
which included a new underground coal mine,
the No. 12 South B2 operation. The customer
faced a couple of significant challenges that
were prohibiting their production timeline:
limited availability to power from the grid and
the newly built transmission lines had not yet
been energised. In order to meet set quotas the
mine elected to utilise temporary power to limit
downtime and drive forward operations.
Aggreko mobilised 5 MW of generator power to
run the customer’s electric mining equipment,
drills, conveyor, offices and shops. The
temporary power enabled the mine to quickly go
into production allowing the company to meet
previously-made customer commitments.
Further, any interruptions in power meant large
production revenue losses for the customer so
Aggreko technicians were deployed 12 hours per
day for six months to monitor and maintain a
reliable power source. Once the transmission
lines were energised, the mine transitioned to
utility grid power for remaining production
efforts.
Q: For the principal mining power solution
applications mentioned above, can you provide
examples from the past year to 18 months?
A: As indicated, our involvement in the different
stages of a mine depends very much on the
particular need, but our delivery of optimal
service is never compromised. When the Bisha
Mining Share Company (BMSC) was looking to
start drilling on an isolated site in Eritrea,
located 300 km from the sea, a fast and reliable
power solution was urgently needed. The only
barrier blocking the work on a site that had
been analysed and tested for over 10 years was
proving to investors that the miners had a stable
power supply. Through its reputation of world
class delivery of solutions regardless of the
issues, Aggreko was called upon to design and
implement a power package solution for 20 MW.
The power package became the mine’s only
source of operational power, with Aggreko
technicians manning the site 24 hours a day.
The project was extended and is still running.
Q: Back-up power for Escondida was one of your
largest projects to-date. Can you provide any
other examples of similar projects where you
have been brought in as a strategic secondary
power source?
A: Mines that use grid support are often at the
mercy of the reliability of the third party source.
Weather, political movements, natural disasters
and other factors can and do often affect the
flow of energy. In more recent times, the
significant boom in certain economies has
meant that grid systems are often over
capacitated and prone to load-shedding. Mines
running expensive projects cannot afford not to
have a back-up solution. Even those with their
own principal power supply need to put in place
a contingency emergency plan. Aggreko is often
called in to provide a back-up power package, as
was the case with the Siguiri gold mine in
Guinea. Operated by AngloGold Ashanti, the
mine’s onsite generators broke down. Aggreko
was quick to respond and sent the needed 2.5
MW power package by air, just three days from
receiving the customer’s initial distress call.
Q: With ever more uncertainty with grid power
due to many countries being pushed to the limit
in terms of capacity and frequent rolling
blackouts etc, does this represent a boost to
potential mining applications for Aggreko?
A: In fact we are finding that more and more,
miners are having to explore in remote locations
where there is little if any infrastructure in place.
This trend is driving more exploration mining
companies to consider rental power as an initial
energy solution, at least until they are up and
running and can look into the option of setting
up their own power stations. There is certainly
truth in the observation that many markets are
 HIGH PROFILE

Q: To what extent do you work closely with the
companies that provide the mine-wide power
transmission network/infrastructure , such as
Siemens, ABB and others?
A: While we do not work directly with Siemens,
ABB and others, we do regularly connect to
their systems on mine sites so that they can run
their equipment effectively. Our experts are
well versed with the technologies of other
providers.
Q: Are areas such as solar power, gas powered
engines, fuel cells etc a potential threat to
Aggreko? As a company are you involved in
research towards future power solutions?
A: Aggreko continually evaluates the viability
of potential power generation solutions, and
introduces the latest technological
innovations where appropriate – to meet
environmental considerations and where
there is a sound business case for our
customers, such as in our natural gas
generators. Where other new technologies
meet our clients' needs, we will be in a
position to support them, too. We have an
exceptional record meeting and often
exceeding environmental regulations around
the world, and in developing existing
technology to operate in the most
environmentally friendly ways possible. IM

IInfoMine
nfoMine
f
Aggreko Canada has been seeing increased
demand for temporary power solutions, such as
this 5 MW solution for Grand Cache Coal
Mining Intelligence
I & Technology
Te
echnology
experiencing a misbalance of energy demand
versus supply, due to growth in economies. In www.InfoMine.com
ww
ww
w..InfoMine.com
these situations, Aggreko is often called in by
local utility suppliers to support in
supplementary power, while the infrastructure is
put into place to address any shortages.

Q: Whereas Aggreko may have previously been

brought in as a reactive move to power
problems/shortages, are you now being
factored into an operation more at the
planning/development stages by EPC/EPCM
companies and the like? Connect to a World
A: Within the industry, Aggreko is considered to
of Mining Information
be the leading expert in the field of rental power
and temperature control solutions, and its
y News
reputation for above standard health and safety y Mining Intelligence
practices is second to none. With over 4,500
y Careers
people operating in 165 locations, including the
development of its presence in Canada, Aggreko y Ed
Education
is perfectly positioned to offer in-depth support y S
Suppliers
at every stage of a mine’s lifecycle, including
early phase planning stages. Our people have y Mine Cost Estimating
been called upon for expert consulting for many
years now, and are well aware of the various
requirements EPC/EPCM companies have.
Having said that, we still find ourselves solving
new, never seen before mining applications
which can sometimes be challenging. This is
where Aggreko believes that it adds real client
value. Taking best practice a step further,
Aggreko implemented the Orange Excellence
programme over two years ago, where training
in QHSE and optimised management models
ensure that the promise of highest safety and
service standards are incorporated in each and
every project.

JULY 2012 | International Mining 57

 POTASH MINING

Booming pink gold

Paul Moore looks at the ongoing hive of activity in

the potash market, from both majors and juniors,
that is proving highly prospective for the key shaft
sinking groups, EPCMs and continuous mining
machine manufacturers

he potash market continues to boom, capacity, will increase Uralkali’s potash Sandvik MF320 borer miner operating at

T through established expansions to major

existing operations owned by PotashCorp,
Uralkali, Belaruskali, Mosaic, Israel Chemicals
production by 5.3 Mt. The launch of new
projects will make up for the gradually depleting
ore reserves of the Berezniki-2 mine as well as
Uralkali

and will be performed through the Russian

and others to new greenfield projects such as
K+S Potash Canada’s Legacy and BHP Billiton’s
Jansen in Saskatchewan; to Vale’s Rio Colorado
in Argentina. There are also a whole host of
juniors looking to get into the sector, not only in
Canada and the US but globally, including South
Boulder Mines with its Colluli project in Eritrea
to MagIndustries Mengo in the Republic of
Congo. The issue with potash mines is that they
generally require major shaft development as
well as extensive lateral underground
development, that involves huge initial costs –
usually several billion dollars – and as much as
8 to 10 years before the owner sees any positive
cashflow. This is one of the reasons why the
market is controlled by a relatively small
number of players as to develop a new potash
mine is a long and expensive process. As a bulk
material it also means getting access to
transport infrastructure – generally a freight rail
line. Unfortunately this also means that many of
the projects being advanced by juniors will
never reach production.
Russia’s Uralkali now vies for top position
with PotashCorp in potash reserves and annual
production capacity; and the group has major
expansion plans. Expansion and modernisation
of its existing production facilities will add 4.5
Mt of potash production capacity to Uralkali’s
total. Further to this, the Ust-Yayvinsky and
Polovodovsky projects include the construction
of two new mines which, when they reach full
increase potash production capacity. In total, as
a result of the large-scale investment program,
Uralkali will increase its production capacities
over ten years to 19 Mt/y of potash as KCl. The
expansion project envisages replacement of old
hoist machines which will allow the company to
increase the capacity of Berezniki-4 mine from
14.5 to 20 Mt/y of potash ore. The Ust-Yayvinsky
project focuses on construction of a new mine
with two shafts of 8 m in diameter and the
capacity for 11 Mt/y of potash. Potash ore
extracted from the Ust-Yayvinsky block will be
processed at Berezniki-3 plant . The mine will
produce its first ore in 2020.
A core technology market
From an equipment technology standpoint,
potash, sometimes referred to as “pink gold”,
represents the most important market for
continuous mining machines after coal by some
margin. As such the use of longwalls,
continuous miners, roadheaders and borer
miners tends to be overshadowed by the coal
industry, as does the importance of potash
mining to shaft sinking specialists, especially as
it often involves specialist ground freezing
techniques. Deilmann-Haniel Shaft Sinking
GmbH (DHSS), now part of the Redpath Group,
concluded a contract to sink two freeze shafts
for the new Ust-Jaiwa mine for Russian potash
producer Uralkali in late December 2011. The
contract is worth approximately €215 million
subsidiary Deilmann-Haniel Schachtostroj. The
construction period is approximately 5.5 years.
PotashCorp has teamed up with joint venture
partners, Redpath and Thyssen Mining, who
together form Associated Mining Construction
(AMC) for the first new potash mine shaft in
Saskatchewan, Canada, in over forty years – the
Scissors Creek project. The statement said:
”AMC draws upon the experience of both parent
companies and their subsidiaries to provide
solutions to what have proven to be some of the
most complex shaft sinking projects in the
world. Due to the nature of the deposit, the
PotashCorp Scissors Creek shaft must be sunk
through layers of unconsolidated water bearing
strata. Therefore specialised ground freezing
techniques are utilised, along with complex high
pressure shaft liners.” Other key players in
potash shaft sinking include the UK’s Alan Auld
Engineering, DMS Mining Services in Canada,
Shaft Sinkers in South Africa, CDM Smith and
others. The scale, scope and cost of the potash
projects means it is also attractive to EPCM
companies such as AMEC, Hatch and SNC-
Lavalin.
Key machinery suppliers
Longwall mining of potash is conducted in a
similar manner to coal mining with longwall
equipment, though there is the advantage that
there are not the same hazards found in coal
mining such as rock bursts and methane

58 International Mining | JULY 2012


concentration. However, dust tends to be more
of an issue and is one of the main challenges
that the equipment manufacturers have to face
in the potash industry. Traditional water cooling
systems cannot be used in potash mines
therefore cooling systems tend to have to work
in closed circuit. Because of the faster advance
of the longwall, the canopies and other
elements of roof supports undergo significant
attrition, therefore the materials used must be
very robust. Perhaps unexpectedly, there is no
problem of corrosion with potash – as the salt
coats and therefore to some extent protects the
equipment.
Companies in Poland’s Famur Group
specialise in manufacturing equipment for hard
coal longwall mining but in their long history the
companies have been also producing and
delivering machines for potash mines. Since
1992, Famur shearer loaders and Fazos roof
supports have formed a major part of the
equipment fleet at Belaruskali’s mines in
Belarus. Fazos alone delivered over 2,300 roof
supports. Belaruskali also uses longwall
equipment from Caterpillar and Eickhoff.
The machines produced for Belaruskali were
customised for those operations. The hardness
of the ore required greater installed power in
the cutting arms of the shearers, while the
cutter motors’ planetary gearboxes were
equipped with additional cooling systems. The
cutting drums also had a special arrangement of
the pick system. The shearers were also
equipped with dust reduction systems,
consisting of fans and dust sucking units, and
the sensitive elements of the shearer were
additionally covered for enhanced protection.
In total, Famur delivered eight longwall
shearer loaders (types: KGS-570/2B/Sol, KGS-
570/KGS-800S/2BP, KGU-310/Sol) to the potash
mines in Soligorsk. Fazos delivered 2,387 roof
supports (types: FAZOS-09/15,5-Oz , FAZOS-
15/31-Oz-SOL, FAZOS- 16/24-Oz, FAZOS- 08/13-
POz, FAZOS-09/15- POz, FAZOS-16/24-POz,
FAZOS-13/20-POz, FAZOS-23/36-Pp, FAZOS-
35/43-Pp, FAZOS-22/34-Pop).
A new product from Famur is its mining
system for thin coal seams, known as FL 13/19.
It includes the longwall shearer FS200, powered
roof supports, armoured face conveyor and
beam stage loader with a lump crusher. With
adjustments, the company believes the system
is also very applicable to potash mining.
Caterpillar, through its purchase of Bucyrus is
now a major supplier of equipment for potash
mining, including continuous miners and
longwall systems. The successful operation of a
first 30M4-NP continuous miner (Caterpillar
CM345 N) delivered in 2004 to Agrium’s Vanscoy
potash operation, led to an order for a further
three units, which were delivered by August
2010. Extensive modifications were incorporated
by a team of engineers working closely with the
customer for over two years.
One of the major challenges was to convert
the cooling system from a glycol to oil system to
allow operation of the miners in very hot
conditions. The cooling system also had to be
redesigned to fit within the same footprint,
while at the same time easing the transition
from flat ground to a grade during uphill mining
to avoid ground contact, as all three continuous
miners will be cutting extensively on grades of
up to 20°. Other changes include voltage-
segregated electrical enclosures, a new control
system, modifications to the frame, new cover
layouts, and a new layout of the operator’s cab.
The customer requested an electrical control
system that operators were familiar with and
that would facilitate operator access to
individual components. With a modular design,
the control system also allows growth to
accommodate future functionality. A completely
new cover package was implemented for the
continuous miners to accommodate the new
electrical and cooling systems.
The custom machines weigh in at 74.84 t and
can mine seams of 1.8 to 4.63 m. Caterpillar
states that other features that contribute to the
success of the machine include ncreased brake
capacity with faster set and release times to
facilitate operation on steep grades; improved
POTASH MINING
Manufacturer of
the leading Ural
10R and 20R
range of potash
mining machines,
Russia’s Kopeysk
celebrated its
70th anniversary
in 2011
geometry to prevent material accumulation and
to ease transition to and from steep grades; a
modular design to comply with mine-site
restrictions for hoist capacity and shaft
dimensions; non-XP electrics and enclosures;
and a 4,160 v input voltage to replace the
standard 995 v supply.
There are also other equipment suppliers for
which potash is an important market. Salzgitter
Maschinenbau AG (SMAG) manufactures and
sells automated specialist drilling vehicles
specifically made for potash and salt mining, but
increasingly used in oil shale extraction. Its
products include the GB 280 S large-bore
drilling vehicle. The GB 280 has three
independent drilling drives, which in each case
propel a drill rod with a diameter of 280 mm.
The maximum drilling depth is 7,500 mm. Even
on rough surfaces a movable rod guidance
system in the front area of the machine provides
optimal rod guidance. Extendable crossbeams
make it possible to drill 6 horizontal holes in
parallel positions. With the optional vertical
level control system installed it is possible to
drill 12 holes in one drill set up. A central chain
drive is used to feed the drilling drives and an
electronic feed
control system prevents the drill drives from
overloading and/or deadlocking the drill rods.
Rock pressure can reduce the lifetime of
tunnelled sections particularly in potash and
salt mines. Paus has recently designed the Slot
Cutter PLS 10, a rubber-tyred and all-wheel-
driven loader designed to minimise floor
convergence and track construction
underground. With its cutter, users have the
option of cutting tension relief slots into the roof
with a continuous nominal depth of 1.8 m and a
thickness of 0.15 m. This process is a major
contributor to improving roof and impact safety.
The machine can be used in tunnels up to 2.8 m
wide with a maximum height of between 2.4 and
3.2 m. The vehicle is also fitted with a shield to
push fallen rock to the side in the same process.
The cutter is equipped with a 69 kW Deutz
diesel engine. Power is transmitted from the
JULY 2012 | International Mining 59
 POTASH MINING
Uralkali is looking to produce its production
capacity for potash to 19 Mt/y
cutting chain to the boom by means of the
hydrostatic drive. A dual rotary mechanism
ensures slots can be cut at any position across
the cross-section of rock. During cutting, the
vehicle is moved by a 30 kW engine, which
enables users to make very precise adjustments
from the cabin. The cutting speed is 1 metre per
minute. A 76 kW engine and torque converter
with a Clark powershift transmission is also
used for transport within the mine. The machine
is also equipped with a motor cable reel with
some 300 m of cable, giving the vehicle
maximum freedom of movement.
The driver's cabin on the Paus Slot Cutter is
fitted with a protective floor and roll-bar.
Maximum sight is ensured by a 180º rotatable
driver's seat and double driving platform when
moving forward and reversing. There is now no
need for turning manoeuvres in narrow mines
and tunnels, as the driver can turn the driver's
seat towards the opposite driving platform and
exit the tunnel in reverse. The monitoring
equipment for both directions enhances driving
safety. The all-wheel-driven vehicle has a sturdy
modular framework construction and
hydraulically-supported articulated steering.
Joy Global estimates that it has delivered over
70 machines to potash mining operations,
including continuous miners, battery
haulers/shuttle cars, feeder breakers and
flexible conveyor trains (FCTs). Continuous
miners have been used in potash operations for
many years, however, Joy argues that in recent
years their size, weight and motor power has
enabled them to consistently produce at high
enough rates to make them consistently more
economic when compared to more traditional
drill and blast methods. The company estimates
that the productivity of continuous miners has
more than tripled in the last ten years. This
60 International Mining | JULY 2012
offers longwall systems for industrial minerals
operations. Joy’s latest innovation in this area is
its Advanced Shearer Automation (ASA) system,
which results in the optimisation of longwall
production cycles and mining safety, according
to coal customers in the US, Australia, and
China. Joy Global states; “These operational
gains, which also contribute to lower operating
costs per tonne, stem from new shearer steering
technologies which allow the programming of
fully-automated cutting sequences, including
gate-end turnarounds. End user benefits include
controlling the shearing machine with a single
operator, positioned upwind with less dust and
noise exposure; achieving consistent extraction
heights and cutting methods between shifts;
and allowing the ability to manage shearer
speed while easily accessing valuable system
increase is due to higher capacity equipment, performance data at the mine surface.” Joy ASA
increased power, high voltage, increased productivity features, such as gate-end
reliability and utilisation coupled with better turnarounds, are the result of very specific
infrastructure, improved mine planning and software enhancements, new sensor
layouts and better roof control. Potash mines technologies, and the sharing of data between
using Joy continuous miners include ICL’s the shearer, powered roof supports, and face
Boulby mine in the UK and Intrepid Potash in conveyor sub systems. The initial cutting
New Mexico. profiles and extraction heights are defined by
For the industrial minerals market, Joy offers the use of a software utility called the Graphical
the 12HM (hard rock miner) series continuous Offline Planner. With this configuration, the
miner. Within the series is the 12HM36, the shearer automatically replicates the face profile
largest and most powerful drum type continuous until seam conditions change – at which time,
miner manufactured. Utilising common the operator has the ability to override control of
continuous miner components, but designed to the roof drum which records the changing roof
meet specific applications, the 12HM continuous horizon. By utilising this new roof horizon data,
miners are successfully operating in trona, the remainder of the cutting sequence is fully
gypsum, potash and salt mines around the automated per the predefined extraction
world. The basic elements of each continuous heights. This advanced level of automation
miner are similar in design, following field enables the most efficient cycle times possible,
proven philosophies perfected by Joy over the while providing day-to-day consistency.
years. Each machine employs Joy’s multi-motor Joy’s licence with CSIRO has enabled Joy to
concept with outboard access to motors, gear integrate CSIRO’s Landmark Face Alignment
cases, controllers and other major components. System into Joy’s longwall automation platform,
The philosophy calls
for the isolation of
major components
for easier
troubleshooting and
maintenance. The
continuous miners
use individual
motors with direct
drive transmissions
to power the cutter,
traction, gathering
and hydraulic
systems. This
permits service or
repair quickly and
easily, thus reducing
downtime and
The Paus PLS 10
maintenance costs. Slot Cutter
The group also

further boosting performance capacities by
automatically maintaining alignment of the AFC
with the coal seam, a production advantage that
minimizes downtime by eliminating the need to
manually straighten the face. This alignment is
achieved through the use of an inertial
navigation system (INS), which is located in the
shearer controller, and is used to track the
position of the shearer as it traverses the face,
measuring the face straightness. This
information is transmitted to a server where the
data is compared to a predetermined model of
the seam. The server then issues recommended
corrections to the powered roof supports,
instructing the system how far to advance on
subsequent cycles, which allows proper
alignment with the coal seam. Joy shearers
equipped with the Landmark Face Alignment
System are currently available in the US and
Australia.
Caterpillar has also announced its next
generation EL3000 longwall shearer, which
features a state-of-the-art communication
system for advanced automation and
monitoring. The Caterpillar longwall system
includes personnel proximity detection and
underground cameras that can be linked to a
surface monitoring centre. In underground
rubber tyred equipment, new additions include
the new AD60 underground truck, with 60 t
capacity, and the new R3000H underground
loader, with a 20 t capacity.
Borer miners
Borer miner machines in trona or potash are
typically used to drive entries up to a total
length of 1,500 m in a number of passes, using
an extensible belt conveyor arrangement. The
resulting room width can be as large as 22 m.
The height, depending on the seam conditions,
can also be mined in multi-pass operation. A
typical application in higher seams sees the
machine advanced through the panel on the first
pass and operated with a bridge conveyor on
the second pass. This application repeats the
sequence a second time by taking two
additional passes at a lower level. The average
result is a room height of approximately 4.5-5
m, depending upon ground conditions and seam
thickness. Finally, there are also applications
where cascading mobile-bridge-conveyor
concepts are used. These are particularly
suitable for the 3 m and higher seam heights.
The development of boring-type continuous
miners began in the 1950s. Two machines were
built by the Marietta Manufacturing in West
Virginia. The Marietta Miner, as this machine
was called, was mounted on tracks and fully
mobile. The original machines were rail-
mounted and could only cut a short distance
before the machine would have to be backed
POTASH MINING
away from the face and additional track powerful machines for mining trona, potash, and
installed. Successful use of these machines in salt. In 1959, the first non-coal Marietta Miner
coal led to their ultimate application into trona was delivered to a trona mine in Green River,
and potash in the 1960s. The interest in this Wyoming. In 1965, machine specifications were
type of machine among the US coal miners introduced for Canadian potash mines. Since
became ever greater. The Clarkson Division of then, many miners have been delivered ranging
National Mine Service purchased the rights to in profile dimensions of 2.1 m high by 3.6 to 4 m
manufacture the Marietta Borer and improved wide; to 3.3 m high by 5.5 m and 6 m wide. The
the design by increasing the installed power. In largest machine was the Marietta Borer type
1969, legislation in the US stopped the Marietta 780AW-4, a four-rotor machine that cut a profile
Miner from being used in underground coal 2.5 m high by 7.8 m wide. These miners range in
mines, due to the fact that many of the new roof weight from 68 t to 225 t and have a total
control and ventilation requirements could not installed power of 560 to 1,400 kW.
be met with Marietta machines. National Mine Sandvik bought the rights to the Marietta
Service started with designing and Borer and set about updating the design for
manufacturing larger, heavier, and more production at its Zeltweg, Austria location. This
International Mining Editor Paul Moore and Publisher
John Chadwick go the extra mile to report on real mines
and mining projects globally, in addition to the major
tradeshows and exhibitions. So far from 2011 to early
May 2012 alone, visits have included the following:
Country Operations reported on
BRAZIL Samarco (iron ore)
Anglo American Barro Alto (nickel)
BULGARIA Chelopech (gold)
CANADA IAMGOLD Westwood (gold)
CHILE Anglo American Los Bronces (copper)
CHINA SD-Mining Sanshandao (gold)
SD-Mining Xincheng (gold)
Xinjulong Jonggu (coal)
CZECH REPUBLIC OKD CSA (coal)
FINLAND Northland Resources Kaunisvaara (iron ore)
Dragon Mining Orivesi (gold)
GERMANY GEOMIN Erzgebirgische Kalkwerke (marble)
IRELAND Boliden Tara (zinc)
POLAND NWR Debiensko (coal)
RUSSIA KRU Taldinski (coal)
SOUTH AFRICA Frontier Zandkopsdrift (rare earths)
SPAIN Iberpotash Cabanasas (potash)
UK Galantas (gold)
USA Stillwater Mining (platinum/palladium)
Peabody Energy NARM (coal)
Peabody Energy Rawhide (coal)
JULY 2012 | International Mining 61
 POTASH MINING
project ultimately saw the development of the
MF420 Sandvik Borer Miner, which was based
on the design of the well proven Marietta Borer
Miner 1012. It was presented to potential
customers in early 2010. The MF420 has a total
weight of 250 t and a total installed power of
1,630 kW. The cutting unit is driven by two 448
kW motors for the rotors and three 160 kW
motors for the top and bottom cutting drum,
providing the power to continuously produce 24
t of potash ore per minute. When developed, the
machine was the world’s largest self-propelled
underground mobile mining machine. With the
high cutting power it is also the most powerful
and most productive machine on the market.
TheMF420 Borer Miner is. Several of these
machines have been in operation for decades in
a number of Canadian Potash mines.
The Borer Miner MF420 is a boring type,
variable height and width-machine which cuts
and delivers material to auxiliary haulage
equipment in a truly continuous operation. The
machine may be used to drive entries, mine
rooms and extract pillars as rapidly as haulage
equipment can remove material to the main
haulage way. The instantaneous advance rate of
the machine can be as high as 0.5 m per minute.
The addition of cutter drums to the cutting
concept is one aspect of the new generation of
Borer Miners, and provides a number of
advantages, including the ability to make a
sharp corner between roof and rib; reducing the
major cause for breakdown and wear on
standard machines (the trim chain); less power
requirement and higher penetration rates;
reduced fines; and increased manoeuverability
to follow the seam as well as negotiating
gradient changes better.
In August 2011, Sandvik Mining and
Construction entered into an agreement with
BHP Billiton for the conceptual design of a
mechanical cutting system for use at the Jansen
62 International Mining | JULY 2012
project. The project located near Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan Canada will employ Sandvik
Borer Miners designed and developed under the
agreement. This has led to the development of
the Borer Miner MF460, a design upgrade of the
MF420 with an extended range in cutting height
for following the seam variation at the Jansen
project. The proposed Sandvik Borer Miner
design originates from the well proven EIMCO
1012 operating at th eLanigan mine, which has
also operated at the former Potacan mine.The
emphasis of this new development is the
integration of well proven technology into a
machine which eliminates the bench cut in a
variable seam and incorporates an intelligent
control system to steer the machine in seam
with the target to automate the cutting process.
Smart diagnostics will assist in improving
reliability as well as machine utilisation. The
MF460 consists of two main function
assemblies, the cutting and conveying system
and the tramming unit. The cutting and
conveying system is connected to the tramming
unit with the thrust posts and the trim cylinders,
enabling the cutting and conveying unit to be
adjusted in height as well as in tilt and roll. The
tractor frame supports the entire weight of the
machine and transfers this weight to the crawler
chains through bogie wheels. The weight of the
rotor drive gear case, conveyor assembly and
main frame is supported by the tractor frame
through the front and rear trim cylinders. The
cutting forces are transferred from the cutting
elements through the thrust posts into the
tramming unit.
New mining approaches
A paper at the 2012 MassMin conference
authored by RWTH Aachen University and K+S
AG attended by IM discussed the development
of mining concepts for cutting technology in
semi-steep deposits. The major problem in
An Eickhoff SL500 longwall shearer at
Belaruskali
deposits with an inclination of 20 to 60° is that
the dip is often too steep for the conventional
use of mobile equipment or regular belt
conveyors on the one hand; while on the other
hand they are not sufficiently steep enough for
gravity flow. To use mobile equipment involves
the challenge is to find a suitable mine design
and reduce the inclination in mine roadways to
an acceptable level. In order to do so, different
alternative mine designs were developed and
discussed.
Drilling and blasting is still the most widely
applied extraction method in German potash
mining, but applications of cutting technology
come increasingly into focus due to
technological advancements and consequently
increases in productivity. The development of a
continuous mining system for semi-steep
potash seams is part of a strategic research
project, which currently is being conducted by
the Institute of Mining Engineering I (BBK I) at
RWTH Aachen University in cooperation with salt
and potash mining group, K+S AG.
One theoretical example of a panel layout in a
semi-steep deposit was presented with an
average inclination of 25°. The general mining
direction is downwards and access to the panel
is provided by an entry drift, with an inclination
of the roadway of 13.5°. At the end of this entry
drift the actual panel layout starts. Within the
panel the inclination of the main production drift
(mains) is reduced to 8.5°. For layout purposes
and in order to stay within the panel, the
direction of the mains changes every 500 m.
Fully-loaded standard mobile haulage
equipment can operate economically up to this
dip of the mains. The main extraction takes
place in horizontal rooms/stopes with a length
of some 500 m, starting from the mains. The
development of the mains and the mineral
extraction in the horizontal rooms/stopes are
carried out simultaneously. The mineral is
extracted by means of a continuous miner and is
then transported to a feeder breaker by means
of underground trucks.
An alternative option to mineral transport
within the potash seam would be the
development of a separate horizontal haulage
level underneath the deposit, thus necessitating
the integration of ore passes between the seam
and the haulage level. However, the roadways
required would most probably have to be
developed in surrounding rock, which usually
would be uneconomical.
It was also ultimately recommended for cost
reasons to use drilling and blasting technology
for the development of the mains and cutting
technology for extraction in the rooms/stopes. IM

Mining technology updates
Every month IM posts around
100 news items to its website,
mainly technology related.
Here are some recent highlights
CommodasUltrasort, the mining brand of TOMRA
Sorting Solutions, has
been made a member of
the international
AngloGold Ashanti
Technology Innovation
Consortium. The
consortium, based in
South Africa, was established in 2011 by AngloGold
Ashanti and, including CommodasUltrasort, comprises
46 industrial companies, eight universities and
research institutions all of which regarded as
innovators in their field.
The aim of the consortium is to create new ways of
thinking and new opportunities for deep level mining.
Mike MacFarlane, Senior Vice President Technical
Development at AngloGold Ashanti says: “The
consortium facilitates solutions by bringing the world´s
leading innovators to solve mining´s toughest
problems. Next generation mining requires
collaborative breakthroughs.” CommodasUltrasort, has
provided state-of-the-art sensor-based sorting
technology for dry material separation in various
minerals and ore applications since 1988. It was
chosen as an expert partner for sensor-based solutions
for gold ore sorting.
Xstrata Technology has recently signed an Albion
Process technology
licence agreement
with GeoProMining
Gold, a 100% owned
subsidiary of
GeoProMining Ltd.
The agreement allows GeoProMining Gold to use
Xstrata’s proprietary fine grind and oxidative leach
technology for the recovery of gold and silver from
sulphide concentrates at their GPM Gold Project in
Armenia The agreement was signed after the
successful completion of a BFS in 2011 that included
batch and continuous pilot plant testwork on samples
from the GPM Gold mine in Armenia. The feasibility
study demonstrated that the Albion Process can
achieve high gold and silver recoveries from the GPM
sulphide concentrates on a cost competitive basis.
GeoProMining Gold LLC has engaged Xstrata
Technology to provide the Albion Process plant as a
lump sum design and supply package, and to complete
detailed design of the existing flotation plant upgrade.
International supplier of mineral sizing systems, MMD,
has specified Siemens gear units and couplings for a
FROM: WWW.IM-MINING.COM
crawler drive,
discharge
conveyor, transfer
conveyor and
feeder drive
destined for an open cast mine in China. A total of five
assorted Siemens Mechanical Drives gear units will be
travelling to Shouzhou City, in China’s Shanxi Province,
after manufacture in the UK. These include two 400 kW
Planurex bevel helical planetary units supplying the
crawler drive (size P2KB30, weighing 11.4 t each), one
350kW P2KA22 Planurex driving the apron feeder, and
two Flender FZG B3SH size 14 (350 kW) and size 12
(275 kW) bevel helical units with integral backstops for
the discharge conveyor and transfer conveyor. The unit
for the apron feeder features an external cooling and
lubrication system, plus an integral motor mounting
platform.
ContiTech has
strengthened its
industrial business in
specialised conveyor
belts by purchasing
Specialised Belting
Supplies. This British
company has been in the
market since 1984 and,
with 50 employees, produces primarily steep-angle
conveyor belts for the transport of bulk materials
including ore, coal or gravel. “The purchase of this
profitable and established company is strategically
important and opens additional opportunities for us in
the growing worldwide market of steep inclined and
vertical conveying,” said Hans-Jürgen Duensing,
Business Unit Manager of the ContiTech Conveyor Belt
Group. “We are not just taking over the business
operations, but the production as well and want to
further expand it. We also have for the future the new
production technology to produce particularly
temperature resistant corrugated sidewall belts.”
Dando Drilling International, the supplier of drilling rigs
and equipment for the mineral exploration,
geotechnical, water well and geothermal sectors has
recently launched a brand new type of machine- the
Dando Mule ATV5-RC. The Dando Mule, a tracked load
carrying vehicle, was designed by Dando for solving the
problem of transporting to and on-site heavy drilling
equipment and tooling across very rough terrain. The
design of the machine allows the Mule to be operated
from a distance by remote control thus keeping the
operator safe. The removal of the operator from within
the vehicle makes for a much lighter machine as well
as an increased pay load capacity- the machine is
capable of carrying loads of up to 5 t. The highly
manoeuvrable and agile crawler carrier is controlled by
remote control (manual and umbilical back up) and is
self loading/ unloading with a demountable load bed
which comes in either a standard length of 3 m or
extended at 3.6 m. The compact design of the machine
allows it to fit into a standard shipping container The
Mule also comes with various track options including
steel and rubber tracks. Dando have already supplied
one of the carriers to a drilling contractor for use in
Africa and have an order lined up for a further two to be
sent to East Asia.
Natural gas powered
high horsepower
engine specialist GFS
Corp has brought its
first major commerical
offering to the open-pit mining sector. The company’s
EVO-MT 7930 System is specifically designed for the
Caterpillar 793 series of mine haul trucks. The company
states that the EVO-MT system allows mining
companies to substantially reduce operating costs
without major modification of either the chassis or
drive engine of the Caterpillar 793 haul truck. The EVO-
MT 7930 system has been designed to maintain the
proven reliability and performance of the Caterpillar
793. In the event of a fault condition or low LNG fuel
level, the system seamlessly switches the truck to
100% diesel operation regardless of operating mode.
Truck haul capacity is maintained after the EVO-MT
system is installed and engine power and torque
output is maintained to OEM specifications.
ABB’s Minerals/Underground Mining
business unit and Atlas Copco
Underground Rock Excavation
have developed an
innovative mobile
integration system
between ABB’s process
control System 800xA and Atlas Copco mining
machines. The solution is currently installed at the
Atlas Copco test mine in Kvarntorp, Sweden. ABB says
“it will offer future mine operators unrivalled process
control opportunity and information.” It will provide
machine tracking for greater mining efficiency. Today,
sensors and automated data processing systems
provide mine operators with essential information on-
line for each product and process control. Future
mining will require a high degree of integration in
product and process optimization, maintenance
planning, environmental control from one single control
centre in order to get the best overall performance from
mining machines underground, as well as increase
productivity and lower energy consumption.
To keep up with this news in detail,
go to www.im-mining.com
JULY 2012 | International Mining 63
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